Tea, bumps and sugar lumps

Posted on Thu Sep 26th, 2024 @ 1:28am by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Ensign Mercy Mourne

Mission: Remnant
Location: Mess
Timeline: Day 407 AM
2458 words - 4.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Mercy grabbed a cup of tea and looked around the mess hall, trying to find a quiet spot where she could easily relax. Finding a two seater table in one corner she then brings her cup over and sits down with a sigh. She was starting to see data streams when she closed her eyes, and she felt like if they didn't find fuel at one of the spots she had identified then it would mean she had failed everyone.

Before she could spiral too far, she took a deep breath and a calming sip of tea.

Beth looked around the busy mess hall and sighed as she tried to find somewhere to sit without all the eyes on her that she was imagining that was happening. She grabbed up a cup of tea and a plate of toast before she noticed Mercy and bee-lined for the young woman from the science department. She was a safe option happy about her pregnancy and genuinely wanted to help. "Can I join you, Ensign?" She asked softly.

Mercy choked on her tea slightly as the Captain addressed her. She had been miles away and hadn't heard the woman approach. "By all means." She croaked out once she had cleared her wind pipe and offered Captain Leroux a sheepish smile. She scrambled to her feet, years of protocol drummed into her head that you should always be seated after a senior officer. Right now though she couldn't remember if that was Academy training kicking in or the memory of her Grandmother's scowl at the dinner table and a lecture on etiquette. Deciding it didn't matter where the impulse came from she gestured for the chair opposite. "How are you today Captain?"

Beth glanced around at the people looking int their direction as Mercy scrambled to her feet quickly. Beth shook her head just as quickly and slouched into the chair opposite quickly. “Please sit. No need to stand on ceremony ensign. Especially pre coffee.” The woman said trying to make a joke. “I am as well as mornings can be.”

Mercy gave the Captain a sheepish smile and then slid back into her chair. Glancing around she winced realising she had drawn more attention than she intended to. “I am glad to hear you are doing well Captain.” She then took a sip of her tea and forced herself to relax a little. A feat which she was probably 60% successful with. “How is the day ahead looking for you Captain? Any busier than normal?”

"It is always busier than it should be." The older laughed with a kind smile. She knew that the woman was trying to create a conversation with her to settle herself more than Beth. Beth was at ease now that she could see people were going back to their own meals and ignoring her appearance or at least were giving the impression that they were which was a relief. Beth did not want to disrupt people. "How about you? Science is busier than normal from my understanding Ensign." Beth questioned back.

“I’m okay, honestly kind of tired. It’s… interesting having everyone working in just one lab. At first I thought it was quite nice to have such a buzz, but now I think I will be glad when we can spread out a little more again. Plus everyone is a bit on edge with trying their best to find a source of fuel. I think most people feel somehow responsible, which is admirable, but just means people are a little more… sensitive than normal I guess.” She thought of Darru and his strange emotionality, and Madi and her personal crisis. “I’m sure things will go back to normal once our old routine settles. Right now we will all just do our best to make the most of things.”

“It is no one’s responsibility alone,” Beth commented already filing away that she would go and have a look after science that afternoon to make sure that things were truly okay. Darru would have told her things were tense if he was noticing it but a human perspective always went a long way in noticing everything better.

“Yes of course Captain.” Mercy said automatically. She hadn’t meant to add to the woman’s long list of worries. “I’m sure everything will be fine, it’s just change and uncertainty. I think everyone has become quite practised at handling uncertainty over the last year or so, but the change is hard. Maybe it’s just me. I used to think the Science lab was a bit of a haven, now it’s just a crowded place to work.” Mercy then shakes her head, dismissing her own troubles and realising she had been quite remiss. “But enough about me, Captain how have you been?”

"It should not be for long the close quarters," Beth said hopefully. She was hoping it was not going to be much longer than a couple of weeks, she did not want to make it worse for anyone. "My concerns are your concerns." She answered quickly. She took a couple of gulps of her coffee and looked at the woman. "You do not need to ask how I am." She did not want to burden anyone with her stuff when she was meant to be the leader.

“I didn’t ask because I needed to, Captain, I asked because I wanted to know.” She tilted her head to one side and studied the woman. “You don’t have to share if you don’t want to, but I won’t think less of you for having good days and bad days. We all have them.”

Beth wanted to cry at what the woman said to her and she hated that she had become that type of person suddenly who cried at the drop of a hat. "Today is a good day." She assured wrapping both her hands around the mug staring at the toast on her plate.

"That's good." Mercy said softly. "I'm glad to hear it." Perhaps sensing that the Captain didn't need her probing further at this exact moment she instead took a sip of her tea and then graciously changed the subject. "You know I never did ask what sort of thing you like to do to relax and have fun when you are not keeping us all on the straight and narrow." She grinned at the woman. "You have any hobbies, Captain? Read any good books lately?"

"I like to run, I like to read books.... um..." It had been a long time since she had, had that type of conversation with anyone and she realised she had not had a lot of free time recently that had not been taken up with the fuel issues. "I have no had much free time recently to focus on hobbies. What about yourself?" She asked back keeping the back and forth flowing.

