Chapter 4
Vicki Ann stepped on the Adrian. She turned and waved to Julian and then followed the
ensign who had been assigned to show her to her quarters. They would be arriving at
Earth in two days. She told herself that she would try to enjoy the conference. She had
been ordered to by Captain Picard. He told her that she needed a break and she should
have as much fun as possible so that he could have his pilot back. She'd laughed and said,
"Yes, sir."
Vicki Ann felt so much better since she'd talked to Julian and Ezri. She hoped Worf could
work things out with Ezri. Vicki Ann followed the assigned ensign to her quarters for the
next few days.
As they walked into the small, but adequate quarters she had been provided with, the
young ensign said, "Captain Davidson told me to tell you that we will arrive at Earth in
approximately one week. Also, if you need anything, I have been assigned as your personal
liaison and I will be happy to assist you in any way. All the facilities of the ship are at your
disposal. The holodecks are located on Deck 12 and the gymnasium is on Deck 15. As you
know, the computer can tell you where everything is."
"Thank you very much, but I don't think I'll do much on this trip except eat, sleep, and
relax. I'm in dire need of a vacation."
"As you wish." The ensign turned and left.
Vicki Ann let out a sigh of relief. Finally. She collapsed on the bed and immediately fell
asleep.
One month later, Vicki Ann stood on the transporter padd of the U.S.S. Allegheny. She
watched the transporter chief activate the transporter and Vicki Ann felt herself shimmer
and reappear on the Enterprise. Deanna and Riker stood in the transporter room, waiting
for her. When she saw them, Vicki Ann's jaw dropped somewhere near the floor, for two
reasons. They were holding hands and Riker's beard was gone. "What did you do?"
"What?" Riker and Deanna echoed.
Vicki Ann walked up to Riker and touched his face. She turned his head toward her and
then away from her, studying his face as if it was painting. "Not bad. Just a little
disconcerting."
"And why is that?" he asked her.
"Well, it's just a shock that's all. You look so much older."
"I thought it made me look younger," he replied.
"I agree," Deanna added, smiling wryly.
Vicki Ann snickered.
"Welcome back," Deanna said.
"Did you miss me?" Vicki Ann teased.
"Not one bit," Riker replied.
Vicki Ann shot him a look.
"Just kidding, Doc," he said.
"There's someone here to see you," Deanna told Vicki Ann.
"Who?" Vicki Ann asked.
Deanna and Riker parted. The doors of the room opened and Julian Bashir entered.
Vicki Ann smiled and exclaimed, "Julian!" She ran over to him and gave him a hug. "What
are you doing here?"
Riker glanced at Deanna and raised his eyebrows.
"I needed a ride back to the station from Earth and the Enterprise was in the
neighborhood. How was the conference?" Bashir replied.
Vicki Ann rolled her eyes. "A bore as always." She grabbed Bashir's arm and pulled him
alongside her. "Come on, you still owe me that game of racquetball."
Bashir shook his head. "No, no, no. From what I hear you're quite a player."
Vicki Ann acted coy. "Says who?"
"Ezri."
"Oh, really. I'm not that good."
"Guess what. I don't believe you."
"Why not? Have I ever lied to you?"
"Not yet."
"See? What do you have to worry about?"
"I've gotten to know you pretty well over the past few months and I think this is one thing
you're lying about."
"I'm appalled that you would say such a thing!"
"Quit the dramatics, Vicki Ann."
"Okay, okay. We'll wager on it. If I win, you have to go to the next medical conference for
me. If you win. . . ."
"You have to go to that holosuite program I've been telling you about. I managed to talk
Quark into selling me a trial version of a one use only program."
"Oh, no! Jadzia warned me about that!"
"Come on, Vicki Ann, you got to choose what you get if you win...."
"Oh, all right. Let's shake on it." She stuck out her hand and Bashir took it. They shook
hands. "Okay, let's go."
Riker shook his head and then said to Bashir, "Watch out, she's tough."
Vicki Ann replied, "Watch out, Commander. I know where you live."
As Vicki Ann and Bashir walked down the hall together, talking and laughing, Deanna and
Riker glanced at each other. "Definite potential there, don't you think?" Deanna asked
Riker.
"Definitely."
Vicki Ann slammed the racquetball over Julian's head. He made a face and she replied,
smiling, "14-14. One more and I win."
"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched."
Vicki Ann laughed and served again. This time Julian returned it and she missed it. Damn.
Looks like I might be going to the next conference after all.
Julian stepped up and to the serving line. "Prepare to die, Vicki Ann."
"Don't count your chickens before they've hatched."
