Operation: Uppercut

Posted on Thu Feb 27th, 2020 @ 11:00am by Admiral Lil'yanna Olmos & Department Master Chief Petty Officer Stephen "Orthos" McKnight

Mission: Mission 17: The Drug-Dimmed Tide
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1830Hrs - December 15th, 2390

Master Chief Petty Officer Stephen 'Orthos' McKnight walked down the hallway as he caught up to the intended recipient of his report. "Captain?" he commented. "I wanted to ask about the two transfers you're sending to us... Ensign Billy-Bob Hogan and Ensign Elizabeth Yamaguchi.... is this Yamaguchi related to the Exec?" he inquired.

"I thought your ship could use some capable doctors," Olmos nodded, feeling the guy was a bit flustered. "If you have a problem with either of these personnel, I could explain in detail on the way to the transporter."

"Sure... I'd be happy to discuss it... say over dinner?" he inquired bluntly.

"If you don't mind dining with me in my mess on the Tranquility, sure, COB." Olmos gave him a huge grin, glad to see someone near her age.

"Not at all Captain." Orthos responded. "The transfer otherwise is going well... my crew and I are in your debt."

"It's not often I meet people with similar experiences as I," Olmos smiled brightly. "Bet it gets a bit daunting at times when those young ones are around you?"

"It can be at times yes." Orthos responded with a smile as the two of them entered the transporter room. "So... why not dine on the Roanoke?"

"On the outside she has fine lines," Olmos spoke diplomatically, "but on the inside, she looks poor and underfed. Through no fault of either of you, I think. So I prefer to eat fresh food in better comfort, if I can."

Orthos simply shrugged. "Fair enough.." she commented, and stopped when she spotted Nalla walking into the room with her dog Roscoe. "Excuse me, Cob."

Orthos nodded. "Of course." and with that he turned and stepped outside.

"Are you going to be all right?" Olmos spoke quietly to Nalla once she approached her daughter.

"I do not know," Nalla answered honestly while Roscoe sat patiently for his master to give him something to do.

The confusion in Nalla's blinking eyes caused Olmos to hug the young woman. She stood stiffly, but Nalla also did not fight it. It was liked a starved child that finally received food.

"I'm a call away, Little One. Know that," Olmos promised. "But these people care about you as well. You just need to tell them when something is bothering you."

Nalla nodded at that, and when Olmos let go of her, Nalla pointed to the transporter pad where the Cob was waiting. "You should go, Mother."

"You be safe. I love you," Olmos spoke in parting as she stepped up onto the padd. "Two to beam over to the Tranquility."

The transport chief in the medical ship stood at attention, after they had transporter aboard. Olmos already missed Nalla and understood Nalla's quirks enough to realize Nalla wanted more face time with her. But she looked to Orthos and smiled brightly.

"Welcome to the Tranquility, Master Chief McKnight," Olmos spoke with a welcoming gesture an an array of medical officers standing to attention. "Slightly different department set-ups but probably something you're more accustomed to seeing."

"Indeed." he commented. "More of a standardized setup.." he added.

"This tall lady," Olmos pointed to the young ensign with the duffle bag, "is Ensign Elizabeth Yamaguchi. Your XO's daughter and my daughter's newest teaching fellow."

Elizabeth nodded her head. "Master Chief." she commented. "Commander Yamaguchi has spoken of you." she smiled as she gently shook his hand.

"Likewise Ensign. Torilla has told me of you.... so you're working with Nalla Furban.?"

"Indeed.. I'm told she is an excellent teacher... but little else."

"Well.. let me explain a couple of things about Nalla... she's a rather special person... so whatever you do. Do not touch her... she is part Deltan and part Betazed."

Yamaguchi nodded. "I am a telepathic in my own rights Master Chief.. Heavily on the defensive aspects of it... I don't have the telekinetic abilities that other members of my family does..."

"The most any specialist could diagnose with my daughter, is that she suffered a severe, but higher-functioning form of PDD-NOS. Genetic or early childhood upbringing? The cause is not entirely clear there," Olmos spoke with great sympathy. "But because of it, you cannot expect much of a social interaction with her. However, she is extremely academic and holds several specialties and certifications - more than any other medical student to graduate the Academy. So you should be able to prosper with her, on a scholastic foundation, Ensign."

"I see no troubles with getting along with the Lieutenant." she said to Olmos. "I have enough troubles waiting for me aboard the USS Roanoke at present in any case to keep me busy for a long time to come sir." she added.

Orthos nodded. "Fair enough,.. I assume you wish to go aboard?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Indeed Master Chief. I'd like to go and see Lieutenant Furban right away,"

"I wish you well, Ensign." Olmos smiled brightly at the girl for she truly meant it.

"Thank you Captain." Yamaguchi responded with a smile, so with that she stepped onto the padd and was beamed away, Orthos meanwhile had turned back to Olmos. "Quite a ship you have here.... will I be getting the tour or straight on to dinner?"

"If you want to, sure. " Olmos smiled and led him outside and toward the turbolift. "I don't really mind either way. All I care about is talking to an interesting man that's lived through the things I have."

"All of these kids haven't lived really.." Orthos commented. "I've had my children and now I'm having grandkids come along." he commented. "Do you have any allergies I should know about?"

