Three men and their coffee

Posted on Mon Oct 21st, 2019 @ 10:19am by Lieutenant JG Ilan Rol

823 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 100 - A Hatred of Atonement
Location: Promenade: Coffee Shop
Timeline: MD 03 1130 hours

ON:

Isaiah sat across from Braxton nursing a cup of coffee. It had been a rough night. He’d heard about the incident but had been too hung over to participate. Last night he tried to drown his feelings in beer and in the back of his mind he knew that that was wrong. It had been Isaiah Nivar who’d pulled him out.

“Feeling better?” Isaiah looked at Braxton over his own coffee cup.

“Not really.” He winced at the sound of his own voice resounding in his head. “You should not have stopped me Eli,” he used his friend’s middle name. They had hit it off from the moment Isaiah had married T’Mira.

Isaiah sighed. “Braxton what is going on with you? This is not the first time you’ve been hung over. Hades has never had to kick you off duty for three days.”

Braxton shrugged, “Two and a half.” He quickly changed the subject. “Did you tell Hades that you and T’Mira broke your bond?”

Isaiah rolled his eyes. “Oh yes. I had a pyjama party with my ex brother in law and we talked about my divorce while we braided each other’s hair.”

Braxton snorted and then held his head as the pain ricocheted inside his skull. “That hurt.”

Isaiah leaned back in his chair. “Good. Now we can drop the stupid questions.”

“Honestly I am surprised that T’Mira didn’t tell him. She told me and we are only half cousins.”

“You weren’t there for the argument?”

Braxton sipped his coffee. “Argument?”

“Yes when Hades married Kalani. After the wedding T’Mira tore him a new one…in a cold sort of Vulcan way. She gave him an hour lecture on marriage and how he should have married a Vulcan.”

“Oh goodie. I bet he loved that.”

“It was interesting, stubborn hitting stubborn.”

Braxton snorted again and then growled.

Rol, who’d spent another sleepless night decided to drag his sorry behind to the local coffee shop. He’d spent the night righting the counseling centre and talking to individuals who had been traumatized by the fight on the station. He had the morning to grab coffee and prepare for more appointments. As he entered the shop his eyes were drawn to Isaiah and Braxton sitting together. He’d received complaints about Braxton as of late whose mood seemed to have tanked. The man was on a self-destructive path.

Then there was Isaiah whose divorce hit just prior to the station being attacked. He had made a note to check on him too. This was a good opportunity to check on both. He picked up his drink and headed over to the table.

“May I join you?”

Braxton didn’t look up. He hoped if he pretended that the counselor, who’d tried to speak with him several times over the days, wasn’t there he’d go away.

Isaiah, known never to be rude, gave a nod. “Of course counselor. I have heard about Counselor Munroe. I she okay.”

“She is. Recovering and mother and baby are fine.” Rol sat down and he swore a wave of calm washed over him. Isaiah, the half Vulcan and half Bajoran had that presence about him. “How are you two doing?”

“Fine,” muttered Braxton.

“I am alright.” Isaiah said. “I should return to duty, however. If you two will excuse me.”

Rol watched the man go and briefly wondered if he too was avoiding Rol like most of the Bajoran population on the station and then he turned to Braxton. “So what’s going on with you? I hear you are … going through something.”

“I am fine!”

Rol winced at the raised voice. “Braxton something is wrong. You’ve been late for duty twice this week, you have been hung over several times, and by the look of you, you are now. I heard Hades pulled you off duty until tomorrow because your work is getting sloppy and your med exam results have yet to be picked up.”

Lightening flashed in Braxton’s eyes. “What is it to you? Who the heck do you think that you are? You’re always shoving your nose in business that does not concern you. I have nothing to say to you. Besides I hear things too and the last thing I want to do is speak with someone whose possible collaborator status is making rumours around the station.”

Each word sliced into Rol. He watches Braxton get up feeling speechless.

Braxton rose forcefully and slammed back his coffee and then headed out.

Rol was left sitting at the table looking at the singed ruins of the station after the fight feeling very much as if he too were singed and his life in ruins. His head throbbed but he had work to do. Quietly taking his coffee he rose and headed to the counseling centre.

OFF:

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