Dinner

Posted on Fri Dec 11th, 2020 @ 11:24pm by Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro

917 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 - Echoes Of An Empire
Location: D'BrooNi quarters
Timeline: MD2 18:00

ON:

"Mum, your back. How was work? What do you fancy for dinner? Can we be pigs and have fajita’s?" Charlie asked.

“Oh yes sure. With some salad. Even out the badness,” she suggested. “Save me running tomorrow morning.”

“I don’t get how you can do that every 2 days anyway,” she muttered. Mel heard her child’s stomach rumble.

“I’ll just change,” she told her.

“Okay but mum you didn’t answer my question?”

“Which?” she asked distracted by her own stomach deciding to join hers in a chorus making noises.

“How was work?”

Her fingers absently went to her lips. “It was … work.”

Charlie watched as she went into her room feeling shut out. She used to talk about her day. Maybe when she was changed, she mused.

Mel went in her room and pulled off her uniform. Grabbing a t-shirt she pulled that on and a pair of jeans, then let down her hair. She caught sight of herself in the mirror.

She had looked paler earlier now she seemed to have more life and colour in her cheeks.

She walked back in to see Charlie had already replicated all the food and poured her a glass of water.

“Did you go try fly the shuttle?” she asked knowing her mother had mentioned that.

“Yes,” she nodded helping herself to a couple of chicken fahitas and loading the rest of her plate with salad.

“And?” Charlie pushed.

Her fingers went to her lips again and D’BrooNi flashed the memory. A smile went up her face.

He had kissed her back and things had started deepening before both pulled away. Professionalism had kicked in. They were on duty after all. He was the Captain. Busy of course and she had kept him waiting half an hour outside ....

She had just put her forehead to his, smiled and called out to the computer to end programme taking her leave. Who knew what he thought of that? Probably as stunned at things as she was.

But it was Keiben. Whatever happened they would be okay. She knew and trusted in that.

“I crashed it 7 times,” she looked at her daughter who pretty much spat out the sip of water she was taking.

“7 times mum. Really 7 times,” she said amused.

“Well in my defence,” she pointed to her head, “They were all …. Well rather loud. And my speed perception seems to have got worse.”

“They seem to be loud a lot lately mum. Are you okay?” Charlie observed.

“Yes. Yes it nothing to worry about. Its just been crazy …”

“Yes it has,” Charlie watched her carefully.

“I was thinking you might like to chat with Tam. I’m kind of counsellor unofficially until we have one officially …. “ Mel looked confused for a brief moment. Had that come out right. “And everyone really who … well survived the attack needs to …

“Talk?” Charlie finished for her. She didn’t mind chatting with Tam. She liked Tam. “What about you Mum? You need to talk too. And you’re not exactly opening up right now.”

“What’s that mean?” she asked.

“Well have you thought there being “louder” cause your ….”

“Internalising,” Mel finished her sentence. She chewed her cheek and stabbed some lettuce. “Yes perhaps. I’ll be okay. I will go speak to someone too. I promise. Don’t worry honey.”

Her fingers went to her lips again. She had been doing it all day since she realised. Oh god what was happening?

Charlie rolled her eyes. She was worrying though. She was definitely going to mention this to Tam if she got to talk to her.

“How was school?” Mel changed the subject.

“Its not school. You know that. There are only 2 kids on the ship now. It’s a holographic teacher and occasionally they ship in someone real to tell us some stories. It was fine though. I passed my math test,” she told her. Saying that was a punch to her gut too. There had been 8 of them including her boyfriend.

“Well done honey,” Mel said. She looked at her sadly knowing that Jason had been attending and now was gone. She had tried to broach speaking about it but every time she did Charlie ended up in floods of tears and she wasn’t managing to help in that grief. She wondered, should she try broach it again.

“What are you going to do about the flying?” Charlie it seemed decided to also change direction and that decision out of her hands. “You used to be able to fly. Hell …”

“Charlie …” she warned at the language ..

“Sorry I just mean come on you have 2 hosts that could fly. Can ‘t you just channel them?

“Not if I want to be safe and anyone in the shuttle safe,” she cracked a slight smile. “Or sober …”

“Kaal that bad?” Charlie chuckled.

Mel remembered how white Keiben had gone. She nodded. “Hes a bad influence and a reason never to drink tequila.”

At least she was sharing her hosts stuff with her still. She rarely opened up to anyone else Charlie reminded herself.

“So anyway, I’ve made a decision. I think I will learn to fly again from the beginning. But we aren’t telling anyone. Not after 7 failed attempts. Let’s keep that secret till I can actually do it again, and figure out a way to do it,” Mel said. Clearly it couldn’t be Keiben. That would be far too distracting.

OFF:

 

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