Fixer meets a Fixer

Posted on 22 Aug 2022 @ 4:28pm by Lieutenant JG Roger Harrison Jr

Mission: Through the looking glass
Location: Roger's quarters
1226 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

//ON//

Hawkins got word that a new crewmember had arrived on the ship just before they got sucked into the mirror universe. He decided he'd go check on them just to make certain they hadn't suffered any resulting damage to their quarters from the shift. Going to the quarters of one Lieutenant Roger Harrison, he pressed the chime to let them know someone was there.

Roger opened the door, peeking out at the sound of the chime. "Hello. How can I help you?"

"I am Lieutenant Hawkins, chief engineer and I'm here to check for things that might need repairs. Sorry to disturb you and not calling ahead. Its just that I feel it was important to take care of." Michael giving a warm friendly smile.

Roger nodded, and then opened the door a bit more. "Certainly. Please, come in and look around if you like. Excuse the mess." He indicated the floor, where his daughter, Minnie, sat with coloring crayons and papers spread out. Elsewhere in the suite, Lucy was humming along to the sounds of clattering-likely cleaning supplies, but Roger wasn't sure. "What will you need to check? I can show you." He called out. "Luce, someone is here to check some things from the power outage." A blonde woman stuck her head around the corner. ** Hello** And went back to her tasks. Minnie looked up, but didn't say a word.

"Just need to make some scans and make sure thing are okay. So, you get to join the ranks of our medical area." Michael pulling out his tricorder and began making his scans, "This is a decent crew, hopefully you will find this to be your liking and become part of the family." noting the readings that were coming back to him. "Looks like everything is coming back all good and well. Is there anything you need or want to make your quarters more comfortable?"

Roger shrugged. He, personally, didn't need anything. "I don't think so? I think everything is comfortable so far! Maybe I should check the heating controls in Minnie's area. Come on!" He led the way to an alcove around the corner. "Yes, everyone is great so far! I've been made to feel very welcome." He indicated a panel.

"Okay good." Michael remarking as he headed towards the panel, "Okay is it acting a bit offish as in not staying the same temperature as it should?" taking out his tricorder once more.

Roger inspected the panel in front of him. Good job he'd never gone into engineering; he had no idea what he was looking at. He furrowed his eyebrow, but nodded. "Aye, I've noticed it mostly at night-I'll put the heat on for the girl there," he indicated Minnie, "And sometimes it'll blow too cold OR it won't stay on long." He remembered this. "But during the daytimes, it seems to work fine. Perhaps because there's less usage?" He suggested. It *sounded* logical, anyway. "But everything else is running up to snuff and we're quite pleased." Always polite were Roger's replies.

"I am glad to hear that." Michael going in and making adjustments to the thermostat. "So Doctor, what do you do in your free time, when you have free time that is." the chief engineer said over his shoulder, with a smile.

Roger smiled back. "What free time?" He said, jokingly. "Usually, I spend time with the family. Occasionally, I'll have a nap or read, but these ladies here usually ask me to stay around. Minnie is just in school now, so she often has a lot to tell me." He relished being a father-he regretted that Minnie would be their only, but they'd fallen into parenthood late, and it just wasn't in the cards for them. "Together, we like to draw animals. Minnie wants to be some kind of animal scientist when she grows up." He watched the other man work, admiring the skill. "You have a good technique. You'd make a good nurse with hands like that. Sewing up wounds needs a steady hand." Was the weird to say? He felt like it. He was always the awkward type.

"That sounds lovely, children are the true treasures and definitely something to be cherished, including someone you love." he finished the last adjustment and closed the panel up. "Thank you for the compliment, Doctor. As for being a nurse, well my calling is stitching things up as it were where a ship is concerned. You are the doctor who fixes peoples injuries and finds out just what is wrong when they are feeling ill." giving a grin. "While I am the doctor who fixes the ship we are on."

He glanced over to Roger, "However I wonder if they would allow you to do things away from them, a man does need time to be amongst fellow crew members. I am certain there are ladies who would like to get to know your wife and there are other families here to, just to become sociable."

Roger nodded. He hadn't meant to sound like they were reclusive! "Of course!! I know Lucy is definitely looking for some other ladies to socialize with. And Minnie will, of course, meet the other children and have fun, I am sure. I just...work a lot, and this is our first on-ship assignment, so they've given up a lot and...in time. I think it will iron itself out soon. Lucy will, at the least, be sick of me by Friday, and send me out to work for no reason!" He laughed. She put up with a lot from him, but he knew she was out of his league, and still didn't understand what she'd seen in him-he was goofy, and a dreamer, and a dweeb. Still, it'd been seven years, so it must be *something.* "We were going to eat in the cafeteria tonight, instead of here, to hopefully at least see new face and expose Minnie to the others. Any suggestions on where to sit, or what we should plan?" He asked.
"And yes...I imagine fixing the inner workings of the starship is much different from a body. Still, deft fingers are deft fingers. I am grateful, thank you."

"You are most welcome." Michael took another reading, and nodded in satisfaction. "If it gives you anymore trouble just give me a call. Now as for where to sit, what to plan, it is just simple as to getting a table and getting food to eat. There are menu's that sort of thing. Like, well the replicator to get what you want. So there are a great variety of dishes you can actually order." he went silent, then added. "I probably should get going. I've got dinner to cook, and then probably more work. It was lovely to meet you."

Roger nodded in kind. "Same here, Minnie will want her dinner soon, as well, then bedtime for Missy. Thank you again, and I will be sure to let you know if there's anything else we need." He smiled lightly, and then turned to go back inside.

Michael smiled in return. "Alright sounds like a plan, you have a wonderful evening." And on that note, Michael headed down the corridor whistling a bit of a tune.

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LT. Michael Hawkins
Chief Engineer
USS Andromeda

LTjG Roger B Harrison
ACMO
USS Andromeda