An Apple A Day
Two
Hands shoved into the pockets of her lab coat, Beverly hardly noticed the slate grey corridors of the Enterprise as she traversed the deck on her way to sickbay. She bumped roughly into another crewman in her distraction, and mumbled an apology before continuing on. Try as she might, she could not shake the feeling of melancholy that had permeated her life. There was no particular reason for it, just a general sense of malaise, dissatisfaction. Caught up as she was in her thoughts, she walked right past sickbay. She muttered something unintelligible and turned around, hoping no one had noticed. Luckily, the coast was clear.
When she strolled into her office, Beverly wondered at the irregular, round, shiny object on her desk. She picked it up, gazing at it in wonder. An apple. She truly enjoyed them but rarely remembered to replicate them. A grin touched her lips and she felt her spirits lift momentarily. She buffed it against her lab coat and set it back on the desk next to her terminal.
"Matthew wanted to be sure I told you it was from him. He's quite taken with you, actually." Doctor Paul Wells spoke from her doorway. A smile lit up his features. He smiled whenever he talked about his young son, a precocious five-year old whom Beverly was sure had a small crush on her.
Again she smiled involuntarily. Somber as her mood may be, it was impossible to think of Matthew and not feel just a tiny bit of silliness and joy.
"Tell him to look me up in 20 years." Beverly chuckled as she sat down and gave a cursory glance to the lab report Paul handed her. "How are Matthew and Sheila?"
"Just great. This morning Matt set his chime 20 minutes early. He'd been studying for over a day to replicate the apple for you, and he wanted to make sure he had plenty of time to get it just right." Paul was a small, animated man, and he spoke with his hands. His complexion was fair, but his hair was dark, and his eyes brown and merry. As he recounted the story, he bent, gesticulated, and his brow danced. "The long and the short of it is we have a pile of weird fruit in our quarters now. I don't know how we'll possibly get it all eaten." He finished with a sweep of his hand, his voice boisterous and jovial.
Despite herself, Beverly was laughing so hard her sides hurt. "Paul, please tell Matthew this is one of the best gifts I've received. And that I promise to stop by and help him eat all the fruit."
"Oh, Doctor, he'll be thrilled to hear it." He gave her a wink and turned quickly. "I'm off to file a couple reports. I've got a busy day, not a moment to lose." His voice trailed off as he walked away, still talking to no one in particular.
Dr. Paul Wells was the most enjoyable addition to her staff since Alyssa had come on years ago. Still only a junior Lieutenant, Paul had entered Starfleet later in his career. Before attending Starfleet medical, he'd served on several medical envoys to distant Federation planets that were wracked by war or natural disaster. It was during one of these trips he'd met his wife, Sheila. They traveled together for a few years before deciding to have a family.
It had been difficult for her to conceive, but in the end she'd become pregnant with Matthew. At that point, Paul had wanted a more stable life and joined up with Starfleet. He had not been ambitious in his career, choosing instead to make his son the focus of his life. He was still an amazing physician however, and viewed all life with as much esteem and with as much compassion as Beverly.
She shook her head and turned to her daily schedule. They would be busy that day, as they were due to ship out in the next 18-24 hours. There were still many materials, serums, and specimens to be cultivated and replicated for the planet, and a very short amount of time to complete the work. "Even if I knew what to say to you Jean-Luc, I wouldn't have the time." Crusher sighed and rose, clicking off the screen of her monitor. It gave a lack- luster beep before shutting down.
She strolled into the main bay, where teams were busy preparing to beam down to the surface. Beverly stopped at each to check their kits, giving a silent nod to each and moving on. Her staff worked well together. Crusher had a strong personality – crewmembers that didn't immediately like it in the Enterprise sickbay normally didn't stay long. Those that did became part of the CMO's family.
Beverly reflected on some of the staff that had come and gone. Selar and Alyssa had been with her the longest. Paul had just come on a year ago, but seemed already like a brother. Crusher paused a moment to recalibrate a tricorder before moving on. Two years ago they'd had a young woman that was completely flustered by Beverly and unable to do anything right under the Doctor's supervision. Though she'd loved her to death, Beverly finally had to recommend a transfer. Alyssa had come to her sometime after the ensign had left the ship to explain that, in a nutshell, the girl had had a severe case of hero worship. Crusher had never been one for outward displays of affection, and the young woman had simply taken it for disapproval and never recovered her confidence. Beverly frowned a little bit at the memory. It disturbed her to think that her mere presence might make anyone uncomfortable (intentionally). She made a mental note to talk to Jean-Luc about it. If there were anyone on board to lend a sympathetic ear and advice to that particular problem, it would be he.
"All right everyone. Let's get down there and get this done." Shaking off her thoughts, she picked up a kit and slung it over her shoulder, nodding to Selar on the way out. "Don't wait up." The somber Vulcan merely raised an eyebrow and Crusher smiled. Despite herself, Beverly had an idea that Selar enjoyed her dry sense of humor.
She contemplated this on her way to the transporter room. Ahead of her, Dr. Wells was busy regaling an ensign with one of Matt's latest escapades. His wiry frame was animated and his arms were in the air. In a distant way, Paul reminded her of Jack. Physically they were polar opposites. But their jovial personalities, devotion to family, and outgoing demeanors – Beverly had made peace long ago with Jack's death, but from time to time, she felt a stab of loneliness and injustice from his premature absence. She made a mental note to stop by Paul and Sheila's quarters that night to visit with Matt.
When they beamed down to the planet, Wells was still talking.