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Side-sim: Tea, scones and obsessions

Posted March 20, 2023, 7:53 a.m. by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) (Lucas Foxley)

Posted by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Scientist) in Side-sim: Tea, scones and obsessions

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side-sim: Tea, scones and obsessions

Posted by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Scientist) in Side-sim: Tea, scones and obsessions
Posted by… suppressed (18) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Achilleas had finished checking in with his department head and while he felt he handled himself well, the whole experience left him frustrated. So in the hopes of clearing his mind and making amends to Solal in a way, he found himself searching him out while carrying a little basket of goodies. His first stop was going to be Solal’s quarters since he stayed in a lot with his deteriorating health. If he didn’t find him in his quarters then he’ll locate him using the computer since he wasn’t going to go on a wild goose chase. So with a spring to his step he finished walking to Solal’s quarters and pressed the chime.

Sci Petrakos

Solal was there, and simply pressed the button for the door to open without getting out of bed. It was either Bonner, V’alura, or Achilleas, and he wasn’t particularly worried about any of those three seeing him this way. Achilleas had already been there during an episode of breathing trouble, Bonner was his doctor, and V’alura knew how sick he was because she was too.

When Achilleas entered, Solal’s quarters were just as messy as they’d been the day before, except instead of being wadded in the corner, the wrinkled blankets were pulled up over him, his head rested against a pillow. When he saw it was Achilleas at the door, he waved him inside and then plopped his head back into the pillow. The lights were dimmed and he wasn’t looking at anything on his PaDD, though the device sat next to him, screen off. He looked exhausted, pale, and sickly. He peeked up one more time and looked at Achilleas, spotting a basket in his friend’s hand. His voice soft and tired, he said, “What did you bring?”

~ Solal

Achilleas cheerfully lifted the basket as if to show it off. “I brought tea and honey flavored scones. Freshly made and still very warm. It should be easy on your stomach.” His voice was a little concerned for the next part of his statement. “I noticed you didn’t eat a lot last time we had a meal together so I’m hoping this goes in a little easier. Did you want to try some from bed or would you rather sit at the table?”

Sci Petrakos

Solal took a deep, tired breath. “Kidney issues cause nausea, lack of appetite.” He sat up, slowly, and then waited a moment on the edge of his bed. Then he stood carefully and moved to the table and sat down. “What kind of tea?”

~ Solal

“A nice ginseng oolong. Both good for the stomach and a restorative for the body.” Achilleas said as he likewise moved to the table and set the basket down. He then went into the kitchen to grab a couple of plates, cups, and butter knives before returning. He opened the basket with a flourish then pulled out a big thermos, individually wrapped scones, and a dish with sweet cream to put on the scones. He poured the tea into the cups then looked to Solal. “Do you want your scone plain or would you like some cream on it?”

Sci Petrakos

“I’ll take some cream,” Solal said, not wanting to be rude. He took a sip of the tea. It was good, if a little strong. He set out the two plates for Achilleas. “What made you decide to bring scones?”

~ Solal

“Well I have fond memories as a child of my grandmother making scones for the family on the occasional weekend. One summer I was particularly sick, though not bad enough to need medical intervention, and I remember her bringing me a scone and some tea and it just made me feel a bit better. I was hoping that my doing this for you would let you feel a little better too.” Achilleas said as he cut two of the scones and applied a light layer of cream, one for his plate and one for Solal’s.

Sci Petrakos

There was a slight smile on Solal’s face he was trying to hide. “My parents would make… A breaded pastry with chocolate in the middle. It was an old family recipe. They’d pretend it would cure anything.” He commented as he took a bite of the scone.

~ Solal

Achilleas chuckled. “Good food and especially chocolate can most certainly cure anything, though I’m not a doctor so don’t use what I say for medical advice.” He took a hefty bite of his scone and then a sip of the tea. “So… my meeting with Kane was interesting.” He began the conversation that they would inevitably come to. “I was so confused by what exactly he wanted from me. He was going on and on about what I brought to the table and when I answered with my list of expertise he told me to pull the stick out of my backside and tell him why I was in Starfleet. What a confusing man.”

Sci Petrakos

“What a most illogical question.” Solal commented, expression puzzled. “You are a scientist. A good and talented one. Is that not what you ‘bring to the table’?” Solal being raised on Earth, knew the saying and what people meant when they said one had a stick there and that puzzled Solal as well. Achilleas had been quite a fair department head, Solal thought. A logical one. Or as logical as you could expect from the typical human. Not like Doctor Bonner. “What does your reason for joining have to do with your ability to work, I wonder?” He shook his head, “One cannot always apply logic to intensely illogical people. So, are you able to return to work?”

