Burn Notice - Part 4

Posted on Sun Feb 23rd, 2025 @ 6:42am by Captain Kett V'Laass & Lieutenant JG Aurania (Rani) Anderson MD

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: Main Sickay
Timeline: MD4
937 words - 1.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Previously:

"You look as if you've got over your initial post-treatment trauma" Rani noted. "I'm glad! How are you feeling at the moment?" She couldn't help herself but ask the medical check up question.

Currently:

The Vulcan raised one quizzical eyebrow. "I am a Vulcan. I do not feel anything." He sat back down again and took a sip of his tea. It had a robust flavour one he had not tried before "Fascinating" he said inspecting the cup and the drink . He looked at Rani "But in answer to your query Mrs Rani. Everything appears to be work within acceptable efficiencies."

"Of course, that was a foolishly worded question, Captain, I apologise." Rani replied. "I meant to enquire after your recovery at the current time." she clarified but, seeing how fascinated he was with the tea, she didn't really expect much of a response. Vulcans were impossible to 'read' in her opinion and even harder to eek out any helpful medical information from. She gave up with a sigh.

"I respond to Doctor, or just Rani, and even Lieutenant - with or without the Junior grade addition but I have never been addressed as Mrs - however if I were to be then technically it would prefix my last name, not my first." she explained in a very passable monotone, just as if she might have been Vulcan too. It did sometimes get attention although if one was offended into thinking they were being mocked then it would have a counter effect to what she was intending. It was both a tired and a risky approach.

Kett put the cup and saucer down, separately, on the small table between them "sooooooo" said Kett trying to piece the last bit of the conversation together as he stroked his black, un-vulcan like, scraggly beard. "You are not a Mrs? Rather You are a Miss Anderson....I mean Rani?"

Rani blushed, her cheeks flushing in discomfort. "No Captain Kett" suddenly feeling threatened by her past once again, she seemed to tighten involuntarily. Her jaw moved with some restriction that she didn't intend when she replied. "I am unmarried but I still am referred to as either Lieutenant, or lieutenant-junior-grade, or doctor, or Aurania, or Rani. Those are sufficient forenames for any one being, in my humble opinion" she replied.

“Then with your permission I would like to call you Rani and my full rank and name is Captain Kett V'Laass. But I would find great satisfaction if you call me Kett.” He picked up the cup and saucer again. Holding one in each hand awkwardly and took another sip of tea. He gave an appreciative nod at the taste. “You have excellent taste in tea Rani”

"That would be quite acceptable, thank you" Rani replied, finding herself unwittingly fitting into the formality that the Vulcan gave off - She knew he had no intentions of being formal in the way of being stand-offish but she also found it similar to trying to talk to someone who wasn't really fluent with one's language, or vice versa, someone with whom one was trying to converse in their own language that wasn't fluent or comfortable to oneself........Dear Goddesses! Now she was even thinking in the same way, let alone speaking in it. It was as if it were contageous! She shook herself internally and made a conscious effort to try to speak as she normally did,

"I mean, I'm happy for you to call me Rani, Kett." she smiled broadly. That was better. No more 'big words'! "....and I already know your rank and name from when we met before during your hospital stay on my home planet!" her smile had spread to her eyes fully and she tilted her head towards the cup, saucer and tea. "and I'm also happy that you like my favourite Tea. May I offer you a biscuit to go with it?" she offered, standing up to approach the replicator but stopping to pick up a Biscuit Barrel and opening the vacuum sealed lid to reveal various baked cookies and offering the selection to him to choose from.

"Did you make these yourself?" ask the Vulcan conversationally. He scanned around the cookies with his finger and then took one out. He sniffed it a little nodded to himself "hmmmmm" said the Vulcan thoughtfully as he took a bite. "yes some sort of Avena sativa, mixed with a sweet and viscous substance perhaps made through regurgitation and enzymatic activity of some sort of insect? Mixed with a dark-coloured dried fruit?" Kett took another bite from the Oats, Honey & Raisin cookie.

Rani stared in a queasy and rather horrified way at her half eaten biscuit and the honey glaze on top. She put it onto the saucer of her cup and didn't eat any more of it. "um, yes....... probably....." she muttered, trying to stay pleasantly unmoved whilst battling with her body to stop it from ejecting the contents of her stomach.
"Well, no, I didn't make it my..... " she swallowed hard, a choking sound buried as she had to stop halfway through her reply. "The replicator....." she seemed to force out before asking him to "excuse me" as she hurried to the bathroom.

Kett took another big bite of his cookie, brushing the crumbs from the beard whilst chewing on the food thoughtfully "Yes. Yes a very good bake as they say." Kett then realised he was talking to himself. He stood up and walked cautiously to the bathroom. He called after the doctor "Rani are you alright? Do you require assistance?"

TBD