Charlene gets by with a little help from her friends.
Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends
Mm, I get high with a little help from my friends
Mm, gonna try with a little help from my friends
Song by The Beatles
"That Girl"
Charlene meandered through the corridors of the Enterprise absentmindedly. Everyone was on light duty now that the ship was en route to Vulcan for repairs. Most of the repairs the crew could affect themselves had been completed, and that left Charlene with nothing to distract her from her troubles.
She was still shaken by the events of last night, no matter what Nyota and Spock said to reassure her. Apparently, Jim claimed he couldn't remember kissing her. No, he didn't say he couldn't remember, he emphatically denied it ever happened. Typical. She should have known he'd weasel out of all responsibility for his actions. How very James T. Kirk of him.
With thoughts of the captain occupying her mind, she found herself standing in front of the doors to the ship's botanic garden. It wasn't a particular hangout of hers, but she did like to visit from time to time just to "touch grass," as they say. It didn't take her long to find a familiar face among the greenery.
"Hikaru Sulu! Fancy meeting you here?" she said, meeting up with her friend.
"What's so fancy about it? I'm usually here if not in the gymnasium or the rec, of course," Sulu said. He was wearing thick gardening gloves and had a pair of shears, which he was using to prune a rosebush.
"Get out of here," she said, swatting him playfully. "You're one of the most popular people aboard. You can't convince me you're not warming someone's bed every other night."
"Me?" he asked, feigning innocence. "You're the one walking around with all the guys lined up behind you. And rumor has it that last night you-"
Charlene held up her hand, palm out. "Uh-unh. Stop it right there, Mister. You know how inaccurate rumors can be."
"Not this rumor. I heard it straight from the horse's mouth," Sulu said.
"We don't have horses aboard."
"Well, this horse was an eyewitness to the action. They were grazing in the rec room last night when someone who looked a lot like you and the captain put on quite the display."
Charlene covered her ears and shook her head. "Stop it Hik! You know I don't trade in tawdry gossip."
"Especially when it's about you, hmm?" Sulu asked as he removed his gloved and dropped them and the shears into a basket filled with flowers.
"Hik, I'm warning you..."
"Alright! Just tell ol' Hikaru what really happened and then I'll be able to defend your honor and set the gossips straight."
"Nothing happened," Charlene declared. If the captain could deny it, then so could she.
Sulu crossed his arms and stared at her in disbelief. Under the scrutiny of his gaze, Charlene gave in.
"Okay, if you MUST know. I did meet up with the captain last night and we had coffee. Is that such a big deal?"
"Mmm hmm, coffee? And what else?"
"What do you mean?" Charlene started walking through the path lined with rose bushes and flowers, plucking a bloom here and there.
"You know what I mean. I heard you two had coffee alright, and it was piping hot, if you know what I mean."
"I don't know what you mean, so why don't you just spit it out? Tell me what you're dying to tell me so I can carry on with my business."
"And just what is your business?"
"You know I'm planning a little reception for Nyota? I think it would be nice to have some fresh flowers there, don't you?" Charlene said, hoping to direct Sulu's attention to something he'd be more interested in.
"Yes, that's a good idea. Just leave it all to me. I know what Ny likes and I've worked with Mr. Spock for years. I think I can make some arrangements they will both appreciate."
"You'd do that for me?" Charlene asked.
"Of course. I'd do it for you, and for Nyota, and Spock. That's what friends are for. So, now that that's settled, tell your old friend Hikaru what's bothering you. You didn't come in here looking for flowers."
"Hikaru," Charlene said with a defeated sigh.
Sulu pulled Charlene into his arms and gave her a fierce hug. "What happened?" he asked.
"I argued with the captain in front of everyone in the rec. And then we-" she started, but then lifted her head from his shoulder, looking around them cautiously. "I can't talk about it here," she whispered.
"Let's go to my place. I'll make dinner."
"I don't know..."
"And chocolate pudding for dessert," Sulu coaxed.
"With fresh whipped cream?" she asked.
"I'll milk a cow myself," he promised.
"I bet you would, and enjoy it too," she said, relaxing in his arms.
"You know me too well," he said.
"Alright, c'mon. I'm in the mood for some comfort food and a friendly face."
"And a strong, sexy shoulder to cry on," Sulu said, leading the way out of the garden.
/*/*/
Over a dinner of macaroni pasta with cheese and a dessert of chocolate pudding topped with real whipped cream, Charlene poured her heart out to Sulu, who listened without judgment. She couldn't help but reflect on the unexpected friendships she'd made on the Enterprise over the years. Five years ago, she never would have imagined herself sharing dinner and gossip with the handsome ship's helmsman.
When she first arrived on the Enterprise, Charlene had been a proper poindexter, keeping to herself and her department in engineering. She was friendly with her coworkers, but her conversations rarely strayed from details of the job. Back then, she was determined to make up for the time that she'd lost after dropping out of the academy for a year. She didn't have time for distractions like partying and socializing if she was going to climb the ranks. However, it wasn't long before she was sucked into the social happenings on the ship, anyway.
