Moving Day
Posted on Sat Jan 28th, 2023 @ 4:58am by Crewman Melly & Commander Ash Randall
3,047 words; about a 15 minute read
Mission:
Short Treks
Location: Starfleet One
Timeline: 2431-03-11, 14:00
Location: Medical
Melly waited quietly beside the larger security officer assigned to wait with her as she had calmed fully by now, for now as she dreaded the nightmares that will come of this. Humming softly she adjusted her new crewman rank pin and her combadge that were replicated for her. The small three foot eight inch woman adjusted her braid and closed her eyes as she waited quietly for Commander Ash knowing that she would be collected soon.
Ash journeyed back to the Hospital at the same, distance devouring, trot she'd ventured out at and could maintain for hours on end. With the tackle box in hand, the engineer approached the hospital and slowed to a brisk walk so she wouldn't be breathing hard when she entered and spent a few seconds straightening her uniform before going inside. The small felinoid padded into the main treatment area and, seeing Melly sitting on the bio-bed, waiting, set the tackle box down on the nurses desk before walking over to stand right in front Melly.
"Hi." Ash said, in greeting, to Melly, and cracked just a little bit of a smile.
Melly rose and smiled to Ash as she slipped down from the biobed and whispered her thanks to the Officer before standing at attention to Ash. "Hello Commander!", the small woman said before relaxing slightly, "Um hi" She giggled and held out a hand up to her but then stopped and retracted unsure if she should stick to her former bosses orders. "I'm sorry. My former boss.. before she was reassigned order me not to hug or touch. I am sorry I am a clinger."
Melly looked down a bit defeated.
Ash, being about a foot taller than Melly if you didn't count her ears, crouched down a little bit so she would be, eye to eye with the diminutive crewman and tapped her, lightly, on the shoulder to get her to look up.
"I'm your roomie. Hugs are okay with me." She explained, with a little smile, and a blinkity-blink of her, green eyes.
Melly proceeded to smile ear to ear and gave the nice catgirl the biggest hug she could having missed getting to hug people. This was just what she needed, not persay 'human contact' as neither were humans but physical contact that was not hitting or worse.
While watching what could be considered improper displays of affection by fraternizing ranks the security officer turned and started intently looking at the interesting wall in a different direction. He knew deep down this was needed but this way he didn't have to say anything awkward.
After a big long happy hug Melly smiled up, "Shall we go? I would hate to hold up space that is needed by Medical."
Ash couldn't, or more truthfully, didn't want to remember, the last time she was hugged and nodded to Melly's question before she stood up straight. "We'll check out with the nurse and go." Ash responded, in agreement and stepped to the side for Melly to lead the way and then fell into step beside her. A quick sign off at the nurses desk and a nod of appreciation to the security officer, Ash accompanied Melly out the doors.
Melly smiled and waived and they were gone.
Location: Enroute to Melly's Quarters
Ash offered Melly her right hand to hold, if she was of a mind to, while the, child-like, pair made the walk to Melly's quarters.
"Did you manage to have anything to eat since this morning?" The Chief Engineer asked, with a sidelong glance, as they began their 'stroll'.
Melly nodded, "I know my boss would be sore but I went back to slave grade Nutri-Goop this morning. I've eaten it for half a year for each meal but my boss tried to get me to stop and made me eat different when she was taking me here the past two days. We were to meet for lunch after my doctors check and security check, but while I was waiting the Slavecatcher grabbed me."
Melly stopped walking suddenly and huddled her arms around herself, "Will he come back? He had papers that I was legally sold.. I never agreed but that's not how that really works is it? I don't want you to get hurt if he comes back, I will go with him okay? I'll be a good girl."
Ash shook her head. "You won't be going with him or any other bounty hunter, Melly." Ash stated, matter-of-factly. "You are not a criminal and you are, most certainly, not a slave and any bounty hunter that comes for you will have hell to pay and might do so in person." She added, quietly, with a reassuring smile.
"I.. am a released criminal, but I will listen to you and trust you. I am sorry for my fear. This was all a bit too much for me. I was in leg and wrist restraints two days ago, then Yeoman to the Chief of Staff of the President of the Federation, then not.. then collared and being carried away... just so much so quick.", Melly sighed.
Ash nodded agreement. "A lot to happen in so short a period, to be sure. We'll see if we can keep the happenings to a minimum, for a while." Ash replied, and offered her hand to Melly.
Melly took Ash's hand and smiled, "Yeah maybe only once a week, in a serialized fashion at the same time each week. That way plans can be made." She giggled trying to sound a bit silly.
Ash chuckled. "Makes sense to me." She admitted.
