Earthbound
Posted on Mon Sep 21st, 2009 @ 7:21pm by Commander Curtiss Drake
1,160 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
The Shining Truth
Location: Jupiter Station - Crew Quarters/Shuttle Bay
Timeline: Current
Doctor Amy Hargrove sat curled up against her guest on the couch wearing her favorite robe with her legs drawn in and a warm cup of tea in her hands. She took a sip and shook her head as she nestled closer to the man beside her.
"I'm mad at myself." she whispered, taking another sip.
Cailean hmph'd as he wrapping his left arm around her. "I don't believe you." he replied, smiling.
Amy sighed and turned back to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "But you're still here, so that has to be a good sign, right." she smiled.
When Cailean didn't immediately reply, she pulled away and turned to face him directly. "You're not staying.... are you?" she asked, setting her cup on the table and pulling her robe about her a bit tighter.
"I have ship-bound orders." he said, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ears. "Doesn't mean I'm not still interested in you." he added.
"A ship?" she asked, "That means I might see you what? Every few months?" she asked. "Are you really ready to try something like that?" she asked, her emotions now bubbling. It was something she couldn't quite understand. For some reason she was incredibly attached to him, even though it had barely been a few hours. It was like they had touched on some inner spark that was now roaring inside her, even more so now that she knew she might not see him again for months.
Cailean just looked quietly at her, smiling. She really was beautiful, and as strange as it was for him, he was suddenly upset that he had taken the spot on the Archimedes, had he still been on the Medical circuit, having a relationship with her here on Jupiter Station would have been no problem at all. He opened his mouth to speak, but paused, rethinking his words. He wasn't quite sure how to make his feelings known clearly. He wasn't quite sure himself.
"Its been... a long time." he began quietly, "Since I tried anything more than just friends... but I'm willing to." he said. "I know it's silly since we just really met each other, but I feel something and... well I hope you do too."
"That's the problem." Amy replied quietly, "I do feel something." she said, wrapping her hand around his arm and pulling herself closer. "I just... I just don't know I can handle trying to do this from any distance." she said.
Cailean stared quietly back and shook his head, "If I had met you a week ago, this all would have worked out so differently." he smiled tersely. "I was on the Medical circuit, living on Earth. It would have worked out so smoothly that way." he continued, taking a deep breath. "Now... now its too late to refuse the transfer post, I'm committed. I pulled too many old favors out to turn away from it." he said, brushing his hand across her knees. "It is what it is. We just have to figure out what we want."
Amy smiled slightly back and sighed, "So how much longer do I get you?" she asked quietly.
"Shuttle leaves midday tomorrow." he smiled, glancing at the antiquated clock on the wall that read 0200.
"Then... I say we decide tomorrow...." she smiled mischievously.
[Jupiter Station - Shuttle Bay 1]
The last of his bags stowed, and the majority of the personnel leaving on the shuttle already loaded, Cailean turned to face Amy smiling slightly.
"I'd better get a call." she said, folding her arms across her chest seriously. "None of that 'I'm too busy' nonsense." she added with a smile.
Cailean laughed and gave her a hug, and a quick kiss. "You'll hear from me soon." he replied, pulling away and taking a step into the shuttle. He waved one last time before he disappeared within, and the door hissed closed behind him.
Amy paced away from the shuttle as it began its launch and disappeared out of the bay doors into the void beyond. He'd better call, she thought to herself seriously. No sooner than the thought struck her, another hit her, this one gripping her heart with an icey hand... she had no idea where he was bound. All she knew was that he received ship-bound, no ship name, no class... she had no idea. As her emotions welled up she turned away and crossed her fingers she heard from him again.
As she absently walked the corridors back to her quarters, she was met by a familiar voice calling her name, one that had to reach out and grab her arm to stir her from her own internal musings.
"Amy? You ok?" the man asked curiously, staring at her as if she might be mad.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." she said, shaking her head free. "What's going on?" she asked.
"I just got this." he said, holding out a data PaDD. "Remember that argument you had with the XO? The one I told you not to push, that it would come back on you?" he asked.
"It's not my fault he's a pompous know-it-all." Amy replied, her temper flaring in rare fashion; there was just something about the Station's XO that made her blood boil. It was in the way he talked to her, the way he looked at her, and the way he assumed that anything and everything that anyone else had to say was not only irrelevant, but unworthy to contend with his superior opinion. She read the PaDD quietly and felt her already fragile emotional state completely shatter, her eyes suddenly welling up.
"A transfer!" she croaked, looking up at her now former Department Head. "I didn't ask for a transfer..." she added, clasping her hand to her mouth.
Iain put his hand on her shoulder, "I'm sorry." he whispered. "I just got back from talking to the Commander; he's unwilling to budge." he said, shocked at the entirely emotional reaction from an Officer and friend who was usually so unflappable. "You're sure you're alright?" he asked again.
"Course I'm not." she replied quickly, "I don't want to leave... he won't know how to get a hold of me." she continued, now talking more to herself than to Iain. "By the time the transfer orders get back to the Fleet and back to him, he'll think I left without a word." she continued, her emotional control now completely shot. She turned away from Iain without another word and ran back to her quarters, leaving him standing dumbfounded in the corridor.
"She took that well." said a new voice from behind him.
Iain turned around to see the station's XO with a smug smile on his face. He shot him a look of pure venom and stalked past him without another word.
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