Post by Scribe on May 12, 2011 18:17:41 GMT -5
NEW EARTH COLONY, GAIA
EARTH QUARTER
August 13th, 2169
The piano had come from Trill.
It had the charm of a broken leg in that it looked more like a computerized xylophone. However, in terms of pitch, it was as perfect as a Steinway, which was what he had learned to play on when Hans used to give him lessons. Almost six months after the Xindi War had ended, Tennyson Stark was getting used to the idea of being back on Gaia after nearly three years serving on the SS Livingstone. He was spending his time between practicing at Starfleet Medical and the civilian hospital in the colony proper while at the same time, trying to stave off the boredom that had crept into his professional life. The boredom that was creeping past the limits of the usual salve of getting drunk at the Outpost with Max and having casual sex with a host of women who were impressed when he introduced himself as Doctor Stark.
On this occasion, he was pounding on the keys of this faux piano, filling the house he occupied at Earth Quarter with Mozart’s Piano Concerto 26. Fingers that could have belonged to a surgeon, if he had chose to go that way, strummed along the keys, belying the more deviant proclivities of Tennyson Stark’s persona.
"Do you need help in there?!?" A worried voice, full of urgency, pounded on Stark's front door to his house. "Can we call Emergency Services or Nine-one-one?" It was McCulloch on the other side, of course, fucking around because he'd never heard piano music come out of his friend's homestead before. In fact, the only thing that would have made it better would be if he heard singing.
Too bad all dreams couldn't come true. "I can break the door down to get you out of there alive!"
Fucking philistine, Stark thought shaking his head when he was interupted by the pounding. Leaving the desk where the piano had been situated, Stark went to the door and activated the door panel to give his wayward visitor entry into his home. "Get the fuck in here, smart ass." He retorted.
Looking all worried, or at least with as much acting as Mason could manage (which wasn't much) he looked past Stark and pushed him out of the way. "Where's the cat? Or was it a dog? I heard the most awful tortured noise in here." When he didn't see any animals (not that he was really looking), Mason turned and began to pat down Tennyson's arms. "Do you feel okay Doc? Are you all right? Can you walk?"
"Very funny," Stark said walking into the house, leaving Max to shut the door behind him. "That was Mozart's piano concerto 26, you fucking caveman." He snorted.
"Oh. Is that what it was. I thought someone was sending out alien pleas for help." He crossed and plopped himself down on Stark's couch. "How's it going? Besides torturing my ears." Mason didn't really mind the music but any chance to get his new best friend back was worth it. Besides, the man saved his life and spared his legs, it was a little hard not to respect Tennyson.
Stark went to his bar and poured Mason a drink and handed the man a glass of contraband Romulan ale. "Fine, been bored out of my mind so I'm drowning my boredom in between as many long legged women as I can find."
A thank you nod, Mason liked the ale that the doctor seemed to always prescribe for him of late. Not a bad way to recover in full. "Sounds like a good way to go, drowning inbetween legs." He watched Stark, "Why are you bored though? Seriously?"
"Guess I got used to being a war time doctor," Stark shrugged taking a sip of the ale. "Busy all the time, wall to wall patients, up to my ass in blood and guts. You know, mjor traumas to fix. Today I got excited because someone had to have gall stone removed."
"Eww." That did not sound either exciting or a subject he wished to expand upon. "Yeah. Gross. So anyway..." Mason was swirling his blue ale around in the glass, every so slight. "Funny you should bring that up actually..."
"What do you mean?" Stark looked at him, his head still filled with the music from the concerto.
"That you should bring up your bored. With your current career." He looked like he swallowed something good, or perhaps, someone swallowed something from him. "Maybe... just maybe... a change is needed. That's all."
"What an ocean cruise?" He smirked over the top of his glass. "I thought of playing in a piano bar somewhere. The collected works of Burt Bacharach is popular these days..." he joked.
Mason rolled his eyes, "Because that sound so appealing and such a great use of your talent." Sipping back and enjoying the Romulan brew, McCulloch blurted out, "I was more thinking filling the current empty spot of CMO on the NX." He didn't need to say starship, or Enterprise. Not even clarify anything further because everyone in Starfleet knew of the NX-01. Everybody. Even those stuck on Gaia who had no desire to be in space knew of the famous craft.
Stark's eyes widened. "You're joking." He said in disbelief but that didn't stop him from taking larger than normal swig of his ale. "Right?"
"Would I joke about something like that?" The pilot's eyes smirked. "You know I'm taking over their Gryphon squadron. I told you that last time I was in for a follow up, right?"
"Yeah you did and I congratulated you right after I gave you the jab in the ass," Stark said sweetly. "Nah its not me, that's the fucking flagship. I don't look like flagship material." But the idea was swirling around in Stark's head now, along with the ale. Damn Mason.
