An Exercise in Healing

Posted on Tue Sep 19th, 2023 @ 8:15pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Chuck Finley [Reece] & Lieutenant J'airesh Mora-Heath

Mission: Season 6: Episode 3: Far From Home
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: after return to the ship
1909 words - 3.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Glad to be getting things back to as normal as they'd been in a very long time, J'air was happily going about her medical tasks when she noticed the face that had kept smiling inside her memory and which she hadn't been able to get out of her thoughts lately either.

The second reason, or was he the first, if she was really honest, that she was in such a cheerful mood this morning. Yes, he really did light up everything around himself. It hadn't been a trick of her wishing it had been so, it was 100% real. He was walking towards her and........OH, IS THAT REALLY THE TIME? She had an appointment with him for recouperation and she wasn't ready...... what had derailed her senses lately? How could she have got out of sync with her own timetable for the day's appointments?

And here he was...... that which had been the cause of her walking around with her head in the clouds....... this was REALLY not on..... she wanted to shake herself back into her own skin.... it felt like she wouldn't fit back inside her own self any more.... what was this man doing to her? Why was she acting like a teenage idiot? And *worse* - why couldn't she just stop it?? It was very scary.

"Hi" she grinned and almost stopped breathing in a fearsome attempt to prevent herself from giggling or worse. This was embarrassing!!

As Chuck approached, he smiled a lop-sided grin. One that he seemed to only have for the new angel in his life. Seeing her eyes light up when she saw him caused his own heart to race a bit. Then, he reminded himself that they were not alone. Later, he'd be able to show her exactly how much he was growing to love her.

When he stepped closer, his eyes danced with a hint of mischief. "Hey," he replied softly. "I head there's this gorgeous medical officer here you can heal all my injuries." He stole a glance around them real quick, them leaned in to whisper into her right ear, "if you see her, please tell her that I'm really looking forward to curling her toes later." He then kissed her cheek, before straightening back up.

J'air retreated behind her habitual defence of humour. She felt she could safely do that with Chuck, so she put on an offended look and crossed her arms defensively. Sadly for her, those traitorous eyes of hers, sparkled in pure defiance of her strictest internal instructions.

"Well, I don't know of any new members of staff here, male OR female, so you must be in the wrong department - Sorry. " She turned as if to stalk off but then swung back. "Oh sorry, I seem to be the only one available so you're stuck with me it seems! Cubicle 3 is allocated for your appointment. This way please." she moved away to lead him to the side room and indicated silently to the biobed, busying herself with the controls, her fingers flashing across the LCARS deftly as the medicurtain closed itself across the entrance.

Chuck grinned as he and J'air played their little flirtatious game. Though their relationship was very new, he still felt very energized when in her presence. This was definitely something that he wanted to nourish and grow.

As they entered the cubicle, his right hand grazed and playfully squeezed her pert bottom as he moved to the biobed and sat down upon it.

J'air pushed his hand away, hesitating to slap it as she was thinking about his other, injured hand right now and hitting his hand, either of them, good or injured, seemed all part of a big worry in the moment.

She stood very still, letting him get ahead of her with the momentum, so that as he arrived on the biobed there was a space between them. Putting on an offended look that was even more severe than the earlier one, J'air said, with a sigh of exasperation. "And here I was thinking what a lovely guy and sweet gentleman you are.... how wrong can first impressions be?" she rubbed her unhurt rear in a gesture of upset at the "assault" she was making it out to be.

"Please lay your injured arm straight on the biobed, a little out from the side of your body but not too far...." she went on, pretending to be very formal now.

It was hard as he was so gorgeous and it was all she could do to resist that amazing grin of his, let alone the eyes that seemed to fill with all the stars in the universe for her when they gazed on her with a sparkle. Prophets, this wasn't like her to fall so deeply in such a short time and with so little real detail about the man.

Chuck continued to grin and look at J'air with playful eyes. When she acted offended, he dipped his head slightly, his eyes never leaving hers. "My apologies, Ma'am. This old warrior finds it difficult to behave himself whilst in the presence of such beauty."

"Old warrior" she muttered, struggling physically with laughter that was threatening to betray her too. "Prehistoric not to have manners enough to leave beauty unattacked?" she tried to argue but ran out of breath struggling to contain a runaway grin and chortle.

"Old rogue more like," she spluttered, giving in to lack of oxygen and laughing aloud, the grin replacing almost all her face.

