Interlude – (Pt 5) 'My What Big Teeth You Have Grandma'
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
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The three of them looked stunning as they took themselves to the Captain's Dining Room for dinner with Rick's mother. Rick and Chelsea were both in their *whites*, full formal best ceremonial uniforms and Kim was wearing a beautiful psudo-silk evening gown in the style of an ancient Japanese Kimono. She looked much older than her 13 years.
Chelsea and Kim had spent ages helping each other with their hair and had even applied make up too. They both looked like a million credits. Kim was as tall as Rick in some pretty little heeled shoes and was over the moon to look so glamorous. Chelsea has lent her some powerful jewellery too which shone with precious stones and added to the effect of a princess.
Dunham was very proud of Chelsea as they walked the together with Kim through the corridors of the star ship, and he was amazed at how quickly Kim seemed to be growing up. For a moment he felt a pang of remorse for his sister, who he missed dearly and was missing out on these vital years of her daughter growing up. He smiled to himself as he thought of what his sister might think of their current predicament. Dunham hoped one day that his sister would be able meet the love of his life; Chelsea.
As they arrived at the door and rang the chime they were invited in and all three presented themselves in a line before the Matriarch.
Captain Dunham sat up from the top of the dining table. She too was in full dress uniform, and commander a powerful figure of authority in the large room, that looked out through large windows into the docking bay beyond. “Very nice” she said with a sincere smile and gestured to the empty chairs.
The three musketeers moved further into the room and sat themselves at the table. Rick was opposite his mother at the foot of the square table and Kim and Chelsea took the side seats.
As they began to eat their food; soup. Granma Dunham asked her questions politely and in a friendly manner as she sipped the soup from the silver cutlery, “so Chelsea why did you decide to join Starfleet?”
Chelsea shot a tiny imperceptible glance at Rick, her eyes sparkling. ~Bring it on then!~ she thought and answered with complete and perfect outer serenity as if she was reassuring a very ill patient who needed to be kept calm and feel the doctor had everything in hand. This particular act was one Chelsea had off to a tee.
Gently smiling she didn't miss a stroke of her soup, which she was eating away from her elegantly.
"I enrolled in the Academy to escape an unhappy childhood." she admitted candidly. It was all on her record and this was not the sort of adversary who either could not, nor *would* not have checked that out.
"It was the best move I made as a teenager" she went on obligingly. "I found my niche in medicine so I stayed for the extra time to specialise. They have the best teaching facilities in the Federation at HQ in New San Fransisco. You should *see* the McCoy Memorial Units... they are state of the art!"
Mrs Dunham smiled quaintly over a glass of white wine, “I remember it fondly, that was where Richard was born.” Out of the large window behind her the galaxy class starship began to remove her moorings and docking clamps, after releasing her links to the airlocks she headed out of dry dock under thrusters power. Soon the diners were greeted by crystal twinkling stars of space. ~No escape now~ thought Dunham to himself as he took a bite from his bread.
"Really?" Chelsea's soup spoon paused with interest (or so it politely seemed). "Did you have Professor Roberts? He was head of maternity when I was there. Lovely man. A bit scary but if you got on well with your studies he wasn't so bad. He expected nothing short of perfection from his students and the Prophets help you if you messed about in his classes! One kid did, I remember... his rear didn't hit the ground all the way out of the Fleet." she spoke matter of factly and resumed her soup afterwards.
The captain dabbed her lips lightly with a pristinely white napkin. “I can’t say that the name rings any bells, we had a family doctor come in to deal with the birth. Do you remember Doctor Elstin Richard?” Richard nodded his remembrance of the ship’s doctor on board the USS Paris, his mother and father's first assignment and where he had grown up. The doctor was called in especially. Mrs Dunham paused a moment as she placed her Napkin back on the table. “Chelsea you're only half Bajoran, yet you still follow their deities?” She nodded to herself in thought. “Now I see why my son likes you so much he has a silly little spiritual side also, I do exasperate over it.” She said in a matter of fact tone.
"Your son's spiritual side is one amongst his myriad wonderful traits. I actually don't subscribe as closely as my heritage would normally require of me, however I do wish I had Rick's serenity and soulful calm. I know a lot of people who would benefit from some inner-scrutiny, to be honest." Chelsea's spoon despatched the last of the soup and she tilted the bowl away from herself, amused to be putting on the old fashioned excesses of so-called polite manners. She was playing this like a pantomime. Right up to the hilt.
