Home sick

Posted on Mon Oct 17th, 2022 @ 3:56am by Lieutenant JG Kiara Rahl (Jansen-Carey)

Mission: The Lost Brother
Location: Ten Forward/Holodeck

CJ sat in the Ten Forward with his dinner sipping a synthale. He looked out at the stars, he felt a little homesick tonight. If he were back home it would be hunting season and he'd be out with his father.

Kiara was in the lounge, not seeing Tyler this evening she ordered herself a drink and was looking for somewhere to sit, when she saw someone who looked like he could use some company. Walking over she offered a polite smile. “Excuse me, are you alright?”

CJ grinned at the beautiful woman standing in front of him, "I'm fine just eating dinner under the stars, the only way I could be better is if I had some company."

Kiara nodded, she turned to walk away before pausing and turning back. “Would you mind if I join you?”

"Please do," CJ flashed his boyish grin. "My name is Caleb Boucher, friends call me CJ. I don't think we've met, Ma'am."

Kiara moved across to a seat, “Nice to meet you CJ, I’m Kiara Rahl.”

"The pleasure is mine Kiara, I transferred from Lister recently, so haven't had time to meet that much of the crew." He leaned back in his seat and took a sip of his Synthale.

“In that case Welcome Aboard!” Kiara smiled warmly. “I’m a medic and nurse, I take it you haven’t been by Sickbay yet? At least not when I’ve been there anyway.”

"I do my best to stay healthy," he chuckled. "Then again I haven't spared with the Commander since we were on the lister, he gave me a broken nose and a severe concussion. It was an accident but the medical staff had a conniption about it."

“I can imagine!” Kiara grinned. “So what do you think of the Resolution?”

"It's like a city traveling through space," he smiled. "Back home, me and my kin always avoided the cities. My Pa always said those places will swallow country bumpkins like us. The vessel doesn't feel like home yet, but it could. I wonder what my Pa would think now?"

“You miss your Pa don’t you?” Kiara looked at Caleb curiously.

"I do tonight," he sighed.

“Why don’t you show me your home? The beauty of the holodeck is that you can recreate anything.” Kiara smiled warmly.

"That sounds nice," he smiled. "You said you're a nurse and Medic, but at the moment you seem to be acting like a counselor."

“Oh I’ve seen a few Counsellor’s but I’m not one, I am half Betazoid though. We seem to have a knack for being the Counselling types.”

"Well 'Counselor,' I'll take your recommendation of holo therapy" He grinned.

“Wonderful” Kiara smiled. “Let’s go, and you can show and tell me all about your home and family.”

He got up, downed the last of his drink and offered his arm. "This way Ma'am."

Kiara smiled as she held onto CJ’s arm. “So where is it you’re from anyway? You said the country but where in the country?”

"I grew up in a farm community just outside of Orleans on Alpha II. My family runs one of the best survival schools in the alpha quadrant." He smiled as they made their way to the Holodeck.

“Survival school huh? I’ve never attended one of those.” Kiara smiled. “The closest I’ve come is the survival program at the Academy.”

"When I was fourteen they beamed me into the middle of a swamp with nothing but a knife and compass. Took me three days to find my way home." CJ shook his head. "It came in handy when I went through the Academy sniper training.'

“Wow!” Kiara looked surprised. “You’re obviously a natural when it comes to survival. That’s good.”

"Some people think so," he smiled.

Arriving at the holodeck Kiara waited while CJ set up the program. “I can’t wait to see this, it’s not somewhere I’ve ever been.”

The doors opened to reveal a heavily wooded area at dusk. The sky was a purplish hue, they were walking into a large clearing. The leaves on the trees were bright autumn colors, CJ smiled peacefully. The was a path at the other end of the clearing.

“Ohh Wow!” Kiara looked wide eyed at the beautiful autumnal colours of the trees. “This is beautiful.”

"This is about the time my brothers and I would be prepping our guns for the hunt. Our tree stands would be about a half kilometer that way." He motioned to the woods. "That path leads to the river, there are boats docked down there. The river is the easiest way to get to the lodge."

He gave her what he hoped would come off as a confident smile. He wondered if he'd ever be able to pick up a rifle again without thinking about the battles he'd now seen.

“I’ll admit I’ve never paddled a boat before!” Kiara grinned. “I’m always up for learning new skills though. I’m looking forward to seeing your lodge.”

"The boats have motors but if you'd like to paddle we can certainly do that too," Boucher said.

“A motor will be fine” Kiara grinned. “As long as we’re both in the same boat, and you’re doing the driving."

"Of course, he said. "I have the programs safeties and so you won't need to man the harpoon gun."

“Harpoon gun! What’s in these waters?” She looked at CJ curiously.

"Large amphibious reptiles, we call the Alligators but they're not the Earth species obviously." He explained as they walked down the path. "Their more active at night"

Kiara nodded. “Then thank heavens for holodeck safeties!”

CJ grinned as walked around the bend toward the dock, "the gaters are usually this far up river."

“The only time I’ve been on Earth is when I was at the Academy, I didn’t tend to leave campus much either.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Now I’m learning to be more adventurous.”

"Well I hope this account has an adventure," CJ chuckled.

He stepped into the boat and offered her a hand to help her off the dock.

Kiara took the helping hand as she cautiously stepped into the boat, she wasn’t at all used to this. She gently sat down, not daring to say she didn’t know how to swim.

CJ retrieved two life jackets from underneath the seat and handed one to Kiara. "Here safety first this river has a powerful current so it's best to wear a flotation device just in case."

Kiara nodded. “That makes me feel better. To be honest I...don’t know how to swim.”

"That's all right with the safeties we shouldn't have a problem." CJ grinned at the beautiful woman. "There are hollow deck instructional programs on swimming if you ever care to learn it."

Kia paused. “As silly as it sounds I never thought of that” she smiled. “I would like to learn.”

"Swimming is a good survival skill and great exercise," he smiled.

He started the motor and began steering the boat into the river. He turned on the boat lights.

“Do we have to go far via boat?” Kiara looked towards CJ, even though the safeties were on she was still nervous.

"It's about a ten minute trip," CJ said.

Kiara nodded, taking in the sights to relieve her nerves as they rode up the river.

CJ look ahead and then picked up a flare gun and fired a flare in front of the boat, a large black and gray reptile moved out of the boat's way.

"Mr gator out for a midnight swim," he said casually.

“Impressively creepy!” Kiara offered a grin. “Let’s just get to your home.”

CJ smiled and turned the boat toward the lights on the bank. "It's right up there."

Kiara’s gaze looked where the lights were. “Oh wow!” She smiled. “It wasn’t as far as I was expecting it to be.”

CJ stood up and threw a rope onto the dock and pulled the boat into the birth and secured it to the dock. He climbed up out of the boat and then leaned down to help Kiara.

Taking CJ’s hand Kiara moved cautiously from the boat. Once on the dock she breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t know why I’m so nervous! The safeties are on so I couldn’t drown if I tried.” She grinned as she took off
her lifejacket.

He smiled, "you're quite the adventurer."

“Not normally!” Kiara grinned. “Guess you’ve spurred me into it.”

"I guess my time as a survival teacher is showing," CJ he opening the door to the lodge.

Kiara grinned. “I guess it is.”

{OFF}