Untouchable (LGBT - SciFi - Romance)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

Medical Officer Michael Banner checked over the last of the new batch of recruits. The Qatar was taking on ten this trip, ten fit, healthy young men who were passing all his tests with flying colours. The last man hesitated a moment after he was dismissed, hanging back to make sure everyone else was out of earshot. His handsome face was uncomfortably tense. He leaned forward and spoke softly, "Apparently I need to tell you that I'm an om." 

He looked uneasily at Banner. "No-one else in the team knows. This is confidential, right sir?" 

Banner nodded, hiding his surprise, according to his records, they hadn't had a new om on board for a long time. "Technically, only the Chief Medical officer needs that information, but I'll let him know. Don't worry, it's still confidential, Private Lang." 

XXX 

First Lieutenant Stewart's first reaction was one of pleasure, when he heard the news that Max was joining the Qatar. The boy had finally achieved his goal, he felt sure Max had the skills and determination to become an officer if he wanted to. His second reaction however was less agreeable as reality crashed in, there was still considerable unresolved tension in their personal relationship. This new situation had the potential for things to become very complicated.  

His friendship with Rob Lang had never really recovered from the events of three years ago. If Lang had felt betrayed by his friend, when he thought he was making advances to Max, Stewart had felt an equal betrayal. For eighteen years he had thought Lang had understood about his sexuality, respected the differences between them, but when it came to the test, he had been just as homophobic as anyone else. After he calmed down, Lang had made an awkward apology via com link, which Stewart had just as awkwardly accepted, but he had never been back to the house in Huan. Sure they met occasionally for a drink when the Lieutenant was down on Tian but it wasn't the same. 

Stewart still wrote occasionally to Max but he kept the communications about work and study and made a point of forwarding a copy of every communication to Lang, until Max was eighteen. Even then he never touched on anything personal. If things had been different, he would have been proud to serve as Max's mentor when he was in the early stages of dealing with his homosexuality, if he had needed advice. As it was, the best he could do was to refer him to a couple of well written texts on the subject. He hadn't seen Max in person for three years. Maybe now they could finally have a meaningful conversation, he only hoped Max had outgrown the crush he'd had on him! 

XXX 

Not for the first time, Max Lang wondered if he was doing the right thing. A P112 category ship was not necessarily the best place for a young man who had a healthy interest in sex. He wondered how the straights managed, at least he got to look, even if he couldn't do anything about it! The medic who had checked him in was cute, shiny black hair, grey eyes, a sweet smile. Something about the look he'd given him when Max told him he was an om had made him wonder for a moment if he was speaking to a companion, but then he'd remembered medic was the one job on a P112 ship that an om could never hold. Crews refused to have an om making those personal examinations that were sometimes required, even though medical organisations had argued that a medic was a medic first and foremost, always professional, whatever their sex. He put all thoughts of Michael Banner out of his head, any moment now he might see Alan again. 

Lieutenant Stewart decided the easiest way to arrange a meeting with Max was to start by introducing himself to all the new recruits. There was no point in trying to hide the fact that they knew each other but he could soon make it clear he wouldn't be giving Max any favours as a result. He tried to hide the jolt he got when he saw Max amongst the group of young men, he looked so much like his father had all those years ago. Dark blond hair, blue eyes, tall but still filling out, not as deep in the chest as Rob had been.