Star Trek: Excursion

Blood Disease

Reche was walking down the corridors of the Excursion. He had a smiled painted on his face. He was feeling strangely good. He walked towards the turbolift. He stepped inside the turbolift. S'Vonti was in it. He had on his cool, calm, emotionless, Vulcan expression.
"Hi," Reche said smiling.
S'Vonti turned slightly to look at Reche. "Hello Lieutenant," He said calmly.
"Have you been having a nice day?" Reche asked still smiling.
"My day has been without any problems," S'Vonti said.
"That's good," Reche said. His smile was still wide. "You know, it is getting close to lunch time. Do you want to eat with me?"
"I am hungry," S'Vonti said slowly. "I do not see why not."
Reche laughed and patted S'Vonti's back. S'Vonti looked rather surprised by this. He moved his arms closer to his body as if to make himself smaller. Reche smiled at the young Vulcan's awkwardness. He found S'Vonti quite cute. S'Vonti's brow furrowed. He looked nervous, which was something strange for a Vulcan.
"Is something wrong?" Reche asked.
"No," S'Vonti said quietly. He looked away from Reche and at the doors of the turbolift. His expression went back to his normal Vulcan calm.
Reche smiled slightly. "Deck ten," Reche said. The turbolift began to move and the Bolian and Vulcan were soon on deck ten.
Reche held his arm out and invited S'Vonti to go out first. S'Vonti walked out and Reche followed after. They walked to the mess hall. Reche walked beside S'Vonti.
Bennya was sitting at a table alone with a PADD in her hand and coffee on the table in front of her. Reche smiled and walked towards her and S'Vonti followed. Reche walked behind Bennya and hugged her shoulders. She jumped slightly.
"Oh, it's you," She said after seeing Reche's smiling face.
"Mind if we sit here?" Reche asked.
Bennya glanced over at S'Vonti. S'Vonti was looking down at the floor at something that was at his feet. "Sure," Bennya said shrugging.
Reche sat down beside Bennya and squeezed her shoulders. She rolled her eyes and went back to her PADD. Her hand reached for her coffee without looking up. She moved the mug to her lips then took a sip.
"You know, Lieutenant, I don't bite," Bennya said without looking up from her PADD. She had her coffee just in front of her lips.
S'Vonti looked up at her for a moment before sitting down in front of Reche.
Bennya smiled. "There ya go," She said. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"
S'Vonti seemed to retreat. He looked down at his hands and his breathing seemed to have quickened. Reche frowned slightly. "Um... What do you want to eat S'Vonti?" He asked.
"I... I am not hungry..." S'Vonti said quietly.
"You were hungry before," Reche said. He looked concerned.
"I am not hungry now..." S'Vonti said, his voice barely audible.
"How about some tea?" Reche asked.
"Um... Alright," S'Vonti said glancing up at Reche slightly.
Reche bit his lip slightly before standing up and walking towards the replicator. Bennya set down her PADD to look at S'Vonti. He looked slightly red. Her brow furrowed.
"Are you feeling alright?" She asked, cocking her head to the side.
S'Vonti nodded. Bennya looked over at Reche, who was walking back with a mug of tea. "Does he look a little, um, red to you?" She asked.
"Red?"
"Like the color," Bennya said.
Reche set down the mug on the table in front of S'Vonti and felt S'Vonti's forehead. S'Vonti shied away from Reche's hand. "Hey, we're just making sure you're okay," Bennya said.
S'Vonti stopped moving and let Reche feel his forehead. Reche moved his hand away quickly in surprise.
"He's burning up," He exclaimed.
"He's got a fever?" Bennya asked standing up and walking towards S'Vonti.
S'Vonti looked down at his hands. He looked like he was about to cry, which was strange since he was a Vulcan. Reche sat down beside him. He looked the young Vulcan in the eyes. "Do you hurt anywhere?" He asked.
S'Vonti nodded and pointed at his chest.
"Can you tell me how it hurts? Is it throbbing? Pinching? Burning?" Reche asked.
S'Vonti suddenly fell over onto the floor. Reche jumped up and ran to S'Vonti. He pressed S'Vonti's combadge. "Lieutenant Jek to sickbay, medical emergency," Reche said. "Two to beam directly to sickbay."
Reche and S'Vonti were dematerialized and beamed onto sickbay. Rothel was standing there. "What's wrong?" He asked.
Rothel noticed the coloring of S'Vonti's skin. He helped Reche put S'Vonti onto a biobed. Rothel opened up S'Vonti's eyes and shined a light into it. S'Vonti's eyes didn't follow it. Rothel felt S'Vonti's skin and frowned. "What was he like before he fainted?" Rothel asked.
"He looked like he was gonna cry," Reche said. "He's Vulcan though... That's not normal."
"No, it isn't," Rothel said slowly.