Scotty had been an unrelenting flirt back then who took a shot with all the new female recruits in engineering. His romantic overtures would have been flattering if not for the fact that he fell in love with every new pretty girl on the ship. But he was a good engineering chief, kind and generous with his time, never too busy to help a fellow crewman who struggled to understand a concept.
So when he'd invited her out for drinks after a grueling shift where the Enterprise narrowly escaped destruction, Charlene couldn't find an excuse to say no. What harm could they get up to in the ship's rec rooms, anyway?
It was there in the largest and most popular rec room of the ship while having a drink with her superior officer that Charlene learned what life aboard the Enterprise was really all about. Sure, the crew worked hard down below decks, manning their stations in the pursuit of seeking out new civilizations and life-forms, but when their shifts were over, the actual mission of the ship began. Fun. Everyone gravitated to the rec rooms on the upper decks where the command crew assembled and played. The highest ranking crew of the Enterprise had no problem hobnobbing with the lower deckers.
The rec room Scotty took her to was packed full of the crew from every rank and station, including some of the bridge crew just getting off their shifts. There was one table at the center of the room where all eyes were focused, and there sat the brightest stars of the crew.
They were laughing joyously and apparently playing some sort of game together. Charlene couldn't help but notice the group because Scotty couldn't seem to take his eyes off of the pretty brown-skinned girl with the big hairdo who seemed to flirt shamelessly with everyone who passed by.
"Who's that?" Charlene asked, dragging Scotty's attention back to herself.
"Oh? At that table, there are some of the bridge crew. The blonde lass is Yeoman Rand, Captain Kirk's personal assistant. Then there are Lieutenant Riley and Lieutenant Sulu. Surely you are aware of the navigator and helmsman?" Scotty asked.
"Surly," Charlene said, rolling her eyes. "But who's that other girl?" She knew Scotty was tactlessly avoiding speaking of her.
"Ah, that little lassie is Lieutenant Uhura, ship's communication officer."
Charlene looked intently at the girl. She knew of Lieutenant Uhura. How could she not? Everywhere you went on the ship, someone had something to say about Uhura. Everyone thought she was pretty, smart, friendly, etc. Some men lusted after her because they thought her attractive looks had made her promiscuous. Some women hated her because they feared their man would drop them in a minute if Lt. Uhura looked at them twice. Uhura was the IT girl of the Enterprise.
Normally, Charlene hated girls like that. In her experience, girls like Uhura were pretty and they knew it. They used their looks to their advantage all the time. If they were also smart or talented at something, they were usually self-absorbed and insufferable to be around. She'd met her fair share of 'it' girls at school and in the Academy. They always seemed to wash out, though. Their looks and talents could only take them so far in a meritocracy like Star Fleet. Whenever there was hard, dirty work to be done, 'it' girls seemed to disappear or fall apart.
Charlene was ready to dismiss Miss Uhura as one such girl, but then Uhura started singing along to the sound of music coming from the other side of the room. When Uhura got up from her seat and worked her way through the crowd, humming the tune as she went, all eyes were on her, tracking her every move. The room quieted as she wove a spell over the crowd. Even Scotty sat up straighter to get a better view of the action. Apparently, this wasn't a surprise to anyone. The crowd had been waiting in anticipation for the performance all evening.
As the crowd parted, Charlene got a glimpse at the back corner of the room where the ship's Vulcan first officer sat with a stringed instrument in his hands. Uhura sauntered up to him, humming and vocalizing to the music, her hips swaying in time to the strumming of Mr. Spock's fingers.
Mr. Spock continued playing, his fingers never missing a beat as the Lieutenant laid a hand on his shoulder and circled around him, singing her nonsense lyrics.
Charlene couldn't believe Lieutenant Uhura was bold enough to flirt with the ship's first officer right in front of everybody. And what was even more unbelievable was that Mr. Spock allowed it.
Scotty didn't know it back then, nor did any of the other people in that rec room, but they were witnessing the beginning of an epical romance. And Charlene was getting her first glimpse of the people who would become not only her closest friends, but also her family.
It wasn't long after that evening when Charlene formally met Lieutenant Uhura. Uhura had been visiting Scotty down below to help with upgrades to the communication system. She was her usual warm, friendly self, chatting with everyone, sharing a bit of gossip with the girls, and flirting with the guys. Uhura noticed Charlene was the only one still sitting quietly at her station, sipping on a cup of coffee while everyone else joked and socialized as they worked. She pulled up a seat next to Charlene and proceeded to silently watch her work while she sipped from her own cup.
After several uncomfortable moments of silence, feeling Uhura's eyes on her back, Charlene couldn't take it anymore. She turned to Uhura. "Is there something you need, Lieutenant?"
