driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: Beverly Crusher and you
Broadcast: Network - Video
Action: Blue Fish
When: September 1

[There's a strangely familiar cold that has settled in her bones, a dreadful chill that disorients her in the first few moments that she's awake. Her first thought is that something went wrong - very wrong - as they passed through the temporal distortion, but then... as she sits up and takes in her surroundings, the memories all come back in a flood. Atroma has brought Beverly back, a little older, a little blonder, and with a new Starfleet uniform.

Or maybe I never left, she thinks. This is not the Marsiva, these are her quarters aboard the Blue Fish, and none of her things look as if they've been moved. Though admittedly, her memories of Drift Fleet seem distant. By her reckoning, it's been three years since she's seen this room.

Not that "time" really means much, considering what's happened in the past few days.

The communicator rests where she left it on the bedside table. When she picks it up, she finds it's full of unread messages, crewmates and friends wondering where she is, each message sounding more alarmed than the last. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she checks today's date: September first.]

Damn!

[Immediately, she sends a message to the network, via video:]

This is Dr. Crusher of the... SS Blue Fish. It seems our gracious captors sent me home for a while. I'm back now, and I'm safe, and I'm sorry to everyone who was trying to contact me this month. I'll be on the Blue Fish if you need me.

[There's a pause, as if she's about to say something else, but then she simply gives them a small smile, one that doesn't quite reach her eyes.]

Thank you.

[The feed cuts off and after a moment, she decides to head for the kitchen. Not that she's particularly hungry but - there's a good chance that's where she'll find at least a few of her crewmates.]

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[The wariness in his expression shifts to outright concern. He sits in silence for a moment, trying to decide just what to say.] And you were caught up in the conflict, I have no doubt.

We were. Everything is... okay now. I think. But...

[She frowns.]

Jean-Luc... he was so different.

[He thinks he has an idea without asking; something about this is very relatable in a distinctly unpleasant way. But he asks anyway.]

How so?

He was... violent. Vengeful. And I know why, I do, but it was still so hard to see him like that. And I couldn't reach him.

[He lets out a long, slow breath.]

It amazes me how little some things change- how similar we truly are. I am sorry, both for your sake and for his.

Me too. We won the battle but... I suspect he has a long way to go yet before he truly wins his personal one.

[She rests her head on his shoulder.]

I wish they had given me at least a little more time before they brought me back. Everything happened so quickly.

Edited 2016-11-06 01:14 (UTC)

I wonder if such battles are ever truly won, or if they are only continually fought, with the battle lines redrawn from time to time. [But that's probably not what she wanted to hear. He puts his arm around her, a physical demonstration of emotional support.]

Forgive me. It is difficult for me to speak of such things objectively; my own experiences, and those of my kith and kin, color my viewpoint.

Perhaps you will have time here to think on things, before we find ourselves enveloped in our next adventure.

[Maybe not, but when has their friendship ever rested on telling the other only what they want to hear?]

Don't worry, there's nothing to forgive. You were only being honest.

[She settles in closer, drawing her legs up to the bed to sit more comfortably.]

The problem is, there might be too much time to think here.

Honest, but also perhaps overly dire. With time and effort, there is healing, even if scars remain, and if there is one thing I have always admired of humanity, it is your strength of spirit. And from what I gather of your friend, he shines brighter than most.

[He leans his head against hers.]

Fortunately, you have friends to keep you from dwelling too deeply in your own thoughts.

[It's true, Jean-Luc is one of the strongest people she knows. And perhaps that's why it took so long for them to realize how badly he'd been affected. All she can do now is hope he'll be open to therapy in the future.]

I do. Despite everything, it is truly a joy to see you again.

[You know, just in case you weren't aware of it already from her running into your arms.]

[He kind of got that idea. It's nice to hear it, all the same.]

As it is to see you- though the time apart has been much less for me. [But he was worried while she was gone.]

[Beverly squeezes his hand then shifts to look at him with a smile.]

We ought to celebrate our reunion, don't you think?

Edited 2016-11-23 03:13 (UTC)

[He grins.]

Of course! I have just the thing. [And he goes to his collection of wines, starting to thumb through them.]

Mmm. You read my mind.