STAR TREK AU

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Another day, another mission on the USS Magnus. Martin Blackwood is - well -

He's always stressed out, but he's been doubly stressed out since, you know, his boss died and his entirely incompetent arse wound up in said boss's shoes. How the hell did he even get in this situation? Why is he like this?

Well. He knows the answer to one of those questions.

He's in the medbay, mumbling to himself, trying to convince himself (and his assistants. god, he has assistants) he knows what he's doing. ]

It's fine, it's fine, surely there wont' be any issues on the mission today, I'll have worked myself up over nothing --

[ Right when a certain someone gets dragged in. ]

Comments

[eyediot]

Half.

But yes. Vulcan.

[curriculum_fictae]

S-so - so when I touched you just now -

[eyediot]

I wasn't able to ay anything before you did.

[He pinches at the bridge of his nose, just under his glasses.]

I picked up a few things.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh. He goes very pale at that. ]

What - what sort of -

[ Oh, he's sunk already isn't he. God. He just sort of flops into a nearby chair. ]

Damn it.

[eyediot]

[He watches Martin, not really sure what to do. But fidgets his fingers a bit.]

I won't, um. I won't tell anyone. About your qualifications.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ !?

!?!?!! ]

You're the captain!

[eyediot]

And you're already on my crew.

Besides, it'll be a long time before we're anywhere I could change to a new medical chief. So. May as well keep you on.

[curriculum_fictae]

That...

[ That second part is absolutely true. They're months from the next shore leave, if they even managed it.

Martin sighs. ]

I didn't mean for it to get this far.

[eyediot]

I know.

[Any amount of Vulcan or not, he can't help but be sympathetic.

God, he's a terrible Vulcan. No wonder Georgie broke it off.]

It's all right. Admittedly there are times I feel a bit out of my league. So.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Martin sort of blinks at him. ]

Really? You?

[eyediot]

Yes?

This is my first crew, I'm- I haven't been a captain for very long.

[curriculum_fictae]

... Oh. I - honestly? I couldn't tell. You seem so ... put together?

[eyediot]

...Thank you.

I was. I don't want to disappoint my superior. He recommended me specifically to the position. So I can't let him down.

[curriculum_fictae]

Your superior?

[ Slowly, Martin starts to relax. ]

[eyediot]

Admiral Bouchard.

He picked me out of the academy himself.

[curriculum_fictae]

-- what? Really? Admiral Bouchard?

[ He's ridiculously impressed. ]

[eyediot]

Yes.

So.

[Boy he looks like he's trying to puff himself up a bit.]

I have to make sure we all do our best.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ He sure does. Martin just sort of - well. That's rather endearing. ]

I - I suppose it's a lot of pressure.

[eyediot]

[Annnnd a slow exhale.]

Yes. It is a lot of pressure.

[curriculum_fictae]

... S. Sorry. I'm making things worse, aren't I.

[eyediot]

It's all right.

...Until the gamma shift, you said?

[curriculum_fictae]

Er - well - through gamma shift. Actually. So until alpha shift starts.

[ In other words: all night. ]

[eyediot]

Right.

Then... [He shifts, pulling his legs up to cross them on the med-cot.]

May as well get comfortable.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ That =

That gesture is so cute?? Are Vulcans supposed to be that cute?

Martin goes bright red for a moment. ]

Y. Yes. I mean - um - I'll go -

[ He's going to grab a chair for himself. ]

[eyediot]

[They are absolutely not supposed to be cute at all. But here he is.

He watches Martin go and come back, leaning forward a bit.]

So... How'd you do it?