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He took a quick look at her as she approached, wound up and split another log, taking the halves and placing them on a pile next to him, taking another and setting it on the stump as he removed the axe, "for now, I think we're all set."
He then split that log like he had the last only this time, he left the axe stuck in the stump and stood up with his hands on his hips. He was hot but managed a smile of accomplishment through it, "a little hard work. It's good for the soul. Thank you for helping with George and Gracie," the thank you coming with a nod and a wink.
The water looked inviting at this point. "Wait here," he said as he quickly walked inside and returned almost immediately with two towels, handing her one.
"I don't know about you but I am so ready for the water."
He stood at the end of a short dock, testing the water temperature with his toe. Once satisfied, he made a short run and dove in. Surfacing, he flicked the water from his head, rolled onto his back and floated a moment with his arms out.
"Oh my goodness does this feel sssssooooo good," he just said.
The water was crystal clear and it was deep enough to dive in from the dock while a sandy beach next to it on the shore going out into the water. By dive or wade, a swimmer had their choice of entry.
From his back he looked to Ashlea, "Are you coming in?"
Ashlea thought for a moment, she was scared of water, but she quickly decided if something happened Doc would be there to help. She smirked slightly before putting her hands on her hips "You have to promise not to laugh." She pulled off her shoes and jeans, her shirt was just long enough to cover her dark underwear. She left them with her towel on on the grass and walked out onto the dock.
She dived in and once she surfaced, she swam across to where he was floating. She hadn't noticed her white shirt was all but useless, the water making it all but see-through. She grinned before splashing him with water playfully "It's warmer then I had expected it to be."
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As he lay floating on his back, just looking up where she was standing, he could only chuckle at her request. Playfully, he just said to her, "would you just jump in or are you afraid you might enjoy yourself?"
When she splashed him, he turned his head back, "Why you little...." then turned over and splashed her back. From above the water surface, he paid little attention to her shirt and it's uselessness, a brief notice of her figure was about it but hey, he was a doctor and had seen many a nude female before.
Unsure of her swimming abilities, he held a hand out should she want to grab on.
The water was refreshing, just right in temperature. In the distance was a large rock just showing above the water. He looked around briefly and returned his attention to her, "the peace and quiet of this place. No other camps for a long way. I bought enough land here to ensure that."
He then motioned to the distant rock, "think you can make it?"
Giggling, she tried to cover her face as he splashed her back, poking her tongue out at him in return. She moved so she was floating on her back, watching the sky. She had a look of wonder as she spoke "It's hard to believe that there are people out there on stations... Other planets. Being down here, it makes it all seem so big. Even though we've claimed most of the space we've found.... We really are quite insignificant in the scheme of things."
She looked across at the rock and nodded slowly, trying to determine how far it was. Despite being scared of water, she had made sure she could swim. "Yeah... I think I could. It's been a while since I've been in the water" Pausing for a moment to brush her hair out of her face before continuing. "I tend to usually avoid swimming, but I'll be able to make that." She moved so she wasn't floating but instead she was facing him, a playful glimmer in her eye "You know, Doctor Holliday. I don't even know your name."
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"You choose," he answered as they looked face to face, "my friends call me Doc while those who are close often call me by my first name which is John."
He didn't nothing to hide his looking into her face and eyes a bit. Yes, there was something about her.
Slowly, he started an easy swim to the rock, keeping close to her as he did.
"It is amazing how small we really are when you look into the sky," he commented, "when I'm here, I think nothing of what's going on out there. Sometimes I just think I should stay here."
The swim was slow but refreshing with only a slight ripple on the water surface from the light breeze. Along the swim, he ducked underwater several times and gave a splash at Ashlea a time or two. Before long, they got to the rock. It was large but made a perfect place to sit. Doc sat on the rock, his legs in the water as he helped Ashlea up so that she too could take a rest. As they sat, he just looked across at the house and asked, "So tell me about Moka. I'd just like to know more about whom I will one day deal with personally no doubt. I'll at least have the advantage of knowing how to engage him in conversation."
It took her a moment to comment after he told her his name. "I like the name John."
