Home » The Archives » Chapter 7 » Trouble Under the Hood
| Re: Trouble Under the Hood [message #1854 is a reply to message #1853] |
Sat, 28 July 2012 16:38   |
Lillehafrue
Messages: 478
Registered: July 2012
Location: Northeastern USA
Karma:
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TB Pilot
Evil Genius |
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Friday, July 6, 2:45 a.m. (Tracy Island time), somewhere over the Indian Ocean
Elise fought to keep her eyes open. The long day, the long rescue, and now the long flight home, at a time when, by rights, she should have been asleep, were finally catching up with her. She shook her head briskly and blinked hard, trying to focus on the instruments in front of her.
Suddenly, there was the aroma of fresh coffee and, surprised, she turned her head to see Dianne crouching beside her, a steaming travel mug in her hand. "Need this?" the doctor asked.
"Oh yeah," Elise breathed, taking the cup from her. She took the cup in one hand and sipped. "Ahhh. That's great." A small, puzzled frown creased her brow and she asked, "How did you know how I like my coffee?"
Dianne smiled, a weary but mischievous smile. "I am the doctor. I see all, know all."
"Yeah, right," answered Elise, raising an eyebrow in wry challenge. "Try again."
Dianne chuckled. "I asked around. Nikki was able to tell me what I needed to know." She sipped noisily from her own travel mug. "If you need a break, you could put it on auto-pilot and get a stretch. I can keep an eye on it for you."
"You know how to fly Two?" Elise asked, confused.
"I'm a doctor, not a cargo pilot," Dianne quipped. Elise snorted a laugh, and Dianne continued, more soberly this time, "I have been trained to do it, but I don't like to. The thing's too damn big... and Virgil doesn't like the way I handle it. Or the way I call it 'it' and 'the thing'." She shrugged. "I'm very low on the piloting pecking order; I only know how in case of emergency."
"Well, then, I'll take you up on your offer. A stretch would do me good."
She unbuckled herself and rose from the pilot's chair, coffee in hand. Dianne slid into her place, and Elise stretched, yawning. "I'm going to see what the crew's quarters has to offer in the way of cookies. Be back in a few."
"F-A-B," Dianne replied.
As she passed through the cockpit, Elise heard Tin-Tin say to Callie, "I can't wait to get home and get all this sand out of my clothes. Those heat resistant suits were good, to a point, but I still feel like I have sand in every fold."
"I know what you mean," Callie replied, stifling a yawn. "I'm really looking forward to a nice hot shower."
Elise passed Kat, who was as curled up in her seat as she could be, fast asleep. She should have gone back to crew's quarters to get a rest, Elise thought. Maybe I should mention it to her.
She reached out and touched Kat on the shoulder. "Kat? Hey, Kat."
Kat stirred and looked up at Elise with bleary eyes, "Wha...?"
"Why don't you go sleep in the crew's quarters?" Elise said kindly. "You'll keep yourself from getting a crick in your neck if you're lying down."
Kat rubbed her neck. "Too late," she muttered. "But thanks for waking me. I want to be able to sleep when I get home and I know that if I sleep on the trip, I shan't sleep in my bed."
"Ah, okay. You're welcome," Elise said. She gave Kat's shoulder a brief squeeze, and continued her journey back.
There was a definite steamy quality in the air of the crew's quarters as Elise entered. She rummaged around in the cupboard, looking for cookies, and turned as Nikki came out of the tiny onboard shower, towelling dry her hair.
"Oh!" the nurse exclaimed. "That feels so much better! I couldn't stand another moment with all that sand in my clothes!"
She shook out her uniform slacks, and Elise heard the minute sound of sand grains scattering all over the floor. "Hey!" she cried. "Watch it! I've got to clean this place, you know!"
"I'm sorry," Nikki said sincerely. "I didn't think of that." She sat down on the bunk to pull the pants on over her legs. "Now that I think about it, Thunderbird Seven's going to be a bear to clean out, too. All that sand... ugh!"
Elise found a tightly sealed container full of chocolate chip cookies. She opened the container, pulled out two sizeable ones, then offered the rest to Nikki. The nurse shook her head.
"Thanks, but no thanks," Nikki said, waving a hand. "I'm fine."
"Okay." Elise sealed up the container again, and sat down at the table with her coffee and cookies.
Nikki frowned, and looked from her to the door. "Pardon me for asking, but if you're in here... who's flying Two?"
"It's on autopilot," Elise informed her around a mouthful of cookie. "Dianne's watching it."
"Oh, okay."
They spent a few more moments talking while Nikki finished getting dressed again, and Elise ate her snack. She lifted her mug to the nurse and said, "Thanks for telling Dianne how I like my coffee. I really appreciate it."
"No problem," Nikki replied with a smile. "I figured you could use the caffeine."
"You were right," Elise replied. "The coffee, cookies, and the stretch were all I needed to wake up. Now, back to the cockpit and flying this 'Bird."
The two of them chuckled, and left the crew's quarters, heading back to where the rest of the women waited.[/size]
98% pure evil...and loving every minute of it.
 
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