Staying Afloat

Posted on Thu Mar 16th, 2023 @ 10:45pm by Captain Charlotte Rhodes & Lieutenant Callie Knight

1,152 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: New Sheriff in Town
Location: Swimming Pool Deck, USS Defiant
Timeline: MD 7: Evening

The sounds of disturbed water rushed past her ears as Charlotte Rhodes alternated arms with each stroke. The water was cool against her skin, refreshing and freeing. It was a welcome release from the moment to moment pressures of command, and gave her a moment to think.

The events at Vela IV and her subsequent conversation with her helmsman's sister had reawakened some anxieties in her. Anxieties that she was getting too comfortable. That betrayal was right around the corner again. That she would miss it yet again.

Her goggled eyes locked on the t-shaped lane indicator at the bottom, and she pulled herself into a tight flip, planting her feet against the wall and pushing off with a satisfying flourish. It'd been years since she'd swam in any competitive sense during the academy, but some of the habits came back just through muscle memory.

As she completed her last leg, Rhodes allowed her feet to touch the bottom for the first time in a few, checking the chronometer on her wrist. Better than most of her times this month, though still a far cry from her old times. Still, definitely acceptable. After all, her crimson Starfleet emblazened one piece wasn't exactly competition grade. And she simply wasn't the spry young athlete anymore either. The tendonitis her medical staff had repeatedly treated in her 'healed' left shoulder was proof of that. Removing her eyegear and closing her eyes, she brought her water bottle to her mouth and gave her heart a moment to rest.

Callie had entered the pool area for a swim, but had found Charlotte mid swim. Not wanting to disturb her she had stood back and watched until Charlotte had finished, stepping forward she offered a warm smile. “You’re an impressive swimmer Captain. Mind if I join you?”

Rhodes hadn't seen Callie enter, so she was briefly startled by her appearance. Her surprise turned into a friendly smile in return once she saw who it was. "Of course! Plenty of room. I really only need the one lane. As for the swimming, I appreciate the compliment but 10 years ago's Cadet Rhodes would not share your assessment."

Callie smiled warmly as she put her towel down, walked to the pool edge, and slid down into the water in the lane next to Charlotte. “I apologise, I didn’t mean to startle you when I spoke. Actually you seem to be... uncomfortable lately. Is there anything you’d like to talk about?”

Charlotte let out a sigh. "That obvious, huh?" She turned and leaned against the side of the pool. "It's not something I want to talk about, per se. But...I suppose the most succinct explanation is that I'm struggling with how I interact with the crew. I natural lean toward a more casual friendly approach. But as of late, I've felt quite comfortable. That should be a good thing, but instead it's making me feel exposed. Vulnerable...again."

Callie nodded as she listened to Charlotte. “You said vulnerable again? What made you feel that way before, and why do you feel that way now?”

"You know, I've never been very good at being a counseling patient," Charlotte said. Another long sigh escaped the Captain's lips. "Part of the issue is that I never really know where to begin. I led my ship on a mission against a crime ring which ended up pitting me against my own family. I was nearly killed by my brother in the process and at the end of it all, found out that my..." She paused, trying to choose the right word. Intelligence Officer? Second Officer? Lover? She wasn't really sure what the right one was. "...someone who I trusted very much had been working with the ring the whole time."

Callie could sense that Charlotte was holding back, she gave her a curious yet friendly glance. “Am I to take it this... Someone you trusted, was romantically involved with you? Or am I barking up the wrong tree?”

"Are you just very good at your job or did you read my file?" Charlotte asked rhetorically, giving a genuine laugh. "Yes, we were involved. Quite seriously actually. Alina Soyka. She was my Intelligence Officer back on the Maui and we made quite the team I thought. It was...incredible honestly. I felt like we could do anything together."

Rhodes' face lit up briefly before a melancholy crept into the smile. "It turns out that wasn't so true. She'd done a deep cover op a couple years earlier and picked up an addiction. She hid it well. I somehow I missed it..."

Callie nodded. “That must have been difficult, she’d obviously learned how to hide it. You don’t have to go into details about it, just know that if you need to talk about it further I’ll listen.” She smiled warmly. “So I’m guessing you’re concerned about getting too close to new people? Putting your trust in new crew must be difficult.”

"Everything just feels so...exposed? I was fine and then all of a sudden, I'm seeing threats around every corner. I don't think I'd really come to terms with how gun-shy I'd gotten." Charlotte ran a hand over her face. "I'm pretty good at putting on a good mask when I'm on duty. But these interpersonal moments suddenly seem very foreign to me. It's as if the uniform comes off and I suddenly lose my ability to read people. I don't know if that makes any sense."

Callie nodded. “It makes sense. You were let down by someone very close to you, the age old saying ‘Once bitten, twice shy’ comes to mind. You have a lot of new people onboard ship, me for instance, and you’re having to let us into your circle of trust. It’ll take time to really get to know us all, for us to gain that level of trust.”

"I suppose I've always been a bit impatient," Charlotte said finally relaxing her posture a bit. "You're pretty good at this whole listening thing. I'm glad we have you aboard."

“Thank you” Callie smiled warmly. “I’m very glad to be here. There aren’t that many of us in Starfleet so I consider myself lucky to be here.”

"I think Starfleet might be wise to consider making Counselor's more standard," Charlotte said with a smile. "Though if its all the same to you, I think I might have had enough introspection for the moment. I'm going to go pull a few more laps if that's alright."

“By all means” Callie nodded. “Mind if I join you?”

"Not in the slightest. I always appreciate a lane partner," Rhodes said with a smile before donning her googles again. With a firm push off the wall, she was once again surrounded by the comforting rushing sound of the water around her.

 

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