Location: Melly's Quarters
Melly's quarters were bare, as in no unpacking and simply the standard uniform quarters. However due to her 'cup of coffee' length of time in her position she was given executive quarters beside the former quarters of the Chief of Staff of the Federation President. These quarters were almost three times the size of normal however it was painfully empty. On the bed rested a single duffel bag, a oddly out of place fluffy pillow, and a stuffed Peregrine Fighter. Melly looked up to Ash and gave a weak smile to try to not seem too awkward.
Ash took it all in. "Have you jumped up and down on the bed yet?" She asked, with a smile and a, tell-tale, tail swish of excitement at the prospect. "There's something, liberating, about it." She added, in a round about admission she had done so herself.
Melly had a look of abject horror on her face, yes she loved being on playgrounds, but the idea of jumping on the bed? She didn't have a bed for most of her 'childhood', then the teachers the Federation left discouraged it, then Norith had her sleep on the floor, then dear god what the Penal Colony would have done if she had jumped on the bed. Clearing her mind but with a blank stare of horror she shook her head, "No.. I have not. I do trust you though."
"I wasn't allowed to jump on my bed when I was living with my adoptive parents and there were rules against it at the academy as well. I don't know if there's a Starfleet regulation against jumping on a bed but, I did it the first day I moved into my quarters on the station because it dawned on me that it is my right to have fun, if I want to, if it doesn't bother anyone else so, why not? So I did. I jumped up and down on my bed and, it was as fun as I had imagined it would be, and I may do it again, just because." Ash explained, to the, horrified, Melly.
Melly timidly, with caution walked over to the bed and put her hand on it to see if it would bite before she removed her boots and crawled up on it. Staying on her hands and knees she bounced once then twice like this cringing each time expecting something terrible to happen. When nothing did she looked over to Ash with a small smile.
Ash smiled in return and looked around the room. "No one is watching and I won't tell." Ash assured Melly while she took off her boots and then hopped up onto the bed as well. "Ready?" She asked, and offered her right hand for Melly to take so they could, DARE, to jump on the bed together.
Melly held gently to Ash's hand and stayed in the middle of the bed. She took a deep, deep breathe and hopped ever so gently and carefully, before hopping a lot more happily. She giggled and smiled as she hopped and never stopped smiling to her room mate.
After several minutes of jumping, Ash flopped down on the bed on her back and laughed while she looked around her at the rumpled mess of blankets, sheets and pillows. "We'll have to make the bed before we go." She stated, quietly, and looked to Melly. "Liberating." She mused, aloud, and nodded to herself.
Melly slipped down and waited till Ash was off the bed and she began moving about around and around the bed, smoothing over and over and over until the bed was smooth as stone. Looking at the perfect smoothness she continued to brush the blankets and did her best to make sure it was as perfect as possible.
Ash started to help Melly straighten the bed clothes but stopped after a few seconds to watch, instead, while she got her boots back on and buckled into place. The Tuansee inspected the bed, for a few seconds, and gave Melly a thumbs up before she picked up Melly's duffel to leave and waited for Melly to follow suite with her fluffy pillow and the stuffed, Peregrine, fighter.
Location: Enroute to Ash's Quarters
Ash shouldered Melly's duffel for the walk to her own quarters, leaving the 3'8" crewman to manage her fluffy pillow and stuffed Peregrine Fighter. "My quarters aren't far from here. As a department head, they're fairly large...way too large for one person, and, absolutely HUGE for someone as small as I am." Ash explained, while they walked. While Ash was bigger than Melly, she was still small compared to most and very child-like and dainty in build.
Melly walked beside the woman but despite the catgirl being child-like and dainty, Melly was locked in her age for least another thousand years. So carrying a fluffy pillow and a stuffed toy the two would likely garner many a look. Especially with them in Starfleet uniforms. She quietly wondered how many concerned diplomats passing by would bother command with recruiting children like these two. In a way it gave her a silent giggle but she listened intentively and sighed, "It makes me sad that my boss had to leave without a goodbye.. if not for her I would still be in the Penal Colony. Deep down I wanted her to be my Mommy." Melly's head lowered but she kept walking.
"What's a Mommy?" Ash asked, knowing what it meant in Earth cultures but not what it meant to Melly and her people. Understanding that Melly looked eight years old, but was thirty times older than that, made the question an imperative.
"In my culture a Mommy is a device that opens canned food. Like a can opener? Or later it became a replicator. But what I mean is a Mommy in the traditional sense. Someone who will take care of me.. She seemed to want to, she seemed to care. Then she vanished. She didn't even say goodbye.", Melly whimpered as they walked.