She was gaining confidence the further they swam, occasionally splashing him back. "I would stay." She said simply. "There is not a worry in the world here, its peaceful, quiet...." She thought for a moment before adding, "Work does call though. From what I can tell, your work is your life. It wouldn't just be that easy to give it up."
She took his offer of help, and sat beside him on the rock. At his mention of Moka, her persona changed. She tensed and looked down at the water where her feet were rather then at the surroundings like she had been moments before. When she spoke, the playfulness in her voice was gone. "Moka... He's.... Interesting." She wasn't giving any clues as to why there was the sudden change when he was mentioned as she continued. "He doesn't like being disagreed with, but is open to reason. If that makes sense. If someone tells him hes wrong, they are likely to get shot. It's about how you present it." She kicked the water and watched the ripples the droplets created "No one knows where he came from, or really anything about him. He rose to power in the Rogues relatively fast, Ruby was his last lover.... There has been no one since. But mentioning her is likely to get you killed. Last I heard, she went against him, not just over a little thing.... The Navy ended up getting involved." Ashlea sighs slightly and bit her lip "He has managed to rule the Rogues like no one has ever managed to before. He is a good man, as long as you are on the right side of him."
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He looked straight ahead over the water for a moment as he listened, his long hair resting on his shoulders.
"I've never told anyone they were wrong," he replied, "at least, not in a language they understood," he finished jokingly.
"I agree though, it's all in how you present things to include disagreement. I've done so with many people with a level of respect. I find that often helps."
He looked at Ashlea, "he's obviously put a lot of faith and trust in you and you have obviously earned it or else you wouldn't be talking to me." " How can I tell someone like that that they're wrong?" he finished with a smile.
He looked out again, the water surface calming to a mirror like reflection as the winds all but died out as the afternoon started heading towards evening, "I've thought about retiring here but figured I'd be bored and even lonely. I've got enough people working Med Force Enterprises to make retiring easy but not alone." He then shrugged, "maybe I still have a calling in life. Either way, I'll be spending more time here." He looked at her and smiled very softly, "you're welcome to be here any time. I'd like that."
It was then what he realized what he had just said. He could only look forward again, hoping he hadn't upset her.
"I was lucky and I can follow direction." She shakes her head "There was no earning it. At least.. What I had to do to get here wasn't worth it.." She eventually looked up again, the mirror like surface on the lake was something she had never seen before. It was hard to be upset when there was such beauty surrounding them. She was reasoning with herself and eventually she had reminded herself Moka wasn't there, she began to relax again.
He caught her off guard with his comment, she wasn't expecting it. After a moments silence she nodded. Her reply was quiet, and she couldn't help but smile. "I would like that too."
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"I think you sell yourself short, Ashlea," he answered, "maybe what you did to get where you are wasn't worth it but someone saw value enough in your hard work to see you as worthy of your position. Believe me when I say that I often find it not worth patching a lot of clients up, especially when I know they will go right back out and get shot up again..." He hmphed, "......if not killed. I think that's why I stay with pediatrics and internal medicine."
Doc shook his head, "Luck is something I never believed in. I'm good at my work and sling a quick iron if I need it but luck? Nah!"
He looked at her, "I mentioned earlier a small hawk that I keep with a Zoner transponder. I'll be keeping it at Foster. If you want to use it to come here, just let me know. No one will bother your if you're piloting that ship."
He then looked out and smiled, "what do you say we break this mirrored surface and start swimming back? It's time to think of dinner and some wine."
Smiling slightly she nods "Putting all the faith in luck is something only a fool would do. At the end of the day, luck is only relevant in dice games. Even then, there is a level of skill and knowledge involved."
She bit her lip and looked at him "I don't want to intrude here. It is your retreat, and I am just a girl from a Rogue base you hardly know." She wanted to spend more time here, to get to know Doc more, but she couldn't help but feel she was going to get in the way. She put that down to years of being told exactly that, old habits are the hardest to break.
"I guess we should get back." She looked out across the water before standing up carefully, and jumping in. Once she surfaced, she tried to get her hair out of her face the best she could before attempting to splash him again. The water missed him but she grinned anyway. "What are you waiting for? Waters nice."