Free to Go... Again

Posted on Sun Aug 21st, 2022 @ 7:28pm by Ensign Michael Sloan & Captain Bethsabée Leroux

Mission: Mission 6 - Memory
Location: Michael Sloan's Quarters
Timeline: Day 300, 22:00
2209 words - 4.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Laid on his bed with his eyes on the ceiling had been a familiar spot for Michael. The Chief Engineer had not even bothered to take of his uniform yet, it would be a little dig at the Chief Armory officer to see him still in uniform. He had graduated from the Brig to confinement in quarters to back in the workforce, but now he was back under confinement. He wondered to himself just how many more times he would find himself in this spot, it had to be a Starfleet record at this point. As he was about to reach for one of the few books he had not finished, the door chime to his quarters chirped. Bringing himself to a seated position, Sloan called out, "Come in."

Beth stepped into the compartment and leant against the door door frame for a moment before she stepped inside closing the door behind her. “We keep meeting like this.” The woman said lightly as she moved to sit on the bed before she fell over.

"Which part, when I'm imprisoned or awkwardly?" Michael laughed as he turned to face Beth. By the way she entered, Sloan could tell that he was no longer a suspect. He did not think she would be joking as much and the lack of Gerhard was a big giveaway. "Have there been any developments with Leyton?" he asked, not trying to pry too quickly. He just felt helpless being stuck in his quarters while he wanted to be helping the investigation.

“Both.” The woman commented and lay backwards on the bed looking exhausted. She was tired and the nose bleeds were taking it out of her more than she cared to admit but she had to lead.. “Not really. Lots of people off the hook but no real answers.” Beth commented. “Her time of death was about 14:30. So after the pod arrived but no one had seen her for hours before so really have no idea what has happened.”

"That is the same time Jamison and I were investigating the pod, Gerhard joined not long afterwards," Michael sighed before falling backwards on the bed. "Well, have we narrowed down the list to any possibilities?" he asked. It was so hard to imagine that there was a murderer aboard. He did not have the most in-depth relationship with the former XO, but she was nice enough while they repaired the shuttlepod. It had to be a message of some kind.

“She agreed that you were together and everything lined up so Gerhard had no choice to release you … and everyone apart from ten people who need more in-depth investigation,” Beth said turning on her side a bit to look at him better as well as get comfortable. It was nothing that he should not know as a senior officer when the others all knew as they had been released as all alibis had been checked.

“I can’t believe a Starfleet officer would do something like this,” Michael more or less sighed. Shaking his head, he added, “We were supposed to be better than this. Killing our own for no known reason.”

The Captain nodded at his rationale. They were meant to be better but someone onboard was showing themselves for something a lot more. Beth could not understand why the woman had been targeted but it had to be something, you did not target the first officer of an Earth Starfleet vessel without a bigger reason. "It is just like The Caelestis all over again." Beth sighed herself and got more comfortable on the bed. She was tired and she knew she needed to rest from the nose bleeds that seemed to haunt her all day.

"We're lucky we got out of that one in one piece," Michael recalled from the future ship. "Though I don't think we have anyone aboard from the future, unless other universes count," he tried to joke but even he knew that it would fall flat.

"Will have to see what the morning brings. We all need sleep to function. It has been a strange day." Beth admitted sitting up slowly before she fell asleep lying there. It would be impossible to move if she got anymore comfortable.

Noticing how Beth had more or less passed out, Sloan immediately got concerned and debated calling for Sickbay. Starting off with a shoulder tap and moving to a gentle push on her shoulder, Michael tried to awaken the Captain. "Beth, wake up." Her recent fatigue when put next to her nosebleeds was a cause for concern as if they were symptoms of some worrying medical conditions. "Beth!" he called out.

Beth jerked from where she had drifted off, slumped over. It had been years since she had fallen asleep like that without a moments hesitation and sat up. "Oops... Sorry..." Beth said sleepily smiling as she made a move to stand up. "Out stayed my welcome."

"Wait," Michael replied with enough in his voice for Beth to know he was serious. "The nosebleeds, the excessive fatigue," he paused as he let the symptoms sink in. "Is there something you aren't telling me, or yourself?" he asked. Looking at Beth in her eyes, he added, "Those aren't just symptoms you can wave off as if they are a cold."

Beth stopped and turned a little to look at him. She had considered it after the meal when they had been sat in hydroponics but there was nothing she could do to change any of it. “If it is something more I cannot fix it. There is no treatment that will not put the whole ship at risk and it’s not pregnancy or a cold as we both know as you fixed the AC. So I just need to continue.” Beth said slowly.

"Have you spoken with Dr. zh'Kenarh?" Michael asked. Knowing that Beth seemed to enjoy pushing herself further than the rest of the crew, Sloan reminded her, "We've already lost one Captain. You killing yourself in your work is not going to get us home any faster or in better condition." He was beginning to become fairly concerned with Beth's condition and was worried that she was not taking care of herself in any meaningful way.

