Sleeping in all the wrong places

Posted on Thu Sep 28th, 2017 @ 9:18am by Lieutenant Junior Grade Ethan O'Donoghue
Edited on on Tue Oct 17th, 2017 @ 3:45am

Mission: S01E01 - At the Brink of Night
Location: Sick Bay
Timeline: Current

EJ had been struggling to sleep for years, but the young Irish man was getting fed up. Weather or not he was drinking to much coffee or his brain was just ticking over twenty four seven. Somthing had to be done, EJ got up out of bed placing his t-shirt on and slipping on his socks. It wasnt as cold as he first thought, walking the corridors he made his way to sick bay to talk to the Doc, he reached the sick bay and pushed the button "Doc can i come in?" he asked in a tired irish accent.

It was Danael's first graveyard shift. Thankfully he'd always been a night owl, so he was wide awake and chipper as always. Standing, and putting the padd with the work he was doing on it back on the desk he walked out into the main sickbay. "Come." he said, and waited for the person on the other side of the door to come in. He watched a fellow ensign walked through the door. He was shorter than Danael, with messy brown hair, and a look of annoyance on his face. "How can I help you, Ensign?" he asked.

EJ walked in his face a picture "Its this fecking sleeping pattern of mine Doc, i cant seem to wrangle it back to normallity" he said attempting to smile "Please Call Me EJ, It'll make both of us feel better" he said sitting on a bed "Welcome to the mushai ensign" he said smiling as he yawned " See cant even have a convosation without this tiredness getting at me" he said laughing "Anything that can be done even if its just temporary?" he said yawning again.

Danael smiled, noting how cute the other man was when he laughed. "There's plenty that can be done, temporary, or otherwise, most of it requiring you to see an actual doctor." he answered. "Mostly though I can give you a mild sedative to help you get to sleep, and then maybe have you come back to see the doctor for a full checkup, and maybe work out some sort of plan to get your sleep schedule back on track. How does that sound?" he asked.

"A Mild sedative would be great and of course seeing the doc is the first thing ill do" he said as he relaxed a little bit now " so how are you finding your new assignment?" he asked as he brought his legs up onto the bed "Also mind if i have a cup of tea, my irish blood gets itchy when i dont have tea" he said laughing again a little less loud this time.

"Sure thing." Danael replied. "I'll grab you a cup while I'm getting the sedative ready." he said, turning to go back into the sickbay. A few minutes later he appeared back with the hypospray and a small mug of black currant tea. "I didn't know exactly what kind you'd like so I brought you a cup of my favorite." he said, handing the other man the mug. "And to answer your question I'm really enjoying my new assignment. It's my first though, so I'm still a little nervous about it." he answered.

EJ smiled as he was handed the cup of blackcurrent tea "Ahh fruit tea might help me actually sleep no caffeine in it" he said laughing again the hypospray touched his skin and he felt the relief " this is my first assignment too so i feel your nervous pain honestly" he said looking at the young nurse and admiring the features the stuck out the most.

"That's why I chose it." the young nurse replied in comment to the other man's observation about the tea. "That could be part of your sleeping problem." he added, musing on what he said about assignments. He could tell that the other man was admiring him, though he wasn't sure why. He'd never much thought of himself as a looker. Just thinking about it made him blush a little, and he coughed nervously to cover the nervous chuckle. "So, what position do you serve in?" he asked, regaining his professional decorum.

" I admire people for there tea making skills, how'd you know if have two sugars?" he said laughing adverting his eyes a little not to make it obvious that he was staring, even if it was only a little, Ej knew somehow this next mission would be a little more extreme he just dident know how "im the chief helm officer, im the guy who keeps us going" he said laughing a little.

Danael shrugged, and then decided he might as well be honest, "You seemed sweet, so I figured you'd like your tea to match." he said, making the comment seem off the cuff, and immediately segueing into the next part of the conversation. "I think my dad would have been happier if I'd followed that sort of track, instead of nursing. But then again he'd have been most happy if I'd been a sec/tac officer. But I'm just not good at all that kind of stuff. I'm too gentle I guess. But, hey, you can't have everything right? The gentleness makes for a good nurse!" he said.

Ej almost chocked on his tea "Sweet laddie?, im anything but sweet" he said laughing "I have sweet moments, like this tea but im Irish i have a bite to me like whiskey" he said laughing again. as he perched up on his legs "My father served starfleet during the romulan war as a medical officer, always thought i had it in me to follow in his footsteps, not for me it takes a level of gentleness that i just dont possess" he said smiling " my father was changed by the war" he said sipping from his tea "i was always obsessed with navigation equipment and maps, so it felt only natural that i train to be a helms man" he said as he looked at the man once more only lingering for a few seconds.

Danael suddenly felt a bit foolish for his comment, and he was quite sure the abashed look on his face made that very obvious. "Well, we can't all be teddy bears, can we?" he asked, smiling to cover his chagrin. "I will have to look your father up. If he fought during that he has to be an interesting man to learn about. And no, unless one really wants to be in this profession, and has the gentleness, with the steel underneath, they aren't going to last long. I'm just a nurse and the training, at least parts of it, nearly broke me. But, once you are through it you find that you are far more strong than you imagined. At least that's how it was for me." he said. Grabbing a stool he wheeled it over and sat down, hoping EJ wouldn't mind. "Now, when it comes to navigation, I'd be all thumbs. I can't use a map to find my way out of a paper bag. But I admit that, and do what I can to sharpen what little skills I might have every chance I get. Maybe you can give me some pointers sometime!" he said.

