Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek TNG.
Bev's birthday
It is Beverly Crusher's birthday and she enter a small diner in Houston, Texas.
Like she usually do, she wear her standart Starfleet duty uniform.
"Alone in Houston, not how I imagined my birthday..." mumbles Beverly.
She takes a seat by a table and read a PADD that someone left behind.
When she sees that it's someone's private 'love diary' she put it down.
"Hello, lady. Would ya like anything?" says a young female waitress in her twangy southern accent.
"Uh...of course. A simple black coffe and a fish sandwich, please." says Beverly.
"Good choice, ya want 'em real or replicated." says the waitress.
"Replicated, but I could honestly not tell the difference." says Beverly.
"Some people can." says the waitress.
"Right, but I'm not one of those." says Beverly. "I really don't have sensitive taste buds."
"Alright then. Coffee and fish sanwich comin' up." says the waitress.
"Thank you." says Beverly.
"You're welcome...uh..." says the waitress.
"Beverly Crusher is my name." says Beverly.
"Obviously a Starfleet officer." says the waitress.
"Yes, a doctor to be specific." says Beverly.
"Nice." says the waitress with a sweet smile before she walk away.
"Hmm..." mumbles Beverly.
She smile a bit when she hear old school jazz music, the kind of music that Will Riker love.
The music come from a computer panel behind the bar.
"Nice." says Beverly with a smile.
She sees another female Starfleet officer who eat on the other side of the room. Beverly does know who the other woman is, but seeing a fellow Starfleet officer makes her feel less sad.
"Here's your food." says the waitress as she give Beverly her food.
"Thanks." says Beverly.
"Enjoy." says the waitress and then walk away.
"Alright..." says Beverly as she begin to eat.
"Commander, may I talk to you?" says the other female Starfleet officer as she walk over to Beverly.
"Sure." says Beverly.
"I'm Emily Rosemond, lieutenant and engineer aboard USS Sheppard." says the other woman.
"I'm Beverly Crusher, chief medical officer on the Enterprise E." says Beverly.
"You're Doctor Crusher? I've heard about you. An honor to meet such a famous doctor." says Emily.
"Thanks, but I'm not as special as you think." says Beverly.
"To me and my sister you are. It was because of you that we joined Starfleet. I wanted to be like you, but it turns out that I suck at more or less everything medical so I decided to become an engineer instead and that was a good idea. I love it." says Emily.
"I'm glad there's a place for you in Starfleet." says Beverly. "Starfleet isn't for everyone. Some people just don't have what it takes."
"Yeah, such as my sister. She dropped out during her senior year at the academy and now she's a civilian nurse." says Emily.
Emily walk back to her seat.
Beverly continue eating.
45 minutes later.
Beverly's combadge activates and a voice says "Transporter room 3 to Doctor Crusher, stand by to beam up."
Beverly tap her combadge and says "Crusher here, ready."
Beverly is trasnported to the hallway outside sickbay.
She enter sickbay and starts to treat a patient.
She notice that a ship's status panel turns blue and then green which means that the Enterprise is leaving Earth and jumping to warp.
4 hours later, Beverly's duty shift ends.
She walk to her quarters.
She smile in positive surprise when she realize that someone did remember her birthday.
On her bed is a gift wrapped in pink paper.
She open it and smile even more when she sees what the gift is.
It is a woman's kilt with the Howard clan's traditional hunting tartan.
There's also a note written on parchment.
The handwriting is elegant and French.
The note says "Beverly my friend, happy birthday. Sorry that it was no time to throw you some form of party, but I'm too busy. I at least was able to get you this, a handmade kilt in your family's tartan, not the replicated thing. Hope you'll like it. Viva la friendship from your friend Captain Jean-Luc Picard."
Beverly is happy that her friend and captain remembered her birthday and gave her a gift.
"Awww!" says a happy Beverly.
The End.