From: Takako Nagumo
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997 05:12:12 -0500
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Dinner in Ten-Forward/MCO Reports
SD 90222.1015
MD 3.1955
Scene: Ten-Forward
Charlie Gooch, one of the Ten-Forward waiters, approached Daniel
and Catherine's table with their dinner. He put his tray down on
the table next to them and took the two plates off of it.
"Here you are, Dr. Ledoux," he said, gently placing her plate in
front of her, "your broiled salmon and rice. And," he continued,
placing the other plate in front of her dining companion, "for
you, sir, chicken with mushrooms and baked potato."
"Thank you, Charlie," said Daniel, smiling at him briefly.
Catherine added a very quiet thank you, and Charlie left them.
"So," Daniel said, picking up his knife and fork, "you were
saying?"
"Oh." Catherine's hand paused. "Yes. Well, when Bassanio and
Gratiano failed to come on to the stage on cue in the last scene
of the play during opening night, well...."
"What did you do?" he asked, reaching for the pepper shaker.
"I tried to signal the girl playing Jessica, who was standing on
stage with us and facing the side of the stage where the two were
supposed to be entering," she explained, her voice becoming a
little animated. "She very surreptitiously hid behind the boy
playing Lorenzo, and frantically waved for the two actors to come
out."
"Did they?"
"Yes," she smiled, "but the wait was interminable."
Daniel smiled as she continued. Catherine Ledoux certainly looked
and sounded much better than when she had sat down to join him for
dinner. Speaking of her dramatic exploits, which still amazed
him, seemed to make her more alive, somehow.
"... but you've never been in a play?" she asked.
"No," he replied, cutting up his chicken, "I never could get
myself in front of people. My sister has, though, starting while
she was in school."
"Really? What was she in?"
"Hmm... let's see if I can remember...." He popped a bit of
chicken in his mouth, chewed and swallowed. "I think she was ten
years old when she played Helen Keller in the Miracle Worker. The
Sussex University Drama Society held a local audition for this one
part, and she won it."
Her eyes widened. "That must've been difficult."
"I imagine so," he acknowledged. "I know she rehearsed at home
with a blindfold. Until she got used to it, she had scrapes and
bruises all over the place. I remember being glad not having to
subject myself to that kind of abuse."
"Ten..." she said, then paused for a moment. "That is very young.
She must've really liked it to let herself be hurt like that."
"Hmm." He put a pat of butter in his potato. "I don't know. My
parents weren't too happy about it, but... yes, I suppose she
did." He grinned. "I think she felt more grown up, being with
those college students. Older than me, anyway. I'm older than
her by eight minutes, and I think that was always in the back of
her mind."
"She is a twin?"
He nodded. "She's also in the Fleet -- Commander Julie Sforza, in
the Office of Starfleet Records." He sipped at his bitter. "Have
you any siblings, Catherine?"
"No," she shook her head, "no brothers or sisters."
"Where in Canada are you from?"
His question startled her. "How did you know?"
"I noticed a few differences in pronounciation here and there," he
smiled gently. "I've always been interested in language and
linguistics."
"I see." She was quiet for a moment. "I was born in Montreal,
but I was raised by my aunt and uncle in Elie, Manitoba, as my
parents were killed soon after I was born."
"I'm sorry," he said, simply.
She shook her head. "I can't remember my parents, and my aunt and
uncle loved me. I was a fairly happy child, being close to the
horses... they raised them. I learned to ride at quite a young
age."
"That," he said, quite eagerly, "is something that I would love to
learn. I've never had the opportunity." He smiled. "Would you
teach me? Perhaps in the holodeck...."
"Holodeck animals are not quite as wonderful as real life," she
replied shyly, "but I would be honored."
"Ah, non, Catherine," he assured her, "l'honneur est mien. (Oh,
no, Catherine, the honor is mine.)"
She blushed and looked down at her plate. His attention was
involuntarily drawn to it.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned. "You haven't really
been eating... perhaps something else would be more to your
liking?"
"Oh, no," she said, hurriedly, "no, I'm quite all right, thank
you."
He simply nodded, deciding to let it go at that. Perhaps she
wasn't very hungry. She seemed a very slim woman, he thought...
almost *too* slim. Well, we are all going through a transitional
period, and she seems to be doing a little better, now.
His eyes fell briefly on the jacket that she had put aside as she
had sat down. "I didn't realize you had flying experience, Dr.
Ledoux."
"Flying?" She looked puzzled for a brief moment, then followed
his gaze to the jacket.
"Oh." A faint expression of pain crossed her face, but it
disappeared, her voice regaining some strength. "It was... a
gift. Un souvenir. From a... dear friend. The jacket reminds me
of him." An infinite sadness permeated her words.
Daniel nodded. She seemed hesitant to continue, but he remained
silent. Her lips twisted for a moment. "Today is my birthday,
and he... he...."
He heard the meaning in her voice. He gazed at the jacket for one
more moment, then looked at her. "He is very dear to you."
"Yes, dearer than life." The tone of her simple statement was
conviction itself.
"I know I cannot change that situation for you," said Daniel, "but
please accept my best wishes for your birthday."
"Thank you." A faint smile seemed to appear, then fade away.
He put his knife and fork down. "You are a very lucky woman.
No," he corrected himself, looking out of the porthole into the
stars, "you are both very lucky people. To love, and be
loved...."
His mind was suddenly filled with memories of Joanne when they had
walked along the Embarcadero one day, a few years ago, while on a
rare visit back to Earth. They were in San Francisco on Fleet
business, but she had insisted that she needed a dose of the Bay,
and they had used their last few remaining hours before they had
to report back to the ship to just walking from pier to pier,
people watching, eating fresh clam chowder, and looking out over
the sea. Her laughter, her smiles, her jokes -- usually made at
his expense, though almost equally at hers, as well -- made him
smile.
"You know, D. J., you're a wonderful friend."
He had smiled at that, then, but somewhere, he had also felt a
twinge of disapointment. The frustrations and the doubts
suddently came flooding back. Why didn't he notice it then? Why?
Catherine's steady gaze brought Daniel back to the present, and he
turned back to look at her. Her eyes seemed to want to ask
something, but she remained silent.
"I'm sorry, Catherine." He smiled apoligizingly. "Just
remembering something."
She nodded. They both knew there was nothing to be said.
* * * * *
They walked out of Ten-Forward and into the corridor. Daniel
stopped and turned to the doctor, smiling.
"Thank you very much for your company, Catherine. I had a
wonderful time."
"Moi aussi, Daniel. (Me, too, Daniel.)"
"Nous devons diner ensemble encore, (we ought to have dinner
together again,)" he suggested.
"Oui," she agreed, smiling shyly, "ca, c'est une bonne idee. (Yes,
that is a good idea.)"
"Well, then," he said, "I shall not keep you. Have a good rest of
the evening, Dr. Ledoux."
"You, too, sir." She smiled again, then turned and parted.
Daniel turned as well, to find himself being approached by a dark-
haired Starfleet Marine. Closer inspection revealed him to be a
First Lieutenant. Daniel stopped, and the Marine came to a crisp
attention before him.
"Shachor, David Giora, First Lieutenant, reporting as ordered,
sir." He handed the Exec the PADD he had held.
Brennan skimmed the man's jacket very quickly, then nodded. "Ah.
You are our Marine CO." He looked up at him and smiled. "Welcome
aboard, Lieutenant."
"Thank you, sir." Shachor remained straightfaced.
Brennan decided to match the Marine's demeanor, and, letting his
smile fade, he motioned for the Lieutenant to follow him.
"If you will walk with me, Lieutenant, I will take you up to OPS,
who can assign you your quarters."
"Thank you, sir."
The two men started to walk briskly toward the nearest turbolift.
Respectfully Submitted,
Takako Nagumo,
CDR Daniel J. Brennan
XO, USS CHESAPEAKE (NCC-31813)
Task Force Bravo, Green Fleet
NRPG:
Please welcome Naomi Rivkis, playing 1LT David Shachor, MCO. As
mentioned before, her email address is .
If you have not added her address to your mailing list yet, please
do so now. A new roster will be forthcoming. :)
Chris: I hope that I did all right with Catherine. :)
Naomi: Welcome aboard. :)
--
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Takako Nagumo
http://www.oocities.org/TimesSquare/6318/
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CDR Daniel J. Brennan XO USS CHESAPEAKE, Green Fleet
LCDR Sian-Mairead Flynn, MD CMO USS ALEXANDER NEVSKY, Green Fleet
LCDR Duncan A. Morrell INS ALB Holodeck 4
CDR Julianna M. Sforza COMREC Commander, Starfleet Records
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