A Little Help From My Friends
Posted on Thu Apr 2nd, 2020 @ 7:25pm by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Lieutenant Aurelius Davis
Edited on on Sun Apr 5th, 2020 @ 3:50pm
Mission:
Mission 2 - Fallout
Location: Deck E - Officers Quarters
Timeline: Day 7, Month 1, Year 0 23:55
990 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure
Well this was embarrassing. It was the smallest task, easily done by most people, but his now bent and numb fingers were impeding what used to take seconds. He knew someone he could turn to, that was if he wasn't interrupting her rest, which he really hoped he wasn't. But at least she might keep this discreet. Knocking on a fellow crew member's door just didn't seem as comforting. Maybe he was being weird but he thought Beth understood what he was going through. He touched her chime and looked up at the bulkhead above him as if asking a deity for guidance.
"Hi, sorry, I need help." He said sheepishly, showing her the small package of soap.
Beth had not been sleeping she had just gotten out of the shower and gotten dressed into some clean pyjamas. It felt so good to be clean after a week of only quick washes and wearing clean clothes. She raised an eyebrow at the chime and stood up answering it. "First shower hmm?" Beth wondered looking a little cleaner herself. She had waited until the majority of the crew had so she was surprised to see Aurelius.
"Yeah," he answered sheepishly. "I didn't really want to share with just anyone how helpless I seem to be now," he chuckled sheepishly. "And I'll get out of your hair and um nose hairs. I really appreciate this."
"It is nearly midnight. You should already be asleep." The woman said taking the soap package opening it without hesitation. "What made you come to me of all people?" Their quarters, for now were pretty close but there were people in between he could have asked anyone.
"I figured a shower would relax me into dreamland since I don't seem to be able to drift off. And . . . I figured I could trust you to not laugh or feel too sorry for me." He shrugged. "I'm sorry, I should have realized it's so late. I hope I didn't wake you."
"Aurelius I do feel sorry for you but it is not in the pitying way that you presume either. And if I laugh, I would be laughing with you, not at you." She assured looking down at the shorts and vest she wore and shrugged. He had seen her in the same over the last few months with the decontamination chamber and having been in there a few times together. It left little to the imagination.
He shrugged, "That's kind of what I meant. I guess I just thought you would understand." He ran his fingers through his hair. "And maybe other people would make more of a big deal out of it. But anyway, it's done, thank you very much. I'll go take my shower and let you sleep . . . ." But he still lingered, not really sure why.
"And I do." She assured softly. "It is not a big deal at all. We are crewmates." She reminded him watching him linger. “What is on your mind?” She asked finally when he could not decide to come or go.
"I don't know," but he did. "Do you think . . . I mean you did mention that other people had said to you," he looked up at the ceiling. "Would you like to get a cup of coffee sometime?" God that sounded stupid, they were in the middle of a crisis, they hardly had supplies. Of course, she wasn't going to be thinking about dating or coffee or him.
Beth had not expected that but seeing most of the male population within her age range with any self-confidence had tried that it should have been obvious. Difference between them and Aurelius is he looked almost embarrassed. "When we have coffee sure. I like coffee." The woman mused with a small smile. Beth could almost hear his mind whirling and the negative mantra going through his mind.
He blinked at her as it took a moment for his mind to clear enough so he could actually process her words. Had she just said yes? "Great," he managed to mumble out. "Well when we get coffee and Commander Sloan back and all that stuff . . . sometime. You can let me know. I should probably go and let you get sleep though. This way," he pointed as if that helped the conversation.
"Ohh coffee." The woman sighed softly trying to sound jovial despite how she was feeling over Sloan's disappearance. It just made no sense at all. It was like he had been picked off the face of the planet and Beth knew that was impossible. "I will let you know. I do need to sleep. We are off searching at dawn." It was not that far away from being midnight ship time and dawn was around six am so not much sleep would be had but it would be enough to recharge herself.
"Sorry, sleep," Aurelius said reaching out for her hand for the briefest of moments. He couldn't really feel much through his fingers but he thought the gesture might help her. "We will find him."
"Qui and then I get to kick his ass for wandering off and leaving me nearly minus a morale officer and Executive Officer. Not like I can just go out and easily get new ones. Do not ever tell him I said that." She looked down at his hand squeezing as hard as she could so he might feel it.
"I won't," Aurelius chuckled. "Goodnight Beth." He took his hand reluctantly and resisted the urge to kiss her on the cheek. "Sleep!" He said as he turned to leave.
"Practice what you preach Lieutenant." The woman just smiled. She would sleep, that was not an issue. It would be the waking up that would get her. She would struggle with that she was sure of that. She longed to have a day where she could just sleep in.
Lieutenant Aurelius Davis
Morale Officer
NX Atlantis
