Posted by Lieutenant Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Rest and Relaxation (TAG Woods)
Sharah wasn’t sure how she felt about yet another ship reassignment. She had truly felt like she’d found a place among the crew. Her life was rich and full and not lonely anymore. But it was part of being in service. But after the Viking’s last mission she was being decommissioned and the crew reassigned. The debriefing had been intense and overwhelming for Sharah, but she guessed no more so than anyone else. And then had come the psych reviews. The had stretched for hours and days. In the end it was decided that Sharah needed a long medical leave. The doctors had encouraged her to decide if Star Fleet really was the right place for someone like her. That hurt and stung and made Sharah feel like some kind of monster or thing to be pitied and hidden away.

But right now she was taking her medical leave. Cpt Rende had arranged for Sharah and Markus to travel with them for awhile. Tabris’ children were excited to travel more and spend time with them all. Sharah had spent the morning prepping Geoff (Tabris’ fig tree), Hope (her bonsai), and Markus’ bonsai for transport. She heard the children in the corridor, her quarters on the far end of the same deck and grabbed her last bag and stepped out to join them.

Mercona was firmly attached to Eldorin has he carried her. Julin was skipping back and forth until he spotted her and then he wouldn’t leave her side. Neltus walked with Cpt Rende asking all kinds of questions about Asam Estate and what Earth was like. Vedi though, he never wandered far from Tabris. He was nervous and worried he wouldn’t be accepted and he felt safer with his father. Sharah could feel Markus’ presence, his light mental touch, he was on his way to meet them.

The captain took the controls along with her husband, while the rest got settled. It was a long and slightly cramped journey to the Starbase where Sharah and Markus would continue the rest of their journey.

Fayth

The U.S.S. Viking’s halls felt terribly empty on departure, even if there were still plenty of crew milling about. But now the shuttle was waiting to take them onward.

The debriefing had been endless. Every detail of the mission report went over with a fine-toothed comb. Any discrepancy questioned and re-questioned. It felt more like an interrogation or tribunal than a simple mission report. Every decision made called into question. Why did he do this and not that. It was humiliating and embarrassing. Like they didn’t believe him. That he’d done something wrong. Anything. But int he end the admiralty seemed satisfied. It was just a bad situation all around. And probably would have gone a lot worse without him and other key members there.

Did he have any recommendations for future situations like this if they arose? He had no better answers for them yet. But he wasn’t going to let the matter rest. Even he wasn’t happy with how things had gone down. He wasn’t used to feeling so out of his depth. But in his two years severing aboard the Viking, it had challenged him in ways he never thought possible. He had more questions than answers, and things that happened there still woke him up at night in a cold sweat.

The psych evals that followed for those most involved came next, like with Sharah. It took a few days. And the scans, pokes, and prods. But he showed no signs of having been affected. Duh. He’d told them that. But at least he had a mostly clean bill of health, save for some lingering PTSD from the previous Viking and the events leading to it’s destruction.

The last sight of the Viking, her portals, running lights, nacelles, scoops and all so dark asleep… had been hard. That ship was a part of who he was now, and left him changed in ways he still wasn’t sure how. That had been days ago.

He put it out of his mind as best he could, making his way into the shuttle bay and toward the runabout waiting to go. Slipping inside, he put his carry container with the few personal items he had, that couldn’t simply be re-replicated in one corner and secured it with a little webbing. “Good to go,” he said as he found a seat next to Sharah and sighed.

Woods, Lost in