When Old Friends Meet
Posted on Tue Oct 24th, 2017 @ 2:03am by Lieutenant Commander Katherine Malbrooke
Edited on on Fri Jun 1st, 2018 @ 5:21am
1,769 words; about a 9 minute read
Mission:
Episode 1 - Pioneering Spirit
Location: Room 4734, Residental Quatrr, Starfleet Medical, Earth
Timeline: MD001 1130
Tags: SD 71359.1130
Looking in the mirror at the reflection staring back, Patricia brushed her fingers across the pips nestled into her grey collar. How long had it been...weeks, months...even years since they had last taken their place there? Hadn’t the woman been forced to learn that there was no place for rank and uniform in rehabilitation...the focus was on the woman herself and nobody or nothing else. In a way it had been a life saver, allowing Patricia a change to block off what went before and to build on what was to come next. In another way it took away a second piece of what she’d built for herself and left her feeling lifeless and without any raft to hold onto.
Determination steeled in the woman’s features as her green eyes momentarily darkened before turning away from the image of herself. The past was the past and it only deserved to be left in one place...she was back in uniform now and needed to take one step forward and mend the damage that had been done previously...to rebuild all shed strived for beforehand to show the Federation that she was made of stronger supports than those so recently seen.
Katherine Malbrooke sat in runabout that she piloted, she was heading to Empok Nor, her new home, and her husband who would be there waiting. However, there was one thing that she needed to do to complete her life's mission. She needed her childhood friend, her compatriot. Kat needed her to do a very particular favor. "Computer open a channel to Patricia Montgomery's residential quarters Earth." The computer chimed in acknowledgement and now she waited.
Moving across to the beeping terminal, Patricia fixed a simple silver chain around her neck before leaning over to accept the transition. A wide smile spread across the officer’s lips as the image staring back at her was of her close friend. “Well lookie here...look at what the cat dragged in.”
"Hey, Trish... well the cat is satisfied with it's meal because I am quite the catch." Kat said and laughed. "Good to see you Trish, how are you feeling? I know I am happy to see you loosening up. Putting additions to your uniform I see..." Kat smiled at her friend. If Kat was successful here life would be on the up and up.
Pulling over a chair, Patricia felt the faint pink blush touch her cheeks as her hands moved to tuck the chain behind the neck of her uniform. “Ye...well...somethings have more meaning than others I guess. So in your analyses we are painting Ty as the cat are we?” The woman quickly changed the subject although she knew she could never get anything past her friend.
"You know it... I noticed you skirted my question though. How are you feeling? I heard through my various network of contacts that you have been cleared for duty. True or False?" Kat was attempting to gauge exactly what kind of mood her friend was in before springing the big question on her.
Patricia breathed a sigh of relief at the change of subject despite knowing it wouldn’t be too long coming back around. Settling herself into the chair, the woman leaned forward and rested her forearms against the table. “True...medical and engineering stopped butting heads and instead started to work together. They are fairly certain they’ve fixed the brain nerve issue...certain enough that Starfleet have said I can come back.”
"Well, my dear Trish have I job for you. Very shortly you should receive a message from my prodigal husband. He needs an Exec. He was just granted his own command, the USS Pioneer. After some prodding from me I managed to get him to call you and offer you the job. So act surprised..." Kat laughed heartily. "On the other hand I would take it as a personal favor if you could take the job. I need someone to keep an eye on him. You know how hot headed he is, but this is his dream and I am afraid that he may screw it up. Please Trish... That is if you can pull yourself away from a certain handsome man..." Kat smirked she knew of Trish's feelings and her fear to act on them.
Patricia’s body went ridget as the breath caught in her chest. Taking a moment, she rested her body back into the chair before slowly letting out a breath. “Wow...ah...well you always knew how to deliver your news didn’t you...Wow...”
Patricia needed another moment before she could think. On paper this was an amazing opportunity...work with someone she already knew in a role is wanted a second chance at. It seemed to be stuff dreams were made of but...she wasn’t quite sure what. “So what bribery did you offer to get him to take me on?”
"I told him he would not get the surprise that I was sending him. Trish, the surprise... It's me... I managed to get a transfer to Empok Nor as the Assistant Chief Engineer. I am on my way there now. We can all be together again like the old days." Kat looked into the viewscreen as her runabout was now on autopilot. Her face was a little strained with emotion, she wanted to reunite with her friend, and her husband. She tried to hide the emotion but Patricia knew her well and Kat knew it.
Patricia let out a second slow breath as the smile on her face grew. She knew what it meant to her friend. Starfleet could be so cruel and unkind when it came to marriages and families and such had been the card drawn for Kat. Long term separation from a man who was more than a husband, he was the woman’s sole mate was more of a sacrifice than anyone should have been asked to go through. The distance could have, possibly should have, broken the two apart but in this case had only made the couple stronger.
“So does this mean we finally get to see some babies?” Patricia couldn’t help the laugh as her fingers moved up to push over her tied back hair. “Kat...I know how much this means to you...” she didn’t need to say anymore.
Kat chuckled "Well I will make a deal with you. You will see babies, when those babies have an uncle to go with their aunt Patricia..." Katherine winked at her friend, she knew that getting Patricia back on the Starfleet horse was also important, even if Patricia didn't know that. "Trish thanks for doing this, believe me I know how hard it is to work with him, perhaps more than anyone. Now, I want to here all about where that necklace came from." Katherine smirked.
Patricia didn’t point out that she hadn’t said yes yet...she was still trying to process the significance of what the offer meant. Never once did she think that Tyler would give her an easy ride as his executive officer but to be under a friend rather than a personal like her old commanding officer...it was a game changer. A game she knew she’d be stupid to pass up when another offer even similar would never be likely to happen.
“Uncle...you’ll both be in walking frames before that ever happens.” Patricia smiled as she reached inside of the neck of her uniform once more, this time to draw out what earlier she had hidden. “It’s a goodbye gift...Cathal called it a Tigars eye...he said that the stone is designed to bring it’s wearer courage, strength and help them find an inner power when life isn’t going the way it perhaps should...” The woman looked down as she grasped the stone in her hand before moving to take the chain off. “It’s just something silly anyway.”
Katherine gave her a knowing look. "Patricia you are too serious some times. First I would say that tiger's eye is doing the trick. Second it is not something silly, it is a gift that a man gave a woman that he cares greatly for. He wants you to have something to remember him, to look at it a think of him and perhaps even call him. Don't you have a romantic bone in your body?" Kat looked at her friend, she could tell the Trish cared for this man. He must be something special, Kat thought.
With the chain now hanging from her fingers, Patricia watched the soft sway of the silver chain as the rock attached swung like a miniature pendulum. “You’ve always been the fanciful type...everyone else has to be paired up too now you’ve married your man.” The words were a tease before the officer looked up to the woman facing her on the screen. “Somethings are made to work and other things aren’t. This is one of those in the former category...anyway who would want a one legged woman.” The words were a tease but there was something further behind them that Patricia didn’t allow surface as she pulled open a drawer and allowed the chain to slip inside before closing the container back over.
Seeing that she wanted to close the issue for now, Kat changed the subject. However, she placed a mental note to chat with Trish later. "Remember, Trish when he calls act surprised. I guess you have some packing to do."
Patricia breathed a sigh of relief as Katherine seemed to finally let things go. Nodding her head in achknowledgement a very soft smile touched her lips. “It’ll be good to see you both again Kat...like old times.”
"Yes it will, I will see you in a few days aboard Empok Nor. In the meantime Trish, take care of yourself."
Patricia watched as the screen grew dark, leaving her once again alone with her thoughts. Whatever she had expected Starfleet to throw at her it certainly hadn't been this....It was almost a too good to be true situation. Surely things couldn't and wouldn't be that easy....Only time would tell.
A Joint Post By:
Lieutenant Commander Patricia Montgomery M.D.
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Katherine Malbrooke (PNPC Malbrooke)
Assistant Chief Engineer, Empok Nor
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