Ensign Cho Hwa-yeon was feeling much better these past few days.  The physiotherapy and exercise had help strengthen the muscles in her arms and legs; meaning she was able to walk unaided now, just so long as she didn’t overdo it.  She had a telescopic cane with her though, just in case. A few sessions with one of the stations counsellors had started to help her come to terms with the events on the USS Johannesburg.  Plus the nightmares she was having had become much less frequent.

She’d also had a good long chat with Ensign Chad Harris who apparently was acting captain on the Jaxartes following the events of ‘Frontier Day’.  It seemed so long since they’d last been together, but hopefully once their captain was cleared for duty, the ship would be heading her way and they’d be together again.

Right now Cho was in a section of the stations vast Arboretum.  She’d just walked along a tree lined walkway and through an archway of ivy, were she’d found herself at the upper section of a vast tank of water.  Bravo Station boasted some of the biggest aquarium tanks anywhere within Federation space; certainly there wasn’t anything housed within an orbital facility that could come close to rivalling it.  Cho leaned against the edge of the tank placing her bare arms along the railing at the top.  The water was fairly clear and the young Korean could make out a variety of small fish darting about; some on their own and others in groups of a couple dozen or more.  Then her gaze was caught by two dark; torpedo like shapes in the water.  They moved with speed and grace, and it wasn’t long before a pair of fins broke the surface and headed in her direction.

Two Bottlenose Dolphins had come to say ‘hi’ to the new arrival at their Recreation Tank.  It was one of the sections they could go to when not working in Cetacean ops. They both clicked and whistled as way of greeting.  There wasn’t a translation system in operation but Cho replied to them imagining what they may have just said to her. “And hello to you.” She answered back with a smile.  The two dolphins seemed to appreciate that, and gave another series of clicks and whistles. “Yes it’s my first time here.”

She carried on a slightly one sided conversation with the two dolphins for a good twenty minutes and even stroked the male one across the top of the nose. Cho felt at easy chatting to her knew friends about the problems she’d encountered more so than her sessions with the counsellor.  She even thanked them for their time and bowed politely before leaving.  The male of dolphins made an effort to return the gesture.

Petty Officer Zossi Sh’ishovass had been watching most of the interaction with interest.  She’d been working in the stations Cetacean ops for a number of months as part of their dedicated repair and maintenance team.  Lieutenants George and Mildred the two Bottlenose Dolphins worked together on Celestial Mechanics, but the young Andorian  knew them both well.

She appreciated the tank in her wetsuit, one adapted and water proof translator attached to a belt around her waist the other on a hook to anchor to the edge of the tank; along with a tool case its strap slung over her shoulder. “I see ‘Glider of the still water’ and ‘Song that echoes’ have both made a new friend.” That was their proper forms of address and the names they communicated to other dolphins with.  She always greeted them that way, as she had great respect for these magnificent mammals.

George replied, but with the translator in operation she got an answer she could understand.

< “The ensign lonely; missing friends across the endless black sea.” >

Endless black sea was the way these dolphins described space, and Zossi understood how lonely it could feel separated from those you cared about or loved. But she didn’t have time to dwell on matters like that; Zossi had a job to do. “I believe you reported a fault?”

**********

The USS Jaxartes had successful delivered Doctor Phlen his luggage and Menagerie to the USS Chapel; so for now there wasn’t anything else required of them, but that could very much change at a moment’s notice. Maasl had made his way to the Officers mess in order to grab some lunch.  The young Caitian had developed a taste for sushi having found it much like some of the meals he would have eaten back on Hochlor IV where he was born; though the replicators did have on record a wide selection of food from the home world and colonies, it was nice to try foods from other parts of the Federation.

Ensign Harris and Chief Petty Officer Lose; where already seating at one of the tables chatting away as C’Rren carried his tray of food towards them.  He felt a tickle in his nose; it was a strange irritating situation.  He tried wiggling it and sniffing, but the sensation wasn’t going away, if fact it was starting to get worse.  The Caitian barely managed to place the tray down, before turning his head away and sneezing.  It was a loud powerful sneeze, one that made his head shake,

“Careful, put the windows back!” Thomas smirked.

“Sssorrr…..aaahhooooo.” C’Rren sneezed again mid apology. “I ha haahave no idea aasch what wro aaahh ach.”  He was starting to feel light headed and a little unstable on his legs, grabbing the back of the nearest chair he nearly missed and stumbled.

The two seated companions looked at each other both amused by the situation and a little concerned by their friend’s sudden predicament. Both had the same thought, but it was Chad who voiced it first.  “We’d better get you to Sickbay and get you checked out.”

They had to help the Science officer out of the mess, but luckily the corvette being a relatively small vessel, Sickbay was on the same level and not all that far away.  The EMH appeared a second or two after they’d entered. “Please state the nature of..”

“Aaachhh”

“..the emergency.”

Chad and Thomas guided him to the nearest Bio-bed and half dropped him on it as Maasl sneezed again.  The doctor scanned the young Caitian before delivering a small injection and his prognosis. “Your allergic to fur.”

C’Rren looked at the EMH, like it was the most stupid and ridicules statement he’d heard in his entire life.  He was covered in fur, born with it.  How could he possibly be allergic to it!

“Don’t be daft doc!” It was the Chief Petty Officer who spoke first. “Run those scans again. Either that Tri-corder of yours is faulty or your software is messed up.”

“There is nothing wrong with my equipment and I am running at 100% efficiency.” The EMH replied indignantly.  All this time C’Rren continued to sneeze but less frequently and a lot less severely. “If you’ll be so kind as to let me continue.  The Ensign here is allergic to Tribble fur.”

The three crew looked at each other. “But I’ve not been anywhere near the Transporter room.” The Caitian announced.  Before another word was spoken though; Lose rushed back out of the room.

When Thomas arrived back at the mess hall everything seemed much as the three of them had left the place, not all that long ago; everything save for the fact all three of their plate where now empty!  He taps his comm-badge. “Guy’s we have a problem.”