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Comfort zones

Posted on Mon Jul 21st, 2025 @ 5:04am by NVeid tr'Rehu & Lieutenant Ame Solis M.D.

Mission: Character Development
Location: Holodeck pool
Timeline: MD6 late evening
1571 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

The day had been intense and exhausting. After signing off in sickbay, NVeid had first swung by the mess hall to get something light to eat and try to ground himself by staring into space. The feeling of unease wouldn't pass so he checked whether the holodeck was free. It was occupied but the program told him it'd be free by the time he'd get there so he booked in for an open program, meaning everyone who desired to, could enter.

The surgeon went by his quarters to get changed into an off duty attire then went to the holodeck. The program had loaded an outdoor pool in a pleasant climate. The artificial sunlight reflected in the smooth surface of the lightly heated water. NVeid smiled as he stripped down to his swimming shorts and elegantly dove into the water from the starting block.

Ame couldn’t think of a more awkward place to have this conversation, but after the chaos of the past day, it needed to happen somewhere outside of sickbay, where the sharp edge of adrenaline had finally dulled.

Stepping into the holodeck, she pulled off her boots and socks, treating the artificial resort with the same respect she would a real one. The setting was almost too perfect, an illusion of calm after the storm they’d barely weathered. Sun loungers stretched out beneath the warm simulated light, and manicured gardens framed the space. It was exactly the kind of place she’d teased the Commodore about for retirement, idyllic, untouched by the kind of reality they’d faced in the past twenty-four hours. There were even cabana boys.

The quiet lap of water drew her attention. Only one other person was here. She spotted NVeid cutting smoothly through the water, his movements precise, controlled. Probably a welcome contrast to the frantic hands and bloodied uniforms of the emergency that had claimed one life and nearly taken another.

Ame settled near the pool’s edge, setting her boots beside her before drawing one knee up, watching the ripples spread. For a moment, she let herself just breathe, listening to the gentle sounds of the holodeck instead of the echoes of the past day. The things she’d seen, the choices she’d made, they sat heavy in her chest, and she imagined NVeid carried his own weight from it, too.

As he surfaced nearby, she let the pause stretch, hesitant to break the fragile stillness between them. But she hadn’t come here to sit in silence. “I just wanted to check in,” her voice quieter than usual, but steady. “After everything.”

Pulling up to the edge of the pool, the Romulan kept most of his body under water as he looked up at her. "Of course," he answered equally quietly as he studied her. "Are you alright?" He then asked, mistaking the sense of unease he picked up for something different.

Her gaze flickered to his briefly before dropping back to the water, watching the ripples fade into stillness. She shook her head once. “I will be.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, just something that had to be true eventually.

Her fingers traced absently over her knee, grounding herself in the quiet between them. “Are you okay?” The soft, rhythmic lap of the water against the pool’s edge filled the space between her words. The sound of his strokes had been steady, controlled. Now, there was only the hush of artificial ambience.

"I will be," he echoed, "but this particular healing will take time and I'm not sure if I'll ever fully recover. No matter the level of trust I have in other doctors, matters concerning my ocular implant will always cause anxiety. But right now, I feel alright, the feeling of anxiety I experienced during the procedure has passed." He knew he didn't have to elaborate, but she deserved an explanation regardless, even if she had read his medical history.

He pushed away from the edge of the pool, making himself float in place as he continued to study her. "Are you coming in?" He invited her, "the water is warm and very soothing."

Ame nodded as she listened, there were many things she was referring to in her question and this was just one of them. “We often make the worst patients.” She commented not letting her eyes follow him as he pushed out into the water. Her head shook at his question. “No, thank you.”

Ripples radiated out from him as he moved, “Maybe some other time.” The water lapped against the side of the pool and overspilled toward her toes. “If there’s anything I can do to help with your anxiety let me know. Myra needs to be given opportunities to learn, but if it would be better to have one physician all the way through any treatment to help with consistency. I rather you rebuild that trust with someone.”

There was more that needed to be discussed but one issue at a time would be the most that she could manage at the moment.

"Doctors are the worst patients," NVeid agreed, "I'm not sure there is anything you can do. I don't mind being a patient, and I do trust doctors. It's the memory and the trauma of how I lost my eye that needs treating. It's been years, but I can't get past it. I have every confidence in miss Myra, and she should be the primary physician in my case, especially because she needs to learn. She just needs to accept that my anxiety is something she'll have to work with."

Ame offered a faint, tight-lipped smile and nodded. “Anxiety’s still a challenge, even when we understand it. I’ve had my share of experience with patients and… in other ways.” Her voice dipped slightly, the memory of Jackson’s long recovery brushing the edges of her words. The nights spent talking him down, the quiet panic she’d learned to soothe, it had shaped the kind of doctor she was now.

“I agree. Myra should remain your physician. If she ever needs support, I’ll be there to guide her.” She paused, choosing her next words with care. “I’m planning a series of skill drills for the medical team, focused on species-specific biology and high-pressure response. We’ve all got knowledge gaps, and I want us to be ready. No surprises when the next crisis hits.”

Her gaze flicked to him, then back to the water. The ripples had settled where he’d stilled, leaving the surface calm again. There was something about it warm, inviting. She resisted the urge to slip in, to hold her breath beneath the surface and let the quiet take her, just for a moment longer.

"I think those are an excellent idea," NVeid agreed without pause, "we have a great many different species aboard, there's an absolute certainty we don't know everything." He gave her a supportive smile but it was edged with concern. He sensed something he couldn't place and it worried him. "Something else is bothering you," he said as he continued to study her. Within seconds he had reached the edge of the pool and pulled himself up to sit next to her. "Want to talk about it? I can change the program to a more suitable setting if you prefer."

Ame shook her head once, eyes still on the water. “You don’t have to do that.” Her voice was soft but even, practised in its deflection. “I’m fine.”

She reached for her jacket, folding it across her knees with unnecessary care. “It’s just been a long day. For all of us.” The understatement sat comfortably between them, enough to close the door without slamming it.

Her gaze lifted to meet his, just briefly. “You should get back to your swim. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

"It is never an interruption if someone requires help," he answered mildly, "and I am here if you have need of me, any time. Even if that is not right now, I understand." He smiled encouragingly. "Page me later when you are ready, if you don't want to talk to Savin instead." He slid back in to the water and looked up. "Additionally you could just join me for a few laps. I'll race you.."

Ame’s smile was soft, almost apologetic. “Maybe some other time,” her voice low but steady.

She rose carefully, gathering her boots with one hand, her jacket draped over the other. There was no rush in her movements, just quiet purpose. “Thank you,” she added after a beat, her gaze resting on the water rather than him. “For the offer. And the space.”

There was more she could’ve said, but none of it felt useful, not here, not now. Whatever she was carrying, she’d carry it a little longer.

“I’ll let you get back to it,” she murmured. “Enjoy the water, NVeid.”

And with that, she turned, the soft sound of her retreating footsteps swallowed by the stillness of the holodeck.

A brief but worried frown pulled the hybrid's eyebrows into a near solid 'V' as he watched her leave. Then he just shrugged to himself and refocused on his exercise. It was her choice to make, and he wasn't going to force her into anything she didn't want to engage in.

 

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