Crumbling Foundation

Posted on Fri Apr 26, 2019 @ 7:46pm by Lieutenant Nicole Anderson & Lieutenant JG Camille Lévesque PhD

1,477 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Plaga Navis
Location: Quarantine Lab/Camille's Quarters

Nicole walked into the lab and stopped short. Her father was sitting up in his chair, arms folded, head drooped, slightly snoring. She'd pulled some late nights in a lab and been woken in the same position.

The similarity didn't sit well with her.

She cleared her throat as she sat down at her station and the Professor sat up with a snort and a start. He looked over at her and rubbed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to doze."

"It's all right," Nicole said, turning her back on him and activating her console.

"I thought Lieutenant Levesque was going to take the next shift," he said.

"I told her to get some sleep. I'm awake so I told her I'd handle it,” Nicole said tightly.

Thomas mumbled something and turned back to his console.

“Excuse me? Something to add?” Nicole said, hotly.

“I was just saying how much you remind me--”

“--of my mother, yes,” Nicole said.

“Actually, I was going to say me,” he said. “You have my work habits and your mother’s stubbornness. A hefty combination.”

“I really do not need to hear what you think we have in common,” Nicole said.

“Your attitude surprises me,” Thomas said, turning around and folding his arms.

“Really…” she sniffed.

“Yes, really. Here’s your opportunity to find out about where you’re from and half of your history. Every idiosyncrasy you ever had that didn’t come from your mother, you can find out about. As a scientist, I’d assume you’d be eager for information.”

Nicole kept quiet, going through the prion tests. The results weren’t promising and she was already frustrated. She didn’t need someone adding to it.

“I wanted to ask you so much that day you walked into my classroom,” he said, smiling. He sat back and crossed his legs, folding his arms casually. “I wanted to know about your friends, your hobbies, your loves, your fears. I had spent sixteen years knowing I had a daughter out there, but until that moment I’d forgotten how much that meant. You didn’t see, but when you left, I could barely breathe. I had to sit on the floor until two students found me. Everything came crashing down.”

He paused, slightly choked up. “I told you I had no regrets. That wasn’t true. I regretted not arguing with your mother, futile as that is, to be part of your life. I regret not being there for your first step, your first words, your first day of school. I wish I had gotten to know the girl you were growing up. I--”

“Stop,” Nicole said. She wanted to shout and snarl that word, but her throat had closed up and she could barely croak. He was regretting everything except creating her in the first place, and that still burned in her brain. Something else, however, needled her.

“What do you mean arguing with mother?” she said, turning around slowly. She saw his expression and his eyes were moist like hers, and looked that much more like hers. She put it out of her head and focused on his mouth, less like hers.

“You know your mother,” he said. “If Mina puts her mind to something, there’s nothing short of a supernova that can dissuade her.

“Yes, but, what were you arguing with her about?” she said, staring him down.

He squirmed a bit, suddenly uncomfortable. “Things were tense between us, you know that.”

“Because of what you did,” Nicole pressed.

“Yes,” he sighed.

“So you argued,” Nicole continued.

“Your mother calls it arguing, I call it bare-knuckle boxing,” Thomas quipped. “But in the end, we agreed that it would be best if we were apart for a time.” He let out a long breath. “A few weeks turned into a few months. A few months turned into several months. By the time I realized you were born, she’d sent word that she wasn’t coming home.”

He paused, collecting himself. “If I’d succeeded, she wanted you growing up without hearing your parents fight over you. If I’d failed...she didn’t want any more heartbreak. I understood. I respected her wishes. We said goodbye and she--what?” he said, watching Nicole’s expression.

“You...you knew she was leaving? Nicole said, shocked.

“Well, of course. What do you think she did? Sneak out in the night? Your mother’s not a coward,” he said, confused.

Nicole sat back, flabbergasted. “When she said she left...and asked Uncle Alan to place her somewhere...I assumed….”

“That she didn’t want to be found?” Thomas said, solemnly. “I knew where she was headed. I respected her wishes, as much as it hurt. I stayed out of your lives, and gave you a chance at normality. I’m sorry I failed you. When you showed up, I didn’t chase after you. I wanted to. I wish I had.”

Nicole didn’t know how to process this. He was lying; he had to be. Her mother fled, to escape, to get away from him after he…

She said she left. She said she left and wanted to live away from him. Nicole filled in the gaps with her own assumptions. She’d spent years believing them. First the first time, she wasn’t sure of anything anymore.

“And you...just stayed on Earth?” she said, quietly.

“Actually, I went back to Alpha Centauri to work at the University,” Thomas said. “I figured, some time with family and old friends would help ease the pain.”

“You’re not from Earth?” Nicole said.

“No. Centaurian lineage all the way back to the first settlers in the 2060s,” he said, proudly. “Mina was the Terran. I may not have had the centuries of life, but I had the family history. She appreciated that. Family history was one of the things we bonded over when we first met.”

Nicole swallowed hard. “Why didn’t mother tell me….anything?” she said, mostly to herself.

“She told you what she felt you needed to know,” Thomas said. “She was trying to protect you. That’s all either of us wanted to do. Maybe we shouldn’t have, I don’t know. But in the end, you turned out pretty well,” he said, smiling. “And I’m very, very proud of you.”

Nicole sat back in her chair. While they were talking, someone seemed to have snuck in the lab and injected her with a sedative that was leaving her ready to slide out of her chair, the stimulants and energy enhancers she’d taken rapidly fading. Her adrenaline crashed and she put a hand to her head, trying to hold herself together.

“When was the last time you slept?” Thomas said, concerned.

“A while,” she mumbled.

“Go get some sleep,” he said, sympathetically. “I’ll manage here a bit longer.”

Nicole didn’t say anything, but nodded and stood up, shuffling out of the lab. She moved down the corridor in a daze and without realizing it, found herself in front of Camille’s door. Her brain was barely processing when she rang the chime. Everything her life was based on had just been turned on its ear, and she didn’t know what she wanted to do. All she knew was she wanted to go to sleep, and she wanted Camille with her.

As the doors opened, she looked up, eyes wet and smiled. “If I promise not to wake you tonight, would you mind some company?”

Camille had been getting ready for bed. It had been a long day, and even though she had the time of her life on holo-Rigel, she was exhausted. She was already in her warm flannel tartan-patterned sleepwear when she opened her door and saw Nicole. “Bien sur,” she said. “Come on in. I’m about ready to go to bed. But you’re always welcome to join me.”

Nicole stepped inside and pulled Camille to her in a tight hug. "Tomorrow, I've got one hell of a story to tell you over breakfast," she said.

Camille wrapped her arms around Nicole, holding her close. “I want to hear all about it. But we’ve both had a long day. Come to bed. Let me keep you warm and comfortable.”

Nicole kissed her softly and followed her to the bedroom. She quickly shucked her uniform, crawling into bed in her tee shirt and shorts, wrapping her arms around Camille. "At this rate," she yawned, "I'm going to fall asleep before my head.....hits....." she breathed deeply and silently.

The Québécoise smiled widely and gently kissed the Rigellian’s cheek. “Bonne nuit, mon amour.“ Her head on her own pillow, she closed her eyes and dozed as well.

 

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