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A Mirror Shattered #210, 211 & 212 "Hurting, healing, rinse, repeat"-=[On]=- [USS Pegasus, Holodeck, Simulation of a hot summer evening on the New-England coast] Evans and Kitty 'materialised' at a cozy little beachstand with terrace. Of course, they didn't really teleport, but the holographic scene switched from mid-sea to dry land. There was a sweet and seasoned scent coming from the stand, and a holographic proprietor was happily rummaging around behind the counter. Ronald was still holding Kitty, as they suddenly had to support their own weight again, being transported from out of the water onto dry land. They nearly dropped, but Evans managed to keep the balance for the two of them. He slowly released Kitty. Kitty needed the extra balance as the air hit her leg for the first time, the remnants of the salt water stinging in the welt. "Ow ow.." she gasped, then gave a wry half-smile. "Sorry.. I uhm.. hate to 'spoil the mood'." As he released her, she shifted in an attempt to keep hold of his hand. "Can you walk, or would you like me to help you?" Evans looked, wincing at the painful expression on Kitty's face. "Looks like it hurts..." They had the choice of a few plastic chairs, or a rather comfortable looking rotan bench... "Where would you like to sit?" he asked "I can walk.. I just don't know if I can sit," Kitty said honestly, looking longingly at the comfortable bench. "Maybe if I kind of lean on one side, it won't hurt." "I could call the docter, and ask him to bring one of those Dermal-Generator-thingies, of his... Those skin-devices... It would fix that in notime..." Evans mused. He was hoping they wouldn't have to cut this evening short. "If you think he wouldn't mind..." Kitty smiled. "I.. don't want this evening to end so soon... it just hurts... that's all. I can stand it, though..." she added bravely. "I feel silly... I don't want to cut it all short just because of me." "Well, to be honest, I can't bear to see you in pain like that..." Evans said perhaps a bit too sappily... "I'll just call sickbay... Computer, patch me through to sickbay please..." A series of happy beebs could be heard, followed by the always not-too-cheerful voice of the computer:"Link established" "Evans to sickbay, Could someone please come to the holodeck with one of those DermaGenerator thingies? Lieutenant Black has sustained a bit of a ropeburn on her left leg..." Russell heard the call for help through the com channel and replied =/\= You're in the holodeck? I'll give you access to the EMH program. You should be able to activate the EMH over there. It's a bit hectic over here right now. =/\= "Computer, transfer EMH program to holodeck 1." Russell asked the ship's computer. It answered affirmingly "EMH accessible in holodeck 1." =/\= You should have EMH control, Evans. Floyd out. =/\= =/\=Ok, thanks...=/\= Evans replied, following up with: "Computer, please activate the EMH in the holodeck..." The EMH, a marvellous piece of technology... It stands for Emergency Medical Hologram. Programmed to resemble a human being, in a blue starfleet uniform. It usually has the rank of an Ensign, and comes equipped with a good splash of ill temper and cynisism, as it's matrix was created in it's programmer's image... However, the instruments that come with it actually aren't holographic, but replicated, beamed into existance, just after the photon- and forcefield emittors create the illusion of a suitcase, carried by aforementioned EMH... The EMH materialized on the holodeck and started with his trademark phrase "Please state the nature of the medical emergency." He looked around and noticed he wasn't on familiar grounds. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." he said somewhat to himself. "New-England, actually, I believe..." Evans responded, guessing that Kitty would have created this place in the image of her home... "Could you help us please? Kitty has a rather nasty ropeburn..." The EMH still looked around wondering where he was. "New England, right." He walked towards Kitty to check on her injury. He sat down next to her and put down his medkit. He got the medical tricorder and scanned the burn. "People and their weird holodeck games." he muttered out loud. "I can only imagine how this could have happened." he said on his somewhat cynical tone. "I can," Kitty said wryly. "The boat was capsizing and I grabbed the wrong line." She couldn't help but to tease the EMH a little. "But landlubbers don't understand the kind of strain that lines take on a boat." Only now, Evans noticed the EMH's insinuation... "Hey! That's