A Walk in the Park

Posted on Tue Sep 15th, 2015 @ 8:18am by Lieutenant Arnon Barak MD, PsyD
Edited on on Mon Sep 25th, 2017 @ 7:13am

1,584 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Of Gods and Men
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: Shoreleave

ON

Victoria was dressed in a sleeveless purple wraparound dress that stopped just above the knees. She stood near the entrance to the arboretum on a stone pathway as she waited for Arnon.

Arnon was dressed in loose-fitting khaki pants and a short sleeved burnt orange button shirt with the collar open. On his feet were a pair of comfortable looking leather closed toed sandals. On his head was his raffia hat with the brown leather hat band. He arrived carrying a picnic basket and a blanket. He gave Victoria a discrete appraisal, enjoying what he took in, before looking her in the eye.

"You look lovely," he said. "I hope I haven't kept you waiting long."

Victoria smiled. "Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself, and no, I just got here. I can carry the blanket if you wish," she asked as they began to walk down the trail.

Arnon handed over the folded blanket.

"You're too kind, on both counts," he said. "Have you been here before? Do you have a spot in mind? Or should we wander a bit until a spot speaks to us?"

"This is my first time here. But I was told there was a nice spot around the corner here and a bit off the trail.". A minute more of walking, Victoria and Arnon came to a secluded open area surrounded by trees and bushes with a small stream flowing nearby.

"Is this the spot?" Arnon asked. "It seems a pleasant place to spend our time together."

"Yep, this is it," she replied, as she set the blanket down on the grass. She sat down on the mat and looked up at Arnon. "So, what did you bring?"

Arnon set the basket down on the blanket and knelt down facing it with his back to Victoria.

"Let's see!" he said, opening the basket. Reaching in he pulled out a Donald Duck stuffed animal. He shook it, put it to his ear, and then decided that wasn't what he was looking for. Rummaging around in the basket, he came out with a snow globe. He shook it, frowned, and clearly decided that wasn't what he was looking for either. Finally he found what he was looking for. "Here it is! A roast bird of Betazoid origin! I'd tell you what it is, but I can't pronounce it's name. Cut up vegetables and some Earth hummus, stuffed grape leaves, fruit, cheese, and a nice bottle of wine."

"It all looks very lovely." Victoria took the Donald Duck toy and studied it. "Another sex fetish from one of your clients? He has a shirt but no pants...."

"I think that might be my staff pulling my chain," Arnon responded. "I do in fact have a client who is having issues with Donald Duck at the moment. He causes extreme anxiety for the man, panic attacks even. Unfortunately, a toy similar to this one is his child's favorite. In fact their quarters are littered with Donald Duck toys and stuffed creatures. We're trying to get at the root of the problem. However, I have no idea how that got in there and I have no worldly idea what the snow globe is about or how it got there either. There is some kind of pool to see if they can embarrass me, because they know that Rigelians are only embarrassed in the most extreme of cases. Most of the time we are raised to feel little or no shame. I wish I could copy that outlook on life and give it so some of my clients but every culture is different and wouldn't it be boring if they weren't?"

Arnon brought out plates and utensils and napkins. He brought out glasses for the wine, opened the bottle, and poured them each a glass. He handed one to Victoria.

"To beginnings," he said, holding his glass out for a toast.

"To beginnings," she toasted, took a small sip of the wine, before she set her glass down and began to fix her plate. "So how is that pool going? Have they been successful in getting you embarrassed in public yet?"

"Not even once," Arnon said with pride. "Oh they've tried things. They've put various things in my briefcase that I've discovered when opening it, usually in front of people. Everything from stuffed animals to toys to even sex toys. This was rather mild. I suspect they were cutting me a break. I could change the code on the case but they'd probably hack it. Besides, since it is nearly impossible to embarrass me, what harm is it doing? If it entertains them and makes a long space tour more enjoyable I'm all for it."

Arnon fixed himself a plate.

"So," he said. "How are you finding the Calypso?"

