Beverly Crusher sighed and set the PADD on her desk. She'd read the memo more than a dozen times, and still it made no sense. The message wasn't overly complicated—a typical request from Deanna to go over the recent crew evaluations—but the empath had scrawled three digits across the bottom, and Beverly couldn't figure out why.

She mentally shrugged and got up from behind her desk. She rolled her shoulders as she stepped from her office and into the main area of sickbay. She had duties to perform, and there was no sense wasting time trying to puzzle something out when the answer was less than a duty shift away.

-P/C-

Beverly hobbled into the turbolift and sagged against the wall as soon as the doors closed. A massive volcanic eruption on par with Earth's Krakatau had rocked the planet R'Shandli and caused wide-spread devastation. The Enterprise was first on the scene, and while her team worked tirelessly, treating the sick and injured was like trying to bail out a sinking ship with a thimble.

The R'Shandli were grateful for the assistance and had started taking over many of the key elements of emergency response within twenty-four hours, but medical supplies—and trained medics—were still in short supply in many areas. Beverly was responsible for overseeing more than a dozen triage and temporary treatment centers across the planet, and that wouldn't change until the Farragut arrived to help with the clean-up.

She pushed herself off the wall and wandered toward her quarters on auto-pilot. She rounded the corridor and stopped short when she almost crashed into two officers coming the other way.

"I'm sorry, I—"

"Doctor?" Captain Picard said. "I thought you were on the surface." His brow creased as he took in her disheveled appearance. Her boots were caked in mud, and ash coated the rest of her. The fine particulate had gotten everywhere. She suspected even the sonic shower would have difficulty getting rid of it all.

"You look like hell," Riker said, eyeing her, too.

"Thanks," she said to the First Officer. She turned to Picard and added, "I was, but I need a shower and a fresh uniform. I can't treat people when I'm filthier than they are."

Picard nodded then frowned. "How long have you been down there?"

Beverly inhaled and tried to think. "What time is it?"

"Sixteen hundred hours," Riker said.

She did the math. "Fifty-two hours. Give or take."

"Without a break?" Riker said, incredulous. "What about the rest of your team? Couldn't they—?"

Beverly straightened and several puffs of ash fell to the deck like snow. She ignored the dust and glared at Riker. "The injured don't arrive in neat shifts. We work whenever we're needed, not just when it's on the duty roster. However," she added, "my people are on standard shifts now that the R'Shandli emergency services have stepped up."

"Then why have you done fifty-two hours straight—"

"It'll be fifty-three, if you don't let me get to my quarters to change."

"You can't go back down," Riker said.

"I can, and I will."

Riker glanced at Picard.

Captain Picard cleared his throat and said, "Doctor, your dedication to those in need has always been one of your most admirable qualities, but—"

Beverly sighed. "I'm not putting lives in danger by overworking myself in an OR. My staff and the R'Shandli are handling the surgeries."

"Then what—" Picard asked.

Beverly let some of her frustration tinge her words as she said, "I'm trying to keep their facilities open. Widespread power outages, flooding, earthquakes, and tsunamis are making it nearly impossible to provide any services at all. As soon as we get one generator online, a boiling mud flow comes through and we have to evacuate. Or pyroclastic gas warnings go off, and we have to seal the buildings until—"

She rocked on her heels and ran a hand through her hair. More ash fell and she grimaced.

"That's enough," Picard said, not unkindly. "The Enterprise is working with the planet's geologists to try to get the volcano under control, but it's proving to be a challenge."

"If you want a challenge, try moving a level three trauma ward during a 7.3 quake. It's like taking a biobed on a roller coaster – with no safety harness." She sighed. "I need to get back. The southern continent's coastal emergency ward is probably under water by now."