“Indeed” said Captain Dunham with a raised eyebrow. There was a slightly uncomfortable silence for a moment as the soup bowls were taken away and the main course was served. A Bajoran dish; Hasperat soufflé.
"How kind of you to serve something Bajoran in my honour Margaret." Chelsea enthused.
“Not a problem my dear” said Granma Dunham with a small nod of her head. Rick just wanted to bang his head on the table against the rising tension in the room. “I hope it meets to your Bajoran cultural pallet. Chef has been working on it all day.”
"I'm sure it will be wonderful" Chelsea said before she'd even tried it. "It was most kind of your Chef, please thank him for me. Do you like Bajoran food yourself, Captain?"
The captain took a sip of her wine and smiled politely. “I will, thank you, this is the first time I have had the opportunity to try Bajoran for food, I’m more of fan of Vulcan cuisine” She took a bite of her Hasperat soufflé. “Hmmm yes very agreeable.” She said around a mouthful of food. “So Chelsea I see by your record that you served on the USS Venture, Rick served on a Defiant class too. How did you find it?”
"To be honest, I found her a little small. The Sickbay only had four bios and it was right next to the mess hall. She was a little warhorse and there was never a dull moment. A nifty little baby, armed to the teeth and fast about the place but a bit spartan. I prefer Starbase life where there's room to move about and far more in the way of advanced medical facilities. I can't say that DS5 is *a quiet life* though, not even by comparison to a Defiant. Have you ever served on one?"
“I can’t say I have served on a defiant class, they're uncivilised, still an unfortunate sign of the times, when Starfleet has to build pure warships. As a Starfleet officer I have always considered myself an explorer rather than a warrior.” The captain stared at Rick for a moment. “I suppose Rick gets it from his father really.”
"Gets *what* from his father? What is his father like? I never hear about him." Chelsea asked, curious about this new line of conversation.
Before Margaret could answer, Chelsea already regretted asking that question, her second thoughts being brought on by the looks on Rick's and Kim's faces.
tbc/.....
Off:
A JP Between
Lt Richard Dunham
Squadron Leader
and
Lt Cmdr Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5
by Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham
Post Details
| Title | (Pt 5) 'My What Big Teeth You Have Grandma' | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Commander Chelsea Dunham & Commander Richard Dunham | |
| Posted | Wed May 19, 2010 @ 7:57am | |
| Location | CO's Quarters USS Hagnon | |
| Timeline | Dinner Time |
The three of them looked stunning as they took themselves to the Captain's Dining Room for dinner with Rick's mother. Rick and Chelsea were both in their *whites*, full formal best ceremonial uniforms and Kim was wearing a beautiful psudo-silk evening gown in the style of an ancient Japanese Kimono. She looked much older than her 13 years.
Chelsea and Kim had spent ages helping each other with their hair and had even applied make up too. They both looked like a million credits. Kim was as tall as Rick in some pretty little heeled shoes and was over the moon to look so glamorous. Chelsea has lent her some powerful jewellery too which shone with precious stones and added to the effect of a princess.
Dunham was very proud of Chelsea as they walked the together with Kim through the corridors of the star ship, and he was amazed at how quickly Kim seemed to be growing up. For a moment he felt a pang of remorse for his sister, who he missed dearly and was missing out on these vital years of her daughter growing up. He smiled to himself as he thought of what his sister might think of their current predicament. Dunham hoped one day that his sister would be able meet the love of his life; Chelsea.
As they arrived at the door and rang the chime they were invited in and all three presented themselves in a line before the Matriarch.
Captain Dunham sat up from the top of the dining table. She too was in full dress uniform, and commander a powerful figure of authority in the large room, that looked out through large windows into the docking bay beyond. “Very nice” she said with a sincere smile and gestured to the empty chairs.
The three musketeers moved further into the room and sat themselves at the table. Rick was opposite his mother at the foot of the square table and Kim and Chelsea took the side seats.
As they began to eat their food; soup. Granma Dunham asked her questions politely and in a friendly manner as she sipped the soup from the silver cutlery, “so Chelsea why did you decide to join Starfleet?”
Chelsea shot a tiny imperceptible glance at Rick, her eyes sparkling. ~Bring it on then!~ she thought and answered with complete and perfect outer serenity as if she was reassuring a very ill patient who needed to be kept calm and feel the doctor had everything in hand. This particular act was one Chelsea had off to a tee.
Gently smiling she didn't miss a stroke of her soup, which she was eating away from her elegantly.
