<USS Banshee> "Gambling with Emotions" Pt. 3
- From: "Brad Ruder" <GroundZero@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbanshee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 25 Jul 2003 23:51:43 -0700
"Gambling with Emotions"
by Lieutenant
Joshua Asper
Lieutenant Sara Crusher
& Lieutenant JG Joe
Castillo
PART THREE - FINALE
?Well, that would be a tie then.? He was
a bit upset, but luck would have it that his cards matched perfectly
with hers, but a different suit. It was a match made in heaven at
least, the odds were impeccable.
Joe leaned back, his eyes
locked on the cards. ?Wow! I?ve never seen a tie before.?
?I don't believe it.? Lark added.
?So do they split
the pot or what??
?Split the pot, Crusher?? Josh was hoping
for the mass of replicator rations, but half would do.
?What
fun is that?? Sara smiled an evil and sly grin. ?High card
wins.?
?Ooh, let me deal.? Joe snatched the cards and
shuffled them.
?For 510 total replicator rations? I don't
think so. Split them at 255 apiece.?
?Chicken.? A barrage of
laughter followed, ?Fine, fine.?
Josh?s eyes widened.
?Chicken?? He turned with a sharp jerk to Joe, ?Deal the
cards.?
Clucking like a chicken, Joe handed a solitary card to
both Sara and Josh.
?How about winner gets three-fourths, so
the loser still ends up with something?? Josh said keeping the face
of his card to the table.
The dealer let out another
cluck.
?I wouldn't want you to go away empty
handed.?
?No worries, Josh. I haven't used a ration since
leaving the academy.?
?How do you people eat without rations??
Joe and Josh asked at the same time.
?I think the Medical
department has some scam I should look into.?
?Agreed.? Lark
said looking suspiciously at Sara and her single card.
?Let?s
just say it pays to have family in high places.?
?I see, i
thought maybe it had something to do with plenty of fish and
sausage.?
Josh muttered something about family, ?What you got,
Crush??
Ten of hearts, her card flopped silently to the
tabletop.
?So, one-fourth to the loser?? He said looking at
his card.
?Sure.?
His nine of clubs dropped silently
into place next to the ten of hearts. A grin followed it up on part
by Sara.
?That's OK, one hundred and twenty-seven replicator
rations will go pretty far.?
?Yeah, but what will you do with
the half a credit??
After assembling the cards and handing
them to Sara, ?She can keep them.?
?Well, now I have enough to
replicate a whole new wardrobe.? Sara grinned.
?Hey, I never
thought of that.?
?Next week, Crusher.?
?These things
make more than just food??
He was met with a blank stare from
Tom, ?Are you kidding? Where do you live - a cave??
?These
things should come with instructions. The security office. I'm
never here; that?s why it?s so clean.? Joe looked at Tom with a look
of disdain.
?You can also use your allotment in the
fabrication shops as well.? Sara added after receiving the
cards.
?You learn something new every day.?
Tom stood,
stretched and yawned. ?I'm beat and got to get up early tomorrow.?
He turned to Jenny, ?Can I have the honor of walking you home,
beautiful?? His inquiry was followed up with a perking of the
eyebrows and a gesturing to the door.
Joe protested the
departure, ?But we only played one game.?
?Oh, yeah, now that
you mention it. I do got to get up pretty early for my morning
jog.?
Jenny smiled at Tom, ?Well, I do have an extra early
shift since someone is coming in late.?
?Shall we?? Tom
asked, motioning to the door.
?If you got to wake up to what I
get to wake up to, you'd stay in bed all day too.? Sara said with a
grin on her face.
Josh just rolled his eyes.
?You know,
I still haven?t met Lieutenant Calorie.?
?It was a blast as
always,? Jenny said standing, ?I?ll see you all next week.? She took
Lark?s outstretched and offered arm. They walked out and into the
corridor; the soft hissing of the door shutting accompanied the
pattern of sound that was made by their tromping shoes.
?Why
do people always say that wrong?? Sara asked, obviously flustered.
?It?s Kaelyre.?
?I was just saying it to mess with you, I
heard Samantha call her that and thought it was funny.? Joe
snickered as he poured himself yet another shot and downed it in one
completely gulp.
Josh smiled and nodded, ?I say it wrong on
purpose because I know it annoys the hell out of you.? He followed
it up with a nice wink.
?Speaking of which, anyone see her
lately??
?Ooh, how grown up Assfur.?
?Children,
behave.? Joe scolded.
?I know you meant it to be funny and it
was kind of cute ? the first time.?
?God, have a sense of
humor, Sara.? Josh shook his head.
Joe looked to Sara with an
array of confusion, ?I said it before? Guess I've had too many shots
on an empty stomach.? He was eager to change the subject from his
drinking habits, ?So josh are you going to the ball?? That didn?t
stop him from munching on some chips and downing his fourth
shot.
?No, Joe, I won't be attending. I'm leading up the
Shoguns that are doing the firework spectacular for the ball's
attendees.? He grinned, ?I'll be flying.?
?And hopefully
nothing else,? Sara added quickly.
?Show off, I?ll be out
there with you pretty soon.?
?I'd hate to be called out of the
ball to ID bodies.?
?You won't have to. We're set in the
simulators and I have the utmost confidence in my pilots. ? Things
will go just fine and everyone will be impressed ? it's the way it
normally works.? He said it arrogantly, but he was arrogantly
positive that his team would succeed.
