The Most Difficult Patient (Part 1)

Posted on Fri Apr 17th, 2026 @ 2:32am by Lieutenant Commander Nyxala Valentine & Lieutenant Colonel Ashok 'Ash', Son of Norath & Cirilla
Edited on on Fri Apr 17th, 2026 @ 2:32am

1,820 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Flight Of The Valkyries
Location: Marine CO Office

Nyx was in a mood and she didn't care who knew it. Avoiding her once for a scheduled onboarding physical was one thing, sometimes people that were just arriving on board got busy and forgot what time it was, or they had other duties that they needed to perform that became more important. The second time was also somewhat reasonable: She'd gotten a comm stating that there was a meeting with his officers that couldn't be rescheduled. Communications within the Corps was one of the ways they could combat some of the other deficiencies that they came up against when facing some other races.

The third time, however, was the final straw. She couldn't even remember what the excuse had been, but she was seeing red as she stalked the halls with her medkit over a shoulder. She'd even left the drakeling behind in sickbay so she wouldn't feed off her emotions and cause a scene. The two-inch heels she wore clicked angrily against the ground as the uniforms turned from red or gold into the green of the Marines and even some of them just stepped out of her way. Finally, she caught sight of the person avoiding her and her voice snapped out, "Colonel Ashok, stop right there!"

Ash stopped, but didn't turn around at the voice shouting his name. He only let out a low groan as he took the PADD from the Marine next to him. He gave it a brief once over before shoving the PADD against the mans chest, pushing him back slightly. Ash turned his head and, from the corner of his eye, notices the woman standing there in the Medical Uniform who was surrounded by an ocean of Marine Green ones. He turned his head forward again and gestured for another Marine to approach.

The man rushed over to him and stood at attention, giving Colonel Ashok a quick salute before snapping it back, bringing his stance to a Marine at ease quickly after. "Sir!"

"Get rid of her." Ash commanded.

The Marine seemed confused for a moment. "Get rid of who..." The man quickly snapped out of his confused. "Sir!"

The Klingon let out a groan, rolling his eyes, before replying in an aggravated tone. "I'll give you a hint... she's not wearing green!" Ashok shouted before walking off, headed towards the room that was designated his office.

The man looked around and finally spotted the woman in the Medical Uniform. He seemed to let out a groan, as if he was angry with himself for not spotting her before. He finally jogged up to her and finally stopped when he reached the Doctor. "Ma'am." The Marine said firmly before adding. "The Colonel is busy and would ask you return later when he is available. May I escort you off the deck?"

Her eyes met his and they were as cold as the ice they resembled, her lips pressed together without being as menacing, if only due to the red lipstick that adorned them, "Corporal, the Colonel is available now." She stated evenly, "Even if he doesn't believe he is. If I were you, I would get out of my way right now before I do something that you will regret."

"Ma'am, I must insist." The Marine reached for her arm and took her elbow gently to turn her back towards the doorway leading out of the area.

Nyx let him start to turn her before she grabbed his wrist with an iron grip and spun him around to in front of her with his arm behind him, then used a gentle toe to the pressure point behind one leg to drop him to one knee while pulling up gently on his arm to lock him into place. With her other hand, she reached to her belt for one of the three hyposprays on it and pressed it to his neck with a hiss before easing him to the ground unconscious. In another near-liquid motion she stood and spun to face the other spectators while she replaced the hypospray on her belt without looking. "Is there anyone else that objects to my presence?"

Her eyes challenged everyone else there to say something and one or two of them looked towards the Colonel's office, but no one made a move. As no one made any move towards her, she set off again to where the Colonel had vanished to. When the door didn't open automatically for her, she growled and glanced back at everyone to ensure no one was trying to sneak up behind her before punching in an override code to open the door, then didn't give it a chance to be closed before she stepped into the office, "Colonel, the next time you try to get rid of me, have the guts to do it yourself. This was the THIRD appointment you've blown off with me."

Almost immediately, when the doors open and she stepped in, Hur'q the Targ made his way to her. The small for legged Klingon beast snorted and snorted, before a short squeal came out. The animal was ready to charge at her, until a small child ran over and picked him up.

Ashok stood up immediately, slamming his palms on the desk, upon her coming into his office unannounced. On top of that, shouting at him. His annoyance with her was already boiling his Klingon blood, but for her to do it in front of his Ciri, it only made it worse. Just as he was about to say something his daughter spoke as she picked up her pet and speaking in her soft tone.

