The USS Octamerous was currently doing ship wide routine checkups for the crew. This time was a nice, relaxing break for Peso since the repetitiveness meant less stress. Peso calmly prepped his station for the next crew member. He even got to do these in a private room since everyone got patient confidentiality.

He looked at his computer screen to see the name of his next patient. Peso's eyes went wide. He was so surprised by name he had read, he dropped his tricorder.

A fellow ensign noticed through Peso's open door. Barrot came in and asked, "You alright Peso?"

"I think there's been a mistake Barrot. It says that my next patient is Captain Barnacles. Shouldn't Dr. Paani be handling the captain?"

Barrot picked up Peso's tricorder and passed it back. "That's what everyone's been asking. We assumed you knew why."

"Why on earth would I know why?"

"Because it was the captain that asked specifically for you to perform his checkup."

"What!?" Peso was flabbergasted. "Why?"

"That's what we wanna know!" Barrot said.

What possible reason could there be for the captain to ask for a random ensign to perform his checkup? Was he testing Peso? But why would he be testing him? It's not like he never talked to the captain. This was an Oberth class starship. It had 79 crewmen. Peso was positive Captain Barnacles kept in contact with all of his crew members. Not to the point of friendship surely. Peso couldn't imagine being intimate friends with 79 people. But he knew everyone's names and talked to them all. Peso didn't think his talks with the captain were anything special. He's watched Barnacles have special conversations. Peso could never look away when Barnacles was really interested in what he was talking about.

…What was he gunna do? He didn't have time to prepare for this, the captain was coming right now. To Peso. On purpose. He started to feel warm.

The chatter around the medical bay died down. Oh no. Peso grasped Barrot's arms and pleaded "You have to stay and help."

Barrot looked at him with sympathy. "Sorry. Captain needs his confidentiality. Good luck!" Barrot ran out of the room. Peso had no more options.

He looked over the see Captain Barnacles walking toward his room. The captain had a noticeable light blush spread across his face. Why? Peso's brain was flying a mile a minute.

Barnacles came in and closed the door. He sat down in front of Peso. This was the closest the two had ever been to each other. What was he thinking about?

"C-Captain Barnacles. I-It's a pleasure to see you."

Barnacles cleared his throat. "The pleasure is all mine, Ensign Peso."

Peso gulped. He was being tested. He had to be. There was no other reason. Peso had so many questions, but he couldn't ask them. He needed to get this over with as quickly as possible. "Let's get started then, shall we? How are you feeling today captain?"

"Great. Never felt better… and if you don't mind me asking, how are you feeling right now ensign?"

Peso's eyes widened. This was the first test. What was the right answer? "I'm feeling good captain. I, I'll take gather some basic readings next."

Slightly shaky, Peso brought the scanner up to Barnacle's head and started scanning. A task he has done 10 times today on other people, yet this was the first time he felt like he was actually doing it.

He lowered his hand and started getting readings through the captain's back. His brain was flying a mile a minute. Why had Captain Barnacles chosen Peso? Had Dr. Paani said something? What could he possibly have done to get the captain's attention? Peso moved and started scanning the captain's chest. What does he do to get such big muscles? What's his workout routine? Oh gosh dang it. What was he thinking about?

"Um, ensign, forgive me if this is too forward, but you seem a little, preoccupied. If you have anything you'd like to ask, please don't hesitate. I know my request for your assistance isn't typical."

Peso let out a sigh of relief. He had so much to ask. "Why did you ask for me to do your exam? Captain."

Barnacles' light blush appeared again. "Yes, well you see,"

"Did Dr. Paani suggest this test?"

"What? Oh no no no, this isn't a test, I'm so sorry to worry you ensign. Please do not fret over that. I requested this for personal reasons. Dr. Paani was just as confused as you are."

"Oh. Ok. Then why?" Peso looked into Barnacles eyes waiting for an answer.

Barnacle's blush deepened the slightest amount. "Well, you see, you are the resident marine health specialist on our starship."

? "I am." Peso's mostly called on by the bridge when the away team was going on deep sea explorations. He even went down on planet a couple times when the Octamerous had encountered massive amounts of aquatic life in danger. It was a useful major, but sparingly needed compared to others.

"Well Peso, I myself have an affinity for the marine biome."

Oh. Huh?

"And I was hoping to start a rapport with you about the subject."

Oh! That was it? He let out another sigh of relief.

"But I see now that my methods to start this conversation were too round about and now I have caused you distress. I am sorry about that ensign."

Peso smiled at him and chuckled, making Barnacles blush more. "It's quite alright captain. But you could have just come up to me at the bar, or after a meeting."

"I know. I've thought about it."

Peso started to blush. Captain Barnacles thinking about Peso in his free time. Peso had never thought of that as a possibility before. "So why didn't you?"

"Because I've found when I try to start conversations with crewmen I'm less familiar with, I tend to come off as… intimidating. And I didn't want to appear that way to you. But this method wasn't much better, was it?" Barnacles turned his head down in shame.

