Posted by Captain Alexxander Ryley (Chief Medical Officer) in Messhall- Hangover Cures

Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Messhall- Hangover Cures

Posted by Captain Alexxander Ryley (Chief Medical Officer) in Messhall- Hangover Cures
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

He turned his attention back to her and studied her too a moment. She was an interesting puzzle this one, he decided. Eventually turning his intent gaze down a little he nodded. “It is…it’s enough to drive anyone sociopathic.” He drank from his coffee.

Shara just smirked. She had a lot of issues, but that wasn’t one of them.

“You know I was sure my ticket was up on that Klingon ship. I’ve been in perilous situations before, thought this is it before… Hell I’ve been declared dead before. But I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite like that.”

Ryley
MD

“A sensation of being in a situation you know you can’t escape and even if you do you know you’ll never be quite the same, that it will change you perhaps in ways you don’t like. Death is an escape, if a permanent one. But it also reframes your life in ways that are uncomfortable.” She sipped on her coffee.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

He considered her words “maybe. The last time I lost consciousness I was sure that was it, concussion aside. Then when I woke up and found myself in sickbay I thought great this is what my after life is going to be?”

Ryley
MD

“I never let myself believe in an afterlife. I think if I did there would have been too much temptation to surrender to it at different points, hoping for something better.” She sipped on her coffee, falling quiet, momentarily lost in thoughts.

~Shara Calloway, CIO

The silence stretched a few seconds, then gruffly Ryley said “I don’t like the idea that all of this, all we are is just a test for what comes later.”

He sipped his coffee. “I prefer the idea that there’s nothing and that’s it. Finality makes it feel like living is worth something.”

Ryley
MD

“Exactly,” she said with a nod. “You get one crack at this craziness and maybe you skim through for whatever reason and don’t die early, but it all fuels the next challenge.” She shrugged as her fingers tapped against the side of her mug. “That and I preferred focusing on other people. Which is hilarious given I have been about self-preservation. But, Faye, Micah, my other daughter Nadine… people are a much better use of my energy. I can do the work I need to do knowing the people that matter to me need me to try to stay alive. But truthfully, that’s a pretty recent development and realization on my part.”

~Shara Calloway, CIO

“Cool, kudos on the breakthrough.” He said, and meant it. He finished his coffee. “How’s that make you feel?” He grinned at the cliché.

Ryley
MD

Shara snorted before she sipped on her coffee, shaking her head. “I want to say I regret not trying sooner, but even I understand that a bunch of pieces had to come together and be present before I could accept this as my reality. I had just given up on having people in my life and I chose a path that would leave me isolated. But Faye… she was the key. Once she came back into my life, even if it was in the most terrible way… without her, none of the rest would have happened. So I’m strangely grateful.”

~Shara Calloway