"Need? No. I was just taking a break and thought I'd join you. I hope that's okay?" Uhura said.
"Why?" Charlene asked.
"Why what?" Uhura responded.
"Why join me?"
"Shouldn't I?"
"You gonna answer every question with one of your own?" Charlene asked Uhura.
"You started it," Uhura said with a cheeky grin.
"I suppose I did," Charlene agreed and then turned back to her workstation.
Uhura frowned. "You know what they say about all work and no play, don't you?"
"Sure," Charlene said, turning back to her guest. "But tell me, Lieutenant. What do they say about all play and no work?"
"Oh, I work plenty hard, Lieutenant Masters," Uhura said, sitting up straighter. "I just happen to know how to play, and when."
"So what is this? Your way of asking the new girl to come out and play?" Charlene asked.
"Something like that. Look, don't take this the wrong way, but you looked like you could use a friend. Was I wrong?"
"Are you "THAT GIRL"?" Charlene asked pointedly.
"I beg your pardon?" Uhura frowned at the question.
"You know. That girl that just has to be friends with everybody in school. Are you campaigning for class president?"
Uhura thought that was the funniest joke she'd heard in a while and let out a great belly laugh. "Not class president!" she blurted, wiping a tear from her eye. "No, but I hope to make captain someday."
Charlene couldn't help but smile at Uhura's infectious laugh. "You and everybody else on this ship, except the captain, of course," she said.
"Not everybody. Some people just take joy in doing their work, like you and your dilithium crystals. Or Scotty and his engines. He has no care about what happens on the bridge except how it relates to the engineering crew."
"You think so?"
"I know it. Scotty can fill in for the Captain in a pinch, but I know he'd much rather calibrate the transporter than deal with first contacts and pompous bureaucrats," Uhura explained.
"Or Dr. McCoy. He'll tell you in a minute that he's an old country doctor, not a pilot or engineer or soldier. He likes the adventure of scientific exploration, but he'd be more comfortable in the sickbay or science labs than the captain's chair."
"And what about Mr. Spock?" Charlene asked.
"What about him?" Uhura asked with a wary expression.
"Does he want to be a captain someday?"
"I don't know what Mr. Spock wants," Uhura said with a note of longing Charlene recognized. Maybe there was more to Miss Uhura than met the eye.
Just then Scotty came over to join them. "Well now, if it isn't the two prettiest lasses on the ship," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "I knew you two would hit it off."
"Oh really? What gave you that impression?" Charlene asked him.
"Well, of course. It was when you asked me all about Lieutenant Uhura the other night in the rec room."
"She did?" Uhura swung her head around to face Charlene, looking at her with a silly grin.
"Aye," Scotty said. "She wanted to know all about ye. I knew right then and there the two of ye would be good together. Speaking of which, if you two aren't busy tonight, I'd like to invite you to my quarters."
Uhura gasped and clutched invisible pearls. "Scotty! You aren't making us an indecent proposal, are you?"
Scotty frowned. "Indecent? No. I'm asking you to poker."
"Poker?" Uhura asked with a perplexed look. "But Scotty, I hardly know her!"
Charlene couldn't believe her ears and couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her mouth.
Scotty was not as amused. "Ow lass, that joke is as old as all of us three put together and then some, and not a bit funny," he said.
"I don't know, Scotty. You should see the look on your face," Uhura teased him.
Charlene looked from Scotty back to Uhura, who winked at her mischievously, causing them both to giggle in sync. "She has a point, Scotty," Charlene said when she caught her breath.
"Aye, I supposed she does," Scotty said, smiling at them both of them before leaving. "See you lassies tonight then."
After he left them, Uhura asked, "So, are you up for a bit of poker, Lieutenant? Or may I call you Charlene?"
"Sure, Charlene's fine. And what's your first name, Miss Uhura?"
"Well, only my close friends may call me by my given name," Uhura said.
"Oh? Okay, I get it." Charlene turned back to her console, but Uhura stopped her with a hand on her wrist.
"It's Nyota." Uhura held out her hand for Charlene to shake and after a moment of hesitation, Charlene took it.
"Okay, Nyota."
"I only ask one thing. Please don't call me by that name in front of others?"
"Alright, but may I ask why?"
"You asked me if I was "that girl?" Well, I was that girl. That girl who ate alone in the school cafeteria, who read by herself in the library, and played by herself on the playground. That girl all the other girls seemed to avoid."
"I'm sorry," Charlene said. She knew what that was like.
"No, don't be sorry for me. Because there was always that one person who would sit next to me and befriend me so I wouldn't be alone anymore." Uhura shrugged. "Over the years, I decided to always be that kind of person. That's why I sat here today. You seemed like you could use some friendly company. If someone seems shy, lonely, or sad, I like to befriend them. I'm that girl."
"You'll find that I am neither shy nor lonely nor sad," Charlene said, still holding Uhura's hand. "But thank you for being that girl, Nyota."