Helpful Friends

Posted on Fri Apr 19th, 2019 @ 4:32pm by Lieutenant Jane Sinclair MD, DVM & Lieutenant Gente López-Fonsi

2,241 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Mission 2 - Love ORION Mistaken
Location: Jane’s Quarters

Jane was very happy that her good friend Gente had agreed to come help her install her new shower head. It was good being close the chief engineer in situations such as this. Not that she would take advantage of him. She was certain he would need something down the line. Food, music, a medical opinion beyond the norm, for example.

“Thank you for coming, Gente,” she said honestly. “I’ve been working myself too hard, and when the Captain told me that I could install a massage head for my shower, I was excited. I appreciate your help in installing it.”

"How did you convince the Captain, to get a massage head?" He asked, curious how that was approved? He wondered if Cindy, would allow anyone, to get one? If that was the okay, he could see himself, being dispatched on more personal house calls. He did not mind helping Jane, they were friends.

“Well, I’m not sure if you know this, but I’m training to be certified in massage therapy,” Jane explained. “I gave our good Captain a massage, but it’s hard work and I got all sweaty. She let me use her shower, which was bigger than normal and had the massage head. I asked if I could have one, and whether because I’m command staff now or just because she liked her massage, she said yes.”

"I did not know that about you, but thanks for sharing." Gente said, as he took the shower head from Jane, and started to diagnosis the issue. While he did, he went on. "Been meaning to ask, are you continuing to sing?" He asked, hoping that she was still keeping up on that. She was good, he believed, she should sing for the crew.

“I am!” Jane said with a big smile. “So nice of you to ask. I try to get to the music room to practice a few times a week, and I often sing to myself as I work.” She let out a sweet little giggle. “I sometimes think I’m annoying my staff, but they’ve not said anything.”

Gente continued to prepare the document, as he grinned, when a twisted thought came to his mind. "If they do, send them to engineering, I can find remedial tasks for them." Gente said, trying to be comical, he hoped that Jane approved of his humor. He started to walk over to the shower head, and started to detach the old shower module.

Jane grinned and laughed. “I don’t think it will come to that, but if it does I’ll take you up on that.” She looked over at Gente taking apart her shower. “Let me know if you need me to do anything. I can perform open heart surgery but I’m next to useless with mechanical things.”

"I'm good, but thank you." Gente said, with a big grin. He took off the shower head, and started to scan the diameters of the old shower head with the new one, he needed to make sure they were identical size, or he would have to customize a part, to make them compatible. While he was doing that, he went on. "Your not useless, we all have our own strengths. If our situation was reverse, I would be standing there, while you do open heart surgery."

"That's true," Jane agreed. "We all have our strengths. We both keep the crew alive in different ways. Like we discussed over dinner the other day, this ship would fall apart without you, and the crew would fall apart without me, so all of our successes come down to us." When Gente next turned his head to face her, she grinned in his direction.

Gente was relieved the new shower massage head was compatible with the unit. He started to install the new unit, and begin the slow task, of micro sealing the unit. "When do you think, you will give your first musical performance?" Gente asked. He wanted to keep his calendar open for it.

Jane blushed. She loved playing and even enjoyed performing, but hadn't actually played aboard the ship for an audience of more than one, aside from her accident in leaving the door open and having her songs travel the corridors and into the pool area. That someone else wanted her to made her feel nice. "I don't know. I hadn't thought about it too much. Maybe I'll talk to some of the other musicians, to arrange a concert night for the crew?"

"That would be a good idea, you have a talented voice. You should share that with the crew." Gente said, as he finished in stalling the new head unit. He started to calibrate the flow regulation to the unit, to make sure it was still up to specs. He was almost done.

"Why, thank you, Gente," Jane said with a smile and polite bow of her head. He was being so nice and helpful, and apparently liked her voice, so she decided to give him a little treat.

"The girl works at the store, sweet Jane St. Clair
Was dazzled by her smile while I shopped there
It wasn't long before I lived with her
I sang her songs while she dyed my hair

Jane, divided but I can't decide which side I'm on
Jane, decided only cowards stay while traitors run
Jane
Jane"

"Not bad, not bad. Your are very talented." Gente said, as he started to think, how best to say this. "Thank you for sharing your singing in the shower melody's with me." Gente said with a big grin on his face. He was just giving her a little hard time, as he started to gather his tools.

Jane laughed and gently punched his arm. “So does it work now?” she asked, gesturing to the shower.

Gente turned on the shower. "It does, Jane." He turned it back off, and headed out of the shower area, the idea of being in her shower, felt a little strange to him. This was the first time, in a long time, had been in a ladies quarters. He knew that Jane was seeing someone, so this was very awkward for him.

“Aww, thanks Gente!” Jane said as she wrapped her arms around him. “You’re a great friend, helping out with this. Maybe there’s something I can do to say thank you? A home cooked meal? Or I can talk you up to Ensign Saunders? I’ve seen how you look at her.” She winked at her friend.

Gente was confused with the hug. Was she a hugger? His mind, went into panic mode, but he was able to control his body. He was not really into hugs. "Thanks appreciate the offer, but I content with life, the way it is."

