House Guest

Posted on 21 Jul 2016 @ 1:09am by Captain Harvey Geisler & Senior Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin

1,959 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Risky Business
Location: Ready Room
Timeline: MD 6 || 0730 Hours

Mila waited a few minutes after Joey had left Administration and then she looked down at Rico. "I am making promise and she is making promise," she told the beautiful white German Shepherd as she gave his ears a scratch. She got up from behind her desk and motioned for him to follow her and headed out of her office in the Administrative warren she worked at with a stack of PADDs in one hand for the Captain.

"Ensign Valdero, don't forget to take the request to Operations by zero eight hundred," she said. "Yeoman Cox, get that stack of PADDs organized or the Engineering Chief will have your head. Warrant Deveries, report to Medical." She barked orders as she led Rico out and headed to the nearest turbolift to go to the bridge. There, she nodded to various personnel as she went to the Ready Room and pressed the chime.

The night had been rough. True to his habits, Harvey stayed up all night with the remainder of Delta shift to be sure the Black Hawk would not encounter another gravimetric disturbance. It was a foolish idea really, that his presence would prevent such a phenomena. But, it gave him and the crew a measure of peace. The night had been silent since then, and now Harvey was left to wonder if he should sleep. With their luck, today would just be another day of searching and searching and searching with no result.

When the door chime sounded, Harvey opened his eyes to find that he was just starting to doze off while leaning back in his chair. What time was it? He'd figure that out later, but for now, it was not best to keep whoever it was who wanted to see him waiting. "Come in," he called out, sitting up in his chair and forcing his eyes open.

Mila entered with Rico by her side, looking none the worse for wear from the previous night other than a sadness in her eyes. "I am hoping you are to be forgiving K-9 Rico on bridge, Captain, but I am not knowing what to do with him in Administration. Joey asked me to bring him to you since Chow is not liking him."

Harvey rose from his chair in surprise of seeing Rico. In an instant, he felt a twinge of guilt ripple through his body. He had willingly accepted responsibility to look after Rico while Joey was off the ship, but that time had not yet come. Perhaps he should have picked up Rico a while ago, evidenced enough by being escorted by Mila and not Joey. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said, rounding the desk to kneel next to Rico.

Rico gave a sad whine and looked back towards the door before he went to lay down by the door and put his paws on his legs.

Mila swallowed hard. "Da. I am seeing her just a few minutes ago and she is asking me to do this," she said softly. "She is like sestra to me, Captain and I am hoping she is coming back." The Universal Translator provided the word 'sister' for 'sestra'. "Nyet...I am knowing she is coming back, but when is question and in what shape."

"You're talking about her like she's already left," Harvey said, stroking Rico's backside. "We haven't even spotted either of the ships yet."

She nodded. "I am knowing but you are also knowing that Security is making many plans. She is saying that she has preparations to make and does not wish to ignore Rico in process."

Mila was quite right. Naturally, Harvey was worried that there may be a point in this mission where overplanning could actually become a severe issue, at least in the sense that it would wear out the individuals needing to carry out this mission. it didn't help that he was sure that the crew was just as tired as he, especially with the events of last night. "I just hope we find them soon. The longer this drags on..."

"Da," Mila agreed as she handed him the PADDs for his daily schedule, requested meetings, crew reports and the other daily stuff. "Crew is feeling pressure, especially after last night. Medical has been reporting many casualties after encounter."

Harvey didn't stand to take the reports, but did so while still at ground level. He went straight for the last crew report which listed the casualties. His eyes narrowed as he skimmed the list, which was sorted by rank, so it was impossible to ignore the first name on the list. "It's really bad when the Chief Medical Officer takes a hit," he remarked, choosing to stand now and move back to his desk.

Sighing, Harvey set the PADDs down on the desk, taking care to keep the pile in the order it was handed to him. "If it wasn't so early, I'd get a nightcap and get some rack time."

"I am in agreement," she said. "I am not wishing to bring you bad news on top of sad news. We are small ship in big storm, Captain and you are needing support where you are knowing it is coming from. You are knowing where that support is coming from and who is providing it, da?"

Harvey grunted. "All we have is each other. And, thankfully, it's the finest crew in the galaxy. Even Picard would be jealous."

