We need to talk

Posted on Sat Oct 11, 2014 @ 4:19pm by Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings & Lieutenant Nicole Anderson

703 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: All this has happened before...
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: 1540

Cassandra glided into Sickbay, her eyes sweeping the room for its chief occupant. She spied her speaking with one of her nurses. Cassandra watched them for a moment, and grinned.

The nurse was smiling. That was impressive enough, but Nicole was smiling as well. In point of fact, she was almost glowing. A little black rain cloud in the back of Cassandra's mind questioned how long it would last, but she was thankful to see a smile on that face at all. She held back and watched them, waiting until Nicole's radar kicked in.

Nicole handed a padd back to Maggie and suddenly felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. She turned around to see Cassandra leaning against a bulkhead and smiling at her. She nodded her head towards her office and walked towards it quickly, hearing Cass' footsteps coming up behind her.

"Not a word," Nicole said.

"I was just going to say how cheery you look," Cass said, sitting down and crossing her legs.

Nicole sat behind her desk and hit her control panel, sealing her doors shut. "A facade, I assure you. Right now I'm trying not to be terrified."

"Of what, specifically?" Cass said.

"Lieutenant Taggart," Nicole said. "He...asked me out again."

"Again?" Cassandra said. "Survived the first one and wants more, eh?"

Nicole rolled her eyes. "He stood me up the first time. Apparently he got pulled away so urgently that he couldn't even send me a 'Dear Jane letter'."

"You know the job," Cassandra said. "I'm sure he didn't do it on purpose."

"I know, I know," Nicole sighed. "I was nervous enough then, but now..."

"Now, nothing," Cassandra said. "Get some perspective. Here's a guy who not only asked you out, but you made enough of an impression that he's trying to win you over a second time. And that makes him--"

"Crazier than me," Nicole said dryly.

"Nicole..." Cassandra said.

"All right. It makes him...what, sincere?"

"And worth a chance," Cassandra said, pointing at her. "And you are going to show, dolled up and charming. Clear?"

"Gee, twist my arm," Nicole said and started to get up, then immediately sat back down. "Wait...you didn't come here to talk about that...what are you on about?"

"The Captain wanted me to discuss my 'condition' with you," Cass said.

"You told her?" Nicole's eyes widened with surprise. "Why?"

"You and I both know secrets come out eventually. At this point I'd rather she know, but she's the only one who does. She knows about Penny as well."

"Well, good that should save me the trouble of faking medical exams for her," Nicole said. She chewed her lip for a moment. "I still need to talk to Commander Hunter," she said.

"Well you know how I feel about that," Cassandra said. "The question is, are you going to do it before or after you see Mister Taggart?"

"Tomorrow," Nicole said.

"Nic..." Cass admonished.

"I don't want to go to dinner weepy," Nicole said, "and if things do go well, I definitely don't want the evening to end 'cause I have to go pour my heart out to our X-ceptionally-annoying O."

Cass grinned. "Just try not to be too much of a B."

"Thank you, Cassandra, sage advice as always," Nicole deadpanned. She shook her head and reached into her breast pocket, pulled out her flask and took a swig.

"How much of that are you going through?" Cass said.

"No more than usual," Nicole said. "So far I'm relatively stable."

Cass nodded. "I have more in case you need it," she said and stood up. "I have more rounds to make, but let's chat again tomorrow, all right?"

Nicole nodded. "All right."

Cass gave Nicole a parting smile and left the CMO's office, shaking her head. Her mind reflected on the words of Marianne Williamson: Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered, to forgive the one that inflicted it. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness.

And if Nicole had one shortcoming, Cassandra reflected, it was forgiving herself.

*Nothing like an extended assignment,* she thought to herself.

 

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