Passing of Time

Posted on Sat Apr 1st, 2023 @ 6:48pm by Commander Vianola Paxidor

2,223 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Good Will Tour: Mountain Home [Part Two]
Location: Triton Seabase: Brig
Timeline: MD 16: 1900

Evelyn laid back on the slab that doubled as a bench and a bed, staring at the ceiling in boredom.

She had had sufficient amount of time to go over her actions that landed her here multiple times. She knew she was out of line, saying and doing things she shouldn’t, but she didn’t regret it.

Now she was counting the seconds before the stabilizers recalibrated to compensate for the shifting current. One….two…three….four…and calibrate…, she thought to herself. She heard the shift in the engines right on time as the calibrations occurred.

Vi entered the room with a glass of water. She dismissed the officer on duty telling them to wait outside until she was finished.

Moving over to the controls she deactivated the forcefield, a small hole for the glass to fit through. "It has painkillers in it." Vi spoke with a hint of compassion in her voice. "If your head is anything like mine from last night then I think you need them just as much." she continued. No need to get straight onto the 'incident'.

Evelyn smirked as she rolled off the slab to greet the security chief at the force field. She gladly took the glass. Her hand still had lingering pain from a likely stress fracture that she didn’t speak of and her body was sore from the less than accommodating sleeping arrangements.

“Thanks”, Stewart muttered. “Went back to Zek’s last night I take it?”, she asked casually. If Vi was in no rush to get down to business, neither was she.

"Maybe." Vi's cheeks flushed. "Sometimes a party doesn't have to stop when the pub closes." she threw into conversation. "How's things with Ben?" she asked changing the subject. "I saw you two making eyes."

Evelyn took a drink of the water and shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. He came back to my quarters that night but since then…” Stewart eyes her cell, as if to make her point. “I’ve been a little hard to reach.”

Evelyn hadn’t been able to contact Ben since he left her quarters in the early hours after they all went to Zak’s. Evelyn had her counseling session that afternoon, which ultimately resulted in her being sent to the brig the past few days.

"Want me to track him down?" Vi asked. She meant it, she was becoming closer to Evelyn, some might even say they were becoming friends and she wanted to see her happy. "I do know someone who is an excellent snoop." she pointed at her own nose.

Stewart sighed heavily and shook her head, moving back to the slab. “No, thanks anyway but I can handle it when I get out. Speaking of which, why are you here instead of Culver?”, she asked getting to the point.

"He doesn't know I'm here." Vi admitted. "Captain Culver is cooling off in his office and thinks it best that you and he give each other a wide berth for a while before talking again." Vianola sighed. "He's given you 3 days in the brig and 4 days confined to quarters."

Stewart thought about it and shrugged. “Probably the smartest thing he’s done since I got here.” She said dryly, still angry at the man for the line he crossed. She took a breath and folded her arms. “Though you know, solitary confinement is considered an extreme form of abuse and prohibited in twenty seven star systems.”, she added wryly with a smirk to Vi.

"Well, good thing for you that you'll have my lovely brig staff to keep you company here and then someone who cares for you might pop into your quarters from time to time to make sure you're not climbing the walls." Vi winked back. "Plus I'm sure the Captain will stay out of those star systems." she sniggered a little.

"You two were really going at it..." Vi commented. "I couldn't hear anything, but I FELT it all." she subconsciously put her hand over her own heart.

Evelyn sighed and got up, pacing the cell. She was uncomfortable with being confronted with her own improper behavior. She had nothing to do the last three days but think about it. “He crossed a line, several in fact.” She said, as if justifying her actions. “So did I. I know I was out of line, but he needed to hear how incompetent he’s been and how his lack of objectivity is putting this whole mission at risk.” She said heated about Max’s tactics bordering on going from unconventional to dangerous. “He has no business being a captain. He’s not ready.” She added with the same conviction as she had the last time she said it out loud.

"I know you both do not have much love for each other." Vi nodded. "But I think calling each other out in the ready room just off the bridge at that time of day probably wasn't the best idea from both of you." Vi admitted.

"I will admit there have been some questionable times and I try and steer everyone in the best direction, but I am only 71, even I don't know what's best." She looked at Evelyn. "Not that I am defending him for what he may of said but he is going through a lot and as our species go we are still technically teenagers. I know that doesn't make anything that happened right, or fair. I know everyone has their struggles..."

Evelyn sighed, unmoved by Vianola’s sympathy over Max’s changes. “Then he should relieve himself of command until his changes are resolved or controlled.” She countered hotly, citing Starfleet protocol for species physiological demands. Male Vulcan Pon Farr coming to mind. “If he is little more than a teenager then he clearly is in no position to handle a delicate diplomatic situation.”, she argued with Vi, unburdening herself of the thoughts she had kept to herself the past few weeks.

"Max has always been unique in his command style." Vi said as she nodded as if telling that to herself. "But he is capable, he has over 25 years experience and Starfleet wouldn't have placed him here if they didn't believe in him and his ability." Vi paused. "If we are going on teenager logic then I shouldn't be where I am either, leading security for a planet and a station in such a tense powder keg of a planet." Vi countered before waving away what she had said herself. She wanted Evelyn to vent at her, often it was the best way of getting lots of things off your chest.