Mila gave him a long look before she sighed. "Da," she said, but kept her mouth shut on her own thoughts because she was getting to know the man under the uniform and this wasn't him. This was the Captain of the Black Hawk she was talking to and he was making it clear that he wouldn't be lured into any other mode. "Last PADD is having Rico's replicator supplement codes, feeding times and exercise schedule on it. Other than that, I am guessing she had told you what he is wanting or needing."

"She has," Harvey said, looking up at Mila. Her pause and sigh did not go unnoticed. "What is it, Mila?" he asked her informally, almost expecting a verbal slap.

"Is nothing, Captain," she said archly. "You are one making decisions and the rest of us are to be following those. Is not our place to question those but to do as we are told."

"And if you know the decision is wrong, what then?" Harvey asked, not expecting an answer. Sighing, he looked down at Rico who still seemed to still be looking at the door, hoping his handler would soon return. "I haven't slept in two days," he confessed. "We're chasing a damn rumor, and last night people got hurt. I'm ordering a new friend to take on more than a hundred and fifty people single-handed. It's suicide."

He looked up at Mila. "What the hell kind of an order is that to follow?"

Mila listened to what he had to say and what he didn't say, but remained silent for a moment as she considered an answer. Before she spoke, she reached up and removed her rank insignia from her uniform collar and help them out in her hand. "Is an order that each of us vowed to follow, not matter what, when we are accepting responsibilities of being in Starfleet, whether we are enlisted or officer. You are not ordering people to go and die, Harvey. People are willing to die for you if it is need, but no one is going to make suicide run. You are saying you are ordering new friend. I say nyet. New friend is going extra mile for she is believing in you. If you are to be having second thoughts, then I am saying to turn ship around and declare failure to Starfleet."

Harvey looked at her for a moment before his eyes shifted down to the chevrons and dots in her hand. He was honored by her example, but it was not enough to calm his mood. Two days without sleep was enough to make him question anything. There was only one step he could take next. He reached towards her outstretched hand, and rather than remove the Senior Chief pip she extended to him, he gently closed her hand around the chevrons. "You're right," he conceded, not that there was anything to concede. "If our roles were reversed, I would do the same."

Mila smiled and laid a hand on top of his and looked up at him. "Then I am making request, because I am knowing that she would do same for you, Harvey. I am requesting that you are going to see her before you do not see her again if is to be the case. I may be overstepping boundaries, but I am firmly believing it will give both of you faith and ability to go beyond this."

He smiled, his eyes meeting hers. In his heart, he knew her words were true. Seeing Joey again would do him, and her, well. Harvey only nodded an acknowledgement as he could not compose the proper words for a reply.

She slowly removed her hand from his after giving it a soft pat, then put her chevrons and dots back on. "You are good man, Harvey Geisler, and great Captain and I am being proud of both of you," she told him with a smile. "There is time. Go. As for me, I am needed back in Administration before they are making huge mess out of everything, unless there is more you need to say."

There was more he had to say, but those words were not meant for Mila. Harvey shook his head. "No," he confirmed. "There is much for all of us to do."

"Da, and I am doing one now just for you," Mila said. "Computer, play Aerosmith - I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"," she requested, then gave him a smile, petted Rico and headed out.

The door closed behind Mila, leaving Harvey and Rico behind. Rico didn't flinch, but he swore he heard a whimper. Harvey rounded the desk once more and sat cross legged beside the dog. He patted Rico's head as he listened to the lyrics.

Harvey found himself closing his eyes as each of the words penetrated not just his mind but his soul as well. He hadn't heard Aerosmith in years, not since the day he last saw his sister. Over the next few minutes, memory after memory replayed in his mind, specifically each lost opportunity. The local headlines regarding his brother's and sister's arrest. Time not spent with fellow cadets who had tried to do what Adam Casey and Jayla Kij and Joey Corwin and select others had finally become successful in doing. The last time he saw Alison's loving face across the shuttlebay at Starbase 211. Harvey was surprised at how much he'd missed over his lifetime.

As the song ended, he found himself fixated on two thoughts. The first was "Was it worth it?" a question he'd been asking himself for a few years now, and it had become the very question which inspired him to finally accept Starfleet's offer of a command.

And the second was of Joey Corwin. It wasn't the first time she'd surfaced in his mind, but it was a first for the emotions surfacing with her face, the memory of surfing in the holodeck, learning the hula, and then The Great Balloon War of August 2388. He was not shocked. If anything, he felt anxious.

But what did it mean? He had to know.

"Computer," he said softly. "Play that again."

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