by Vol Tryst and Zanh Liis
91004.0100
Following On the Payroll
-=The Captain’s Ready Room, USS Serendipity=-
91004.0100
Following On the Payroll
-=The Captain’s Ready Room, USS Serendipity=-
"Counselor." Zanh Liis welcomed the resident ship’s psychiatrist as he strolled through the doors of her office.
"Captain." Vol relished saying the word in greeting to Zanh Liis once again. "It seems that your luggage has not yet arrived..." He noted the still-empty walls of her ready room.
"Yeah, our favorite, cranky little Concierge in-training is workin' on that as we speak." Zanh replied, implying Dane.
"He had to walk my dog first..." It was only then that Zanh looked up from her work and saw that Vol hadn't come here alone. He had picked up her puppy from whoever had it last; by most recent report that would have been Lair Arie, and brought it here in a small basket.
"Are you going to point me in the direction of Oz next?" She asked.
Vol rolled his eyes, damning himself that he didn't have a comeback ready to shoot at his now-again Captain. He set the basket down in the middle of the piles of PADDS on her desktop and scratched the runt behind the ear. He smiled at the puppy and as his head tilted to one side, Zanh could've sworn she saw Vol's lips moving as if he was whispering to himself.
"She is very pleased this morning. Her stomach is full and Arie and Tress spent the morning chasing her around the arboretum. She is about ready for a nap."
"Good. Stick her back into the basket and set her anywhere." Zanh said, waving her hand dismissively. "I'm busy."
"Cap-tain… " Vol drew the title out and slanted his gaze to look at Zanh disapprovingly.
"Counse -lor..." Zanh replied in the same tone, parroting him affectionately as she looked back and forth between her work and her company. Vol resisted the urge to smack his forehead in disbelief.
"This dog is a living thing, not a potted plant. You can't just abandon it. I believe that is referred to as 'abuse and neglect.'" Vol took a seat and held the small dog in his lap, stroking her fur slowly. It took only seconds for the puppy to offer a truly adorable yawn, accompanied by a small noise somewhere between a grumble and a sigh before it promptly closed its eyes and fell asleep. Zanh took advantage of the scene.
"Hey now. I've never neglected it. It's been in capable hands all the while and look. See? It likes you. You should take it home with you and I'll visit every other weekend and on religious holidays."
"She is a member of your family now." Vol chided gently. "Would you abandon say...little Sophie Reece? That's how helpless this puppy is."
"I might abandon Sophie's father given the chance." Zanh teased, for the first time today she genuinely smiled. Something about the young Counselor was a comfort to her. If nothing else, Vol was one of the most truly alive people she'd ever known; and being around one so alive could be one of the most valuable reminders of all life had to offer after you'd spent so much time considering, and mourning the dead.
"Nonsense." Vol spoke even more softly, patting the dog though it was now snoring and oblivious to his affection. "Look at this face."
"Yes. It's very sweet, Vol. So are you. But I'm not going to move you into my quarters either. I'm not a...dog....person. Or by any means a cat person." Liis said. "Animals don't like me. People barely tolerate me. If she was a potted plant I'd find a way to kill it, just ask Jariel."
"This animal likes you, I already heard the story about how she whimpered when you turned her back over to Dane the night you got her...and you..." Vol smiled as he realized Zanh's change in pronoun usage and wiggled his eyebrows. "Just called the dog 'she' and not 'it'. You're warming up to her already." He picked up the sleeping pup again, tucked it into the crook of his arm and then with his other hand ripped the PADD Zanh was holding away from her. "It's bonding time!"
"I swear, one of these days I'm going to kill William Lindsay." Zanh decided suddenly. "I can't believe he did this to me."
"Before you kill him, might I also remind you that he gave you a car?"
"Point taken."
"Actually I think he did this more to Keiran. Or for Keiran." Vol widened his eyes. "Imagine the entertainment value of..." he handed the dog off to her and Liis sighed. "This." He nodded with satisfaction watching Zanh stare helplessly into the dog's tiny black eyes. "Another thing, she needs a name. You can't keep calling her 'she' and least of all 'it'."
"That'll be Keiran's job. I'm sure he'll name her something complicated and Irish with letters in places that make no sense in any other language and that I can't even pronounce."
Suddenly the puppy was awake again, and she began excitedly sniffing at Liis' face. She gave a quick lick of happiness before she started trying to bite at the chain of Liis' earring.
"No no nooooooo, doggie..." She groaned. "That is not a chew toy." It only took a moment but as much as Zanh hated to admit it, this was just about the most adorable living creature she'd ever seen and she was having a very hard time stopping herself from smiling at the unquestioning, unconditional affection it was offering her. It turned itself in several hopeful circles upon Zanh's lap, then curled up again and prepared to go back to sleep.
Not wanting to ruin the moment, Vol ignored this event and turned his attention to other matters. "Captain..." he began slowly, much more respectfully, in that tone that told Liis that he was getting ready to either ask to do something, or not to do something. "About our next assignment."
"Nuh-uh. No free passes." Zanh said, actually lowering her voice unconsciously because she didn't want to disturb the sleeping pile of fluff before her.
"Sorry, Vol, but this is as much about team building and cementing the newer members of the crew together with the old as it is about combat practice and survival training. I know that Counselors aren't usually called upon for front line duty in most conflicts, but you have been at times and you will be again and you know that you are a Starfleet officer in addition to your respected and well-earned medical degrees. So pack your most stylish pair of combat boots, Mister Tryst. You are going with us to the training grounds on Sibalt and that's the breaks."
"I'll take the dog for two weeks." Vol responded quickly.
"Deal!'' Zanh said without thinking.
''Great.'' Vol beamed and quickly stood up.
"Hey!'' Zanh began her protest, but Vol pretended not to notice as he slipped out of the Ready Room.
"You get your bratty Betazoid ass back here..." Zanh set the dog down on the deck and quickly made her way around her desk and toward the door, but the little beastly thing had grabbed hold on the end of her trouser leg.
The dog whined and obviously did not like the idea of being left alone, and would soon rip a slit into Zanh's pants in order to prove it.
"Vol!" Zanh shouted, although it came out as more of a plea than anything else. "He thinks he's so smart." Zanh remarked to the puppy, as she picked her up once again in an attempt to save her uniform from tiny little jaws of destruction.
"We'll fix his little red gong-ringing wagon..." She muttered and then she smiled, a broad, satisfied smile that would come through clearly in her voice as she addressed the Counselor by remote.
She tapped her badge.
"Zanh to Tryst..."
There was a long pause, and no response.
"Vol," Liis purred sweetly, "I know you can hear me..."
[Yes, Captain.] Vol reluctantly answered.
"We're leaving on the Alchemy at 0400 tomorrow."
[Yes, Captain.]
"Don't forget to pack your rain gear...I hear that the weather modification net on Sibalt is special."
[As are you, Sir.] Vol replied. At least he'd given it a shot. [As are you.]
Liis couldn't help but laugh as she finally closed the channel, letting the young Betazoid off the hook. She quickly stopped laughing as she realized that she was still holding the dog.
"Come on, you." She sighed. "I need a break. Let's go for a walk."
------------
Lt. Vol Tryst
Ship’s Counselor
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
-=/\=-Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
-=/\=-
Lt. Vol Tryst
Ship’s Counselor
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
-=/\=-Zanh Liis
Commanding Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
-=/\=-