pslplz | Starship Kingdom

“Roger that, Commander,” Akaya says, with an almost exaggerated emphasis on Commander, a rarely used formality. He does respect the man, him being his superior and mentor and all that, etc. etc. But even so, he doesn’t usually address him by title, if only because Akaya likes the casual intimacy of their relationship. Maybe it’s an intimacy he pushes on him, because Sanada has much by way of things up his backside, and can use a little loosening up. That Akaya even bothers to shows he cares about the man beyond the official association. He starts to get up, but he hears the medical officer’s stern command:

“I trust you’re not intending on disembarking before I clear you, Lieutenant?”

“Er. Of course not.” Figures! But as Yagyuu would know, the nose dive would affect the pilot the most, being in the forward position when they crashed. He sinks back into his chair to wait assessment.

—-

Yagyuu suppresses and smile and turns back to scanning Niou’s head with his medical tricorder. It doesn’t look too serious from the preliminary standpoint. He flashes a light into Niou’s eyes and peers closely in as he holds up a finger from his other hand and moves it slowly left to right.

“Follow with your eyes, please,” he says.

Someone less observant than Niou might miss the small twitch in Sanada's expression at what he must interpret to be sarcasm. The man looks to be tempering himself against devolving into a scold. He's even more tense than usual right now. Well, that's probably to be expected. It's quite the predicament.

And yet, it could be so much worse. Niou is hardly an optimist, but he is very aware of all of the complications that were avoided in Akaya's crash landing. They're all alive. The reserve pack is retrievable. They have two crew members who came out of the crash unscathed enough to make that 40-mile round trip journey (don't think he didn't notice that you're favoring your right leg, Sanada). As the Lt. Commander deduced, the situation is salvageable.

There's no need to be so uptight.

Yagyuu, of course, is performing his duties in his typical manner as well. Courteous, efficient, analytical, and attentive-- he really is an eerily good doctor. Too bad Niou isn't nearly so good a patient.

"I'm afraid there's a light shining in my eyes. I can't see."

As Akaya waits for the doctor to finish up with Niou, he preps the ship for standby mode. He subtly glances at Sanada as he taps away at the screen.

Yagyuu snorts softly and shifts the light to a better angle so he can still see but it’s not flashing directly into Niou’s face.

“I am glad that the head trauma has not adversely affected your witty repartee.”

Yagyuu is as unflappable as always. Of course he doesn't rise to the bait-- that would be too easy. Nor is he ignoring it in hopes it might simply disappear. The man is smart enough-- and knows him well enough-- to know the challenge only makes him more interested. If Yagyuu were an easy target, it wouldn't be fun.

But what really makes it engaging is that he welcomes the game. Yagyuu's bantering response is all the proof anyone should need of that. Challenge accepted.

"Wouldn't that be a loss," he says, his eyes fixated on Yagyuu's. Never mind they're supposed to be following a finger.

“Indeed, it would be quite disabling, for a man in your position,” Yagyuu says without missing a beat. His finger keeps moving as though he hasn’t noticed that Niou’s eyes have failed to follow it. Yagyuu’s gaze might look deceptively amused.

“But perhaps you have other agreeable qualities to recommend yourself.”

Up front, Akaya lets out a brief snort.

Talk about asking for it.

Niou's easy half-smile expression turns devilish, and without missing a beat himself, he speaks in a perfect imitation of Yagyuu's voice, as though the man's barb were only the first half of what he had to say.

"If nothing else, I can confidently report on your physical attractiveness as beyond reproach."

“Ah.” That’s the remark that finally makes his finger stop mid-air.

“Your wits I can account for, but vision - what shall we say, since I’m dubious as to your sincere participation in this exercise?” And maybe that finger wags a little bit in reproach?

Sanada, who had become tense as a tightrope with secondhand embarrassment and was just about to ream Yagyuu because what kind of unprofessionalism is that, mercifully realized the trick in time to spare himself the firsthand variety.

"Maybe I have more interesting things to look at than your finger," Niou retorts back in his usual voice.

"Try holding up a different one."

Like you know you'd like to, Mr. Gentleman.

His lips twitch a bit before Yagyuu lowers his finger, and the hand holding up the light. His expression softens as he says privately to Niou: “Perhaps at another time.”

Poor Sanada, Akaya thinks as he watches the man tense up. He should learn to roll with it, because this rag tag crew has always been this way. But maybe crash landing on a random planet might be cause for new tension? Akaya thinks it’s better to lighten the mood instead of being full of doom and gloom and seriousness.

“Hey Doc, can you scan me so I can get outta here?”

“Of course.” Yagyuu tends to Niou’s head wound deftly before getting up.

He lets the conversation end there (for now). Yagyuu rises to tend to Akaya, and Niou turns his attention to what he can see outside the bit of front window visible from where he sits. It's arid and barren where they landed, but there's vegetation in the distance. That will be where the water is.

Unfortunately, it won't be where the fuel reserve pack is. Are they in for a desert hike? It seems that way.

Sanada offers Yagyuu a singular nod as their doctor moves to the pilot's seat to scan Akaya, then takes a moment to check the environmental scans he's conducting via the sensor array. Air is breathable, although sensors indicate elevated levels of compounds known to be harmful with long-term exposure. For the span of time it will be relevant to his team, the compounds will simply be an irritant.

He folds his arms and turns his attention to Yagyuu and Akaya to hear the doctor's assessment.

A brief scan with his handheld shows that Akaya has a shoulder sprain. Yagyuu gives him some pain meds and applies a cooling pad to bring down the swelling.

“No heaving lifting, no vigorous movements,” he says, while Akaya grunts discontentedly. “I could put it in a sling,” Yagyuu adds with a tilt of his head.

The young man opens his mouth and then closes it again, sighing. “I hear you.”

Yagyuu gives him a warm smile and gets up to tend to Sanada’s burn wound. Those can be tricky things, but thankfully it hasn’t penetrated too deeply to cause major tissue damage. He cleans it carefully and adds a cooling gel that will dull the pain and also help to shield it from infection.

“It’s fortunate that we still have some mobility amongst us,” Yagyuu says to him as he wraps the leg with gauze. Given Akaya and Sanada’s respective diagnoses, it is clear who among them is suited for the task of retrieving the reserve pack. He pauses expectantly for orders.

Sanada is a stubborn man, ~~often~~ sometimes to a fault. He is no idiot, however, particularly when it comes to his team's welfare (granted his ideas of what's best for them may be unorthodox at times). He issues a low sound of concurrence to Yagyuu's comment, then stands, gingerly testing the doctor's treatment. Still injured, of course, but the pain is much diminished.

"Priorities for the remainder of today are scouting and ensuring structural integrity of the ship. For tonight, it is our most reliable source of shelter. Niou, Akaya: you two are scouting. Disturb nothing. Stay within a kilometer, and prioritize exploration to the south. I expect a full report on opportunities and threats. Yagyuu and I will tend to the ship.

"At sunrise, Niou and Yagyuu will depart for the pack. Make preparations accordingly. Dismissed!"

Niou rises from his seat and tosses a sidelong glance at Yagyuu, though his only comment is to no one in particular as he retrieves a phaser and tricorder from storage and starts for the hatch. "Now then, let's have a nice little nature walk."

Starship Kingdom

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