Some Enchanted Evening

Posted on Wed Jun 24th, 2020 @ 2:44am by Lieutenant Nicholas Boucher & Lieutenant Alexandra Alves MD
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 5:34pm

Mission: Death in Paradise

A Mission Post by Lieutenant Alexandra Alves M.D. & Lieutenant Nicholas Boucher
Mission: Death in Paradise
Location: Paradise Station
Timeline: after 'For the Musically Inclined' and 'Alright, Just One Though' and before 'Murder, She Wrote'

ON:

Alexandra was feeling a bit tipsy, but not really drunk, after she left the party where she was dancing with a handsome alien from an unknown species. The guy wasn't really keen on continuing their 'friendship', and soon disappeared after the doctor left the dance floor. The party was fun, but overally tiring, and Alex decided to take a short break.

As she took a walk at the station's main lounge, filled with various people from various races, apparently all having a good time, she noticed a familiar face sitting at a bar. It was the same guy, who she and Veronica bumped into after their soccer training exercise on the Pandora a few days ago. Nicholas, if she recalled his name correctly. And a pilot, a wing commander, to be exact.

"Hello.", the doctor waved to the man, afraid that he might not recognize her out of uniform, wearing a simple outfit, and a huge Afro hairstyle.

Nick had been lost in thought, nursing a final drink to the night when the voice had startled him. He and Redran had bounced around a few places before the Bolian had tapped out and headed back to the ship. Nick had found a card game, won himself a few credits, and had decided to extend the night a bit.

He looked and smiled when he saw who had interrupted his thoughts. He almost didn't recognize her out of uniform. "Doctor! What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to these parts?"

"Enjoying a little time away from my little football queen, finally.", Alex replied with a grin, "How about you?"

"I was out and about with my, both figuratively and literally, wingman," Nick replied with a chuckle at his own joke. He grabbed his glass and swished the brandy around. "He decided to head back to the ship, I decided on a nightcap."

He nodded to the chair beside him. "Care to join me?"

"Sure.", the doctor pulled out the chair, then, with a smile, she asked, "So, did you succeed in familarizing yourself with the Pandora?"

"Not really," Nick replied with a shrug. "To be honest, I don't know if my squadron will be staying once we get the Pandora out of the Expanse."

He took a sip of his drink. "So I'm not sure how much familiarizing I technically need to do aside from my quarters and the shuttlebay."

He smiled at the doctor. "Nice ship though. Good people too."

"Glad you like it.", Alex smiled back at the man, "I'd be sad if we had to lose you so soon."

Nick felt a slight flush in his cheeks. He was a bit drunk, despite his high tolerance he has consumed quite a bit, but this was more than that. No two ways about it, the doctor was a very attractive woman. He wasn't entirely out of practice in the flirting department, and he couldn't be sure that had been the intent behind her comment, but it had certainly taken him by surprise. He tried to hide it by downing the last of his glass.

"Well, we certainly wouldn't want that," he replied. "Can I get you a drink, or have you tapped out for the night?"

"Oh, thank you.", she nodded gratefully, "I had a drink at the dance club, but I wouldn't mind another one." She wasn't drunk yet, only feeling a little bit tipsy. The idea of another drink sounded refreshing.

"Excellent," he replied. "I don't know if they have a closing time or not, but I imagine we're not too late. Any preference on your order?"

"Hmmm. I don't think they'd serve a good Caipirinha here.", Alex said, thinking of her favorite beverage from home, "I'd say any kind of cocktail would be fine. Thank you."

Nick nodded and ordered her something with as similar a flavour profile to a caipirinha as the bar could accommodate and another saurian brandy for himself. The bartender placed their drinks in front of them and Nick paid with the credit chit he'd filled earlier.

He raised his glass to her, for a cheers. "To nights off."

"To nights off.", Alexandra raised her glass for a cheers. "Saurian brandy.", she eyed Nick's choice with a sarcastic smile, "Not exactly something I'd recommend as a doctor. But fortunately, I'm out of uniform for tonight.", she said, "You won't believe how awesome that feels."

"I hear you," he agreed. "Nights like this, where we can kick back and relax are so rare. Moreso for you, having your daughter onboard. I don't imagine you get many nights like this."

"Exactly.", she nodded while she drank a sip from the juicy cocktail, "Parenting is a full-time job. Or even more. But I guess, you know that well."

"Not as much as you'd think," Nick admitted, sipping his drink. "My oldest, I barely saw for his early years. My two youngest, once their mother and I divorced, she moved away. Conveniently they moved to San Francisco, so while I was at the Academy, I could see them easier, but not exactly often."

He sighed. "I love my kids. I love taking care of them. Circumstances haven't always allowed for it though."

"I know that feel.", Alex said, as she took another sip from the cocktail, "Veronica is missing her father. They haven't seen each other for two years.", she sighed, "He's serving on a ship at the other edge of the quadrant.", she explained, "It must be awful for a child to grow up like that."

Nick knew that Alexandra hadn't meant anything by her comment, but he still felt a pang of guilt. Stephane had largely spent his formative years without a father and now his two youngest were going through the same process because he had decided to join Starfleet again.