His own grin growing, Chuck merely arched his right eyebrow slightly in a flirty manner. "Rouge, caveman, whatever it takes to make you smile like that, sweetheart." He did enjoy the reactions he got from her. Unlike the few relationships he had had in the past, that all usually felt off for one reason or another, what he felt now was effortless. His grandmother had always told him, if it feels right, then it is right.

"You still up for dinner tonight?" He asked as he positioned his arm as instructed.

Still settling her laughter and reinstating her serious medical face, J'air's cheeks had pinked again, partly from the laughter and partly in faint blushing.
"Do I have to choose between rogue and caveman? or do they come in combinations that I can layer up to suit the moment?" she asked, watching the way his eyes sparkled and feeling like a silly teenager. She *ought* to have been mortified by being so taken with this handsome, charismatic stranger but she couldn't stop it happening nor stop it showing. She shrugged her shoulders in a form of resignation, but it was no problem as she was excited to see where this might go.

"Dinner? I think I can spare the time for that, but be sure not to hit me over the head with a big wooden club and drag me there by my hair. That kind of dating usually ends up in me having to come back to work to get my skull repaired instead of enjoying nice food!" she rolled her eyes but still the grin slipped back no matter how hard she tried to sound sensible.

In an attempt to at least *try* to do her job, she kept asking for tests and scans from the biobed by fluttering her nimble fingers over the LCARS and getting readings back that she would log and then make conclusions and take action based on what was feeding back to her.

Chuck was quiet for a few beats, then he replied. "I give you my word, I will be a perfect gentleman. At least, until the situation merits otherwise." His eyes sparked with mischief again. Since they met, he had never felt more alive, as when he was in J'airesh's company. He wanted to experience all the pleasures there were, with her by his side.

"I never doubted that you would be a perfect gentleman," she assured him looking demurely down at the tiny lights on her control pad.

As she looked back up however, her own mischief was back and she smirked at him, winked and then returned to the business of his recouperation plan. Reading off the data printed up onto the large monitor above his bio-bed, J'Air had been collecting up a picture of what he would need to do to repair and get stronger again.

Luckily it was all fairly standard for his wound and she hadn't been too distracted by his presence and the effect he had on her, so she was ready to put his exercise plan and physiotherapy appointment all onto a data-rod which she then handed to him.

"I think we'll get you all mended and back to your full potential again, pretty soon as it happens." she explained. "This rod gives you all you need for seeing the Physio and the exercises you'll need to do, which they can run through with you. Your first appointment is for tomorrow and I should probably not get you too drunk at dinner so you don't have a hangover when you turn up!"

"Do you want me to cook? Or should we go out, as it were?" she grinned as she handed him the data-rod and stood back to let him leave the cubicle.

"The choice between a home-cooked meal from a lovely lady and going out among others to eat, isn't really a choice," Chuck replied with a grin on his face. "I'd love to have a quiet night with you."

"Then I'll see you at my quarters at .... seven thirty?" she smiled and it extended to her eyes. Inside her head she was already getting anxious about what to cook and what he would like. "er...... before you go? Do you have any allergies or major dislikes, such that you couldn't possibly bear to eat?" she asked seriously.

Chuck considered the question for a few seconds, then replied. "While I am a pretty adventurous eater, I never have acquired the taste for either anchovies or lima beans." He gave her a small grin as he finished speaking.

"Then you can rest assured those will NOT be on the menu, but you're offering me Carte Blanche for anything else?" she looked mischievous as if he'd just given her leave to cook up a right concoction and that he *might* regret not putting greater limits on her while he had the chance! She grinned at him.

Reaching out, Chuck took J'airesh's hands into his and smiled as he looked deep into her eyes. "I trust you, darlin'. I place my fate into your lovely, tender hands."

J'Air melted under the gaze of those deep, incredible eyes and was uncharacteristically lost for words for a few moments as she returned his deep exchange of peeks into the windows of one another's souls. She had to clear her throat afterwards, to be able to say something that probably resembled "see you later then"? although she couldn't remember what exactly it was that she *had* actually come out with.

As he was leaving, there were surprised looks coming their way from some of the staff who had been close-by during those moments.

As Chuck left sickbay, he felt a lightness in his steps. This was definitely feeling like more than just lust and infatuation. He was growing to really care about J'airesh. She was definitely a lady, and he would treat her as such.

~OFF~