"Nooo Hur'q. She's a Starfleet Officer. We have to be nice and respectful." Ciri said as she held onto the Targ, hugging it close, before focusing her gaze up at the woman who stormed in, shouting at her father. "I'm sorry, Ma'am. He's very friendly. He just gets grumpy in new places sometimes."

The sight of the girl holding the Targ back stopped Nyx up short and her expression changed almost instantly, even as the girl started to speak. For a fraction of a second she hesitated before crouching down to get more on her level despite the potential danger of the targ in protective mood. "I'm sure he is, sweetie, I know what it's like, Gigi is much the same way, but I can't take her everywhere, unfortunately." Aside from her eyes, her entire demeanor had changed to friendly and she glanced up at Ashok, "Perhaps we should continue our conversation in private, sir?" The suggestion sounded friendly enough, but he'd feel the knives within it.

Ashok raised the framed photo of the drawing Ciri made for him back up before staring back at the Doctor. His gaze was clearly one of someone fuming from on the inside. However, he cleared his throat, replying softly with his deep voice. "I agree, Doctor." He walked around his desk as he focused on his daughter. "Cirilla, the Doctor and Daddy need to have an important talk about... ship stuff. Why don't you take Hur'q outside and see if Private Biggs wants to play with you?"

"You have a pet too?" Ciri asked, her mind focused on the new knowledge that the woman her father said was a Doctor had what sounded like a pet named Gigi. This got the small girl excited and wanting to learn more. Even thought she heard her father, she couldn't help herself. "What kind is it? A cat? A dog? Is it big like a horse?"

The question brought a smile to Ash's face, but the idea she asked about it possibly being a horse is what brought a laugh out of him. He just placed his arms behind his back and let her get the answer she needed before repeating his request.

It also got a choked off chuckle from Nyx, but she put on a bright smile for Cirilla while she shook her head from side to side, "Even better than a horse!" She said with as much excitement in her voice as she could muster, then lowered her voice as much as she could and looked side to side, "Can you keep a bit of a secret?" She got an enthusiastic nod from the girl, "Gigi s a dragon!" She used her hands to approximate the wingspan, "A small dragon, but still a dragon!" She made sure that Ashok could hear her, so that she wasn't keeping a secret FROM him, "Perhaps you'd like to see her at some point?"

"Could I?!!" Cirilla asked in an excited tone. She immediately turned to her father and repeated her question. "Could I see Gigi with the Doctor?"

Ashok looked at Nyx, as if internally rolling his eyes and questioning her seriousness with his daughter for raising her expectations. He soon knelt down, putting on a smile and curious look, as he asked with a raised brow. "Well... what kind of animal is Gigi?"

The little girl's reaction to the question made her tighten her lips and slightly raise the Targ to them in order to keep from answering out of excitement. She was told it was a secret and this was one she definitely wanted to keep. Ciri lowered the Targ, replying in a soft voice. "It's a secret. Grandpa always said an honorable Klingon always keeps their secrets. I'm sorry."

Ashok smiled back, patting her head gently, as he replied softy. "You're right, Little One. Daddy learned the same lesson from Grandpa Norath." He looked up to Nyx, keeping to his smile, before looking back to Cirilla. "If you trust the Doctor to keep you safe on your adventure to see this Gigi, then I trust her too."

"Yes!!" She squealed in victory, before quickly adding. "Thank you, Daddy."

The Klingon nodded with a smile. "Now, the Doctor and I have to talk about stuff. Can you go stay with Private Biggs for a bit?"

"Okay." She said, before turning to the Doctor and smiling as she lowered the Targ to her chest again. "Thank you, Doctor. Nice to meet you." The little girls said as she walked toward the door. "Let's go, Hur'q. Maybe Biggs has some rations for you to eat." Ciri said, with a small giggle, before walking out the opening doors.

"It's great to meet you too, Cirilla." Nyx smiled until the girl had left and the doors shut before shooting back to her feet, smile vanishing just as quickly as it had been put on and her hands went to her hips.

To Be Continued...


Lieutenant Colonel Ashok, Son of Norath
Marine Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo

Lieutenant Commander Nyx Valentine
Chief Medical Officer
USS Tokyo

Cirilla
Civilian Child Who Loves Creatures
USS Tokyo

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