"It hasn't been too bad so far," she replied. "I'm still trying to adjust to being in Starfleet. Also I'm still decorating my quarters. One thing about Starfleet is their quarters suck when it comes to design. Being on the ."biggest starship class in Starfleet is also challenging. Yesterday I got lost in my way to the botanical lab and ended up in Shuttlebay Two."

Arnon chuckled at that.

"Before I officially joined Starfleet," he said. "I was an independent contractor with Starfleet Medical. This was during the Cardassian Border Wars. I bounced around a lot. I was assigned to medical ships, starbases, forward area combat support hospitals planetside with the marines. I was often in a new place trying to find my way around. However, I had an advantage you don't. Rigelians have a remarkable sense of direction. No one really knows where it comes from, but it is definitely there. I am rarely ever lost."

"Well, aren't you the boastful one," she commented with a smile. "What do enjoy doing in your free time?"

"Music," Aarnon said. "I love music. Physical activity, swimming, clothed or not but preferably not. I love live theatre. I love music, all different kinds. I was never really very talented in that way but I can carry a tune. Earth jazz, jazz fusion, Andorian Blues and others. I always wanted to be a musician but I never had the talent for it or was it really ever destined to be. Medical professionals are like nobility on Rigel V, and I was the son of my mother's favorite husband. She had six, all at once of course. After all she was the clan matriarch."

Arnon saw the look on Victoria's face.

"There used to be rampant polygamy on my planet," he said, explaining. "Some matriarchs had as many as sixteen husbands. Unmanageable really, even considering that our people feel that it is unnatural and unhealthy to abstain from sexual activity. Part of that is our believe in exercising the whole body."

Arnon frowned. He was likely digging himself a large hole to be buried in but he continued on undaunted.

"You see," he said. "We are descended of Vulcans and Romulans and Debrune. Vulcans control their strong and tempestuous passions with logic and emotional control. Romulans and likely Debrune are focused on violence and intrigue and don't always care when their emotions get out of control. Rigelians like me depend on, essentially, wearing ourselves out with lovemaking and exercise and hard physical labor. Actually, when I was a doctor back home, it was common practice to prescribe sex and lovemaking as part of the healing process. It still is. Now, how badly have I scared you?"

"You're not too different than Betazoids in that regard. We believe in the free expression of love," she smiled. "Plus, it takes quite a bit to scare me. Now, as for me, I love to sing and dance."

"Really?" Arnon replied. "I'd love to hear you sing! For that matter l'd love to take you dancing. What kind of music do you like to sing?"

Victoria blushed. "I sing classical betazed and a few bajoran hymns as well mostly. There are a few human songs that I picked up while I was at the Academy."

"Well I'd love to hear you sing some time, if you'll have me," Arnon said. He smiled at her. "You're very beautiful when you blush like that."

"Perhaps, and thank you," she smiled.

Tag?

After finishing their meal, Arnon and Victoria walked through the Arboretum. "What drew you to me?" she asked, holding onto Arnon's arm, feeling a light buzz from the wine.

"Your eyes first," Arnon said. "There is a sparkle in them that is very enticing, especially when you are amused, like you were when I showed up at your quarters with my Premium Deluxe Model Rubber Chicken. I can see a love of life in them when you laugh."

"Well, you are quite the charmer," she grinned. She turned to look at Arnon before leaning over and kissing him on the lips.

Arnon returned the kiss happily.

"That was very nice," he said. "We should do that more often."

Drani chuckled. She was feeling comfortable and attracted to Arnon. "Yes, we should. Your place or mine?"

Arnon smiled. He kissed Victoria again.

"Lady's choice," he said after a minute. "I know how most women feel about their own beds and all."

Victoria smiled as she led Arnon towards the Arboretum exit. "Smart man."

Arnon smiled in anticipation as he followed Victoria to her quarters.

OFF

Lieutenant JG Victoria Drani, MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Calypso

Lieutenant Arnon Barak, MD, PsyD
Chief Counselor
USS Calypso

 

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