8

Chapter 58

Carl took a sip of his coffee…and gently set the mug back down on his desk.

He picked up his padd…and fixed his eyes on the small lines.

They slowly moved back and forth over and over the same sentence:

"The Fatum people are primarily an agrarian society,"

He read the words again and again; he pictured them in his head.

But his mind couldn't make the connection between symbol and definition; his brain wouldn't process the information being fed it.

Carl sighed and set the padd down; he leaned back in his chair.

He picked up the mug of coffee…then immediately set it down.

He folded his hands over his lap for a brief moment…his expression one of regret.

"I'll never see him again," he thought to himself.

He picked up a picture of himself and Saul from years ago.

He held it in his hand…studying it.

Saul set his glass down on the coffee table…letting his eyes wonder to the floor.

He folded his hands over his stomach…and clenched his jaw in anticipation.

"I'd better go," he said quietly. "We leave in an hour."

Carl nodded…a disappointed expression soaking onto his face.

The two men quietly rose to their feet…and casually moved towards the door.

Saul placed his hand on Carl's shoulder.

"I'm gonna miss you,"

"I'm gonna miss you too, friend,"

The two men shook hands.

"It was good to see you one last time,"

Carl shot Saul a questioning glance; Saul ignored his expression.

"Carl," he said quietly.

Carl responded with his eyes.

"Promise me something,"

Saul paused for a moment. Carl furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Promise me you'll look after my family."

Carl searched his face for a moment…completely dumbfounded.

"I…promise. Of course I will. But you're only going to be gone for six months,"

Saul looked at him gravely…and said nothing. He turned and left.

Carl stood there for sometime…utterly baffled.

But sensing that he would never see his friend again.

"I'm sorry, old friend."

"Sorry for what?"

Carl's eyes doubled in size; the voice had sounded almost exactly like Saul's.

For a moment…he sat there mystified, and a bit hopeful.

He heard movement from the door…and glanced up.

In the doorway stood a figure…that looked much like Saul.

A light from behind blinded the details.

Carl stood up from his desk…and stepped forward.

He felt nervous…and excited.

The figure stepped forward.

The details became clear.

It was David.

"David!"

Carl's face lit up. David's face was solemn…but confident.

He took a few steps forward; Carl looked a bit ashamed at his own outburst.

"I mean…Commander," he nodded solemnly…reigning himself in.

David slowly stepped forward…and embraced Carl.

A look of confusion spread across his face…at first.

After a moment…he gave in…and returned the sentiment.

Several minutes passed…and the two men let go and took a step back from each other.

"I'm sorry," David said quietly…looking him straight in the eyes.

Carl felt a tear welling in the corner of his…but held it in.

He could sense the sincerity in David's face…and the way that he spoke.

"Its okay. I'm just glad they're okay."

The two looked at each other…not as Admiral and Commander. But as father and son.

"All my life I've wanted to run away…and I would always make some excuse why," David said quietly. "I couldn't just push through…or accept the consequences of what I did."

Carl watched him intently with his eyes…his hands folded on top of his desk.

David looked him in the eyes.

"All I could think about was how angry I was. Everywhere I went…something reminded me of him. Even you…you're the worst reminder of all,"

David lowered his eyes to the floor.

"But I couldn't see that you honestly just cared about me. I couldn't see any of the good things,"

"I couldn't admit how hurt I really was," he said, lowering his voice.

"David," Carl said quietly. "Your father loved you very much."

David glanced up…his eyes red and puffy.

"It may be hard to believe…but you, and your mother and sister were what made your father as strong as he was,"

Carl paused…averting his eyes.

"He told me once…that the three of you was what made him want to get up in the morning,"

David listened quietly…unchanged by what he heard.

"But the war changed him. He never wanted to fight. He never wanted to serve. And when he did…he was never truly the same. He felt the Federation should be prepared…"

Carl paused…looking David in the eyes.

"He felt you should be ready for what lay ahead,"

The words sent up David's spine.

"Ready for what?"

Carl got up and turned towards the window.

"I don't know that he was talking about anything in particular,"

David sensed something more…but he didn't pry.

Carl turned back and faced David.

"David…I'm so proud of you. Not because of anything you've done…but because…"

David quietly nodded.

"I'll be honest with you; I was always disappointed I couldn't have children of my own. In some regard…looking after you filled that void…"

Carl sat down at his desk…looking David straight in the eyes. He thought of the promise he'd made to Saul.

"But that doesn't change," he said quietly. "How much I care about you."

Minutes passed; the two men said nothing.

Finally, David rose to his feet, setting a padd down on his desk in front of Carl.

David turned to leave…Carl began reading it.

"Is this really what you want?" Carl called out.

David slowly turned around. He shrugged his shoulders and held out his hands…gesturing defeat.

"It doesn't really matter. Once Command hears about how I conducted myself out there…my career is over,"

Carl studied him for a moment with his eyes.

"Do you want to stay?" he asked quietly.

David thought of his friendship with Ed…and the bond he'd shared with Dickie.

He thought of the chats he'd had with Wong…and that moment in sickbay when he came to see Esther.

He remembered that feeling that he'd had years ago…that he had to be in Starfleet.

His gut instinct.

"Maybe," he said quietly.

David slowly left…feeling a weight had been lifted.

There was just one final thing he had to do.

As David slipped out of Carl's office and into the hallway…he spotted Dickie.

The pair started walking in opposite directions towards each other…pausing face to face.

Dickie averted his eyes…the same bitter look on his face.

"I didn't tell them,"

Dickie rolled his eyes towards David; David displayed a look of shock with a tinge of gratitude.

"None of us did,"

David's lower lip started twitching…feeling a desire to say something.

But anything he might have said to Dickie felt futile.

Dickie passed him and continued on; David grabbed his arm and spun him around.

Dickie glared down at the hand…and David quickly removed it…noticing the reaction.

"Thank you,"

Dickie scoffed and left. David glanced down at the palm of his hand and clenched his fist a few times slowly.

David glanced up and watched Dickie disappear into another corridor.

A small smile spread across his lips.

"You're an odd fella, Dick,"

After David left Starbase One…he wanted to make a quick stop before he headed for his final destination.

He slowly materialized in a glare of swirling blues and whites…appearing on a sidewalk over-looking the harbor.

He glanced about; next to him was a bench…and past the bench was the string of shops on the opposite side of the street.

David quickly crossed the street…passing a pair of Vulcans speaking in their language.

He nearly bumped into an older woman in an enlisted uniform; he quickly maneuvered his body so that he would barely miss her.

"Excuse me!"

When he reached the other side…he paused in the area he remembered.

He searched the buildings with his eyes; he furrowed his brow in frustration as he scanned and scanned the vicinity.

Nearby, an older man was sweeping the sidewalk in front of his own shop…a small deli.

"Excuse me," David said curtly, approaching the man.

The old man slowly lifted his head, glancing around…then spotted David.

"Yes?"

David pointed in the direction that he remembered.

"What happened to the coffee shop?"

The man scrunched his eyes with a mix of confusion and concern.

"Coffee shop?"

David paused for a moment…unsure of what to say.

"Ya know…the coffee shop. It was right here nine years ago. Did it shut down?"

The man shook his head.

"I've run my deli for twenty years…that building has been empty since I moved in here,"

A chill ran up to David's spine.

"Chuck?" he asked quietly…lowering his arm.

The man shook his head…and went back sweeping.

"Did it really happen?" David thought to himself.

He shook his head and started slowly walking away…completely dumbfounded.

"Maybe I am crazy,"