Lunching With The Captain

Posted on 24 Apr 2019 @ 12:32am by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Captain Harvey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Landon Milo MD

3,286 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: The Kalisa Conundrum
Location: Captain's Mess
Timeline: MD 0 || 1200 hours

Joey found herself walking into the Captain's Mess and took a look around. It looked as if she was the first to arrive, but wasn't entirely sure she would be sticking around the entire time given her husband and the Assistant Chief Medical Officer deserved the chance to catch up without her interference. However, if the two men wished her to stay, she probably would.

"Since I'm the first one here..." she mused, moving over to the replicator to order a glazed donut with a chocolate drizzle. There was no hesitation when it came to eating it, either.

Harvey couldn't figure out why he was nervous. When it came to command decisions, or even the regular day-to-day operations of running the Black Hawk, Harvey was quick to determine a course of action, even if he chose one of the least favored options. When it came to personal matters, however, Harvey long knew his habits, specifically the long duration he endured anxiety before finally, finally making a decision. Today, however, was different. Harvey was more than aware going into the situation what to expect, and what not to expect at the same time. Prior to today, he'd only seen a particular set of interest coming from one gender, never from the other.

The more Harvey thought about it, the more he considered the fact that he was wrong. He'd probably been blinded to it all of his life with Alison being the first person whom he ever openly reciprocated a romantic interest. Harvey had always been career minded, and that hadn't changed until a few months into commanding the Black Hawk. He carried absolutely no regrets about how things had turned out. After all, he was happily married to Joey and eagerly anticipating the arrival of their children. Nothing would change that at all.

Regardless of how little time he'd spent with Landon, Harvey had a responsibility and obligation to his crew. They had helped pull him out of his shell, helped restore Harvey's confidence and opened him to a new world of possibilities. He hoped he could do the same for Landon.

The Captain arrived at his destination, carrying no padds or paperwork, only to find his wife halfway through consuming a donut. "Is breakfast on the menu?" he asked with a smile, entering the room.

Joey looked toward her husband with the donut halfway to her mouth and blushed like she'd just been busted doing something positively sinful. "I... er... no," she stuttered out. "I was here by myself and couldn't help it."

"I can see it now," Harvey joked, smiling as he approached Joey. "You'd be like a mother bird, prechewing all of the donuts and pastries the replicator can provide before feeding her little chicks." Of course, this sounded better than the visual he just pictured. "Actually, on second thought... just scratch that."

"Realized how disturbing that mental image was, didn't you?" she asked unable to keep from laughing, but then, she recalled her dream which she'd never actually told him about. "Although, not as bad as you feeding the crew to me."

"I don't think anything can top Zombie Joey or Cannabal Joey." Harvey shook his head. "I just hope the terrors stop when Hope and Jameson come out to play. Though, then they'll probably be the terrors, keeping us from sleeping soundly ourselves."

"Well, neither of us has slept well in months," Joey reminded him, wishing there would come a night where they'd both be able to fall asleep and stay that way. Time would tell, though, and soon the twins would make their appearance, which would hinder sleep even more. Despite the sleepless nights she'd endure in nine short weeks, she was looking forward to every second of it. "But, having our babies here will make those sleepless nights worth it."

Harvey couldn't agree more. And, as much as he wanted to keep this conversation going, this was not at all about him or her today. "Doctor Milo is coming, right?" he asked.

"I'm sure he'll be here any minute," his wife assured him while she continued to work on her donut.

Approaching the replicator, Harvey asked Joey, "Do you want another?" He would resist the urge to order any food lest he appear too eager to get this meeting over with when Landon arrived. Harvey would, however, not refuse a drink.

"Careful, he's a light weight" commented Dr. Milo as he walked into the Captain's Mess a bit overdressed. He had been so nervous about what to wear and what not to wear, right down to how to part his hair that he was quite possibly a little late. Landon looked at himself and at the others. "I'm sorry if I made you two wait...I was unsure if I should wear this or not" added the doctor in his dress uniform. "A bit much?" he added.

"Yes, please," Joey answered, looking toward the doctor when he made his way into the Captain's mess. "Doctor Milo, it's nice to see you again."

Landon nodded politely "Thank you, Joey. It's nice to see you too...both of you" he replied as he took a seat. "Sickbay has been interesting, but I'm settling in rather nicely" added Landon trying to just start up a conversation.

"It's a bit larger than the Akira," Harvey replied, his back to Landon as he retrieved the donut and the cup of iced tea from the unit. Turning around, he immediately took note of the dress uniform. A stray thought, Dress to impress, entered his mind, but for the sake of sensitivity, he did not speak it. "Doctor," Harvey greeted, unsure if he should be as formal as the uniform Landon wore. "Welcome to the Captain's Mess. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Are you the Captain or the Bartender?" replied the physician. He waved away the Captain's offer with a dismissive gesture. "Thank you for your hospitality, Harv, but having spent a few months without the ability to move about easily and get my own food and beverages...I'm liking being able to serve myself" added Doctor Milo as he retrieved a nice steaming mug of tea.

