Posted by Lieutenant Commander Katie Nunn (Counselor) in Counselor’s Office – Molly Holloway

Posted by Captain Molly Holloway (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Counselor’s Office – Molly Holloway
(snip)

Katie thought for a moment, fiddling the pendant on a necklace that hung around her neck. She was dressed in simple civilian apparel, although she was not opposed to wearing her Starfleet uniform. It just had happened that Holloway’s appointment followed a great deal of arranging of her office and she felt more comfortable handling that in casual clothes. In a way, she wished she was in uniform now, feeling that it might inspire a little more respect from the CIO. She tapped her lip as she thought for a few more minutes and then switched gears slightly.

“How would you describe your relationship with Colonel Harris?”

Lt Cmdr Nunn, CNS

For a moment, Molly was frozen in place. The question taking her back to Newton’s relentless interrogation just a little over a month before. Her breathing pattern changed as her heart sped up and Molly’s gaze went out of focus for a moment. What was Nunn going to do with that information? Why did she want it? What would she say once she figured out that she and the Dresden’s Commanding Officer were romantically involved? Was she going to accuse her of the same things Newton had? Was this just another set up? Had they sent her?

Nunn would see Molly’s posture change, as if there was a fight inside her to control herself. As her light brown eyes returned to the counselor’s there was a fury burning inside them that was not there before. It took everything in her not to get up and drag Nunn from the couch by her collar, until she could get any kind of information out of her.

Katie’s eyes widened slightly as she witnessed the intense reaction to her question. She had thought that it might be an interesting conversation starter and she had a gut feeling about what the answer might be, but this was well beyond her expectations. She shifted on the couch slightly, the fury in the woman’s eyes unsettling her significantly. The last time she had seen that kind of rage had not ended well for her and her arms went protectively around her torso where the bruised ribs still nagged at her once in a while. Shrinking back against the couch, she opened her mouth, trying to think quickly of something to quickly shut the Pandora’s box she had accidentally opened, when…

Instead, she leaned forward on the couch, her face closer to the officer across from her. “Who are you and why do you want that information? I thought I could trust you, Commander, but I can guarantee you… I’ve fallen for this once, and I am not falling for it again.” Her tone was ice cold.

Capt. Holloway, CIO

The intense fear in Katie’s eyes began to flicker to understanding as the potential reason for Holloway’s reaction dawned on her. She straightened quickly, slightly mortified at her visceral reaction to the emotion in the room. Eventually, she was going to have to stop shrinking away like a scared little girl when someone got angry with her, she chastised herself before returning her complete focus to the CIO.

“Captain, you know who I am. I’m Commander Nunn, the ship’s counselor, and I don’t particularly want any information,” she began, then paused a moment to collect her thoughts. “You’ve mentioned him several times in your explanation of why you’re here, more than I would expect for a simply professional relationship, and so I’m curious to know whether there is something more. Individuals who have experienced trauma need a support structure, whether that be friends or a romantic partner or somewhere in between.” She paused again, her heart rate remaining slightly taxed with the chill in Holloway’s voice. She rested her hands on her thighs and dug the tips of her fingers into them, feeling the slight bites of pain of her fingernails and using that to try to center herself. “Any information shared in this room is between you and me unless I feel that you are a danger to yourself or to this crew and, let me assure you, my standards for that are quite high,” she finally continued as firm as she could manage, but there was still a slight tremble to her voice.

Lt Cmdr Nunn, CNS

It felt as if she had awaken from a bad dream. The fear in Nunn’s eyes and the way she had tried to make herself smaller on the couch… the way her arms had settled on her torso… Molly took her hands to her face for a moment, trying to clear her mind. She had seen that reaction before. No… she hadn’t seen it. She had had it. She had had that same reaction every time her father had raised his voice at her, every time his angry drunken gaze had fallen on her… and now… she was no better. She was inflicting on others the same pain. She was no better than her father had been. Only he had the excuse of his drinking problems and of his wife being dead at such an early age. What excuse did she have?

“I’m sorry.” Molly finally said. Glancing at the door she wondered how fast she could cross the room to leave. She had never been so ashamed in her life. Shaking her head for a second, Holloway stood and walked to the toy basket in the corner, picking up a soft toy in the shape of a starship, before returning to her spot on the couch. It had caught her eye when she had first walked in the office.

“I used to have one just like this.” Holloway said as she turned the toy in her hands. “Only mine had Holloway Heavy Industries’s logo on it. My uncle gave it to me. I’m sure he brought it from the company’s gift shop…” For a moment she gave the starship a wistful look. “It used to help after my dad’s outbursts…” Placing the toy by her side on the couch, Molly’s eyes finally met Nunn’s again. “You should have your ribs checked.” She smiled softly. “Trust me. I didn’t. You shouldn’t have to live with the same pain. Whoever did it to you, doesn’t deserve it.”

“Colonel Harris and I have been on a committed relationship for…” She pondered for a moment. “…almost two years now. God, time flies…” She muttered absentmindedly, more to herself than to Nunn. “I’m sorry… I know it’s not an excuse, but… that mission seems to have changed me for the worst.”

Capt. Holloway, CIO