Bashir served. The ball flew over Vicki Ann's head. She jumped up to hit it with her racket,
but the ball was to her side. She leaned over to hit it, but she lost her balance and fell.
She tried to land on her feet, but instead, she landed awkwardly on her left foot. Vicki Ann
cried out in pain as she heard a sharp CRACK!
Bashir ran over to her. "Diagnosis?" he asked her.
"Broken ankle," she replied. She handed him her scarf out of her hair, which he used to
wrap around her ankle.
"Can you walk?"
"I'll try."
He helped her up. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hobbled alongside him.
"Ouch!"
"I have a better idea." He lifted her up into his arms.
"Ooh. Handsome and strong," she teased.
"Shut up or I'll drop you."
Bashir carried Vicki Ann into sickbay, receiving strange looks from everyone in the room.
Vicki Ann replied to the attention with, "What, you've never seen a doctor with a broken
ankle before?"
Bashir set her down on a biobed. He grabbed a medical instrument and ran it along her
ankle about a dozen times. ""Well, doctor? What day is good for you?"
"For what?"
"To go to the holodeck."
"Oh, no! That's not fair. I was injured!"
"But you missed. I won fair and square."
"You did not!"
"Face it, Vicki Ann, you lost!"
She sighed. "Okay, okay."
"How about tomorrow, at 19 hundred hours?"
"Oh, all right. I suppose that's fine. I hope you're happy. Because of you, I have to attend
another one those damn medical conferences."
"Oh, I feel so bad for you."
"Shut up," she replied, hitting him lightly on the arm. "You try sitting in an auditorium all
day listening to a bunch of 'experts' give their theories on this and that, droning on and on
in monotone voices. It's like the Borg. You will fall asleep. Resistence is futile. It's awful."
"It can't be all that bad. There have to be a few good speakers."
She smiled. "A few. But like you said, I'd rather be sitting at the helm."
"Oh, it's the can't-sit-still-syndrome. Wait, let me check your eyes."
He scrutinized her eyes. "Uh-oh. Just as I thought. They've got that wild look."
Vicki Ann shook her finger at him. "I'm warning you Julian. I can be mean." She grabbed his
shoulders and shook him gently. Their eyes met and they both started laughing.
Deanna walked into sickbay and headed over to where Beverly was giving Riker his
physical. She nudged them and pointed to Vicki Ann and Julian, who were too absorbed in
each other to notice. "Aren't they cute?"
Beverly nodded. "And they're both absolutely oblivious to the fact."
"What happened to Vicki Ann?" Deanna asked.
"They were playing rocketball and Vicki Ann landed wrong on her foot. She broke her
ankle."
"Who won?" Riker asked.
"Bashir."
Deanna smiled.
The following day Bashir met Vicki Ann at her quarters at 1900 hours. He rang the chime
and waited. A minute or two later, the doors opened, revealing Vicki Ann. He looked her up
and down, memorizing every detail, and smiled approvingly. She wore a red dress with
spaghetti straps and a full skirt that went to just below the knee. Her hair was loose and
wild, cascading down her back. She wore two bracelets on her left wrist;
one a chain with circular links, and the other a medium bangle with some words inscribed
on it. Around her neck was a faux diamond necklace.
"Well?" she asked, spinning around for him.
"Are you sure you're Vicki Ann?" he teased.
"Watch it, Julian," she replied. She looked him over. "Well, don't' you look handsome," she
said, teasingly.
"Thank you." He held out his arm for her. "Shall we go?"
She took his arm and made a face. "If I have to."
"A bet's a bet, Vicki Ann."
"I know."
"It's not that bad. I'm sure you'll love it."
Vicki Ann nodded.
Vicki Ann and Julian walked into the nightclub. Vicki Ann glanced around. "Not bad. It could
be worse."
Julian shook his head. "You're so stubborn."
"Like mother, like daughter."
Julian nodded knowingly. "Tell me about it."
Vicki Ann laughed.
A tall, grey-haired man walked up to them. "Hey, Julian, how's it going?" He saw Vicki Ann.
"Who's your hot date?"
Julian smiled. "Vic, this is Victorianna Troi. Vicki Ann, this is Vic Fontaine."
Vicki Ann stuck her hand out and Vic shook it. "It's a pleasure."
"No, my dear, the pleasure is mine."
Vicki Ann smiled at Bashir. "Hey, Julian, I think I'm starting to like this program."
Bashir laughed. "I told you so." He motioned to the dance floor. "Care to dance?"
"How did you guess?" she replied.
Bashir took Vicki Ann's hand and whisked her out onto the dance floor.