More Pointed Ears

Posted on Tue Mar 21st, 2023 @ 5:26pm by NVeid tr'Rehu & Lieutenant JG Kirral Nagata

Mission: Character Development
Location: Sickbay - labs
2935 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure

It had been a very long and exhausting day, but NVeid still wanted to check on his experiments even though he knew they should probably wait until morning. Still, he slid his samples under the microscope and stared through the oculars at the magnification under the lens. He was so tired however that his vision kept swimming and ultimately, he just fell asleep at his work station, too tired to move elsewhere or even realizing he had nodded off.

Kirral had been putting this part of her ship tour, so to speak, off since moment one. Her duties were all in order, her expectations on her research and meeting those that could help her and might even become her friends? Well on her way too. But the dreaded onboarding physical exam? She'd conveniently forgot. But now that she had no excuses, she'd dared to stop by sickbay. Only her choice of timing seemed bad. There had been no one in the main area, really. Was the Athena still using the EMH program? Not that she could remember, and this was hardly an emergency.

Eventually, her scouting found the telltale signs of a medical officer in the labs. Asleep. Her head tilted curiously and she gently attempted to touch the man's shoulder. Vulcan or Romulan? Judging by the hair, the ears, she wouldn't really know much more until she interacted. The crew roster did have more Romulans on board though, she just couldn't place them by number or department off the top of her head. "Doctor? Are you alright?"

Startled by the touch, NVeid sat up and cast the young woman at his side a somewhat bewildered look. "Alright? Yes, yes I'm fine...." He raked his fingers through his hair then rubbed his eyes. "Just exhausted," he apologized as he straightened. "What can I do for you Miss....?"

He stood, smoothening down his rank-less uniform. "Are you in need of medical attention?" His voice was soft as he spoke, an odd accent in place as he used almost flawless Federation Standard.

Kirral jumped when the man startled, taking a step or two back. Her eyes searched for signs of rank, but coming up empty didn't help her, so she had to improvise in her response. She decided on staying neutral, calm, hands folding behind her back. "I can always come back if you'd like to rest, though I suggest an actual bed next time. Lieutenant Kirral Nagata, new Astrometrics Officer. I... no, no medical attention needed. I was just stopping in to see about my physical exam for my onboarding as part of the crew."

Casting her a rueful smile, he recomposed himself and gestured ahead to main sickbay. "I can probably tend to that ma'am, unless you prefer the service of the chief medical officer." He acknowledged her introduction with a polite nod. "I didn't mean to startle you," he apologized then, "it has been a long day. I am doctor NVeid tr'Rehu, senior surgeon on the medical staff. I have no rank to be addressed by so you can address me as you wish."

As he led her to one of the beds, he grabbed a tricorder on the way. "Any changes in your medical status since your last physical?"

As he spoke, she nodded her head and followed along with his instructions. In fact, him not being the CMO seemed to cause her some relief if anything. Get her physical out of the way without having to address another superior officer on the ship? Sounded fantastic to her. "Very well Doctor, I am happy to allow you to do so."

She slid on to the nearest bed, sitting comfortably and remaining straight in posture, hands folded in her lap. "Last I checked, still half-Romulan. Blood still green, ears still pointy. All seems right?" She tried joking with him, offering a warm smile.

A single eyebrow arched in surprise as he glanced from her to his readings and back to her. "Indeed," he answered, more Vulcan-like than intended. "Did you expect it to change, since you 'last checked'?" He cast her a smile as well, a sparkle in his dark eyes as he closed the tricorder and laid it aside. "As far as I am aware, blood does not change, no matter how dire the wish."

Kirral could only smile at his reaction, telling but only just so, most of it reserved beneath as words came and delivered half-truths. "Just a joke, Doctor. I wouldn't change a thing." She said it, but wasn't sure if she entirely believed it. The answer swung like a pendulum throughout her life. How much easier the Academy would have been were her ears rounded, her blood red. The oldest of three normal, human siblings had its appeals. But so to did the opposite, a true Romulan, a full culture to embrace and explore even as a large chunk of it had been erased from existence with Hobus. She nodded toward him then, curiosity in her voice. "That apply to you too? Look... familiar, in a way."

"There were times," NVeid confessed, "a very long time ago. Now, I wouldn't. I am a hybrid too, like yourself however my father is Betazoid." He offered a kind smile this time. "Usually, the eyes are a giveaway." He paused. "I sense a sadness in you however, why?"

