USS  SORANUS: Memory Rush

By Michelle Gelles

SD 211107

MD8.2100

Scene Bridge

<Previous Material>

Counsellor, I’m no trained doctor, but I can tell you’re struggling with pain at the moment. I’m concerned about your injuries”, he continued, then put a pausing hand on her shoulder and held her gaze as she turned to protest,” but I don’t need to be a counsellor to know I’d have to order you into the triage to stand down from your efforts at the moment. I don’t want to do that for a range of reasons – you want to be here, you’d fight me on it, we’re fairly short handed at the moment and, I suspect being here at this station is actually helping you currently with whatever your injuries are. But, as much as you are strong willed, your pain threshold only goes so high, and you are struggling with the pain you are feeling. This should help”, he said, handing her the hypospray.

“It’s generic and fairly benign, with no longer term risks or effects, but in the short term, it will take the edge off that pain and help you function more comfortably. Once we’ve sorted through this mess to a reasonably sane degree, then we can get you fully checked out.”

<New Material>

Renee really couldn’t deny the pain as much as she had just tried to. She gripped her fingers around the hypo like the lifeline that it was and pressed it against her skin. Slowly the communications console in front of her came back into focus. She spared another glance for Henderson, marveling at how skillfully he handled her, almost instinctively. He had said he was no counselor, but that wasn’t quite true. A good command officer was a bit of everything, yet she was the counselor, supposed to be assessing his needs and here he was taking care of her.

And as the pain ebbed away. Memories of recent came rushing back to her of the events that led to this moment. Of the sheer magnitude of the uncertainty that now surrounded them . Of how she had been angry at Henderson and why. However, as she watch him now, it was clear that duty always came first. Yet he recognized as part of that duty, a genuine concern for each and every member of the crew, including her at least insofar as it impacted the success of the mission. She had been an officer long enough to know that the constant balance between personal connection and professional duty was always a challenge. It seemed to Renee that he had been the one to care for her, pretty much since his arrival. She hoped the respect he had displayed to her was as genuine as it seemed. Moreover, she hoped it was warranted.

She looked back at the console. Shoring up the secondary nodes was proving impossible with power spread so thin.

Just then, Ensign Jefferies from science came up behind her “Excuse me, Ma’am”

Renee was momentarily startled and jumped.

‘I’m sorry. Maa’m” Jefferies said “I was wondering if I could give you a hand.”

“That would be most welcome, Ensign. I need to stretch for a minute”

She rose from her seat and searched the half-lit bridge and neared Henderson.

“Thank you, sir” she said softly “I’m feeling much better” It was all she said but she held his gaze for a long minute so that he could see the truth off it in her eyes. The full recognition in them. The commitment to her duty to him as well as the rest of the crew. Then, she shifted her gaze and her direction toward Chief Rox

‘how we doing chief?”

Respectfully submitted,

Michelle Gelles

Writing as

LCDR Renee Robbins

Counselor USS SORANUS

All: I apologize for not moving the story much. I was sorta stuck