Jack Crusher was standing outside the office, waiting for her. "Tafton told me I could find you here."
Beverly smiled, finding it came easily and felt warm upon her face. "She did, did she?"
"Well," Crusher said, "there was a scary moment when I thought you were being expelled." Beverly looked at him quizzically. "I asked Korbin where you were," he explained. "Tafton cleared it all up for me, though."
She didn't reply, only nodded and continued to walk down the corridor. He fell into step beside her, surprised at how long her strides were. After a moment, he broke the silence. "So, how did things go?"
"All right, I guess." Beverly felt drained after her verbal showdown with Admiral Parsons. All of the self-confidence she had exuded in the man's office had drained away without a trace.
Jack stopped, grabbed her shoulder gently, and spun her around. His gaze penetrated deep into her eyes, and she felt herself shiver. "Talk to me, Beverly." His voice was soft, inviting her to share with him all the pain she harbored in her heart.
For a moment he feared she would turn and run, leaving him to stare after her as she retreated away into her private world. Slowly, with tears threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes, she told him about her day. He grew angry as he listened to the treatment her teachers had given her, the way she had been snubbed by her classmates, and the rudeness that Parsons's assistant had shown his friend. He had half a mind to cut Beverly off, storm back to that office, and give that arrogant jerk what was coming to him. He knew that would only make things worse, though, so with a considerable effort he breathed deeply, and let Beverly finish her story.
"Then I came out here, and it was like that brave façade just melted away, and I was back to being who I was again. I wasn't string and brave anymore. I was a nervous, frustrated wimp, I was…" She searched for the adequate words, but Jack provided them for her.
"Human?" He said.
She smiled a very slight, very small smile. But it was a smile. "Yeah, that," she said, her voice a horse whisper.
They stood there for a moment, and then it was Beverly's turn to break the silence. "I feel like I'm trapped, like I got shoved into a corner, and there's no way out. Even with the hearing coming up, I just feel like no matter what I do, it can't ever get better. I can only wade deeper in until the only escape is by giving up and going under." Beverly was very close to tears now, he could see it. There had to be something he could say or do.
"Bev, I won't let you go under and drown in a sea of problems. I won't swim back to shore and leave you there, and I sure as sapphires won't put my foot on your head. Don't worry. You've got a friend in me."
Beverly's lip began to quiver, and he could hear her fight back her tears, fight back the frustration that threatened to overwhelm her. Then she took a deep breath, let it out, and stood silent yet again, breathing easily. If only the strong survive, thought Jack, She's going to live forever.
"Thank you, Jack," said replied softly. She stood one the tips of her toes, and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
Jack Crusher smiled, and watched her walk away, his hand resting against his face.