"I enrolled in the Academy to escape an unhappy childhood." she admitted candidly. It was all on her record and this was not the sort of adversary who either could not, nor *would* not have checked that out.
"It was the best move I made as a teenager" she went on obligingly. "I found my niche in medicine so I stayed for the extra time to specialise. They have the best teaching facilities in the Federation at HQ in New San Fransisco. You should *see* the McCoy Memorial Units... they are state of the art!"
Mrs Dunham smiled quaintly over a glass of white wine, “I remember it fondly, that was where Richard was born.” Out of the large window behind her the galaxy class starship began to remove her moorings and docking clamps, after releasing her links to the airlocks she headed out of dry dock under thrusters power. Soon the diners were greeted by crystal twinkling stars of space. ~No escape now~ thought Dunham to himself as he took a bite from his bread.
"Really?" Chelsea's soup spoon paused with interest (or so it politely seemed). "Did you have Professor Roberts? He was head of maternity when I was there. Lovely man. A bit scary but if you got on well with your studies he wasn't so bad. He expected nothing short of perfection from his students and the Prophets help you if you messed about in his classes! One kid did, I remember... his rear didn't hit the ground all the way out of the Fleet." she spoke matter of factly and resumed her soup afterwards.
The captain dabbed her lips lightly with a pristinely white napkin. “I can’t say that the name rings any bells, we had a family doctor come in to deal with the birth. Do you remember Doctor Elstin Richard?” Richard nodded his remembrance of the ship’s doctor on board the USS Paris, his mother and father's first assignment and where he had grown up. The doctor was called in especially. Mrs Dunham paused a moment as she placed her Napkin back on the table. “Chelsea you're only half Bajoran, yet you still follow their deities?” She nodded to herself in thought. “Now I see why my son likes you so much he has a silly little spiritual side also, I do exasperate over it.” She said in a matter of fact tone.
"Your son's spiritual side is one amongst his myriad wonderful traits. I actually don't subscribe as closely as my heritage would normally require of me, however I do wish I had Rick's serenity and soulful calm. I know a lot of people who would benefit from some inner-scrutiny, to be honest." Chelsea's spoon despatched the last of the soup and she tilted the bowl away from herself, amused to be putting on the old fashioned excesses of so-called polite manners. She was playing this like a pantomime. Right up to the hilt.
“Indeed” said Captain Dunham with a raised eyebrow. There was a slightly uncomfortable silence for a moment as the soup bowls were taken away and the main course was served. A Bajoran dish; Hasperat soufflé.
"How kind of you to serve something Bajoran in my honour Margaret." Chelsea enthused.
“Not a problem my dear” said Granma Dunham with a small nod of her head. Rick just wanted to bang his head on the table against the rising tension in the room. “I hope it meets to your Bajoran cultural pallet. Chef has been working on it all day.”
"I'm sure it will be wonderful" Chelsea said before she'd even tried it. "It was most kind of your Chef, please thank him for me. Do you like Bajoran food yourself, Captain?"
The captain took a sip of her wine and smiled politely. “I will, thank you, this is the first time I have had the opportunity to try Bajoran for food, I’m more of fan of Vulcan cuisine” She took a bite of her Hasperat soufflé. “Hmmm yes very agreeable.” She said around a mouthful of food. “So Chelsea I see by your record that you served on the USS Venture, Rick served on a Defiant class too. How did you find it?”
"To be honest, I found her a little small. The Sickbay only had four bios and it was right next to the mess hall. She was a little warhorse and there was never a dull moment. A nifty little baby, armed to the teeth and fast about the place but a bit spartan. I prefer Starbase life where there's room to move about and far more in the way of advanced medical facilities. I can't say that DS5 is *a quiet life* though, not even by comparison to a Defiant. Have you ever served on one?"
“I can’t say I have served on a defiant class, they're uncivilised, still an unfortunate sign of the times, when Starfleet has to build pure warships. As a Starfleet officer I have always considered myself an explorer rather than a warrior.” The captain stared at Rick for a moment. “I suppose Rick gets it from his father really.”
"Gets *what* from his father? What is his father like? I never hear about him." Chelsea asked, curious about this new line of conversation.
Before Margaret could answer, Chelsea already regretted asking that question, her second thoughts being brought on by the looks on Rick's and Kim's faces.
tbc/.....
Off:
A JP Between
Lt Richard Dunham
Squadron Leader
and
Lt Cmdr Chelsea Adams
CMO - DS5