"I don't know why she didn't say goodbye, Melly. I can only surmise she was given no choice in the matter but, she must have cared very much." Ash told Melly, as they continued to walk. "Maybe it's for the best, though, I know from experience, having a Mommy, adopted or not, is important. I would not be here but for having a Mommy of my own." She admitted, quietly.
"Your lucky, but maybe I will be too one day.", Melly said as they approached the quarters.
Location: Ash's Quarters
Ash tapped the touch plate next to the door to her quarters and stepped aside for Melly to enter first. "Welcome to your new quarters." She stated, quietly, in a friendly tone as she followed Melly inside and stood next to her. The pair stood just inside the door of what looked to be a sitting room that was, sparsely, furnished; a desk with a work station built into it with a pile of PADD's on it, a couple chairs and a small sofa. To the left was the open door to a fresher and to the right was the open door to an actual bedroom. On the wall, opposite the entry door, was the replicator with a little counter space for food preparation if desired. No pictures on the walls or other personal items were in evidence. "I haven't, really, moved in yet." Ash stated, in explanation for the, somewhat, spartan appearance.
Melly's eyes widened at the large room as she scanned around. Taking note of each area she then looked up to the nice, sweet cat and hugged her before pointing to a corner over between the sofa and the wall. "I can sleep on the floor there, I will not be in the way. I do not snore and will not make a sound I promise. I will eat quietly to not disturb your work and clean the quarters for you and.." Melly was rambling a bit giving off a feeling of being slightly overwhelmed.
"It's just so big and nice.", she walked forward a bit and held out her arms to twirl once. "My entire cell was... smaller than your bedroom Ash.", Melly looked around in awe having not gotten a chance to explore her previously assigned quarters.
Ash watched and listened to Melly and nodded. "We can share the domestic duties." Ash said, quietly, while she carried Melly's Duffel into the bedroom and motioned for Melly to follow her. Inside the bedroom Ash set the duffel on the bed and pointed at a hammock hanging about 2 meters off the deck in the corner. "That's where I sleep." She advised and then patted the bed. "The bed is yours as is space in the wardrobe and half the drawers for storing your things."
Melly looked to the bed in horror almost before looking to Ash and then to the living room. "I... can curl on the floor between the sofa and the wall. I will be out of the way. I won't be a bother. People deserve to sleep on bed. I.. do not. As for my possessions. My uniform, a few personal effects, my medical supplies, everything can easily be tucked away so I do not take up your wardrobe or dresser space." Melly tensed expecting a lecture like her boss gave.
"Okay.' Ash said, in a chipper tone. "Let's get you settled in then." She added as she set down Melly's duffel, walked to the wardrobe and opened. Inside were blankets and sheets and Ash grabbed a couple blankets and headed back out to the sitting room. "It's okay if you want to sleep on the floor and tuck into a corner between the sofa and, say, a comfy chair." Ash announced as she turned a chair sideways so the seat faced toward the empty space between the chair and the sofa and then set about making a blanket fort for Melly to sleep in.
Melly's jar dropped in shock before her face ear to ear became a smile of utter happiness. She had never thought of this but it was utterly and completely perfect. She stood there watching Ash work observing everything her room mate did and making notes in her head. This was the perfect solution. She could be on the floor and 'right feeling but also nice and comfortable as well as the fort would be a mental safety for her.
She walked over and gave Ash the biggest hug yet before she looked to the fort in a mix of awe and wonder.
"This.. is so... perfect. How did you know to do this? I could never have imagined such a perfect idea.", Melly's face beamed joy.
"I sleep in a hammock because being up high gives me a feeling of security. But, I can't always hang a hammock so, I build a blanket fort, like this one, to hide in so I feel secure." She admitted while she returned Melly's hug and turned, ending the hug, so that they were both looking at the fort. "I guess the seat of the arm chair would make a good storage space." She observed, with a little nod.
Melly looked about and observed the fort when constructed so she took her duffel and removed her medical bag from it and a holophoto of a Napean female. Placing the duffel in the seat of the arm chair she then put the picture next to it and slide the medical bag beside the duffel. With a smile she finally placed her pillow in the fort along with her stuffed Peregrine Bomber. She thought it wonderful and perfect.
With a smile she crawled in, a perfect not too cramped but not too open, just, just right she thought. Wiggling into the blankets on the floor she nuzzled her cheek to the soft, soft pillow to make sure all was right with how she was situated. Her plan was to make sure she had enough space which she had plenty then rise and get out. But when she placed her head on the pillow, in the comfort and absolute safety.. she was out like a light. Her small form needed the sleep, she was safe now and comfortable. Something she craved.
Ash watched Melly settle in and then fall asleep and then went to the replicator where she ordered a cup of tea, with lemon and honey, and took a seat in the other arm chair after plucking the top PADD from the pile on the desk to read.
RSS Feed