Big Damned Heron

Posted on Wed Jun 24th, 2015 @ 10:31pm by Lieutenant Commander Solis & Lieutenant Commander Earl Crane

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Piper Medical Center

Solis rounded the corner, dressed in his uniform and blue lab coat and continued on down the corridor to Earl’s office. He’d received a call, just as he’d been kissing Julisa goodbye. She was on her way to her office and he wasn’t on shift till later. However, Julian’s call had requested his presence now and that meant it was important. Up ahead, he could see Julian in the corridor talking to Ophelia and their stance was casual, not two people discussing a case. Interesting, he thought, and smiled a bit. He certainly was his father’s son. He reached Earl’s door and Ophelia greeted him and left.

“What's the story, Jules?”

"That she is one very pretty girl," Julian sighed, watching Ophelia walk away. "There's an old Earth adage: hate to see her go, but love to watch her leave."

Solis smacked his own forehead and groaned. “I know that. I could see it without laying a hand on you. Take her to dinner or take her home….she’s a grown woman and she doesn’t bite...at least not on the job.” He grinned at Julian. “I meant your call? Come to Dad’s office now?”

"Oh, right!" He gestured to Earl's office, "Let's go in. I think Dad's here, too."

He was and he looked up, surprised, when they entered. "Didn't anyone teach you to knock, Julian! You'd think you were raised in a barn."

“What? Afraid we might catch you holed up in here doing something naughty?” Solis winked at Earl. “Though it wouldn’t surprise me at all.”

"Bah!", both Cranes uttered the syllable.

"So, Dr. Crane, did you review the report from your counselor?", asked the younger Dr. Crane as he took a seat.

"Well, yes, Dr. Crane, I did. Have you told Solis?"

"Not yet." Julian shook his head then turned toward Solis and relayed the story about his discussion with Nikki Gold. "Now, you can thank me profusely, Solis, for getting her to confess."

Solis blinked at Julian. “And we have the recording? Please tell me nothing glitched and we have it? If so, then I will take you out to dinner and bite you if Ophelia won’t.” He was grinning ear to ear. With evidence, it would take Ray no time to set things straight.

"Bite me?" Julian gave Solis a crazy look then glanced at Earl. "A recording, huh? I didn't think about that," he teased before grinning, "Of course there's a recording! And witnesses."

Solis gave a loud whoop, then grabbed Julian and danced him around the office. “You are a genius, man.” He planted a kiss on Julian’s cheek before he let go and settled down a little. “So what happens to her now?”

"Likely a dishonorable discharge and a free trip home," Earl said, watching as Julian wiped his cheek and sat back down. He laughed at his son's discomfort.

"Ugh, emotional Vulcans. How do you put up with him?"

"Well, I've sedated him once or twice, just to save my sanity," Earl admitted, thinking of the weeks' long trip from DS-15, during which Solis had been a pain in his rear.

‘No way! Did you really? I thought it was the damn flu!” Solis frowned from one to the other. His little black cloud vanished a moment later, however. “I’m sorry about your great-great-whatever granddaughter, both of you. But is this the last of the Nikki Gold issues?” He looked pointedly at Julian now.

"Should be. That I know of, there was just the one kid," Julian answered.

Solis breathed a sigh of relief and dropped into a chair. “It’s really over,” he said quietly. “Thank you.” He looked from Earl to Julian. “Have you told Ehlana?”

"No," Jules said.

"I did. I tell her everything," Earl said, smiling. "She's thrilled. And said that she expects an invitation to the wedding."

“What wedding?” Solis and Julian asked together. Then Solis smacked his forehead again. “Duh. Mine, Jules, not yours. To Jules. But not you...my Jules. Calm down.”

"Good, for a moment, I thought maybe that'd be the price of getting into Ophelia's pan--- ah," Jules glanced at his dad, whose jaw had just dropped.

"Don't! I don't want to hear it!" Earl covered his ears. "Go on, you two, shoo!"

Solis stood and took hold of Julian’s jacket, pulling him out of Earl’s office. “How soon will she be released and out of here? I don’t want to sound harsh but ten minutes ago sounds good.”

"Who? Nikki? She's not being released. The brig is no place for a mentally ill patient."

“No,” Solis answered. “I meant released from Piper and put on a transport home. Back to her family and Starfleet to deal with?”

"Oh, well, that will depend upon Benson and his team, but I've heard he's shorthanded lately." Julian paused, looking at Solis. "Any progress with Julisa?"

“Progress?” Solis stopped walking and turned to face Julian. “Meaning?”

"With her memory coming back? The headaches? Dad said she was brought in here."

“Ahh, yes,” Solis nodded. “The memory was coming through and so now she knows. Everything that happened. It was the dissonance that was causing the headaches, but they seem to have abated. She is back at work. Now, thanks to you, we can get on without our lives...without the hidden memory of her death and without Nikki’s tricks screwing things up. We’re golden.”

"Oh, you just invited Murphy into your life," Julian clapped Solis on the shoulder and shook his head, chuckling. "Seriously, I'm glad to have helped you with this. Um...," he stopped and looked up and down the hallway, "Any tips I could use with Ophelia?"

Solis laughed softly. “Really? I see you’re taking her out to dinner. Be a gentleman, at least in public. I can’t tell you about her private life since I don’t know anything but I sense she may have a wild side. Just a guess.” Solis gripped Julian’s shoulder tight. “But don’t you dare hurt her or I’ll kick your ass, even if you are older than me.”

"Oh, I wouldn't hurt her. Unless she asked me to," he grinned lasciviously. "Talk to you, soon, Solis." He patted his shoulder and hurried off to find Nurse Payne.

Solis watched him go, then turned and hurried off to his own office. He needed to give Julisa the good news immediately.

*****************
Lt. Commander Earl Crane
Lt. Solis
Julian Crane, M.D.