Learning Never Stops

Posted on Wed Aug 8th, 2018 @ 2:35am by

640 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: The Emerald Road
Location: Xavier's shared Quarters.

End of shift just didn't seem to want to come any slower, time seemed to drag, minutes felt like hours and each one more gruelling then the last. When the end of shift came Xavier headed to his shared quarters with BJ for a much needed meal and feet up relaxation. He was notified that he was on call which was to be expected and the same went for the rest of the medical staff.

Xavier's Quarters

"Ohhh." He moaned as he pulled off his boots, that freedom feeling his feet gave him a welcome sensation following a hard days work.

"Computer, lets start with a roast beef, traditional gravy, Yorkshire pudding, greens and.....a sparking white 62."

He heard the replicator deliver the meal and the smell of it was enticing. He quickly changed into a loose fitting shirt and casual trousers, socks but no slippers or other footwear. Gathering his tasty meal from the replicator he sat down at the table and began to eat. It was a welcome meal which not only filled that empty feeling he'd had for the past couple of hours but helped him relax as well, unwind from the days shift. Some soft music from his most listened to selection played in the background while he lay on the sofa, his feet over the arm with his head propped up with a pillow on the other. He'd learned early on in his medical career that it was prudent to enjoy ever moment of downtime because at any moment it could change.

He thought about BJ and the trip they took down to the planet during the very brief downtime, he remembered proposing, her bounding the table leaping at him with enough force to knock him and the chair over. It was a busy mission and its not like they were able to get down time very often and if rumours were true, things were going to get worse a lot sooner before they were going to get better.

Xavier was catching up on reading some paperwork on his course, he'd wanted to take the Advanced course in Xenobiology. This would lead to attaining his 2nd Doctorate qualification which he was looking forward to completing soon. Standing at the replicator he thought about the day. He felt things went ok but knew that sooner or later Sickbay would be a hub of activity soon.

After a little time of reading which resulted in a mild headache from all the strain on his eyes to read in the poorly lit room which he knew he should not have been and BJ would probably have words about. The course material, he was just unable to put down, just as he though another boring paragraph was about to start the next picked up again which kept him reading further, as time slipped by unnoticed only the words read were spent, seconds in time ignored.

The meal that he'd replicated while mostly eaten, some worn on the front of his tunic, some on the kitchen counter top. He was doing what he did back as SFM, reading with the one hand, eating with the other but paying no attention to which was which. He looked at the time, BJ would be knocking off shortly so knew that he'd have to clear up, himself included.

Meal rushed and eaten, plate and cutlery cleared up he stripped his uniform off swapping the reading material from one hand to the other as he needed to. He placed his uniform into the laundry hamper and grabbed a towel from storage then headed into the shower. Reading down, the water on it cascaded down and soon a gentle mist slowly filled the room, its warm embrace the moment it was stepped into as he opened the cubicle door and began his shower.

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