326: All Better

by Vol Tryst
80613.22
Following Flower Power

-=Sickbay, USS Serendipity=-

"Will he be up soon?" Came the concerned voice of a woman.

"He's awake, just not up. Probably only haze and grogginess keeping him under now."

The voices were barely distinguishable, and the light around him was dim and fogged. Vol could almost hear his heartbeat quicken ever so slightly, and his breathing becoming more normal to raise him from his resting state. His muscles ached to move, it was that kind of awakening where your body ignored your will of mind and just said 'We're moving outta bed, whether you like it or not.'

"Vol?" Came the sound of the man's voice again, Vol was able to tell now that it was the LMH. "C'mon sonny, can ya hear me?"

Vol groaned, and his head fell to one side. He fought to bring it back up, as he finally let his eyelids open fully. Things came into focus quickly, the light from the ceiling of Sickbay, the sounds of some treads running along the ground under his med bed, the unwelcome scent of medicine, drugs, and sanitized surfaces, not to mention...

"Welcome back Counselor." smiled McKay. "You have some visitors,"

"Lair Kellyn." Vol managed to mumble with a smile on his face.

"How could you..-" Lair began.

"I sensed you." Vol now wore a much bigger grin, the world was filled once more. The universe populated again, with limitless numbers of beautiful paintings on once blank canvases.

"Yay! Couselor all better now!" The high-pitched mechanical voice came from below them all, and Vol made the effort to sit up so that he may look down at MiM. Vol still looked a bit groggy in drugged in his facial expression, but he was definately lucid, and was aware of his surroundings.

"Hello MiM." Vol said, looking down at the machine... too far down for Vol to be comfortable. he practically owed this machine his livelihood. He slowly pushed himself off the med bed onto his feet.

McKay looked like he was about to object, but when Vol sat down next to MiM, so that he could be eye-level, he didn't say a word. Lair Kellyn stepped back.

"MiM glad to see you all better." MiM was mimicking applause my moving his pincers closer and farther apart repetitively.

"Thanks to you, MiM." said Vol seriously, but with a grateful smile. The sentient robot stopped its excited movements, and it now tilted his head and scratched his would-be forehead.

"You thank me."

"Yes." Vol had fully expected this, and had prepared for it mentally.

"But... why?" MiM honestly could not comprehend the matter. Being thanked for helping Jariel in the arboretum was one thing, there were tasks that needed to be carried out and accomplished. Moreover an organic being had asked him to do so, his programming obliged him to comply. But this was different, MiM had done nothing for Vol, and yet the Betazoid man was still thanking him. "MiM does not derserve thanks."

"On the contrary bud." McKay spoke admirably. "Without you, Vol could have... umm... been terminated, or he could be a very different man than he is now."

MiM looked around, almost troubled looking and completly puzzled. The machine did however come to the conclusion that this may just be something he will learn eventually. He looked at Vol once more, holding out his pincers helplessly.

"MiM does not know what to say." This made Vol smile.

"On my home planet, it's customary to show appreciation and thanks through physical affection."

"Oh? Will Vol show MiM what that is?"

Vol scooched closer and wrapped both arms around the small robot, and picked him up gently and held him up against his shoulder like one would a small puppy or cat. MiM hummed with panic at first, then intrigue, then wrapped a pincer around Vol's neck to try and reciprocate the gesture.

What a peculiarly odd sight it was, but somehow still touching. Vol then moved to set MiM down, but MiM resisted, as he looked at Vol and insisted.

"That was fun, will Vol teach MiM to kiss next?!"

The laugh was small at first, and then grew more and more. Vol's stifled chuckle turned into a full out holler where his abs were in pain. Vol liked MiM before, now he absolutely adored the thing.

Ensign Vol Tryst
Ship's Counselor
USS Serendipity NCC-2012