Food for thought

Posted on Fri Apr 26th, 2019 @ 11:57pm by Brigadier General Kaden Ross & Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne & Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD
Edited on on Fri Apr 26th, 2019 @ 11:58pm

1,867 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 98 - A Raid on Peace
Location: Good Fellas Italian Bar and Grille
Timeline: Shortly after Pre-Luanch Briefing.

Kaden walked into the Good Fellas Italian Bar and Grille hungry he had been busy reviewing all the latest reports on the regions current status and known hostile groups in an effort to familiarize himself with the situation. Having ordered a plate of chicken fettucini and breadsticks with his mint mocha frappucino he was about to go find a place to sit when his butt bumped into the back of Dr. Corrigan’s head who was busy chatting and eating lunch with Ariana.

About to take a drink, Carolyn jumped out of her seat as the glass she was holding fell onto the table, the water spilling out on to the table and then dripping down onto the floor. She grabbed up some of the napkins, trying to dry it up as best she could as one of the waitresses hurried over to help.

"None of it went on you, did it?" Carolyn asked Ariana hopefully. For her part, some had splashed on her jeans but it was only water so at least it would dry. Thankfully, she hadn't gone with ordering wine. It would have felt wrong to, given Ariana couldn't share a bottle with her.

“No you’re fine don’t worry” Ariana smiled as she helped to clear up. She could see Kaden coming but was too late to warn either of them that they were about to bump into each other.

Kaden practically jumped from his skin not expecting to be close enough to bump into someone after getting some food. He turned to Carolyn seeing she was cleaning up a mess his face turning red embrassed for his stupidity. “S-sorry...I...I...” He was having a hard time trying to say anything as he almost wanted to drop his food and run away ashamed.

It’s only water, don’t worry about it,” Carolyn assured him.

“Kaden...why don’t you join us?” Ariana smiled. “That’s if you don’t mind Carolyn?”

“Not at all,” Carolyn said, thanking the waitress who brought her a fresh drink. She pointed to the vacant chair, “please, sit.”

Ariana hoped Kaden would join them, she had been pretty blunt with the truth as to why they broke up years ago. She just hoped he’d forgive her.

Kaden sighed and took a seat he wasn’t going to be rude matter of fact seeing Carolyn was a great opportunity for him to have a chat with both on what was on his mind. Taking his fork he dug into his plate and took a bite pondering what to say to them.

"Is everything okay Kaden?" Ariana looked at him curiously.

Kaden wanted to lie but he knew it wasn’t going to work since she was Betazoid but he noticed something about Freya as of late since he got Ariana moved in them. Poking his food on his plate with his fork he tried to think of how to best ask. “Ariana, have...you noticed Freya seeming a bit...off?” He asked.

Ariana knew there was something worrying him but now he'd finally said it she looked at Carolyn then back at Kaden. "Actually...now you mention it..." She nodded. "Are you comfortable for me to speak infront of Carolyn?"

“Sure go ahead you or her might know something I don’t.” Kaden replied as he took a bite of one of his bread sticks.

"Kaden...I'm a pregnant woman! Living with a man whose wife wants nothing more than to have a baby!" She looked at Carolyn. "As Carolyn will tell you yearning for a baby can have all kinds of side effects. Medical as well as psychological."

"True," Carolyn agreed, looking ill at ease. "Maybe it just makes her a little uncomfortable."

Kaden rubbed the bridge of his nose. “So, let me get this straight...Freya, is envious that you are having a kid and she isn’t?” He angrily tossed his fork on the table suddenly losing his appetite. “Look, I didn’t ask you to come stay with us make her feel like shit, Ariana, I asked you to stay cause I needed your help to get over my fears of having kids. Cause a bunch of fucking doctors are pretty much telling me and her if we had kids at all there is a good chance they are going to wind up with my condition. You think I enjoy watching her be sad cause I am a chicken shit of a man to have kids? You think I wanted to be like this? Hell no. But cause of a error made by a my father’s doctor on giving him medication he has to take everyday for his Iverson's Disease so he don’t wind up paralyzed from the neck down. My brother and I wound up in the position we are both in and I will be damned if I want my kids to wind up like me or him either.”

“One, you apologise to her this second,” Carolyn interjected, gesturing Ariana. “That was out of line. And second we are doctors, not God. And this doctor is gone. I’ll speak to you later Ariana.”

Pushing her chair back she got to her feet to leave.

