On the bridge, Commander Lataro sat at his chair reading the battle readiness reports of the Virgo. The day started off on the wrong foot. First he overslept, then he called Red Alert from his quarters. Captain Maruu had given Lataro a stiff dressing down, no matter what happened if Lataro ever did that again, he would get a swift kick off the ship into the vacuum of space.
The hangover was still present in Lataro's system. He dreaded the bright lights of the ship and especially the moderate beeping and humming of the ship's bridge computers. Everything he heard, to include the butt chewing, was like a resounding cymbal in his head, eternally ringing. Mental note: Never ask Dweezle to surprise me with a drink again!
Lataro's internal organs seem to be constricting and contracting, giving him harsh spasms throughout his system. Obviously there was something in the "Dweezle Dazzler" that didn't agree with him. Now, for the hours of "alcoholic pleasure" he received, Lataro imagined the there will be eternal torture. Little did he know how true that torture was.
It was late morning and Lataro stood up from his chair. He figured that by walking around the bridge once or twice, the spasms might be subdued, but he was wrong. As he came around his chair, his gut constricted tightly making him double over. He grabbed for the first thing that would support him; it happened to be a bulkhead next to science station one. "Commander? You okay?" Lt. Tomme said, looking up with a gentle smile.
Why does that sound familiar? Lataro thought as he tried to straighten back up. "Um. Yes, Lieutenant... I am sorry, Lieutenant, I don't think we have been introduced."
"I'm sorry, Sir? You don't remember what happened last night?"
"No."
"Well we met in the Forward Lounge last night. You were slightly drunk," she said with a smile.
"I am sorry. I do remember going to the lounge last night and getting a drink, but after that nothing. The only thing I remember was waking up in my room and yelling for red alert."
Tomme laughed. "Yes, Sir. I was on the bridge when that happened. You should have seen the look the captain made when all of sudden the klaxons went off."
"I bet that was a sight."
"Yes, Sir, the crew all jumped, then, when we realized what had happened, we laughed, everyone but the captain."
"I can imagine."
"So you don't remember what happened last night?" Tomme asked.
"Not at all."
Tomme let out a small breath, and under it, she said, "Good."
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Lataro said, turning his ear to try to hear it.
"Oh nothing, Sir."
"Commander Lataro! Come in here!" Captain Maruu yelled from his ready room. He had the door open. Lataro politely excused himself and walked to the ready room. "Please shut the door. I need to have a word with you," he said as he passed the threshold.
"Of course."
Maruu motioned for Lataro to have a seat. Lataro did so.
"Commander, I don't know what is going on with you and K'Lara, but last night she came back to the bridge in tears," Maruu said, sitting upright and boring a hole into Lataro with his gaze.
"Sir?"
"I don't think I stuttered. You and K'Lara are two of my finest officers, but last night, and your incident this morning has started to make me question if that title is appropriate."
"Well, Sir, I understand I made an error in judgment this morning, and you have my word it won't happen again, but what about K'Lara? If I recall, she was here on the bridge. What happened?"
"She left the bridge. Then about 20 minutes later she was back in tears and making careless mistakes. Now, I don't know what happened or why, but you had better fix it and I mean now!" Maruu said sternly.
"Understood, Sir."
"Dismissed!" Maruu said, turning his back.
Oh boy. He is mad at me! Lataro thought as he left. "Computer, where is Lieutenant Commander K'Lara."
<Lt. Commander K'Lara is in the Forward Lounge.>
The door opened to the Forward Lounge, and immediately Lataro saw his betrothed sitting at a table in the far corner. Lt. Nori was sitting talking to her. Quietly Lataro walked up behind her wanting to surprise her. As he gently pulled K'Lara's hair away from her neck, Dr. Nori's eyes widened. K'Lara suddenly felt wet lips against her neck and then a soft, whispering voice which said, "Hello, my love."
She sprung up and turned around to face so that she surprised the first officer. Her eyes were not only flashing red, but were intense and burning a hole into Lataro's head. "How dare you?!" she screamed.
"What?!" Lataro said, stepping back actually frightened.
"You have the nerve to call me anything after last night!" K'Lara was now screaming at the top of her lungs. Everyone who was in the lounge turned and watched the commotion.
"What happened last night?" Lataro asked shrugging his shoulders.
"Well, why don't you ask your girlfriend, that young, pretty one from science, Lt. Tomme?" K'Lara yelled. Now an expression of pain crossed her face. She began to double over.
"K'Lara, you okay?" Dr. Nori said jumping up and running to her side.
"K'Lara!" Lataro yelled also leaning over to help her.
As he put her arm around her to comfort her, K'Lara slowly turned her head and faced him. "Get your hands off of me!" she yelled, backhanding him. Lataro flew up and over three or four tables and landed on a fifth. The table crashed into pieces as the full brunt of his weight came down up it. He was unconscious, blood pouring now from his mouth and his nose.
"Come on we need to get you to sickbay!" Nori said. She tapped her com badge. "Medical emergency to the forward lounge." [Acknowledged,] the medteam replied.
"Jon?" K'Lara said, now in a more softened tone, still doubled over.
"Transporter room one." Nori inquired.
[Go ahead.]
"Two to beam directly to sickbay!"
[Standby, Doctor.]
"Jon!" K'Lara said as she managed to look, worried, at the bleeding commander. The abdominal pains were strong and quick, but her Klingon endurance allowed her to bear some of the intense pain. Her atoms began to dematerialize and to be transported to sickbay. Now all that was left in the forward lounge was the broken tables and Lataro who, now lay there motionless, waiting for the medteam.