"A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed"
(Previous Post: Serena's 'Executive Investigation')
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Setting: USS HATHOR, Deck 3, Main Engineering
After working for several hours, David noticed that he was alone on the engineering deck of the DEFIANT-X class ship. The CEO of the ANUBIS leaned against a console and wiped the solvent off his hands and removed his engineer's vest and replaced it with his uniform blazer. The incidents of the day continued to play on the engineer's mind so he decided he needed a change of pace.
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After returning to his quarters to freshen up David made his way to the lounge area. Sitting alone in the officer's mess looking down into the general area he saw officers laughing and enjoying themselves. The ANUBIS was still weeks away from completed repair and this was a place where the crew and staff could relax and unwind...
...so why was the CEO so tense?
Taking a sip of his congac, David mused the reason why he was so uptight. The obvious reason kept floating to the forefront of his mind... one he tried to avoid but could not. It was a hand on his shoulder that startled the massive engineer.
"Sorry... I didn't mean to startle you. I thought it was you sitting up here." Susan said as she sat next to the CEO having returned to the Black Hole Lounge after having made sure that everyone had returned to their quarters safely. Ensign Mei had wanted to check to make sure that the personnel of the Lounge had not suffered any psychological scars during the brawl, but instead she had found Lieutenant Dawson sitting by himself unaware of the turmoil that had taken place earlier.
"Counselor, if you wouldn't mind I'd like to be alone." David said as a server brought him another drink. Susan could smell that it was true alcohol and her memories drifted back to her drinking spell with the Nausican and Hirogen officers.
"David... I don't want to intrude, but do you think..."
"Its a simple drink Susan" David said never making eye
contact with the ANUBIS' counselor, "and no... I have no
plans on becoming beligerant."
**Thank God** Susan thought then chided herself. One
of the things she's noticed and heard since David's
miracilous return was that some members of the crew
was judgemental when it came to the CEO. So she had to
remind herself not to follow suit.
"OK..." she replied with a smile, "so... why are you
sitting up here alone?"
"Half the damn crew treats me as if I don't exist... so
where better to be but alone" he said finally casting
a glance at her, "its funny Susan. These same people
who called on me for *everything*... fixing their
replicators. Their showers. Helping them to maintain
their equipment, tools... now? They call on my staff.
On base engineers." David sighed and pushed his drink
away, "There are times when I wished that Lea didn't
work so hard to save me."
Susan's eyes widened. "Now why would you think something like that? David" and she paused, "you are a well respect member of this crew..."
"Nice of you to say so Counselor, but the crew doesn't
think that anymore. When they look at you as if you
deserve to be locked away in some dark hole... or shot
into a black hole for that matter..."
"David Dawson" she said, "that is the most defeatist
attitude I've ever heard come from anyone."
"Can you blame me?" David asked, "I've always done my
best to see the best in everyone Susan. My Mother
taught me that there are *no* bad apples... no matter
how a person acts or their background... but that's how
people see me. A bad apple. A loose cannon..."
"David... as I've told you before, its going to take
time. You *do* have a support group of friends that
care for you and only want to see the best for you."
David harumped, "Try telling that to Sabrina," and the
CEO started rubbing his temples.
Susan looked on. "What did she say?"
David looked up, "Oh... how she thinks I still need to
be court-martialed... how she will never forgive me for
Enaii's death... how I robbed her daughter of her
mother..." and David paused, "shall I continue?"
"Please" Susan said.
David shook his head, "What good would it do? I
mean..." and he sighed, "it's known that I still care
about Sabrina. We have and share a history together.
But with everything she's said how could we work
together? She's my commanding officer and she hates
me. She blamed me for her wife's death, she thinks I'm
a loose cannon..." and he looked at Susan. The ANUBIS'
counselor could see the despair washed over the CEO,
"do you actually think that she could give me an order
and not question weather or not I'll defy her again?
Where's the trust?"
"Again David... you have a long row to hoe. Its going
to take time." and Susan paused, "Captain Rikar is in
a state of grief. Her life mate is dead. And now she's
faced with raising their daughter alone..."
"She doesn't have to do that. I even told her that I
wanted to help her..." and he stopped.
"Help her how?" Susan asked.
"Enaii and I made a pact... so to speak."
