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It started after the landing party came back from the planet Vega III. She didn't know it at the time but Lieutenant Monica Starvos was about to have a very bad and strange reaction to a tick bite that had bitten her while she was analyzing the plant life on the humid jungle planet's surface. She had just brushed the tick off at the time, thinking little of it. She had been bitten by ticks before while on her home planet of Earth. They were practically harmless aside from the chance that one could contract lyme disease from such a bite. But this was not that kind of tick. Lieutenant Starvos had no fears about the tick and never thought twice about what kinds of unknown disease that tick from Vega III could be carrying.
The young Lieutenant was now on the ship, headed up to the bridge. All personnel who had been to the planet's surface were to meet up there and report to the Captain on their findings. Starvos was running late though, but that was not abnormal for her. She was known on the ship for her consistent tardiness to meetings but was always redeemed by the top notch quality of her work. This time was different though, Starvos always tried to be on time but this time her head felt fuzzy. She could hardly think straight as she got on the turbolift to go to the bridge. Despite this, she was starting to get a funny happy feeling as though she was a bit tipsy.
"TurbooooLIFT!" she giggled as the machine brought her swiftly upwards after a few crew members got off on deck five. The other crew member in the turbolift gave her a funny glance, as though he was embarrassed for her. Or perhaps he was just embarrassed that someone might see him with her and come to the wrong conclusions.
At last, they reached the bridge.
"Starvos, you're late," muttered Captain Kirk without looking.
"Ssssssssorry ssssssssir," Lieutenant Starvos hissed, mimicking a snake, one of her favorite animals. The other officers at this meeting gave her a strange look before continuing on with their reports about their findings on the planet's surface. Starvos smirked at her own wit, thinking nothing of the looks she received. Her mind was completely unfocused now and she barely heard a word the others said.
"...theres a ridiculous amount of dung beetle like ins-" an entomologist was saying when Starvos finally heard a bit of the conversation. Starvos started to giggle about one of the syllables in ridiculous and the dung beetle.
"Starvos, are you quite alright?" questioned First Officer Spock, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Yes yes, I'm feeling absolutely positively wonderful!" Starvos replied enthusiastically, spreading her arms and spinning in an elegant circle. She couldn't help it, she was just feeling so happy and so giggly. She felt as though she was an adolescent school girl taking her first health class.
"Calm yourself, Starvos," ordered Kirk. "Mr. Beedle, continue with your report."
"Mr. BEEDLE? Studying BEETLES?" Starvos broke out laughing. She could no longer contain herself. Soon she was on the floor wheezing for air. It felt as though it was much more than that and before she knew it the Doctor was standing over her with his flashy spiny thing that took her attention like a baby enchanted by Christmas lights on a tree.
"I think I should take her to sickbay, there appears to be some strange sort of chemical in her blood," McCoy said as he started to lift the Lieutenant off the floor. At this point she was limp and appearing to be unconscious.
"Ohhhh... I love it when you hold me in your big strong arms," Starvos moaned just as the doctor stepped into the turbolift, causing all the occupants of the bridge to hear her.
"Bones, just how many times have you held this woman?" Kirk sniggered.
"Believe me, this is the first time," Bones replied, turning a wonderful shade of red. The doors of the turbolift closed and the doctor was left with his own embarrassment and a loopy Lieutenant.