S'Vonti's eyes suddenly opened on their own and began to flick around the room in a deranged or fearful manner. Rothel muttered curses under his breath as he reached for a hypo to calm the young Vulcan. He used the hypo on S'Vonti. S'Vonti calmed down and laid his head on the pillow.
"How are you feeling?" Rothel asked.
"I hurt all over," S'Vonti said.
"Oh, do you hurt anywhere more than the other placed?" Rothel asked.
"My chest, it feels like someone is sitting on it," S'Vonti said wincing as Rothel put his hand on his chest.
S'Vonti glanced over at Reche. He looked terrified, and Reche felt his heartache for him.
"I think you've got Staunn's Loc Disorder," Rothel said slowly.
"Staunn's Loc Disorder?" S'Vonti said slowly.
"I'll have to run more tests, but it looks like it. See, you don't have enough copper in your blood to bond with all the oxygen you're breathing. Your blood is barely able to absorb any of the oxygen," Rothel said. "That's why your skin tone is like that."
"Is there some way to cure it?" S'Vonti asked.
"There are ways to deal with it," Rothel said, "but no cure."
S'Vonti frowned. "I will have to take medications?" He asked.
Rothel nodded.
S'Vonti sighed. "I feel weird. Is it because of the disease?" He asked.
"Well, yes and no, due to the disorder you have lessened control over your emotions," Rothel said.
Reche turned back towards Rothel and S'Vonti. "That's why he looked like he was about to cry?" Reche asked.
"Yes, that is," Rothel said.
S'Vonti blushed an orangish color. He looked away from Reche.
Rothel frowned slightly. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about. It isn't your fault," He said.
"I know it isn't," S'Vonti said. "It won't stop though."
Reche out his hand on S'Vonti's shoulder. "It'll be fine," Reche said smiling.
Rothel walked off to find a hypo for S'Vonti's illness. S'Vonti sat quietly staring up at the ceiling. Reche was still had his hand on S'Vonti's shoulder.
"You know, I think this is the first time I've seen a Vulcan blush," Reche said smiling.
S'Vonti closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "You will forget you saw it," He said.
Reche looked at S'Vonti with some surprise. "I didn't mean that in offense. I thought it was cute," Reche said.
"You will forget you saw it," S'Vonti repeated.
Reche frowned at S'Vonti. "Fine..." He said slowly.
S'Vonti continued to stare up at the roof. Rothel was back with the hypo. He put it over S'Vonti's neck and injected S'Vonti with more copper so that his blood would help his body absorb oxygen better. The color of S'Vonti's skin began to return to its normal green tone. Reche watched S'Vonti's face fill with relief.
"Does your head hurt?" Rothel asked.
"No," S'Vonti said.
"Well, I guess that's good," Rothel said looking at a PADD he had picked up.
Reche looked at Rothel for a moment. He gestured to the doctor. "Can I speak to you for a moment?" Reche asked.
"Alright," Rothel said following Reche out of the earshot of S'Vonti. They were outside sickbay.
"This Staunn's Loc Disorder, why is it so quick to act?" Reche asked. "I know a little about diseases like it, they normally don't just become so destructive so quickly in Vulcans."
"Well, it looks like he's been trying to deal with it without getting real medical help for awhile, and because of how young he is the disease is more serious than it would be if he were an adult," Rothel said.
"Why wouldn't he have gone for help?" Reche asked.
"Well, I don't know what he was thinking," Rothel said. "It could be due to the lack of oxygen. He could have had less control of his emotions and was afraid to come to sickbay."
Reche was silent for a moment. "I wonder how it feels to suddenly have very little control over your emotions," Reche said.
"I can tell he's very scared," Rothel said.
Reche's brow creased. "I feel so bad for him. He's so young and scared," He said.
"You aren't much older than him," Rothel said.
"That's true, but I've dealt with my emotions as something that I had to live with," Reche said. "He has always viewed them as a weakness and as something to be purged."
"True," Rothel said quietly.
Reche looked towards the sickbay doors. "I just wish he wasn't so embarrassed by his emotions," He said.
"That's just how his species is raised," Rothel said.
"I know," Reche said.
Rothel and Reche walked back into sickbay. S'Vonti looked visibly better.
"How are you feeling?" Rothel asked S'Vonti.
"I feel a great deal of improvement," S'Vonti said nodding his head slowly. His Vulcan calm was back.
Rothel nodded his head as he looked over S'Vonti and nodded slowly. S'Vonti's skin was a healthy green again. "Well, you can go back to work, but you need to come here every week to get that hypo again," Rothel said.
"Yes, sir," S'Vonti said.
S'Vonti stood up and walked out of sickbay. Reche glanced over at Rothel before shrugging and walking after S'Vonti.
S'Vonti looked calm. Reche caught up to him. "Are you feeling better?" Reche asked.
