From: Live Long and Prosper
Date: Sun, 13 Apr 1997 14:35:19 -0500 (EST)
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: A Call from Home
SD 90413.1525
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Murray's Quarters
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MD 4.1000
Ensign Keyrin had gone back to work, and Anne was left on her own
to contemplate matters. She absently arranged the Dennis-Schuster
testing materials, piling them into the box with practiced movements.
She was just about to consider taking a nap when the computer
terminal bleeped at her.
"What is it *now*?" she grumbled, staring at the screen. Her
scowl disappeared, however, as soon as she saw who was on the other side.
"Myron?" she asked, activating the comm link.
[Hey, Annie!] came the voice. He sounded quite excited, Anne
noticed. Probably from his newfound ability to send a subspace message
to people so far away. [Hey,] he continued, [it's 11 o'clock in the
morning where you are, Annie. How come you're not at work?]
"Well... Myron," said Anne uneasily, "it's a long, long story."
[Spill,] ordered Myron. [I got *ooodles* of time. Mum's busy
washing dishes the *old* way, Dad's watching some scary movie on the
holo, and *I'm* bored.]
"Sorry to hear you're bored, Myron," said Anne, trying to change
the subject. Unfortunately, Myron had had practice with counselors, too.
[Hey, don't change the subject,] he warned. [Spill it, Annie.
Something's wrong. Don't you trust me, Annie? I thought you told me
everything.] He pouted.
Somehow, that pout affected her more than his attempts to play
the "tough guy" part. Sh nodded slowly.
"Well..." she said, softly, with great difficulty, "I did
something I wasn't supposed to do... I pushed my First Officer while I
was on the Bridge, and... well, now I'm here," she finished.
[You *pushed* him?] demanded Myron incredulously. [Why in the
*world* did you do something so *stupid*, Annie?]
"I didn't mean to, Myron," said Anne, her voice trembling. "It
just... happened. He touched me."
Myron was silent for a few seconds.
[Someplace *bad*?] he asked finally. [Did he touch you someplace
he wasn't supposed to?]
Anne shook her head in a quick negative.
"He just tried to take my hand, and I overreacted."
Anne could see Myron sitting there, staring at his computer
terminal blinking lights on and off. She could also tell that he was
thinking, very hard.
[Annie,] he said finally, looking up, [you're going to have to
get on with you life, you know.]
"And can you give me one at least semi-plausible reason why that
would be?" she asked, with more venom than she had intended. She was
relieved to note that Myron was too busy trying to come up with an answer
to be bothered about her slip.
[Well.. 'cuz if you *don't*,] said Myron slowly, [the *rest* of
us will have to put up with your becoming a zombie every other day.]
Anne had to smile at that.
"I'll remember, Myron," she sadi in a teasing tone.
[Annie,] said Myron, his expression extremely serious. [You have
to *tell* people what happened, you know. Why you're acting so weird.]
"Myron, I don't think I've been all *that* weird," protested Anne
rather untruthfully. After all, she had mentioned only the scene on the
Bridge with Commander Brennan.
[Well... I can see between the squiggles, you know,] said Myron,
coining his version of the term. [I betcha you already made everybody do
two thousand push-ups.]
"No, Myron, I didn't... but..." her mind flashed back to the
frenzied preparations for the exit review exxams. "Well, maybe something
*like* that," she conceeded.
[Annie, you really have to *tell* people,] said Myron. He was
almost pleading. [You said so yourself, many many many times. You have
to tell the important people there why you're acting so weird, you know?]
"I tried, I really did," insisted Anne, thinking back to the
encounters she'd had had with the superior officers.
[Well, I *also* betcha you didn't tell them about Mallory.]
"Well... I might have mentioned the Counselor a couple of times."
[Annie.] came the next response with vehemence. [You *have* to
tell them what he did to you!]
"Yes, I agree, Myron," said Anne.
[Like, *everything*,] continued Myron, obviously excited that the
whole mess was finally going public. [Like, you know, how he used to ask
you really yucky questions and send his staff to your department and such
thinggs,] said Myron.
Anne merely nodded.
[And you have to tell them about how he used to touch you, too,]
mentioened Myron, apparently oblivious to Anne squirming in her chair.
"Uh, yes, Myron," said Anne, hoping to stop his flow of words.
[AND,] continued Myron, not to be so easily derailed from his
attempts to help his cousin, [you have to tell them it was really bad,
too. Like how he used to touch your private parts.]
"Y-yes, Myron," said Anne, biting back a shriek.
[AND...]
"M-myron," gasped Anne, "I... I get the picture."
Myron finally stopped, looking hard at his cousin.
[I'm sorry,] he said finally, his voice small. [I didn't mean to
make you upset.]
"It's okay, Myron," said Anne with effort. "You were only trying
to help... and I *will* tell them about Counselor Mallory. I don't know
who just yet, but I'll tell someone."
[Remember to tell them *everything*, Annie,] warned Myron.
[Messes don't go away if you don't clean all of them up.]
"Yes, I'll remember, Myron," said Anne. "Really."
Myron was about to say something when there was a calling voice
in the distance.
[Awww.... sorry, Annie, Mum's calling.]
"That's fine, Myron," said Anne gently. "And thank you. For
helping me."
[You're welcome, Annie,] said Myron. [Bye-bye!]
"Bye-bye, Myron," said Anne, breaking the link.
She leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes. She would have
to think long and hard about what Myron had said, and about how to
approach *anyone* and tell him (or her) what he had told her she must tell.
Respectfully submitted,
Masako Goto
Lt. Anne Murray, Ph.D.
CSciO
USS CHESAPEAKE
<>
All right, apologies for the rather mediocre quality... had to type it
"off-the-cuff", so to speak, since we're zooming on ahead. :)
Amy: Cooooool! We're finally *off to see the*.... hmmm, maybe not the
Wizard... but it sounds like fun!
James: Anne takes Myron very seriously. She might even tell Stavay about
what went down on the BELL. Proto on the way, BTW.
Chris: That does not mean that Anne is no longer in need of a confidante,
not by *any* means. ;)
Lynnaea: I figured Aelyria would be gone by 1000; I don't know how long
you were planning on having her stay.
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Thought for the day: Why is it that when you want your phone to stretch,
the cord's stuck under your chair? (courtesy of Erika
"The Quiet One" Grunnet)
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