Family Concern

Posted on Tue Jan 3rd, 2012 @ 5:53am by Chief Petty Officer Hugh O'Reily Jr.

754 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Mission 78 - Colonial Uprising
Location: Starbase 400, O'Reily Quarters
Timeline: current

Hugh looked out of the porthole of the quarters he had only arrived in but thirty minutes before. A cold glass of water was grasped in his clenched hand, threatening to break if he squeezed just a little harder. His eyes were fixed, like laser beams, at the stars. After a harrowing battle with rogue Klingons, and the information he found out about the weapon capabilities...after all he had been through, the piece of information his wife Janice just told him cut him more than any enemy blade ever could.
His boys were almost killed. From the safety of the Starbase, he had almost lost two of his children.

Had it not been for a civilian captain, he would be preparing for a funeral.

Gentle hands soothed Hugh's shoulders form behind. "I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that glare." Janice teased her husband.

Hugh turned, raising his eyebrows. "Yeah...I..." He was at a loss for words. In little time, he would again have to board the Yorktown. Never in his career did he feel so...exposed. So unprepared to fulfill his duties. He took a swig of water, and looked back down at his wife. "Did the security officer say anything about motive?"

Janice shook her head. "No. He didn't. He came here once after to ask me some questions about the boys...about you."

"Me?" O'Reily gave his wife a startled look. "What kind of questions?"
Janice shrugged. "Routine I guess. Do you have any enemies, that sort of thing."

Hugh smirked. "Enemies. Yeah, more than I can count. And the list just keeps getting longer now that I'm serving under Bremer." He walked past his wife, and set the glass on the dining room table. "There's a lot going on, Janice. A lot more than I can share with you right now. God how I wish I could tell you. But it's enough to...to..."

Janice shook her head, a furious look on her face. "Damn it Hugh! Is this worth it? Is it!"

Hugh's demeanor turned dark. "Don't start with me-"

"Or what, Hugh? You've taken us...your whole family...to the edge of space. Your boys were almost killed by pirates-smugglers-whatever, you come in here looking like you've just gotten in a battle, and now you're hinting that there's more!" Janice pressed her hands together in mock prayer. "Please tell me that this has put enough sense into your head to get out of Starfleet while the getting's good!"

Hugh bit his lip, unable to say anything. She was right. He had put them through more than they bargained for. He shook his head and walked toward the porthole again. "Damn it woman..."

"I just...just don't know how much more of this we can take, Hugh. I really don't. I thought I was going to lose you during the Dominion War." Her voice trailed off, as if there was more she wanted to say but at the last minute restrained herself.

Picking up on that, Hugh turned. "Go on. What else." He demanded.

"You're having nightmares again, Hugh. I've been pretending I don't hear you during the night. But I do." Tears started to roll down Janice O'Reily's face. "Dear God in heaven, anymore of this and you're going to.." she started to full out sob, covering her face with her delicate hands.

Hugh cleared the lump in his throat as he walked toward his wife. "I know." He said as he took her in his arms. "I know." He cleared his throat again. "Look," he took her hands into his, clearing them from her tear stained face. "We'll talk about this later, honest. I never meant for anything to ever happen to you guys. But this has been my life even before you and I met. It's going to take a little time."

"Time?"

He looked down at her, and gave her a weak smile. "After this mission, we'll have a serious talk. About our future." He grasped her, holding her tight. "And if that means I become the leading banjo player in some backwoods bluegrass band in New Virginia, so be it."

Janice rushed back into his harms, holding her husband tight. She was a strong woman, stronger than most. The encounter with the thugs that almost took out her two sons, however, put things in dramatic perspective. She hoped Hugh would pull through for them.

Hugh, on the other hand, was already brainstorming a way to convince his wife to stay.

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