Evelyn sighed heavily again. She was trying to keep from getting worked up and losing control of her temper. “Well, Starfleet is wrong in this instance.” She confided rather bluntly. She was starting to see more and more from the Colonel’s perspective.

"Don't think I'm entirely on his side, Ev. I know he can be frustrating at times but you can't hit him. I know you know that but it needs to be said out loud. You need to walk away from him." Vi tried to reason with her.

Evelyn sighed and turned back to her pacing, trying to control her temper instead of lashing out at Vi. “What are you doing here, Vi? If Culver didn’t send you then what do you want?”, she asked harsher than she intended when she finally turned back to the other woman as she went to sit back on the slab.

Taken aback a touch by Evelyn's words Vi waited for a moment. She could tell Evelyn wasn't meaning to be as aggressive as she had came across. "I came to see my friend. Make sure she knows that there is at least one person on her side no matter what mistakes she might make." Vi looked towards the door. "I can leave if you want, and that's fine. When I walk out that door I'll always come back to make sure you're okay."

Evelyn sighed heavily again, taking another drink from the water to help combat the headache she could feel coming in between her eyes. “No, I’m sorry.”, she said sincerely. “I know it’s not your fault, and you were just doing your job.”

Evelyn stretched her shoulders and stood again. “So what ended up happening with Tomar?”, she asked focusing on the other night again , on Vi and the Bajoran that was clearly trying to flirt with her.

"Well..." Vi's face went a strange shade of red. It was most uncommon for her to get flustered like this so it was an obvious show that something very much happened. "We had a few drinks, talked. We talked a lot."

Evelyn looked at her. “Come on, Vi! Tell me. I don’t need to be an empathy to read what his intentions were.” She commented, enjoying seeing the stern Commander Paxidor blushing but clearly enjoying her time with Bajoran. “Besides, I speak Bajoran. I know what he was saying.” She added, honestly, certain that Vi could sense she was telling the truth.

"One language I'm not very proficient in." Vi mused. "It must have been that moonshine that tipped me over the edge but we talked at the bar, he got the bartenders attention. He's quite shy but a tall handsome man buys you a drink and is actually interesting, well..."

Stewart gave her a knowing, mischievous smirk. “Uh huh…something tells me Ben wasn’t the only guest on the base cleared by security that night.” She teased.

"Oh my Goddess, Ev!" Vi shouted. This caused the Brig officer to come back in thinking there was a problem. Vi waved him away indicating things were alright. "That is not how I clear people!"

Stewart couldn’t help laughing out right at her friend’s embarrassment. She glanced at the officer when he came in briefly, managing to keep her composure with just an amused smile until he left.

When the doors to the brig shut she looked at Vi, continuing as if they weren’t interrupted. “Oh so you didn’t even make it home then.” She concluded, prodding at the Commander. “I wouldn’t recommend it. At least when it’s your own quarters you know you have a comfortable bed and can sleep in in the morning.” She noted.

She had won returning to her place over Ben’s when he decided to raise the stakes of their poker game beyond the obscene amount of latinum on the table that kept going back and forth between them to make it more “interesting”. If Evelyn lost she had to stay the night at his place. If she won he had to go home with her. When she won with a straight she was quick to quip that he had to be out by oh-six-hundred so she could get ready for her duty shift.

"Where he was staying was nice enough... for an anthropologist." Vi laughed softly. "It was closer and I'd lost a fair bit of motor control by the end of the night. Strong for a bit of a nerd but he was handsome in a bookish kinda way." she thought to herself out loud. "But you and Ben eh? I could feel your mood shifting a little when you were talking."

Evelyn just shrugged. “I told you, we’re just friends having fun. It’s nothing serious.” She said about her friendship with Ben. “I wouldn’t read anything into it.”

"Fair enough." Vi smiled. "Nothing wrong with having a little fun."

Evelyn nodded in agreement, grateful to not be pushed on her complicated feelings on the matter. “I’m glad you had a great time. But I have to ask. When are you going to let me out of here?” She asked, as good natured as she can considering she had been confined for 3 days.

"Maybe in a couple of hours..." Vi shrugged but couldn't help but smile. "Got paper work to do ya know? Think letting out delinquents is simple?" she teased.

Stewart looked at Vi with false indignation and shock. “After all I’ve done for you….even helped you to loosen up and relax…” she added with a shake of her head.

"I'm plenty loose, thank you." Vi waved for Evelyn to move forward. "And we'll see how much help YOU need over the next 4 days of being confined to quarters." she smirked.

Evelyn raised a playful eyebrow at the insinuation of Vi’s current state before stepping forward. She let out an exaggerated sigh and looked at her Vi. “You don’t think you could sneak him to my quarters the next few days, do you?” She asked just as playful.

Evelyn forgot for a moment she was talking to an empath and her mental guards came down as she thought of Ben and tried to deny to herself that she had any feelings more than a physical attraction.

Vi laughed softly. Her face said 'I KNEW IT!' even if her words did not. "I'm sure maybe... maybe on day 3 I could save you from madness and send you a pick me up." she replied as she called someone from security to escort Evelyn to her quarters.

End?

 

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