Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Honoring the Ardent

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Honoring the Ardent

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Honoring the Ardent

(snip)

Roman looked at her when she said Franks had already finished all of the science departmental reports. “All of them?” He looked through them when she passed them to him. There wasn’t anything he needed to do with them. Once the XO reports were ready he moved over to the computer to finish them. He worked through them quickly but thoroughly, not wanting to make mistakes.

~ Roman

Rand shrugged, “He was already working when we left at 0500. He probably started right then. They aren’t completely done, not the way you do them, but he’s getting better. The first time he filled in, he over did the reports and spent the whole day on them. Now he is over compensating back the other way.” Rand shrugged, he would figure it out. Rand sat on the bed, PaDD in her lap and worked on the Captain’s reports. It was faster at a computer but she had learned how to make do with working just from a PaDD. The other choice was to go to her office and she would rather stay until he left to go back to the labs.

Rand

Roman nodded. It took him a half hour to finish all the XO reports and then he stood and picked up Pipkin to put her back in her cage. Then he hugged Rand. “I’m heading back to the labs. I’ll be working late again,” he said. Then after one more moment he let her go and headed out to the labs.

She took the finished reports and then Rand hugged him back. She nodded, she knew where he would be without him saying so, and then he was gone. It was a rather domestic scene between them and oddly it left her grinning and confused.

He finished the second project just after lunch. Part of its theory had been disproven since then but part of it required further research. He added his final notes and put it in the ‘done’ pile. Then he picked up another one of the data disks for project three. It was an advanced physics project. One of the areas he wasn’t very good with. With a small sigh, he got to work.

~ Roman

The next several days progressed in much the same manner. Roman worked nonstop, Rand checked on him when she could and made sure he ate and took breaks. Rand got very little sleep. Not that she didn’t have the opportunity, but she couldn’t. It didn’t matter that Roman had told her she had to stop worrying about him and blaming herself, it wasn’t going to happen. Eventually she ended up spending the long nights finalizing the projects Roman had marked as finished in her office. The first couple nights she spent with Pipkin until she realized that would teach her to be up all night. So she made extra time to visit her during the day. By the time Roman only had his own project left, Rand was drinking extra strong straight black coffee multiple times a day.

Rand

Roman wasn’t sleeping either. He’d fall asleep occasionally, only to wake up on his own or be woken up shortly after. He wouldn’t be eating if Rand hadn’t been making him. Each time she brought him food he managed at least a few bites. It was always something light. And tea. He was drinking a lot of tea. Finally, at 1900 that day, he finished the seventh project. He almost wished he had more of them to work on, just so he wouldn’t have to look at his own. With each project had come memories that made him sad. Rand knew how he was with his officers, he cared about their work and projects and he knew what almost everyone in his department was working on. It had been the same way on the Ardent and as he read through the reports, he’d remember conversations or exchanges, events and experiments. His own project was full of memories with him and Jay and he didn’t feel ready to deal with that.

~ Roman

What Roman was going through right now, was exactly why Rand hated the things people like Scott said about him. And they would never know because Roman nor Rand would ever explain it to them. Rand also knew it was right there to see if they weren’t so self absorbed.

She had spent a lot of time researching about Roman’s project. Trying to find a way to let him not have to deal with it. The Chearian Outpost Environmental Safety Project She didn’t read his notes or Jay’s. Oh she wanted to, she wanted to know more about Jay and their work, but after the way Roman had looked at her for reviewing and researching the other projects, she felt like that would brake his trust. But she did look up everything she could find on Chearian and the proposed outpost. It took her a few days and what she found sent a chill of dread down her spine.

She found Roman in the lab finishing up the last project. She took the disks and recommendation from him and then urged him to leave with her. In the lift, “Go see Pipkin, get a shower, or just sit. I’ll bring dinner after I meet with Rogers.”

Rand