"Why not? Stark, you brought me back from the dead when everybody else said I was in the grave. You saved my leg," he patted his left knee, "When the other staff members said 'imposible and amputate'." It seemed pretty obvious to Mason. "You thrive on war time activity and are bored right now. Why not refresh with a new start and why not a starship? The challenges, medically speaking, I can only assume would be way different. It's not like you have a whole hospital and medical staff supporting you. You have your own little ward but are in charge of four hundred some people, plus aliens. God knows we get banged up and could use an expert like you."
A little self serving, but it was funny. "Besides, what if I get banged around again and it's someone else up there? All your hard work gone to waste when they zip me up in a body bag."
The idea was tantalising and he had heard through the grapevine that the position was available but he hadn't given it any thought. He had met Dr. Phlox, who ws now taking a more central position as the Head of Starfleet Medical. Stark began counting the possibilities, the Captain of the Nemesis had wanted him as the CMO and Phlox knew his skills. But as he good enough to walk in those shoes?
"I won't get it." He declared. "Even if I applied, I'm sure Captain T'Pol has her own choice..." he was trying to convince himself and not doing a good job of it. Vulcans like by the book types and Stark was certainly nota by the book type.
"Oh please," Mason laughed, "She already knows you're interested and wants to meet you." He rapped on the steel of his ribs, "T'Pol's already pretty impressed with the handiwork of yours she's seen."
"She knows I'm interested?" Stark gave Mason the stink eye wondering what the guy had been doing prior to making this suggestion to him. "I didn't even know I might want it until you brought it up and she wants to meet me?" The CMO of the NX-01 Enterprise. As assignments go, they did not get any more plush that that. "Alright, Max, what have you been up to on my behalf?" He asked.
"Nothing. I simply was having a few conversations with my new Captain and when we were talking about my recovery and rehab, she mentioned Phlox retiring off the NX and her concern for finding a suitable replacement." A shrug, he took another drink. "Don't ask me why, but my thoughts went to you."
Stark thought deeply. A space assignment would be ... not unwelcomed. He'd have a chance to practise interesting medicine, have access to strange alien diseases and get to know his patients on a level that made them more than just a number. Part of the reason Mason had been given such care was because Stark had gotten to know the man, understood what losing the leg would mean to him and his career, it had prompted Stark to find another way to help him that didn't involve amputation. "Thanks," he said a long pause. "Okay, just supposing that I'm interested, should I just submit my application through channels or have you charmed her into getting me an interview?"
His lips waviered to hold back the smile, but only for a minute. "I told her I thought you might allow me to fly you up for a casual dinner tonight. And drinks."
"I guess its true what they say about her having a thing about human males," Stark replied with a smirk, upon hearing what Mason had done. "Alright," he threw up his hands in defeat. "What the hell. I had no plans tonight except for getting drunk and leaving my ex-wives names on various porn channels."
"Gee, sorry to ruin your very entertaining plans." Mason finished the ale and stood, moving over to remove Stark's drink from his hand. "You know, you shouldn't drink before an interview, just in case T'Pol asks you to perform brain surgery or some other medical procedure, like a pap smear." Chuckling, the Canadian helped himself into Stark's kitchen to toss the remainer of the drink down the sink and rinsed the glasses. Turning around much like the pied piper.
"Well," Stark gave him a look, putting down the glass. "If someone had told me that there was going to be an interview, I probably wouldn't have drunk anyway." He stood up and disappeared into the bathroom, spending the next few minutes getting cleaned up and shooting himself up with Vitamin B to dispel the alcohol.
"Alright," He emerged. "I am ready for the prom."
"Prom it is." Mason had told T'Pol he'd find out and PM her with dinner confirmations plans or they could do it another night. Pleased, Maxy's message flew up to Gaia's orbit and alerted their ETA to the Captain's dining area.
Heading to Bravo, Mason felt pretty good and chattered at Stark what to say. Coaching him for the informal interview, whether Stark needed it or not.
Stark took in what Mason had to say, amused by the man's efforts to coach him. Stark had studied on Vulcan so he was actually comfortable dealing with them. However, Stark knew Max was trying to help so he simply sat back and listened. Sometimes, you had to do that with Maxy - just humour him. The guy couldn't help thinking he knew everything about anything. Pilots were like that, so were doctors, Stark supposed. It was probably why they got along the way they did.
"So, she really likes to listen and it almost seems like she wants you to lead the conversation. Not make her work and have to do it." Mason had actually brought Maribel down planetside, instead of a shuttle, and received clearance for takeoff once the good doc and pilot were strapped in. "Oh, and this goes without saying, don't act like a womanizer or we're done. T'Pol will put my head on a platter for sure."