"A pact?" Susan inquired.
"When we arrived here and I found out that we'd be
serving under Koniki, I attacked him..."
"I read that in your file. That wasn't one of your
better decisions."
"Agreed" David replied, "I still believe that there
was more to the story to my parents death than Koniki
lead on when he told my uncle. Enaii promised me that
she'd help me in my investigation if I promised her
something."
"And that was?" Susan asked.
"That if anything were to happen to her, I'd watch
over Sabrina and Talia. And she found out..."
"Wait... wait a minute" Susan said, "you and Enaii
*never* saw eye to eye. And you made a pact with her?"
David nodded.
"OK... back to the story. Who found out?"
"Sabrina did. I told her that we made the pact and she
doesn't believe me. Long story short, she thinks I'm
lying and that I'm jealous of the relationship she and
Enaii had..."
"OK... let's stop right there. And I want the truth. Are
you or were you ever jealous of Enaii?"
"She took her from me Susan" David exclaimed, "what do
you think?"
"So you are jealous?"
"No" David said and the look of disbelief crossed his
face again. First Sabrina, then Elan, now with Susan,
"no... I'm not jealous."
Susan ran her hand through her hair. "Former lovers
sometimes confuse meaningful feelings with jealousy or
contempt..."
"Something that I never did" David replied, "when
Sabrina told me that it was over, yes I had a hard
time dealing with it. But with time I got over it. Was
I a little over protective of her after the fact? Yes"
and he stood and started pacing, "I loved the woman."
"Do you still have feelings for the captain?" Susan
asked which made David stop in his tracks. After all
that she had said and all that the two of them had
shared and been through.
"No... I don't" the CEO replied, "I respect her for her
rank and position. I'd still like to call her my
friend, but she hates me Susan."
"I doubt that she hates you David, but we'll get back
to that later. Now... I'm going to make a suggestion.
For the time being, keep your distance. Let Sabrina
deal with her loss and you never know. She might just
surprise you."
David harumped again, "Right. By shooting me out of a
torpedo tube."
Susan groaned, "I'm going to start calling you doom
and gloom." and she smiled, "Nevertheless, just try
it. And I can see it in your eyes. How can you keep
your distance when we start our next mission when the
HATHORs a cramped ship?"
"This I gotta hear" David said.
"I've noticed in working and dealing with you that
you're a night owl. I'm going to suggest to Serenna
that she puts you in charge of Delta shift. That way
there will be less chance of you running into
Sabrina."
David shrugged, "I guess."
"It'll work David. Trust me" Susan added with a smile,
"*and* think about it. Even though for this mission
you're the aCEO, it'll put you in charge of a shift.
You can show Serenna, Sabrina, and Koniki that David
Dawson isn't a quitter. That he's a fighter and that
it'll take more than the spirit of your dead brother,
facing a court martial, and having died to get rid of
you."
David smirked then shrugged again. "Sabrina said that she believes that I don't deserve to wear this uniform."
"Then *show* her... show them all that you look good in one. Which you actually do. It shows off your muscles real well" she added with a giggle and David rolled his eyes.
"I know how proud you are of your name David. being the son of a well known and respected Starfleet captain isn't an easy life. Look at me... I'm the daughter of a flag officer. So I know what you're going through. People look at you on a daily basis *expecting* you to make a mistake because that's impossible. Being who we are because of our parents legacies is a difficult life to lead. But I'm willing to bet that if your father was still alive, you'd do everything to prove that you're worthy of his name. And that you wouldn't want it tarnished."
David nodded thinking about his father. In his mind's eye he could see his Pops smiling at him.
"You're right" David said.
"Of course I am" Susan said, "*I'm* a counselor. We always know these things."
David nodded. "Thanks Susan."
She smiled and nodded, "As I said if you need me you know where I am. Day or night."
She stood and left the CEO alone. His finished off his drink and asked for another as he sat and thought about his conversation with Susan.
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as
Lieutenant David Dawson
and
assistant Chief Engineer
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #500
Stardate: 60328.2115
Setting: USS ANUBIS, BLACK HOLE Lounge, Officer's Mess
Stardate: 60328.2130
Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
Chief Enginner
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
USS HATHOR NCC 74211
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
