Old Friends Reunited

Posted on 02 Apr 2016 @ 2:20am by Captain Harvey Geisler & Lieutenant Commander Adam Casey

2,267 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: New Risa
Timeline: MD 5

8 year old Maria Casey giggled as she ran through the crowd of people, her wrist locator and communicator beeping as she neared her sister Amy Casey. As Maria looked behind a tree, Amy giggled. "Found you!" Maria exclaimed. The two girls ran again through the park, and as they passed by one man, they accidentally clipped into him. "Sorry!" Maria called out to the man.

Harvey adjusted his stride, trying to avoid a future clip from one of the runners. He'd decided to take some personal leave (at least one shift's worth) away from the Black Hawk and from Jayla who had suddenly found herself dealing with more sick patients than normal. Before he could otherwise react to being clipped, something in the older child's face was familiar. Harvey stopped to observe them playing, his eyes narrowing more and more as he did.

Suddenly, his eyes shot open. Realizing who he was watching, Harvey started to look around for another face that he expected to recognize. The park was rather crowded today, and Harvey did not see their parent anywhere. He began to walk towards the girls, who still seemed to be engaged in a game of hide and seek, in hopes of catching their attention and locating their father.

As the girls raced through the crowds, their communicators beeped, so they ran back towards a bench where their father had just sat down. "Alright you two, settle down. I thought you might like these." He said, handing each of them an ice lolly. Adam Casey smiled as the two girls grinned, accepting the treats, and sat down on the ground in front of him. "We'll be leaving soon, so I hope you've had fun, since we need to get back to Earth for your school."

"Can't we stay longer papa?" Amy asked.

"Sorry princess, but you've got to get back to School." Adam replied.

"Otay." Both girls sounded disappointed, but understood.

Harvey had stopped walking the instant the girls immediately shifted directions. For a moment, he'd feared the worst, thinking that they'd seen him and mistaken him for someone with less than honorable intentions. But when he saw Adam, his heart restarted. As their father talked to them and gave them treats, Harvey resumed his trek, only to stop a few paces behind the girls. He doubted Adam saw him due to how focused he was on his children.

"Maybe your dad could give you a few more minutes," Harvey suggested, using what he thought was his best friendly voice. He'd never been a father or been around children all that much.

Adam frowned as he heard a familiar voice, a very familiar voice. "Girls, you can have a few more minutes." He said. The two girls grinned and raced off as Adam stood up, with a smile. "Hey Doc, how's life been treating you? Sorry, Captain now as I understand it." He said, embracing the man in a warm hug. "Been far too long." He added.

"Indeed it has," Harvey replied as soon as the embrace had ended. "And a Captain I am now. Starfleet always seemed to like red on me." Smiling, he added, "And no more of that Doc/Captain stuff. You earned the right long ago to call me Harvey."

Adam nodded. "I just did what the idiots should have done." He said. If there was one thing Adam didn't do well, it was to accept compliments. "I always thought you would do well in red, Harvey." Adam complimented. "I have to admit, didn't expect to see you out here. You finally decided to take a vacation? I promised the kids months ago we'd go on holiday, and I always wanted to visit New Risa." He said, as he sat on the bench, making room for Harvey.

"What's a vacation?" Harvey jokingly replied, sitting next to Adam on the bench. "Truth be told, Adam, the Black Hawk's in orbit. And I'm acting on doctor's orders, taking it easy while I heal." Pointing towards his left side, he added, "I got shot during the last mission."

Adam frowned. "Look, I went to a lot of trouble to keep you alive. Would you mind not dying before you're an old man with grandkids?" He said, half joking, half seriously. "Black Hawk, huh? What class is she?"

Harvey grunted. He had to have kids before he could have grandchildren. "Akira," he answered. "Hell of a ship too."

"I'll bet. Not as big as the Lagos, but I hear they're tough little ships." He said. He smiled. "Still no kids yet? Trust me, you'll make a great dad. I know, you need to be ready first." He added. He knew of Harvey's wife, and had always been sorry to not have met her. "In terms of relaxing, this place isn't half bad. They make a good steak. Pity you didn't come sooner, we're heading back to Earth tomorrow."

The Captain cocked an eyebrow, considering Adam's timeframe. He'd probably introduce him to Jayla at some point, or at least mention that he was seeing someone. "What's waiting for you on Earth?"

"Kids school. Term starts again soon, and I don't want them missing out on any schooling. They're at that age when they take in knowledge like a sponge takes in water." He said. "Of course, they're also full of energy. I wonder if we were ever that young."

"We might not have been young, but we certainly were foolish," Harvey pointed out. "I recall a certain science officer who stole a shuttlecraft for a rogue rescue mission."

Adam chuckled. "Yes, well, I wouldn't call it foolish. Stubborn, maybe." He said. "Besides, Jessica liked you and would have been terribly upset if you had died. Plus, I didn't hear any complaints from you."

"Why would I complain?" Harvey asked. He just about asked how Jessica was doing, but he quickly remembered that Adam, like he, was a widower. "How, uh... How are you doing. You know." He nodded to the girls playing in the distance.

"I'm okay. I mean, I miss her, but the girls keep me going. Amy is really into her art at the moment, and Maria loves her violin. They were too young to fully understand, and they've accepted it easily. I'm grateful to that, but it's also a great regret that they didn't get more memories with Jessica." Adam replied. He watched as the two girls were playing a ball game with one another. "I keep thinking that she should be here, and I just hope she's proud of the job I'm doing. I know she'd be damned proud of those two."