His was gone only momentarily, but upon his return he jumped back into conversing. "Bigger than the Akira you had, but let's face it, nothing is ever going to have that same feel as when you took on this ship's predecessor" commented Landon. "I may not miss the Captain's chair, but there was definitely something about sitting in that chair on the Beifong. Not as luxurious as yours, but something definitely comes over you."

"I still have mine, actually," Harvey remarked, hovering near his wife. "I have Joey to thank for that. I did get a last look at it after the ship had crashed, but she found a way to keep it in the family."

"I had it turned into a fish tank for him, and now it's in his ready room," she said, accepting the donut from her husband. Joey also noticed how close he stuck by her, but had no intentions of drawing any attention to the fact. He had made great strides when it came to social interaction, and she didn't want to do anything that would hinder that. "Tacos. I need tacos." Perhaps, it was quite random, but the two little ones developing inside her womb didn't think so.

"But indeed it does," Harvey stated, returning to Landon's statement. "At first I didn't care for it, but you know that, Landon. Still, a Defiant class. That had to be quite an experience."

"Oh yes" replied Landon. "Go through the wormhole serving as Chief Medical Officer, on a starship without the XO aboard. Then, lose your Captain and have to put her into medically induced stasis. Be closed off from the rest of the Federation because the first Federation starship you reach has been compromised and opens fire on you...then you go from CMO to Acting Captain, let alone a Lethean attacking you and putting you into a coma."

Joey liked the fact that things seemed to be going well between the two men, which had her feeling like her job had been accomplished. Maybe now was the time for her to take her leave? Probably so, but not before she grabbed a few tacos for the trek back to her office. While her husband talked to Landon, she made her way toward the replicator with her request, waiting patiently for them to appear. She did still have half a donut to keep her occupied.

"Reminds me," Harvey said, gesturing to one of the four chairs around the table, "of the Angelica, the little Saber that could. For whatever reason, Starfleet decided that I was better suited for command than the inside of the sickbay. Something about my bedside manner..."

Landon nodded and he felt safe to say it. "Your bedside manner deteriorated as you matured, I'm sure. Everything you and I have seen weighs heavily on us. We stop seeing the blue skies and focus on the tempest in the distance, knowing that it's coming" commented Landon. "You are better suited for the Command chair. I'm better suited for scrubbing up and for being in a lab" he added.

The Doctor slowly navigated his way into a transition. "I heard the good news about Teplan. Sounds like goods news to me" he noted. The USS Katana had taken Landon on briefly after his posting aboard the Black Hawk, ferrying him to Teplan where he worked for a few months.

Rather than interrupt their talking, Joey took her tacos from the replicator and looked between the two men for a moment. It was almost as if no time had passed at all. Pleased with the way things seemed to be going brought a smile to her face. She set her half eaten donut on the plate with her tacos and made her way to the door. There was work back in her office that needed doing.

A glint appeared in Harvey's eyes. "Ah, yes, the Teplan blight that was finally cured. Have you heard how the eradication efforts have been faring? As for bedside manners, evidently doctors can get grumpy enough to be forced out of medicine."

"Eradication efforts are fairing well, soon I suspect it will be a footnote in their history much like Earth's tuberculosis" replied Landon. "I hope I never turned so bitter or grumpy that they force me out of medicine, but I must confess I have found myself quicker to anger and my fuse is not nearly as long as it once was. I'm struggling, Harvey. I can walk again and the fact that I'm still alive is a blessing in itself, but I'm numb. I don't sense as well as I used to and sometimes it feels like a complete block and the only thoughts and emotions I can feel are my own."

Harvey nodded slowly. It wasn't long ago that he himself had been numb to the world, and it had taken an army to change that. He didn't feel qualified to single-handedly reach out to Landon, nor did he feel he was qualified at all at this point in life. Part of him wondered if he should suggest taking time off, but while they were in the Zone, that was a more than ridiculous suggestion; it was asinine. "Landon... I, uh." He looked closely Landon for a moment, wondering if he was probing his mind ever so slightly like he did more than a year ago back in sickbay. "Mountains can't be climbed in a day."

Joey hadn't even made it all the way to the door before the tacos she was holding began to call to her. She'd manage to eat one before the conversation taking place behind her grabbed her attention. There was no way she could possibly leave now, and that made her turn and walk back toward Harvey and Landon. "Harvey is right. These things take time, and they can't be rushed," she said. "What you need is to have people around you that will help the process, because that's what it is. A process. Try doing something you enjoy. Or maybe even something you've never tried before, but think you might like. Step outside of your comfort zone and slowly start climbing the mountain."

"I came back here...well I came back to you" replied Landon looking directly at Harvey. "The Black Hawk was one place I felt was a home and though the ship itself is not the same, most of the crew are strangers to me, and it isn't quite the same feel; I came back and here you are. I came back because I needed to be around someone who can understand what I've been going through" explained the young physician.

He was careful not to let his emotions get the better of him as he looked apologetically at Joey. "It's that in the short time I served aboard this ship's predecessor" began Landon shifting his glance back over slowly towards Harvey "I kept you on your toes. I cared about you as I watched you recover and climb your own damn mountain, but I cannot climb this mountain alone. I need your help...friendship and guidance."

Harvey struggled to keep his expression neutral. He first encountered Landon more than a year ago aboard Deep Space Nine, and while it was certainly true that the young doctor was certainly eager at the time, it was also true that the doctor before him now had been seasoned by experience and conflict. Harvey could not compare his own personal pain to Landon's, after all, Harvey had lost love, hope and saw horrors in a war that lasted years. It was the summation of those experiences, more than a decade of counseling, and a year of command of a starship with a crew that cared enough about a grumpy Captain to bring him where he was today. Landon had only seen him near the tail end of the process, assuming that process had indeed been completed.

"Friendship, I can provide," Harvey stated. "But it is not something you can be guided through. Recovery can only be supported, not walked through as a group."

Joey didn't know what to make of the current situation. When the initial request by Landon was made to talk to Harvey, she hadn't expected this. Hell, she wasn't sure what she expected, but it definitely wasn't this. She felt invisible despite standing only a couple feet away from both men. Landon had barely acknowledged her presence, which didn't sit well with her given their meeting the day before. Was she used? Did he simply approach her because she was an easy way to gain access to her husband?

She started to feel a bit dizzy, which prompted her to set the plate she was holding down on the table, then grip the back of one of the chairs to support herself. Joey was angry. Angry for many reasons, and it was taking every ounce of control she had not to snap. Or maybe it wasn't self control. Maybe it was the focus she was putting on her breathing that kept her from snapping.

"I haven't been expecting it to be a stroll through the park or anything" countered Landon with a small smile. "I mean we're medical officers" he said though looking at Joey and nodding. "No offense" he added. "So, I know it's a long haul and that I'm not going to be over the psychological trauma of it overnight...." Landon had started to notice Joey's behavior "Lieutenant, are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Harvey was about to state that he wasn't offended by Landon's remark, but his attention was quickly diverted to his side where Joey did not appear to be well. This far along in the pregnancy, it could be anything, from indigestion to false labor pains, but it was his husband-side that kicked in first. "Joey?" he asked, gently putting a hand at the top of her back.

"Pediatrics was my specialty, Harv" commented Landon. "I prefer to deal with children well after their birth, but if this baby is coming right here right now...no better two people to deliver it than us" Landon said half heartedly teasing. He reached out to take Joey's hand reassuringly.

She closed her eyes and kept her hands on the back of the chair. Was she alright? Joey didn't exactly know, but what she did know was that she needed fresh air. But, where did one find such a thing of a starship in space? The holodeck was as good a place as any. Even if it only provided the illusion she was getting what she so badly wanted. "I'm fine," she lied, hoping to sound the slightest bit convincing. "I just... I need to walk. Don't worry about me, really."

Joey gave an attempt at a reassuring smile and stood up straight again, feeling a little less dizzy. It was still there, just not as bad. "You two enjoy your lunch. I'm going to walk. I'm okay." And with that, the heavily pregnant woman pulled in a shaky breath and excused herself.

Harvey stood still, wondering whether or not he should follow her. He knew Joey, and he knew something was wrong. But, this wasn't a medical issue. This was personal. Harvey himself was uncomfortable going into this luncheon, and evidently Joey was as well, except that Joey was either unwilling or unable to continue the rest of the conversation. "I apologize, Landon," Harvey said at last, deciding to remain in the Mess, at least for a little bit longer. He'd feel out the next stages of the conversation before making any attempt to check on Joey. If anything, he assumed she would be tracking down Mila in hopes she could bounce recent happenings off her sestra.

Landon reached across the table and placed his hand over Harvey's and looked at the Captain in a way similar to how he once did aboard the starship's predecessor yet the gaze had a whole different tune to it. "You don't need to apologize to me" said Landon calmly; "However, as a friend and someone who spent their adult life like a hopeless romantic only to suffer loss and heartbreak, your wife needs you more now than I do. Go. Go comfort her, see to it that she's fine" he said letting got of the other man's hand.

The blue eyed physician smiled at Harvey. "You two make a lovely couple. I may not be able to sense like I once did, but being in the same room with the two of you, I could practically get high off of the euphoria and love" teased Landon.

Harvey knew Landon was right. Aside from time with his wife, Harvey was still far from the natural soul when it came to interacting with others. Perhaps with more time, that about him would change as well. "Thank you," Harvey calmly replied, his smile weakened by wondering what was happening with Joey. "You're welcome to stay and use the private mess for as long as you need," he offered.

"Don't worry about me" replied Landon calmly. "I'll finish up here, recycle everything, and go find something to do before my next shift in Sickbay. You and Joey need some more time together" said Landon reassuringly.

The Captain nodded, setting what remained of his drink on the table. He then pulled down his uniform jacket, nodded to Landon, and offered a weak, but reassuring smile before exiting the mess. He just hoped Joey would be okay.

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