Expanding Horizons "
By: Miranda, Lounge Manager, [RNPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58205.31 1225

Miranda entered sickbay and walked to the Doctor's office. She looked through the window into the office and saw the doctor busy at her desk. She gently knocked on the window to get the doctor's attention. Then she held up the large cup of coffee that she had brought with her.

Teilani looked up from the reports she had received during the night and the early morning. She felt like she had been hit by a Klingon Targ. She smiled and the smell of coffee reached her nostrils.

"Come on in, tell me that that you are holding is freshly ground coffee??

Miranda smiled, "I thought you might need some."

Teilani took the mug from Miranda and gestured to the chair in front of her desk. " Have seat," she murmered and took a quick sip from the coffee. The warmth and the excellent tast warmed her through and through and it gave her a little buzz. "Wow, this is a new flavour!" she said smiling.

"It is Pacifican," she smiled, "You would not think a planet made mostly of water would grow coffee beans but they somehow manage to do it." She chuckled, "When you live on a planet of mostly water you have to find creative ways of making it taste better."

" Indeed so true." Teilani said visibly enjoying the coffee. " You know I always wonder how you come up with new ideas and flavours. But you had us fooled you know during the party. "

"It was the commander's idea really. To be honest, I do not think he wanted to eat Klingon food either," Miranda laughed.

"The looks on some of the crews faces was to die for," said Teilani. "They never had tasted Klingon food." Teilani grinned. " But I have to admit some of it was not bad."

"Then you have expanded your horizons and grown. Among my people that is a very important thing," she replied. "There is one additional thing that I hope you learned from last night," said Miranda quietly as she watched the doctor drink her coffee.

"Whats that?"

Miranda smiled at the doctor, "Wearing fancy dresses to Klingon social functions is not recommended."

"Oh yes gosh I felt so stupid, but hey this was my first Klingon social gathering, I had no idea they were going to beat eachother up. Besides the dress is ready for recycling anyway and it will be the last time I ever engage such a social event anyway."

"Never say never doctor," said Miranda, "You might find yourself in that situation again. One ever knows."

Teilani drank more of the coffee and tried to hide a yawn. "You gotta put this coffee on my regular menu Miranda, its great."

"While supplies last," said Miranda

"So you picked up any new Klingon recipies?"

"Klingon cuisine requires a Klingon chef," said Miranda, "Even a replicator cannot do it justice." Miranda stood up and looked out of the doctor's large office window, "I see Lieutenant Jarvis is here, is she alright?"

Teilani stood up and walked towards the window. "yes she will be fine, physically that is, mentally I don't know. I had to operate on her, the stupid woman almost got herself killed."

Miranda arched an eyebrow but said noting choosing instead to wait for the doctor to continue.

"Luckily she had the common sense of contacting me last night. You know Miranda, when she is up and about perhaps you can talk some sense in her. Mention that she is not indestructible? She might listen to you more than to her doctor."

"Doctor, do you know much about Klingon culture," asked Miranda.

"I know enough about it to fix them up everytime they had a fight. I know about their honour and songs but thats it. I dont see the reason of them having to fight over every little thing."

"It is that honor you mentioned that is at issue," said Miranda, "If Melissa had declined to take part in last night's party in the manner in which she did things could have gotten very ugly." Miranda did not think she would be able to get the doctor to understand.

"Why don't you tell me about it."

"What you saw last night was a very friendly fight," said Miranda, "No one was really trying to kill anyone with the exception of the woman who fought Melissa."

"You could have fooled me, I thought they were figthing to the death."

"Yes, if she would have been able to she would have killed Melissa without hesitation," said Miranda. "Melissa knew this and did not allow

that to happen. In the process, from the Klingon point of view anyway, Melissa acted with honor and bought honor to Korg's memory as well as to herself, and this ship."

"You know thats all nice and such but there are otherways to honour someone or even this ship. Teilani said.

"You might think this is a pretty barbaric way to deal with things, but it is their way," said Miranda, "What Melissa did last night took a great deal of courage and skill."

"I never said that she did not have courage and skill, but nevertheless look where it lead her, right here in sickbay."