"I can be a cuddly teddy bear but thats for the right people" he said smiling, he listened to Stephens talk "Actually i have his war time journal if you'd like to breeze through it, he gave it to me as a present when i left for starfleet academy maybe in a way he hoped id change my major, but i never did stuck out helms training right till the end" He shifted his position "My father said you had to have a big heart and an iron will to be a doctor, always said that it was worse during the war because you had to become a drone" he said remembering the day his father said that "Dad said it all changed his outlook on his profession, he became cynical with time ya know?" he said sipping at his tea again " Your always welcome to join me on one of many jaunts in a shuttle i can teach you the ropes and well we can have tea" he said smiling as he placed his cup down "plus i wouldent want you to be out there in the vastness of space on your own day not knowing a single thing about navigation" he said laughing.

"I'd absolutely love that!" Danael blurted, and then realized that what he'd said could be taken two ways. "About the journal, I mean!" He added, "Not that I wouldn't like to find out about the other..." he added quickly, and then realized what he'd said, and was completely mortified. "I mean, I would love to look at the journal." he said, after taking a very deep breath, and wishing like hell he'd inherited his dad's side of the family's skin tone a lot more. "And as to what he told you, and how he became, that is a very common thing with people in the medical field. It happens with triage, and emergency room personnel as well. After a while you become so hardened by the horror of what you have to see day in and day out that you just start to shut down the parts of you that feel." he said, getting a far away look in his eye as he thought back to his academy training, and the interviews they had to watch, the things they had to see in training vids, "At least that's what everyone I've talked to has said." he added quietly. Then when he heard the part about the possibility of being trained in a shuttle he perked up, not a little because he'd said they'd be out together. "Would you really be willing to do that? Train me, I mean? Wouldn't that be tedious? Even with the tea." he asked.

Ej smiled as he herd the fondness in the mans voice " I will bring it with me when i come back for my full medical check up ensign" he said smiling and sipping at his tea, he laughed a little "Dont worry about it" he said smiling at him, taking a deep breath in through his nose out through his mouth "Yea thats what my dad said" he couldn't imagine the gruelling training that must have gone into being a medical officer let alone one during a full scale war with a tribe of people hell bent on your peoples destruction. Any medical professional for starfleet would have gone through the same training but others would react to it different "Honestly id be glad of the company, my jaunts are always so lonely so teaching you would be honour, the tea is purely so i stay awake" he said laughing.

"Afraid I'd put you to sleep?" Danael asked playfully. In all honesty that would probably be a real possibility. The few times he had had to attempt to fly anything he'd been as careful as someone assisting in surgery, and had been told if he ever wanted to pass any sort of flight training he was going to have to learn to let go, and be more open and intuitive. Perhaps EJ could help him with that.

"Ahh never nurse, i know im be in very capable hands" he said winking playfully "Navigation and flying is much like surgery steady hands, focused mind and a dream to travel the stars" He said smiling "The most important thing to remember though is to let it happen naturally, you have to be one with the console" sipping from his tea again "A map is nothing without the compass the compass is you and you have to be the guiding light" He said smiling "full of quirky aniqdotes me" he said laughing again.

It was an infectiously adorable laugh, and Danael suddenly found himself joining him. "Well, capable hands may be true, I just hope you don't mind overly cautious at first. If you get a chance you should look up my flight record from the academy. It's a hoot and a half." he said, ironically. "But in all seriousness, I'd love it if you'd give it a shot at training me. Anything to make myself a bit more valuable couldn't hurt. Plus I feel like I can trust you." he added, not knowing where that came from. Going to take a sip of his tea he realized his glass was completely empty. "Damn, out of tea..." he said, looking a bit crestfallen.

"Cautious at first is how all of us start with any thing" He said smiling as he jumped down and walked over to the young nurse "I'll make the next batch" he said as he walked past to the replicator, choosing English breakfast tea with milk and sugar. Rejoining the young nurse in the main part of sick bay "English breakfast tea, milk and two sugars" he said as he handed the young nurse his favorite type of tea "You made your favorite now ive made mine" he said hopping back up onto the bed "I will train you when i say something i mean it no matter how long it takes i'll be there every step of the way" he said smiling, a comforting smile that EJ wasent used to using "we will start of slow you'll set there and co piolt me for the first few times, ill give you pointers and so forth and then once you feel comfortable i'll walk you through everything i wont leave you on your own" he said sipping at his tea " i love tea, i could drink it all day every day" he said laughing again.

Accepting the tea he smiled, "Just the way I like it." he said, taking a sip of the steaming tea. "And thank you for the words of encouragement. I'll be there with bells on any time you want me to!" he replied. "I hope I haven't kept you here too long, talking. I'm sure you are a much busier man than I am at this point in time." he added, not wanting to take up more of the man's time than he was willing to give. Though, if he were forced to admit it he'd hate it for him to leave.

