From: Kim Toussaint (kimtoussaint_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Sat May 10 2008 - 19:45:38 PDT
"Last bits of R&R"
Continued from Ran's & My MAY9th
_________________________
Location: GS2
Scene: Counseling center
Stardate: 2.80510.1943
________________________
Considerably bigger than a simple office, the counselling department cares for the mental
health of thousands of people, all of whom are of many different species. It also doubles as
the station's education centre for the hundreds of children aboard - most counsellors aboard
the GATEWAY are also qualified teachers. The CC comprises three decks near Main Medical.
The top deck serves as education facilities for children of Starfleet crews, and is "hardened"
to remain secure in the event of an attack on the station. It contains its own life support,
emergency comm system and a one-way, out-only transporter. All counselors assist in the
education curriculum and try to involve other members of the crew whenever possible.
Much to the annoyance of Thomas Varn, the counseling staff loved to pester him in
particular. The "Wing boy" dolls were still tremendously popular with the kids and they
would be glued to any sort of lesson that Thomas could be persuaded to teach them.
The middle deck is the primary office complex. Set up in a hexagon with an interior
circle providing the reception desk, the offices radiate outward. The main office belongs
to the station's chief counselor. The room has been decorated it in natural colors,
greens and browns and blues with the use of wood and bamboo whenever appropriate.
The furniture is informal and simple. The wall behind the desk can be made to configure
a variety of scenes depending on the mood or the task at hand. One other office serves
the very same Counselor Daisy was trying to avoid, Mowree Nurunyon, a Caitian (bipedal,
leonine in appearance). His office features a large padded bowl set into the floor for
comfortable lounging. The rest of the office is decorated in golden browns, lit high
and warm, like the savannah he came from on Caitia Prime. The remaining offices
rotate with personnel. The lower level is reserved for holograph use, dedicated to
therapy.
Inspite of his vulgar remarks, Cade had indeed walked Daisy to see Counselor Mowree
in one of those lower levels. Being a doctor and a Counselor herself, Daisy had a healthy
respect for the value of her own profession and the ways therapy can help people.
However, there's an old saying about how doctors make the worst patients and Daisy was
the very embodiment of that saying.
Foster stood outside the door to Mowree's office, flirting with a receptionist, and made
sure Daisy did her required hour of checking in with Mowree. In the privacy of therapy
was the only place she admitted to checking for messages from the USS PATRIOT twice a
day and how often Ben Kenta crossed her mind. As truly grateful as she was for Cade's
support, preparing to take back Command of the Station still reminded her of how Ben
had given her command in the first place. In the privacy of therapy, she was gently
forced to admit she didn't really want command. On her own, she'd be content to
just be a doctor. However, she still felt a sense of obligation to the people on the station.
Being in command also would often take her away from her children. However, her
having command gave them privelages and accesses to Starfleet resources that they
wouldn't otherwise get. The Pro's outweigh'ed the Con's and, as people expected,
she would indeed be returning to command. In the privacy of therapy, she could
admit how overwhelmed she felt with all the responsibility and just the sheer brightness
and loudness of everything compared to what it was like when she had that peace
that came with death - that feeling of relief that she had done a good job and nothing
more could be expected of her. In the privacy of therapy, all these admissions were
emotionally and spiritually exhausting.
Stepping away from that, to Cade's waiting arms, she sniffled and struggled to
regain her composure. As much as Foster loved to play the part of a smartass, he
could be very tender. He dried her tears and hugged her tightly before holding her
hand to walk to an upper level to see Erika.
It was there Thomas recognized the Fedcom reporter, Cynthia Matilde. Worried she'd
come to badger him or one of Daisy's children, the Science officer started to call security
until another teacher assured him Cynthia had an innocent reason to be there. Seven
year old Nova Matilde emerged from the same classroom as Erika Wangel Byrne and
ran to his mother's arms.
Daisy walked past them, looking for Erika. She and Cynthia gave each other a look of
recognition but said nothing. Erika beamed and bounced towards her Mom, babbling
that she had a new boyfriend. Then, she stopped and looked
at Daisy's face.
"Mommy, have you been crying?"
Daisy smiled and told Erika the truth. "Nothing wrong with having a good cry now
and then, honey. I've always told you that, right?"
"I guess." Erika shrugged, suspiciously. Daisy scooped her up into a hug and sighed,
breathing in Erika's warmth and her sweet "little girl" smell. Then, she teased,
"Maybe I just need to chew on your ear. That always makes me smile."
Erika pulled back, grimacing, "Ewww! Gross."