Peso's smile widened. "Hey." He waited until Barnacles looked back up at him. "I think I can understand where they're coming from. Don't think of them as being intimidated by you Captain. Think of it as them being intimidated by your rank. That and" Peso's eyes flashed over Barnacles' large chest. The one he was supposed to be medically scanning right now. "Don't try to avoid being intimidating, because you're going to be. Just focus on showing off how unintimidating you can be." Peso thought about putting a hand on Barnacles' shoulder, ultimately deciding to refrain.

Barnacles' eyes softened. "My first officer told me something similar" Then he squinted his eyes "in a much more… upfront way." He looked to the side remembering.

Commander Kwazii. Peso had never really met the guy, much like the captain before this conversation. The one thing he was always told about the Caitian was that he could never hold back, and it sounded like Barnacle's comment was confirming that.

"Well Captain. If you came to me to start a rapport, then let's start one. What made you so interested in marine biology?"

There was a new life in Barnacles eyes as he looked at Peso. "Are you really interested? You can say no. I don't want you to feel pressured because-"

Peso's face brightened. "Yes. I am interested. Really."

Barnacles smiled at him. "My mother was a fisherman, and my father was marine scientist. I always thought he was out there protecting the ocean, and I wanted to protect it too. We lived by the ocean. My life was the ocean. I couldn't escape its thrall even if I tried."

Peso looked at him with a sort of jealousy. If only he could have grown up in such an environment. "How did you go from ocean protector to starship captain?"

"Ha! That question answers itself. The same hubris needed in wanting to protect entire oceans is needed in wanting to protect entire star systems."

The two smiled at each other.

"Alright Ensign Peso,"

"Just Peso will be more than sufficient."

Barnacle's smile widened. "Alright Peso, what about you? What sparked your interest? How did you go from Marine biologist to starship medic?"

Peso blushed a little. "Me? Well, back on earth when I was a child, my first passion became aquatic life. I mean, the mysteries of space and the universe were awe-inspiring, but to me, ocean life mesmerized me even more."

Barnacles nodded along.

Peso smiled to himself. "I even remember the day my passion really sparked. I was at the beach, playing in the sand, digging for crabs, when I saw a dead fish laying on the sand off in the distance. I went over to mourn. That's a little dramatic. I really went over to examine it. And acknowledge the life it once had.

"Anyways, as I studied it, I thought about the fact that this fish died because it was existing in air. That state I exist in most of my life killed another creature. And I thought about how if I went and stayed under the water, I would die. We were such different creatures, and yet we both existed. And we can exist so close to each other. So close we could even touch. That was awe-inspiring to me. Then I looked at the dead fish wishing so badly that I could have rescued it. At that moment, I wanted to rescue all the sea life, so different from me, but alive just the same."

Barnacles really looked at Peso as he talked.

"Thinking about all that sent me down a spiral. And once you become obsessed with the different and unknown, space becomes an inevitable obsession as well. Haha."

"That's a beautiful reason Peso."

Peso blushed the deepest he had that day. He didn't know how to respond to that.

Looking at the scanner in his hand, Peso realized how much time he had spent not doing his job.

"I think we should finish up your exam." Peso said nervously.

"Of course."

Peso started scanning Barnacles' chest and asking all the routine questions. Peso was able to do this calmly and more relaxed now that they had talked.

He was almost feeling regret as the end of the exam grew closer…

"Alright. Your checkup is done. You really are the definition of health."

Barnacles smiled. "Thank you, Peso."

"Of course, and Captain."

"You can call me Barnacles in private, if you'd prefer."

Peso blushed. Dropping the ensign title was very different than dropping the captain title. "If you would like, maybe we can continue this conversation another day. Is there's one you have some free time?"

"Are you busy this Friday?" Barnacles asked.

"I can meet you after a performance I'm doing."

"What are you performing?"

Peso started blushing again. "Oh it's nothing really. I'm in a talent show. I'm doing a little piece on the Xylophone."

"Xylophone?"

Peso looked frustrated by that comment. "Yes xylophone. I know it doesn't sound as sophisticated as a glockenspiel or as soft as a marimba, but I still like the sound."

Barnacle's eyes widened. "Sorry. I didn't mean for my reaction to come out as a slight against the instrument."

"Huh? Oh." Peso laughed at himself. "Sorry captain. A lot of people on this ship have strong opinions about the topic."

Barnacle's smile faltered for just a second. With full smile back intact, Barnacles stood up.

He was heads taller than Peso. If Peso looked straight forward, he would be looking into his captain's chest. He desperately tried not to look forward.

Barnacles said "Alight Peso. I will be looking forward to seeing your performance. As well as our talk after." He placed a hand on Peso's shoulder and looked directly into his eyes. "And thank you for the checkup."

Peso didn't have time to react to the first part, he only looked back into Barnacles eyes. "Anytime Captain."

Barnacles smiled at him and walked out of the medical room.

Peso stared blankly at the wall in front of him. What just happened?

Barrot ran into the room and shook Peso's shoulders. "Peso! You gotta tell us what happened."

Peso looked over to see all his fellow medics peering into the doorframe to hear.

Peso looked back to Barrot. "He just wanted to talk."

"Jesus Christ man, about what?"

"…Fish."