Slow Way Home
Chapter 16
[Day 24 of 45]
"Relax Jim, you're more nervous about this surgery than I am," Captain Pike told Jim who turned to glare at him as she paced.
"Yeah, one of us has to be. You are being way to cavalier about this," she told him. He snorted.
"Hello, Pot, nice to meet you, I'm the Kettle," he said sarcastically and she was glad he was lucid. He was no longer on the good drugs like the last few times she'd stopped by. Right now she wished he was because he was being seriously annoying. Was this how her friends felt?
"Well, it's true. This is serious surgery they are doing," she told him.
"And, as you have reminded me repeatedly, Dr. McCoy and Dr. Ellen are the best I could be the patients of. He is the best surgeon I could have and she has a good bed side manner," Pike told her and she glared though it was true. Vera wasn't known for being the best surgeon. She was an all around practitioner. She specialized in family medicine and was there to learn emergency medicine.
"He'll be fine, you're wearing a hole," Bones said coming in.
"Yeah, but he's trying to be cavalier as me," she stated and Bones scoffed. Then she turned to the man she thought of as a father to her. Since joining the Federation he'd become a father figure, grandfather figure to her children, and important to her. "I will be waiting for you when you get out."
"Understood," Pike said and she then watched them wheel him away. Her nerves were going a million miles a minute.
After ten minutes she began pacing because she couldn't sit still. She had to move. Ten minutes later she sat back down. Then she stood up again and began pacing once more. However, as she was pacing she wasn't watching where she was going she accidently kicked over the Captain's Ready-Bag.
Several things slid.
"Crap," she muttered kneeling to gather them. She stopped as she heard something. A familiar female voice, a female laugh. Though she'd never heard that voice laugh.
"Come on Chris, put the Holovid down," the voice said. Moving to a Padd that was facing away from her under the edge of the table. "George, make him turn that thing off."
"Not going to happen, sorry Winona, can't do that," an unfamiliar man's voice said and she reached over hesitantly. Pulling it she saw a vid of her mom and dad.
"Chris, I may be pregnant but I will kick your ass," her mom threatened and there were two guys laughing. She didn't look that far along though there was a toddler in her arms meaning she was pregnant with Jim. That's when Pike's very young face came around.
"She won't do it. George 'll have my back," Pike said into the screen before turning the cam to her dad.
"Sorry buddy, you're on your own. Wife trumps best friend," her dad said and her mom smirked. The cam swung back to Pike.
"So much for guy solidarity," Pike said and Jim felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Those were her parents, parents she never saw like that. Her dad, her mom, and Pike, a man she trusted. Needing to know she paused the Vid and went to the main screen. She found a bunch of vids of him and her parents.
Then she found pictures of them. Holophotos that came out that showed they were very close. Graduation photos, her father getting stationed on the Kelvin.
She found communiqués between her mother and Pike which she couldn't help but read. He mentioned something about a promise he was going to keep though she refused 'charity'. She told him they didn't need him and to never contact her again.
It became clear her dad made contingencies and Pike was supposed to be there. It also became clear that Pike had tried.
There were reports from all of her schools, transcripts, award notices and photos. Payment orders he'd paid for trips she'd never known how they were paid. He'd been guiding her life the entire time and she didn't know about it.
Anger, pain, and betrayal flashed through her. How could he control her life like that? How dare he? She was her own person! She was!
She stood up and wiped her eyes, tossing the Padd on the chair. Then she walked out, catching a glimpse of them taking Pike back to his room as she left but she was too angry to stick around. They'd told her it would be thirty to forty minutes. That was about right.
On the way to her quarters she acted the captain they needed. Cordial, in control. But the moment she was in her room she slammed a fist into the wall.
Spock came out of the office they usually left unused.
"Jim?" Spock asked sounding concerned. She couldn't speak for anger, instead she began to pace. She needed to run, to fight, to something. She didn't know what but she needed something. He moved forward and she kissed him. "Is this what you need?" he asked, pulling away.
"I need to get my aggression out without hurting myself or someone else," she admitted, grinding her teeth as she did. He nodded then kissed her heard and she pulled him forward, thanking god she had such an understanding husband.
~Slow Way Home~
Pike woke up slowly. As he did it became abundantly clear that Jim was not there like she said she would. Checking the clock he saw she wasn't on her shift or getting ready.
Confused he glanced around, mind not fully functioning but knowing something had to have happened. Then he noticed something unusual was sitting on a chair nearby. A Padd. It took him a moment to understand the importance and the fact his bag was also tipped over.
That was his personal Padd. The one he kept the things about George, Winona, and Jim. Slowly the pieces worked themselves together and he swore.
She'd found out and knowing her she'd think he'd been manipulating her life.
He knew her. He laid back, tired and realizing he was screwed. He'd have to deal with that, with her knowing he had lied about how close he'd been to her parents before her birth.
[I would like to apologize for the long delay between chapters. I was trying to write but had a huge block on this story, so I tried starting a new story but got a block on that too, but now I think this block is finally breaking apart and I'm able to write again so YAY!
Though I have a confession – because of the block I have no idea how many chapters I updated last time which means I have no idea how far to go back for my thanks. So my apologies if I missed you from the last time I thanked everyone. So I'd like to thank you all for sticking with me despite the block, for everyone who has read, favorited, and or subscribed. I would like to send a special thanks out to T'Mu-Yor, Rndm Peep, zeynel, MirrorFlower and DarkWind, Jasperhaleslover, blueoctober, alaine1910, Yana5, BetahimeTsukiko, beauty0102, Fire Dolphin, seacat03, Slayerq2000, maddie, Colonelengle, Sophia Ann, Hina Ata, and Hikaru Uchida for your reviews. And thank you to any that I missed. Until next time (which should be in a few days since I have another chapter half-way done).]