There was something weird going on with Captain Vasser.
That was the starting point Doctor Yuzuko Hiraga kept coming back to, as she anxiously reviewed her notes whilst waiting for the captain to come and visit her in the Inyx's medbay. It wasn't a lot to go on, frustratingly, but it was a conviction that had been growing within her ever since she'd caught sight of Captain Vasser leaving the holodeck a week before. She'd tried to dismiss the feeling a hundred times, but she just couldn't. Deep down, she knew it.
There was something weird going on with Captain Vasser.
She had seemed so unlike herself when Dr. Hiraga had seen her that day, overstaying on her holo-rec time. For one, the captain she knew would never, ever lose track of time. She was far too strict, especially with herself. And for another, Captain Vasser wouldn't be caught dead looking so messy and disheveled. Even that could have been dismissed as a rare, momentary lapse, but what truly bothered Dr. Hiraga was how she had seemed so oblivious to it. It was as if she'd been in some kind of strange daze.
It wasn't normal and it wasn't right. As the ship's doctor, Dr. Hiraga needed to get to the bottom of it - but discreetly. The last thing she wanted was to publicly undermine Captain Vasser.
And so, she had privately asked Captain Vasser to attend a medical appointment in the hopes that she could get a feel for what was wrong.
Dr. Hiraga adjusted her thick-rimmed glasses one more time, and then tried to sit still behind her desk and look like she had been in the middle of something unimportant.
With a muted, familiar hiss, the medbay's doors slid open, and through them walked Captain Yvonne Vasser, looking as formidable as ever in her neat, perfectly-tailored uniform.
"Doctor," the captain said, favoring Dr. Hiraga with a small smile. "Let's make this quick, shall we?"
"Of course, captain."
Dr. Hiraga beckoned for Captain Vasser to take a seat. Seeing her like this, it was all but impossible to imagine her as anything other than an invulnerable pillar of dignity and professionalism. Her hair was, as usual, in a stern ponytail, and her gaze betrayed no hint of the nerves and anxiety Dr. Hiraga was used to seeing in her patients.
It was almost enough to make her doubt herself. Nothing was ever wrong with Captain Vasser, right? Simply being in her presence was a comfort. Dr. Hiraga knew that some of the Inyx's crew were afraid of her. They thought of her as a haughty, terrifyingly-perfect, disciplinarian robot of a captain. But to Dr. Hiraga, Captain Vasser was simply perfect.
"So," Captain Vasser began, "what's this all about?"
Dr. Hiraga adjusted her glasses nervously. "I've decided to set up some appointments with the senior crew. We all know it's been a long tour out here on the rim, chasing after Wasp. There's a lot of pressure on officers like Lieutenant Kuznetzov and Chief Carter to not let standards slip. I thought it might be helpful to discuss mental health and wellness in a professional context."
"That's very diligent, doctor," Captain Vasser commented approvingly.
"T-thank you." Dr. Hiraga's heart skipped a beat, and she silently prayed that she wasn't blushing. "So, um, I thought: where better to start than the captain?"
"How thoughtful." Captain Vasser laughed politely. "But I'm afraid I don't think we'll have much to talk about."
When Captain Vasser laughed like that, her whole face lit up. Her eyes sparkled. To Dr. Hiraga, it was a rare, precious moment, like catching a sunset. Captain Vasser never let her guard down around her subordinates, but with a doctor, in a private setting, it was a little different. It made Dr. Hiraga feel blessed, and she had to pause to bask in the moment.
The feeling it gave her, though, was also an uncomfortable reminder of why she felt so conflicted about what she was doing.
Dr. Hiraga had a massive crush on Captain Vasser.
It was embarrassing. Mortifying. Completely and totally unprofessional. What kind of doctor developed feelings for someone under her care? Worse, the captain of her ship! There were a hundred reasons nothing would ever come of it even if Captain Vasser returned her affections - which would have been nothing short of a miracle, Dr. Hiraga was sure. She was just a boring doctor. How would she ever catch the eye of a woman like Captain Vasser?
Her feelings made navigating situations like these difficult, to say the least. It was difficult to act like a professional when simply being in Captain Vasser's presence reduced the doctor to a blushing schoolgirl. She was thirty-four, for goodness' sake! She needed to pull herself together.
And, more pointedly, it made her seriously worried about her professional judgment when she was considering prying into Captain Vasser's personal affairs.
"Doctor?" Captain Vasser ventured.
Dr. Hiraga started nervously when she realized she'd been zoning out. She tried to cover her blush by adjusting her glasses. "Yes! Um... well, that is, I wanted to ask... have you been feeling alright recently?"
Captain Vasser smiled politely at her. "Yes, of course."
"Nothing on your mind?" Dr. Hiraga prompted hopefully. "Nothing's bothering you? Nothing you'd care to get off your chest?"
Captain Vasser shook her head. "I'm perfectly fine, doctor."
Dr. Hiraga paused for a moment to judge her next move. It was very tempting to just let the whole thing go, but she knew her curiosity would keep eating at her.
"Captain, please don't take this the wrong way," she began hesitantly, "but I happened to notice that you've been spending an awful lot of time in the holodeck recently. That's your right, of course. It's your ship. But... it's unusual for you. And sometimes, when I see crew members doing this, it can be an indication of serious stress. Of trying to get away from reality."
Dr. Hiraga couldn't bear to continue. She just hoped the captain wasn't too angry at her. Mercifully, though, Captain Vasser just cocked an eyebrow, amused.
"Been checking the holodeck logs, have we, doctor?" she asked.
Dr. Hiraga blushed. "W-well, in this instance, it's simply part of my job. I didn't mean to-"
"It's quite alright." Captain Vasser held up a hand. "There's no harm in seeing who's using the holodeck. It's not as though you can see what they're doing with it. And I understand your intentions. Doctor, any ship would be lucky to have a medical officer with your level of care and attention."
Dr. Hiraga's blush deepened, although her joy at being complimented by the captain was undercut by her guilt at how dishonest she was being.
"In my case, though, it's nothing to worry about," Captain Vasser continued. "I've just been sinking my teeth into a little project lately. I thought it would be wise to pick up a hobby, especially since it's been so long since our last encounter with the hacker we're chasing. Wouldn't you agree?"