none of your business!..." he said, quite peeved... "...what is?" Innocent Kitty had no clue what he was insinuating and was honestly puzzled by Evans' sudden response. "Capsizing, that's what they call it these days?" the EMH replied with a smirk at Evans. The scans showed a second degree burn apparently caused by a rope. "Yes, capsizing... That's when a boat lists beyond it's capacity to self-right, and topples. It has nothing to do with tying people up, you sicko..." Evans responded, taking the bait, hook, line and sinker... "Tying... What? What!?" Kitty finally caught on. "As long as the holodeck safeties are in place you should be fine." the EMH said with a smile. His programming just made him making these jokes, but he enjoyed them nontheless. He got the dermal regenerator from his med kit and activated it to treat the burn. "That tickles..." Kitty said helplessly, and started into a gigglefit that she just couldn't control, barely able to keep her leg straight for proper healing. "Yeah, well just for the record, we are going to have some nice 'burgers and fries and a milkshake, watching the sun set... So if you could just do your duty and keep your weird thoughts for yourself, please..." Evans said to the hologram. However, he had to admit, the thought of Kitty at his benevolent mercy, did sound appealing to him... "Please hold still, Lieutenant." the EMH said to Kitty while trying to keep the regenerator aligned with the injury. He turned to Evans and said "Weird thoughts? I'm being activated in New England for treating ropeburn sustained while sailing in the holodeck. You're accusing me of weird thoughts?" The thought of yachting for fun was not a part of his programming. "I'm trying! I'm try.. hahahahahahaha.... Aah..... But you're tickling!" Kitty didn't miss his other comment, either. "Hey, try it before you knock it." "Yeah, excactly. Where do you expect us to train for the race anyway? Petrova's bathtub?" Evans added. "That could be a start." the EMH answered to Evans' statement. "Try it, you say? The holodeck Is the only place for me to get out and about." he said with a pondering look. "But I'm a doctor, not an adventurer." "You can borrow the program when we're done," Kitty said shyly. "You can try your luck with the sunfish." "Sunfish?" the EMH asked. "What might that be?" "Our boat, you idiot... Man, you really are as dense as a black hole, aren't you?" Evans was loosing his temper fast... Kitty couldn't help but chuckle at Evans' comment, and she let out a sigh of relief as the tickling eased and stopped. She shifted position to stand next to her boyfriend and her hand reached for his. "No need to get insulting, lieutenant. And my density is none of your business." The EMH said making a bit fun of Evans. Evans instinctively took Kitty's hand, and felt his temper cooling down almost immediately. "Yeah, well, you started it..." he finally said... Kitty smiled, turning her attention to Evans. "Seeing you being baited by a hologram.. it's... well.. uhm... cute." The EMH put the dermal regenerator back in his med kit. He stood up and said "There, good as new. Looks like you learned something today, lieutenant." he said to Evans. Evans decided to take the bait, this time... "And what might that be?" "She's ticklish." the EMH smirked. "Oh no..." Kitty said, and then blushed. Evans acted like it was totally irrelevant, but he decided to store this little bit of information anyway, glancing innocently at Kitty very shortly... "Looks like my job is done here." the EMH said looking around a bit bored. "If you would be so kind to put my program back where it belongs." he asked in general. "I'd hate it to be left alone here." Kitty just smiled and looked at Evans. "Go ahead, I know you want to..." she teased lightly. "You betcha..." he answered. Then he turned to the EMH, "Well, thank you for your services, nice work... Bye... Computer, end EMH program, and transfer back to sickbay..." The EMH wanted to say "You're welcome." but the sentence was cut short by the quick and decisive deactivation by Evans. He disappeared in thin air along with his equipment. Kitty giggled, then smiled, squeezing Evans' hand slightly. "That supper is starting to sound awfully good." "It does, doesn't it? Evans responded. He was also starving... He walked up to the stand, still holding Kitty's hand, and placed his order. "Two portions of french fries, and two burgers, and a strawberry jumbo milkshake with two straws, please..." he said... "Coming right up, sir... And for the lady?" the man joked..." Evans just groaned... Kitty chuckled. "I'm sharing," she said in her best