Nervous Nurse - Part I

Posted on Mon Sep 15th, 2025 @ 12:03am by Lieutenant Endymion Tox & Lieutenant Amanda Rose

1,247 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Preservation Instinct
Location: Counseling Office
Timeline: Post Away Team Mission

ON:

Tox pressed the counselor's buzzer repeatedly. She wasn't meant to start work for another hour according to her schedule, but Tox couldn't wait. He pounded on the door. "COUNSELOR!!!!!!!!!!!! CRISIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Amanda had to wonder what the excitable Trill wanted. He was extremely dramatic and talked more than any two people ever could. It was a good thing that her job was mostly to listen. So much for getting any paperwork done today.... "Come in, Tox. Please don't break my door down. Ops would not enjoy having to come here and repair it."

Tox stumbled in. "Lupluto iwring." He shook his head. "No, sorry." He took several breaths. "I....got a voice message from PLUTO a while ago and I answered him, and he answered and now I need to answer and Idontknwowheretostart."

He took a few deep breaths. "Gonna sit down. Lightheaded." He plopped down in the chair.

"A voice message?" Amanda asked, doing her best to contain laughter. A small smile escaped. She only hoped that Tox took that for being pleased for him. She only wondered how these two numskulls did not recognize each other's voices.

"Maybe you should rewind yourself and start from the beginning so I could assist. This is that mysterious person that you have been talking to for, what? 15 years? And you never heard this person's voice? And now, out of nowhere, you did?"

He sighed. "Yeah...so days ago I accidentally got a personal log and my um... friend confessed some stuff. I responded days later cause you know you have to listen to something like 1000 times before responding and then I responded about maybe leading up to...." He paused. "Okay, so this is what I wrote to him." He gave her a PADD. "I got a response back, but it said okay. Like!!! Okay? Okay to what part. I'm freaking out!" He stood up. "What do I do?"

Amanda looked at the PADD while asking, "Why did you not send a voice message back? Why did you write instead?"

Tox flushed red. "I...got nervous...I mean...I...what if I sound whiny, or horrible and he hates my voice?" He sighed. "He's got such a soothing voice. I must have listened to that accidentally sent log a thousand times. Such a distinct voice! It's comforting, oddly familiar, but what if I sound like nails on a chalkboard to him?"

The counselor's eyebrows raised incredulously. "You're a Trill and have how many lives of experience and still feel this way?"

"I may have this disgusting slug, counselor, but I've never gone through this. I try to not tap into its experiences if I can help it." He sighed. "It's confusing...I mean I dated before, I being Endymion, not slug boy. Any who, I dated before but it never...I never cared what they thought about me. PLUTO is...different. He's..." Tox let out a frustrated growl. "Pare that with what happened on the away mission." She was there but was part of a different team so...she didn't know.

"What happened on the away mission? What does that have to do with Pluto?" Amanda asked, wondering if Tox figured out who his correspondent was.

He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's the damned Vulcan. He's....so him! He drives me insane, he's cold, and arrogant, and he can tease with the best of them. It's like I love PLUTO's gentleness, and he knows my soul but as much as I hate that Vulcan he has some qualities I love too and I um..." He looked at her. "This stays between us, right?"

"Of course," Amanda replied with a warm smile. "Go on...."

He sighed. "I almost kissed him on the away mission." He put his face in his hands and let out a sigh. "I swear if the commander hadn't shown up at just the right time I might have actually kissed him!" Tox shook his head. "That would mean I cheated on PLUTO...but we're not and then there's." He stood and paced. "UGHHHHH!" He let out a growl.

How could Amanda not laugh? She wanted to do so, but kept her face rigid, the warm smile plastered on her face. "How could you cheat on someone that you have not met and refuses to even meet?" Amanda wondered, all too well knowing who Pluto was.

She paused for a moment and considered the implications of what she had asked and countered, "But do you know if Xavier would have returned the kiss, if you proffered it?"

"I have no idea...so much has happened...Ugh...I probably shouldn't tell you this but..." He looked around. "Do you have time for a longish story?"

Was there ever a short Tox story? Amanda giggled. "Of course, Tox. Go ahead. Tell me your story."

Tox clapped his hands. "Well alright!" He sat down. "Okay so this started just before the away mission. Um...if you tell Lieutenant hot Vulcan Vampire I will deny that you've heard it from me okay?"

"Vampire?" Amanda asked curiously and with an amused chuckle. "And as you know, Tox, all of our discussions here in counseling are confidential. My lips are sealed."

He sighed. "Okay. Yes Vampire. The lieutenant wasn't feeling too well after being trapped in the lift. The commander asked me to make sure he was okay. I did. I went to sickbay with him and then walked him home to his lair. Oh, Gods of Starfleet! It's a Lair. I uh...invited myself to for a drink...tea...you know just to make sure he was okay and cause my curiosity...well it was through the roof and I stepped in there and I swear it was...wow. Mind blowing. He had black tiles with purple marbling on the floor. He also asked me to take my shoes off and provided the comfiest bat slippers ever! But the inside!"

Well, this certainly was the most interesting information she had ever acquired about Xavier. Amanda had observed his obvious Goth attire, but he was likely the most un-Vulcan, Vulcan ever. Fascinated, Amanda encouraged Tox, who she knew would never quiet himself, "Go on. The inside...."

He gave a little moan. "That was vampire HQ. He had this black skull table base with a glass top and it was set with like these huge black plates with smaller white places with a spider web design and the glasses...like these wine goblets but very chalice looking! Like something Dracula would have at his picnic!" He sighed. "The man has ravens!" A shiver ran up Tox's spine. "Thank that universe they weren't there. I have a tiny fear of birds but then there was a sofa. It was carved with swirls and dark flowers with a skull in the middle of the design with a Raven of wood perched on each side. The leather was buttery soft and black as night with sliver studs on the backrest. He had a spider coffee table base with a glass top and Oh MY GODS OF STARFLEET! He had a book, Dracula. He says he has fifteen copies: all special editions! I mean come on!"

He paused a moment. "I even got a sneak peak at the bathroom...." He turned his eyes up to the counselor. "DO YOU KNOW WHAT WAS IN THERE?"


To Be Continued...

Lieutenant Amanda Rose
Chief Counselor
USS Ontario

&

Lieutenant Endymion Tox (NPC)
Head Nurse
USS Ontario

 

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