most populated area of the ship that s/he could find, namely the Team Room lounge.
It was busy, as it often was this time of day when the day shift had just come off duty. The noise and chatter from within hit hir like a solid wave. S/he looked around carefully, spotted Robin Lefler and Si Cwan off in a corner by themselves, and Lefler seemed somewhat intense in whatever she was saying to Cwan. Then s/he noticed the captain and commander seated at one table, involved in what seemed like a rather animated discussion. For a moment s/he considered endeavoring to join it, but then s/he spotted the person s/he was looking for. He was seated at a table by himself, calmly nursing a drink and staring off into space as he so often was. There was no one on board ship whose mind was always a million miles away quite like this individual.
S/he made hir way across the room to the bar, and then procured a shot of scotch. Then s/he headed for the table, stepping between people who were heading to or from the bar, and dropped into a seat opposite him. "Hello, stranger," s/he said.
Mark McHenry looked up at hir with momentary 96
Star Trek New Frontier
surprise, and then he smiled in amusement. "Come up for air, did you?"
"A very large lungful," s/he replied. "So how are you? Haven't seen you around in a while."
"Possibly because you haven't been around," McHenry told hir.
S/he leaned forward, dropping hir chin into hir upraised hand. "Do I detect a tone of annoyance, Mark?"
"Not at all," he said easily.
"I think," said Burgoyne leaned forward, looking playfully at McHenry with that decided cat-and-mouse manner that McHenry frequently found annoyingly attractive, "I think that you are jealous of the good doctor and myself."
"That is ridiculous."
"I think that you picture me in her arms and it drives you completely crazy nuts with envy. Yes, I do." Burgoyne was now grinning widely.
"Burgy," McHenry sighed, "if you're wrong about that, as I assure you you are, then you're just wasting your time. And if you're right about it, then what you're saying now is kind of . . . what's the best word?"
"Sadistic? Torturous?"
"I was gonna say 'silly,' but those are fine, too."
Burgoyne studied McHenry for a long moment, and then leaned back in hir chair, way back. "Doesn't matter," s/he said. "The doctor and I are pffft anyway."
"What?" He looked at hir in surprise. "That one didn't come down the rumor mill yet. When did that happen?"
97
Peter David
"Just now. It was a long time coming though."
"A long time? You were together less than a week."
"Really? Seemed so much longer."
"Well, that's . . . that's really surprising, Burgy.
And a . . . shame, I guess."
Burgoyne hadn't been entirely sure what s/he expected McHenry to say, but that wasn't it. "A shame?
Why a shame?"
"I don't know. I just felt like you had wanted her, fought for her. You really seemed to like her, that's all."
And Burgoyne ran hir tongue over hir upper ridge of teeth. "I like you, Mark."
He stared at hir as if he couldn't quite believe what he'd just heard. Then, with a slight laugh, he said
"Ooooohh no. Oooohhh, I get it."
"Get it?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I do. You and Selar had some kind of fight, that's it." He pointed an accusing finger at hir.
"You had a fight, and because you can't stand being alone, you're coming back to me. Good old reliable McHenry. You must figure, 'Mark, he's such a flake, he probably didn't even notice I was gone.' Well you know what, Burgy? I did notice. And I'm not completely the flake you assume I am."
"Oh, Mark—" s/he sighed.
"Don't 'Oh, Mark' me. What am I, your life preserver? Your way of avoiding solitude? I don't think I'm comfortable with that, Burgoyne. Go off to other people, have your flings or your affairs, and then come back to me, the safe harbor, the port in the storm. I feel used," McHenry said indignantly.
"Aw, come on, Mark. What the hell are you talking 98
Star Trek New Frontier
about? Are you completely
It was busy, as it often was this time of day when the day shift had just come off duty. The noise and chatter from within hit hir like a solid wave. S/he looked around carefully, spotted Robin Lefler and Si Cwan off in a corner by themselves, and Lefler seemed somewhat intense in whatever she was saying to Cwan. Then s/he noticed the captain and commander seated at one table, involved in what seemed like a rather animated discussion. For a moment s/he considered endeavoring to join it, but then s/he spotted the person s/he was looking for. He was seated at a table by himself, calmly nursing a drink and staring off into space as he so often was. There was no one on board ship whose mind was always a million miles away quite like this individual.
S/he made hir way across the room to the bar, and then procured a shot of scotch. Then s/he headed for the table, stepping between people who were heading to or from the bar, and dropped into a seat opposite him. "Hello, stranger," s/he said.
Mark McHenry looked up at hir with momentary 96
Star Trek New Frontier
surprise, and then he smiled in amusement. "Come up for air, did you?"
"A very large lungful," s/he replied. "So how are you? Haven't seen you around in a while."
"Possibly because you haven't been around," McHenry told hir.
S/he leaned forward, dropping hir chin into hir upraised hand. "Do I detect a tone of annoyance, Mark?"
"Not at all," he said easily.
"I think," said Burgoyne leaned forward, looking playfully at McHenry with that decided cat-and-mouse manner that McHenry frequently found annoyingly attractive, "I think that you are jealous of the good doctor and myself."
"That is ridiculous."
"I think that you picture me in her arms and it drives you completely crazy nuts with envy. Yes, I do." Burgoyne was now grinning widely.
"Burgy," McHenry sighed, "if you're wrong about that, as I assure you you are, then you're just wasting your time. And if you're right about it, then what you're saying now is kind of . . . what's the best word?"
"Sadistic? Torturous?"
"I was gonna say 'silly,' but those are fine, too."
Burgoyne studied McHenry for a long moment, and then leaned back in hir chair, way back. "Doesn't matter," s/he said. "The doctor and I are pffft anyway."
"What?" He looked at hir in surprise. "That one didn't come down the rumor mill yet. When did that happen?"
97
Peter David
"Just now. It was a long time coming though."
"A long time? You were together less than a week."
"Really? Seemed so much longer."
"Well, that's . . . that's really surprising, Burgy.
And a . . . shame, I guess."
Burgoyne hadn't been entirely sure what s/he expected McHenry to say, but that wasn't it. "A shame?
Why a shame?"
"I don't know. I just felt like you had wanted her, fought for her. You really seemed to like her, that's all."
And Burgoyne ran hir tongue over hir upper ridge of teeth. "I like you, Mark."
He stared at hir as if he couldn't quite believe what he'd just heard. Then, with a slight laugh, he said
"Ooooohh no. Oooohhh, I get it."
"Get it?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I do. You and Selar had some kind of fight, that's it." He pointed an accusing finger at hir.
"You had a fight, and because you can't stand being alone, you're coming back to me. Good old reliable McHenry. You must figure, 'Mark, he's such a flake, he probably didn't even notice I was gone.' Well you know what, Burgy? I did notice. And I'm not completely the flake you assume I am."
"Oh, Mark—" s/he sighed.
"Don't 'Oh, Mark' me. What am I, your life preserver? Your way of avoiding solitude? I don't think I'm comfortable with that, Burgoyne. Go off to other people, have your flings or your affairs, and then come back to me, the safe harbor, the port in the storm. I feel used," McHenry said indignantly.
"Aw, come on, Mark. What the hell are you talking 98
Star Trek New Frontier
about? Are you completely
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