"I like to draw the crew sometimes, but I ran out of paper a couple of weeks ago. I like reading too!" Mercy was enthusiastic in her response, always happy to speak to people about what books they had on the go. "Read any good books lately?" She takes another sip of her tea and settles back a little, more at ease now they were talking about something casual. "or do you have a favourite kind of book? I have a stack I keep meaning to go trade in at the library, but there might be something in there you would enjoy?"

Beth could not help with the paper issues unless the woman wanted to recycle what she had already used. "I cannot draw at all so that is a lovely hobby to have. We have several artists on the ship." She added thoughtfully as an idea brewed but she turned back to the other parts. "I like some of the French classics like Le Comte de Monte-Cristo and Le Petit Prince which are in the library in both English and French so you should check them out but I enjoy all genres of books. I became a communication officer because I loved speaking and interacting with people as a child and it developed into languages so I do not believe I have a favourite kind." She paused to take a testing bite of toast. When the flavour hit her currently she tooka bigger bite. "What about your favourites?"

“In French? Oh yes of course, sorry I always forget you are a communications officer first.” Mercy gave the woman a warm smile. “The Little Prince is lovely. I used to read that to my youngest sister. In English of course since I was never so good at languages. I shall have to check out the other book.” Mercy took a sip of her tea and tilted her head. “In truth I have always been one of those terrible nerds who reads mostly books about history. I like 20th and 21st century really. Although sometimes poetry too. Have you come across Spike Milligan? That was another of my siblings favourites, used to make my little brothers hoot, which was always heartwarming.” Mercy watched the Captain take a testing bite and gave her a sympathetic look, “How have you been feeling? Have you been managing to enjoy your meals sometimes at least?”

"It has been a long 18 months since we all got our joining instructions and original postings," Beth commented brushing the forgetfulness away. Sometimes she forgot that once upon a time she had been the communications chief onboard. So much had happened since Leah had died and sometimes it felt like a completely different life to her. "I am afraid not. But sounds interesting... Spike Milligan." She rolled the name around her tongue and shook her head. It was a fun-sounding name though. "It is a joy to share your enjoyment of things with others." The older woman paused and glanced at her toast-eating attempt and winced. "Not really. There is a strange metallic taste to food at the moment but this is oaky."

Mercy winced in sympathy. “Oof that’s rough, still I survived in toast during my years at the academy, at least you have found something you can stomach.”

“For now. It was protein chicken last week.” Beth said thinking she really needed to use the core to see what romulans went through whilst pregnant or what she could expect from labour and bringing a child but the fear of the unknown was keeping her from doing it so far.

"That's tough Captain, seems awful unfair really. Looks like you might have a fussy eater on you hands." Mercy said with a gentle nod to the woman's stomach.

"Romulan," Beth said with a shrug knowing that they did not know much about the species so it could be completely within the normal for what a pregnancy was like for them.

Mercy huffed a small laugh. “Might not be fussy about just eating in that case.” Her tone was light but she tilted her head towards the Captain. “Permission to speak freely Captain?” It was the kind of request Mercy only ever made of her superior officers when she was worried about how whatever she was about to say might land.

"Please, Ensign," Beth assured quietly already bracing herself for the question that the type of request always broke up. She had never had an experience with that question that had no rocked her mentally or physically.

“You need help. And Ma’am there are lots of people around you who want to help you. Sometimes it’s a kindness you know? To let other people help you. I know you are always working hard and trying to be strong, but vulnerability is a superpower too. You don’t have to have this baby alone. I know you never meant to be Captain out here, but now that you are, you get to decide what that looks like, And maybe you already know that and have reached out to others and maybe you haven’t, but I just think that needed to be said.” Mercy then took a sip of her drink, hiding the way her heart was beating faster for having said that to the most important person on the ship. “Maybe think about getting an extra pair of hands or something? Like a yeoman?”

Beth knew the woman was right but what could she actually do to change it? If she showed too much vulnerability the crew faulted and she was seen as incapable of leading them. "I appreciate the sentiment Ensign and I will consider it." She said slowly. "If you see anyone wanting a yeoman job do let me know though always wanting to hear from people wanting a career change."

Mercy blinked and then nodded, her face lighting up. "I will keep that in mind. I don't know about a yeoman job specifically... but maybe... might be worth having a chat with Ensign Moore about her assignment? I think she might welcome a little change of pace from hydroponics?" Mercy thought back to the small woman's personal crisis. "She might not be up for it, but I think a little chat would still be worthwhile."

The older woman nodded. She was not sure that Moore would be up for it but she would ask away anyway even to elevate her growing curiosity over the phrase change of pace. "I will keep that in mind." She mused quietly as she started to gather things together.

“And in the meantime, if there’s anything I can do Captain, even if it’s just having a chat and a cup of tea…” Mercy left the invitation dangling between them as she stood up and straightened her uniform, before offering to clear the Captiain’s dishes with a gesture.

"I can do this Mercy but thank you." The Captain assured. She was not the type who needed to be waited on hand and foot by her crew, she was never going to be that type of Captain. It was not her style or in her mentality.

Mercy nodded and relinquished trying to help. “Sure you can, but I would make such an offer to anyone really.” Last thing Mercy needed was the Captain thinking she was trying to suck up, really she was just trying to be kind.

"I know you are kind but I do not need our crew believing I take advantage of someone like that. Even if they mean nothing more than what they were taught as a child. But thank you for allowing me to join you for breakfast." Beth explained smiling kindly as she passed the woman with a nod.