"How about some toes, then?" Daisy asked, managing to smile through her sniffles.
Thomas approached. "Everything ok, Commander?"
Daisy looked a little embarrassed and Cade jumped forward to cover, "Well, I don't
know. Have you saved enough feathers for us to make a pillow yet, Birdman?"
Daisy put her own hands over Erika's ears and whispered harshly, "Cade, Don't be an ass."
Thomas shook his head and laughed him off. "No worries, Daisy. If he wasn't so
obnoxious, I'd be worried the old man had finally had a stroke or something."
Apparently, she hadn't covered Erika's ears well enough. The little girl's eyes
widened and she giggled. "Mommy, you said a bad word!"
Daisy blinked and Cade sniggered. "You are so busted."
Erika pulled further away from Daisy and announced melodramatically, "And
you smell bad, too."
It was then Daisy realized she hadn't changed her clothes. She rolled her
eyes and groaned. "Alright, I get it. I stink. Who wants to go swimming?
Anyone in the mood for the water park?"
"That depends." Erika replied with a coy little smile. "Can I bring my
boyfriend, Nova?"
Not recognizing the name of Cynthia Matilde's son, Daisy just smiled, "Sure.
Is one of his parents here?"
Looking a little disheveled, sweaty and her eyes still puffy from crying, Daisy
did her best to paste a polite smile on her face as Erika pulled her towards
Nova Matilde and his mother, the fedcom reporter, Cynthia Matilde.
The two women regarded each other awkwardly before finally shaking hands.
_______________________________________________________________________
Location: GS2
Scene: BIG KAHUNA
____________________________________________________________________
The Big Kahuna is a huge construction - it takes up all of three decks and is totally
enclosed and constantly busy. The entrance leads up stairs to the first floor, because
the whole first floor is filled with water, mostly shallow and containing many species
of small tropical fish.
In the centre of the ground floor is a deeper swimming area. Secured stepping stones
head off in different directions to different islands, on which are different rides. One
island holds a log flume where the highest drop falls the full three decks into the
water. Another has a totally airbound rollercoaster where again the biggest drop
falls almost the full three stories to the water below.
There's an island for younger children where they have a small water slide and
a kiddies' pool. The main attraction is the Big Kahuna itself - a large rollercoaster
that goes up to the top of the third story and then plummets back down into
the deepest part of the water. Here it enters a transparent tube and travels
under the water for a few seconds and then back up, out and towards the end
of the ride. Around the various islands various food stands, including corn dogs,
Hawaiian burgers (beef burgers with a piece of cheese and pineapple), normal
burger stands and, of course, popcorn and candyfloss. There are also totally island
based rides on a few larger islands. These include tea cup rides, dolphin racing
rides, and smaller rollercoaster where two people sit on the back of a dolphin
that rolls round the track at high speeds. There are also merry-go-rounds with
dolphins and sharks and seahorses, and carnival stands where people can win
cuddly toys by hooping the bottles or shooting the target with a water gun.
There are also shops that sell cuddly dolphins and fish and ships in bottles.
The theme is carried on as the men and women running the stands and rides
are dressed in Hawaiian grass skirts and other typical Hawaiian clothing.
Gavirosh prefered the island based rides and the food to the wet activities
for obvious reasons. Any accident with his bioelectricity in the water and
someone might get hurt. The younger of Daisy's teenage boys was a pretty
good shot with a water gun. He rarely kept the cuddly toys he won. He
usually used them to bribe Erika to stay out of his room or to impress a pretty
girl from school.
He and LJ were continuing their target practice when they saw Thomas walk by.
The owner of the park had requested a Starfleet science officer to help repair
one of the rides.
While Daisy was swimming with Erika and Cade, Nova and his mother,
Daisy's boys had a mischievious idea. LJ had already recently been in trouble
for his behavior in the brig - but he actually liked his punishment so it didn't
detour him from the idea of acting up again. Daisy had him doing chores for
various business owners and the 15 year old actually enjoyed being 'out and
about'. So LJ didn't see much reason to resist the urge as he and Gavi
unhooked their water pistols from their stands and snuck away from the target
shooting area - following after Thomas......
_______________________________________________________
NRPG: Justin - TAG!
Leigh - don't forget we need an arrival post for your character before we start the next mission on the 15th. Thanks!
Kim
Kim Toussaint AKA Commander Daisy Byrne Davidson, M.D.
Commanding officer of GATEWAY STATION
---------------------------------
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Nov 19 2008 - 03:10:51 PST