Bloodied

Posted on Thu Jun 23rd, 2022 @ 9:25pm by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Ensign Michael Sloan
Edited on on Wed Jun 29th, 2022 @ 7:22pm

Mission: Mission 6 - Memory
Location: Hydroponics, Deck E
Timeline: Day 298, 22:25
Tags: Monthly Challenge - Sloan
1522 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Beth was surprised to see Michael in the hydroponics bay and frowned at her appearance. She was covered in blood despite her best efforts after the meal and ended up in sickbay with a huge nose bleed to clean it all up but it was still clearly visible on the white parts of her dress. “I did not think anyone would be down here this late. I came to get some air.” Beth inquired as she moved through the stacks to where he sat reading a book. It was one of her favourite places to read a book if she was honest. It was relaxing under the almost sunlight and Crewman Jones did not normal disturb or even both to comment that late in the day.

"I have had trouble sleeping consistently since the mind scramble," Michael explained. He placed the bookmark at his current page and laid down the Mutiny on the Bounty. He stood to greet Beth as he noticed the blood. Trying to make her feel better, he stated, "I would hate to see the other person if that's how you got out." Despite the joke, his eyes betrayed worry about Beth. She had been to Sickbay a few times in the recent months alone for a concussion, various attacks, and now what appeared to be a nosebleed.

Beth looked at the book as one of the ones that she gave him months back. It was a classic and an ironic title, to say the least. She was relieved to see he was not the type to bend the book pages of a book. As he stood Beth smiled softly to greet him. "Just my ego." The Captain assured quickly. "Maybe I should slow it down or get some more sleep just like you been feeling off the last few days." She shrugged and sat down on the bench next to him.

"What happened?" Michael replied as he followed Beth's lead in taking a seat. He had not been part of whatever had happened with Beth and her ego. Some small emergency in Main Engineering had prevented him from attending. Fortunately, the emergency turned out to only be a sensor that needed to be re-calibrated and not a sudden loss in fuel supplies.

"I went to the meal that Smith arrange and everything was fine. The food was good, drinks flowing and then I just had a nose bleed that I could not stop. The Doctor took me to sickbay and quite a few people have been having the same issues." Beth shrugged. "More than likely the air conditioning is starting to affect us." She mused to herself. "Why I came here for some fresh air."

"I'll take a look at environmental controls first thing in the morning," Michael promised. While not common, it was something that could occur if the environmental settings were calibrated to keep the air a bit drier than usual. For Vulcans, it would have felt like home but Humans and Romulans came from a wetter climate. Bringing his thoughts back from work, Michael asked, "I was looking forward to attending, how was the meal? Not counting how it ended of course."

Beth opened her mouth to say something that was not negative and found the thought got stuck in her throat. "Yeah... fine. Italian." She said quickly as a default answer. She had a moment where she thought that was wrong. The food had been horrible but she could not form the thought to tell someone. "Thank you. I am sure it is nothing to be fair." Beth had never really heard of anything like that before but it seemed that whatever had been happening was over with now.

“Are you okay? Really?” Michael asked the Captain. He had seen her seem to get lost in her words, a rare event for a communications specialist. He was not very far from insisting that they take a trip back to Sickbay.

“Yes. Very much okay.” The woman assured putting a hand on his leg and squeezed trying to offer some comfort to them both. “Please do not worry Michael.” She did not at all believe that she was okay but she could not explain what was wrong. “I am not fragile.”

"No you aren't," Michael replied, placing his own hand over Beth's. Looking over to the Captain, the engineer asked, "What happens next?"

"This evening? This week? This year?" Beth wondered taking in a deep breath. She never appreciated the hydroponics until now, it was the perfect place to just recentre and collect ones self after what was a strange week in her mind.

“All of them,” Michael replied. Having done some soul searching during his probation and every quiet moment, he added, “There is a question that I keep asking myself. If all that we have to look forward to is the next day or the next crisis with no hope, what is the point?” Realizing that the question may have come out more alarming than it should have, Sloan corrected himself, “I am not suicidal. I just wonder if this is all that there is. Work, eat, sleep, repeat.”

Beth turned a little in alarm at his words before smiling just a little and turned a little to look at him. “I am glad to hear that. But the people onboard is what we have.” Beth said simply. She could not imagine anyone different being in her life now after the last year of being around the same people. “It is all we have yes but the people onboard make it worthwhile. You have have more than just that.” Beth countered.

"That would be a little easier if half of them didn't think we would be better off without me," Michael admitted. It was a problem that he did not talk about much, and one that he thought he could live with until recently. He knew that she would probably argue the point to his face, but she had to know based on discussions with the other department heads.

“Of course it would be. But when have we either taken the easy route?” She wondered moving her hand from his leg to lean her head against it as she took him in.

With a hand, he rubbed the back of her head. Giving a slight laugh, Michael replied, "I don't think there is an easy route in Starfleet."

“Though it leads to a question… Michael do you want to stop being a secrete to majority of the crew?” She wondered quietly looking at him. It was not to give him some protection among the crew but to also give her something less to worry about. Secrets could only last so long onboard the ship before they came out and she wanted it out on her terms.

"If it ever was a secret, it has to be the worst kept secret on the ship," Sloan pointed out. Not really shrugging, but motioning with his hand in a be what it may gesture the Chief Engineer said, "I think there shouldn't be secrets. But you still have to be okay putting me in danger and the crew's safety still comes before anything."

“You think so little of my abilities sometimes.” She tutted amused and shook her head. “I’ve sent you many times to your death since this all started.” She reminded brightly thinking of the future ship and the Bable planet to name two situations that she had sent him off to danger.

"To be fair, you were in most of the danger on the future ship," Sloan tried to joke. But the point was made.

The woman did not make a comment on that. She had a habit at the moment of getting in trouble so it seem only logical that she would be able to sent him into danger. She was going to have to live with that gut twisting guilt until he was safe again just like anyone else on the ship. “I just want to define what we are.” Beth said with a shrug as she had no idea what was going on but the sudden feeling on the ship was making her want the connection and strength of a relationship again. “So what do you think? Are we doing this?”

"We're doing this," Michael smiled as he reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

“Well that is good.” Beth said letting out the breath she had been holding as the relief crossed her face. “You set the pace and I’ll follow.” She said quickly. “But right now I think I need a shower.” She admitted seeing the blood on her dress.

Looking at Beth, Sloan gave a mischievous smile as he said, "Can't let the crew know that you bleed." His face turned serious as he breathed in, before admitting, "The last year has been hard. There hasn't been a whole lot that got me out of bed in the morning." Pulling her hand closer, he finished with, "But this is the only thing that's made the last year bearable."