When the cat's away, the mice dance

Posted on Sun Dec 8th, 2024 @ 10:42pm by Lieutenant JG Toareth Rouen (née Darqa) & Zirvell Khen

1,271 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Fortuna
Location: Rouen quarters / Britannic / Sick Bay
Timeline: While the cats -adults- are away

Zirvell stretched, rolling his shoulders as he pushed his PADD away across the table's surface. He got up and sauntered over to the replicator, scrolling through the available selections, but somehow unable to make a choice. He had been studying hard the past days, still catching up on all he'd missed while being stuck on the colony after his own father had abandoned him. It had been months now, and the youth was adjusting to starship life even though his guardian had now been shipped away to a medical facility after being injured on the bridge.

He glanced around the quarters he now lived in, even though his bedroom was still in what used to be Tue captain's quarters. He felt safe there, and for now he was relieved he didn't have to move. But right now, he also had to watch his temporary guardians' daughter, and with having been engrossed with his study, he had lost sight of her. "Gabrielle?" He called out, hoping the girl would show herself.

But she didn't. The door to her bedroom was open and quick inspection proved she was not residing within. Her bed was made, toys put away. The room was in good order though anyone could tell a child lived there. Her only toy that did not stay in the toy box was Flotter. That plushie stayed on the bed, by the pillow, always providing her adventures and protecting her as she slept. But even he was gone. And Zirvell was informed that Gabrielle rarely went anywhere without Flotter.

It did not take long for Zirvell to realize that Gabrielle was not answering to him calling her name. With the added evidence of Flotter being gone, the only conclusion he could surmise was that she had taken to the corridors of the Britannic.

The young Cardassian cursed under his breath as he ran out, tapping his combadge. "Gabrielle, where are you," he called out as he ran, hoping to catch up sooner rather than later. Oh her parents would be so cross of they found out she slipped away from him! He just knew they would be!

No response came from Gabrielle and that did nothing to ease the growing anxiety welling within Zirvell. He did recall something Toareth told him.

'Gabrielle likes to wonder about,' the doctor had said. 'She also forgets the special commbadge we made for her. So, Rene had one placed inside Flotter. Gabrielle goes nowhere without her Flotter plushie.' The words echoed in Zirvell's memory. Those words ended with, 'if she goes out on her own, just as the computer where Flotter is,' and those reasuring words echoed in Zirvell's mind.

"Computer, locate Flotter," Zirvell requested as he continued to walk, though he quickened his step as he really wanted to find the little girl.

=^="Flotter is on Deck 10,"=^= said the computer. The automated voice continued with, =^="Starboard side, Medical Pod A."=^=

The Cardassian teenager frowned as he broke into a run. His memory flooding with images of his adventure in the shuttle that had unintentionally launched when he'd been exploring and desperate for some time alone.

"Oh oh that place is off limits," he fretted as he hesitated upon arrival at the pod. He stood at the hatch, clearly torn between calling security and just heading in. The latter won out and he snuck inside. "Gabrielle, please... we're not supposed to be here. We can be in sickbay, or the holodeck but the captain did say we can't go here. Why'd you sneak out?"

Gabrielle was in the corridor, skipping along joyfully as she passed medical room after medical room. There were a few of Britannic's nurses about the corridors, performing their rounds. No one seemed to mind her presence. They were not so busy as to not notice a little girl skipping about with her plushie, but also did not pay her much mind. They did notice the sudden company of the resident Cardassian. Still no fuss was made.

She skipping along and carried herself playfully up to Zirvell. "It's OK Zirvellw," she said. "Thay don't mind at allw. See?" She pointed as another nurse passed them both by and smiled.

As she stood beside him, he felt all worry he's been experiencing just disappear like snow before the sun. It was an odd experience but he did feel better being relaxed rather than worried. He drew a protective arm around the girl anyway. "They may not mind, but we're not supposed to be here Gaby, this is a restricted section and the captain may be very cross if he finds out. I think your mother would be okay with us being in main sickbay, I spend a lot of time there. But this place is dangerous." He smiled, shifting his arm to gently take her hand. "Or we could go to the holodeck?"

"Sick Bay," she said with a flail of her arms; Flotter likewise flailing about in the wake of her movement. "Sick Bay. Sick Bay," Gabrielle said again with a skip in her feet. With Flotter secured in one hand, she took hold of Zirvell's fingers with her other.

The teenage Cardassian smiled as the little girl took hold of his fingers and lightly caressed them with his thumb in what could only be perceived as a kind of brotherly affection. If anything, the boy seemed properly protective of her, like an older sibling should be. "I apologize for the disturbance," he told the nurses in the pod, "we'll be leaving now."

He turned to the girl now. "Sickbay it is. Perhaps the chief nurse will let us practice using a tricorder, that's always a useful thing to know. What do you think?"

"We could use the twicorderw on Fwotter," she said, excitedly. "I don't think he has been feewing vewy good. We should huwwy."

"That bad?" Zirvell played along. "Come on, hop onto my back and we'll run to sickbay. The faster we get there the better." He waited for her to hop on, then broke into a careful run so not to dislodge her, or Flotter. When they reached sickbay he smiled at a nearby nurse as he let the girl down. "Quick quick out him on that far bed now," he told her, while quickly explaining their presence with a promise to stay out of the way and they'd leave when told to.

As Gabrielle followed his 'order', Zirvell picked up an empty hypospray, an empty vial and a tricorder. He also grabbed a random coat and pulled it on. "What seems to be the problem miss?" He asked seriously as he approached the girl.

"I think he had a cold," she said. "He was making a sound like this," and she mimicked a few coughs into her arm.

"Hmm .." Zirvell made a show of examining the stuffed toy to entertain the younger child. "I think you may be right," he finally said while pushing the empty vial into the hypospray. "Please help mister Flotter sit up so I can give him his medicine."

Gabrielle did as she was told; hold Flotter up like so. She mimicked a few coughs in the process. "Huwwy doctorw. He is getting worse."

Face a mask of seriousness, the young Cardassian conducted his tasks as if he were a true doctor. He gentry pressed the hypospray against the toy's arm and the device produced a soft hiss "make sure he eats his chicken soup and gets enough rest," he advised as he set the devices aside. It was very clear that the boy felt at ease in the medical facility.

 

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