"I am having no problems now," S'Vonti said.
"Are you still hungry?" Reche asked.
"Yes," S'Vonti said.
"Let's go to the mess hall," Reche said smiling.
"Alright," S'Vonti said.
Reche's eyes squinted as he smiled wider. S'Vonti felt his arm get tugged on as Reche dragged him towards the turbolift. S'Vonti allowed himself to be dragged.
"Deck ten," Reche said.
The turbolift went down then stopped and Reche and S'Vonti got off. Reche walked towards the mess hall. S'Vonti followed. The mess hall had fewer people than before. Bennya left, but Sha'Tasha was sitting where she had been. Sha'Tasha had a cup of tea.
Reche walked towards her. "Hello," He said.
Sha'Tasha looked up from her tea. "Hello, Lieutenant Jek," She said.
"It's a nice day isn't it," Reche said smiling.
"Eh," Sha'Tasha said in a kind of brushoff-ish way.
"Mind if we sit here with you?" Reche asked.
Sha'Tasha looked over at S'Vonti she smiled slightly at him. S'Vonti didn't react. "Why not? A girl should be thrilled to have two attractive men sit with her," Sha'Tasha said playfully.
Reche smiled and winked at her. She winked back. Reche sat down beside Sha'Tasha. S'Vonti sat in front of Reche.
"So, tall, dark, and handsome, what do they call you?" Sha'Tasha asked looking S'Vonti up and down in a playful manner.
"Lieutenant S'Vonti," The young Vulcan replied quietly.
Sha'Tasha smiled slightly. "Ah, a Lieutenant," She said. "You're a bridge officer, aren't you?"
"I am," S'Vonti said.
"You're always right up there with all the action," Sha'Tasha said. "I bet it's exciting."
"Exciting is a relative term," S'Vonti said.
"Oo, keep talking like that, you're turning me on," Sha'Tasha said raising her eyebrows.
S'Vonti's eyes widened slightly. "That is not my intention," He said quickly.
Reche laughed. "He's adorable, isn't he?"
Sha'Tasha smiled. "Very," She said.
S'Vonti drew back slightly and frowned. "I do not enjoy how you are referring to me as adorable," S'Vonti said.
Reche frowned at S'Vonti. "What else should we call you? That's the only word that I can think of that describes you," Reche said.
"It is not a word that I would use to describe a person," S'Vonti said.
"Would you ever use the word adorable?" Reche asked.
"Of course not," S'Vonti said.
Sha'Tasha snorted. "Oh, where did you find him, I want one," She said broadly.
Reche smiled at her. "You can buy them at your local tactical station," He said.
Sha'Tasha laughed. "I might have to stop by sometime," She said.
S'Vonti frowned slightly as he looked back and forth between Sha'Tasha and Reche. "I do not think how you are speaking of me is appropriate," S'Vonti said.
Reche smiled at S'Vonti. "Maybe not," He said.
Sha'Tasha smiled at S'Vonti. "It isn't actually hurting you, is it?" She asked.
S'Vonti looked down at his hands for a moment. "No," He said.
Sha'Tasha reached her hand across the table and touched S'Vonti's hand. "We'll stop though," she said, "even if it isn't hurting you."
S'Vonti looked relieved for a moment, but only for a moment. Sha'Tasha and Reche glanced at each other and smiled slightly. They seemed to know what the other was thinking.
S'Vonti stood up and walked to the replicator. Reche stood up and did the same. S'Vonti ordered a relatively bland meal. Reche stood there for a few moments thinking. What did he wish to order?
"Tomato soup, Bolian style," Reche said.
Reche picked up the bowl. He and S'Vonti walked back towards Sha'Tasha. Sha'Tasha watched them sit down again. She sipped her tea very slowly.
S'Vonti ate his food. He didn't make eye contact with Sha'Tasha or Reche. Reche ate his soup slowly. He watched S'Vonti.
Reche was very interested in how S'Vonti would deal with his disorder. Reche actually wanted to do a study on it. He would have to be very near S'Vonti at all times. Maybe he could ask the Captain to give him permission to study S'Vonti.
Reche derailed his train of thoughts suddenly. Study? Wasn't that rather harsh? There had to be a word that didn't make S'Vonti sound like a lab rat. Maybe investigate or examine would work... No, even those words sounded rather harsh.
"Lieutenant Jek," Sha'Tasha said waving her hand in front of his face. Reche jumped slightly.
"Sorry, but you looked really intense," Sha'Tasha said.
"I was thinking," Reche said slowly trying to collect the thoughts he had seemed to have thrown everywhere.
"About what?" Sha'Tasha asked.
"About how study sounds a little harsh," Reche replied.
Sha'Tasha stared at him for a few moments then turned to S'Vonti. "I think he has a few screws loose," She said.
