Take a Hard Look

Posted on Fri Dec 13th, 2019 @ 2:49pm by Commander Edra Crow & Captain Henry Crow

Mission: Bless the Maker
Location: Captain's Quarters

If she thought talking with Millie was going to be tough, Edra considered how difficult the second conversation she had to have was going to be. She'd had the thought before, and again she was reminded why Starfleet rarely allowed a household to command together. She was still feeling like she'd utterly failed earlier, and hoped a one on one conversation would go better. It had to, right?

The door to their quarters opened and she crossed the threshold, looking around for him.

Henry sat at the dining table, three PADDs spread out. He glanced over when the door opened and gave her a grin. "Got sick of the Ready Room so thought I'd give myself some homework."

Edra did not return the smile as she sat down at the table across from him. Did he not appreciate the gravity of the situation? "You know we need to talk."

"Which kid was out of line?"

She frowned. "This is not the time to feign ignorance, Henry."

He laid his PADD down and turned to face her. "Is this about the Counselor again?"

"No. This is about you. What is going on?"

"Nothing is going on, other than being forced to listen to these new Academy lectures." He smacked the PADD lightly, or at least had intended to.

She sighed. "You do not have a knock-down, drag-out fight with someone if nothing is going on."

"She's on my case about not making time each week to spill my guts to her. Apparently she believes I have nothing better to do running this ship."

"When was the last time you had a full session with her that you didn't walk out on?"

"Six weeks....eight tops."

She had a feeling the answer was close to double of that. He was being more stubborn about taking counseling than anything else she'd seen before. She paused for a moment wonderig why that was
Something Millie had said triggered her thought process. He got this stubborn when it came to protecting those he cared about, and moreso when it was family. Her voice softened...some and she reached across the table. "What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

He was silent for a few moments. "I should have been on that away mission. The one you just did."

"Why?" she asked softly.

"Because its my job. It's always been my job." He stood, pacing a few steps. "Did everything asked of me and what was the reward? Take away my role and force me to put people in danger...put you in danger. Force me to talk to someone who doesn't know when to stop. Force me to sit in that god damn chair and become a bystander."

She closed her eyes. She had thought this issue was behind them, but perhaps she'd only told herself that to feel better. She should have known he couldn't dismiss that so easily. "Okay. So we need to visit this again. We can do that. Either now, if you want, or in a day or two, but we can't put it off indefinitely. She pokes, maybe when she shouldn't, but you dodge just as deftly. And that hasn't done you any favors" She took his hand and squeezed it.

He looked down at their hands. "I feel like I have no purpose other than to hear reports or write up things to the brass. Powerless."

Whether it was the content of what he said, or his tone, her heart about broke for him. She stood and came around the table to sit beside him. "Then you need to figure out what you want from this, and how to get it."

"Maybe I can get some kind of dispensation. Stretch my legs now and then and get off the bridge."

She shook her head. "That's a temporary fix. Part of an end result. I mean what do you want from Command? What would give you purpose?" She held up a hand to stop his response. "You don't have to answer now. I don't want you to. Think on it. And when you know what that is, we'll see how to make that happen."

He kept his mouth shut when she told him to wait. She had a good question. Did he miss the action or something else? "Alright I'll think on it."

Edra nodded. "Good. I need you to consider something else. Your treatment of Millie." She paused, waiting to see his reaction.

"You too? I already got strong armed by Banks. She wants me to rescind the transfer and instead put in for a permanent posting for the Counselor."

"Did you leave your comm badge in the Ready Room when you had an appointment with her?"

"I may have forgotten it once."

She arched a brow, showing she didn't believe for a moment that it was an accident. "Have you dodged her in front of others when she approached you about missed appointments?"

"She's approached several times when I'm involved in conversations with others."

"Henry, stop beating around the bush with me! Millie stood outside of your Ready Room waiting for you to answer, in front of the entire Bridge crew. They all saw you avoiding her. Everyone who you're talking to when you dismiss her sees that. When they do, two things happen. They learn that it's okay to do that, and/or they wonder if you'll treat them the same way when they have information you don't want to hear. That undermines her, and it undermines us.

"My job is to see to the crew, and they need to know they can trust us. Right now, I know one of them doesn't, and I'm willing to bet others are shaken right now. Do you understand what that all adds up to?

The moment reminded him of the time he got caught riding a calf which ended up in stunted growth. "Yea, I do. I'll....handle it."

"How?" she asked.

"I'll fix it with her and be more mindful in public when others are around."

"You realize that 'fixing it with her' is going to take more than one conversation, right?" She was aware she was likely pushing buttons, but he'd proven over and over again that if it wasn't spelled out for him, he'd try to get out of it. And she'd say just as much if he got touchy about it. "She's scared out of her mind that she's going to be kicked off and reassigned once again."

"I know, on both accounts." He turned the PADD off and leaned his head back. "I'll set something up."

She nodded. "Thank you," she said, her voice returning almost to normal. She reached a hand across the table hoping he wasn't too angry with her. "You know I'm doing this for the good of the ship, crew...you, right?"

He took her hand, meeting her eyes. "Yes, I do."

Her mouth turned upward into a smile. "Thank you." Finally, she could sit back, now that the tension was gone. Her smile morphed into a sly grin. "Where would you be if I wasn't here to rescue you."

"That's my job."





Commander Edra Crow
Executive Officer, USS Mercutio



Captain Henry Crow
Commanding Officer, USS Mercutio