Meanwhile on the less violent fish ship....

[save_the_souls]

Who: The Blue Fish Crew & Any Visitors
Broadcast: MAYBE
Action: SS Blue Fish
When: Beginning of July

[So in the past month, Aang & Katara may or may not have become an item, Sokka finished off all of puberty in under a week, Allen remained stuck in the puberty still, Toph won strangest pilot award briefly before she had to give it up to a pony, Hawke sassed everything and finally itemized with Anders, Beverly acquired a Starfleet issued puppy, and it turned out the cook is a flipping disney princess. Quite a time for the Blue Fish crew!]

[Well, it's time to check in with them again: AKA IT'S A MINGLE EVERYONE]

Comments

[catamite]

No, I'm fine.

[automatic and polite, compulsively folding his hands behind his back.]

[dancingmd]

Are you sure? We really don't mind sharing a little bit.

[catamite]

[he really thinks about it for a second there. but, as come-and-go as his appetite is, the little bit of anxiety from being reminded that he's here to talk to a doctor is enough to kill it.

so, he shakes his head.]

I'm sure.

[dancingmd]

Okay. Let me know if you change your mind or if you want any tea or coffee or anything.

[She sits down at the kitchen table and pats the space across from her, indicating that he should sit.]

Now, what did you want to talk to me about?

[catamite]

[his smile fades and his ears fall back a little.]

...Here?

[he glances past her, out the kitchen.]

What if someone comes by?

[dancingmd]

We can go somewhere else if that makes you feel more comfortable.

[You know, like the clinic, where she thought you were going to come to in the first place.]

[catamite]

[yeah, he's regretting not heading there right away. but, of course he's going to balk when he feels like he's imposing.]

Um. I'm sure here will be okay...

[even though he's clearly uncomfortable about the thought.]

[dancingmd]

[Sighing internally.]

Nel, I can see you're not comfortable with this. You don't need to pretend you are, I won't be insulted. We can go to the clinic, okay? I already cleared it with Allen and no one else will come in there unless it's an emergency.

[catamite]

[he just... nods a little, looking a little more scolded than necessary. ready to follow her back to the clinic.]

[dancingmd]

[That look on his face... Beverly feels vaguely like she just kicked a puppy, even though she knows she didn't actually say anything very harsh at all. With a smile that she hopes is reassuring, she stands up and leads him to the clinic. Once there, she sits at her desk and, once again, indicates that he sit across from her.]

Now, what seems to be the problem?

[catamite]

[and once there, he dallies and fidgets, not looking much more at ease once he's settled in his seat.]

So... You guys have pills and stuff, right? Or can order them, I guess... however that works.

...I was wondering if I could get some to help me sleep.

[dancingmd]

[Oh dear. Beverly has to be careful here, knowing Nel has some sort of addiction, though of course she isn't aware of how much of one he has or to what exactly. Maybe if she can try to get him to try some other methods first...]

I can, if I think it's necessary. Why don't you tell me a little bit about what's been happening first? How long have you been having trouble sleeping?

[catamite]

Well... like, I always have. And I take some stuff for it? But it's just... not enough anymore, I guess.

[just kind of glancing around everywhere but right at her.]

It's a lot worse now.

[dancingmd]

Because you're far away from home?

[catamite]

Kind of.

[it's not like his homelife was really geared toward relaxation and good rest either.]

Everything is just... really different here, I guess. I thought maybe I just wasn't used to it, but it's only getting worse.

[dancingmd]

Have you tried anything besides medicine to help you sleep? I'm just worried... if your body has been so dependent on drugs for so long to sleep normally, that's not a good thing.

[catamite]

I've tried, like, everything. [--said with much drama and slumping forward in his seat to add emphasis. who knows what his definition of 'everything' is, but he's convinced he's tried it.]

And I know it's bad for you, but elves just handle things better than humans do, so... I'm sure it's fine.

[dancingmd]

[She raises a skeptical eyebrow and crosses her arms.]

Forgive me for not taking your word on that, but there's no way I'm prescribing anything to you unless you get a physical.

[catamite]

Okay.

[but then he actually spends a moment thinking about it, and his brow furrows with concern.]

...What do you mean? Like what?

[dancingmd]

Like a check-up, to see how you're doing and to make sure you aren't sick or anything. All I'd need to do is run my medical scanner over you. It's completely painless, and very quick. Wouldn't even be a minute.

[catamite]

Okay. That doesn't sound so bad...

[but he definitely still seems a little nervous about the idea--and it's much less about worrying whether it will be uncomfortable or not, and more about exactly what she might pick up during the scan.]

[dancingmd]

[Seeing that he's still nervous, she offers him a reassuring smile.]

I promise, it won't be. If you like, I can show you how it works on myself first?

[catamite]

[politeness says that he should decline the offer and reassure her that the gesture is unnecessary.

...but morbid curiosity says otherwise.]

Sure. Okay.

[straightening in his chair a little, ears perking up.]

[dancingmd]

[Beverly cares way more about making sure her patients feel safe and that they can trust her than politeness, so she's genuinely happy to oblige. She takes the tricorder out of a desk drawer and flips it open, setting it on the table in front of Nel so he can see the screen. Then, she removes the small, handheld medical scanner and stands to run it over herself.

Not everything on the tricorder's screen will be comprehensible without the proper medical and technical knowledge. Even so, Nel will see a computerized version of a human body and a set of charts next to it, showing Beverly's vitals: heart rate, blood pressure, neural activity, etc. Seeing as she's in excellent health, nothing will be amiss, but hopefully it still gives him a good idea of the sorts of things the scanner does.]

[catamite]

[it's enough to be really impressive. nervousness pretty much forgotten, he's now just wrapped up in how totally cool this device is.]

--Whoa! Just like that? It's already done?

That's amazing!

[him next, him next!]