Stolen Minutes
Posted on Sun Jun 28, 2026 @ 11:28pm by Lieutenant Commander Curtis Thibideaux & Commander Tayanita 'Tay' Lio'ven
2,273 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Jubilee
Location: Near Strat/Op Command and Control Centre - Deep Space 5
Timeline: a few days before And Now Things are Worse
START
Tay had not meant to leave Sickbay by the long route.
That was what she told herself, anyway.
Deep Space 5 had been running hot for days now. The D’ouaine comet had drawn half the quadrant to their doorstep, and the station had answered with crowded docking schedules, exhausted patrol crews, overfull promenades, frayed nerves, and the usual parade of festival injuries. Sickbay had treated dehydration, sleep deprivation, panic attacks, two allergic reactions to ceremonial incense, and one deeply apologetic Bolian who had discovered that glitter and ventilation systems were not natural allies.
The station felt alive in the way a campfire felt alive when the wind changed.
Tay stepped out of the turbolift with a PADD in one hand and two drinks balanced carefully in the other. She did have legitimate business near Strat Ops. Medical needed updated projections from Strat Ops on expected footfall and transport congestion before the next viewing window.
That was true.
It was also not why she had brought coffee.
She paused just short of the command centre doors, letting a pair of officers pass with the quick, tired stride of people who had been arguing with traffic patterns all morning. Through the opening doors, she caught the edge of Curtis’ voice before she saw him, calm beneath the pressure, familiar now in a way it had not been before the ball.
That evening felt like it belonged to another version of the station. Softer lights. Dress uniforms. Flowers that changed color in water. The kind of conversation that found its way back to her at odd moments when she was supposed to be reading lab results.
`The doors opened again.
Tay saw him, and the corner of her mouth lifted before she could stop it.
“Well,” she said, stepping nearer once he was clear of the room’s busiest flow, “I was in the area.”
She held out the coffee.
“It’s almost a convincing lie, if you don’t look directly at it.”
Curtis turned at the voice that still gave him a warm buzzing in the back of his mind, which derailed his thoughts for a few beats. The images of her figure wrapped in a green dress before the smell of coffee wafted the distraction away. "Since we're on a station, Doctor, everything is more or less in the area. And since you make every area you're in better, I'd just go with your impulses."
Accepting the cup from her, he said "Thank you. How did you know my caf levels were running into the red zone?" Glancing around the more or less managed chaos, he reached out and took Tay by the hand lightly, guiding her to the center then activated a control with his HUD and the center portion raised and a hush field activated, muffling the sound. He released her hand and took a sip from his coffee as he looked down at the techs as they managed the chaos. Around Curtis and Tayanita, the holo-display popped up to show all of the traffic moving through the system, with scans reaching out to roughly a Parsec.
"Strategic Operations gets some good toys," he said with a grin. The various ships depicted took on the likenesses of fire-flies while Pangea hung like a jewel, glowing slightly ominously.
Tay let the hush field settle around them, her gaze moving over the display as the station’s noise softened into something distant.
For a moment, she simply stood beside him, watching the ships drift in bright, careful patterns around Pangaea.
“Good toys,” she said quietly, a faint warmth touching her mouth. “Though from Sickbay, those little lights mostly arrive as dehydration, bruises, panic attacks, and people insisting glitter is a spiritual experience.”
She looked back to Curtis then, properly.
“I did have a reason to come this way. Medical needs your latest crowd projections before the next viewing window.”
A pause.
“But I brought the coffee because I wanted to see you.”
There was no performance in it. No coyness. Just the truth, given room to breathe.
Tay glanced at the cup in his hand. “And because you looked like someone who had forgotten he is attached to a body.”
Her eyes softened.
“I liked the ball,” she added. “Being there with you.”
Below them, Strat Ops kept moving. Around them, the hush field held.
“I didn’t want the station to swallow that whole before I saw you again.”
Smiling around the rim of the cup, he said "I'd wondered for a moment. Doctors rarely make house calls and even more rarely prescribe caffeine." After another sip, his eyes drinking her in just as lightly, he said. "I did have a good time at the ball, thank you again for that. I can't remember a better evening. Looking down into the tank, he said and I get the disappearing bit. This station does have a way to consume us, if we let it."
The starfield around them meshed and real time feeds updated, the fireflies moving about them. "But, reminders of the good times do help. Those flowers still hanging on?" he asked with a smile. She did stir something within him and the memory of her perfume and scent still haunted him off and on.
Tay’s smile stayed, softer now, as she looked from the display back to him.
“I make house calls when the situation needs it,” she said. “This one did.”
She let her gaze drift over the moving lights, the station and its traffic reduced to something almost gentle from up here. It was a kindness, in a way, that distance could make pressure look beautiful.
“And yes,” she added, glancing back to him, “the flowers are surviving. Better than several of my patients today, though I have been more attentive with their water.”
There was warmth in the admission, and a little humor to keep it from becoming too exposed.
“They have pride of place in my quarters,” Tay said. “I liked the evening too, Curtis. More than I expected to let myself.”
A small pause followed, not awkward, just honest.
“Some things deserve to be carried forward,” she said quietly. “Even in the middle of all this.”
He could hear...something in her voice and said, "Some days can be hard. And sometimes I have whole weeks of days like that. This station never seems to slow down, but we all need to take breaks when we can get them." He checked the time in his HUD and brought up his schedule, just to check that he wasn't forgetting something. "Would you care, and or dare to spend some more time with me? I'll have a meal break in four hours, should I want to take it. And in twelve I'm scheduled to fly a barrier combat patrol flight around Pangea. It's a pretty planet if you haven't gotten a chance to see it up close in. It would require you to be away from the station for a few hours, though I could certainly get you back quickly if needed."