“You sure?” Jane asked. “I’m a damn good wing-woman. Crewman Jones had me help him speak with Petty Officer Homan and now they’re dating.”

"I appreciate the offer, can I take a rain check on it. I'll let you know, when I am ready to cash on it." Said Gente with a big grin on his face. He was not sure, if he was ready to jump into the dating game. He was still learning the lay of the land, on the USS Legacy.

"Sounds good to me," Jane said with a smile. "I owe you a favour. You cash in when you need one." Jane stepped into her shower, took the new shower head by the hand, pointed it away from her, and turned it on. The water flowed out perfectly, and she was able to adjust the temperature and pressure with ease. She looked up towards Gente, then back to the shower head, then back to Gente and smiled wickedly before playfully spraying him with water.

"Jane!" Gente called out, as he dashed out of range of the shower head. He wiped off the water from his shirt. He was a little annoyed, but should have seen that coming.

"Aww, I'm sorry, Gente," Jane said with a smile. "I was just playing, but I didn't realize you wouldn't like it. Did you want to change your shirt? I might have an oversized t-shirt that you could wear back to your room."

"It's fine. You just surprised me Jane...ee." He said, curious if she would allow a nickname, or correct him on the spot. She did afterall, just get him wet.

Jane was taken a bit aback by the nickname. "Jany?" She considered it. "Not bad. I'll take it." She grinned at him. "Thank you again for your help, Gente."

Feeling the water on his soaked shirt, he started to take off the wet shirt, “Janie, maybe I will take you up on that sweater.” Gente said, wondering what she classified as an oversized shirt. She was a small petite framed lady. He hoped he fit in her shirt. Otherwise he was going to be shirtless, down the corridors of the Legacy.

Jane disappeared around the corner to her dresser and pulled out the largest shirt she owned. It was a bright pink short-sleeved shirt, sized Men’s Large, which she used as sleepwear. On it was a cartoon cat wearing a top hat and monocle, riding on the back of a rainbow-haired unicorn. Written below it was the phrase ‘Super Fancy’.

She brought it out to Gente. “Here, this will fit. You can give it back to me later, yeah?”

Gente wanted to burn that shirt, the first time he saw it. He swallowed his pride, when he grabbed the dry shirt. "Thank you Janie." He forced himself to say, but trying to be polite about it. He quickly put on the shirt, and posed in a silly model like posture. "Well?" He asked, has slightly muscular physique revealed every part of his chiseled chest and rock hard abs. He knew this was embarrassing, might as well have some fun with it.

Jane grinned, her eyes alight seeing him. He looked ridiculous, but it did show off his physique. “Seriously, Gente. Wear that shirt with me to the mess hall. Show the ladies that you’re a good friend to me, that you’re secure in your masculinity, and show off that bod. I’ll make sure you don’t go home alone.”

"As tempting as public humiliation is, I am going to pass." Gente said, liking the fact, that she could giggle. It was sweet of her, to try to hook him up, with someone on the ship. But he was not sure he was ready. He could tell that Janie was not going to this go. "Your serious, aren't you? Remind me, how this secures my masculinity?"

“Stereotypes abound about what makes a ‘real man’,” Jane explained. “Some might fear what others think if they’re seen wearing a bright pink shirt meant for a woman. But in my mind, a real man doesn’t care what others think. He lets them judge him and shrugs it off. He knows that people who judge him based on things like that aren’t worth his time. And women know when a man feels insecure and tries to compensate. It’s not attractive. The self confidence to wear a shirt like that in public? Women can sense that and it drives them wild.”

She leaned in close and whispered conspiratorially. “The one man I tried to date, when I wasn’t sure about who I was or who I was into? Not confident. Very self conscious. Most unattractive.”

Gente had a slight boyish smile to his face. He believed he understood what she was trying to say. "Will try your experiment. If this fails, you have to do something just as equally bad, like dye your hair a solid blonde color." Gente suggested. He was curious, if she would take the bait.

Jane’s eyes went wide. Solid blonde? She hadn’t had a natural hair colour in over ten years. “...how long would I have to keep it like that?”

Gente grinned as he said. "A week." Knowing that would be torturous for her to have blonde hair, and what would Jane's girlfriend think of it? Oh this could be worth a few stares and laughs. At least he would not be the only one, the crew was talking about.

Jane gritted her teeth. “Okay,” she said, suffering as she did so. “What do we call success, though? A pretty girl enjoying a conversation with you?”

"Not sure, you are being the life coach here. I am just the pupil, on your little scientific research project." Gente pointed out with a big grin on his face.

“I think,” Jane said, “that success is you having a reasonable length conversation with a beautiful woman, ending with a positive indication that she’d welcome another chat.” She gestured to the door of her quarters. “Now, shall we?”

"Do I really have a choice?" Gente asked Rhetorically, thinking to himself. How bad can this get. He really did not want to think, how bad it could get. But his mind started to imagine, everyone staring at him. He could imagine some laughing or snickering behind his back. He took a couple of deep breathes, before making his way to the doorway. He told himself, over and over again. You can do this!

RSS Feed