"Ah! Betazoid. I was never very good at telling them apart from humans until they started asking me about my emotions." Another joke? The half-smirk on her lips suggested as much as she watched him. "Probably something to do with not liking physical exams but having to do them anyhow. Though I am thankful to have a doctor who at least understands my situation, at least. I don't suspect you will miss when attempting to locate my heartbeat, will you?"

"I was about to ask," the older hybrid smiled in an attempt to put her more at ease. He looked up at the monitor which had processed the readings he had already taken. "Looks like you're cleared for duty," he told her, "as for telling Humans apart from Betazoids, all you have to do is look them in the eyes. They are very rarely as dark as a Betazoid's. A purebred Betazoid will have black eyes, but a hybrid may have some colour variation even though it will still border on black." He pointed at his own. "See?"

Herself boasting pretty dark eyes, she found it hard to tell at first. But hers were more a dark brown that threatened to swallow up the green, like a subdued hazel. Looking into NVeid's eyes, she could tell, after some time, before looking away. "That'd be the problem, wouldn't it? Don't much enjoy the idea of looking someone in the eye for long. I-- Oh?"

Cleared for duty? Like that? This whole time she hadn't even noticed him working, really. One of the many boons of 24th century medicine, she supposed. Hardly needed to poke and prod her with cold, metal tools anymore, just some tricorder sweeps and good to go. "I suppose the Counselor and I make up our ship's crew of Romulans then? I had not seen any others on the roster at least. If you don't mind my curiosity, how... in touch were you with your Romulan heritage? Or... are, I suppose."

"I wasn't aware of my Betazoid origin until I fled the empire several years ago. I was born telepathic and was raised by the Tal Shiar, thus raised Romulan. I have since met with my father and his new family. My mother never told me that the man I called father, was in fact not my father. They were lost when Romulus was destroyed, unfortunately."

That managed a nice, empathic frown out of Kirral. There was no hiding the upwelling of emotion tied into her processing of all that information. "My father was Tal Shiar as well. At least... said as much. He'd visit me on occasion, bring me presents from Romulus or teach me about it. He... he joined the Federation efforts to evacuate refugees, was taken with the supernova too. I am sorry for your loss."

"My birth father is a Betazoid diplomat. My stepfather, I actually don't know what he did beyond that I know for certain he was not Tal Shiar. I didn't know him well enough to know. He was a father to me, but that is all I remember." NVeid shrugged. "It is said one never leaves the Tal Shiar, but I don't consider myself an agent, not since I had to flee after nearly being killed. I am a Starfleet surgeon now, even if I'm a civilian. I have mourned my family though I can't be certain they were killed. Because of circumstances, I have to assume it because I can never go back to know for sure. And my resources are non existent now."

"I am... sorry then. You have not tried to comb through registries or the like? Refugees are scattered, yes, but if there's a chance they made it... wouldn't you want to know?" She tilted her head in watching him, offering a sad little smile, maybe hopeful in part as well though. "I knew my father's ship, was one of the many the Federation supplied for the efforts, so finding its registry and log of its destruction was easy enough. Do you have no such clues to follow?"

He cast her a sad smile as he shook his head. "The chances of them having survived are non-existent. If the had I would likely have learned such within the first months. I am certain my stepfather would have found a way somehow, to let me know. Even if I had left Romulus in disgrace. The assignment that was given to me, to serve on the frozen planet Starfleet rescued me and the boy who is now my son from, was punishment. I was supposed to have died there, but ultimately, being sent away from Romulus had saved me. Others, unfortunately, we're not so fortunate." A small smile touched his features. "I have made my peace with that now, as I continue to serve Starfleet in the best way I know how."

She could only nod, finding words lacking in response. Being exiled, rescued when his fate was to have been death... This was territory she found she couldn't quite relate to. "A son? Adopted as it were. Another Romulan exiled with you to a remote assignment?"

"No, my son was barely five years old. He and his guardian had crashed while they were on their way to his father, a Human intelligence officer. Later, when I was reassigned I received news the man had died in an accident, and in his will he had expressed his desire that the boy was sent to me because he couldn't trust his family, who are purist humans, with a hybrid child. My son is a Human-Betazoid hybrid and currently he lives with one of my full Betazoid half-sisters. A starship is no place for a child, so we speak frequently on subspace and meet when able during leave." He smiled sadly. "I do miss him, of course, but I know he is safe with the only family I have left."

