Early Morning Evac

Posted on Tue Nov 19th, 2024 @ 5:15am by Lieutenant Commander Alexander Espersen & Captain Natalya Markova

Mission: Lower Decks
Location: XO’s Quarters

ON

Every day, without fail. As the ship’s chronometer silently passed from 0459 to 0500, Nat’s eyes snapped open. It took her a few seconds of disorientation to figure out where she was. Not her quarters. Not her bed.

The sleeping form next to her was snoring lightly. The Marine lay there, naked under the covers for a few moments, savouring the memories of a fun night after the party.

She did have to get up, though. Not just for her shift, but she already knew she’d have to make a stop along the way.

She’d have to get to her own quarters first, and that meant getting out of bed. With a look over at him, Nat slowly eased out of the bed.

A snort, and the Marine froze, mid-rise. Her heart pounding in apprehension. The last thing she wanted was an awkward morning-after conversation.

The soft snoring continued after a second or two, and Nat let out a silent breath she had been holding. It wasn't that she was ashamed of what they had done. She simply detested the male need to quantify “what they had”.

It was what it was. A way to blow off some steam, among other things. Nat silently groped in the dark for her clothes. She found most of what she had been wearing to the party.

The black scarf was absent. That was when the memory came, and even in the total darkness of the room, Nat knew it was still tied to the headboard. Screw it, it could be his keepsake.

With everything bundled, Nat made her way out of the bedroom, and into the main living room of the XO’s quarters. Once safely separated from the bedroom, Nat turned the lights on the dimmest setting.

The replicator panel came to life at her touch, and Nat spent almost a full minute tapping at the controls, wanting to make as little noise as possible. The hum of the replicator at work made her wince.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she had what she needed. The underwear and socks went on first. Then the green undershirt, the pants, jacket, and shoes. Her hair looked like… exactly what she would have expected after a vigorous workout. Nothing really to be done about it right then.

She hadn't wanted to waste time with accessories - belt, rank, or commbadge. Just what she needed to adequately make the trip to her own quarters.

With a final glance at the bedroom door, a shadow of a smile on her lips, Nat lifted the bag, and headed out into the corridor.

It took a handful of minutes to reach her own quarters, and Nat almost smacked face-first into the door, as it refused to automatically open for her.

A moment of confusion, before she realised it was the lack of a commbadge, telling the computer who was at the door. Her own personal access code entered into the keypad overcame that particular shortfall, and the doors opened.

Nat let out a long breath as they closed behind her. The bag was tossed onto the shelf with a casual flick of her wrist, and she picked up the commbadge from the coffee table. “Captain Markova to Dr. F’Arra.” She heard a cat-like growl as a response. “Sorry to wake you so early. Is there any way you can get me in before the start of shift?”

==========

“The time is 0630 hours.”

The computer voice repeated its message until it was clear that the First Officer was indeed awake. Internal sensors took note primarily of the movement and change in posture. Alexander Espersen was indeed awake.

A smile crossed his face. The previous had been far more fun than he had expected. Seeing Nat in the costume that matched his…what were the odds? They had had a good evening, talking, sharing some purposely weak drinks (they did both have work in the morning, after all).

Nat.

He turned to look at his bed. The blankets had been shifted from where they usually lay. But the person who had been in the bed with him was no longer there. All that remained was the scarf.

He listened a moment. The sonic shower wasn’t on. There was naught but silence from the living area.

He rolled out of bed and looked for any sign of activity. His clothes on the floor, but hers conspicuously absent. There wasn’t a PADD out, so no note.

Well.

Possibilities crossed his mind. Regret? Maybe, but not likely. They were friends but he didn’t think of the sort that a night of intimacy would change anything, especially for the worse, and neither had had enough to drink to make them make questionable decisions.

She did have work this morning. They both did. And he didn’t know the intricacies of her morning routine. Maybe she was being considerate and left him to have more sleep while she got an earlier start. That’s Marine discipline for you, he thought.

Maybe she was just uncomfortable staying the night. He didn’t know when she left, after all. It might’ve been hours ago. Then again, he distinctly remembered her falling asleep first, softly breathing on his shoulder.

Was it worth bringing it up? Maybe. He didn’t want her to think that he regretted the night. But that sounded awkward as hell. And from what he knew of her, he would bet they’d both hate such a conversation. ”Hey, I had fun last night, wanna do it again?” Ugh.

Actually this could be easier than he thought. The scarf. He would keep it. If she asked about it, well that was the start of a conversation, and it meant that she wanted to talk about the night. If she let it go, then either she didn’t care to have the conversation, or she just didn’t care.

Maybe this was the start of something. Or maybe it was a mutual decision to scratch an itch. He’d certainly had experience with the latter…but also with the former. In truth deep down he preferred the former, even if the latter was easier.

The different possibilities and implications rushed through his head as he showered, ate, and got into his uniform. But in the end there wasn’t much to say. They had had an incredible night. Whether it was the start of something or not didn’t matter right now. Right now, all that mattered was the pleasant memory of company well enjoyed.

And an utterly relaxed Lieutenant Commander Alexander Espersen was ready for his bridge shift.

Hey, Doctor Kellerman was right, he thought with a smirk as he left his quarters. I should send her a thank-you card.

END