Run Along Home

Posted on Fri Jan 18th, 2019 @ 8:09pm by Lieutenant Commander Angus Murphy

Mission: Run Afoul
Location: Engineering
Timeline: MD? A few days after explosion
1296 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Knowing better than to ignore a doctor's advice, Patrick did so anyway. He was lonely, despite having spent some time in the mess, and having spent some time there talking to people. He was also very worried, because Murphy hadn't come home for a few days now, and he hadn't been answering messages either.

He didn't know how long it had taken him as it'd been a slow and careful walk to engineering. Now, he stood in front of the door, pale, sweating profusely and hesitating to go in. This was where the explosion had originated from... This was also a place which was, technically, off-limits to him as a civilian on this vessel.

Patrick had come empty-handed as he wasn't able to carry anything right now. That made him feel a little worse than he already did, as he took the step forward that'd cause the door to open. "Murph?" he called out as soon as he stepped inside. "Murph are you here?"

Visually, engineering was probably looking better than the last time Patrick had been through. At least most of the damage had been cleared away and rebuilding was underway. "Patrick?" Murph asked, surprised to see the man on his feet. He was working with a younger engineering officer on a relay panel, but he left her to continue and marched toward the Chef. "What on earth are you doing down here?"

"Looking for you," the younger man answered simply as he leaned against the wall. He looked around, glanced past the chief engineer then reached out to him with his free arm. "Since you're not coming home, I decided to come to you," he added slowly, "I miss you."

"I miss you too, but you should be resting," Murphy took his arm. "Let me walk you back to your quarters. I can take a break for a bit and we can catch up. Have you been back to sickbay yet?"

"No I haven't been to sickbay but the doctor has been checking in." Patrick sighed at being marched back home. "You need a break Murph, you can't work non-stop. No-one is expecting you to work non-stop. When is the last time you had any rest?"

"Patrick," Murphy said pointedly as he turned them back and started walking toward the turbolift. "I take my duties here very seriously. This isn't just a job. This isn't about me. There are a ship of lives at stake here. Some times I have to work long hours." He cleared his throat. "Speaking of which, you really don't need to send down food for me. We can manage down here."

"I didn't send down food," Patrick objected, "I've been to the mess once, with the doctor's approval. I understand you take your job seriously, and I understand you work long hours..." He pouted a little as they walked. "...but even you need to rest and you haven't been home in days."

"This is a Federation starship, not a cruiseliner," Murphy snapped back. He immediately felt a twinge of guilt for his sharpness. Paddy had truly caught him off guard, but also, the feelings were real in a sense. "I'm sorry," he said as they stepped into the turbolift. "I just don't need someone doting over me. It feels a little... claustrophobic."

Patrick pulled himself free and turned away from him. "Is that what you think I'm doing?" he asked, shaking his head, feeling tears well up in his eyes. "You think I'm doting on you?"

Murphy felt his ears turn red. "A little, yes?" he answered, exasperatedly, before calling out the deck number that Paddy resided on. The lift moved quietly upward. "You made me bacon and eggs and sent them down to me," he added, as though that proved his point.

The lift doors opened.

Patrick sighed. "I did ask Tarria to make sure you had food," he admitted, "but I did kind of mean all of you." He turned back to face the engineer before walking out. "Is it so bad that I want to make sure you don't forget to look after yourself? You'd forget to eat if you're engrossed in work. Andy was much the same in that aspect."

Murphy walked toward Pat's quarters in silence for a moment. "You know I appreciate the thought, but you need to focus on getting better and trust that I can handle myself. I need my people to be a little bit afraid of me and I can't do that when I have a bartender running eggs into my office on a silver platter. You get what I mean?"

"The walls are coming down on me Murph. I'm not someone who can sit idle. Can you trust me to know my limits? I only made tea today and a few eggs and I had help doing it too. I didn't do anything beyond my current level of strength, I promise. But having you to myself for a little bit, even if it's only a few minutes will help too. Being alone is driving me mad. I'm not a people person, but the silence of being here on my own. My thoughts wander to places they shouldn't."

"It's only been a couple of days," Murphy said with exasperation as he pressed the open button on Paddy's door and helped the man in and to the sofa. "Maybe you should think about going back to sickbay until you're healed," he suggested.

"No!" The single word was uttered sharper than intended. "I'm not going back to sickbay." Not only was it sharp, it was laced with fear."

"It's just sickbay," Murphy leveled him a look. "There are doctors and nurses and people to talk to..."

"No Murph.. you don't understand." Patrick shook his head, shuddering at the very idea. "That place terrifies me, what it signifies to me... I told you before." It was non-negotiable. He leaned back on his sofa, wondering if Murph was going to join him there, if only for a few minutes. "Doctor Anderson checks up on me frequently, and it was she who allowed me to head out for a bit. Cooking makes me happy Murph, and being in my kitchen will probably help me more than being stuck here."

"Well, I don't think you understand. I'm busy. I don't have time to come up here every time you feel a little lonely," Murphy snipped. "I just don't know if I can handle this relationship right now."

Patrick's face went white at those words. "I never asked you to come up here because I'm a little lonely," he answered in a whisper, shaking his head. "This isn't about me being lonely, this is about you taking a break because you need rest. But if you don't want to make use of my home to actually get some rest..." His expression hardened a little. "Fine...you can go and find somewhere else to stay." He closed his eyes, fully expecting Murph to leave in a huff.

Murphy nodded stiffly, though the agreement was lost on Patrick because his eyes were closed. It wasn't that he was unemotional about the whole thing, he'd just had a lot of practice at burying emotions. Murph was perhaps vulcan at heart, or at least could pretend to be. "I have to get back to work, so... I just hope you feel better soon." He turned and walked out, the door closing behind him.

Unseen to Murphy, tears started to roll down the chef's face. Part of him wanted to call him back, but the other part wanted him to ask if he could. So, he said nothing and just let him walk out.

---

Lieutenant Angus Murphy
Chief Engineer
USS Majestic

Patrick O'Malley
Chef
pnpc Lhaes