Tea and Sympathy

By Stephanie

Pretend there is a disclaimer here. Really, there is one. It is just in a very small font and also in invisible type.

This is after the bar scene in the movie "First Contact"

August 21, 2003

Her head was killing her.

What had she been thinking anyway? That was so stupid and she was paying for her actions big time. What was even more embarrassing is that she had been on duty, in her Starfleet uniform. This was going to haunt her forever. She was never going to live it down. Gods, no more tequila for her or any other kind of alcohol for that matter. Zephram Cochran was just going to have to find himself another drinking partner, one that wouldn't show him up as she had!

She looked up into the bearded face of the man that was cuddling her tightly in his arms. She knew he was silently laughing at her. She could feel it, sense it, even though he covered it up with a big, so-called sympathetic, lopsided grin. Maybe some day she would look back on it all and laugh, but she didn't feel like laughing right at this minute.

Will released his hold on her and began fishing around in a backpack that was lying on the ground next to where he sat. He soon found what he was looking for and pulled his prize out of the pack. It was a thermos.

"Valarian root tea," he said, holding it out to her. "It should help make you feel better."

Deanna took his offering and sipped the tea slowly, the hot liquid making a soothing trail down to her belly. When she had had enough, she handed the thermos back to Will.

"Gods, you should have seen yourself, Deanna," Will said, trying to keep the chuckles out of his voice. "You were quite entertaining. I think you 'blended in' very well."

"I don't even want to think about it," the counselor moaned, placing a hand to her throbbing forehead. "Ouch!" she exclaimed when her fingers touched a bump there.

"Your head hit that table pretty hard when you passed out," Will explained, that goofy grin back in place. "I figured you were going to get a nasty lump." He cupped her face in his hands and pulled it towards his, placing a gentle kiss on the bump. "There, that should make the boo-boo feel better." He then pressed his lips to hers, drawing her into a deep, sensual kiss.

Deanna felt herself begin to respond, nearly forgetting about her little incident until her stomach began to do flip-flops. She quickly pulled away, ending the intimate moment.

"Will, your tea didn't work. I am going to be sick."

Will helped her into a position where she was on her hands and knees and held her long hair back away from her face as she emptied the liquid contents of her stomach onto the ground. He stroked her back as she continued to heave.

"You make a great drunk, Ms. Troi." He thought he was being funny, but the look she flashed him told him otherwise. He fell silent, but the grin remained. "No, I really do feel for you, honest."

"I can tell," she said skeptically, then threw up one last time.

Will pulled her back into his arms and stroked her silky dark hair until the large ebony eyes slowly closed in slumber. The grin disappeared, a serious expression taking its place. He bent and kissed her soft cheek.

"You really do have my sympathy, Imzadi," he whispered.