Joe leaned forward,
?You going to deal again??
?Maybe not everyone. Though if you
pull this off I'm sure you'll earn brownie points with Captain
Morrigan.? Sara caught herself.
?What?s a ra-captain?? Joe
asked seeming a bit intoxicated.
?Pull this off? You make it
sound like I don't know what I'm doing.? Josh said defensively,
completely ignoring Joe?s question.
?Hey, Sara, you going to
join me in another shot??
?It's a hard stunt even for the best
of pilots Josh. I just don't wanna see you or any of your crew hurt,
OK?? Concern dripped from her voice. She turned and smiled at Joe,
?Sure.?
?Well, actually D'nalls discussed it with the
Captain.?
?If my team of pilots cannot do this maneuver, then
no one can. We're the best pilots out there. We train constantly
and know what we're up against.? Josh was getting agitated no matter
how hard he fought it.
Sara laughed, despite trying hard not
to.
?Crew safety is our ball game, hun, and if the captain and
D'nalls didn't think it was perfectly safe she wouldn't let him do
it.? Joe added to Josh?s argument.
?I know that. I've already
talked to her. It's that ?we're the best? mind set that if anything
will be the catalyst for something going wrong. The first thing I
was taught was to keep my attitude in check.? Sara shook her
head.
?No, it's the doubting the people flying the craft that
is the catalyst. It's called encouragement and self-confidence. I
don't know who taught you to fly, but apparently they had their head
up the ass.? Josh fought the increasing need to glare.
?I
don't doubt you or your team, Josh. Forget it. You don't get it.?
Her eyes went wide at the end of Josh?s statement and she bolted up
right. ?How dare you!?
The Shogun Pilot looked on, unaffected
by her anger. ?No, you don't get it. You think just because you use
to fly that you know what's best. Try being out there in those
crafts every day. You learn what you can and can't do and what
attitude is appropriate for flying. There's a difference between
flying and knowing what the quirks are, then sitting back and having
not flown for however long and speculating on what is the right
thing.?
?I got a lovely bunch of coconuts de de de de, there
they are a standing in a row boom boom boom.? Joe sang, obviously
noting that he wasn?t being paid attention to.
?You leave the
combat and exhibition flying to me and I'll leave curing colds and
upset tummies to you in Sickbay.? He dismissed her and downed his
shot.
?I don't think I know best cause I use to fly. I am
only worried about your safety. Lord knows why, but I am. I've seen
to many people hurt. I don't want to see it again.?
Joe
continued singing, ?Big ones small ones some as big as your
head.?
Sara shook her head again; ?I could out fly you in my
sleep...?
?I'm sure.? Josh added with the most sarcasm he
could muster.
?Fine. You don't believe me. I'll prove
it.?
?Always got to be better than everyone, right
Sara??
?If it's what it takes for people to take me
seriously.? Sara agreed.
?Sara, flying is my life. I've
devoted more time to it than a good majority of people. I'm not a
slouch pilot.? His hand gestures proved futile to his point, but he
liked to talk with his hands.
Joe was still singing, ?I know
that your powers of retention, are as thick as warthog's backside.
But thick as you are, pay attention, my words are a matter of
pride.?
Josh leveled a gaze at Joe, who stopped singing,
?Thanks for having me over, Joe. I'll see you tomorrow in the
holodeck early for our run??
Sara's voice became very soft and
could barely be heard. ?I had every intention of becoming a pilot
before the accident. I would have been everything she'd thought I'd
be." Then her voice rose as she looked up at Josh. ?So don't you dare
tell me to keep my ass in sickbay.? Sara was on the brink of
tears.
?No prob, Josh, maybe it'll help if we talk tomorrow
instead of just running, huh?? He turned to Sara, ?Hey, you
OK??
?I'm fine.?
?She's worried someone is finally
better than her.? Josh shrugged and stalked out of the corridor into
the hallway.
?Oh! What a pompous jackass!?
?You sounded
like you were about to cry and you were talking about some sort of
accident.? Joe was genuinely concerned for her
well-being.
?He doesn't get it. He never will.? She turned
to Joe, ?I am sorry tonight turned out this way.?
Joe shook
his head, ?I'm not trying to defend him, but he has a lot on his
mind, hun. He doesn't talk about it much, but I think he's still
bothered by his mom dying.?
Sara nodded in
concession.
?When stuff like that happens you don't ever get
over it unless you talk bout it, and he?s not much of the talking
type. Trust me, I know; we jog all the time and he hardly says
anything.?
She nodded again.
?If something?s bothering
you hun, tell me. I don?t want to pry, but I think you'd feel better
if you talked about whatever is bothering you so much that you almost
cried.? He put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
?I need to go.
I'm sorry; maybe we could meet for drinks later. Once I pull Cy out
of her lab.? Sara smiled weakly.
?You sure??
?I can't
Joe, but thank you.? She kissed his cheek and moved towards the
door, ?Goodnight Joe.?
Joe restated himself, ?Sara, I consider
you one of my few friends on this ship. I can?t stand to see you
like this.?
?And you?re mine. But, this?I just can't. It
involves?I just can't.? She smiled and headed for the door, ?Thanks,
Joe.? With that she stepped through the door.
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