Feline Connections

Posted on 04 Nov 2025 @ 4:48pm by Lieutenant Commander Riah Amberlyn XMD & Commander Suzanna Batenburg

1,510 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: After Tarvik
Location: USS Arawyn
Timeline: Back log, while en-route to SB369

/// Sickbay ///

She'd only been in sickbay for half a day or so, since her operation, when all of a sudden she was startled. "Luna!" She called out softly, she had been so caught up on being here and all the information, that she had totally forgotten about her kitten. "Nurse," she called over and when the nurse approached her bed, asked, "I need to speak with Dr Amberlyn urgently, could you ask her to come see me, please?”

“Of course.”

Riah came quickly, motivated by the urgency of the nurse’s summon. “Commander. What’s up?” asked the doctor.

"Is there any way I can go to my quarters? I have a small kitten, Luna, and she's been alone since I went down to the planet. She needs food, but also companionship." Sandra tried to explain, feeling guilty that she had forgotten the helpless kitten all day.

“Oh my. Yes. No running. No side trips to Engineering,” said Riah with a wink. "We have a kitten here, Baylee. She’s still tiny. How old is your kitten?”

"You have a kitten here?" Sandra raised an eyebrow. "Luna is about 3 and a bit months... the feline distribution system assigned her to me, when I was boarding the Arawyn. Perhaps she can be with Baylee while I am here? As small as she still is, she needs companionship, if not from me, from another feline.”

“The feline distribution system was very generous to Arawyn. Baylee was rescued by a crewman, who couldn’t keep her, but she was nearly dead. She has a cleft palette and can’t suckle, and has to be specially fed multiple times a day until we can do surgery to repair that. We have her in one of the Isolation Rooms. She's up and playful now though. Bring your Luna. We can see how they get along. Do you need a carrier? We have one,” offered Riah.

"Much appreciated, Doctor." Sandra replied, "I do not have a carrier, she came onboard on my arm, and has been in my quarters since. May I go alone or do I need to be accompanied?" It felt good to have something else to focus on.

“Accompanied, of course. I’m guessing you could find several people on staff in here who are cat-lovers to accompany you, or …” Riah looked at her chronometer, “I have a little time and since you need a companion to carry such a heavy burden back to Sickbay…...” She laughed.

Sandra got up, her leg felt stiff, but otherwise ok, "Perhaps I can assist in feeding Baylee, while I am here. I am not used to sit around and do nothing." They walked out of sickbay and took the turbolift to her quarters.

// Boren’s Quarters /

As soon as the doors to her quarters opened, a small ball of fur with legs came running and meowing towards her. "Hello, Luna," Sandra scooped her up into her arms and stroked her fur softly. "I missed you, too! This is Doctor Amberlyn, we are going for a sleep over, and you get to meet another feline.”

Riah smiled. Not only was Luna as cute as it was possible for a little kitten, but it was heartwarming to see their usually pretty stoic Chief Engineer conversing with the little creature. She stepped up to the kitten, who seemed to realize with typical feline curiosity that there was another human present. Little eyes blinked at her and a little nose wiggled as she sniffed carefully. The doctor held out the back of her hand for the kitten to sniff and finally, when Luna rubbed her chin very tentatively against her hand, Riah tickled her under the chin with the tip of a finger. That seemed to satisfy Luna, who turned her full attention back upon Sandra. “Let’s sit down a minute or two until she relaxes a little. You can get any of her things together. We have a kitty box, but you may want to bring her bed or something of yours she can sleep with, so it smells like you.”

"I have a fleece blanket on the bed for her, I will go get it," Sandra replied and handed Luna to the Doctor while she went to the bedroom. She returned with a dark blue fleece about 1 square meter in size, which she folded together, under her arm she also held a fabric octopus with long blue tentacles. "It is bigger than her in total length, but she drags it everywhere." Sandra stated. "Time to go into the carrier, Luna.”

Riah gave the kitten a pet between the ears. “Ok, put the blanket in the carrier, and the toy and then you should put her in the carrier. She trusts you and she will feel better about the change in conditions if you are the one handling her.” She held Luna gently back into Sandra’s arms.

Sandra did as requested, and took Luna again, "Time to go, little one," she quietly stated as she put her in the carrier and closed its door. "Time for a new adventure." With that, she took the carrier off the couch and headed to the door of her quarters.

Riah followed her out and they returned to Sickbay.

// Sickbay :: Isolation Room //

Riah opened the isolation room door slowly and stepped, greeted at her feet by a small gray and white kitten, mewing plaintively. “Hey Baylee. I think I’ve found you a friend.” She picked up the tiny creature with care and then sat down on the floor, cross-legged, the kitten snuggling under her chin.

Sandra put the carrier down and sat down beside it, Baylee sure did look cute. "Here we are, Luna. I will open the carrier and you can have some slow exploration. See if you like it here." She didn't want to rush the small feline, and allowed her to come out in her own time. Luna wasn't shy as such, but she was cautious in this strange room that smelled of another feline. Slowly the small tuxedo kitten came to the front of the carrier, her nose wiggling as she sniffed the air.

Baylee finally turned her attention from Riah to events in the rest of the room, perhaps just catching the scent of another cat. Her little head snapped to attention upon the small cat just emerging from the carrier. The first thing she did was hiss and her tiny tail flicked in curiosity and caution. But for all the bravado, when Luna heard the hiss and looked her way, Riah could feel the tiny kitten retreat a little into her chest. However, curiosity won out as Riah lowered her arms and hands toward her lap and both cats got a better full-on view of one another. “This is Luna, Baylee. She needs a place to play for a couple days. Can she stay here with you?” Baylee’s response was again a preemptive hiss, even as she leaned forward toward Luna.

Sandra watched as Baylee came closer, and when she hissed, Luna ducked away, but didn't hiss back. Slowly she moved forward again towards Baylee, curious more than anything, wanting to sniff her. Slowly she took another few steps, then lay down on the floor in front of the carrier.

”This is interesting,” thought Baylee. “Smells familiar, but I can’t quite place the scent. And it doesn’t attack. That’s good news. I don’t like fighting. Already fought enough in my lifetime.”

Baylee cocked her ears forward and then back, swished her tail slow, blinked repeatedly to let the other kitten know she was willing to be friends. Taking a couple of steps forward, ears up, eyes curious but soft, she found that Luna was willing to allow the approach without objection. So she took a couple more steps, reaching out with her nose to make the first effort at actual connection, nose to nose.

Instinctively, Luna stayed put, not moving, except a flick of her tail every now and again. Just watching, noticing the blinking she blinked back a few times. Once they were nose to nose, she sniffed some more and gently pawed at the small feline in front of her, nails in, just playful patting.

It did not take long before the preliminary feline greetings were complete and the two kittens were actually playfully testing one another’s wrestling skills. While Baylee was younger and smaller than Luna, the larger kitten seemed to understand the other’s limitations and there were no “incidents”. Once Riah and Sandra were satisfied that there were going to be no conflicts that two kittens could not solve themselves, they stood and backed toward the door. The kittens were not phased by their retreat and continued to tussle and pounce.

“Good exercise for them both; just racing alone around the room not excepted,” smiled Riah.

"Indeed, it is good to see." Sandra replied.

LtCmdr Sandra Boren
Everything fits, otherwise we'll make it fit!

LtCmdr Riah Amberlyn, XMD
Chief Medical Officer

 

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