Star Date 12310.14- 10:17 Hours- Starbase 71- Sickbay
"I'm just saying the imp is lucky that you told me beforehand; otherwise, a stern telling off for being a nosey uncouth jerk would have been the least of his worries." Christine dropped off a pad at the nurses' desk with Dorja. "I could have assigned him to historical pandemic training."
Dorja dramatically cringed, "Uvamak is young, and considering your quick courtship with Jacob, him moving into your quarters would have made sense if you were."
Christine groans with exasperation, "Why do people's minds go straight to that when they see a young couple progressing with a relationship?"
"Because it happens, Christine," Dorja sighed and handed her the following case, "Speaking of which, Lt. Lawrence is in for a fitness physical. Her commanding officer is concerned that her recent poor performance may be due to stress. The Lieutenant asked for a pregnancy test as well."
"Oh, goodie…" Christine sighed and headed off to the examination room.
"Well?" Dorja asked as Christine handed her a pad containing her medical orders.
"No, she isn't, but I want those labs run." Christine sighed, "Lawrence recently changed her diet, and I am concerned that something may be out of balance."
"You are the boss," Dorja sighed and took the pad from Christine. "Is lover boy stopping by today?" Dorja teased.
Christine picked up the next patient's pad. "If you ask if Jacob is coming by for lunch, that would be a no." Christine looked up from the pad to glare at Dorja before returning to the pad. "His afternoon class was moved up. He should be done in time to meet Brielle after school and start his private piano lessons."
"If his class gets out late, who will care for Brielle?"
"We have Brielle in the after-school program just in case." Christine closed the pad she was holding, "Get Petty Officer Luce in to see the orthopedist this week. While I think he just slept on his shoulder wrong, I want his shoulder checked out properly before crawling back in a bulkhead. If the shoulder freezes up while he is in one, it won't be pretty getting him out."
"He is anxious to get back to work. However, he will not like staying on light duty for a couple more days."
"He can throw a fit all he wants, but I am not letting some…."
Christine's comment was cut off by the sound of the main sickbay doors opening to some engineers carrying a badly burned and lacerated cohort.
"Call a trama code!" Christine shouted as she hurried over to the patient.
20:42 Hours- Starbase 71- Family Quarters UTC-2053
"Jacob, do you think Josh misses me?" Brielle asked as she snuggled down in her blankets and took her ballet dancer doll from Jacob.
"Oh, I know he does," Jacob leaned over and kissed her forehead, "When I talked to him today, all he could talk about was how much he wished you went to his school."
"He did?" Brielle's smile brightened.
"Yes, he misses having you boss him around." Jacob makes to tickle her. "Who will tell him to put hazelnut spread on his pancakes?"
"Jacob!"
"He misses you, Breezer." Jacob brushed the hair off Brielle's forehead. "I told him to close his eyes every night and say good night to us. We may not be with him, but we would hear him in our hearts."
"Can I do that too?"
"Sure you can. Pretend Josh is in the upper bunk and tell him good night. And I know he will hear you." Jacob gave her one last kiss and stood from her. "It's late; you need sleep."
"Night, Jacob," Brielle closed her eyes and snuggled in her blankets.
Jacob turned the light off in her room, "Night Breezer." He made his way into the living room, Ember following him.
Sighing, Jacob put Christine's cold meal in the recycler. She had messaged him earlier, saying that she had a critical case and would be home as soon as possible and to not wait for her. Brielle wanted to see her, but Jacob convinced her that once Christine got home, she would give night-night kisses.
A whine from Ember brought Jacob out of his thoughts. "I thought you would be cuddling with Brielle." The dog cocked her head slightly and gave a soft woof. "I'll be fine." Ember woofed again and wagged her tail a little. "Ok fine, I'm worried about Christine. Happy?" Ember trotted to the dog bed by the desk with a doggie smile. "Might as well work if I'm going to wait up for her, huh?" Ember whined. Rolling his eyes, Jacob limped to the desk chair and opened the terminal. He then reached over to scratch the dog's head.
22:14 Hours- Starbase 71- Family Quarters UTC-2053
Exhausted, Christine entered their quarter and got as far as the couch before her legs gave out. She had not bothered to turn the lights on as she knew they might wake Brielle and disrupt Jacob. Christine tipped her head back onto the couch, closing her eyes. He had nearly dozed off when she felt a wet dog kiss on her hand. Opening her eyes, a little annoyed, "Yeah, I'm a home girl."
Ember began nudging her hand.
"I know, I know, girl." Christine tried to lay back again, but Ember continued to nudge her hand. "You want pets?" Sighing, Christine began petting the dog's ears. "How can I love you and despise you, Ember?" Christine looked down at the dog, "You look after Jacob and Brielle when I can't. And yet you make my heart break missing Cindy. You are not Cindy but want to be, and I can't let you. Having you makes me be like her even more."
"You keep saying that, yet you are the one who chose this assignment and 'came back home.' Why is that?" Jacob walked up behind her and kissed her cheek.
His voice startled Christine slightly. She could usually hear Jacob walking up to her. She must be more tired than she wanted to admit. "You are supposed to be asleep."
"I tried but couldn't get comfortable." He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Something was missing."
Christine turned and looked up at him, "I came to SB 71 because they had the best program. I had everything all planned out, and now…." She turned back to look away from him.
"Everywhere you look, you are reminded of a time that used to be," he moved around the couch to face her directly, "But from what I have seen and heard, it wasn't exactly a bad time of your life, so why you so…" He searched for the right word."
"Against being like her?" Christine looked up at him again.