Kirral offered a smile, though again it was a little sad. "It seems as if you have both been through quite an ordeal. For all of your hardships, I am glad you are both safe and sound in the Federation. He must be very proud of you and the work you do. Like my own father, always away, doing what he could to save the galaxy... or at least that's what he told a bright-eyed little girl when he'd pay her a visit. I was always proud of him, begged to go with him more than once..." There was another smile there as she trailed off, warm and familiar. "Your son must be similar, I am sure of it."

"I have no doubt that he is," the older hybrid smiled, "and I'd like nothing more than to have him here but it's impossible. And I'm even more proud of him, that he accepts being away from me, knows that he's safe on Betazed I'm forever grateful to my half-sister, for taking in a child from a much older half-brother she barely knows. I'm proud of her too. You see, I didn't know I had other siblings besides my deceased older sister, until a few years ago, when i met my father pure by chance."

"And I thought my own family history was complicated. Besides my father... don't suppose I have any ties on that side, hadn't even thought to look. Otherwise, I was a Starfleet kid raised on Starfleet ships with parents and now siblings all in Starfleet as well. I don't think I ever even considered another career possibility, just different tracks in the uniform."

"I wear a uniform to blend in but technically I don't need to. I'm a civilian surgeon, I've always been a surgeon even before joining a Starfleet crew. I still report to the CMO, and I follow his orders if needed. The only difference is that I don't have a rank to be addressed by. It's what I prefer." He continued to smile. "If not science, what else would you have chosen?"

She nodded along as he spoke, thankful for that clarification. She had to admit to herself, his uniform with a lack of insignia really threw her for a loop, but she should have guessed he was simply a civilian aboard the ship, serving in some capacity. "A volunteer then? That's very noble of you, Doctor." With his question, she lifted her head to consider her options. "Engineering, likely? If not the theories, then the practical applications. Suppose that's cheating in a way, but I have always loved the stars and the idea of exploration. If not the science, then helping run and maybe even design exploration vessels, sensor systems, probes, that sort of thing."

"Perhaps you should speak with the chief engineer about cross training," NVeid suggested. "There's no reason you can't do both, right?"

Kirral laughed softly, waving a hand in the air. Somewhere between haughty and flattered, perhaps? A combination of humor and knowing she could succeed, if she tried. She was anything but humble when it came to her capacity for understanding and work. The problem was more getting her to slow down and do less before she burned herself out. "Plenty of reasons, and I am this ship's Astrometrics Officer, Doctor. I have my primary duties. And beside that, my research. Though there is ample opportunity to study the sensor systems and warp protocols while undertaking that, so... there's some truth to that. Would be something though, hm? Start blue, dabble in gold, end up in red some day."

"You're still young," NVeid chuckled, "when you get my age -and technically I'm considered young as well- you may yet change your mind."

That got a raised eyebrow and an amused smile out of Kirral, her head shaking. "No offense, doctor, but I would rather keep my thoughts focused in the present and not think of... getting older. It is trickier for hybrids, is it not? May I ask how old you are?"

"I am fifty-one standard years old... or young, depending on who you ask," the older hybrid grinned, "equally, like yourself, I am considered young as I just stated. However I am a surgeon in heart and soul, and my goal will always be to help no matter who or where. I strive to be a better man, so to speak."

"Ah, twice my age then. Though I have spent my entire life primarily around humans, so cultural expectations are that I am... young, but beginning to exit my youth, at least by their standards. If not in body, in mind. The former is a blessing I'll take, the latter... Well, I always suspected I was mature for my age, no matter what age I assessed myself at. Gotten me in trouble more than once." She couldn't help the little grin she gave him there. She was often mistaken for by-the-books and straight-laced, or prim and proper. But that was just most of the time. She had her youthful streaks of rebellion as well, not to mention that hot, green blood coursing through her veins.

"Rub it in why don't you," NVeid chuckled, "what kind of trouble did you get into?"

Raising a finger, Kirral considered answering, but then shook both the finger and her head with a brief, warm smile. "That is a series of stories too lengthy to be done justice in a single doctor's visit, Doctor. I am afraid I should return to my duties. But if you wish to hear some time, we may speak over a meal? I would love to hear more of your unique story."

"Of course. I don't wish to keep you ma'am. I would like to hear about the trouble you got into.." he grinned. "Or might still desire to get into. This is not a large vessel but I'm sure there's room for youthful mischief for you and your peers."

"Is the Science Department known for such on this vessel, Doctor? I will have to keep that in mind." She smiled at him and bowed her head, another silent thank you for the exam, before she started for the exit. "Until next we meet, Doctor."