From: Christine FontaineDate: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 00:55:00 -0400 Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Turnabout
SD 90418.0047 -------------- Officer's Mess -------------- MD 5.1900 Lieutenant Commander Catherine Ledoux had agreed to meet Lieutenant Anne Murray for dinner. Although the vet wasn't very hungry, she did want to check on her friend. Catherine was still worried about Anne, it had been a very emotional morning for the Chief Science Officer. Catherine was still astounded by Anne's earlier confession. Filled with sympathy for her friend, Catherine also admired Anne's strength and courage. Shaking her head, the vet wondered how a Starfleet officer, a *counsellor*, could have been so cruel. Poor Anne; she had certainly been through a lot. Anne found Catherine standing outside of the Officer's Mess; they exchanged some pleasantries and entered the dining area. They selected a quiet table and sat down. Catherine ordered a bowl of vegetable soup, a small strawberry yogourt and a glass of orange juice. Anne ordered a plate of scrambled eggs and ham and a bowl of tossed salad. She added a half-frozen lime soda as an afterthought. Stirring her soup, in an effort to cool it off, Catherine smiled at Anne. "So, what do you think of our mission? "It sounds interesting," said Anne, stirring the bits of ham into her scrambled eggs. "There are interesting prospects from a scientific view, of course. What about you?" "Well, there's not a whole lot for the medical department to do, which is good. It will give me some more time to concentrate on my studies." Catherine smiled. "Of course, if the negotiations don't go smoothly, we may be seeing some patients in sickbay. I hope it doesn't come to that." "Studies?" Anne inquired politely. "Oh," Catherine's cheeks flushed a pale shade of pink. "I'm working on my medical degree." Pausing, she stirred her soup some more. "It would be nice to be a qualified physician, and not just a simple veterinarian." Anne nodded. "I think it's wonderful that you're continuing your education." Catherine's blush deepened. "Thank you," she replied softly, staring at her soup bowl. "So..." Anne began, somewhat cautiously, "how have you been doing today?" She hoped that Catherine wouldn't mind her asking. "Have you rested at all?" "Well..." Catherine said, she cheeks turning even brighter, "I did a bit of reading, and I spent some time in the holodeck..." she trailed off, not certain if it would be proper to mention the riding lesson she had given Commander Brennan. Stirring her soup once again, Catherine raised a spoonful to her mouth, blowing on it to help it cool. "Hot soup," she said, giving Anne a weak smile. Anne crumbled some crackers over her salad and took a bite. She looked over at Catherine, who didn't seem to be eating anything at all. Anne watched her speculatively, then decided that maybe she should tell a story. If Catherine didn't have to answer questions every other minute, she might be able to eat some of her dinner. "You know, Catherine," Anne began, "I did my doctoral thesis on the Dyson Sphere. I related the unique nature of the structure to a possible social structure..." Anne delved into her favorite topic with enthusiasm, though keeping a sharp eye on her friend in the meantime. She noticed, with dismay, that none of the food was disappearing. She switched topics, to the more mundane of her research publications. She hoped that the sheer volume of boring material might induce Catherine to lose interest in her and to regain interest in her food. Still stirring her soup, Catherine listened attentively to Anne's discourse. Once again, she was filled with admiration for her friend. Although Catherine had published several academic and research papers herself, Anne's research encompassed a much wider ranging array of topics and interests. Putting down her soup spoon, Catherine reached for her glass of orange juice. For a few moments it appeared that she was considering the beverage in her hand; almost as if she were trying to decided whether or not to drink it. Finally, she took a few, cautious sips, then set the glass back down. Anne finished her boring tale and looked up at Catherine with some concern and distress. The Doctor hadn't eaten anything at all. "Catherine, is something the matter?" she asked quietly. Shaking her head, Catherine replied, "no. I'm fine thanks." She gave Anne a timid smile. "Catherine," said Anne firmly, standing up, "I can't believe you can sit there and tell me that nothing is wrong. Come on, we're going." Catherine looked at Anne, a puzzled frown crossing her face. "Anne?" she asked softly, becoming worried, "where are we going?" Anne suddenly reached forward and gripped Catherine's wrist in a tight grasp, the same kind her teachers had used years ago. "I'm sorry, Catherine," she said, her voice strained, "but I'm not going to stand by and let you do this to yourself. We're going to see the Counselor... *right now*." She tapped her comm badge with her free hand. "Murray to Tats-Marush!" she said. [Tats-Marush, here. What's up, Mr. Murray?] came the voice. "There's an emergency... are you free right now?" Catherine looked rather alarmed. "Emergency?" she said, protesting. "There's no emergency." "An emergency? Where is it?" replied Stavay, shutting off the viewscreen. "There's no emergency," Catherine continued to protest, reaching for Anne's arm, but not wanting to touch her. Tats-Marush turned to the computer. "Computer, state the location of the CMO and the Chief Science Officer."replied the computer. Stavay sighed. Tapping her commbadge, she replied, "Doctor Ledoux, Mr. Murray, I'm on my way. Tats-Marush out." She knew it wouldn't be a happy experience. "I'm *fine* Anne," Catherine protested, trying to convince her friend that everything was all right. "Honestly, I'm fine." When Anne didn't reply, Catherine tried again. "Anne, I have an appointment with the counsellor tomorrow, isn't that soon enough?" Receiving no reply from Anne, Catherine crossed her arms and turned her back, wishing that she could just run away and knowing that she couldn't. Everything was fine, just fine. There was no need to drag the counsellor over. A few minutes later the counsellor arrived. Taking note of the worried look on Anne's face and the frightened look crossing the CMO's countenance, Stavay took Anne aside. Quietly, speaking softly so that Catherine couldn't catch what they were saying, Stavay told Anne, "Doctor Ledoux might feel more secure if we both weren't here at the same time. She might feel overwhelmed, as if we're ganging up on her." Anne nodded. "I guess you're right... I'm sorry." Turning towards Catherine, Anne said, "I hope you'll be all right, Catherine... and I'm sorry if you feel like I've overstepped my bounds." With one last look at her friend, Anne headed out of the mess. Respectfully submitted, Chris Fontaine Masako Goto LCDR Catherine Ledoux, DVM LT Anne Murray, PhD Chief Medical Officer Chief Science Officer USS CHESAPEAKE USS CHESAPEAKE with some help from: James Bowman LTjg Stavay Tats-Marush Counsellor USS CHESAPEAKE
Go to messages for April 1997 or Main Archive Page