"Yes. Against being like Lynn." He raised his free hand to cup her cheek. "Trust me, love, there are far worse role models than the good captain."
"Good captain, indeed. Honestly too good. I just feel like I can't live up to her legacy."
Jacob leaned his forehead to touch hers, "That's the thing, you don't have to. You have been laying down a pretty decent path on your own."
"I don't feel like I am. Jack and Grace had their act together before graduating," She looked into his eyes, "Six months on my own, and my plans all fell apart. It just says how weak I am." Christine tried to look away from him.
Using a finger, Jacob turned her face back to him, "I don't think that things are as bad as you think they are, Love." He smiled at her, "You are on the ground floor of your career, and you are comparing yourself to people with many, many more years of experience than you do. You don't become a captain overnight, ensign Skyler." He raised a mischievous eyebrow.
"I just feel like I'm failing, Jacob." She gestured towards Brielle's room. "I can't even be here when you and Brielle need me."
"But the wonderful thing is, my good doctor, that you are anything BUT failing." Jacob gave her an encouraging smile, "On top of starting a career on your own and tending to some old coot," Christine couldn't help a chuckle at Jacob's description of himself, "You're raising a very bright, energetic young girl all while dealing with your emotional trauma, which you refuse to acknowledge or deal with." He gave her an insistent glare.
"I'm fine." She tried to brush off his concern and took a step away from him.
"If you say so.." Jacob sighed and let her go.
"Well, I do," Christine's voice took on an edge as she went to the other end of the couch from him. Soon as she snapped at him, she regretted it, "How was Brielle tonight?"
"In puppy heaven, what do you expect?" Jacob shrugged and leaned on his cane tiredly, "She was waiting for you when she fell asleep."
Christine smiled at the image of Brielle playing with Ember in her mind and sighed, "I'm sorry I couldn't get home sooner. We had a trauma coming, and it all went to hell. Day two of being a family, and I'm already failing her." Christine wrapped her arms around her waist.
Jacob gave her an annoyed look, " Don't go there, Christine, because you aren't."
"Jacob, I AM supposed to be taking care of her, and I can't even manage that." Christine wiped her tired eyes as they started to water. "You have to do it for me. It isn't your job."
"Consider me a willing volunteer. You would do the same for Josh and me, and you know it." He moved to step around the couch to go to her. The tears formed in her eyes, grabbing at his heart. "She's a great kid, and you a wonderful guardian for her."
"You shouldn't have to. You have your problems." She gestured at how he was still limping.
"Who said caring for her wasn't part of my recovery?" He gave her a wry smile.
Christine raised an eyebrow at him, "I seem to remember chasing down my daughter was not part of the treatment plan the nurses handed me when we left the hospital."
"Then consider it one of my extra-curricular activities." He stepped up to her, his wry smile growing wider.
Christine pursed her lips as she looked up at him, "I'm not going to win this argument, am I?"
"Sadly, no, at least not tonight." He reached out to touch her cheek again. "Now, when I came in here, you were nearly passed out on the couch; I think you need to take a sonic shower, slip into some comfy pajamas while I replicate some chamomile tea and a blueberry scone for the good doctor."
"Thank you," Without a word, she stepped into his arms, letting him wrap her in the love she needed after the long day.
They stood like that for a while before Christine realized she was starting to doze, "Come on, it's late." She nudged him to head towards their room.
He did so but wouldn't let go of her hand. Finally, Christine stopped him with a hand squeeze so she could go in and give Brielle a good night kiss. Ember followed her in and hopped up on the bed as if to say; I got her. Christine smiled and petted the young dog.
Christine returned to Jacob, wrapping an arm around her as they headed into their bedroom.
"I'll get you the tea and scone; you hit the shower." He gently pushed her towards the en-suite lavatory. Half asleep, Christine stumbled into the shower.
Jacob fetched the tea and scones from the replicator and set them on Christine's bedside table. "What was the trama that came in today?" Jacob asked her, hoping she didn't fall asleep in the shower.
"Human male came in with 30-40% of his body covered in 2nd and 3rd-degree burns from a ruptured conduit."
"I assume he is in for dermal regeneration." Jacob pulled out the grey paisley flannel pajamas that Christine preferred from her drawer. He chuckled slightly, remembering her wearing them with the bunny slippers her father had given her.
"That is the plan, but we had trouble stabilizing him until nerve blocks could be activated. So he is in for a long road of recovery even with dermal regeneration." She called back.
"Don't I know it." Jacob sighed as he laid the pajamas on their bed.
"Jacob…"
"Yeah…" He walked towards the lavatory.
"Could you do something for me?" Christine asked nervously from inside.
"Your hearts desire." He teased from the doorway.
"Could I have one of your shirts to wear tonight?"
Jacob froze at her request.
"… I know it is silly, but I wonder if I could." Christine listened, hopefully.
"Uh, yeah, sure, any particular one?" Jacob's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"You pick." She smiled.
In a bit of a confused haze, Jacob returned Christine's pajamas to her drawer and went to his. He opened it to find the few items he let himself keep from his past. He dug around a little before finding a well-worn black t-shirt that had started to fade. "Would this work?" He asked as he laid it over the privacy barrier.
"This will be perfect." He heard her say happily. "Anything special I should know about it?"
"I got it when I started special forces training. It has always been my lucky shirt." Jacob scratched his temple, not sure what to say.
"It's a bit baggy on me, but I think it will work." Finally, Christine came around the barrier, only clad in the shirt.
"I'd certainly say so." Jacob turned around before she could see his face turn beet red.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She queried, a mischievous tone to her voice.
"A gentleman never tells…" he replied as he slipped out and back into the bedroom.