"Carolyn...wait!" Ariana looked at Carolyn. "Please...stay." She looked at Kaden. "Right we've spoken about this Kaden! Stop wallowing in your fears and be the man that your wife needs! She needs you to be there to support her not to make her feel worse. So what if you have a child that has your condition? Just because you had a hard time it doesn't mean your child would, he'll your child may not have the condition. You won't know unless you try!!" She took a relaxing breath as the whole thing was doing a good job of stressing her too."

Kaden sighed as he got up from his seat. “Look, I guess I should do you both a favor and go wallow alone, sorry to have ruined your lunch...”

"No, stay," Carolyn told him, still standing. "Because here is something to think about..."

She leaned over the table, keeping her voice low, emotion clear in her voice when she next spoke. "Some people absolutely kill just to have the chance to have a child of their own. Move heaven and earth for it. Being a parent is not a god given right, Captain Ross. But it is a blessing. Your child may or may not have your condition but it would have a father who knows what it is like to be in that situation, who would be able to support him. I am sorry we cannot guarantee anything for you but life does not work that way."

Ariana was sitting quietly massaging her baby bump trying to stay relaxed. "I would give anything...to have my baby back." She looked up at Kaden. "I'm just lucky I have my daughter left, I could have lost them both and my life as well. I would have if it hadn't been for the medical staff here, don't run down people you don't know okay?" She offered Carolyn a smile.

Fuck, I am better off dealing with marines than this shit. Kaden thought as he sat back down in his chair uncertain what to say or do.

"If you want me to move out again I'll move out" Ariana looked at Kaden. "Maybe it'll be easier for you and Frey if I'm not a reminder of what she wants and you're afraid of."

"To to state the obvious here but... have all three of you ever sat down and talked this through?" Carolyn suggested, furious with him but not wanting to leave Ariana to deal with this alone.

"Actually...no we haven't." Ariana looked at Kaden. "I didn't want to say anything but I didn't have a lot of choice!"

Kaden raised his eyebrow looking at Ariana. “Something I need to know?” He asked.

"Nothing more than what I've said" Ariana looked at Kaden keeping her expression neutral as she did so. "Perhaps we should talk about this along with Frey later."

Kaden took a drink of his beverage. “I think it is a good idea if we did trying to get everything sorted out.” He turned to Carolyn. “As for you, Doc, I assure you I meant no offense I been pretty stressed lately I didn’t mean to snap on you back there. It’s just....” Kaden trailed off trying to find the right words to say. “I just don’t see things like you do you have no idea what it was like as a kid being treated like you are the fucking second coming of Khan Noonien Singh cause you have big muscles of a bodybuilder. I don’t want that for my children I don’t want them to have my condition I can’t handle reliving the horrors of my childhood nor do I want them to go thru that. I want my children to be free of my condition to have the best fucking childhood of their lives if you can’t understand that then I am sorry.”

Carolyn listened quietly, not sure what to say. Fortunately Ariana spoke up before a silence could stretch out.

"If you need help we're all here to help you Kaden" Ariana smiled. "Just trust that everything will work out and give yourself and Frey a chance okay?"

Kaden dug into his plate again pausing to give Ariana a smile. “I appericate it, Ariana, believe me I do want to give things a chance but I guess I need more time to think about it.”

Ariana nodded. "That's okay Kaden, whenever you're ready okay?" She stifled a yawn. "Sorry being pregnant takes the energy right out of you. Would you like to walk back to our quarters and I'll go get some rest?"

Kaden took another bite of his alfredo. “I would but gotta finish my plate then get back to work on finishing decorating my new office. Finally get to put all those old firearms you got me on display not to mention that replica of Frostmourne Freya got me for my birthday last year.”

"Not to worry then" Ariana grinned. "I can make my own way back." She looked at Carolyn. "Do you mind if I head off?"

“Of course not,” she promised. “I have physio soon so I need to head back soon. He’s more of a sadist if you are late. You sure you’re okay? I can walk you back, it isn’t much of a detour.”

"That'd be nice" Ariana smiled and nodded as she stood ready to leave. "I'll see you later Kaden."

Kaden lifted his glass as a sign of farewell but he couldn't bring himself to tell them that shortly he was going to be sent out on a dangerous mission. He sat alone alone for a bit before getting the call the troops was ready. But Kaden hoped to least have enough time to swing by Kitty O'Shea's to have a chat with Liam and thank him more properly for the chat over a drink.

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