Weird Girl's Life Begins Now

Posted on Sat May 27th, 2017 @ 12:42pm by Lieutenant JG Lita Williams M.D.
Edited on on Sun May 28th, 2017 @ 1:42am

1,391 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Pulling Together
Location: Federation Transport Vessel
Timeline: En Route to Vulcan

ON:

Lita Williams saw her own smile reflected back at her, a faint mirage painted against a torrent of snowflakes that spilled out across the surface of transparent aluminum set inches from her face.

The sound of someone ambling down the aisle was enough to pull her attention away from the window and the stars that sailed beyond.

The man was young, maybe a few years younger than she was, lugging a set of heavy bags in two firmly tightened fists as he desperately searched for an available seat on the tightly packed transport.

Lita raised a hand. "Here," she called out to him. "We can shove all of my stuff under our feet."

And so they did exactly that. Together they took her bags off of the seat next to her and stuffed them onto the floor instead so that her luggage became something of a foot stool that they could each use.

He plopped down into the seat newly freed next to her, and he propped his feet up onto one of her carry-on bags. He turned to her. "David," he said, offering his hand.

She lifted her arm high up above her head, shaking her hand free from the silvery sleeve of a thermal jacket. "Lita," she countered, grasping his hand in a firm shake.

He raised a brow as he considered her excessive clothing. "You're...cold?"

She gave him a little laugh, one that wrinkled her nose and revealed her perfect little teeth; a smile worthy of an aborted dental degree. "Five minutes in the thermal jacket. And then five minutes out of it. Gotta get the body prepped for Vulcan climate."

At first he smiled, but then he seemed to quickly reconsider the decision as his lips thinned. "Wait. Are you serious?"

She nodded enthusiastically.

The next smile he summoned for her was nothing if not completely patronizing. He reached down into one of his own bags, shook out a set of bulky headphones, and he cleanly snapped them into place over his ears. Without another word he leaned back into his seat and slowly closed his eyes.

Lita continued to watch him. Intently. Even though she knew he wouldn't be able to hear her, she couldn't help herself. "Really? Really?!"

When he did not respond she folded her arms across her chest, and with a pout firmly planted on her lips she threw herself back into her own seat.


******************************************

Earlier - Hours prior to boarding the transport to Vulcan

******************************************


"Really? Really?!" Lita said doubtfully. "You want to give me twice as much money?"

He shook his head emphatically. "No, no, no. Double or nothing means that if I win, I don't have to pay you anything at all."

She shrugged. "Boring details, Alex. Let's fast-forward to the end of this. Here's my problem: I don't have a big enough purse to carry all of your money."

"Hold on there, Ms. Impatient, you have to actually win first."

She spread her hands, shaking her head in abject disbelief. "Whatever, guy. It's your money. If you want to throw it away, I'll certainly take it from you."

"The bet is -- " he said, ignoring her comment as he took a glance around the bar "-- I choose someone. Anyone. And they have to kiss you."

Lita rolled her eyes.

"Wait," Alex insisted, holding up his nearly empty shot glass. "Rules: You have exactly one minute. You can't kiss them. They kiss you. And you can't mention payment in any way, shape, or form."

Lita had been diligently chewing her thumbnail throughout his explanation of the game. She stopped now, and she looked up at him. "As long as you aren't the mark. Yes. Fine. Agreed."

Alex pointed one of his drunkenly wriggling fingers at a nearby table. "Right there," he said. "The Ferengi couple. Get either one of them to kiss you."

Lita sucked in a deep breath between her teeth.

Alex smiled.

Her shoulders rose. And then sank. She picked up her wine glass and lifted it up above her, giving a silent toast to the air between them. Then, in one smooth motion, she downed its entire contents. She smacked the glass down onto the table. "Start the clock."

"Go."

Lita rose from her seat, and without hesitation she walked over to the two Ferengi. She leaned over their table and shouted something to them, straining to be heard over the pounding music that assaulted the bar. The two Ferengi looked to one another. And then, as one, they both stood. From either side of her they each leaned in and placed considered kisses neatly on each of her cheeks.

With a triumphant smile on her face, Lita returned to the table. "Okay. So, back to my problem here: I honestly don't have a big enough purse to carry all of your money. I thought this was just going to be a going away party so I brought this one, because at the time I'm thinking 'Oh my! It's just too cute for words,' and the last thing I'm worried about is adding any more coin to the ledgers..."

Alex looked up at her, his eyes dark and his drink threatening to fall from stunned fingers. "How -- ?"

Lita leaned her head back and she shouted up into the air above her. "Das ti' art na zat!"

The two Ferengi rose up again and joined Lita at the table she shared with Alex.

Lita held her hand out to Alex. "Alex Vaseri," she said, and then she gestured to both the male and female Ferengi next to her. "May I introduce my parents?"

Alex chewed the air. "Your -- you -- you hustled me!"

Lita raised a hand and sharply waved the comment away. She turned her head to one side, her cheeks blossoming with red hot embarrassment. "Alex, are you sucking up to my mom and dad?"



**********************

Present Time

**********************


Lita stepped off the shuttle, stretching her arms high, high, high up above her head; standing up to the very tip tops of her toes. Every muscle in her body quivered with pure, exquisite relief.

David, her 'companion' on what had proved to be an unbelievably long flight, stepped off of the transport behind her. "So how did your little thermal clothing therapy work out?"

"Really, really, really well, if you must know," she snapped back at him. To make her point all the more clear to him she sucked in a full breath of Vulcan air.

And immediately she fell into a fit of hacking and coughing.

"This is horrible!" she coughed out. She covered her mouth and nose with the sleeves of her jacket, desperate for the material to act as some sort of filter against the hot, dry, dusty air. She gasped. "It's like breathing punishment!"

David shook his head sadly. "Good luck with the rest of your life, weird girl."

He walked on.

Still doubled over, Lita stuck her tongue out at him, though the gesture would only be recognized by the back of his head.

She waited until she was certain that he was far enough away that he wouldn't see her. And then she immediately peeled her jacket from her body and threw it into a heavy lump in the sand at her feet. "Ow! OW! Get off me!" she cried out at the garment.

She stood up then, straightening her back. And she took another deep breath. Slowly this time.

The thought of her newest billet posting once again rushed into her thoughts, filling every corner of her brain:



Lieutenant Junior Grade Lita NoxTana Williams M.D, by order of Starfleet Command you are to report to the USS Calypso as the Assistant to the Chief Medical Officer effective immediately.....



She raised her hands high up above her head once again, reaching for the stars as though she might grab great fistfuls of them and tear them straight out, ripping them down from the very skies.

And when she finally had enough air in her chest, when her lungs were finally full, she cried out, loud and fierce and hot, until she could feel her chest shake, and taste the salt of the tears wet in the corners of her lips, "WEIRD GIRL'S LIFE BEGINS NOW!!!!"

OFF:

Lt(jg) Lita Williams M.D.
Assistant Chief Medical Officer

 

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