Camaraderie and Conversation

Posted on 29 Jan 2020 @ 9:29pm by Lieutenant Commander Remington Dodd & Lieutenant Lamia ‘Mia’ Kildare
Edited on on 31 Jan 2020 @ 11:32pm

1,366 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Arboretum
Timeline: The next morning

[ON]

Everything over and the proverbial dust settled, Lamia had made her way down to the arboretum to spend a little time by herself before her shift. The awards ceremony hadn't proved as traumatic as she'd been expecting, in the end, she'd enjoyed it, and she was looking forward to getting back to work knowing Chris was going to be aboard ship as well.

Dodd was officially cleared for duty but had one last day off before he was to resume his duties. Walon was in her last therapy session and so he decided to take a short stroll. He was enjoying the downtime and being able to not have to wear his uniform which always felt a little confining to him. So he headed for the Arboretum. He entered and felt the thoughts of a telepathic individual. So he knew Mia was near. He headed for the stream.

Lamia was sitting by the stream, simply enjoying the sound of the water trickling along when she'd sensed a familiar presence. "Hello, Remington." She smiled warmly as she looked towards him.

"Hello," Dodd replied. "Fancy meeting you here. I was just wandering around and felt a need to hear some gently moving water so headed for here."

“Sorry, that was probably me!” She offered a smile. “I forget sometimes that there are those here that might pick up on the broadcast from my mind. Of course, you and I have shared...our minds before so that would make us more susceptible to each other’s thoughts anyway.”

"No worries, I have to learn to not act upon every thought I pick up," Dodd replied. "That has gotten me into trouble in the past. However, once I know someone, I then to migrate towards their thoughts when I sense them."

"I've learned to block out most of what I don't need but my emotional state of late...well it's interfered with my control." She shrugged her shoulders. "As stupid as this is going to sound, where does what's happened to leave us? Are you comfortable with us being friends?"

"I know you have been riding a roller coaster of the emotional spectrum," Dodd replied. "I have felt parts of it as well. The rage of having been put through that hell. The anger for having it happen. The fear of what will come from it. The hope that it makes me a better being. The compassion from what is made me feel. The love for my Imzadi and now you. The will to help me move forward to make a life for myself and my Imzadi. The only puzzle is I feel a strong connection to you and that will not change. I know we had just met before the mission started and then to have to experience what happened and to have shared a moment of forced passion. However, telepathically I had felt that there was something there that helped us more than we realized and thus we are somehow a part of one another now. Not sure how to sum it up, but I feel that if we were not to become friends, it would hurt us more in the long run. I can not go forward without you in my life as a friend and confidant. Does that make any sense?”

Lamia looked at Remington with a warm smile. “It does.” She nodded. “I feel...that we’d be missing out on a special friendship and on being able to have each other to confide in. You have Iria and I have Chris, but together we are...” She paused to think how to word it, shaking her head as she struggled with the words. “You are special Remington and you always will be.”

"As are you, Mia," Dodd replied and he knelt beside her and put his hand on her shoulder.

“I know we didn’t have our baby for long, but it was an experience that I will never forget!” She paused for a moment. “I still want to be a mother and I know it’ll happen one day, for now, I just...have to try and accept our loss.”

"We will rise above the sorrow that occurred and be stronger people and we will be closer friends because of our baby," Dodd replied as a small tear formed in the corner of his eye. "I am and always shall be your friend; to infinity and beyond."

Lamia gently raised a hand and wiped away the tear that was starting to run down Dodd's face. "Friends forever. If there's ever anything you need, even if it's just to talk come and see me okay? The same goes for Iria."

"Same for you," Dodd replied. "I know it appears that I am not as troubled over the whole situation as you are, but I have dealt with it as best I can and I will help you through it. So, will Walon. We feel that while at first, it may seem tough, we will all bond in ways that normal friends may not but we can be more than just shipmates, we can be friends. I am glad you are open to that. I only hope that in time, we will all be much stronger individuals because of our friendship."

“As do I” Lamia smiled warmly. “I already feel your presence in here..” She tapped her temple. “I don’t think we bonded telepathically during...what happened between us because we both had mates already but I feel a mental connection that wasn’t there before.”

"I do agree, we have some connection that we would not have if it wasn't for the experience but we can still work together and be friends with this connection," Dodd replied. "To me, it is just a stronger friendship than most people experience. We still love our mates but yet there is nothing wrong with us having this mental connection as I am certain we were meant to be friends and this will help us in our friendship."

Lamia nodded. "Can I ask you something?" She hoped he wouldn't mind. "At the ceremony, I sensed conflicting emotions from you from when I was promoted. Is it because of Iria?"

"I will say that I am happy for you getting the promotion. Congratulations." Dodd replied. "I just know that Iria has served this ship for 5 years and got overlooked yet again. So yes there were some conflicting emotions. I love Iria and I am sad when she is sad, but I am happy a friend got a promotion. So don't let me rain on your parade."

"Oh no! I wasn't saying that!" Lamia smiled. "I was just...worried for you both I guess. I'm sure Iria will get a promotion eventually, let's hope it's soon."

"I was not trying to make you feel bad," Dodd stated. "I do hope that she will be able to get that promotion the next time we have one of those ceremonies."

"You didn't make me feel bad!" She smiled warmly. "I'll keep my fingers crossed for Iria for next time."

"Well, I am certain that as the next mission starts, we will soon find ourselves caught up in what orders we get and that will help move us all onward to a new lease on life," Dodd stated. He then turned to look at a bird that flew by while he was talking. "I need to go and reserve a holodeck for some ice-skating before the next mission starts."

Lamia nodded. "Then go and get your holodeck sorted" She smiled warmly. "I'm going to hang around here for a little longer before I head back. Say hi to Iria for me, and thank you."

"Okay, I hope you can enjoy the rest of your downtime before we start the next mission. I would say you and Chris need to have dinner with us sometime soon." Dodd replied. "Catch you later, Mia."

“I’d like that! We’ll arrange something.” She smiled as she watched Dodd go before turning her attention back to the relaxing Arboretum sites and sounds.

[OFF]

Lieutenant Lamia ‘Mia’ Arderne
Chief Ops Officer

Lieutenant Remington Dodd
Chief Engineering Officer

 

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