Breaking the Seal
Posted on April 17th, 2002 by Brooke Dolan and Jack Cahalan

The evening was drawing to a close, as alpha shift had been over for several hours and its crewmen had decided to get some sleep.

The last few patrons trickled out of Ten-Forward, some staggering slightly, and Jack smiled to himself at another evening of satisfied customers. The lounge was really starting to become his, and the atmosphere of openness that he wanted the place to have was really starting to develop. He wanted Ten-Forward to be a place where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came.

Jack tossed the bar towel gingerly onto the gleaming wood of the bar and walked over to a chair by the window. Putting his feet up on a table as he sat down, he reclined and reveled in the quiet wake of the evening’s crowd. After a few moments, his eyes slowly closed, the day’s work finally catching up to him.

Brooke entered the lounge, cutting a swath through the people who were headed in the opposite direction. She had had an extremely stressful day, and the events of the past few days weighed heavily on her. She needed a drink — a realdrink.

She figured Jack would probably be just about to close up, and she didn’t want to bother him. Well, alright, she thought. Maybe I want to bother him just a little. She made her way to the bar, but didn’t see him. Damn, missed him.

“Can I help you, Commander?” A voice from behind startled her. She turned to see Jack reclining in a chair, his feet on a table in the corner.

“Oh, you’re probably about to leave. I didn’t want to trouble you, I was just going to get a drink.”

Jack got to his feet. “It’s no trouble at all,” he said with a smile. “The usual?” he asked as he approached.

“Let’s punch it up a bit this time,” she replied, returning his smile.

“One of those days, huh?” he winked at her.

She sighed. “You have no idea.”

A few minutes later, they were sharing a table and a couple of drinks. Ten-Forward was quiet, empty except for Brooke and Jack.

“I watched the battle from the window here… did we take any damage?” Jack asked, sipping at a scotch on the rocks.

“No,” Brooke replied. “Just some drain on the shields.”

“Ten-Forward is also happy to report no loss of liquor. I secured all of the spirits when we went to red alert,” Jack said, smiling.

“Thank God,” Brooke said. “You have no idea how much I needed to get down here as soon as I was off-duty.”

“Oh, really?” he replied. “Missed me that much, did you?”

Brooke covered for the fact that she was blushing by sliding her empty glass in his direction. “I meant for a drink,” she said, smiling.

“Of course,” he said, returning her smile. He took their glasses back to the bar and refilled them. When he returned, he said, “I’ve been working on a new concoction, a Jack Cahalan original. Try this.”

Brooke wrinkled her nose. “It’s … purple,” she said.

“Just give it a shot. I promise, no poison.”

She was almost tempted to take out her tricorder and scan it, but decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. Cautiously, she sipped at the new drink.

“Well?” he asked, eager for her response.

She smacked her lips. “Tangy. But not bad. What do you call it?”

“I call it a Purple People Eater. You have the honor of drinking the first one.” He sipped at his own and nodded satisfactorily. “Yes… yes… I’m happy with it.”

Brooke uncharacteristically burst out laughing, throwing her head back. “I love it!” she exclaimed. “I am honored indeed.” She quickly finished off the rest of the drink, then clanged her glass against his. “May I have another?”

“Actually,” he replied, “they’re pretty potent. One might be enough for your first time.”

“Pfah!” Brooke snorted, most unladylike. “I could drink you under the table, Cahalan.”

Jack grinned. “Sounds like a challenge. But when do you have to be back on duty?”

“Duty, shmooty. I haven’t had a personal day in a while. Not that I’ll need one. You’ll see.”

Smiling, Jack got up. “Two more Purple People Eaters, coming right up.”

 

A few hours later …

 

“Y’know,” Jack said, gesticulating wildly in Brooke’s direction,”you shhhhure can drink.”

“Uh … yeah,” replied Brooke, nodding repeatedly. “How’re you keepin’ up there, J-Jack?”

Jack nodded as well. “Fine, fine, just fiiiiiine,” he said, rather loudly.

“Howsabout one more fer the road?” Brooke asked.

“Um … I dunno, Br-Brookie.”

“Ha! Thash what my mum and dad call me,” she said, her accent thickening. “But c’mon … just one … one … m — mmm … would you … ‘scuse me for a minute?” She stood, a bit wobbly.

“Of course, Comm … ander,” said Jack, standing as well, also wobbly. He watched as two Brookes walked out of Ten-Forward, swaying a bit — or was he swaying? He couldn’t be sure.

In the corridor, Brooke popped a small pill into her mouth and swallowed, sighing as the disconcerting effects of the alcohol diminished. She smiled wickedly, then turned and headed back inside. “So, Jack, how about that drink?”

Jack swayed a bit, and Brooke took hold of his arm to steady him. “Sh-shure, Brooke. One Pur-Purper Peeper — People Purple — one drink, coming right up.” Brooke smiled sweetly as she helped him over to the bar.

“It’s alright,” she said. “If you want to stop here, that’s fine. I told you I could drink.”

Jack narrowed his eyes at her image through the alcoholic haze. “You … cheeeted!” He rummaged around behind the bar, a few things clanging to the floor. “I’ve ssssome of those pills here ssssomewhere …” A few moments later, he found what he was looking for. The bottle didn’t want to open, so he fought with it for a full minute and spilled all of the pills on the floor. He picked one and took it, staring defiantly at the Brookes.

Smiling slowly as she came into focus, he said, “There, now we’re back on even footing.”

She returned his smile. “Alright, I did. But I really could drink you under the table. But I need to be on the bridge in six hours, so I need to get some sleep.” She studied him for a moment, smiling. “I guess I can’t pull anything over on you, huh, Cahalan?”

“Only if I let you, Brooke … Commander.”