"To be in your children's memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today," he said, offering up a weak smile as he did so. He took a big swig of his brandy to punctuate the quote.

Alex saw the man's reaction to her words, and she suddenly realized that she might've inadvertedly hurt his feelings. "I'm sorry.", she said, "There are some things we simply don't have control over.", she continued after a short pause, "That's one of the first things you have to learn if you want to become a doctor."

"I appreciate the kind words," Nick began, laughing and placing his hand on her shoulder. "But in this case, it may partly have been in my control. It takes two people to make a kid, so both people should probably be responsible for raising them."

"Right.", she nodded in agreement, "The worst is that when my husband... my former husband and I... when we separated, and eventually when we've got assigned several lightyears away from each other, that took a much harder toll on Veronica than on us.", she lamented, while taking a drink from her cocktail, "Why is it that kids always suffer because of their parents' misgivings?"

"I suppose that's just the way of the universe," Nick replied, shrugging. He took another swig, downing his drink. "Mon dieu, we're a sad pair right now."

He smiled and stood from his stool. He'd been sitting and drinking for some time, so the rush of the effect of the alcohol to his head almost made him dizzy, but he caught himself. He hadn't meant to be such a downer, but he did tend to be an oversharer when he drank. And the doctor was so very easy to talk to.

"You, mademoiselle," he began, "Are on a very rare night off from your daughter and your job and I am talking your ear off about the most depressing stuff."

He called the bartender over and leaned in and ordered two shots. He held up a hand to her, to ward off any questions for now. The bartender placed both of the glasses in front of him. He turned to look at Alexandra.

"My brother would say that I committed a cardinal sin. 'When a beautiful woman talks to you' he'd say, 'always be sure to be entertaining. No one likes a boring person.' And he was a wise man, my brother was," he said as he held up both shots. "Now, if you'll forgive me and we can move on from this egregious error on my part, I say we each do one of these and find something more fun to do with our time. If you don't, my punishment is that I will take both and bid you adieu so we may end our nights."

"What do you say?"

Alexandra almost started to say that Nick shouldn't worry, despite the not-so-happy topic, she actually quite enjoyed their conversation. However, then the guy stood up, and quickly switching the mood, challenged her. And even called her beautiful! Her face turned a bit reddish when she heard that. The doctor laughed with good heart, as she reached for the glass in one of his hands. She quite much enjoyed the situation.

"I'm definately not the person to turn down a challenge.", she replied with a smile, "And I definately don't want to end this little night out so abruptly." Then, raising her glass, she toasted, "À votre santé!"

"Santé!" Nick exclaimed tossing the shot back.

The doctor quickly drank up the shot, which was quite a strong one. She suddenly felt a lot more tipsy than before, but she didn't mind it. "Sooo...", she spoke up, "You've never told me why did you become a pilot.", she smiled, "Just sheer curiosity."

"I love to fly," Nick replied. "I love the autonomy. I love the adrenaline rush. I love the feeling of control. I love having the vastness of space before me and all that separates me from it is my own skill and a tiny bit of metal."

He winked. "And the ladies tend to be impressed."

"They do indeed.", Alex replied with a mischevious grin. "That must be a truly awesome feeling.", she then said, "You know, my ex-husband is a warp core specialist. His main interest is how to create an adequate matter-antimatter mix, so ships could go a tad little faster. Honestly, I couldn't imagine a more boring profession.", she then laughed, feeling the effects of the drinks.

"My ex is a career bureaucrat, stuck behind a desk all day," Nick replied. "So he may have her beat. Not to disparage the work, but it's definitely not for me."

He used his hand to mimicking a fighter, banking to the left and right. "I feel most alive when it's just me, the controls and the stars. I saw too much dirt during the war. Space is cleaner."

"I so much understand.", she nodded, while taking a drink from her cocktail, "You know, saving lives is what motivates me the most. Yet, sometimes you need to see so much suffering and so many awful things. They don't prepare you for that at medical school.", she said, then quickly apologized with a grin, "It seems we're stuck at all these negative topics tonight."

Nick shrugged. "I suppose that just comes naturally. It seems we've both had some ups and downs in our lives. Kindred spirits commiserating on life. I think that's more or less the primary side-effect of being drunk. Well that and losing ones clothes."

"Those we had indeed.", Alex agreed with a huge nod, and drank up the last drops of her cocktail, "Losing one's clothes? Interesting side effect."

"It can either go poorly," Nick began, locking eyes with the doctor, "Or very, very well."

"Depends on the people involved.", the doctor replied with a suggestive grin.

"Forgive me for being presumptuous," Nick started. "In this situation, I'd usually say 'your place or mine', but since yours is presently occupied, what do you say we head back to my quarters on the ship and explore that side effect?"

"You know, undisturbed sleep is essential for the physical and mental development of any average eight-year-old child.", Alex said with a grin, perfectly aware of what her drinking partner was indicating, "So... you're absolutely correct. When does the next shuttle head back to the Pandora?"

OFF.