<USS Avalon> "Short Meetings and Long Sympathy" Cmdr Skyler and Dr. Moreya

"Short Meetings and Long Sympathy"
written by:
Cmdr Skyler & Dr. Moreya

Skyler left sickbay still a little unsettled with having her brain messed 
around with a second time.  She just hoped it was the last time that she would 
have to undergo that procedure. She still didn't quite understand what 
difference her being part Betazoid had to do with anything, but hopefully it 
was taken 
care of.

She still hadn't heard from Mehdi and she didn't know when the Avalon was 
going to arrive, so she had time to kill on Starbase 12. As she was walking 
around, she noticed all sorts of different medical people, from different 
races. 
She found a notice mentioning something about a medical convention being held 
on 
the station. She began to wonder and get her hopes up. ~~Could it be possible 
that her good friend, Dr. Moreya was also on the Starbase, and they just 
hadn't run into each other yet? ~~

The thought of seeing a friendly and familiar face, made Skyler feel almost 
100% better. Now if Moreya was actually on the Starbase, then Skyler would feel 
as if nothing was wrong. She found a computer console and asked if Moreya was 
onboard and to her surprise was told that indeed she was. Perhaps her luck 
was improving.

Skyler immediately made her way to where the convention was being held and 
waited outside the doors, hoping to catch Moreya before she could slip by.


Standing up from her seat in the auditorium, Moreya stretched and gave in to 
the impulse to yawn which she had been fighting for the better part of a half 
hour. She generally enjoyed conferences -- the working sessions, at least. But 
introductory things like keynote and introductory addresses were almost 
invariably boring.

She headed out of the auditorium, hoping to find a quiet place for some 
supper, when she was surprised to see someone familiar waiting just outside the 
auditorium doors. "Skyler!" she cried. "What a pleasant surprise!"

Skyler had been so busy looking for Moreya that she almost missed her. If she 
hadn't heard someone yell her name she would have missed her altogether. 
"Moreya! You have no idea how glad I am to see you? Do you have time to talk?" 

"Certainly, I have the whole evening in front of me," the Deltan said with a 
wide smile.

Skyler was now standing next to her dear friend and couldn't help but give 
her a hug. She didn't realize how much she had missed her until just that 
moment. So much was changing and to see a friendly face....well... it was all 
Skyler 
could do to keep from crying.

Moreya tilted her head to one side, looking Skyler over carefully. "Are you 
all right?" she asked finally. "I hope married life is still treating you 
well?"

"Oh Moreya, married life is wonderful. That's not the problem. If that were 
only the problem then things would be just fine. That I could deal with. It's 
everything else that I can't handle. I really shouldn't be bothering you with 
this, but I really do need a friend to talk to."

"Of course," Moreya said. "Perhaps you know of a place we might find some 
dinner? I don't know this Starbase all that well."

"I don't know it that well myself. I suppose we can find a place together."

The two women walked along in silence until they found a restaurant and a 
table in a quiet corner. After being seated and their order taken Skyler 
started 
talking. It wasn't easy at first. She still was not one to open up to people, 
even to her dear friends. She thought it would be easy to talk to Moreya, but 
even that was hard. Deep in her heart she knew that she had to talk to someone 
and the best person around at that point in time was Moreya.

"Everything is changing Moreya, and we both know how well I do with changes. 
Not very well at all. Captain Ketchum is no longer the Captain of the Avalon. 
He has been promoted to Fleet Captain and is based out of this Starbase. This 
all happened after our trip into the future, where I ended up befriended the 
leader of a band of people who tried to capture the Avalon. To make a long 
story short, we brought two people from our future back with us and we had to 
undergo a mindwipe of the event."

Skyler paused to take a drink and let what she had said sink in for Moreya. 
It still hadn't sunk in for her, and she was the one who went through it. Why 
couldn't she just lead a simple life? Maybe it was time to leave Starfleet. 
Maybe that is why she needed to talk to Moreya.

"A mindwipe?"  The Deltan suppressed a shudder.  "I know that's the rule for 
time crossing situations, but it can't be a pleasant thing."  She took a long 
pull from her drink -- at least this place had non-alcoholic wine that managed 
to still taste decent.

"Do you want to stay on the Avalon?  I know that you and Captain Ketchum were 
very close.  I can imagine it must be hard finding that same kind of rapport 
with a new commander."