Realizing he was babbling again...she had that affect on him, he grinned, "What I think I'm saying, Doctor Tay...or rather, asking I guess. Is would you like to spend some more time together? I would...with you, whenever there's time."
Tay listened without interrupting, her eyes resting on him with that calm attention that made room for the words beneath the words.
When he caught himself babbling, her smile warmed, but she did not tease him for it.
“I would like that,” she said simply.
The answer came without delay, as if it had been waiting there already.
Her gaze shifted briefly to the display, to Pangaea hanging bright and distant among the moving patrol routes. Beautiful, yes. But Curtis had not called it a scenic flight. He had said barrier combat patrol, and Tay had lived far too long to ignore the shape of careful wording.
“But before I agree to being carried off around a pretty planet,” she added, looking back to him, “you should tell me how dangerous this patrol is expected to be.”
A small breath of humour touched her mouth.
“And you do not need to get me back quickly for the station’s sake. Karzen and my staff are very capable. I suspect they can survive a few hours without me hovering over them.”
She let that sit a moment, then her expression softened again.
“The meal break too,” Tay said. “Take it. Not if you want to. Take it.”
Her voice gentled.
“And Curtis?”
She held his eyes.
“Just Tay. Doctor Tay sounds like someone trying very hard not to call me by my name.”
Smiling, Curtis replied, "For the meal break, I'd hinted badly at seeing if you were free to eat with me. The patrol is mostly boredom, but with all the activity, we're short on qualified drivers." Turning, he lifted a hand and gestured at the planet. It zoomed in while the fireflies scattered and he traced out an elliptical pattern. The program picked up his intent and a series of overlapping orbits that resembled a flower in pattern came up. "Six hours of keeping the tourists away from the planet. Mostly boring. Decent snacks." Rubbing at the back of his neck he said, "Danger wise, a four out of ten probably. I try never to take anything for granted, especially dealing with excited people. But mostly, it's playing shepherd and being seen."
Looking her over, he grinned and said, "And ok, Tay it is." He bit his lip for a moment and said, "I think you'd look stunning in a flight suit, for what it's worth."
Tay looked at the pattern as it unfolded around Pangaea, the overlapping patrol routes blooming into something almost delicate.
“A flower made of caution,” she said quietly, and there was a little warmth in it.
Her gaze stayed on the display for another moment before returning to him.
“Four out of ten is not nothing,” she said. “But it is also not a reason to hide in Sickbay and pretend the universe is safer behind a desk.”
A small smile touched her mouth.
“So yes. I would really like that—meal break, if my schedule allows it. And the patrol too, if you can clear the passenger question properly and promise me those decent snacks are not pilot code for emergency ration bars.”
She let that settle, then added, softer, “I would like to see Pangaea up close. With you.”
His last comment earned him a look, calm and amused, dark eyes narrowing just enough to carry the tease without needing to sharpen it.
“As for the flight suit,” Tay said, “if you are very lucky.”
"Well," Curtis said looking her over again, as if measuring her. "Flight suits are much more convenient than standard uniforms. They have a lot of pockets. And a hydration bladder. So there's that. As for snacks, I know a few vendors on the Promenade so we'll just cater it: protein bars, nuts, fruit, dried fruit." His schedule scrolled through his HUD again, updating and he said, "Lunch...I dunno. If I ate, I was going to probably splurge on one of your e-rats and go for a run."
Eyes glinting, he said, "Though I like the idea of just putting myself in your hands for that. If you can break free, just message me and I'll be at your disposal."
Looking up at the planet that was slowly spinning as the fireflies began re-populating. He noted his Ops personnel highlighting and color coding the trackers, reassuring him that he didn't really NEED to ride them light rented mules.
Tay’s gaze dipped briefly, as if considering the merits of this argument with due medical seriousness.
“Pockets are persuasive,” she admitted. “The hydration bladder sounds suspicious, but I am willing to remain open-minded.”
There was a faint curve to her mouth as she looked back at the patrol pattern blooming around Pangaea.
“And if your idea of lunch is emergency rations and a run, then yes, I may have to intervene. For your own good.”
She shifted the PADD in her hand, the small movement enough to acknowledge the duties waiting beyond the hush field without letting them steal the moment entirely.
“I’ll check Sickbay’s coverage and send you a message,” she said. “Meal first, if the station behaves. The flight thingybob after that, if your passenger question is cleared.”
The phrase sat oddly in her calm voice, and that made it worse.
Or better.
Her expression softened.
“I should go before Karzen decides I have abandoned him to the glitter casualties.”
Tay lingered one heartbeat longer than necessary, then gave Curtis a warm, quiet look.
“I’ll see you soon.”
The field fell and the platform lowered as he let his eyes linger with hers before she turned for the hatch and then disappeared. The look they'd shared...he decided that it he'd interpret it as holding promise. It also made him look forward to lunch, and rarer still, a six hour flight being abused by tourists. Even though she'd left a hundred heart beats ago, his eyes watched the hatch for a bit longer.
What was that old saying, 'You hate to see her go but love to watch her leave?' He grinned at that then forced himself to get back to business.
END
A joint post by:
Commander Tay Lio'ven
Chief Medical Officer
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant Commander Curtis Thibideaux
Strategic Operations Officer
Deep Space 5
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