Irina jumped up from the office chair when she heard the sound of the Doctor materializing in sick bay. Then she caught sight of him standing at the doorframe, his shoulders hanging and his eyes full of sadness.

"Oh God, I am so sorry, Doc." She said and this time she gave in to the sudden urge to comfort him and took him in her arms, hugging him tightly. In the beginning he was hesitant, his arms dangling limply down the sides of his body but then he also embraced her, absorbing the comforting feeling of her body warmth.

Irina felt him so close to her as never before, but this time there were no inappropriate fantasies. This time it was just her being there for her friend who so desperately needed comfort.

They were just standing like that for a few moments, holding on to each other, seeming to forget about their surroundings for a short while. Then, Irina broke the silence.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?"

The Doctor let go of her but avoided her gaze.

"I wanted to tell her."

"But?"

"But she didn't let me. Instead, she chose to end our social lessons."

Irina could almost physically feel the disappointment in his voice. Not only had Seven rejected him, she had also taken away from him the one means of spending time with her.

"But why?"

"Because, as she said, there are no potential mates for her aboard this vessel."

"Oh, I am so sorry."

"Well, at least now I know what I'm dealing with, right?" he said with a weak smile.

"I know it hurts. And it might seem unbearable at the moment. But believe me, you'll get over it eventually."

"I hope you're right" he answered, shuffling past her and into his office.

The following days were not easy. Irina could sense the sadness in every one of the Doctor's movements, of his words, of his gestures. Sometimes she watched him just sit in his office, staring off into the distance. It hurt her to see him like this. He had not left sickbay since his rejection from Seven and he had not talked to anyone except her, Tom and his patients. She had not seen a single genuine smile from him since then. So she decided that she had to do something about that.

"Hey Doc"

He didn't look up to her but was still staring at his computer screen.

"Mh?"

"I've noticed you haven't been quite yourself during the last days."

"Maybe"

"I know it's because of Seven. But you can't hide here in sickbay forever."

"As you might have noticed I am not in the mood for socializing."

"I don't mean going to parties or something. But just doing anything that is not work."

Finally he looked up from the screen but she could see he was still rather unwilling to address this topic.

"So what do you suggest?"

"Maybe we could do something together? Only the two of us. No parties, no other people, no obligations."

"I don't know" he said, still not convinced.

"Some time ago" Irina began "I've written a holoprogram for when I was lovesick. And today I've reserved the holodeck for-"

"You were lovesick? Because of whom?"

"Oh no, let's not talk about it right now"

"Ah, it was the guy you've wanted to send this late-night message to, right?"

"Which guy? I've never- Oh, the guy. Yes. Yes, it was him."

"So it didn't work out in the end?"

"No, sadly not. He only had eyes for another woman."

"Oh I see. I am sorry. And I bothered you with my feelings for Seven. That wasn't very thoughtful of me."

"No, don't worry. It's not so important. Right now I want to make you feel better. What do you think? Would you mind joining me on the holodeck?"

He sighed but didn't answer.

"Come on, Doc, please do it for me. If you don't like it you can leave anytime. I promise I won't be mad."

"Okay, fine. If you insist." He said and got up. "I'll see you there. Computer, transfer the EMH to holodeck two."

The Doctor was surprised when he saw what Irina's program was like. It consisted of a big, comfy room with a huge couch and a giant TV screen. Scattered of the couch there were lots of cushions, fluffy blankets and plush toys of many kinds.

"This looks... interesting" the Doctor commented.

"Welcome to my program for the lovesick! Make yourself at home!"

Hesitantly, the Doctor sat on the edge of the sofa, obviously uncomfortable with these unknown surroundings.

"Oh, I almost forgot" Irina said "Computer, please change our clothes to comfy pajamas."

In the blink of an eye Irina and the Doctor were dressed in the softest and coziest pair of pajamas that ever existed in Starfleet history.

The Doctor looked at her in confusion.

"So what are we going to do in these outfits?"

"It's simple. We're going to watch a movie."

"A movie?"

"Yes, a nice, old fashioned 2D movie. No holoprograms, no adventures, no social interaction. Just you, me and a TV screen. And now, please try to relax a bit. You look as if you were about to make a statement to the Starfleet administrative court."

The Doctor leaned back on the couch, trying to squeeze in between a giant teddy bear and an overly fluffy, pink cushion.

"What do you want for a snack? Popcorn? Ice cream? Gummy bears? Or a hot chocolate with extra marshmallows?" Irina asked

"I- I think I'll take the hot chocolate then" the Doctor answered and seconds later Irina returned with a big bowl of ice cream and a cup of got chocolate. She sat next to him on the couch, however, they were still separated by the giant teddy bear. To prevent her from making any indiscreet moves, she told herself.

"Are you feeling comfy? Or would you rather want to leave?" She asked him.

"No. No, I think I wouldn't mind staying here for a while."

If that wasn't a success, Irina didn't know what was.

"What movie are we watching?" he asked.

"It's called Groundhog Day. Do you know it?"

"No, I don't think I do."

"I am sure you're going to like it" she said and took the TV remote. "Ready?"

He nodded.