Corridors of the Mind
by Shell Lee
"Hey Tim. How'd the date go?" Miguel came up behind O'Neil. The lieutenant had tried again to go out on a date with Lonnie after that first disaster. Last time Ortiz had heard they had planned on an out door thing. Something away from the city. That had been last night.
"It was interesting." Miguel just rolled his eyes. "I'll tell it to you over breakfast. OK."
"Ok." They just walked down the hall in silence for a few minutes. Lucas came around the corner and looked like a kid with a new toy. Since Tim wasn't talking about the date anytime soon, Miguel decided to squeeze info about the software show out of him. It was easier than waiting for Tim to talk.
"Hey, Lucas. Care to join us for breakfast?" He called out.
Lucas jumped. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn't seen them there. "Huh? Sure. Hey Tim how was the date?"
***
Tony rembered this place. He hadn't come here a lot but he had come here. The first time was when his friend was shot and they wanted him to identify the body. His friend looked so peaceful. Like he was asleep. If it wasn't for the hole in the middle of his forehead then Tony might have been able to convince himself that it was all a dream. He had been ten then.
Another time was when his girlfriend had killed herself. He'd been so worried that she did it because of him.
Too many people ended up here. He had to get out of there. He had to get out of there now. Pushing the sheet off of himself Tony jumped out of bed and ran to the door. Throwing it open he found himself walking down to the launch back to seaQuest and it didn't feel like he was alone.
***
They had made it to the galley without anything else really happening. After they had got their breakfast and sat down Tim started his story, "So you want to know what happened? We are totally not meant for each other. I don't know why but it's true. We had decided to go for a nice hike. I had an asthma attack."
"Ouch," Ortiz remarked picking up a piece of bacon.
"Yeah, but I think next time we might get further." He brought up his fork full eggs up to his mouth and continued with his mouth full, "I don't know if she'll go for another date but," he paused to swallow, "if she wants to I'm game."
"Tim, Tim. You have to let it go. You and her were just not meant to be." Lucas put his hand on O'Neil's shoulder. "You have to let it go man."
"That sounds so corny. Where'd you get it?" Ortiz joked, putting down the unidentifiable stuff on its way to his mouth.
"It was in an old movie I think. You'd have to go through the archives on that one." Lucas took his hand off Tim and resumed eating.
O'Neil desperate to change the conversation said, "Hey, where's Tony? I haven't seen him since before the shore leave."
Lucas catching on said, "I saw him last night. He invited me to a night club and I invited him to a software show. He was acting really paranoid."
"That's weird. He always stuck me as the what-happens-happens type." Ortiz spotted commander Ford across the mess and motioned for him to join them.
"Hey. Oh Tim? Do you mind if I ask you something?" Ford put his plate down before sitting.
O'Neil swallowed before saying, "Shoot."
"How did the date go?"
by Shell Lee
"Hey Tim. How'd the date go?" Miguel came up behind O'Neil. The lieutenant had tried again to go out on a date with Lonnie after that first disaster. Last time Ortiz had heard they had planned on an out door thing. Something away from the city. That had been last night.
"It was interesting." Miguel just rolled his eyes. "I'll tell it to you over breakfast. OK."
"Ok." They just walked down the hall in silence for a few minutes. Lucas came around the corner and looked like a kid with a new toy. Since Tim wasn't talking about the date anytime soon, Miguel decided to squeeze info about the software show out of him. It was easier than waiting for Tim to talk.
"Hey, Lucas. Care to join us for breakfast?" He called out.
Lucas jumped. He was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn't seen them there. "Huh? Sure. Hey Tim how was the date?"
***
Tony rembered this place. He hadn't come here a lot but he had come here. The first time was when his friend was shot and they wanted him to identify the body. His friend looked so peaceful. Like he was asleep. If it wasn't for the hole in the middle of his forehead then Tony might have been able to convince himself that it was all a dream. He had been ten then.
Another time was when his girlfriend had killed herself. He'd been so worried that she did it because of him.
Too many people ended up here. He had to get out of there. He had to get out of there now. Pushing the sheet off of himself Tony jumped out of bed and ran to the door. Throwing it open he found himself walking down to the launch back to seaQuest and it didn't feel like he was alone.
***
They had made it to the galley without anything else really happening. After they had got their breakfast and sat down Tim started his story, "So you want to know what happened? We are totally not meant for each other. I don't know why but it's true. We had decided to go for a nice hike. I had an asthma attack."
"Ouch," Ortiz remarked picking up a piece of bacon.
"Yeah, but I think next time we might get further." He brought up his fork full eggs up to his mouth and continued with his mouth full, "I don't know if she'll go for another date but," he paused to swallow, "if she wants to I'm game."
"Tim, Tim. You have to let it go. You and her were just not meant to be." Lucas put his hand on O'Neil's shoulder. "You have to let it go man."
"That sounds so corny. Where'd you get it?" Ortiz joked, putting down the unidentifiable stuff on its way to his mouth.
"It was in an old movie I think. You'd have to go through the archives on that one." Lucas took his hand off Tim and resumed eating.
O'Neil desperate to change the conversation said, "Hey, where's Tony? I haven't seen him since before the shore leave."
Lucas catching on said, "I saw him last night. He invited me to a night club and I invited him to a software show. He was acting really paranoid."
"That's weird. He always stuck me as the what-happens-happens type." Ortiz spotted commander Ford across the mess and motioned for him to join them.
"Hey. Oh Tim? Do you mind if I ask you something?" Ford put his plate down before sitting.
O'Neil swallowed before saying, "Shoot."
"How did the date go?"