Shellshocked

Posted on Fri Jul 14th, 2017 @ 4:20am by Lieutenant Commander Matthew Desmond

1,301 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Resurgere
Location: Various
Timeline: SD 241707.13

=/\= Starfleet Medical Center, Room 1435 =/\=

Lieutenant Commander Desmond tugged at his dress uniform as he studied his reflection in the mirror. He was to go before the psychiatric review board at Starfleet Medical Center, and then if all went well, he would appear before the Starfleet Command Re-instatement Board to receive his next assignment.

He absently rubbed the small scar on his chin that he had received in the ambush ten months prior. His face had filled out to what he remembered it had been before going on his last assignment, the four months in the prison camp on Zeta Letari Prime hadn't done well for him. He was thankful for the day that Amara, his beloved, had arrived with a team from Starfleet Special Forces Taskforce Charlie and liberated him and several other of his remaining team members.

A soft touch on his shoulder startled him, and he looked to his right to see Amara.

"Amara....I..."

"Shhh," Amara said, "it's alright, Matthew. I didn't mean to frighten you."

He took a breathe, she smelled faintly of vanilla and coconut. It was an intoxicating smell, even in the dim light of his room, her hair had a distinct sheen to it. He reached his hand towards her hair, he lightly brushed the tiara on her head, and ran his fingers through her hair. He wanted so desperately to lean in and kiss her for the first time.

"I...I think I'm ready, my beloved. I've waited so long for this day to come," he said, "I think I'm ready to face the review board. I need to put this....episode behind me....get back to serving."

Amara took his hand, "My beloved...you can't go back to what you were doing before....you understand this?"

Desmond nodded slightly, and took a deep breath. "Of course....I don't think I will ever do special operations again....not after..." he tried to look away from her, but got lost within his magnificent brown eyes, "not after what happened last time...I could never be away from you my beloved...yet...without last time...I never would have met you."

Amara smiled and squeezed his hand, "Come my beloved...it is time."

Desmond nodded and walked with her towards the door, "Do you think I should bring my bags with me?"

Amara shook her head, "No my beloved, I have already arranged for our belongings to be transferred to wherever you are assigned. And where you will go, I will go."

=/\= Starfleet Medical Center, Psychiatric Review Board =/\=

"And so, it is the recommendation by this review board, that Lieutenant Commander Desmond be released from intensive care at Starfleet Medical Center and restored to active duty status. In regards to long-term treatment and mental health well-being, it has come to the attention of this review board that Commander Desmond has developed a friendship with Amara, who's actions have been noted in previous sessions as being beneficial to the well-being of Commander Desmond's frame of mind. It is the recommendation of this review board, with the permission of the Starfleet Commander, that Amara be granted a commission within Starfleet with acting rank equivalent to Lieutenant Commander Desmond. It is our hope that she can serve as his support liaison in his transition. Are there any objections to the recommendations of this board?" stated Rear Admiral James Horan.

The room was silent.

Admiral Horan pressed a button on the control panel before him and a ship's bell rang, "Then it is so ordered. Lieutenant Commander Desmond, please report to Vice Admiral Richard Caron, Starfleet Command Operations immediately for assignment."

Desmond looked over at Amara, he could feel tears of joy welling in his eyes, but he held them back, and gave her a smile. "Is this real?"

Amara gently rubbed her hand across his back and gave him a look of reassurance, "It is real my beloved...this is real. This is really happening."

=/\= Starfleet Command, Office of Operations =/\=

Lieutenant Commander Desmond pressed the chime at the outer office of Admiral Caron and waited. "Come" he heard from the other side of the door. The door opened and Lieutenant Commander Desmond stepped in to the expansive office of Admiral Caron with Amara in tow. He strode towards the Admiral's desk, stopped two paces before the Admiral's desk, went to attention and fixed his gaze six inches above the Admiral's head.

"Lieutenant Commander Desmond reporting to the Vice Admiral with company of one as ordered, SIR!" Desmond said in his crispest parade ground voice.

"At ease, Commander," Admiral Caron said, his voice raspy from years of smoking, "I don't have long and I know you don't either. We want you to get back in the saddle immediately."

Desmond eased up slightly, he caught a quick glance at Amara out of the corner of his eyes, he could see that this was all very new to her and he hoped that she would take this all in stride. "Sir, I would very much like that as well. I'm eager to get back in to combat, Sir."

Caron chuckled, which sounded more like a maniacal laugh from a demon from the pits of Hell, and not from this man who looked like he would be right at home in an ad depicting the high life from several centuries ago. "Commander Desmond, after all you have been through....you're not going back to a frontline special forces combat unit. That's simply out of the question. Your days of being an operator are over. The sooner you accept this, the better off you will be. You and Amara will report to the U.S.S. Vindicator immediately. Personally, I thought you would be better off here at Starfleet Command, but Commodore Rochelle Ivanova requested you specifically...I won't disappoint her. We've already made arrangements for your personal effects to be transferred from Starfleet Medical. Your orders have been transmitted, and you are to report to Commodore Ivanova in approximately thirty minutes. Amara, we thought it was best that Commodore Ivanova make the final arrangements for your....commission...ceremony will be onboard the U.S.S. Vindicator. Stop by the quartermaster on your way out, get her a proper uniform...Amara, you're dismissed....I want to speak with Commander Desmond privately."

Amara looked confused for a moment, Desmond gave her a reassuring nod, and she left the room.

Caron began to speak as soon as the door was closed behind her, "Commander...I don't like this one bit. I'm against you being out in the field...and I am damn sure against that savage woman being made an officer in Starfleet..." Desmond's face quickly flushed red from anger, but he held his temper in check as Caron went on, "I've transmitted instructions to the Commodore...if she thinks it will help you...we'll make your savage a full officer at the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade and skip this whole "acting" business. But I am against this...and personally, I am against you being reinstated to active duty. But I don't make all of the decisions around here...I was overruled every step of the way on your rehabilitation....I've found that special forces guys like yourself who go nutso end up staying nutso...no matter how much they think they're better...I hope I'm wrong about you, Commander...I really do...you're dismissed...go get that savage a proper uniform and report to Commodore Ivanova on the double."

Desmond nodded, "Aye, aye, Sir," he said as he did an about face and exited the room. He was too shaken up to address the situation fully with Amara, but he took her by the hand and they exited the Starfleet Command office to go to the quartermaster to get Amara a fresh uniform.

 

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