"When A House Is Not A Home"
(Previous Post: Lisa's 'Home Sweet Home')
================================
Stardate: 60319.0700
Setting: USS ANUBIS, David's Quarters
For the past few days, Lieutenant David Dawson, Junior
never left his quarters... never slept, never even
moved from the chair he was sitting in. He turned his
head when the computer chimed.
=/\= The time is now 0700 hours. Your appointment with
Counselor Mei is in 15 minutes. =/\=
He had already missed 2 sessions... which he knew
wouldn't look good in the eyes of his captain, but at
this point he didn't give a damn. His brother was
dead... like his parents... and to the rest of his
family, the thought was probably he was dead too. So
why continue on? Maybe if he sat long enough, he'd
just whisp away...
"No" he said to himself, as he stood and stretched.
And immediately stripped and headed for the shower.
After about an hour, the former CEO emerged from his
bedroom and put on a clean uniform. He didn't feel
like dressing the part of his new alter ego, Kreedar
Brell... but maybe later. He picked up the padd that has
sat on his desk for the past few days and headed for
the counseling suites.
=================================
David entered the counseling suite and sat on the
couch waiting for Susan. After 10 minutes, the new
'Bajoran' counselor came out of her office and
squealed.
"That's Twice!" she said clutching her chest, "you all
are going to give..." and she looked at David. He
looked like hell, "David... David what's wrong?"
He stood and dropped the padd on the table. "There's
my 'homework' teach," he said and turned to leave.
"David... wait... don't you..." and he turned and glared
at her.
"*If* I wanted to talk, I'd still be sitting," and he
left without another word. Susan picked up the padd
and read the contents. Some of David's remarks she had
expected because she knew how much he hated being on
leave, but it was the last line that grabbed her
attention.
"Oh my God" she said, "Computer, playback last
received message sent to Lieutenant David Dawson."
After entering her authorization code, she re-entered
her office and sat at her desk and watched the
message. She covered her mouth as she saw the images
of David's brother Jordan.
"Computer, locate Captain Simmons and Commander Rikar"
=/\= Both Captain Simmons and Commander Rikar are in
their quarters. =/\=
She double tapped her badge. "Ensign Mei to Captain
Simmons and Commander Rikar."
After a few moments, she heard the captain's voice.
=/\= Yes Counselor? =/\=
And then Sabrina's. =/\= Is there something wrong? =/\=
"There could be. I need to speak to both of you immediately."
=/\= Are you dressed number one? =/\= James asked.
=/\= Have been for the past 30 minutes. Are we dragging
today Captain? =/\= she teased.
=/\=Very much so. I'll meet both of you in the main
obs lounge in 10 minutes. Simmons out. =/\=
=================================
David stood by the warp core staring blankly into it.
How easy it would be... he could simply caused a
breech, exposing the plasma that flowed through the
core... and in the process, destroying the ship and
the base as well...
"What the hell am I thinking?!" he childed himself and
turned and almost ran over the ANUBIS' new CEO,
Lieutenant T'Reni.
"David... is there something wrong?" the Vulcan
engineer asked.
"Nothing that you can fix T'Reni" he said and sighed,
"Sorry."
"No need. Next time just look before you move. You do
have a lot of mass..."
"No lectures" he said as he turned to leave.
=================================
"So... what is so important that you couldn't afford
your captain a little more sleep Counselor?" James
asked as he brought 3 mugs back to the table.
"This" she said and thumbed a button on the panel on
the table. The three officers sat and watched the
message Commander Stephanie Dawson sent to her
missing... or so thought missing cousin reveling the
bad news. Sabrina sat and turned her head when Jordan's
image appeared. She remember the young man from the
AVALON before he joined the Academy. How much he
looked like his big brother... how his eyes sparkled as
he used to be a junior operations assistant when she
was the COO on the AVALON. Now... he looked sunken and
about 2 seconds away from death's door. James sat with
his hand on his chin. After the message was over he
leaned forward.
"And what did he do after he brought you his 'homework'?"
"I was expecting some resistance because the look he
gave me when I asked him to do this... but it was the
last line..."
"What was it you asked him to do?" Sabrina asked.
"I asked him to put into words what made him mad about
his current situation. I have learned that if you take
time to explain your feelings long hand, you can see
sometimes that some of them are just surface because
your emotions are flooding your good judgement. And
his answers were sound."
"Meaning?" James asked.
"Well... for instance, he explained in detail how he
hated the fact that you placed him on
leave... *but*... went even further to explain that if
the roles were reversed, he'd had no choice like you
had Captain."
"Well... at least we know he's no longer pissed at me"
James added with a smile.
"But my concern is how he feels now... with the
upcoming mission."
"Do you think he'd be a detriment to the mission
Counselor?" James asked.
"My honest opinion Captain... I don't know."
"You don't know?" James asked.
"Yes sir... that's what I said. And I say that because
of this... he could use this as the fuel to the fire
that already burns. His hatred for being on
leave... not being there for his brother or his
family... *or*... he could use it as fuel to feed the
fire to complete this mission."
James looked at Sabrina. "You're awful quiet number
one."
Sabrina said nothing as she continued to read the
padd.
"Commander?" James said.
"Hmmm?" she said never taking her eyes off the padd,
"OH... sorry Captain... I was falling back on my
counseling skills to see if I saw more than what Susan
has seen."
"And what do you see *Counselor*?" James said with a
grin.
"Trouble... if we don't nip this in the bud quickly"
she said as she sat forward, "Computer, locate
Lieutenant Dawson."
=/\= Lieutenant Dawson is in the BLACK HOLE Lounge. =/\=
Sabrina stood. "Before we decide on what to do let me
talk to him."
"You sure that's a good idead Commander?" Susan asked,
"I mean, he has some really *long* paragraghs about
you."
"Ensign, you'll come to learn that with David that
sometimes the other voice of reason he has on this
ship is me." the ExO replied.
"Just in case, I want you to take Ensign Brady with
you..."
"James... alone. It *has* to be this way. If I enter
the lounge with a security officer in tow he's gonna
throw up a wall of resistance."
James nodded, "Not saying that I do not not trust
David, I want you monitored."
"Agreed. I'll talk to Serrena before I head down
there."
James nodded again, "Counselor, I want you to talk to
him after the good commander talks to him. *Directly*
after."
"Understood Captain."
"If there's nothing else ladies, you're dismissed."
As Sabrina and Susan exited the lounge, Susan stopped
her.
"I don't think I need to say it, but good luck
Commander."
Sabrina sighed, "I wouldn't disagree with you about
luck. I just hope and pray that he feels that luck
hasn't deserted him. After the past month he's had."
and she headed for the turbolift.
=================================
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
"A Starfleet officer...that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #148
Stardate: 60319.0830
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counseling Suites
Stardate: 60319.0915
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Main Engineering
Stardate: 60319.0930
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Observation Lounge
Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