Picard shook his head and turned to Riker saying, "Have Mr. Data take over for Doctor Crusher. He—"

"No," Beverly replied. Picard raised an eyebrow. "Sir," she added. "He can't—"

"Lt. Cmdr. Data is perfectly capable of organizing the evacuation and set up of treatment centers," Picard interrupted. He turned to Riker. "See that it happens. Tell Data that Dr. Crusher will resume command of the relief efforts in eight hours."

"Aye, sir," Riker said and strode off.

"Captain, I—"

"You will obey orders, Doctor," Picard said. "You wouldn't let one of your staff push themselves this far, and I cannot allow you to do so either."

Beverly thought about protesting further, but decided she was too tired to open her mouth. She nodded and took a step toward her quarters.

At least, she thought she took a step.

Strong hands gripped her arms and she wondered what had caused the deck to tilt so wildly. She blinked owlishly at Picard and waited for him to order the ship to red alert.

"Allow me," he said as he released her arms. He was careful not to let go of her completely, but shifted so her right arm was nestled in the crook of his left. "I think it's time I programmed the computer to alert me whenever you spend more than twenty-four hours on duty."

"You wouldn't—"

"I should set it for twelve or eighteen hours," he said as they slowly walked the last few meters to her door, "but I suspect you think twenty-four is already prohibitively limiting."

"I am fully capable—"

"Of working yourself to death?" he asked. "Yes, Doctor, I believe you are."

The doors to Beverly's quarters opened when they entered sensor range. Picard led her inside then faltered. He couldn't seem to make up his mind where to deposit his charge. He pulled her in the direction of her bedroom then backtracked toward the center of the living room.

He turned them so they faced her desk—and she wondered if he honestly thought she might sleep or change uniforms there—before settling on guiding her to the sofa.

"This would be easier in my bedroom," she said, stifling a yawn.

"Ah," Picard stammered, "I don't think, Doctor… appropriate for a commanding officer and female subordinate…"

The exhaustion from spending more than two days running from one emergency to the next loosened the normally tight rein she kept on her mischievous tongue, and Beverly couldn't resist poking at Picard's captainly veneer.

"But, Captain, I've been in your bedroom many times," Beverly replied with an innocent tone that suggested everything other than innocence.

"As my physician!" He practically choked as she batted her lashes.

Beverly grinned. "But, I thought you were playing "doctor." Isn't that why you're here?"

The captain turned several shades of fuchsia and dropped her arm as if she were radioactive. He glanced wildly around the room and took a shaky step back.

"Relax, Captain," Beverly said, laughing. "I'm only teasing." She tried to adopt a serious expression. "Thank you for helping me back to my quarters. I can handle things from here."

He looked like he wanted to flee, but he took a deep breath and asked, "You're sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she said. "I am more than capable of cleaning myself up and crawling into bed." Picard's eyes widened as she described her plans, and she added, "So, never fear, Captain, you can escape with your virtue intact."

Picard blushed furiously. "Doctor, I can assure you, I never meant to insinuate… You would never… I would ne—"

Beverly laughed and shook her head. "Teasing, again, Jean-Luc."

"Right," he said, tugging on his uniform top. "If you're sure you're fine…" His words trailed off as he stepped closer to the door.

"I'm fine!" she replied.

He triggered the door's sensor and took a quick step into the corridor.

"Captain!" Beverly called before he could disappear.

He leaned forward so his head was inside, but his feet remained firmly on the far side of the threshold. "Yes, Doctor?"

"Do me a favour," she said. "Fix the planet while I'm asleep so I don't have to pull another fifty-hour shift. Please?"

A small grin pulled at his lips. "I'll see what I can do."

The door closed with a soft whoosh and Beverly sighed as she bent over to remove her boots. She had forgotten how easily the indomitable Jean-Luc Picard was flustered by her.

Nearly a decade later, she still found the reaction cute, but she'd have to be more careful with her teasing. Beverly stepped into the sonic shower and closed her eyes and smiled. Scaring him out of her quarters wouldn't do if she wanted to succeed at getting him into her bed.