flirty voice. Evans, already feeling warm because of the weather, just felt the heat rising another two degrees... Strangely he didn't mind. He just put an arm around Kitty's waist, and confirmed what she said... "Yeah, we're sharing..." "Suit yourself..." the proprietor said, as he already put the food on the counter, thanks to modern-day 24th century gastronomical technology. Evans and Kitty picked up their food, and walked back to the bench they picked out before. Kitty smiled, settling herself down on the bench and making room for Evans. "Ah, that's Much better." She'd been standing in the boat, swimming, standing with her leg hurting... Finally she could rest. Evans took a big bite out of his burger, and intensely enjoyed the taste and structure of the bun, the salad and the meat on his tongue... "Wow, dif you pfwogwam thif guy foo?" he asked Kitty with his mouth full... "I didn't program any of this," Kitty admitted, before taking a bite of her own burger. "But it if good, ifn't it?" Evans swallowed, and had no choice, but to agree with her... "...Yup... " he just said. He got the Jumbo milkshake with the two straws from the table, put his right arm around Kitty's waist, and snuggled close, putting the first straw in his own mouth, and offering her the second straw, sticking out of the big paper cup... Kitty chuckled, pausing between bites, and took a sip from the second straw. "I haven't done anything like this in ages," she said, leaning and then snuggling. Evans and Kitty enjoyed their meal, stuffing their faces with their burgers, and finishing of with their fries... They ended up drinking their Jumbo-shake both at the same time, and often 'accidentally' touched cheeks. They sat there for a while, Evans' arm still around her, when all of a sudden Evans noticed something.... "Look at the sun..." he said softly... "Hmm?" Kitty was feeling all the excitement of the day catch up to her, and now she was relaxing. Her eyelids drooped for a moment as she felt that full-of-milkshake feeling.. she shivered just slightly and snuggled closer as she looked up to see what Evans was seeing. "It's setting, just for us..." he said, almost whispering, putting his left arm around her too, gently touching her side... "That's silly.. it's..." She had forgotten for a moment that she wasn't actually in New England. "...you're right.. It is." Kitty smiled, continuing to watch until her eyes started to drift closed again, feeling about as content as she'd ever felt in her life. Evans had never felt so full of love, and being loved than then... He rested his chin on her head, which was in it's turn resting on his chest. His left arm was resting on her tummy, and his left hand was caressing her right side...Almost instinctively, his left hand went up, his fingers slipped under the top of Kitty's bathing suit, and slightly touched the very sensitive skin, just a couple of inches under her right arm, his palm just brushed against the side of her breast... Kitty was nearly asleep until she felt that bit of instinctive contact.. but apparently it wasn't quite as instinctive for her! She startled, sitting up abruptly with a yelp of surprise, bumping her head against Evans' chin in a rather sudden end to the peace and calm that had pervaded the scene. Evans immediately released Kitty... "Ow! ough! Sorry! I'm sorry... Ow, that hurt... Sorry..." he apologised over and over again, rubbing his chin in the meanwhile... Kitty rubbed her head, wincing slightly, then quickly adjusted her top properly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I hit your chin.. I..." Her initial surprise faded into a more straightforward tone as she turned to look at him. "What did you do that for?" She was clearly not used to that sort of contact, even on a date. Evans was startled by her response, he really messed up this time, he sure hoped he didn't mess up permanently... "I'm sorry... I thought you, I, eh... We were ready... I didn't even realise I was doing it..." he apologised yet again... "Please forgive me..." he added. "Well, I wasn't ready," Kitty said truthfully, still somewhat taken aback. A different suspicion suddenly struck her mind. "How many other girls have you done that with?" she instantly wanted to know. Evans was looked at her, and then looked down. "I've had *some* romantic relationships..." he finally admitted, "but nothing that felt as right as you and me..." he added, looking straight at her. "...How romantic?" Kitty persisted, still watching him intently, making full eye contact now that he was looking back at her. Suddenly she felt that she had to know. "How far?" she asked