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"Why So Nervous?"
[Previous post: "Making The Rounds", written by the talented Susan]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Lt. Summer's Quarters
Stardate: 63073.0145

Two years under cover deep inside Dominion controlled space had qualified Lea as a seasoned Intel operative. The CMO's time onboard the USS ANUBIS had only added to her general experience in that field. So why had she been so nervous about what had been a simple reconnaissance mission?

It had been true that since her second run through the Academy things had not been as simple. Lea had managed to find a way to be captured or injured in almost every mission while onboard the ANUBIS. Something inside her had changed and it made the Doctor feel as if something had been missing.  To see an Operative such as Commander Enaii at work only made the CMO feel that much more inadequate.

The mission itself had not made Lea nervous. It had been her own lack of confidence in her abilities that had made the Doctor consider staying onboard the ship. At least there she would have fewer opportunities to get into trouble and require the assistance of others to come to her rescue.

With her thoughts having made it impossible to get any decent rest, the Doctor had decided to go for a walk. Maybe a good long stroll through the ship would help clear her mind and make her tired enough to sleep.

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 63073.0200

Lea knew that if she went into or near her domain she would end up working instead of resting. So in an attempt to avoid this, the Doctor had ventured as far away from deck 7 as possible. Since the Doctor had not wanted to be alone in the entrails of the ship, she ended her journey on deck 22. There she hat least had the opportunity to run into some of the Engineers who had the less than envious task of working the graveyard shift.

It was with a certain surprise and delight that the CMO found the Oltharian giant standing there alone. For a moment Lea had thought that the CEO had somehow managed to fall asleep standing. That idea though was quickly dismissed when Elan called out to her.

"Hello Healer."

Doctor Summers quickly looked around her. The giant's back had been towards Lea so there had been no way for him to see her standing there. Also as far as she recalled, the CMO had not made any noise that would have alerted the engineer as to her presence.

"How did you do that?" Lea asked as she moved closer to see the giant's eyes closed.

Elan smiled as he remembered the discussion he and the ANUBIS' Avatar had shared not so long ago.  "How may I be of assistant," the Olthairan replied after having opened his eyes, turned and bowed before the CMO.

"I was just out for a walk," Lea said. "I couldn't sleep and thought that a stroll would do me some good."

"I am honored that your travels have brought you here Healer," the Oltharian said. The respect and admiration in the giant's voice had been almost more that Lea could handle. As strange as Elan made her feel, there had always been something about the way he spoke to the CMO that made Lea smile. His sound of his voice had been like music, a melody that reminded her of the instrument she had heard him play.

"Guess you couldn't sleep either," Lea said. As much as she had wanted to mention how much she enjoyed his playing the flute, the CMO knew that this had not been a permitted subject.

"I do not require as much sleep as do most humanoids," Elan explained. "I am still used to my own world's days which are much longer than yours."

"I would love to spend a few weeks on your planet," Lea admitted. "Just you and I, you could show me everything."

The CMO suddenly stopped before she said anything more. Her body had refused to give in to fatigue, but her mind had obviously suffered from her lack of rest. Had Lea continued she would have likely said something that she would have come to regret. As much as she had wanted to share her thoughts with the Oltharian, the thought of losing his respect had insured her silence.

"Is there something wrong Healer?" Elan asked. Apparently the giant had picked up on the sudden change in Lea's posture.

The CMO became nervous as her thoughts turned to mush. It would have been so easy to tell him how she felt with no one else around. It would have been just as easy for Lea to open herself to his gentleness and hope for him to show her just how deep his admiration ran.

"I'm fine," Doctor Summer's eventually replied. "I need to go. I am sorry if I have bothered you," Lea said as she left, not giving the Oltharian the chance to say anything in return.

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Array Section, Deck A-4, IGC
Stardate: 63073.0220

On the verge of tears the CMO had taken the nearest turbolift and gone as far away as she could. It was only when she stepped into the room that Lea realized the mistake that she had made. From Elan's world she had rushed into Enaii's dominion. From what could have been Heaven itself Doctor Summers had stepped into the lair of darkness incarnate.

To say that Lea had been nervous would have been an epic understatement. In her weakened emotional state, the last thing she had been ready to deal with had been the ANUBIS' ILO. If there had been any amount of luck still available for her, the CMO hoped that the Intel Operative had been somewhere else.

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Tiffany Rose {lady.tiffany.rose@gmail.com}

Lt. Lea Summers
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS