Prompt: Marcus - "You're talking to me like we're friends. We're not friends." - 'About A Boy'
"I've noticed that you are somewhat protective of Mr. Gerron. Have you formed a friendship with him?"*
The question caused Kenneth Dalby to pause as he considered the answer.
He'd like to be able to answer that question with a yes. He certainly had tried to be a friend to the young Bajoran. The problem was, that effort was not reciprocated. Though Gerron often sought his company at times when he was required to be among others, Dalby got the impression it was more for the protection than anything else.
Back on the Val Jean, a lot of the older Maquis had given the young man a hard time. Dalby wasn't about to allow that to happen any more back then than he would now. Whether Gerron was appreciative of the efforts or not, Dalby would stand up for him. He figured the least he could do was show Gerron that someone was on his side. He had hoped with time that those actions would bring the young Bajoran around.
So far, they hadn't. Though good acquaintances, when it came to the personal stuff, Gerron kept to himself. He remembered clearly one attempt at engaging Gerron in small talk, much like Tuvok was attempting now. It hadn't gone well In fact, after about five minutes, Gerron had gotten to his feet saying - 'You're talking to me like we're friends. We're not friends' - before walking away. Since then, Dalby kept conversations with Gerron to neutral, non-personal topics. He chose to respect that privacy rather than risk driving the young man further away. Whatever had happened to Gerron before he had joined the Maquis, Dalby had a feeling that it was just as tragic as his own story.
Though he wasn't about to go into a detailed answer with the Vulcan, he figured Voyager's tactical officer did deserve an answer as well as a warning to do the same. He wasn't about to let the Starfleet crew give Gerron a hard time any more than he had stood for it with his fellow Maquis.
*dialogue taken from "Learning Curve"