... "Oh come on. There's no way they let you into a biohazard area without antiparasite meds." "We had antiparasite meds. Ensign in command downed one whenever a xeno came within five meters. Was already thoroughly sick on the last neozoxanide pill by the time I got stung." *Laughing* "Well, maybe he learned his lesson then." "I was in no position to find out. Spent the week back to fleet in a medical pod, stuffed with tubes and locked in quarantine. Had nobody to talk to but a couple morons in lab coats and the purpley-orange pod what sprouted out my navel." "Ugh, give me a break here. I've having enough trouble deciding what to order." "How you think I feel? By the time I got to a proper hospital, I was down to forty kilos and that pod was a meter and a half long. Then the docs wouldn't even put me under before they started cutting on the thing." "Now that is rough. Still, it can't be all bad. I saw that picture you were passing around. Cute little guy, even with all the goop. How old is he now?" "Been four months, but really he's just about grown. Best midshipman we've had in years, too. Works hard, pays attention, asks good questions, listens carefully. *Sniffs* I like to think he gets that from me." "He's certainly got your giant ears. Except, y'know, magenta." "I'd tired of spider burgers. I'm gonna try one of those eyeball-lookin' steaks." ...
From Wikipedia; "Shore leave is the leave that professional sailors get to spend on dry land. It is also known as "liberty" within the United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and Marine Corps."
