Title: I Regret to Inform You
Author: Stephen Ratliff
Series: TNG, Marrissa Stories
Rating: [PG]
Codes: n/a
Part: NEW 1/1
Summary: Marrissa is assigned to inform a woman that her son has
died in the line of duty.
+++
Marrissa's week off had been interrupted by the duty. It
was not a duty Marrissa was ready for. That made her even more
uncomfortable than the dress uniform she wore. She'd been
pressed into this duty, mainly because she was the closest person
of sufficient rank. It wasn't something she'd been trained for,
though the Admiral had said that there never was training for
such a duty. She adjusted her uniform a little, before ringing
the door bell.
As she waited for the door to be answered, Marrissa looked
at her reflection in the glass screen door. Her Lieutenant's
pips were perfectly aligned, and her communicator was straight.
Those details were important for this duty, as was the ability to
deliver the news without breaking down.
The black shoulders of her dress uniform began to heat up in
the bright sun. It was beautiful cloudless day, not like it
should be. A day with events like this should be cloudy,
threatening to rain, or more appropriately, raining.
The door opened to reveal a grey haired lady in her fifties.
As she noticed Marrissa in her dress uniform, her hand went to
cover her mouth, before she opened the screen door. It was time.
"Mrs. Chagnon?" Marrissa said. The lady nodded, fearful of
what Marrissa was going to say next. "I regret to inform you
that your son, Ensign Anupum Chagnon, perished in the line of
duty, when the USS Sarajevo was destroyed by unknown forces,
early yesterday morning."
Mrs. Chagnon collapsed against the door frame. Tears formed
in the corners of her eyes as, she moaned, "It can't be."
Marrissa had no idea what to say. True, just over two years
ago, she'd been on the other side, when Commander Riker had told
her that both of her parents had died, but this was different.
What do you say when someone has lost their only son? With
parents, it was different. Some day, you expect your parents to
die before you, but not your children.
Mrs. Chagnon collected herself, standing up straight again,
and using a handkerchief to dry her eyes. "How did it happen?"
This, Marrissa was prepared for. Most of her ride over had
been taken up with a review of the end of the starship Sarajevo.
There wasn't much. "The Sarajevo was lost in the Gamma Quadrant
while defending New Bajor. Both ship and colony were lost, and
there will be no remains."
That last point seemed to shock Mrs. Chagnon the most. She
collapsed once again against the door frame. "My poor boy."
Marrissa searched for some way to comfort the lady, and
found none. This was simply beyond her experience. So she stood
still, at attention waiting for Mrs. Chagnon to say something.
It was with great difficulty that she managed to stay tear free,
keeping the neutral mask of duty on.
Once again, Mrs. Chagnon collected herself. "Won't you come
in?" she said. "You don't have to go on to the next person, do
you?"
"No, ma'am, you're the only one I have to see," Marrissa
said. She wanted to comfort the lady somehow. And it was true.
Ensign Chagnon had been the only member of the Sarajevo's crew
from this planet, and hence, his mother was Marrissa's only
visit.
She was shown into a small living room. Over the fireplace
was a picture of Mrs. Chagnon and Ensign Chagnon. Mrs. Chagnon
was seated, and her son stood behind her, slightly to one side,
his hands resting gently on her shoulders.
"That's my Anupum," Mrs. Chagnon said proudly. "We had it
painted just before he left for the Sarajevo." The ship's name
was said with a sob. Marrissa moved to comfort the lady, but was
waved off. "He was so proud of getting that post. Not every
officer gets posted to a starship with the Sarajevo's reputation
out of the Academy, you know. Of course you know, you're in Star
Fleet. Anyway, he was so surprised that he got the post, after
all he was in the third quarter of his class, and near the bottom
of that quarter at that..."
Mrs. Chagnon's eyes rested on a picture of her son as a
young boy, as she told her son's hopes and dreams to Marrissa.
Marrissa watched and listened as she continued to tell about her
son as he grew up, how he once played football for the local high
school...
"He wasn't the quarterback, Anupum couldn't throw well
enough, but a wide receiver. The girls loved it when he
stretched out and caught the pass for a touchdown. I don't think
he brought home the same girl for dinner two weeks running, he
was so popular..."
The high school jersey, number 81, was enshrined in a trophy
case to the left of the fireplace, along with several trophies,
including the one for third place in the Academy Marathon. It
looked to be a rather impressive collection for a man who died at
just 22 years of age.
"... he really didn't do the best in school, though, and I
was surprised that he got accepted to the Academy, but Anupum was
always full of surprises. I remember once when he..."
The sun was setting by the time Marrissa left the house. As
she walked back to the hotel to resume her week's furlough, she
observed the slanting sun light across the low hills, and the
long shadows thrown by the trees. Marrissa felt the shadow of
the Ensign's death. She'd spend almost her whole day listening
to Mrs. Chagnon, hearing about her son's honors, deeds, and
little incidents. It made her feel that she knew Anupum Chagnon.
It did not feel right to continue her vacation, in the wake of
his death. She felt the darkness of duty closed in as she
entered the hotel. Marrissa took one last look at the last rays
of sunlight disappearing behind the hills. The duty had been
sad, and it colored her vacation like the dark red edged cloud
low to the horizon against the darkening sky. She'd be returning
to the Enterprise early, and pray that this sad duty was one
she'd never have to do again.
