Deliberations

Posted on Sat Oct 22nd, 2016 @ 10:27pm by Captain Brady Dering M.D., PhD & Captain Madeline Sanchez
Edited on on Wed Sep 12th, 2018 @ 5:47pm

Mission: My Place In This Universe
Location: Campus Housing
Timeline: 2388/07/25 1030 (July 25 2388 1030)

**Campus Housing, Senior Staff Apartment Building**


A short time later they stepped off a turbolift a few levels up, just short of the top floor, and onto a corridor with two doors besides a stairwell. Brady lead Maddie to the furthest one, keyed in an access code and stepped aside for her to enter as the door opened to a somewhat large, opened floored, semi-modern apartment.

"This place is beautiful!" Maddie exclaimed as she walked inside. Light streamed in from what seemed like everywhere thanks to the huge picture windows which covered the outside walls of the apartment. Seeing open French doors ahead of her, Maddie walked out onto the veranda and breathed deeply as the fresh ocean air assaulted her nostrils and she looked out over the bay. "The view is amazing!" she smiled as a feeling of peace settled upon her and she leaned against the rail, overlooking the crystal clear blue waters and white sand of the beach down below.

With his fingers intertwined, Brady leaned on the rail next to her. No matter how many times he had come to Sapientia and looked out over it's beauty, it never ceased to amaze him. "Yes it is," he said, "Simply breathtaking..." and he looked over at her. "There's a working replicator, fresh fruit in the refrigerator, and a caraf of fresh water on a sideboard table in the dining area. I'll be back in a few hours. Madeline...," He paused, and his eyes seemed to study her as he continued quietly, "will you try and rest while I'm gone?"

Maddie nodded and managed a sad smile, "I might stay out here for a bit though...need to clear my head and this is as good a place as any to do that."

Brady continued to look at her, "If you need me to come back sooner, just call...oh..." He stood back, reached into a pocket, pulled out a commbadge, "This is for you." and handed it to her.

"I thought I'd escaped these." Maddie took the device and managed a wry smile.

"Well," one corner of his mouth lifted, "there's no strings attached when it comes to your decision on the position."

"I'm glad to hear it." Maddie smiled, "For a moment there, I was worried that you might glue it to me or something so that I can't escape ever again without being found."

Brady looked for a moment as if he was contemplating that very thing, and then smiled back, yet it slowly faded as he continued to stare at her. She was a lovely woman, and he knew she had already lost, given up, so much. "Well.." he turned a bit as if to leave, "I'll give you that time alone now...", and then hesitated before returning to her, "Just remember, Madeline, that you're not alone."

"I'll try." Maddie smiled at him, feeling a genuine affection for him even during the brief time that she had known him, "You're good at what you do did anyone ever tell you that?" she said, her smile widening.

"On occasion, " he admitted with a small smile, his cheeks pinking slightly, "and then I've been told many times where to go ." As if in correcting himself, he gestured out a hand towards her as if to emphasize, "Thank you."

"Just giving praise where it's due." Maddie smiled, "That's one thing that I've always made a point of..." she stopped midsentence as she realised that she'd fallen back into command mode without even realising it, "Made a point of doing." she swallowed hard and looked back over the veranda at the ocean.

"Madeline," he walked back to her and lightly touched her arm, "Don't be afraid to feel what you're feeling. You were good at what you did."

"Then why does it always come back to the fact that I don't buy into that?" Maddie sighed, sticking to her mantra though Heather's words had struck a chord with her...did her crew really think that highly of her despite everything that happened?

"You're still holding onto the pain...but we'll work through that," he lowered his head and looked at her with a knowing smile, "Do you trust me?"

"More than I did a few hours ago that's for sure." Maddie replied, a little bit of her old feisty self showing through.

He smiled, glad to see this side of her. "Good," his eyes locked on to hers, "Remember, I'm only a comm away."

"I'll remember." Maddie smiled at him, meeting his gaze.

Brady nodded, still smiling, and he turned away, taking one last glance at her as he took his leave.

Maddie watched him leave before turning her attention back to the view. Tears welled up in her eyes as she thought of her beloved Drago, the man she had left behind and the man who would have loved it here. She had truly thought that she loved him and yet when it came down to it, she couldn't stay on the Tomahawk, even for him. So where did that leave her? She sighed deeply as the tears continued to flow down her cheeks. She could find peace here, she knew she could but was that peace worth returning to the fold?

Turning to head back inside, she flopped down on the couch and closed her eyes, replaying every moment of the conversation with Brady and the offer he had put on the table. What was the right thing to do? Which decision would haunt her more in the days to come? These were questions that accompanied her as she drifted off into an exhausted sleep.


**************

Madeline Sanchez
Ex-Commanding Officer of the USS Tomahawk

Lieutenant Cmdr Brady Dering
Psychiatrist
Zulu Fleet