Things to Do

            “Sato, get third shift up here for helm control. I’m not going to have Admiral Archer sitting at the helm all night. Not that I mind,” he said to Archer, “but I know you have other things to do.”

            “I always enjoy taking the Pilot out for a drive,” he joked, making his way towards the turbo lift.

            “Anytime, sir,” Pete joked back at Jonathan.

            “Admiral? I left Branni in the classroom when the call came in,” Sato told him. “Captain, permission to leave the bridge?”

            “No, Commander, I’ll go,” Archer said, holding up a hand and calling the turbolift.

            “Glad you were here, Jon,” the captain said as Archer stepped into the lift.

            On D deck Archer hurried to the central training room to find his youngest friend. Inside the boy was under a table. Computer stations, PADDs, and recorders were scattered, many on the floor. The lights were still on at least.

            “Brannigaan!?”

            “Admiral Jon! What happened? Are we okay?”

            “Everything’s fine. Just a few bumps from some space rocks.”

            “Is my mother okay?”

            “Let’s go see. I had to fly the ship for a few minutes so I don’t know.” It was a quick trip to E deck.

            “Oh, Jon, thank you!” Riaan said when Archer appeared at her door with Brannigaan. The boy jumped at his mother, and she wrapped her arms around him.

            “I think I’m going to get some sleep,” Jonathan said. “And you two, too.” He hesitated a moment, tapped Branni on the shoulder with a fist, kissed Riaan lightly just aside her lips, and was gone.

Something to Do

            “Everyone needs something to do,” Archer told Brannigaan when he grumbled about some of his chores in the galley. “It’s part of life, part of what makes you happy when you get up in the morning.”

            The two of them sat side by side near a port window watching the closest stars streak by while the more distant stars, galaxies, nebulas and clusters remained fixed against the blackness.

            “You’ve come a long way in a short time. This is a very different place than you’ve ever been to or known. Give yourself a little time. The English will come. And I think I know someone where we’re going that you might make friends with.” Branni looked up from his gloom. Archer pushed his plate away. "You've met Mia Sato, right?"

            “Yes, but I miss school. I miss my dad. Mother is busy at her job. There’s no place to go on this ship. I’m happy here but I’m not happy here too. I’m sorry, Jon.”

            “Don’t be. There’s nothing to be sorry for. What you feel is normal. But I’ll tell you, we’re going to a planet where the people are all blue, and they have antennae. I think you’ll find them very interesting! And after that, we are headed to Earth. And I guarantee you’ll like Earth. It’s a lot like Akal but sort of like the ship, too. Modern, we call it in English.”

            “When will we get there?”

            “That’s up to the captain, but about a week. We were going to go to Earth but Andorria is on the way, more or less, and I’m one of the few people they are willing to talk with when it comes to, oh, Vulcans, Humans, Xindi, among others.”

            They sat together without words for a minute, both watching the stars go by.

            “I’m sorry, Jon, I shouldn’t be complaining about anything the chef wants me to do.”

            “There you two are,” Riaan said from behind them as she entered the mess. Most of the primary shift crew had finished breakfast. “How did breakfast go, Branni? What was on your agenda today?”

            “Chef had me clean the bee ver age machine, and then clean the dishes.”

            “That’s an important responsibility, Branni. You know what I’ve told you about germs, how the little bugs you can only see in my microscope hide in the food and make us sick.” Her son looked at her, and smiled at himself. “So off to school with you.” She leaned over and kissed him on the head, shooing him off the chair. She and Archer watched him go. “Sussa asked if I will take the second work shift from here on. So, I don’t have anything to do right now.”

            “Nothing to do?  Have you eaten?”

            “Yes, earlier, when I thought I was going to work.”

            “So let’s take a walk. It’s been a busy couple of days. I haven’t seen you much around.”

            “It’s easy enough for an admiral to come to the sick bay whenever he wants.”

            He'd been called, and really had no excuse to offer her. They walked out of the mess together, Archer leading Riaan, dressed in her medical scrubs, to the turbolift. He’d finished his long report on the mission to Akal. He’d started preparing for his mission to Andorria, a meeting of the Imperial Guard that needed its representative from Earth. Anything involving Vulcans and Andorrians always seemed to need Archer.

            “I suppose it is, but on a ship this size it doesn’t take long before everyone knows everything. I don't think you want the crew talking about you as anything but the new physician's assistant.” They entered the turbolift and the door slid shut. Before she could reply he caught her hand and pulled her close. “Only I get to do that! You make me feel… like I’m 20 again.”

            “That’s pretty young in Earth years, right?” The lift door slid open. Jonathan became Archer again and quickly turned away from Riaan.

            “Come with me,” he commanded in front of a crewman waiting for the lift. They strolled out as casually as possible keeping straight faces. “I know it’s not Sunday but could I interest you in a mimosa?”

          “Sunday? A mimosa? I’m not exactly sure what that is,” she smiled. She tossed her lab coat over one arm while they walked. Their pace quickened. At the end of the corridor Jon slammed his door open and pulled Riaan inside. She laughed, amused with his antics and offered no resistance when he kissed her, hard, as if he was going to eat her up. He held her tight against his body to keep her from slipping away. The heat between them seared through their clothes. Jon held back from biting her lips by burying his face in her hair then kissing the vale at the base of her neck.