CHAPTER 2
"These are your quarters." Riker led the ensign through the room and showed him its contents.
"This is satisfactory," said Ensign Wolf, "may I be alone to, 'settle'?"
"Oh, yes of course." With that Riker left the Wolfonian in the room.
Riker entered the bridge. "So, Captain, what do you think of our new crewmate?"
"Well, I'm not quite sure. But as of right now I think I have a mythical creature on board," said Picard, almost shuddering at the memory of what he thought was a growl from Ensign Wolf.
"What do you mean sir?"
"A werewolf." A grin spread across the Commander's face, at realizing that the Captain thought the same thing he did, and that the captain was a bit afraid of the Ensign. Picard, as if he was telepathic, looked sharply at Riker and the grin vanished.
"Captain, I am picking up something on the long range sensor," said Data.
"Put it on screen," ordered Picard, and the Android tapped his console as ordered. On the screen was a large unidentifiable warship. Picard had guessed that it was a warship because it looked as though it had large photon-rifle-looking objects on the starboard and port bows. "Data, magnify that ship by ten," ordered Picard.
"Aye, sir," said Data.
On the ship Captain Picard could see some type of writing that was unfamiliar. "Mr. Data, can you identify those symbols?" Commander Data glanced at the screen, but did not seem to identify it.
"Captain, the writing is unfamiliar to me. Shall I look it up in the computer?"
"Go ahead, Mr. Data." Just then the ship seemed to go to warp drive, but it went far faster than any warp they knew. "What the devil?" said Picard, as astonished as most of the bridge crew was. "What just happened?"
"The ship went into warp drive," volunteered Data.
"Yes, yes, I know that. What I meant was, where did it go?"
"Destination unknown, sir."
"Commander, go get Mr. Wolf. Perhaps he can help."
Ensign Wolf was placing his belongings in his drawers. Out of his bag he took his uniform shoes and stared at his pawish feet. He never had put these shoes or any other on before, so he was unsure of how to put it on. No one had ever mentioned shoes or even glanced at his feet, or if they did he did not catch them. He put them on one way and figured out that the hole was at the end so that it would go around the ankle and the part that stuck out was for the rest of the foot. Oh how uncomfortable it was, it was snug. Since he had never worn shoes before he didn't know that these shoes were too small for him. They were two sizes too small, and they were on the wrong feet. Just at that moment the doorbell rang.
"Come in," said Ruff, trying to suppress his whimpering because of the numbing pain from around his ankles. Commander Riker stepped into the room.
"Mr. Wolf, we need you to identify some writing," Riker looked at the shoes on Ruff's feet, and then added, "Your shoes are on the wrong way."
Ruff felt embarrassed, and quickly switched them. Riker didn't say anything more about the shoes and had Ruff follow him to the captain's ready room. Ruff almost hobbled out, but was able to hide it.
Riker and Ruff walked to the captain's ready room. The door whooshed open.
"Ah, Mr. Wolf, how nice to see you again," greeted Picard. He noticed that Ruff was wearing shoes and thought he heard a very faint whimper. "On the bridge we saw an unidentifiable ship with a most peculiar writing on it. We want to know if you can identify it, or if you think it's even vaguely familiar." Picard turned his console screen toward him, which had the writing from the ship on it. Ruff had seen it somewhere before and stared at the screen, but said nothing.
"I'm sorry Captain, but I do not recognize this writing," Ruff said hurriedly. The pain around his ankles were getting unbearable, "May I be excused?"
"Yes, of course, thank you for your help." with that Ensign Wolf went out of the room. Captain Picard looked at his commander and said, "Did he look disturbed to you, Number One?"
"It depends on what your definition of 'disturbed' is," answered the commander. He remembered about the shoes. No, that was definitely not it. Then they heard a big thud.
"What the devil?" said Picard. They ran out of the ready room and about two yards away was Ensign Wolf, who had collapsed because he couldn't stand any longer on those swelling feet. Ruff was whimpering and immediately stopped when he saw the captain and the commander come out of the room. He attempted to get up but couldn't.
"Ensign, are you all right?" asked Riker.
"Does it look like I'm all right?" Ruff snarled.
"Captain to Sickbay," Picard had tapped his badge.
"Beverly Crusher here," answered the intercom, "What's the problem?"
"Ensign Wolf has collapsed near my ready room, and he's conscious."
When the medical team came to carry him to sickbay, he fought and refused to be carried. He almost bit one of them. They finally had to sedate him.
Captain's Log, Stardate 70848.0:
Ensign Wolf collapsed outside of my ready room and now is in Sickbay. It is to my understanding that his feet had swollen and he couldn't walk on them.
Picard out.
Picard strode into sickbay where he saw Doctor Crusher and Ensign Wolf arguing.
"Doctor, I'm fine. Now let me go!" the Ensign said forcibly.
"Not yet, and stay on that bed," ordered Beverly Crusher, with the same amount of force.
"This is ridiculous," growled Ruff. Then he got up and stood on the floor, but caught himself as he fell, clinging to the bed.
"Get back on that bed, or I'll have to sedate you…again," threatened the doctor. The Ensign showed his white sharp fangs, but did as the doctor told him.
"Your feet swelled from your shoes," explained Doctor Crusher, "your shoes are too small." Under Ruff's fur, it seemed to Picard, that he was turning red with embarrassment. Doctor Crusher seemed not to notice it, she walked to the intercom and talked into it. Picard couldn't hear what she was saying, but Ruff's ears were cocked toward her, and it looked as if he knew what she was saying.
His hearing must be superior to humans, thought Picard.
Five minutes later, a tailor came in with a box -a shoebox. She thanked the tailor and brought the shoebox over to the table and set it down.
"These are specially made shoes, and they hopefully will fit," said Doctor Crusher to Ensign Wolf, "let me put them on your feet."
"No, I can put them on," insisted Ruff. The swelling on his feet had disappeared and he put on the shoes, he put them on the wrong side again. He immediately saw it and put them on the right feet. It felt much, much more comfortable than the other shoes, but he still did not find it as comfortable as being barefooted. He got up and started to walk. He looked at Doctor Crusher and the captain and his eyes were thanking them but he did not say anything. Doctor Crusher nodded and Ruff went out of Sickbay.
"Oh, Jean-Luc, he was one of the most difficult patients I have ever had. He's almost as stubborn as a Klingon. The funny thing is I thought I heard him whimper, you know, like a dog," exclaimed Beverly Crusher, "He seems so fierce."
"Well, he did whimper because I heard him too."
AUTHOR'S Notes: PLEASE! REVIEW! I would like to receive at least one review for this or the first chapter for me to put up the third chapter. JUST ONE (1)! I am not asking for much. I'm very disappointed that I have not received a single review for "Contact with Wolves." I guess I don't write well, or didn't set up the summary right. Please tell me what I could do to make this story better. I already have a few more chapters that I won't post up unless I get a review each time or persuaded otherwise.
Thanks for listening to me complaining. I'll accept flames, compliments, etc.
-Lea aka LSR_7