[Communications] - [Helen Noel]

[gold_ambition]

Private to Dr. Helen Noel

Well, well. Lucky you. How'd you pull this detail?

Anyway, for reasons I don't feel like writing down I need to make an appointment to talk about some stuff. I'm on the payroll here so I guess that makes me eligible despite a recent adherence to local laws and customs.

James Kirk

Comments

Private to James Kirk

[first_noel]

James,

I lead a charmed life.

Of course I'd be happy to meet with you. You're certainly eligible, though I'm glad you're contacting me of your own will this time, and not because you've been ordered to.

I have an appointment free tomorrow afternoon, if that suits your schedule.

Helen

Private to Helen Noel

[gold_ambition]

Sounds fine. See you then.

Kirk

we can just do this here, right?

[first_noel]

Helen hadn't spent much time yet in her new office. She made it a point to arrive there well before her appointment with James that afternoon, looking around the room critically.

It was about the same size as her office on the Enterprise - which was fine. Larger living quarters were welcome, but an office that was bigger than required would probably just make her feel unsettled. Not to mention her patients. Too much empty space tended to have that effect, as much as quarters that were too cramped did.

The room was furnished, but bare of decoration. Helen frowned. She had a few knicknacks she'd brought from Sha'Kwai, and she arranged those around the room as best she could.

Maybe there was a hydroponics lab on board where she could get a potted plant or two. And there must be an artist or two of some kind on the starbase, right? But for now, it would have to do. James would be arriving any minute.

[gold_ambition]

Which he did, a little late, but largely unchanged from Sha'Kwai. His mantle of confidence was firmly tucked around him, though he didn't seem exactly... overjoyed to be here.

Still. He gave a winning smile to Noel, and, once inside, threw himself into the familiar chair.

[first_noel]

Helen returned the smile, setting down her PADD. She was curious. A message requesting an appointment was the last thing she'd expected from James, and she'd been unable to imagine what circumstances might have inspired it.

He seemed outwardly stable, at least.

"Hello, James," she said. "How are you?"

[gold_ambition]

"Fine," he said, more or less automatically. "Look, I know you're wondering why I'm here, so I'll just get down to it. That whole confidentiality thing still going?"