"She would be indeed..." Harvey's voice trailed off, watching the ball game. "Aside from the girls, what else keeps you busy? Earth always has had the best science labs and technology."

"Well, it does, something I'm thankful for. I've been studying some recent work about artificial subspace eddys, new theories with quantum mechanics, and I've recently started reviewing information on protomatter. There are some who believe it can be used safely. I rather doubt it, but the theory is fascinating." Adam replied.

Chuckling, Harvey knew he should have been prepared for that... description. "Studying isn't the same as practicing, you know."

Adam nodded. "That's certainly true enough. The problem with being on Earth is most of the exciting discoveries are found out in space. I'm actually considering taking the girls on a two month sabbatical to study several nebulae up close." Adam said. "They love the idea of space and different worlds."

"Now's the best time to do it," Harvey suggested. "I hear there's several excellent homeschooling programs you can get for the holodeck."

"I've heard that too." Adam replied. "It all comes down to finding a ship. They're not exactly cheap, even in the Federation."

"Who says you have to buy one? I've got a perfectly good one in orbit. Recently refitted facilities too."

Adam smiled. "Harvey, even if I was ready to be back in uniform again, I was asked to resign for breaching the Prime Directive. I doubt Command will want me there. Besides, wouldn't you have a full compliment of Science Officers?" He asked, not noticing that Amy and Maria were both listening intently.

"These are interesting times," Harvey replied, looking at Adam. Without going into any details, he continued, "Starfleet's tremendously understaffed in the Gamma Quadrant. And I'm without a Science Chief. I could really use you on board." After everything he'd been through, Harvey felt he needed a face aboard he knew he could trust.

Before Adam could say anything, Amy and Maria ran to him. "Please Papa, let's go and explore. You said we could explore!" Maria said.

"Pwease?" Any added. Adam looked at them.

"I doubt these two will let me say no. But why me? Why not someone who's been in the field more recently?" He asked.

Harvey chuckled at the two girls' positive response. He'd never have guessed he'd have their support in this matter so quickly. "I know you. I trust you. And, with everything that's going on in the quadrant, Starfleet needs people they can trust. People I can trust."

If there was one thing Adam was really good at, especially as a Science officer, it was reading between the lines. "Girls, adult conversation." Adam said. The two girls nodded and went back to playing, not listening as they had learnt to do. "Harvey, I know you. If Starfleet needs me, there's a problem. What aren't you telling me?" He asked.

"The Quadrant's not safe," he replied after making sure the girls weren't listening. "Starfleet's been infected with a virus," Harvey explained, using his best analogy. "And I pissed off one of their leaders recently. They control the wormhole, and if they find out about you... you might not make it home."

Adam's blood suddenly ran very cold. He had definitely pissed off a lot of people, and if Starfleet was infected...the idea that the fleet he had sworn to protect was in danger...He looked at his girls, and knew that his path was very clear. "I'll need to send a message to my folks...but I won't risk my girl's lives from some scum." He said. "Count me in." He added.

Harvey nodded. "Don't worry about the reinstatement. I've got a Commodore who owes me a favor."

"Back at full Lt? There's something else you need to consider. If the people who are, shall we say, part of this virus were the ones who wanted me gone years ago, and it's something that could be likely, then they're going to target you now because of it. Not to sound like a conspiracy nut, but for all we know they arranged for the shuttle accident." Adam said.

"I guess we'll find out as we go on," Harvey mused. "And until I can get things sorted, let's start with a battlefield commission of Lieutenant Commander. We'll also be here for a few days, so there's no real rush to get aboard."

Adam nodded. "One more thing: I won't leave my girls. I know I'm asking a lot for a smaller ship, but I need quarters with a second room for them. They can share a room. That won't be an issue, will it?" He asked.

Harvey shook his head. "We'll make it work, I'm sure."

"Thank you Harvey." Adam said. "This makes some sense though. I ran into an officer earlier, Camila, she suggested I extend my holiday a little. Now I see why." Adam said.

"Chief of Security," Harvey elaborated, wondering all of sudden what she would think with two little ones running about the ship. He felt a tickle in his throat and turned to cough. "I'll let the Black Hawk know to expect you, and we keep a shuttle rotation every few hours at the nearby port. Whenever you're ready."

Adam nodded. "I've got some more shopping to do, and I'll get my stuff ready." He said. "I want you to know something Harvey. If you were any other man, I wouldn't be doing this."

The Captain merely smiled. "I appreciate that." Looking towards the girls who were still playing, he added, "Thank you, Adam. We should have dinner some time, catch up and, uh, meet the kids."

Adam smiled. "Sounds like a good plan. I'll cook, I'm a much better cook than I used to be. Kinda of had to learn really." He explained. "When I get the girls settled, I'll report in and we can talk in more depth."

And maybe I'll bring Jayla, Harvey thought. Their relationship wasn't yet public, but who knew where they would be when Adam was settled. "Sounds like a plan. It's good to see you again."

"And you, old friend." Adam said, smiling. "Girls, let's go, we need to pack our bags."

"YAY!" Both girls shouted, racing to Harvey and hugging him. "Thank you, thank you!" They both chanted.

An "Oomph!" escaped Harvey's mouth as the girls had embraced him while he was standing up. "You're welcome," he said, trying to mimic his tone from when he first spoke to them. He still had a lot to learn about kids.

"Alright you two, let's go." He said, prying them off of Harvey. "I'll see you on the ship." He said. "And thanks for the promotion. It's nice to feel...wanted."

Harvey only smiled. As he stood there and observed Adam and his children, Harvey realized he'd forgotten why he came down to New Risa. No matter what it was, seeing Adam was worth the visit.

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