<USS Avalon> Confidant
- From: Anthony Manson <circus_ofde_damned@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Avalon Sim <avalon@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2005 16:11:43 -0800 (PST)
Confidant
By Lieutenant Commander Anthony Manson
and Senior Lieutenant Elissabeth Marksbury
"Course set. Starbase McKinley has cleared us for departure," Alder replied.
"Take us out at half impulse. Once we're clear, engage to coordinates at warp
six," Anthony's voice was cool and held no sign of reservations. Though he was
full of nothing but.
The view screen switched from earth and the starbase to empty space. Anthony
heard the conference room doors open and Marksbury walked out with Ketchum.
Ketchum checked with Anthony on their destination then returned to the
conference room.
Anthony smiled, "Congratulations on your promotion. Have a seat." He offered
the seat next to him until Ketchum got back.
Smiling, she accepted Manson's offer and added, "Same to you, Commander." She
sat down, crossing her legs and looked at Anthony, "That sure is a new
feeling." She leaned a little farther towards him and whispered, "Is it wrong
to feel a little giddy?"
He shook his head with a grin, "No, not at all. In fact, I?m feeling that way -
and nervous. This is a completely new thing for me." He crinkled his nose as he
thought about it, "Well okay, not new as far as running the bridge from time to
time, but.. the role as XO is definitely.. daunting."
"I know exactly what you mean. I was more than - " she suddenly winced,
experiencing a particularly sharp pain with her headache that refused to die.
However, she quickly recovered. "Let's just say I was pleasantly surprised."
Anthony looked at her, "You alright, Marksbury?"
"Yeah... Just a rather persistent headache." She forced a smile.
He didn't seem convinced, "How ?bout we get lunch? Alder can take over for an
hour. Besides, the Captain is close by."
"Sounds good," she said, knowing what he meant. Their "lunches" had been some
interesting time to talk. Yes, there was food involved, but more importantly,
they had found a professional confidant in each other. "Thank you."
It didn't take the two of them long to make their way to the crew dining area
and get situated with food. During a lull in conversation, Lissi reached across
the table and grabbed Anthony's left hand. With a twinkle in her eye, she
asked, "What's this?"
He laughed and pulled back instantly, "Something uh... I... uh" He looked at
her, eyes happy, "I'm getting married."
It was an instant response, but she grinned widely, truly happy to hear it.
"That's wonderful. And I take it... Alder?" He hadn't ever really said anything
"official" in regards to their relationship, but there was hardly a time where
he hadn't mentioned the other man.
"Yeah," he smiled, giving a quiet response as he replayed the entire moment
between them again. "He proposed. And I... well, I said yes, of course,"
Anthony laughed. "It was nice - he's a softy."
"You know," a permanent smile seemed to be lighting up her face over Anthony's
news. "I never really considered myself the marrying type, but there is
something touching about two people finding each other like you and Alder
have." Even her headache had lessened a slight degree.
"You?re trying to make me flush and all," he laughed again, trying to shake off
whatever he was feeling. "All I need to do is tell the Captain."
"I?m sure he?ll be happy for you. He?s known you a lot longer than I, and I?m
nearly ecstatic."
Anthony laughed at her, and seeing the look of confusion explained, "You don?t
realize, Marksbury, how "un-excited" you look at any given time. I?ve never
seen someone so ... passive. But I can see it in your eyes. So, thank you."
She offered him a nod in response. "Sounds like an interesting mission, you
think? Bit of a mystery stirring, I?d say."
Perking an eyebrow, "Yeah, I'd say. Ferengis, Romulans. Especially Romulans."
He shrugged, but then remembered, "Speaking of mysteries, how is Skyler?"
Lissi slowly closed her eyes and took a breath. She knew Anthony wouldn't mind
the pause. "I don't really know. Dr. Cazook is keeping her sedated right now...
she is mentally unstable. And I don't mean that as in crazy. She is lost and
confused." Taking a drink to push back the swell in her throat, she said, "And
she's... reaching out for me. Mentally." She let it stay at that. If he wanted
to ask, that was fine, but she was trying not to burden him with her troubles.
"Mentally?" Anthony looked at her with a frown. He knew Skyler was another
telepath, he felt it, but, "I know you're not a telepath, Elissabeth, so how
did you respond to it?"