"Finally someone who understands milk and two is just the best" he said laughing his Irish laugh once more, EJ could feel the effects of the sedative taking hold, he was fighting them best he could "Aye bells was how we managed to retain steadiness" he said smiling "the only thing i should be doing now is sleeping another helms man is at my position tonight so i have a break" he said slightly laughing as his eyes dropped for a few seconds.

Smiling once again, noticing he was doing quite a lot of that this evening, Danael stood up. "I figured that would happen soon. I should let you get back to your quarters and get your sleep." he said. "But please, let me know whenever you are ready for that training. I can't wait to get behind the controls with you." he said. "It's been great getting to know you a bit tonight, by the way. Thank you so much for spending some time with me down here." he added.

Ej smiled a quaint little smile that he wasent used to, his body slugish and not responding at times "Well it seems to be bloody working" he said laughing again, standing now " well im going on a jaunt two days from now reckon you could talk to zeke and see about joining me for that?" he said smiling and beaming at the same time, Ej looked at his fellow ensign "it was my pleasure, maybe we could do this more often mess hall is always quiet at this time and saves us having to talk about my shitty sleeping pattern" On that note EJ felt his body fall "Irish man out" He said outloud before he hit the floor with thunderous crash, now the only thing that could be herd from the young ensign was the cute little purrs of snoring.

"Shit." Danael muttered. Crouching down he turned the other man over and pulled his eyelid up. "Well this is just great." he said, letting the eyelid slide sluggishly back into place. While the man was smaller than him he wasn't sure he would be able to actually get him up off the floor and all the way to his quarters without help. There was no way in hell he could leave him in sickbay in his current state. The doctor would be furious. He never should have kept him here this long just to talk. Leaning down closer he tapped him lightly on the cheek. "Ensign..." he said, tapping him a bit more, trying to get him to wake up. He just had to get him up, and on his feet. Once he got him moving he would hopefully be able to lead him back to his own bed. "Ensign..." he hissed a bit more urgently, getting closer and tapping his cheek even more urgently, simultaneously praying to anything that might be out there to help him get out of this mess.

Ej's eyes jolted awake "Next time ya need to wake me up, kick me in the balls me da used to do it all the time" he said groggily standing to his feet "These bloody sedatives are worse than the whiskey dad used to rub on my gums, jesus" he said rubbing his eyes and leaning against the bed he once sat on " Is there any chance oh wonderful nurse that you could escort me to my quarters down the hall?" he said as if he was mildly drunk.

Sitting back on his heels Danael sighed in relief, and then laughed at the things the other man was saying. "Yes, I can do that." he said, slapping his thighs and then standing up. "Come on, handsome, let's get you back to your quarters. But don't ask me to help you get dressed for bed!" he said, only half joking.

EJ was helped to his feet "Handsome? I suppose i'll take that even in the state im in now" he said laughing a little "I liked our little talk id of quite happily slept in sick bay" he said laughing once more as he felt him self being brisked to the door "Im allready in my PJS... Half the job is done" he said as caught him self from falling again "Fecking balance i swear to god i'll hack these fecking pegs off" he said under his breath.

It was getting harder and harder to stifle his laughter, but Danael was still enjoying this far more than he probably should be. Walking with EJ's arm thrown over his shoulder, his arm around the other man's torso, he led him out of sickbay and down the corridor. It took them about five minutes, pretty slow going with him having to almost drag him at times. Finally they were standing just outside the door to his quarters. He had to use his medical override to get the doors open, and then lead him to the bed, easing him down as they got there. Leaning across him he grabbed the covers and pulled them over him.

EJ felt the softness of his floor, the motion of being carried almost sent him back to sleep, soon enough the young ensign was back in his bed, his head hit the pillow but he remained facing Danael "Come and have breakfast with me tommorw before i start my helm shift?" he asked smiling "As a thank you for getting my delinquent irish ass back here in one piece?" he said smiling as he yawned again.

Wondering just what the hell he was getting himself into, and trying desperately not to give in to his urge to kiss the man he'd literally just met less than an hour ago, he smiled, looking down at EJ. "Sure, I'd like that. I'll see you in the morning." he said, nodding and patting him on the chest. "Sweet dreams." he added.

EJ smiled and went red when Danael touched his chest "Night see you tommorw morning" he said as his eyes closed and all that could be herd from the young ensign was the faint purr of his snores once more.

Danael quietly stood up and exited the room. Heading back to sickbay he pondered the events of the previous hour. He was completely baffled by it all, but happy at the same time. He could still feel the warmth on his fingertips from where he'd touched EJ's chest, and that thought brought a smile to his lips. It only grew bigger when he thought about the breakfast date. He just hoped that EJ would remember when he showed up in the morning for that. All of these thoughts continued to swirl through his mind as he made his way back to the rest of the few hours of his shift in an empty sickbay.


A JP Between:

Ensign Ethan O'Donoghue
Chief Helmsman USS Musashi

&

Ensign Danael Stephens
Nurse USS Musashi