<USS Banshee> "Not a River in Egypt"

From: "Brad Ruder" <groundzero@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ussbanshee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Thu, 20 May 2004 18:10:57 -0700

“Not a River in Egypt”
by Lieutenant Commander Joshua Asper
& Lieutenant Joe Castillo

Time was beginning to slow down and the days seemed like years. What more, it appeared as if everyone knew of his inner struggle, but he knew that they didn't. Josh couldn’t help but look into the eyes of his fellow crewmen and think that they were aware of something that they shouldn't be. Every time he saw the expressions on their knowing faces he had to fight to push away the assumptions. They didn't have a clue, he knew, but it was ominous all the same.

It had been some time since he saw the manifestation of himself. Josh hadn't used a neural suppressant like he had wanted to, but by sheer willpower - he assumed - he willed the replica away. At any rate it was nice to have some sanity again and it was nice to be able to hear his own voice by his own will. Finally easing back into his usual routine, Josh waited in the holodeck at four o'clock in the morning for his running partner.

Joe as usual had had a particularly rough night. Nothing the counselor said or did could help his nightmares go away, but Joe continued his daily routine stoically. He had a lot on his mind as of late and even more so since the previous day’s revelations about Josh. He had warned Josh that not making a statement could turn out bad for him, but Josh knew and accepted the consequences; however, the incidents with the drugs were completely new to Joe.

Joe considered Josh a good friend and he figured the feeling was reciprocated, but Josh was just not the type of person that discussed his problems. Joe didn't want him to get blind-sided with the accusations that were going to be brought against him, so he decided he would give him warning and try and discern what could compel him to try and obtain those narcotics. Joe completed his final thought as he arrived in front of the holodeck only a minute late.

"You're cutting down your time, Joe, congratulations," Josh had his foot on the wall and was leaning into it to stretch the quadriceps. Josh had on his typical black nylon running shorts with his black sneakers and his white t-shirt - he would someday want to be buried in them. "So, how have things been in Castillo land?"

Joe smiled at Josh, "This is the earliest I'll ever be man. Don't you know Latinos are never on time for social gatherings? As far as Castillo land goes, same old same old: too much paperwork, not enough hands-on training with the troops, but that’s how it goes when they make you part of the brass, how ‘bout you?"

"Can't complain," Josh said knowing full well that he had a boatload to complain about. However, given the circumstances and wanting nothing more than to take a nice run, Josh felt it was pertinent to leave that area of his life out of the conversation. "Where do you want to run today? I was thinking on a beach. Soothing and what not, what do you think?"

"Beach sounds fine to me, ever heard of a beach called Salinas in the Terran country of Ecuador?"

"I haven't, but I was thinking something like Huntington Beach in California. I'm sure you've been there if you went to the academy, it's the prime beach to go to," Josh tapped the console and the beach with the pier appeared out of thin air and Josh took off down the sandy slope towards the water's edge. Before long he was running down the sand with the tides lapping at his shoes. "Come on, Joe!"

Joe did a dead sprint until he caught up to Josh and then slowed to his pace "Actually I really didn't get out much during my academy years; tons of homework you know, barely past most of my science classes."

Josh nodded absently, his eyes searching the horizon and watching the crashing waves. "Yeah, I had friends like that. We called them the hermits because they all shared three rooms that were right next to each other. However, they always would allow you to take the center quarters if you ever needed it for, well, you know. With one room on either side you could be as loud as you wanted without concerning anyone." Josh smiled a bit as he proceeded in stride down the shore.

Joe hoped Josh didn't catch him blush, until recently there hadn't been much of that in his life either. Joe really wasn't much for small talk especially when he had something he needed to get off his chest so he got straight to the point. "Listen Josh, you remember that little investigation I did a while back about you and Telsia's ex? Well I put it off as long as I could, but yesterday I had to tell Vic – I mean Captain Andros."

When it rains it pours, doesn't it? Josh rolled his eyes and nodded absently, "all right, you did what you knew you had to do. I'll give you a statement of what happened and I'll talk to Telsia as well. This'll all blow over, but he may not be pushing charges so don't be surprised if he changes his mind." Josh pulled off his shirt and tossed it into the sand and kept running - it would be in the holodeck when they ended the program.

Joe sighed and plowed forward "Actually, Josh, he did want to press charges he said you assaulted him. It's not the most serious of charges but still it’s not befitting of a Starfleet officer and, well, there’s more."

"Let me handle Lieutenant Moore, all right? And what do you mean, there's more?"

"Josh, are you OK? Are you sick or something? You can tell me I'll try and help you through it."

Perking an eyebrow, Josh looked at Joe, "I'm fine, Joe, what makes you think I'm not all right?" Josh was starting to think that the people of the Banshee knew a little bit more than they were telling him. Rightfully so, he didn't want to know what they knew.

"Sara conducted her own little investigation about someone trying to get Nerolapizine illegally and all signs point to you; she already presented her findings to the captain and I’m sure pretty soon they’re going to ask you about it. I didn’t want you to be caught completely off guard by it."

His feet stopped moving and he stood there in the sand staring at Joe. It was true, they did know about it. Josh had to think quickly on his feet if he was going to get out of this one, "Nerolapizine? That's a neural suppressant, I believe. However, I haven't replicated any of it. I tried to replicate Nerapontrax - a headache pain reliever, but managed to replicate Narinthrotin. Narinthrotin is a birth control substance. Sara gave me the real stuff, ask her yourself."

"That’s exactly what her report said, but then there was another attempt to make the substance and everything in her report points to you."

"I'll admit I may have almost replicated it by mistake, but I never took anything like that," Josh knew he'd only accessed the replicators twice for that drug, but the first time was easily covered so he didn't know what Joe thought Sara had. "You've got the wrong person, Joe. I was at the medical replicator once and that was it - the night Sara saw me. I then asked Telsia to get me some Nerapontrax for my headaches because she's a doctor. Other than that, I haven't taken any drugs since I was on the Iliad."

"OK, great, I'm glad to hear it. So when they ask about it you'll be fine since it wasn't you. I don’t want you getting in any more trouble then you already are. So you're fine then? You don’t need to be taking any medication?"

Josh smirked, "I was having some headaches last week, but I'm sure they were stressed related. They're gone now completely. Thanks for your concern, though, Joe."

"Great, let's finish the jog then we still got more than half the beach to go."

"Let's do it," Josh said while his inner thoughts were screaming with success of successfully camouflaging himself. One person down to convince that it wasn't him, only like one hundred and fifty to go. One person at a time. One step at a time. One obstacle at a time.

<USS Banshee> "Not a River in Egypt"

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