Sandra stepped into the bowels of the engine room. "Mr. Scott!" she called out. "I heard you've got some medicinal supplies down here!"

"Scotty's made a sandwich run." replied a voice. A taller woman with the red starfleet tunic and trousers rounded a corner, typing away at a PADD. "He'll be back around...10 minutes ago." Her dark hair was piled into a messy bun. She finally looked up. "Oh! Dr. Linh! What're you doing down here?" One of the pipes groaned and hissed out steam. "It's wicked muggy. Wouldn't think a doc would make it." She grinned. "Oh. Well. Except for emergencies."

"Just coming down to check on my patients, Lt. Young." Sandra smiled. She looked around at the skeleton crew. "How many this time?"

"4."

"So the redshirt rumor isn't just a rumor?" Shelley snorted and pulled out a few chairs. Sandra sat down as Shelley pulled out a bottle of the scotch and poured a few glasses.

"As great as Scotty is, he still can't replicate a good margarita." the engineer sighed as she knocked back the shot.

"We should get some next time we're on shore leave." Sandra replied. "Girls night out. This damn ship is a sausage fest anyway." Shelley snorted. "I'm serious. We could get Rand, Chapel, Uhura."

"You know me, Sandy. I don't do the barhopping you kids do." She poured more amber liquid into her cup and stared at it.

"You joined Starfleet to get away from him. While the distraction certainly helps, it won't really solve the problem."

Shelley scowled. "And what's gonna solve my problem?"

"You need to get laid." Sandra replied as she threw back her shot. "Tell you what, why don't I set you up with McCoy? He seems to know how to treat a lady right."

"I don't think so."

"Sulu? Riley? Jones? What about Ming? Or Pak?" When Shelley didn't budge, Sandra slammed her glass down in anger. "Damnit, woman, you can't spend your whole tour pining over him!" Her friend sat in silence.

"You didn't know him, doc--"

"I know him plenty!" Sandra snapped back. "You think about him all the time. If he loves you still. If he found someone better. If you'll be miserable and alone for the rest of your life."

"Maybe since he knows I'm on the Enterprise now, he'll--"

"No."

"Can I send him a birthday wave?"

"No, Shelley."

The other woman's lips twisted in concentration. "E-card?"

"No." Sandra crossed her arms. "He won't see the smoke signal from this quadrant; that's an archaic form of messaging; and pigeons would freeze in space." Shelley poured and downed another shot. Sandra sighed. "I can't make you forget him. But I can prescribe things to help you get over him."

The engineer snorted. "By getting drunk and having one night stands? I don't think so." She swirled the amber liquid in her glass gracefully. "I never was that kind of girl at the Academy."

And idea struck Sandra. "We're landing on New Vulcan in a few days. Usual supply run. You should go see the culture."

Shelley stared at her. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and stood up. "I've got work to do."

Sandra got up and left engineering. When she settled back in her own office, she sent a call out to the first officer. "Linh to Commander Spock."

"Spock here."

"Commander, is there a party assembled for New Vulcan?"

"No landing party is necessary. The captain has scheduled shore leave for a week." There was a pause. "May I query as to why you have asked the itinerary for New Vulcan?"

"Oh...no reason. Linh out." She propped her feet up on her desk and activated the 3d sudoku project on her PADD with a smile. Shore leave was going to be interesting.

"Hi, Doctor Sandy!" chirped a voice. "