"I did the best I could not to panic," she offered a grim smile. "Honestly,
Anthony, I'm scared. I'm used to blocking telepaths... and she got past that -
into my dreams. Or pulled me into her dreams, I don't know." She took a shaky
breath. "I've never... been this affected by something before," she finished
quietly.
Reaching out, he lightly grabbed Marksbury's hands, "If you want, I could...
break that link, so to speak."
"No... I don't think that's a good idea. She's...clinging to me - terrified. If
I left her..." She shook her head, "No. I'm not giving up on her. No matter
what it takes. She didn't give up on me - really stuck her neck on the line."
"Yeah, I know." Anthony hadn't gone through the memory erasure. Neither did
Alder. "How bout then... helping you ease that? You do not want to be
overwhelmed with what she's spewing forth mentally. Take my word for that,
Elissabeth. You do not want that at all."
"I - don't know if I could handle it." She told him everything exactly as it
happened in sickbay the night before, including her nose bleed and headache
that refused to quit. "It completely wiped me out," she finished.
"Then maybe I could get Skyler to ease off a little. Let her know that she
can't let all of what she's going through into you. It would take some
channeling, and I?m not that good of a telepath."
"I don't think she's coherent enough to realise or reason with, honestly. I can
handle the pain and confusion she's going through emotionally. I know how to
block and separate it away. But Skyler needed me to ... shield her. Keep her
safe. I think that I actually kept her from slipping away from us." She looked
up into his eyes, "I know that sounds silly."
"No, it sounds like the same thing when Alder lost his family," Anthony replied
softly. "Shielding her will... I don't know. One thing for a telepath to do,
another for a non-telepath to attempt."
"I just did it instinctively."
"You're going to have to... find a way to control it then. You've got a very
latent ability for it, if you said you just did it instinctively. I can't help
you there." Anthony shook his head, "I wouldn't know where to begin."
"I'll...be okay. And you're wrong, I'm not a telepath. I had to have been using
the connection she established. I just wish it didn't exhaust me so badly to
talk to her - to help her. I can't shake this headache and I've tried every
pain relaxing technique I know. And you know I begin training tonight. I'm...
torn. Conflicted. I want to devote all my attention on helping Skyler, but the
mission comes first." She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "But at
least Cazook can keep her sedated and calm - safely- until we figure out how to
help her. I just feel like such a bad friend, you know?"
"You're only doing what you can. There is nothing more than that. Don't feel so
bad," Anthony replied. He knew how she felt about Skyler and her need to help.
In some ways, it was exactly how he felt when Alder lost pretty much
everything. "When she wakes up, it'll be one step at a time. And she'll have
you to help her."
She nodded solemnly, deciding she had indulged in self-pity long enough.
"Get something from sickbay and limit your activities for today," he suggested.
"You're a latent, at least I?m thinking you are. You can't use the connection
unless she permitted you to. So you're a latent. Maybe later we can figure that
out. For now, limit your activities, and take something for the headache."
She let out a heartless chuckle. "Limit my activities. Not this week, I can't.
But I am going to see Cazook and check on Skyler. I'm sure she'll give me
something... do you know how long this is gonna last, Dr. Manson?" she winked
and offered a small smile.
He laughed, "Then limit today. As much as you can. Don't make me make it an
order." He winked back.
"Isn?t it supposed to be the other way around..." she teased, "You save my
knee, therefore I'm the one indebted to you...being a pain in the ass while I
watch your back? You're not supposed to "save" me all the time. I'm wracking up
a debt here, y'know."
Anthony laughed, "Good, and since you're indebted to me, you're gonna have to
do as I say for today. And today, you'll ease your workload."
"Understood, sir. Actually, I only have a meeting with the counselor and then
I'm technically free until 2200 hours. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I
think I'm going to take a nap."
"You do that. You'll feel better, I promise."
Standing, she said, "Well, next time, I promise to let you be the one to do all
the whining during lunch. I think I'm up two on you." She thought about it for
a second, "Yeah, first two lunches were getting to know you chatter... the next
one was my troubles, then yours...then mine twice in a row." She flashed him an
appreciative smile. "When and if things ever settle down, you and Alder should
have dinner with James and I."
"Sure thing," Anthony stood up as well. "Well, go get your nap. I?m off to the
bridge."
"Yes, sir, Mr. XO, sir," she grinned. Then eyes, softening, she added, "Thanks,
Anthony."
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