The Impulse Drive on the Shuttle Goes Round and Round

Posted on Tue Oct 22nd, 2024 @ 1:12pm by Lieutenant Commander Oscar McDonald MD & Lieutenant Fang Lee

1,335 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Out in Space
Timeline: Current

ON:

The shuttle had cleared the station and left far enough behind that the impulse engines were taken offline and they hit warp. The transition was smooth and Fang was enjoying being behind the controls. "Thank you doctor."

Having decided to spend the time catching up on reports - for anything was better than idle wondering about things he did not want to dwell upon - Doctor McDonald had been rather enjoying the companionable silence. It had been neither awkward or forced, it had simply happened. But it seemed it was not going to last. Peering up from a file on one of the medical students aboard, he frowned. "For what, exactly?"

"For not singing. If Zai were here he'd be singing the Impulse Drive on the shuttle goes round and round...makes no sense but he sings it every time...five times on departure and once on arrival. I don't get it."

McDonald considered this for a long moment . Finally he turned back to his report, “I don’t sing.”

Fang smiled. "For that I am glad." Although he did kind of miss it. He could hear Zai's voice in his mind. "What does that even mean? The impulse drive on the shuttle goes round and round. That is impossible unless you count the flow director of the nacelles but it's more an eight loop then round and round."

“A question better suited for Lieutenant Zai, perhaps?” McDonald suggested. He was aware from Chloe that the two engineers may be in a more complex dynamic than mere colleagues or even friends, but he paid little attention to such gossip. However, it was not lost on him that the engineer had mentioned Zai frequently.

"True. I have tried. He just says it's a happy tune. I don't understand it. He says he picked it up on Earth. While I've spent considerable time there I have never encountered it. Have you doc?"

“Bus,” McDonald sighed.

"Huh?" Fang glanced at him.

“The wheels on the bus go round and round,” he clarified. “I imagine someone tried to update it but … no. It’s wheels on the bus.”

"Oh well that makes sense." He grinned. "Sounds like a children's song."

“Indeed, you are correct,” McDonald replied,

Fang smiled and shook his head. "Thanks for solving a mystery for me doc." The shuttle lapsed into silence. "May I ask a personal question?"

“No.” He replied, scrawling his signature on the report before scrolling to the next one. “I enjoy discussing personal questions as much as I enjoy singing.”

He laughed. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I understood that the crew scuttle bud mentioned that you and the previous captain were an item. I don't want to pry but just to make sure you are alright."

An item… a marriage, a daughter who herself… his hand clenched into a fist before he forced himself to relax it. He was not disappearing back down that rabbit hole. “I assume you mean crew gossip?” He replied evenly, shaking his head. As far as he was aware only two people knew of his history with the missing captain. “Was it our acting Captain or my own medic who shared the gossip with you?”

"As the soon to be XO I'm privy to some information." He said. "I just wanted you to know something. Don't give up hope. I ... the person I love disappeared on Capella and I haven't stopped looking. If anyone understands how you feel...well I do and if you ever wish to talk I am here." He tapped his head. "Not just good for wires and gadgets."

Kerrigan then… “Congratulations,” he offered finally.

He looked at McDonald. "What do you mean?"

“The XO position,” McDonald peered over at him, “although naturally my hope is Captain Morelli returns.”

"It's not final. Starfleet will have to approve but all looks good. But thank you and I too hope that she returns. I know many are hoping for it. When that day comes I will step aside and Commander Kerrigan will take his place again with Captain Morelli at the head. It will be a time I look forward to."

He studied the doctor. "I know you are very much a ... lone wolf. I do hope that if you every feel there is something you need to talk with someone about you will consider me. I may not be the best to give advice but I can listen and in this respect understand you more then you know."

“Noted but unnecessary,” he replied. “I have talked on the matter as much as I wish too and even consulted the wisdom of a very good single malt. Now, shall we focus on the mission?”

"Yes. I suppose you should give me the last of my shots too since we have time." He sighed. "Zai may have been teasing but he's right I am missing a few space sickness shots."

“It would save us having security haul you in,” McDonald mused, accessing a list on his many reports and crossing out Fang Lee. He always had a list of ‘reluctant’ patients.

“I shall call up your records and we can deal with that now.”

He sighed. "It's not doctors...well not fully. It's sickbay. I just don't like sickbay."

“An illogical fear. It is a room, it cannot harm you.”

"It did plenty of harm during the Klingon war when we were held by them...and I didn't like them so much as a child. Tests to see why I'm not strong enough like the rest of the Capellans, experimental treatments." He sighed. "So it's not personal if I avoid it."

“From experience engineers do a bad job of avoiding it,” he pointed out as he retrieved his medical bag. “At least you don’t self medicate I suppose. Unless you count the hooch I hear is brewing along quite nicely.”

"Ah yes, I'm not supposed to know about it. But I hear it's a good brew." He laughed.

“A little bitter for my tastes,” McDonald confided as he administered the shots and taking advantage of the lieutenant’s distraction before hastily adding, “or so I imagine,”

"Well talk to Zai he's the one running things." He laughed. "I heard they've branched out into flavouring." He adjusted the controls of the shuttle. "I have never been big on drink. I was only around it when I worked during my Academy days."

“It has its place, in the right moment of course,” he cautioned. “But I’ve never served on a ship where an engineer or science officer wasn’t brewing something.”

He laughed. "With Engineering it's a tradition." He sighed. "We are avoiding a conversation we should have though."

“Which is?”

"The passenger we're about to pick up." He sighed. "I'm not good with kids I'm hoping you are."

“Do I look like Mary Poppins?” He quipped as he returned to his seat. “Good is relative. I suppose that would be a question to ask my children and grandchildren.” He was glad his back had been to Fang at that moment. He recovered quickly, stowing his bag. “This is one boy. How difficult could he be? Worse case, I use a sedative.”

Fang's eyes widened. "I will take that last comment as a no." He sighed. "Well we're going to arrive early so we can mentally prepare. I have been told he is a handful. I am guessing he will not like the shots. Perhaps... we should buy a toy before seeing him?"

“I imagine he would prefer you had brought him some of that hooch,” McDonald told him. “Or perhaps Doctor O’Connor. She is closer to age and certainly more pleasing to the eye than I.”

He shrugged. "That depends on who you ask doc."

“You are right, Doctor Alexander is also quite popular,” McDonald nodded.

Fang smiled and shook his head. "Well we're forty-five minutes out. Ready for this doc?"

McDonald sighed, “no.”

OFF:

 

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