Author: Stephen Ratliff
Series: TNG, Marrissa Stories
Rating: [PG]
Codes: n/a
Part: NEW 1/1
Summary: Marrissa is assigned to inform a woman that her son has
died in the line of duty.
+++
Marrissa's week off had been interrupted by the duty. It
was not a duty Marrissa was ready for. That made her even more
uncomfortable than the dress uniform she wore. She'd been
pressed into this duty, mainly because she was the closest person
of sufficient rank. It wasn't something she'd been trained for,
though the Admiral had said that there never was training for
such a duty. She adjusted her uniform a little, before ringing
the door bell.
As she waited for the door to be answered, Marrissa looked
at her reflection in the glass screen door. Her Lieutenant's
pips were perfectly aligned, and her communicator was straight.
Those details were important for this duty, as was the ability to
deliver the news without breaking down.
The black shoulders of her dress uniform began to heat up in
the bright sun. It was beautiful cloudless day, not like it
should be. A day with events like this should be cloudy,
threatening to rain, or more appropriately, raining.
The door opened to reveal a grey haired lady in her fifties.
As she noticed Marrissa in her dress uniform, her hand went to
cover her mouth, before she opened the screen door. It was time.
"Mrs. Chagnon?" Marrissa said. The lady nodded, fearful of
what Marrissa was going to say next. "I regret to inform you
that your son, Ensign Anupum Chagnon, perished in the line of
duty, when the USS Sarajevo was destroyed by unknown forces,
early yesterday morning."
Mrs. Chagnon collapsed against the door frame. Tears formed
in the corners of her eyes as, she moaned, "It can't be."
Marrissa had no idea what to say. True, just over two years
ago, she'd been on the other side, when Commander Riker had told
her that both of her parents had died, but this was different.
What do you say when someone has lost their only son? With
parents, it was different. Some day, you expect your parents to
die before you, but not your children.
Mrs. Chagnon collected herself, standing up straight again,
and using a handkerchief to dry her eyes. "How did it happen?"
This, Marrissa was prepared for. Most of her ride over had
been taken up with a review of the end of the starship Sarajevo.
There wasn't much. "The Sarajevo was lost in the Gamma Quadrant
while defending New Bajor. Both ship and colony were lost, and
there will be no remains."
That last point seemed to shock Mrs. Chagnon the most. She
collapsed once again against the door frame. "My poor boy."
Marrissa searched for some way to comfort the lady, and
found none. This was simply beyond her experience. So she stood
still, at attention waiting for Mrs. Chagnon to say something.
It was with great difficulty that she managed to stay tear free,
keeping the neutral mask of duty on.
Once again, Mrs. Chagnon collected herself. "Won't you come
in?" she said. "You don't have to go on to the next person, do
you?"
"No, ma'am, you're the only one I have to see," Marrissa
said. She wanted to comfort the lady somehow. And it was true.
Ensign Chagnon had been the only member of the Sarajevo's crew
from this planet, and hence, his mother was Marrissa's only
visit.
She was shown into a small living room. Over the fireplace
was a picture of Mrs. Chagnon and Ensign Chagnon. Mrs. Chagnon
was seated, and her son stood behind her, slightly to one side,
his hands resting gently on her shoulders.
"That's my Anupum," Mrs. Chagnon said proudly. "We had it
painted just before he left for the Sarajevo." The ship's name
was said with a sob. Marrissa moved to comfort the lady, but was
waved off. "He was so proud of getting that post. Not every
officer gets posted to a starship with the Sarajevo's reputation
out of the Academy, you know. Of course you know, you're in Star
Fleet. Anyway, he was so surprised that he got the post, after
all he was in the third quarter of his class, and near the bottom
of that quarter at that..."
Mrs. Chagnon's eyes rested on a picture of her son as a
young boy, as she told her son's hopes and dreams to Marrissa.
Marrissa watched and listened as she continued to tell about her
son as he grew up, how he once played football for the local high
school...
"He wasn't the quarterback, Anupum couldn't throw well
enough, but a wide receiver. The girls loved it when he
stretched out and caught the pass for a touchdown. I don't think
he brought home the same girl for dinner two weeks running, he
was so popular..."
The high school jersey, number 81, was enshrined in a trophy
case to the left of the fireplace, along with several trophies,
including the one for third place in the Academy Marathon. It
looked to be a rather impressive collection for a man who died at
just 22 years of age.
"... he really didn't do the best in school, though, and I
was surprised that he got accepted to the Academy, but Anupum was
always full of surprises. I remember once when he..."
The sun was setting by the time Marrissa left the house. As
she walked back to the hotel to resume her week's furlough, she
observed the slanting sun light across the low hills, and the
long shadows thrown by the trees. Marrissa felt the shadow of
the Ensign's death. She'd spend almost her whole day listening
to Mrs. Chagnon, hearing about her son's honors, deeds, and
little incidents. It made her feel that she knew Anupum Chagnon.
It did not feel right to continue her vacation, in the wake of
his death. She felt the darkness of duty closed in as she
entered the hotel. Marrissa took one last look at the last rays
of sunlight disappearing behind the hills. The duty had been
sad, and it colored her vacation like the dark red edged cloud
low to the horizon against the darkening sky. She'd be returning
to the Enterprise early, and pray that this sad duty was one
she'd never have to do again.