Mal snorted, thanking the waiter as he delivered the drink. “That sounds like a sensible thing to do. He’s fast. She’s faster. Get this down you.” He held out her drink. It was the same as his, right down to the umbrella. 

 

“What department are you?”

 

“Security,” she murmured, accepting the drink from him with a nod of thanks. Trapping the little umbrella against the side of the glass, she took a sip. “Mmm, that’s good. What is it?”

 

A shriek of laughter from across the beach got her attention again. “He’s going to regret that.” 

 

Faelyn was smiling, beckoning their brother to have another go. The smile was a warning, but few ever paid attention to that. In the next instant, they were grappling and doing their best to toss one another through the air.

 

Mal leaned back, watching the horseplay. And the attention it was getting. “Err… drink. Something with fruit, and plenty of alcohol I think. It had a beachy name.” 

 

Lifting it to her lips, she drank some more before replying. “Whatever it is, it’s good.” 

 

Turning towards him, Kat was careful to keep her rowdy siblings in sight. “So what department are you in, Mal?”

 

He bit back his smile, giving her a serious face. “Medical. I’m the ship midwife.”

 

Leaning forward, she locked her gaze on him. “Oh really? You’re far too good looking to be a midwife… or in gyno or obstetrics.” No way in hell would she put herself through an annual exam if he was at the end of the table. 

 

He inclined his head, filing that bit of information away for later. “I find babies don’t really give a shit what I look like. They’re usually too busy shitting on me.”

 

“They do tend to do that sometimes,” she agreed, her expression turning serious. He wasn’t lying. “Or they get you with the mini fire hose.” Yeah, babies didn’t care what anyone looked like. They were too busy screaming over the unceremonious eviction they just experienced. Bright light and a cold welcome to the world. 

 

“Do you enjoy it?” she asked, and quickly amended the question. “Not the being shat upon part, but the rest of it?”

 

It was a serious question, so he gave it a serious answer. “Yes, I do. Helping new life into the world is more than a job, it’s an honor.” Then he smiled. “The rest of the time I head up the insanity that is the HazMed department.”

 

“Ohhh, that’s a calling as well. I used to do Search and Rescue back before I joined the fleet. All three of us did. We knew the mountains almost better than anyone. Every trail, drainage, basin, canyon, and pass. We volunteered with the Sheriff’s Department. Sometimes on horseback, sometimes on foot. Some of the areas were too steep and dangerous for horses.” Kat sighed at the memories.

 

“So do you get to deliver many babies when you’re assigned to a ship?”

 

He raised an eyebrow, deliberately casting a glance around the assembled Kirk crew. From the muscle-bound captain and engineer, through to the dangerous looking counsellor sat nearby in his whites with his gin and tonic. “Not really, not with this lot.”

 

Following the direction of his gaze, she immediately understood. “I see what you mean. That does present some serious logistical challenges. I’ve only just arrived, so I haven’t had the chance to meet everyone yet. You’re the first person I’ve met since getting here,” she announced with a warm smile.

 

“What made you interested in becoming a midwife?” Genuinely interested, Kat wanted to know more about Mal. 

 

Surprise rolled through him. Most people didn’t believe him, even though it was true. 

 

“I needed a medical speciality to transfer into HazMed,” he explained. It wasn’t the full truth, but it was at least halfway there. “So I picked midwifery.”

 

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as he watched her siblings larking about further down the beach.

 

“It’s an unusual choice for someone interested in HazMed, but takes a lot of skill. Not to mention a good bedside manner to deal with the mothers-to-be. Childbirth often can be quite stressful,” she remarked thoughtfully. “Most would have probably taken up trauma or emergency medicine. Maybe even trauma surgery. I took EMT and Wilderness First Responder courses back when I did Search and Rescue. I liked it a lot, but I think your choice is more rewarding.”

 

“Those were the required ones, I needed an elective as well.” He shrugged. “Plus, having a specialised midwife is one of those things. You don’t normally need one, but when you do, you really need one. And you’d be surprised at the situations HazMed gets into.”

 

“Such as?” she asked, watching him over the rim of her glass. He truly was way too good looking for his own good. If she wasn’t careful, he could catch her staring. “What’s the most interesting situation you’ve found yourself in?” Kat knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t name names, but he could tell her about it without divulging anyone’s identity.

 

He slid her a sideways glance. People were not usually this interested in him. Must be the shirt. He looked down. Yeah, definitely the shirt. She must have good taste in fashion. Pretty too. 

 

“Err, extracting an ambassador from the buffet car in null gravity. The guy was covered in dessert. Made him a bit slippery,” he added with a little quirk of his lips. It had been a little more complex than that, involving a heavy dose of climbing and null-grav gear and an emergency medical procedure, all while under fire. 

 

Kat’s eyes widened as she tried to picture the scenario in her head. “That’s definitely unusual. Sounds a lot safer than attempting to break up a jello wrestling match between a couple of drunk Klingons.” She shuddered at the memory. 

 

“I ended up with jello in places jello shouldn’t be.”

 

He chuckled. “That’s the thing about jello, it’s like sand.” He reached down and flicked a little sand up at her with a wink. 

 

She laughed and nodded. “That’s so true. The difference is, with sand, you can go take a dip in the water to rinse it off and out of said unmentionable places. As long as it’s a beach or a sandbar. If it’s desert sand, that’s it… it’s over. You’re stuck with sandy buns.”

 

”Oi! Mal!” A shout brought his head up and he looked up to find Bennett waving at him with some bbq tongs. “Get your backside over here and help!”

 

He sighed, putting his drink down. “Looks like my presence is requested. My advice, stay here out of the blast zone. Bennett is known for blowing shit up.”

 

“I’ll take that under advisement,” she murmured with a mischievous grin. “All though it’s good to know if I did get hurt, you’d be able to patch me up.” 

 

He arched his eyebrow at her, then smiled. “Stay put. I’ll be back with food.”