"It is a good thing that you were there for her," said Miranda.

"What if I hadn't heard her, we would have another person to mourn for, is that so honourable?" Teilani said while her face hardend a little.

"Have you asked yourself why she called you directly, and did not just call for a medical emergency," asked Miranda. Miranda placed a very neutral, calm expression on her face, "Why do you suppose she did that?"

"I don't know, perhaps because I was the closest by or perhaps she knows I'm always on call no matter what," Teilani said a bit sarcastically. For somereason a thought flared up in her mind, she wished that they would sometimes call her for just a chat or something else then only needing her medical skills.

Miranda waited.

"The only other thing I can think of is that she only trusts me and considers me as "family" as well?" Teilani said looking at Miranda.

"Perhaps you will get the opportunity to ask her when she wakes up," suggested Miranda.

Miranda stood up, "I am not here to defend the Klingon way," she said, "Next month I will celebrate 100 years of life and in that time I have met many different cultures and studied many others. With the exception of one, I have managed to learn something positive from each of them."

"I'm sorry Miranda for my comments." Teilani said looking back thru the window at Jarvis. "100 years, that's quit an age, which one didn't you learn from?" Teilani made a mental note, she had to see if they could throw Miranda a surprise party.

Although sadness touched Miranda's heart as it does for all of her people she kept a neutral expression on her face, "That is not important," said Miranda. "I better get back to work." Miranda cast a glace toward Jarvis, "When she wakes let her know that I picked up a couple cases of that Pacifican Ambrosia she is so fond of."

"I will," Teilani said softly. "Thanks for the coffee." She sighed a little as she watched Miranda leave. It seems she had again managed to chase some one away again by being pigheaded and stubborn. It seems that her live on the Zion repeated itself from her live back home.

She walked back to her console and called up Maquis HQ, perhaps there were other vacancies, but then again she would be running away from her responsibilities. Perhaps she should stop trying to make friends and just be a doctor, always professional and kind but never letting people close.

Miranda had gotten out into the hallway; the conversation with the doctor had not been a very good one. One of the things she had learned was that you must never leave any unfinished business behind you. Turning around, she went back into sickbay. As she approached the doctor's office she could see Teilani scanning through open positions on other ships on her console. She entered the doctor's office, "Looking for a new job?"

"Expanding my horizon Miranda," she replied. "Did you forget something?"

"I was a little concerned about the way our conversation ended," replied Miranda, "I wanted to make sure there were no hard feelings about my comments." Miranda looked at the doctor. "I only wanted to offer you a different point of view; I did not mean to offend."

Teilani smiled. "I know you did, don't worry about it, it me, I have a tendency of pushing people away."

"Why do you want to push people away," asked Miranda.

"To protect myself. You know as a doctor you decides who lives and who dies, if someone lives then the patient and their family are happy and if one is lucky you will never see the patient anymore, but on the other hand if one dies than you a doctor gets all the blame, even though you tried everything in your power."

"So, if Melissa dies, for example, you feel that you would be blamed for her death?"

"Eventhough I know I have done everything to save her, yes." Teilani said simply. She walked to the replicator. "Coffee, Jamaican blend, double strong, double sweet."

Miranda waited for Teilani to continue.

"So you see as a doctor you can not get too close to people whether they are patients or not, the pain of loosing someone will be hard but not as hard and bitter then when you were true friends. So when I said I push people away its just to protect my self from the possible pain or hartship if someting happens to them and that is why I sometimes react to stubbornly." Teilani grinned while she took a sip. "I should have been born a Vulcan."

"Get your things and let's go," said Miranda.

"Get my things?. Why?" Teilani asked.

"It's lunch time. We are going to have lunch," said Miranda with a smile, "I will not take no for an answer you will not push me away." Miranda paused, "You can try if it would make you feel better, but I have had more time to learn the art of being stubborn than you. You can't win."

"I still have an awful lot to do." Teilani muttered but the look on Miranda's face did not accept any rejection. She smiled. "You win.......... for now." She placed the mug on the table and left some instructions for her nurse then followed Miranda.