Skyler took another drink and looked at Moreya. "I could never leave the 
Avalon. I think that ship is as much a part of me as I am a part of it. Besides 
someone has to keep the crew together and sane under the command of Captain 
Flubb. It's just that it happened so fast that I never even got to really say 
good-bye to Keith. I know he's not the mushy gushy type, but after all our 
years 
together, you would at least think that he would at least take me up on my 
offer for one last dinner together. Yet I never got a reply from him. 

"Then there is Georgia. I couldn't leave her. She would kill me for one and 
then she would beat me silly. You know how protective she is. If she finds out 
you are here and I am talking to you, without giving you a Pecan pie, she will 
tan me alive. No, leaving the Avalon is not an option I'm afraid."

She looked over at Skyler.  The woman's turmoil was plain to see.  "I'm sure 
Captain Ketchum had no intent to snub you -- he doesn't seem the kind.  You 
say his new command is centered on this Starbase?  Perhaps he is here now, and 
you'd have a chance to tell him how you are."

Skyler turned and looked at Moreya, her eyes were red from crying. "Moreya, I 
have already been to see him. All he could do was tell me my orders, i.e., go 
get my mind wiped and to make sure that Flubb doesn't do anything to the 
Avalon. I tried to contact him again and he basically said there was nothing 
else 
he could do. He knows how I am. He knows how I feel about him and about the 
Avalon. 

"He also knows that I won't leave the Avalon in the hands of someone that no 
one can understand, especially someone like Captain Flubb. I swear Moreya, you 
cannot understand that man, and the universal translators are of no help what 
so ever. Besides I can't leave Mehdi there or as I said, Georgia. Where ever 
I go she goes. She is attached to my hip. Always has been and always will be. 
I suppose I am just going to have to accept that Starfleet in its infinite 
wisdom has decided to make my life a living nightmare."

~~Thinking to herself, I should have realized that along time ago. In a Borg 
holding facility that Starfleet would do whatever it wanted to cover it's own 
rear. Then I should have realized it in the Romulan Neutral Zone, when I had 
to go and rescue Keith and valQis. When will I ever learn, or better yet will I 
ever learn. ~~

Skyler just stared off into space not exactly sure what she wanted to say or 
how to say it. The Avalon was going to be there shortly and Skyler didn't know 
what to do.

Moreya let them both pay attention to their food for a few minutes, then 
decided to offer Skyler a chance to talk about something else, if even for a 
minute or two.  "It certainly sounds like you have had many changes, for good 
or 
ill, recently.  It's all been more of the same for me.  Cardassia Prime is 
still 
in tatters.  We'll be there for a while yet, I suspect."

"So how are things on the Blackwell these days?" Skyler asked, seizing on the 
change of subject.  "Is Captain K'etrall behaving herself or is she being her 
usual Klingon self?"

"We have had a fair amount of pirates and raiders to deal with," Moreya 
said.   "Some are even Klingon.  So that has given Captain K'etrall a good 
opportunity to work out the more ... Klingon ... aspects of her personality.  
But 
we're working on giving her a chance to be a doctor, too."

Just as the two were finishing their dinner a young ensign arrived with a 
PADD for Skyler. She took it and started to read it. She looked at Moreya and 
back at the PADD again.

"Starfleet has managed once again to screw up things. It seems the Avalon has 
arrived and I am to report back aboard along with Dr. Cazook. That is another 
story altogether. I am sorry to have dumped on you Moreya, I had hoped we 
could have had a nice peaceful reunion. But per usual I have managed to mess 
things up. I do hope you will forgive me and will keep in touch?" 

"Of course I will," the Deltan said as she and Skyler stood up.  She wrapped 
her arms around Skyler and just held her for a minute.  "This life in the 
fleet is a difficult one," she said softly.  "We said we knew that when we 
chose 
it, but it always wants to have the last word, doesn't it?"

She let Skyler go and looked into her eyes.  "Take care of yourself, my 
dear," she said.  "And let your Mehdi and Georgia take care of you too.  It 
will 
all come out right, usually in a way we're not expecting."

She paused a moment, and added, "I promise I won't tell Georgia I saw you."

 Skyler looked at Moreya and felt like a part of her was leaving. "Moreya 
every time I see you it hurts yet I wouldn't miss our talks for anything. 
Outside 
of Georgia, I think you know me better than I know myself. Thank you for 
listening and most of all Thank you for being my friend and for putting up with 
me. I will make sure Georgia sends you a Pecan Pie the first chance she gets."

With that Skyler gave her friend one last hug and turned to leave the 
restaurant and return to duty back on the Avalon. The Avalon needed her as much 
as 
she needed the Avalon. It just took an old and wise friend to make her realize 
that.

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