"The" Talk

Posted on Fri Jan 25th, 2019 @ 3:03am by

Mission: Run Afoul
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: pre-implication
1737 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Slowly, Stef found his way back to awareness. However, with awareness came also a sense of distinct discomfort. He groaned softly, memory coming back to him in a rush. "Oh...." he murmured, "oh oh..." He opened his eyes, blinking against sickbay's bright light. "Where am I?" he wondered out loud.

"Sickbay," Beata said, running a hand over his forehead and looking down on him concerned. "There was some kind of accident," she really wasn't very clear on the details. "You ended up shot." She frowned her disapproval at the whole thing. "How are you feeling?"

"Disoriented," Stef answered, leaning into her touch, "uncomfortable...but not in pain." He gave a minute nod at her summary. "I was on the firing range, learning how to use a phaser..." His eyes widened as the whole memory came rushing back. "The phaser discharged, I was holding it wrong and I saw it too late."

She raised her eyebrows at this. "Well, I guess we can take that off your list of future careers." Maybe it wasn't a very good time for a joke but she was hoping it would lift his spirits. "So, if you're feeling up to it, I want to talk to you about something?"

"Anything to take my mind off being stuck here," he answered softly, doing his best to give her a smile as he turned his head to look at her. "I am not going anywhere Beata, what would you like to talk about?"

"I uh, came to see the doctor earlier today and I think you should let her give you a shot. We started kinda strong and in case something does happen, we'll both be protected against any surprising . . . pregnancies."

The teenager's eyes widened as she mentioned it. "You do not wish for children?" He asked, neither giving her a yes nor a no.

"I grew up in an orphanage. Someday I want children but I want to make sure that everything is taken care of for my child and I'm not in a position to do that right now." She shrugged. "I just don't want anyone else to go through what I did, to feel unloved."

Stef had never felt loved while growing up, it just wasn't the Vulcan way, but he understood what she said. Mostly anyway. "Bee.." He hesitated. "I cannot do what you ask. In my culture, every child is desired, and welcome. I do not think we need to mate, there is no rush." He looked at her, concern creasing his brow, mixed with discomfort as he tried to shift to better see her. "I do desire you, but I do not wish to mate. I am quite content with just holding you, and making you happy in other ways."

"Oh, I thought you wanted to." It was the reason she had asked for the shot. She honestly didn't think she was ready for such a thing. Beata seemed to think about it for a moment. "Okay," she nodded.

"You seem disappointed," Stef said softly after studying her face for a moment. "Are you mad at me for saying no?"

"No," Beata said firmly. "Of course not." In truth she'd been pushing herself out of her comfort zone, thinking that she was doing this for him. "Don't worry about it," she went back to stroking his hair.

The sensation was oddly soothing and soon Stef felt like he might drift off to sleep. "I am not worried," he murmured, "I want you to be happy."

The doors to Sickbay opened for Jex as she walked through. She paused as she came through the doors so she could look around for Stef, not that she was lost but so she could gather her thoughts before she interrogated the young man. Settling her eyes on Stef, Jex made her way to the patient.

After giving Beata a nod, Jex looked over Stef. "How are you feeling?" she asked, putting on her best friendly voice.

"Ma'am.." Stef shifted his gaze from Beata to Jex, offering a faint smile. "I feel a little disoriented and very tired. Bee has been keeping me company." He paused. "I feel better than before, however." Stef could see something was bothering her, even his undeveloped senses could pick that much up.

Picking up on his suspicion, Jex nodded toward Beata and asked, "Would you mind if I spoke with Stef, alone?"

Beata looked at Stef to make sure it was okay if she left, but she nodded. "I'll come back and visit you later okay?" She squeezed his hand and reluctantly walked towards the double doors with a great feeling of weight pressing down on her.

Stef nodded, a sense of regret washing over him as he watched her walk away. His eyes traveled back towards the Betazoid woman. "You seem concerned..." he prompted, "why?"

"We'll get to that," Jex responded. Seeing Stef with a phaser really placed doubt in her mind about being the cause of the explosion, but in a way an explosive devise would be easier for a novice to handle. "How many people have access to the ship's chicken stock? Being the caretaker, you must have some idea about who has access to the coup," she asked.