more directly. Evans looked down to the ground again, he had never imagined his two week relationship with Susanna Levy would bite him in the back, some time... "All the way..." he mumbled... "But only once..." he added a little more clearly. He actually felt ashamed, to have to admit that he wasn't a virgin, but he would *never* lie to Kitty... Kitty dropped her own intent gaze, turning on the bench so that she was facing the sunset, but her own eyes were glancing down at the ground in front of her instead of the red-and-orange brilliance of the sunset. "Oh..." was all she said, but somehow that Oh carried a lot more weight than just about any other words she could have said. After a moment, she managed a weak smile, but she was still looking at the ground. Evans looked at her, completely stunned... <'Oh'? 'Oh' what? 'Oh', that's okay? 'Oh', I never want to see your slimy, horny, worthless face again? 'Oh' what?> raced through his mind... He moved his hand, to put it on her shoulder, but held it back just an inch from her... "I'm sorry..." he whispered another time... Kitty turned quietly to look back at him, her dark eyes shining with unshed tears.. but she didn't want to cry. She swallowed a couple of times and took a deep breath. "It's ok.." she whispered back. "It's just... ...unexpected." Despite her words, it was clear that things weren't suddenly ok again. On the other hand, she hadn't thrown him out of her holodeck program, either. Evans very carefully touched her shoulder. He could see the glistening in her eyes, betraying to him, that Kitty was on the verge of crying... It broke his heart, that he was responsible for hurting his little kitty... "I'm sorry..." he added, feeling he couldn't say that enough in his lifetime... Kitty looked at him a moment longer, at his eyes, understanding how heartbroken his apology was even despite her own confusion and upset. She shuddered just a little at his touch, but then she smiled... just a little, the first tear falling onto her cheek. "You didn't lie to me," she said softly, rising to her feet. "I-I think... I need to go now.. back to my quarters... and... uhm... yeah." "...I..." was all that Ronald could manage, his eyes watering too... He felt downright miserable... "Computer, end program..." he just said softly, and before them the green lines of the holodeck became apparent, as well as the exit portal. Kitty took two steps towards the door.. then stopped... she looked back at him for a moment, the conflict in her eyes.. and then the part of her that was entirely Kitty took over. She quickstepped back up to him and put her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. Evans hesitantly put his arms around her, but hugged her tightly when she didn't resist... He felt a hundred times better, but he also knew that not everything was good and well yet. However, the sudden shock of emotion caused him to burst out in tears... "I'm so sorry..." he whimpered yet again... That reaction surprised Kitty.. it quite nearly shocked her. She could already sense that he'd felt bad, but she hadn't realized that he was also hurt to tears... And suddenly she was very glad that she'd obeyed her deep desire and returned for a hug. She started patting his back. "It's ok.." she whispered. "We can fix this... it might take a while, but we can fix it. You're a good guy. We can fix it." Evans sniffed up his tears and listened to her soothing words... "I love you..." he finally said. The prospect of loosing her because of such a foolish mistake had almost broken him... Her forgiving him had snapped him like a twig... "I'll never do that again, I promise..." he said... "N-not.. for... a long... while... anyways..." Kitty said in return, through the tears that hadn't quite fallen. "I love you..." As Evans felt Kitty release her grip, he also let go. They walked out of the holodeck, and out of the recreation room together. They took the turbolift, and when it arrived at deck seven, it was time to say goodbye... It was a tense goodbye, as Ronald stepped out of the lift, and turned around for a final look at Kitty as the doors closed. He went to his room, and sat on his bunk, thinking about nothing and everything... -=[Off]=- A sobering post: Lieutenant Kathleen Black Chief Engineer USS Pegasus the one that lived Lieutenant Jg. Ronald Evans Chief Operations Officer USS Pegasus "What was I thinking? Stupid PRICK!" A cameo by, Lieutenant Jg. Dr. Russell D. Floyd Chief Medical Officer USS Pegasus and an appearance by: The Emergency Medical Hologram NPC, played by Russell D. Floyd |
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