Beth frowned a little lowering her head defeated for a moment before looking back at him. “She has been busy with everything that has been going on,” Beth said. “I am not working any harder than anyone else Michael. You are working way harder.” Beth countered feeling the throbbing behind her eyes again as a chin rang at the door. “Were you expecting anyone?” Beth whispered.

“No,” Michael shook his head. Before they were lost in space, such an occurrence was fairly common. However, these days the only one who came knocking was Beth. Michael instinctively stood to put himself between the door and the Captain as he called out, “Come in.”

Smith wandered in looking around and spotted the Captain straight away. "I heard loud voices. I wanted to check everything was okay." Beth glanced at Michael as if to say were our voices loud before she frowned as her nose started to drip blood again.

"Excuse me." She whispered moving to the restroom.

Allowing a backward glance to Beth to make sure she was alright, Sloan kept a watch over Smith. For some reason, Michael felt a bit odd about the man in front of him. "Apologies if we were a disruption," Michael stated with a tiny amount of sincerity. Knowing that there was no hiding why Beth had ran to the restroom, Michael said, "We were just on our way to Sickbay. So forgive me if we can't exactly host company at the moment."

“Yes. No problem I was concerned as I heard the Captain’s voice I was going to offer to walk her back to her Cabin if there was a problem.” Smith said staring at Sloan smiling patiently.

"I think I can handle it," Michael replied, feigning friendliness.

“But yes I can see you do not want company. Look after the Captain would be awful if anything happened to her just after the XO died.” Smith said his smile dropping as he turned away from Sloan.

With eyes lingering on the door a bit, Sloan could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Shaking his head, he walked towards the restroom. Without peeking inside, he asked, "Are you alright?"

“Yeah. Can we just drop all the discussion of this? Go to sleep and just stop for awhile?” She wondered standing up from being leant over the sink trying to catch herself.

"For the night," Michael replied, completely unconvinced that she was alright. "But things will catch up to you one way or another and Gerhard will be running things, be it up to you or the doctor," he stated.

Beth looked at him and nodded as she came out of the rest room and look at him. She could not quite sum up the emotion on his face. “So am I being kicked out or can I collapse here?” She asked quietly.

“Why would you be kicked out?” Michael asked, confused. Trying to lighten the mood, he said, “Let the collapsing commence.” However, his mind was anything but light.

“Well seemed a bit like it’s not the time of bed to share a bed,” Beth said sitting down on the edge of the bed to start taking her boots off.

“Well, you always say that you want to get closer,” Michael began before patting a spot on the bed beside Beth. “It’s about as close as we can get,” he forced a laugh.

Beth offered a smile. “Did you think we had raised voices?” Beth asked quietly almost fearing someone was listening in on them and what they were discussing.

“Not at all, even a Vulcan would have needed to have their ear pressed against the door,” Sloan replied, casting a look toward the entrance to his quarters. His thoughts then drifted to as he considered the possibility that tonight was the night someone finally busted down the traitor’s door. Casting away the dark thoughts, he smiled mischievously as he said, “Maybe a promotion will earn a bigger bed?”

Beth said nothing as he moved his comment from the fact it would have been impossible for Smith to hear them to the size of the bed. Beth would take it up with Smith tomorrow about why he had been there but that was not something to think on then and there. It just gave her a headache. "I seem to remember the first time we shared a bed it was a bunk bed," Beth said thoughtfully as she took off her uniform and chucked it in the corner and laid back on the bed moving under the covers. "This is a lot more room." She said turning on her side. "Could come stay in my quarters though." She added with a roll of her eyes.

“I don’t know,” Michael started as he unzipped his uniform and began removing it. Casting a glance back toward Beth as he climbed under the covers with her, Sloan remembered, “The last time I had eyes on the Captain’s Quarters was the first time you threatened to throw me in the brig, or was it the fourth?”

“Second and you should not have had eyes on it.” Beth said simply as she used a pillow to knock him for bringing that up again. “You really did not like me back then did you?” She teased him back putting the pillow under her head as she settled down a little.

"I wouldn't go that far," Michael shrugged. "But you didn't like me either," he pointed out. Letting out a laugh, he winked as he said, "I guess I just needed a fresh personality."

"I did like you. I just could not understand why you hated my mere presence so I sniped back and well here we are." Beth said smiling at the laugh from him and the wink. "I guess you did but I liked the version before you merged." She reminded touching his cheek before pulling back feel how cold her hands were.

Putting her hands in his own, Sloan took in a breath. "I never hated you," he began. Shaking his head and trying to find the words, he admitted why he had been like he was at the beginning. "It was never you. Given the situation, I knew I had the training and my desire was to get us home. I had seen people be put in command with less experience than you crumble. I was wrong then, on everything. Leah knew what she was doing when she named you XO."

“Course she did. I’m quite diplomatic and knowledgeable under the surface.” Beth said leaning over kissing his cheek once before settling back down into the mission. “I complimented her. Why whoever I picked for my executive officer needs to compliment me in the same way.” She said knowing that maybe that not being the correct fit was why Samantha had gotten killed. “But not the time to think on all of that right now…”