"Only coconuts," Olmos answered with a smiled and entered the turbolift. "I was not able to have kids of my own. So when I got Nalla as a foster, I was overjoyed."

"Sounds like Vanessa and myself when we found out we were expecting the first time." Orthos explained. "That was a long time ago..." he added. "Now Iason is grown up, married and having kids of his own." he paused. "so... any other allergies I should know about.... husbands.... boyfriends... that kind of thing?"

"I never married. And my relationships don't tend to last long, given my occupation and its demands of me," Olmos spoke rather sadly to that fact. "I would of liked to of married, but Nalla is not exactly a deal-sealer when they meet her."

"Fair enough. Nalla is an excellent Doctor... is a little tactless and blunt." Orthos commented. "But then I have seen far worse." he commented evenly as the two of them arrived at their destination.
"Nice place... does it have its own kitchen?"

"Captain's Mess shares the kitchen with the crew mess. But the captain of a ship generally has their own cooling unit for food and drink," Olmos answered as she pointed to a chair on the right of hers. "Many COs like to dine at least ten times better than their crew does. And I admit, on rare occasion, I want an expensive steak and a nice wine. But I generally try to share my fine foods with the senior staff and maybe an enlisted or two who stood out the most in their monthly evals."

Orthos raised an eyebrow. "So we'll be having real food then for dinner or replicated?" he inquired. "I sometimes replicate my ingredients then cook it myself.." he shrugged. "depends on my mood... I guess.."

"If you want to cook, I can excuse the chef for the night," Olmos smiled. She could tell something was bothering him, but she did not want to press. "What did you have in mind?"

"I was thinking of a ham, egg and cheese omelette." he commented. "My specialty is breakfast food.." he commented evenly before replicating himself the ingredients before obtaining himself the items he needed, moments later he began cooking.

Soon the scent of cooked ingredients began to fill the space as he peeled off the forth and final cooked omelette, next he began pouring a small amount of oil into the pan then he placed a slice of bread onto the pan. "Fried Bread.... ever had it?"

"French toast, yes. Fried bread? Not so much," Olmos asked as she leaned against the island and smelled the food he was putting together.

Orthos smiled. "You'll like it." he commented.

Within a few minutes he was finished with the cooking, he turned off the stove before placing everything he had used into the sink, then after cleaning everything, he put it all away.

He then brought two empty plates as well as two sets of knives and forks since Olmos had taken the food to the table, he placed one plate before her with a knife and fork.

He sat down before her, after placing the second plate, knife and fork before himself. "Help yourself."

Olmos smiled. The flavors and textures were so vibrant and wonderful. She had to give him a nod. "So when did you take an interest in cooking?"

"I've always had an interest in cooking." he commented. "It was something that Vanessa hated so she left it to me..." he commented. "which I never really minded, the kids loved a home cooked meal.." he cut a chunk off of his fried bread and then he sliced off a chunk of his omelette then he ate them both.

"Did you mom teach you to cook then?" Olmos said as she continued to enjoy her meal.

"She did. yes." Orthos responded. "She felt it was something I needed to know." he continued eating and shortly thereafter, he was finished with his meal.

"So what's been on your mind, if you don't mind my asking?" Olmos inquired with concern. "You seemed a bit frustrated earlier.

"Well... Its been a long couple of days..." he responded evenly. "I got stuff on my mind..." he admitted. "and I know you do too.."

"I worried about my daughter a good deal of it. Not knowing what's going on," Olmos answered quietly. "She doesn't call me like that unless she's experiencing a really bad overload of her senses... Seems she's not quite recovered. I can't imagine your horrors, but I hope it's nothing like Nalla's problem."

Orthos smiled. "No... my issues are just about the ship..." he responded. "and various people aboard her. " he added with a soft sigh. "Nalla comes across as being somewhat emotionless...yet she's Deltan... I take it her story is a long and strange one?"

"It is a long story, but it's easy to simplify," Olmos spoke very candidly as she finished her meal. "She was abused by at least one of her parents, as a very young child. No police reports. Child Services on my homeworld ruled out child abuse. But her medical records speak of head injures and trauma she could of died from easily, if not for someone in House Furban taking her to a hospital."

Orthos raised an eyebrow. "My Chief Medical Officer would benefit from this medical records..." he commented. "It would assist her in helping look after Nalla and her various medical needs."

"I can send them to her easily enough," Olmos agreed. "It's been a nightmare, even after I blackmailed her mom into giving Nalla to me. Mostly because you do not find autistic-like people outside the human race. And because she's half-Deltan and half-Betazoid, it makes it even more complicated. Best I've managed, is to treat the symptoms."

"Well Doctor Dvald is a hell of a Doctor..." Orthos commented. "She respects Nalla." he added.

Olmos took a sip of her wine. Happy to hear such news. "Not many people have taken an interest in my daughter... I'm curious what made you care about her so much?"

"Well Nalla is always by herself, she's always alone... and Roanoke now has a decent crew aboard her.." he commented. "Not like the last bunch of failures she had for a crew."

"Then I am glad you want to help her. If only by giving her a kind words once a day." Olmos smiled brightly. "I do hope you solve your problem at some point too."

"I hope so..." Orthos sighed. "It'll take a fair bit of work but... I'll see how it goes.."