Dr Crawford's Casebook
Episode 2
'A blonde Vulcan?!!'
B'lana twirled the fork in her hand in surprise, almost depositing
its exquisite contents into her lap. She and Tom had always loved
cooking for each other though they sometimes had to remember to
finish their concoctions before moving on the really interesting
bit of the evening. Marriage hadn't dimmed their passion for
each other and Tom grinned as he watched the expressions flit across
her face while she digested this latest piece of news.
'I kid you not'
tearing himself away from another bite for a moment.
'And he's Montgomery Scott's great-grandson'
If her interest had needed any further piquing then
this was would have supplied it in spades. When she'd taken
over from Geordie Laforge as the Enterprise Chief Engineer there
had been plenty of time during the changeover to get to know him,
and he'd recounted the astonishing story of meeting the engineer
of the original 1701.
'So where's the Vulcan blood come from?'
Her thoughts inevitably turned to Tuvak, who she'd had a constant
love-hate relationship with throughout the Voyager years, but who
had done so much to calm her inner turmoil with his meditation techniques.
'Hmm, maybe I shouldn't tell you, you seem
far too interested'
Tom wondered fleetingly if he'd have dared tease her like
this in their early days, and concluded that, yes, he probably had
been that stupid.
'I might take a walk down to sickbay right now
if you don't'
The pout couldn't quite hide the wicked smile.
'Ok, but you won't believe me'
he sipped at his wine to draw it out a little further.
'…..Ambassador Spock'
This time the fork dropped back to the plate with a
clatter.
'Finished already? Maybe we should move next door
while I have the advantage of surprise'
She grinned and allowed him to guide her to their sleeping
quarters, wondering briefly about playing the new Klingon opera
recording but quickly deciding against it.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Captain Data walked with his usual efficient but unhurried
pace towards the door to sickbay, and was a little surprised to
find a number of female crew members just coming out of it. Illness
was extremely rare on board ship and most of the medical work was
centred around checking the children - many of them of unlikely
genetic heritage - and tending to wounds in the few battle encounters
they ran into. The women giggled nervously and hurried away.
'Fascinating' he thought to himself.
'Good morning doctor, I see you're being
kept busy already. Have we an epidemic on board?'
'Captain!'
the indulgent smile Khaireddin Crawford had been wearing
a moment ago was swiftly replaced with a more professional demeanour.
'So good of you to visit'
The long delicate fingers were held out for the formal handshake
and felt the curious almost-but-not-quite-perfect texture of the
android's skin.
'No, just a bad case of feminine inquisitiveness
- I'm sure it will pass in a couple of days.'
'Of course'
The developments in his emotion chip had allowed Data
rather more understanding of feminine interests than had been the
case earlier - a process that Deanna Troy had taken great delight
in assisting him with.
'Your grandfather once told me he had similar
problems.' he continued.
'You knew him? I had no idea'
'We met on Romulus, the conversations were most.....
stimulating.'
He had to focus his neural net back to the situation
in hand as his thoughts momentarily rested on the Romulan commander
who had unaccountably resembled Tasha Yar, who's miniature
hologram he still kept. Sometimes the emotion chip could be a nuisance.
'Doctor, could you take a look at my daughter's
leg? - she fell and cut it'
Even before swinging his gaze to the newcomers at the
door Data noticed that Crawford's expression had changed again
- the stoic Vulcan mask replaced by a generous and welcoming smile
which was already directed at the little girl who clung tight to
her mother's hand.
'Why of course! Come over to the table and let's
have a look at you.' he said softly, lifting her gently onto
the treatment station.
'What's your name?'
'Ally'
'short for Allessandra, but she can't pronounce
it right yet.' Her mother interjected.
'and how did this happen?' his words were
directed at the child as his fingers adroitly retrieved her medical
data from the console.
'I was running too fast I guess. Mommy's
always telling me not to'
'With a lovely name like that you should be gliding
serenely through the canals of Venice in a beautiful painted boat.'
As he spoke he was gently checking the angry crimson
gash, removing some stray fibres, then picking up one of a selection
of tools he began to sterilise and close the wound.
'Now we just say the magic words; hurble purple,
hurble purple, hurble purple. There! No more purple!'
The youngster's wide eyes looked from her now
perfectly healed leg to the doctor and back again.
'Might be a bit stiff for a couple of days but
that will pass. And I further prescribe a trip to the holodeck and
15th century Venice - to slow you down a bit'.
Her mother was just about to remark on what an splendid
idea that would be and ask how he'd known her ancestors were
from that area when Allessandra did it for her, reaching forward
and planting a kiss on the doctor's cheek. Caught unawares
the doctor's right eyebrow rose in a gesture that the watching
Captain immediately recognized, and which delighted the child even
more.
Leaving the sickbay shortly after with the enchanted
mother and daughter, Data was more than content in the knowledge
that Beverley had been absolutely right in her recommendation; the
children of the Enterprise were in very good hands indeed. As for
the unattached female crew, they would have to look after themselves!
As he turned towards the turbolift he heard a small
voice down the hall repeat the “magic words” and smiled
an android smile.
For Khaireddin Crawford, whose sensitive Vulcan
ears had also picked up the words, the only, very minor, concern
was the huge grin that the little girl's gesture had brought
to his face and which resolutely refused to respond to Vulcan discipline.
Spock might not have approved, but his mother almost certainly would.
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