~ Solal

“Uh, not quite yet.” Achilleas said with a slightly embarrassed expression that he covered up with another sip of tea. “I still need to finish my boarding psych eval and Kane wants me to write up six experiments that I want to run with full procedures and controls in place. The write-ups I can do easily enough but the psych eval has given me pause. I mean I was fully cleared before coming back to the Ogawa but protocol is protocol I guess.”

Sci Petrakos

“Get it over with,” said Solal, not recognizing the hypocrisy in that statement. “You were already cleared once, you will be again.” He shrugged and took another bite of his scone. It was about half gone. “Then you can work again.” He took a drink of the tea and then yawned a big yawn. “Boarding evals are fairly basic anyway.”

~ Solal

“Yes but…” Achilleas mulled over his next words carefully. The full extent of his mania wasn’t known to many. He certainly hadn’t divulged everything about it to Solal, it was mostly the ‘expected stuff’ that would keep one isolated for about a year. There was some very dark moments where he wondered if he was ever going to be ‘normal’ again. “I don’t feel like this boarding eval will be in any way routine. My profile has surely been updated before my transfer back and whoever does my eval is most likely going to have some very uncomfortable questions. I just wanted a little more time to adjust before delving back into it.” He looked down and spoke quieter. “I’m afraid of what might happen if they learn I attacked you. Maybe getting sent back to Earth would be better so I can’t do that again.”

Sci Petrakos

“Then don’t tell them,” said Solal as if that were the most logical answer in the world. He shrugged, “I’m not scared of it happening again. I could’ve defended myself easily. I just… didn’t want to accidentally hurt you in the process.” Suddenly he was staring at his plate. He didn’t want Achilleas to be sent away again. “It will go fine.” Maybe he had to believe that.

~ Solal

Achilleas looked at Solal with a wry smile. “I wasn’t going to just tell them but sometimes when they go digging and wheedling for answers it can be hard to obfuscate things.” He snorted lightly at Solal’s remark of defending himself. Maybe he was a bit stronger with being half-Vulcan but also being pinned on the ground and off-guard would make the outcome less sure. He looked over as Solal looked down both physically and emotionally. A desire to comfort grew in his chest so he slid closer and wrapped an arm around Solal’s shoulder. “You’re right. I’m sure it will go fine.” He said quietly in response.

Sci Petrakos

Solal nodded. Counselors had an irritating ability to pick apart what one said. There was only one Solal had ever liked verbally sparring with. Otherwise he avoided them. He glanced at Achilleas when he snorted. He had gone very easy on Achilleas when Achilleas attacked him. The attack had been his fault. Achilleas didn’t deserve to be hurt over that, and Solal was already all too aware of what his full strength could do to a human. He glanced at Achilleas, “It is your check in. Should it not be I comforting you?”

~ Solal

“This comforts me.” Achilleas said as he maintained the side hug with Solal. “Though you’re not a counselor it still helps to talk about my worries and concerns with you. If nothing else I can get them off my chest to someone I trust and every once in awhile you have sound advice. I hope you don’t mind that you’ve kind of become my emotional support. As ironic as that sounds, haha!”

Sci Petrakos

“Then I hope you will continue to do so and I will continue to fulfill that role for you.” Solal replied, letting Achilleas continue the side hug. His parents would be proud someone saw him that way, as an emotional support. He’d never really been that close to anyone. He looked down at his food. About half of a cup of tea remained and half of his scone. But he wasn’t sure he could make himself eat anymore. “I feel nauseous.” He commented, not wanting Achilleas to think he hadn’t liked it.

~ Solal

Achilleas smiled at Solal’s kind of promise to continue being support for him. He didn’t think that relying on him was a bit of dependency and likely unhealthy for both of them, but just a sweet gesture of a friend being willing to help. At the comment of being nauseous he grew concerned but tried not to show it. “Do you need to lie back down? Should I call Dr Bonner and have her check on you? Can medical not give you anything to help with the nausea?”

Sci Petrakos

Solal shook his head, “I don’t need Doctor Bonner. I could ask for some dimenhydrinate, but I didn’t want to bother medical with unnecessary requests. I’ll be fine. I just need to wait for it to pass.” Hopefully this time it wouldn’t take too long. He didn’t want to lay down yet. He’d barely gotten up and only because Achilleas had come.

~ Solal

Achilleas narrowed his eyes at what he perceived to be a flimsy excuse. “You didn’t want to bother medical with unnecessary requests? How many calories have you ingested since I was here the day before yesterday? You need to keep your body well supplied with energy to keep its normal functions going. You’re going to waste away to nothing if you have no appetite or desire to eat.”

Sci Petrakos

“You sound like a mom.” Solal said, not answering the question of how much he’d eaten since the last time Achilleas was here. “Medical is very busy. I can’t go complaining about everything when I’m sick enough there is always something wrong.” In fact right now there were two somethings wrong, ignoring the inability to sleep and lack of energy: the nausea and a headache, the reason he had the lights dimmed.

~ Solal


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