[SEMI-CLOSED] Medbay Appreciation Day Mingle

[unclesam]

CHARACTERS: Sam and all other medbay volunteers
LOCATION: Medbay and potentially kitchen/mess hall
DATE: Early June
CONTENT: The first MAD Mingle, don't fight me on the name, sweets, treat(ment)s, compliments, maybe some alcohol, absolutely no orgies, definitely some flirtations, mostly gratitude, sass and America's ass
WARNINGS: references to Sam's coma, potentially allusions to some PTSD stuff

✪ Prelude: An Offer You Can't Refuse

[ The offer is delivered one of three ways. If you're lucky, you're currently on shift when Sam strolls into the infirmary, himself currently off-duty. He's delicately balancing a large, covered tray holding mysterious contents. ]

You know what's convenient? If I invite you to come do something here in the medbay, you can't technically decline and get away scot free while you're here anyway.

[ If you're (un)lucky enough to be enjoying yourself some free time, you will soon find yourself tracked down by either Redwing, Sam's signature kite sized and very much non-sentient drone, or a roomba with google eyes and a yellow and black striped paintjob. Either of them are going to handdeliver a rolled up note with a printed picture of what looks like a small cake. Under the picture is a hand-written note: Paging you to the ER... aw shit I don't know enough hospital babble for the joke. Listen, just come to the infirmary for some cake and good company. ~Sam.

You're free to contact him. Or stalk Redwing and the roomba as they veer away for more deliveries to the other medbay volunteers.

Oh, and the third way? If you're neither in the medbay nor on the way after that lovely note, Sam's going to eventually send you a message on the network. ]

please deliver your butt to the infirmary so I can be nice to you, or I'm putting a party hat on you. yes, that's the threat I'm going with.

---

✪ Main Event: Baba Au Rhum and a Party Hat

[ The aforementioned party hat ends up on Redwing. It's red glitter and suits Redwing. The google-eyed roomba with the yellow and black paintjob has sulked back to Sam and Bucky's room. If questioned on the roomba, Sam, without missing a beat and with a very serious face, will say: ]

Her name is Buckabee. She's a grumpy asshole.

[ The covered tray holds, likely expected at this point, small cakes, satured in either rum or rum-flavored syrup, and topped with whipped cream. Sam rocks onto the balls of his feet, regarding the tray, hands in his pockets and contemplative, before letting his eyes sweep over the people he's pulled in here. He's worked alongside them in the medbay and on missions, and he remembers some of their voices from his three month coma. They're pretty awesome people, honestly. ]

I guess I wanted to say thank you to... well. All of us. [ He chuckles, ducks his head a little. ] Seems a bit of a silly gesture. Ain't much of a party either - actually, if anyone wants to, happy to grab a few drinks in the mess hall later. Just figured the boss would not hesitate to vent me into outer space if I brought drinks in here not pure enough to sterilize shit with. [ A flash of a grin for McCoy. Yeah, he means you. ] So naturally, I was an ass and disguised the drinks - That half of the tray, the cakes are made with actual rum, other half is just rum flavored. Anyway... You guys do a fantastic job. You don't need me to tell you that, but I'm gonna say it anyway, and you're gonna have to live with it. Suck it up. Back when I went on combat tours I always told the other PJs in my squad that when I got home, my sister and I would make our grandma's baba au rhum. Been our tradition back home, so these are... I guess life-affirming. Thanks for the blood, sweat and tears to keep people alive and together, y'know. It's a hard job. Someone's gotta do it, but that don't mean we can't appreciate everyone who steps up and shows up, whether to lend a hand or run the show. Things here ain't getting easier for us, but that don't mean we gotta be hard on ourselves. Grandma Wilson would pinch each and every one of your cheeks and insist you eat three of these, so thank your lucky stars she passed only her good looks on down to my ma and me, not her willingness to feed a small town. And, uhm. On a more personal note. [ He looks down for a moment. ] Thanks for the conversations while I was under. And when I got back up, too. I think I heard you guys. Alright, I'll shut up for once in my life, and you guys have at it. Dig in. This stuff's not gonna eat itself.

---

✪ Aftermath: Barely a Bar

[ As promised, if anyone is interested in hanging out after, Sam's happy to open them a bar... by which of course he means, let's hang out in the mess hall and have a couple drinks. They've got some alcohol on the station, and he's happy to mix a traditional New Orleans drink or two. Mostly, this is for some fun with drinks in hand, some good company, laughs and conversation. He's got a deck of cards, too, if anyone wants to play, though perhaps someone should come up with the rules and wagers before people get seriously drunk...

