Faith

Ch. 5 – Need a Getaway

To get away from one's working environment is, in a sense, to get away from one's self; and this is often the chief advantage of travel and change.
-Charles Horton Cooley

The high plasma desk lamp beamed down on stacks of PADDs and communiqués that all beckoned for her attention with red urgent labels. Her office, once spacious now seemed as tightly packed as the cubicles of early corporations. The window overlooking the rest of Starfleet medical was filled with dark windows looking back, their occupants long gone to their homes. She ran her hand through her disheveled hair and sighed. She was way behind in her work. When did being a doctor become nothing but approving new research projects, shuffling for resources with the admiralty and coming in contact with nothing but harsh computer voices? Since you choose the care of Starfleet bureaucracy over the care of Patients she thought as she stared at the chronometer. Its green numbers shone 2:53.

She stood and stretched, her arms reached above her head and legs tensed. It was time to go home. She grabbed her lab coat off the back of her leather office chair and headed for the door. It swished open.

"Lights off"

The room darkened as she walked into the hallway. She passed through the corridors of the research department and the main lobby until making it to the front gate. It was a nice night and she opted to walk instead of use the transporter. She strolled down the street and considered several of the problems she'd left on her desk. She wasn't usually this far behind. There seemed to be a rush on new treatment ideas and projects. Although she had to admit that the wave of proposals wasn't the only reason she was behind. She had been spending every other dinner with Torias and she ate lunch with him at John's Monday through Friday for the past three weeks. She enjoyed his company and he made her laugh. She'd been thinking of him a lot and felt foolish for being so consumed by him. She was like a cadet with a crush. But she continued to tell herself that he was nothing more than a friend and maybe he was. Maybe that's all it should be and maybe not...

She still thought of Jean-luc often and part of her, a big part was still in love with him, but how long could she distance herself from others because he distanced himself from her? With a lot of nudging from Reittan she was starting to allow whatever was between her and Torias to flourish.

He was such an opposite of Jean-luc. Outgoing, fun-loving, funny, sociable and in his own way very shy and humble.

She reached her front door and tapped in her security code. She walked in and dressed for bed. It was the middle of summer but she had her air controls on 65. She liked to be able to get lost in blankets. In minutes she was asleep.

There's no way I'll be able to make it to John's today she thought as Reittan piled another stack of PADDS onto her desk.

"I'll go out there for you," Reittan said "wouldn't want Torias to worry about you."

He breezed back out the doorway and headed off to John's. He took a transport down to Fifth Street and dramatically swung open the wooden doors he'd always wanted to do that since he'd seen an old Earth holo of a Western. He saw Torias at the bar and sauntered over. He plopped down on the barstool next to Torias and beckoned for John:

"Whiskey John, and keep it comin'."

John smiled and slid a glass down the bar. Reittan reached out a hand and stopped it. He downed it all in a quick fluent motion. The liquid burned down his throat and his face contorted. He shook his head and turned to Torias:

"So, Torias, How go things?"

Torias snorted at his antics, "I'm fine, partner." He said in a southern drawl.

"I mean how go things with Beverly?"

Torias smiled.

"That good, eh?" Reittan said sensing his thoughts. "I have an... opportunity for you. That is, if you're interested."

"Go on."

They spoke for awhile and Reittan left with a smile. Torias left with two iso-chips.

He pressed the chime for the third time and when no answer came he really began to worry.

"Computer override privacy lock authorization: Peer, Alpha Beta 112"
The doors slid open and he scanned the room for Beverley. He found her with her head down on her PADD covered desk. He mulled over whether or not he should wake her up. He knew sleep had been rather scarce for her lately. He decided to leave her a note on one of the empty PADDs he took a step towards them and accidentally stepped on a box full of some type of hydroponics tube filled with unformed plant goo. At least that's what it looked like to him. The tube fell out of the box and clashed onto the floor.

Beverly jolted out of sleep and immediately assumed the 'I was working' position.

"I uh, what can I do for-" She began, "Oh, it's just you"

"Gee, I'm happy to see you too."

"Sorry, I was afraid you were another squawking admiral bringing 5 more hours of work." She said as she rotated her head and massaged her neck. "What I wouldn't give for a few days at the Enterprise spa."

"Funny you should say that" he said as he walked behind her chair and began to message her neck. "An... opportunity was presented to me by a particularly nosy friend of mine. He happened to acquire several iso-tickets to a cruise on Boltrope V. The entire planet is a vacation area modeled after 19th century Earth. He gave me two iso-tickets and I was wondering if you'd come with me." He said uncertainly.

She considered it with about a third of her consciousness the rest was too tired and to lost in the wonders of Torias' massage to really put much effort into her decision.

"mkay."

Why did I agree to this? She asked herself as she tried to pack all her clothes into a standard Starfleet Travel case. Just then Her chime rang.

"Open."

"You're going because you need a vacation." Reittan's voice rang through her bedroom.

She sighed.

"What do you want Reittan"

"To wish you Bone Voyage, or whatever it is they say."

"Thanks and since you're here you can make yourself useful." She said shoving a bag into his hands. He carried her bags down to the transport where Torias was waiting. He shoved the bags into the back of the transport. Beverly ran out of the building still trying to get her shoe on. She hugged Reittan.

"I'll see you in a week."

Reittan just smiled. "I'll see you later doll."

She and Torias got in and the transport headed down the street. Reittan retrieved a travel case from behind a nearby bush and got into his private transport that awaited him around the corner.