She smiled again. “I’m off-duty, Jack. You can call me Brooke. Now how about walking me to my quarters? I think I’m still not as steady on my feet as I should be.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she reddened. Damn, that sounded incredibly forward. I hope he doesn’t get the wrong idea.

Jack nodded, bent over to clean up the mess of pills and right a couple of bottles, then walked around the bar. “Of course I’ll walk you to your quarters.” He offered his arm to Brooke, who took it, and the two walked out of Ten-Forward, Jack taking care to lock it behind him. They walked to the turbolift and entered. “Deck eight,” Jack said, figuring she lived in the same place as all the other senior officers. The two decks passed quickly and she led them through the corridor to her quarters, both of them slightly unsteady.

“Well, here we are,” she said, “home sweet quarters!” Damn. That sounded incredibly stupid. I’d rather be forward than stupid. To cover up her idiotic statement, Brooke asked, “Would you like to come in?” Crap! Forward again! “For coffee,” she clarified. “To help you … sober up.” Crap! Stupid again! Coffee doesn’t sober people up! You’re a doctor, dammit, you know that! “Or, um, just because it tastes good?” she added, sinking fast.

Jack chuckled. “Or just because I couldn’t possibly refuse such a gracious and eloquent invitation. I think a cup of coffee is just what we both need. But we both have work tomorrow morning, so then straight to bed!”

Brooke was so taken aback she actually hiccupped. Crap! Here we go. She entered her quarters, followed by Jack, and hiccupped again. “I’m sorry, I hiccup when I’m nervous. Or drunk.”

“Well, you really shouldn’t be either, now, should you?”

Brooke frowned, frustrated by the incredibly stupid things that kept falling out of her mouth. “I’m not usually this … I mean, I’m usually a bit more suave and together. I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight.”

Jack smiled. “Don’t give it another thought. I know how you feel.”

“You do?” she asked. “Oh, right, the empathy thing.” Shit!

“It has nothing to do with empathy, Brooke. This is the first time I’ve seen you … inebriated, so I’m well aware that you’re normally more together. Don’t give it another thought!” He searched her quarters with his eyes. “Now, where’s that coffee …” he tried to distract her from the subject of his empathy. It was easy to sense her attraction for him, despite the shields that were supposed to prevent such things from happening. He felt likewise, but didn’t want to make her uncomfortable because of his ability to sense her feelings.

Brooke cleared her throat, and with it some of her tension. “Coffee, right.” She flashed him a smile, once again collected, or at least outwardly so. “I make a really mean cup, I have to warn you.”

“Bring it on,” he said, grinning.

She walked over to the replicator. “Coffee, formula Dolan Alpha Twenty, two cups.” When the cups had materialized, she brought one to him. “I concocted this during my residencies, when I had to pull thirty-six hour shifts with only a few catnaps. It took me a while to perfect it, but it really packs a punch.”

Jack shook his head ruefully. “Bottoms up.” Brooke sipped hers and smiled, anticipating his reaction. “Whoa,” he said. “What the hell is in that?”

She grinned. “Can’t tell, it’s a secret.”

“Then I’ll just have to come by for coffee more often, because this is amazing.” He took another long drink, slightly surprised at his own forwardness. “Not to mention the company,” he continued, figuring that if he was going to be forward, he might as well be forward. Besides, the ‘off to bed’ line had already ruined any sense of decorum he might have had. Those pills just didn’t fully undo the effects of drunkenness; his inhibitions still seemed to be lowered.

Brooke’s heartbeat picked up somewhat as she heard herself reply, “Yes, I’d like that … you coming by for coffee again. And company. Maybe … I could make dinner sometime.”

“Dinner would be nice. When are you free?”

She thought for a moment. “How about tomorrow, at nineteen — I mean, seven o’clock?”

“Nineteen hundred hours it is.” He winked. “I have been on a few starships in my time.” He stepped slightly closer to her.

“Of course,” Brooke replied, stepping forward as well.

“I’ll bring the wine.” Another step.

She smiled. “As long as it’s not purple.” Closer.

“How does red sound?” They were only inches apart, and the air between them seemed to crackle with energy.

Brooke swallowed. “Sounds fine.” Her voice was quieter, nervous.

“Good.” Jack’s voice was quieter too, but he showed no signs of nervousness as he slowly leaned toward her.

What was it about the first kiss that always inspired nervousness? The fear of rejection, perhaps, that the recipient of your kiss will vomit from your touch? He might have shown no sign of anxiety, but his stomach was tied in knots, and he could sense her apprehension as well. Deciding to put them both out of their misery expeditiously, like tearing an adhesive strip off the skin quickly instead of slowly, he finished his lean and pressed his lips against hers.

Brooke’s eyes closed as Jack’s lips touched hers. His kiss was soft, gentle, and she realized quickly that she had nothing to fear from this man, no cause even to be nervous. Her tension melted away, and she reached her hands up to his face, touching him softly. After a long, sweet moment, she reluctantly pulled away, and smiled at him, her eyes shining brightly. “Well,” was all she could say. He nodded in response, smiling as well.

“Now that the first kiss is out of the way, perhaps we can be a little less nervous around each other, huh?” he said, laughing, and she joined him. “See you at nineteen hundred tomorrow, Brooke, and please stop in Ten-Forward if you get a free moment.”

“I’ll try,” Brooke said. “I think that it will be a long shift tomorrow,” she said, taking his hand lightly and trailing a finger along his.

“Doubtless,” Jack replied. “But we should get some rest. Until then, dear Brooke.” He leaned in and kissed her again, more quickly this time, and trailed his fingers down her cheek after it ended. Jack wordlessly exited her quarters, and realized the other side effect of drinking that the pill could not cure.

He really had to urinate.