Aftermath
“Why in the name of Bastet’s left whiskers are you two scrubbing the med bay at this hour? You were on duty all night—even though I told you it wasn’t necessary—and the log says we didn’t have a single patient.”
Dax and Skyla froze guiltily, hands pausing with sanitizing irradiators in mid-air. The service droids continued their cleaning protocols around them.
“Um. It’s a tradition,” squeaked Dax. He coughed and lowered his voice to its normal range. “After Valentine’s Day, you do... String Cleaning.”
“It’s Spring Cleaning, Valentine’s is not in the spring season, and you’re a terrible liar.” Marcus pushed past his assistants with a huff. “What did you break, spill, or otherwise splash around the med bay, Dax? You’re cleaning up after some disaster, aren’t you?”
“No! Honest. It wasn’t a disaster, anyway,” Dax mumbled.
Marcus gave him a long look, then sat at his desk and pulled up the day’s files.
His eyes narrowed, and he looked at his two assistants with a frown.
“I have a request entitled Canid Chromosomal Booster Trial. From aboard this ship, not from the Sirius Federation Institutes of Health or Bastet Mercy.”
Dax looked at Skyla and dropped his irradiator to seize her hands. “Oh, babe! Really? This soon? I mean... I’m with you, all the way. I just thought maybe we’d take leave, meet your folks first, plan a nice wedding...”
“Wedding? Dax! You brilliant little blob of solar gases! You finally realized it! Ah-ha!” Marcus hopped up, grabbed the much smaller human with a pounce, and spun him around the room.
“Th-thanks, Doc!” Dax wheezed as his ribs were smushed.
“Congratulations, my dears! I’ve got some preliminary samples maturing, but this lights a fire under these old heels!” Marcus roared, slapping Skyla on the back so hard that she pitched face forward onto one of the rolling chairs.
“Thank you. It wasn’t me, though. I wouldn’t have done that without asking you about it, babe.” Skyla righted herself and came over to retrieve Dax from Marcus’ overenthusiastic embrace.
“It wasn’t?” Marcus put Dax down and looked puzzled. “But you said—”
“Well. Valentine’s. Cupid was here. Definitely,” Dax coughed and blushed, putting his arm around Skyla’s waist.
“Ahhh.” Marcus beamed—then frowned. “But who—” He returned to his desk and tapped the screen while his assistants continued chatting behind him.
“It has to be Jaxson and Kaylie. Have you seen the way he guards her like a big furry angel?” Dax snapped his fingers. “And she looks at him like he’s a big, juicy razortusk steak after weeks of being on a citrine juice fast.”
“Ohhh.” Skyla’s eyes immediately welled up as she thought of her former team leader and current crewmate.
“That would be so wonderful. A second chance at love and a family for Jaxson, and Kaylie would finally have a family of her own, for real. I mean, because Jaxson is Rupex’s brother-in-law, so the cubs would be her niece and nephew, and—”
“I hate to cut you off, Skyla, because you’re painting a lovely picture, but it’s not from Jaxson or Kaylie.
Medically speaking, this would be in strictest confidence.
But because you two jokers are part of the med team, you’d see the request, anyway.
” Marcus pushed himself away from his screen and waved Dax and Skyla over.
For a moment, there was silence in the med bay.
“Lycen?” Skyla whispered.
“And Elio!” Dax cried.
“Did anyone...” Marcus trailed off, question hanging in the air.
“No! Never,” Skyla vowed.
“No clue. But then, I’m kinda clueless sometimes,” Dax shrugged.
Marcus coughed. “I can’t argue with that, son. But I must say... I think you could have knocked me down with a whisker.”
“Morning, Marcus. Why so startled?” Jaxson and Kaylie entered the med bay.
“Nothing. Nothing. Something medically confidential.” Marcus quickly closed the tab on his screen.
“Ah, gotcha. Okay, love of mine. Have a good day at work. Save the species. Rebuild the population and all that,” Jaxson leaned down and gave Kaylie a lingering kiss.
“Ohhh! It’s true!” Skyla squealed and jumped, running to hug Jaxson. “I’m so happy for you! Kaylie, you’re getting one of the best guys in the whole universe! I’d say the best, but I think he’s tied with Dax.” She gave him a long look over her shoulder.
“Ah. Cupid’s been busy.” Jaxson gave a knowing nod.
“Love must have been in the air last night,” Kaylie agreed with a blush. “You’d better run along, babe. Lycen will come and hunt you down if you’re late to start the short-range shuttle overhauls.”
“You’re right, I’d better— Oop.” Jaxson paused as he began to walk out of the med bay, pulling his comm device from his pocket. “Hey. It’s from Lycen. ‘Sorry, boss. Taking a day off. Important personal business to attend to.’ That’s not like her. She never misses a day of work.”
“Something must have come over her,” Marcus said with a straight face.
“Or in her,” Dax muttered, shaking his head in awe. Skyla elbowed him.
“I’ll have Nessa help out, it’ll be fine. Although I do need to run by the freight hangar and get my parts from Elio. I think those Model M Short Range—hold on. Oh, speak of the devil. It’s Elio.” Jaxson looked at his comm again.
“Surprise, surprise,” murmured Marcus, his whiskers twitching.
“He says my stuff is in the hangar and he’s going to give me an access code so I can pick it up myself.
He has... Huh. He has ‘important personal business’ and is taking the day off.
” Jaxson put his comm down and stared at the three medical members of the crew.
“Is there something contagious on board?” he demanded, stepping closer to Kaylie, putting a protective arm over her shoulder, face suddenly tense.
“Yep. The love bug,” Dax blurted. “And there’s no shot to ward it off, apparently.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure that a shot isn’t involved,” Marcus sighed with a smile. “I think some cosmic Cupid has been shooting his arrows all over this ship—and I, for one, am damn pleased about it. Don’t the four of you agree?”
Jaxson looked at Kaylie, who beamed up at him. “Couldn’t have put it better myself, Doc.”
Dax took Skyla’s hand. “I’m all for it. Think we should make it a celebration every year, babe?”
Skyla cuddled into his side and leaned her head against his. “Definitely.”