... or not, and reap the benefits, question mark. ]

---

✪ Wildcard

[ ooc: This is a mingle, so don't feel obligated to just respond to Sam. You can Top Level and threadjack and mingle with each other. It's just a small get together for all people who volunteer at the medbay, whether it's regular, occasionally, in a medical capacity or to lend a hand where needed. If you feel your character spends time here, come hang out at either stage. For more plottings and other closed starters, feel free to hit me up at inkcharm ]

---

Comments

[CLOSED] To McCoy/Marta

[unclesam]

✪ Spinoff: Assistance

[ It's after cake is had but before they head out for drinks, that Sam asks Marta and McCoy for a word in private. He looks fine, standing with his arms loosely crossed and a carefully relaxed set to his features that, if you've observed him closely for a while, most definitely means he's much more tense than he's letting on.

Things are off the a good start when the first words out of his mouth are: ]

Neither of you is allowed to make this a big deal.

[ His eyes flick over to where the others are shuffling out, then back to the two of them with a small shrug. ]

In the interest of transparency. I've been shot. I'm probably fine, I did enough of a patch job, but I'm hoping I don't need to explain to two smart people who shot and why I kept in on the DL.

---

Trafalgar Law | OTA

[kikoku]

[Main Event]
[Frankly, Law only answered the drone summons because he had to lodge a complaint. Sam's very heartfelt speech to the team only mildly takes the wind out of his sails;]

... You haven't left us much room to protest but I will insist any cake eating has to happen in the office area and not the infirmary itself.
[HE JUST WANTS TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.]

[Typical Pirate Activities]
[While Law does not eat any cake unless someone literally forces it on him (which I guess consider that a third secret prompt if you desire to do so, but despite his general grumpy demeanor he will stay for the drinking. He knows how to do that. He's going to continue to be sullen and unapproachable during though, so you might have to coax him into being less of a wet blanket.]

[unclesam]

Well damn. And here I was about to check on the IV bags with sticky rum fingers.

[ Sam grins at Law and shakes his head slightly.

Listen, he lives with Bucky. Epic levels of grumpiness roll over him. ]

You should lead by example though. For demonstrative purposes.

[kikoku]

[His Bucky experience will definitely help him here. Law is very prickly.]

I'll pass. I only came here to make sure things don't get out of hand.

[unclesam]

Nah, we gonna save that for the after party.

[ A slow and lazy smirk though. ]

You realize that just means you gotta stay though, right? Babysitting us ain't just a 5 minute gig, after all.

[kikoku]

I'm aware. There's some requisition forms I can finish up while you do whatever it is you're planning on doing.

[Law really trying to work through the party.]

[unclesam]

The same forms that are gonna be waiting patiently and lovingly for you at a later point in time, because you literally have 24 hour access to your work here? C'mon, man. Humor me - what do you do for fun?

[ Sam is prepared to be flabberghasted and/or scandalized. ]

1/2

[kikoku]

[kikoku]

.... Coin collecting.

[Hello what.]

[unclesam]

Genuinely thought you'd say something outrageous now, man. Plenty people do.

[ A beat. ]

Granted, most of them are old and boring, but I mean, that's just in my world. I'm sure I can scrounge up some change for you if you wanna make the collection... y'know, interdimensional or whatever.

[ He might even make sure not to get any cake on it. What a kindness, what a deal.

But genuinely, the teasing's faded out of Sam a bit, and he seems to settle back into something warmer and more genuine on the offer. ]

[kikoku]

[He was honestly expecting more of a shocked or teasing reaction than he got, so he actually settles down just a tiny bit.]

Mm, maybe. Part of the appeal is the location you find the coins in. Since my crew and I travel a lot, there's ample opportunities to find them, and a lot have a particular story behind them.
[They're souvenirs as much as they are collector's items.]

[unclesam]

[ Honestly, Sam might enjoy teasing grumpy people in particular, but he also knows when to restrain himself and show some genuine interest. ]

I remember a vet I worked with, had a similar thing. Not coins but coffee mugs.

[ Sam crosses his arms comfortably, leans his hip against a desk and seems content to stick around for an actual conversation with Law, who only has himself to blame for that turn of events. ]

You been keeping an eye out on missions?

[kikoku]

[He's definitely unprickled a bit, but who knows how long that will last.]

Somewhat, though I haven't had much luck. Didn't help that I spent half of my first one in prison.
[No coins to find in prison.]

[unclesam]

Slight hurdle, I'll grant you that.

[ Well... fair. Sam thinks for a moment, then offers: ]

Could be a fun project. Start a Ximilia Station coin collection. Shake all of us down for change and visit where the coins are from in the sim room. Find coins on missions.

[kikoku]

I don't need to eat up a bunch of everyone's time over something like that. We're all just trying to focus on getting our missions done so we can go home.

[STOP PERCIEVING HIM AS A PERSON WITH DEPTH AND NUANCE HE IS SCARY AND UNAPPROACHABLE.]