Little Girl Lost

Emotionally exhausted and on the verge of tears, TJ fell onto her bed. Who was she to be doing Pysch evaluations? She was completely unqualified and, more, she just didn't want to do it. But, Everett had asked her, ordered her, and she was still putty in his hands. She seemed to be on the verge of tears all the time; continually dwelling on what should have been rather than what was. As if a skipping record, she thought: I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not a doctor. I'm not a psychologist. I'm not…not the one he chose.

Her shoulders began to shake and she pulled the rather hard pillow to her face and screamed into it.

What was I thinking asking him to open up; to trust me with what happened on his visit home? How humiliating and embarrassing.

The scream helped, but left her bone weary. She closed her eyes and tried to picture home.

She woke up a couple of hours later to the obnoxious blaring of her door chime. She sat up and lumbered to the door as if the gravity controls had gone haywire and she was being pulled to the floor. Pressing the door mechanism, it opened to reveal Greer leaning against the door frame. She sighed heavily.

"What do you…want?" she yawned, hardening her voice on the last word. "I'm not in the mood."

"Are you ever in the mood, Tamara?" he jibed, using her first name. He noticed her slightly sunken eyes and the redness around them. "Hey, are you ok?"

"Like you care," she retorted, brushing wild strands of blonde hair from her face.

"You might be surprised," he said soberly, looking into her eyes. "But that's not what brought me here. I was hard on you in our "session" today and I wanted to apologize. My father is something I don't talk about; especially with people that don't know anything about it."

She let out a breath and smiled weakly. "Thanks. I appreciate that more…nevermind." More unexpected emotion rose in her throat. She turned back toward the interior of the room and hit mechanism to close the door.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she finally turned back toward the door. She looked up to see Greer standing just inside the closed door.

She was so weak; physically and emotionally. She had no idea what he wanted, but somewhere in her heart or head or soul she was curious why he was being so forward.

"What are you doing?" she asked, pointedly.

"Making a point," he replied with equal intensity.

"Which is what, Greer?" she sighed. "You want to be friends and have secret pow wows? Form some kind of secret club?"

He stared at her sadly; understanding her anger and loneliness. Raising his eyebrows slowly, he said: "Something like that. I figure we social misfits should stick together."

"Nice," she replied, noncommittally.

"I thought so," he retorted. "We're both rejects in our own way."

"You're such an asshole, Greer," she said, the hint of a smile curling on her lips.

"One of my best qualities," he said smiling. "I'm not sure why, but I like you. I don't like many people"

TJ stood and walked to viewport staring out at color flares created by Destiny's shielding.

"Am I supposed be relieved?" she said not looking at him.

Greer grinned. "My but aren't you being coy."

She shot him an outraged look. "What?"

"You heard me," he replied.

"Coy usually implies deception," she said.

Greer sighed, shaking his head. "If I wanted to dance, I'd ask. What I'm trying to say is we both need a friend. I don't like the admission, but I like you and I'd like you in my corner if something goes down."

She turned and walked to him near the door. "Is something going to happen?"

He grimaced and shook his head curtly. "I'm trying to tell you it's not like that. I'm not looking for a hook up. I'm not looking to take over. This is about you and me having an understanding. If necessary, we can lean on each other. Understand?"

"The way you're talking is strange," she sad. "It doesn't sound like you at all. I don't know how to respond. I don't know if I can trust you."

"I've told you once and I'll tell you again, I want you to trust me. I want to prove to you that you can. I hope you feel the same way."

"I get what you're saying, Greer. The idea is off the charts, but oddly appealing."

"I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

TJ chuckled. "And he's got a corny sense of humor too."