Red Means Dead

Stupid Frog

I end up not taking my earned leave and barely get out the door and to shift on time. I realize almost too late that I pulled an irregular shift and a half day so after working my usual eight, I'd have a few hours off before working another four. I didn't mind much, I would miss being with McCoy, but the latter part would be fine-tuning the warp core and sensor array and that is one of my favorite jobs on board. Growing up, I loved finding ways to tweak my toys just so to get a bit more in their performance and the Enterprise was like the ultimate plaything for any nerdy kid like me.

Engineering is its usual flurry of activities, people going off shift and others, like me, just starting. I find an empty work station and cue up my work load for the day. Mostly it's tedious tasks around the ship: a protein sequencer in the mess hall needs a firmware update, a few door codes need reprogramming on crewmen quarters, a monitor needs replacing on the bridge, a console in Sickbay is on the fritz, the plasma conduits on E deck need adjustment and a surprising myriad of other little things that need tweaking. A small smile tugs at my lips and I gather my tricorder and tool bag and set out to complete my tasks.

I walk into Sickbay and an involuntary shudder rolls down my spine as I think about my long stay here. When I came to see McCoy the day before, my mind was so focused on what I was going to say, I didn't think about it then. Things have changed so much, even from yesterday.

I'm unusually tired. My list of assignments grew during the day as more things needed addressing and I'm arriving to Sickbay later than I wanted. As more things were added, I started noticing a slight similarity in the anomalies and on a hunch, included the details from Kokinda's fall to an algorithm I created during lunch break and am letting my PADD do background computing while I work. It is just a hunch, and I'm certain nothing will come from it but having Scotty as a C.O. has taught me to always test my hunches.

There are few medical personnel present currently but that doesn't mean they won't come from the plasma conduits if an emergency, or tryst, were to happen.

I find Abbott, the nurse that helped during my recovery, and ask her which console needs fixing after which she points me to the third one over and walks with me in that direction as I scan the room, disappointed when I don't see McCoy.

"You're friends with Dr. McCoy, right?" she asks, leaning against the bed as I start the diagnostic check. Numbers, data and logs with errors start scrolling across the screen and need little attention until the scan is complete but I stare at the small screen as if our lives depend on it. It doesn't matter as she continues without me answering. "Do you know what's up with him?"

The scanner beeps, indicating the correct sequence of commands needed to fix the problem and I key in the codes. It seems similar to the other issues I've come across all day so I add it to the parameters of the algorithm and wonder how I'm going to break free from this gossipmonger.

Still, I'm curious.

"I'm not certain I know what you mean."

"Surely you noticed how grumpy he was the last six weeks."

"He's always grumpy."

"Extra grumpy. We all were concerned. Lucy even tried to get him to get drinks or go to rec level with her but he always turned her down."

To say it's a challenge to keep the smile from my lips is an understatement. My teeth dig into the insides of my cheeks as I try to affect a concerned expression but I know it comes across fake or perhaps a bit possessed. "Hopefully his melancholy won't last much longer."

"That's the thing. This morning he came in a completely different man. He was whistling. He was happy."

I turn away, punching random spots on the PADD to look like I'm doing my job but really I'm hiding my near euphoria from the other woman. What has happened to me in such a short amount of time to turn me into this woman I hardly recognize?