Stef frowned as he considered the question. "Everyone," he finally answered, "they roam free in the arboretum so everyone visiting can touch them if they allow it." He looked up, the importance of the question eluding him entirely.

Deciding to press forward without revealing anything, Jex moved to her next line of questions, "I ask because we found some feathers in Engineering and we were trying to track how they got there. They've caused a bit of a problem. You wouldn't have happened to visit Engineering recently, have you?"

"I would ma'am," the teenager answered without pause, "I had to deliver PADDs to engineering, they were reports that had been signed by the captain." He paused. "And a package though I don't know what was in it."

"A package?" the Chief of Security echoed. "Who was the recipient of the package?" she asked, trying not to let her emotions show. She was becoming a bit horrified at the realization that she was talking with the bomber.

"I do not know. I was simply told to leave it there and it would be picked up." Stef shrugged, then winced.

"I won't keep you anymore," Jex forced a friendly smile. "Get to feeling better," she offered in a chatty tone. "I need to speak with the doctor for a moment, have to setup some field medic training. It's more difficult to setup without the trusty Yeoman around," she winked.

"Thank you ma'am..." Stef settled back on the bed though a worried frown creased his brow. Something was wrong, and he couldn't quite grasp what.

Looking back, Jex noticed that Stef was settled back into his biobed. She took the moment to tap her commbadge, "Enter, take him into custody." Jex turned around and walked back toward Stef, her hand hovering just over her phaser. "Stef, I am placing you under arrest, charged with the bombing in Main Engineering. Do not resist."

As she spoke, the Sickbay doors opened to reveal two more guards in very much the same position as Jex. All were waiting to see what Stef was about to do. This could go down two different ways.

The boy's eyes widened as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. "What?" His eyes traveled down to her phaser, colour draining from his face. "What?" he repeated, certain he hadn't heard right. "Why?"

"I cannot discuss this in such an open environment," Jex shot her eyes around the room to indicate everyone who was present. Looking back towards Stef, Jex informed him of his rights as a Starfleet officer. Once that was finished, she nodded toward one of the security personnel present. The man then stepped toward Stef in order to make the arrest.

"I do not understand," the youth said as his wrists were cuffed together. He let it happen, having neither the energy nor the will to even try to resist. He allowed himself to be moved to his feet like a will-less puppet, moving more or less on autopilot as he tried to process what had happened. He walked between the two security officers, who had to help him stay on his feet, until they reached the brig. "What did I do?"

"We have evidence that places you at the scene of a crime," Jexasi replied. She tried her best to show no emotion, but could feel the emotional breaking of her new prisoner. "I will talk to you once you step into the cell," she added. "Now, let's get a move on," she nodded her head toward the open cell before eying the other guards.

Stef stepped inside the cell and sat down on the cot, cuffed hands resting in his lap. He was still looking very pale, though his eyes widened at that news. "What crime?" he asked, feeling even more confused.

"The explosion on Engineering. We found evidence that places you at the epicenter of the blast," Jexasi replied. She left much out of her very vague explanation. He was still allowed visitors and the investigation was young. She didn't want to risk him passing along information.

"Oh..." The teenager looked down at his hands, not sure what to say or do now. Anything he would say now would probably incriminate him further, even if he was sure he had nothing to do with it. "Ma'am...am I to remain like this?" He held up his hands, his voice shaking as he spoke.

"You are allowed visitors and will not require restraints," Jex replied. The fear coming off the Yeoman was pretty strong. Had her empath abilities been stronger, she could probably have felt the difference between fear of being caught versus the fear of being falsely imprisoned, but for now she was just unsure. Trying to show a bit of compassion, she asked, "Is there anything you need?"

Unable to speak due to shock, the young man simply shook his head and eased himself down on the cot. His orders were to rest, so he would try to get some sleep.

---

Lieutenant Jexasi Rai
Chief Tactical/Security Officer
USS Majestic

Ensign Beata Lauryl (pnpc by Saulitis)
Operations Officer
USS Majestic

Crewman Apprentice Stef
Yeoman/Animal Caretaker
pnpc Lhaes