"Can I help you captain?" she asked as I entered her office in sick bay.
"I, uh, I didn't want you thinking me harsh, cold-blooded." I offered as an apology for previous behavior.
"Why, oh why would I ever think that?" she asked.
"I didn't welcome you aboard personally, professionally. I made you come to me on the bridge. I yelled at your son. Who, as you pointed out, was quite correct. He does seem to have a very good grasp of starship operations." I explained. She hadn't thought me rude? She's a very forgiving woman, even kinder and more lovely than I remembered.
"You've just won his mother's heart, captain." she said with a smile. That might not be such a bad thing if I could actually win her heart, but there were other considerations.
"Ah, but uh, now, your assignment here, I would consider and approve a transfer for you." I offered. She would probably jump at the chance to have a posting where I wouldn't be around.
"Oh, you consider me unqualified?" she said with a hint of both bravado that I would consider her unqualified and also I sensed some hurt that I might actually consider her unqualified.
"Hardly, your service records shows you're just the chief medical officer I want." I told her.
"Then you must object to me personally." she said with a bit of temper in her voice.
"Heavens, no, Beverly!" I exclaimed. "I am thrilled to have such a wonderful doctor for my crew and, I hope, if you stay, we can rekindle our friendship. But I'm trying to be considerate of your feelings. I don't want my presence in your life to be a constant reminder of a terrible personal tragedy."
"If I had had any objections to serving with you, Jean-Luc, I wouldn't have requested this assignment." she said.
I was shocked, she wanted to be with me? Well, at least she wanted to be on the same ship that I was on. "You requested this posting?" I asked.
"My feelings about my husbands death will have no effect on the way I serve you, this vessel or this mission. It was an accident, I know if you could have prevented Jack's death you would have. I in no way blame you for his death. When I see you I don't see Jack's death, I see his friend that brought so much joy to his life. I see a man worth getting to know as friend for myself." she asserted.
I was glad to see her on my crew roster even though I thought she would grab the chance at a transfer. Now I hoped this was the beginning of a wonderful friendship. Being the captain of a starship could be very lonely, it would be wonderful to have a real friend on board. And a lovely friend at that, "Ah, then welcome aboard, Beverly. Care to join me for a cup of tea later to get reacquainted?"
"That would be lovely, 10 Forward at sixteen hundred hours?" she asked.
"Fine, see you then." I replied.