80308.00
Immediately following The Best and Worst of Times
-=Mess, USS Alchemy=-
"Afternoon, boys. Room for one more?"
The smile was evident in her voice before they even saw her- and even though Lair Kellyn still looked pale and tired, her eyes were indeed smiling as well.
"Hello there!" Avery beamed, as he and Rada both jumped out of their chairs. Kellyn shook her head.
They were elated to see her and were slightly torn between their honest overjoyed reaction and not wanting to make her feel awkward about her return.
They opted for the former approach.
"Sit down, keep eating," she insisted, "I don't mean to interrupt important Engineering business."
"You're not," Rada insisted, grateful for something to take the focus back off of him, and the story he had just told to Breaux of his father's departure when he was so very small. "Take my chair."
"No, I'll grab one of my own,"
"I insist." Rada said firmly, and Kellyn laughed softly and glanced at him sideways.
"Look at that would you! He's barely on the job a day and he's already giving me orders." She was only teasing of course, and she winked at Rada as she finally gave in and accepted the seat. "Thanks, the trip from home does feel a bit long at the moment."
She held a small box in her hands, and Rada had a feeling that though she was happy to see them both, she had really come to see the new Chief Engineer of the Serendipity, specifically, and so he prepared to make his exit.
"Get another chair, sit back down." Kellyn offered.
"Actually it's time for me to get back to work," Rada nodded to her. "Anytime you want to drop by and see what's going on,"
"Oh, don't you worry, Lieutenant. I'll be in your way more now than I have ever been. You'll be sick of the sight of me soon as I'm back on duty."
Rada's expression told her that thankfully, especially considering how close she'd come to dying, that the chances of him growing sick of her company were not highly likely.
"Chief, I'll see you soon." He nodded to Breaux.
"Lieutenant." Avery smiled proudly, using any and all excuses to repeat Rada's new rank. "So. Do your doctors know you're out of bed, Lair Kellyn?" Avery inquired as he took his seat once again at last.
"Well, it just so happens that I am good friends with someone in the medical profession who is quite close by, actually. So should there be any emergency he will surely leap up from his. . .interesting looking lunch," she wrinkled her already wrinkled nose up even more surveying the spread of leftovers, "and save me in no time flat."
The two shared a look, and a nod, and Avery noticed a change in Kellyn's voice before he saw Kellyn's eyes were suddenly filled with tears.
"He already did it once, you know," Kellyn continued softly, reaching across the table and entwining her soft, newly-dermally regenerated fingers with his and squeezing tightly. "I have no doubt that he'd do it again."
"Kellyn, you need to know that I feel a bond with you...I really can't explain it...but I am there for you, whatever you need. I feel like we have been shipmates for ages...please...do NOT hesitate to call on me if I can help you, or anyone you care about."
She nodded. "Likewise, my friend. I also happen to know of a certain Vulcan who will be wanting to speak to you himself at a later date. He may not cry, but he will tell you he's thankful." She smiled through her tears and cleared her throat.
"Now. I have something for you, and before you say it's not necessary, I want you to know that it is and that I won't hear a word about it. Understand?" A wicked gleam sparkled in her eye.
"I may not be your direct supervisor anymore, but I still outrank you. Zanh threw my third pip back at me to go with my new title, since I took a voluntary demotion to serve with Salvek aboard the last ship. I don't care about it, honestly. Rank has never been my thing. It's all about the job to me. But in this instance if you make a fuss, I will make an exception and pull rank on you."
She slid the small black box across the tabletop toward him. "Have a look?"
"I have no choice, I could find myself court-martialed," he joked.
Kellyn picked up Rada's discarded cloth napkin and wadded it up, tossing it at Avery. He laughed, and ducked out of the way as it flew over his shoulder and onto the floor.
He knew she'd aimed to miss.
When he finally pried the lid open, he found a gleaming gold timepiece inside. He pulled it out and held it by the chain, and exclaimed, "My Gods...it's amazing!" It was an antique, had to be. There was no way that this item was replicated.
"Soon as we got close enough to Earth I asked Salvek to do me a favor and call an old friend of mine to obtain it," Kellyn said softly. "It keeps perfect time."
She didn't know if she would ever be able to explain to him why or how she'd chosen this particular gift for him, but after the 'journey' they had taken together on her way back from the brink, she had no doubt this was the right one.
He looked at the front of the pocket watch and saw that it was inscribed.
"I got out my micro-engraving tools and did it myself. I'm a little rusty, sorry it's kind of sloppy." she frowned as she surveyed the angle at which the last two letters of his first name slanted away from the rest. "Some of the medications they have me on. . .my hands haven't quite steadied yet. If you want me to do it over in the future I can polish it all off and start from scratch. No pun intended."
"It's beautiful...I don't know what to say."
Avery surveyed the inscriptions- there were several. On the front of the watch, it said "Avery Breaux, MD" On the back, it said "CEO, USS Serendipity"
"There's more, inside." Kellyn indicated. "Want to see?"
Inside, the inscription read "I will guard my life and my art." Avery read it aloud and was puzzled.
"It's taken from the original Hippocratic Oath, you know." Kellyn said, suddenly her voice sounded very much like her young daughters, full of wonder and reverence. "I mean it to be a reminder to you, Avery. You risked everything, life and limb to jump in and save me. I am more grateful to you than I will ever be able to say and I hope it's never necessary, but I want you to know that I would do the same for you. I swear it."
Her tears fell silently from her cheeks and rained down onto the tabletop. "After all you've done for me, I have absolutely no right to ever ask another thing of you, but hell I'm going to anyway."
She squeezed his hand, and the watch within it, between both of hers now. "I want you to promise me that while you're busy taking care of everybody else, that you'll take care of yourself, too. That's my meaning for the inscription."
Avery moved over to Kellyn's side, disregarding all Starfleet protocol; he sat next to her and put an arm around her in an effort to comfort her in what was obviously an emotional moment for the both of them. "Lair Kellyn...this is the most thoughtful gift I've ever received...I can't thank you enough...I trust you will heed this same warning, and take care of yourself as well...it seems we Starfleet types have an affinity for going full bore into precarious situations."
"Where angels fear to tread. Like lemmings. Starfleet types and engineers." She laughed. "I promise you that this is the last time I ever intend to die in the line of duty. Twice should be enough to ensure my Starfleet tenure."
"Twice?" Avery was perplexed.
"A long story. But I promise, I'll tell you one day." Lair was gathering herself and nodded as the two shared the friendly hug. Avery found himself touched to the point of his own eyes welling up and feeling guilty about his escapades that this fine crew knew nothing of...would Kellyn still feel the same about Avery if she was aware of his background?
"You know years ago I had the privilege of working with Bajoran Vedeks...it was a difficult time as I was living in two worlds really...it was then that I
realized..." He couldn't finish his thought, he just smiled. "Kellyn thank you...this is the second gift you've given...the first was recovering."
"It's a gift I hope will keep on giving. But you're stuck with me now and it's your own fault," she joked. "When I get in your way and tick you off, just you remember that."
Commander Lair Kellyn
Engineering Research and Development
The Alchemy Project
and
Lt. Commander Avery Breaux
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012