"I have dealt with a couple of Vulcans, Maxine." Stark retorted, using that term whenever he thought Mason was treating him like a complete dumb ass.
"All right, all right. I'm just looking out for us!" Mason sighed and guided Maribel towards the growing starship. "You been up here before?"
Stark didn't speak for a moment because he hadn't been on board the NX. In fact, as the fighter flew through space, Stark was reminded of how comforting it was, all that space. It was the one truly pure thing the universe and he missed being in it. "No," he said somewhat sedately. "Didn't get much time to sight see on the Livingstone."
"Well, welcome aboard." Maxy smirked. "Any questions for me? On T'Pol, the ship, job or whatever?" Stark knew how much Mason loved his job up here.
"Yeah," Stark asked. "What are the women like?" He joked.
"Perfect, intelligent and beautiful." An incoming over his headset, Mason returned, "Maxy to Flight Control. I hear you loud and clear. Thanks for the clearance." After a few minutes, McCulloch touched down most delicately and began Maribel's shut down sequence. "Good job little girl. Great job." He patted her inner hull.
“Shall I leave you two alone,” Stark teased, always finding it interesting the relationship pilots had with their ships. In any case, Maribel got them down onto the landing bay without incident and somewhat smoothly. It was the first time Stark had actually been a passenger in a Gryphon. Usually he either transported or made the journey via shuttle craft.
Stepping on the deck of the NX-01, one couldn't help but feel the history of the place. The NX had been in the centre of great
events for the last twenty years and despite its age, was the flagship of the Starfleet armada.
Watching Stark's reaction, as Mason tended to Maribel from the outside as if she were a living creature, he smirked and wiped down a few smudges that formed. "I love being around me girl, what can I say?" The most reliable female Mason knew, he leaned against her small hull and scratched out the helmet hair that hardly accumulated given the short length.
"You want to take a few minutes to collect yourself or have me bring you to T'Pol? It'll be the two of you having dinner, so don't embarrass me. And I'll be hanging out in my office getting caught up on some work if you want to meet me there afterawards." There was little doubt in Maxy's mind that Stark wouldn't get the job, but then again, only if Stark behaved. The way the whole thing unfolded anyway, it was by a longshot chance that it came about and in his gut, it felt like the right thing. Mason trusted his instincts.
"Let's get this over and done with," Stark replied, having come to terms that no woman could intimidate him after being married twice. After Charlene and Vera, Stark didn't know what fear was any more. "Don't worry I won't tell her the joke about the the Vulcan, the Andorian, the Breen and what they did with that jello mould."
"Good," Mason unzipped the collar of his flight suit and led Tennyson away. "Here's my office, so you can find it on your way back," down the long hall from the hangar bay, his name, rank and title adorned a small placard next to the entry panel. Mason hadn't an office as XO on the Endeavor and found himself feeling secretly proud of this accomplishment. Not only his own office but onboard the NX, of all places. "We're going up to the bridge and I believe T'Pol's taking you to her special Captain dinning room. Hell, I've never been there so I'm not even sure where it is. You're a real womanizer Stark." The tease was light as they waited for the turbo lift.
"No thanks," Stark replied as the doors slid open and he stepped in. "Rumour has it, she's banging the C n C of Starfleet. If there was ever a case of look but don't touch, I'd say she's it."
Glad to hear that, because while he felt he knew Stark professionally, they had more clicked in their bedside talks over woman than anything else. And if Mason's birthday present from Stark was any indication, after knowing Tennyson for less than a year, it was better to be safe than sorry. Stark was in a class all his own. "Good," the pilot repeated the phrase. "And yeah, I've heard that too. Guess they've been 'lovers' for years or something. I try not to get into other people's business." Much less, his own.
The lift headed up to the Bridge and turbo doors opened. T'Pol was waiting for them in the Captain's chair. "Captain T'Pol," Mason greeted, coming on deck, "Nice to see you again." It had seriously been a few hours. "I'd like you to meet the very talented Doctor Tennyson Stark." Stopping in his approach so Stark could move in the limelight, Maxy added, "The man who pretty much saved my life."
Captain T'Pol rose to her feet and offered Stark a nod. "Welcome aboardd Enterprise Dr. Stark," T'Pol greeted. "Commander McCullough thinks most highly of you."
Stark gave Mason a little smile. "Thank you." He said graciously.
"All lies of course," Maxy winked to them both, "Just to get him up here for the interview." Excusing himself, Mason added, "Good luck, break a leg and all that. Captain, please don't posion him in the event I am on my death bed again." The joking was fun and he hoped to help break any tension between the two. Walking backwards towards the lift, Mason waved, "I'll see you both later."