S'Vonti's brow furrowed. "He does appear to be acting strangely," He said.
Reche laughed slightly. "I sometimes have weird thoughts," He said. "S'Vonti, can I do a study on your condition?"
S'Vonti stared at Reche for a few seconds. He wasn't expecting Reche to say something like that so bluntly, most people skirt around things like that before saying it.
"Um..."
"It will help with treating it later on," Reche said.
"Um..."
"You have to do it," Reche said. "If it would make you uncomfortable, but it would mean a lot to me and any later Vulcan diagnosed with your condition."
S'Vonti's brow furrowed again. Sha'Tasha was laughing. S'Vonti tried to hide his surprise. It wasn't working very well.
"Can you see any reason not to let me study you?" Reche asked. He still didn't like how study sounded.
"No..." S'Vonti said slowly.
"Then you'll do it?" Reche asked.
"I suppose so," S'Vonti said still slowly.
Reche did a silent cheer. S'Vonti watched Reche's excitement with some skepticism. Was it wise to let someone so childlike study him?
Sha'Tasha was laughing.
Reche stopped cheering. "What are you laughing at?" He asked.
"You're adorable," Sha'Tasha said smiling.
Reche smiled at her. S'Vonti's brow furrowed. He looked back and forth between them.
Sha'Tasha looked over at S'Vonti. "Do you think he's cute?" She asked him.
S'Vonti frowned slightly. "No," He said.
Reche looked over at S'Vonti in mock surprise. "Why would you say that?" Reche asked in mock hurt.
S'Vonti's eyebrows furrowed again. He didn't know what to say now. Reche suddenly started to laugh. S'Vonti retreated from the conversation. He looked down at his hands.
Reche smiled at S'Vonti. "I'm sorry," Reche said quietly reaching over and touching S'Vonti's hand.
S'Vonti looked up at Reche. "Why?" S'Vonti asked.
"It seemed like I was making you uncomfortable," Reche said.
S'Vonti shook his head. "You didn't," S'Vonti said.
Sha'Tasha smiled slightly. "I have shift in a few minutes. I'll see you two whenever," She said smiling as she stood up.
Reche and S'Vonti turned toward her. Reche smiled back at her. "Eat lunch with us as often as you can," Reche said.
"I was planning on it whether you asked me to or not," Sha'Tasha said laughing.
Reche laughed with her. Sha'Tasha stopped beside S'Vonti. "I hope you have a nice day," She said.
S'Vonti looked up at her. "The same to you," He said.
Sha'Tasha smiled and squeezed his shoulder before walking off to engineering. S'Vonti and Reche watched her leave.
Reche turned to S'Vonti. "She reminded me, I have to go to the astrophysics lab," Reche said shrugging.
S'Vonti looked at his food. He was almost finished with it. Reche smiled a brief smile.
"I'll wait until after you've finished eating," Reche said. "I have about thirty minutes."
S'Vonti ate his food quietly. Reche had already finished his soup. S'Vonti finished his food. He looked up at Reche, who was looking at him with a small smile on his face.
Reche picked up S'Vonti's plate and picked up his own plate and walked to the replicator to dispose of them. He put them in and the replicator dematerialized them. Reche then walked back. He jokingly offered his arm to S'Vonti. S'Vonti stared at Reche for some time trying to figure what he was doing. Reche smiled then lowered his arm and instead stood waiting for S'Vonti to walk with him. S'Vonti stood up.
Reche and S'Vonti walked out of the mess hall. "I need to go back to my quarters," S'Vonti said.
Reche smiled. "I'll walk you there," He said.
S'Vonti looked down at his feet for a moment. "Alright," He said quietly.
Reche smiled at S'Vonti. "Well, let's go!" Reche exclaimed grabbing S'Vonti's arm.
S'Vonti was dragged off to the turbolift. "Where are your quarters?" Reche asked.
"Deck Eight," S'Vonti said and the turbolift shot down.
The turbolift stopped and S'Vonti stepped out and so did Reche. They walked side-by-side to S'Vonti's quarters.
Reche smiled at S'Vonti. "Well, I guess I'll see you later," Reche said.
"Until then," S'Vonti said politely nodding his head.
S'Vonti opened the door and stepped inside. Reche headed towards astrophysics lab. He couldn't wait to start his studies of S'Vonti and spending time with S'Vonti. He was very hopeful for the future.

(Yeah, changed a few things. This one took longer than expected. Explanations, honestly I don't know. I wanted Reche and S'Vonti be friends and that is what they are right now. Reche is slightly attracted to him, but that's how he is with everyone. Will it go further than just friends? Sha'Tasha is gonna get more of a role in these stories at one point. I really like her. Extreme lack of the Captain... No Aage at all... It's okay though, the next 'episode' will make up for that.)