Homecoming -- Part 3

Posted on Sun Aug 4th, 2019 @ 11:30am by Commander Hades,MD & Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD

1,246 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 99 - Exordium / Epilogue
Location: Sickbay, SB 400 & then Promenade
Timeline: MD01 --0630 hours

Previously on Homecoming...

He protested yet somehow, thirty minutes later he was sitting across from Carolyn. His soup lay in front of him untouched.

“You are a brave man,” Carolyn mused as she set down her glass of orange juice. “Few would dare not touch the food Kitty served up. And it defeats the point of coming here if you don’t actually eat.”

And now the continuation…

ON:

“Carolyn!” As if on cue Kitty herself appeared from the kitchens, heading straight for their table. Arms outstretched, “I just knew it was you!”

Rising to meet her, Carolyn was caught off guard by the sheer strength the smaller woman had as she hugged her. Then, thankfully, she let go to hold her at arm’s length. “Lots of sun, that’s good,” she nodded. “I heard... I’m sorry dear.”

And then the bear hug was back. Carolyn glanced at Hades, mouthing one word, ‘help’.

Hades observed the women. She'd heard? He wondered what that meant. He sat back allowing the woman time to get reacquainted. He saw Carolyn's lips move. "Madam If you would kindly not smother my doctor I need her on duty tomorrow."

“Oh!” Kitty laughed, letting go and stepping back. “Jimmy always tells me off, saying I don’t know my own strength! And it is good to see you back, Doctor Hades. Not enjoying your soup?”

Rubbing her arms to restore some feeling, Carolyn slid back into her seat, taking a bite out of her lunch and giving him an ‘I told you so’ look. “My fault,” she lied, trying to save Hades the fate of having Kitty upset with him. He had suffered enough. “I keep asking him questions. Kitty, I know it’s early and a total pain but do you think I could have a strawberry sundae?”

“Course you can,” she smiled, turning and hurrying away.

“You better eat, I’ll be the size of a house if I need to keep ordering food,” she warned him. “And thanks for the save. She really is surprisingly strong.”

He gave a nod. He pushed the soup aside. "What did she mean when she said she'd heard and she was sorry?"

She leaned over the table, pushing his bowl back. “Nope. I’ll only talk if you eat.”

He sighed. He took the bowl and slow started to sip. As he did a distinctive shake to his hand could be seen. He took a few sips and pushed it away. "I have eaten."

“You are hard work sometimes,” she told him. “And those hands are not going near a patient when they are shaking like that. Eat, please. It’s so much less paperwork.”

He sighed. He hated himself for his weakness. He slowly sipped the soup with shaky hands leaving her to talk about what she was doing. He wouldn't admit it but he was curious. He pushed the soup away again hoping she'd forget.

“Going home,” she told him, pausing to consider her next words carefully, “was a mistake. I should have stayed here.”

Now her pause was solely to point towards his food, making it clear that was all he was getting unless he made an effort. She had not intended it to be so, but if the last two months could be used to help him somehow then it was at least something positive.

“My mother was part of a trial, the initial results were encouraging. To the point she was behaving like an actual functional human being. It lasted six days and then ...” she hesitated. “... then she got worse than ever and everything just got worse. My father and I had the biggest fight. A lot of things were said. We just kept going for each other. Needless to say I am not welcome back.”

He tilted his head to the side. "What was the argument about?"

“A lot of things,” she said, looking pointedly at his bowl. “It was a hard time for everyone.”

He sighed and began to eat the soup again hoping she'd tell him more. He knew it was a ploy to get him to eat but...he wanted to hear.

Carolyn gave a small smile as he resumed eating. It may be just soup but it was a start. “My father believes I did something unforgivable. I gave up on her. He is probably still fighting the doctors. But there was nothing to fight for. It isn’t like Kalani. By the time I got home - But he’s right. It was unforgivable. So I said my goodbyes to her and I left. I was home maybe a whole day.”

"Sometimes you are right, the shell stays but the Katra is gone." Then he quickly straightened. "Not with Kalani. She is there."

“If anyone would know, it is you,” Carolyn agreed. “But she will need you.”

"Tell me more of your mother. If you wish I will review the scans. I can get Starfleet Medical to prioritize her care." He genuinely wanted to help. He had another burning question but he'd ask it later.

“If you want,” she conceded. “What I really need is a baseball bat to make my ... make him see reason.”

"I will review it. Your story indicates that you left early. Where did you go after?"

“Vulcan,” she answered just as her sundae was placed in front of her. Her eyes widened, knowing there was no chance of ever finishing it. Then she realised Kitty had set down to spoons. Pushing one towards Hades she asked hopefully, “Help your favourite doctor out?”

His lips quirked. "Perhaps. As long as you explain your theory."

Carolyn frowned as she used the spoon to lift a strawberry from the dish, eating it before asking, “What theory?”

"The theory that you are my favourite doctor." It has been a while since anything made him want to plaster a genuine smile on his face. He fought it though preferring to make her sweat.

She stared at him, trying and failing to read the look on his face. As ever he had one hell of a poker face. “Well,” she began, her tone over dramatic as if about to launch into a long speech. “I don’t. But I’m betting half this delicious sundae that I am. So you either win half my desert fair and square - or you share it with a friend. Now that’s my kind of beautiful Vulcan logic.”

With that she grinned and stuck her tongue out at him. “So, which one is it?”

He said nothing but with a straight face lifted a spoon and took a bite of the sundae. Truth was he didn't play favourites...or he hadn't until he'd met her. She was so much like ... he didn't let his mind go there. He found that he had enough to deal with now.

“Knew it,” she teased, tucking in to the desert, but only matching him. Bite for bite. She was sure he’d notice but that wasn’t the point. “That woman has outdone herself. This is amazing.”

He gave a nod. They chatted a while longer and as he finished paying and they walked out. Hades suddenly stopped and swayed. He felt Carolyn's hand on his arm. The com chirped. "Harris to Hades. Get back to sickbay. It's Kalani."

Hades was moving before Harris finished speaking. "Kalani!"

To be continued...

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