Once the man was gone, Stark looked back at the Captain, "he's very nervous for me." The doctor replied with a straight face.
"I noticed," T'Pol agreed. "And are you not nervous?"
"Not really," Stark answered truthfully. "I like to think that being interviewed by a Vulcan, I can forgo the whole trying to impress you with talk portion of the interview, since you're more interested in empirical evidence of my ability and record."
T'Pol had already studied Lieutenant Commander Stark's record and as a physician he was first rate. Phlox had been delighted to support Dr. Stark's candidacy and she'd even read the man's paper on the biogenetic wrap he'd developed. She had become accustomed to Phlox's ability to speak his mind, to put his patients before regulations. She often found that the doctors of note were usually the ones that did not care for rules more than their patients. Dr. Stark was the same by all accounts. Certainly, in a war time situation, contacting the Vulcan Medical Academy for all information on their theoretical bone and arterial regeneration would be considered a luxury but Stark had understood the value of the leg he had been attempting to save and the man who owned it. He had done the operation to repair CCommander McCullough's leg by holovid and it had been a success, giving T'Pol a valuable officer.
"Very well," she said smoothly, let us begin then."
*****
Pins and neeedles.
He had been on pins and needles sitting in his office, after hours, with most others away off duty. Mason kept wondering what Stark was going to say. What T'Pol was going to ask. It was a maddening place, easy to say, to be stuck in his mind. Checking the clock every five minutes to watch it truff on by. Finally Mason picked up the vid and callled his parents, surprised and pleased that his mom actually answered.A rare treat, "Feels like I win the lottery when youpick up." He gently teased.
"Hush Mason." Elsie smiled. "You're looking good.What are you doing at work so late?"
"Just working," he winked ather.
"Is that Mason?" tony's voice chimmed in the background. "Heya Mace. You're looking good." Tony repeated in tease to his wife and Elsie gentle nudged him. "When are you coming to see us next?"
****
"Here you are Dr. Stark," the blond crewman smiled at him as she escorted him from the bridge to Mason's office.
"Thank you Leslie," Stark smiled his most gracious, the kind that was sure to have her look him up the next time she was down on Gaia. "And if there's anything I can help you with, do call."
Leslie peered at him through long eyelashes and replied, "I just might Dr. Stark, I just might."
With that, she turned on her heels and headed towards the turbo lift, returning to whatever duty he had pulled her away from when he had asked for directions to Mason's office. Stark took a moment to admire the graceful swing of her ass as she moved, thinking that there was nothing finer in this world than the sashaying of a fine femal derriere.
Activating the door panel, he heard it chime and waited for it to be opened from the inside.
"Oh shit," Mason glanced up, "Sorry Mom. Dad. I gotta go."
On the vid, both parents looked disappointed. "Lemme call you back in a little bit eh?" They understood the pressures their commanding officer son faced and wished him well. To call back soon. Mason blew them a single fist kiss and hit disconnect. Also releasing the door lock so Stark could come in.
"Well?" The word was out of his mouth before Stark could enter. "You in?"
Stark smirked, "like Flynn. Was there any doubt?" In truth, he had a lot of doubts but he sold himself by speaking his mind, earnestly and candidly to the extend that both human and Vulcan understood each other. Then they had discussed T'Salya, her effect on Recovery Period Vulcan music.
"After the way I talked you up, hell no." Mason stood and crossed over, reached out a congratulatory handshake and half hug to the man. "Nice! Way to go Doc!"
"Thanks," Stark smiled returning the handshake and the hug. "Not just for the talking up but for everything." He said in a rare moment of sentimentality.
Really proud of Stark, Mason beamed at his best friend. "Hey, no problem. Are you kidding me?" He rapped on his ribs, "I owed ya one." So pleased that it went so well, and fast, McCulloch turned around, "I don't have ale, but I've got some beer." Drawers began to be pulled out of the lower compartments of his desk. "When do you start?"
"She's given me some time to get things settled on Gaia," Stark said taking sitting down. "As you can imagine, no one saw this transfer coming. Not even me but Captain T'Pol gave me a week from today before I have to report for duty."
"Wow," he tossed a bottle to the good doctor, "That's great." Thinking back to all that happened in the last year, Mason couldn't help but reflect. "It's been a wild ride Doc. One helluva wild ride and only getting better." With a lift of the open bottle, he toasted, "To your successful future."
"Succesful?" He chuckled holding up his glass. "You can do better than that, you sound like you're toasting at my high school graduation. How about...to all the tail I'm going to get when I tell people I'm the head CMO of the Enterprise."
Mason all but snorted at getting slammed on the cheers, "Fuck you asshole and fine." He lifted his glass, "To all the snatch you're gonna bag as Chief Medical of the NX." A lift and a laugh, he happily downed the beer.
End