Catching Up

Posted on Tue Jun 28th, 2011 @ 3:50pm by Ensign Jennifer Russo & Captain Nathan Cowell MD

Mission: Too Close for Comfort...
Location: Commodore's Ready Room, Bridge, USS Arizona
Timeline: BACKPOST: Prior to 'Saddle Up'

Jenn's head ached after she left her office, she had only put in a few hours trying to catch up on the stack of things that piled up on her while she was off duty for medical. She had now returned but was still on light duty, having a head injury, and some other traumatic injuries. It had taken some patience in walking again, it often was painful, though her strength was much better than what it was. It was also good news that she hadn't suffered from any seizures from the injuries that she received, or at least not yet. Jenn wanted to make a point to go and visit the one person who always checked on her while she was injured. This person also happened to be someone she was interested in for much different reasons.

She made it to his ready room door, and rang the chime. Her hair was messy, though otherwise her good looks were holding steady. There was also a slight limp when she walked that got worse as she got tired. It was just something that conditioning and coming back to work would have to fix. And she knew that sooner or later she'd be as good as new.

"Come!" came the thundering voice of the Commodore that resided behind the office. Given that he never actually knew who was lurking behind the door, Nathan had, a long time ago, developed a habit of being perpetually disappoint at intrusions until the visitor proved the visit was less than a disappointment. It generally kept the Ensigns at bay, the Lieutenants on their toes, and everyone else off guard just enough to keep him from having to put on any other face but the one he was most comfortable with... the curmudgeonly one.

The doors parted to reveal the form and figure of their Boatswain, Warrant Officer Russo. She looked a damn sight better than she had when Nathan had patched her and damn near half the crew up, but his trained eye could see the waver in her steps and the reflection of pain as she took them. Having only recently found sympathy somewhere between shit and syphilis in his personal dictionary, it was hard for the old man to extend such considerations to anyone around him in any manner other than his abrasive but honest bedside manner.

"You're still not up to snuff, there, kiddo. Shouldn't you invest in a cane for a week or two? Give that bum leg a bit of help?" Nathan asked as the woman slowly made it into the room.

"No," she said, shaking her head. She normally would never do this, but she sat down in a chair at his desk, without being invited. "I'll be okay," she said, sighing a little with relief. "I feel like I'm your age, even if you don't..." she smirked. "Apparently when I stopped working nobody else did I got so much on my to do list..." She looked tired, but she smiled a little. "Thanks for visiting me by the way," she said. "It was nice, and I'm sure you had plenty of better things to do."

"Nothing's more important than people," Nathan said bluntly, "I can always do reports, but I can't make up for lost time I didn't spend making sure my people were alright."

Jenn looked at him, she had lost control of her ability to hide her feelings. Or maybe she just didn't consciously think of it anymore, she looked sad. Jenn had hoped that his interest in her was out of interest in her. Jenn didn't want to be just another member of his crew who he happened to find attractive. She wanted to be special, she wanted him to be interested in her as herself not just the Bos'n of his ship. She swallowed hard, "Well I just wanted to say thank you anyway," she said, not making eye contact with him. "I'll let you get back to work sir," she said, saying sir for the first time in many of their conversations. She got up slowly, feeling like an idiot she knew that this was wrong anyway. He was a flag officer, he was really old... she was a 21 year old Warrant Officer, it wouldn't have worked.

"Not really interested in the working part," Nathan confessed, "And just between you, me, and the wall... I didn't pay any other bedsides a visit after the initial attack. Don't know if that means anything or not, but I figured you might be slightly interested in it. Just can't let all the cats out of the bag at once you know. I have a reputation as a heartless old man to protect. Can't be a bastard if everyone knows you got a soft spot for just one pretty girl."

Nathan wasn't sure if that was really what he wanted to say, or how he'd intended it to come up, but there wasn't anything to be done about it now. Out was out, and usually better than in.

Jenn looked at him for a second, she wasn't sure what to say to him. Maybe she should use some of his own medicine on himself. "I knew it," she smirked. "Lucky for you I still haven't figured out why I'm attracted to such an old goat like you," she said, crossing her arms. She started to get pain shooting up her legs, "You know I wouldn't sit if it didn't hurt so damn much," she said, sitting back down. "You should have fixed me better," she laughed a little. "And I'm sure I'm not half as pretty as I was before I got slammed against a bulkhead." Jenn honestly wasn't sure what happened, but it sure felt like that's what happened.

"I don't know if you slammed in to it, or it decided to come at you. Either way, you lost that fight," Nathan observed, "And those aches are normal, anyone with that kind of trauma has them. If I could just replace everything, that might make it all go away but I'm not that good... yet."

"Well maybe in a couple hundred years, of course I'll be long gone by then..." she said, with a sigh. "What's it like to live so much longer than most of the people you know?" she asked. "I mean... I barely knew Joker, and I still have a hard time with him being gone..."

"Hmm..." Nathan vocalized for a moment before finally settling on his answer, "I don't know how it is for most El-Aurians, but for me, it is like having a pet. You spend a set span of years with them, you enjoy the time you have, and when they are gone, you miss them but you know that there is nothing to be done about it. You can't bring them back, you can only remember the time you had with them. Not to say people are pets, but it's the closest analogy I can think of..."

Jenn looked at him for a second and then yawned, she wasn't really sure what to think about that assessment. "I guess you're right," she said. "But I'm sure you're probably more equipped to deal with stuff like that then I could.." she said, sighing a little. It wasn't just Joker, Jenn was devastated about losing her mother, and if weren't for that she probably wouldn't have even joined Starfleet, and if she had it probably would have been through the Academy. She thought a lot about her mother after the accident, but never really talked much about it to anyone. "I'm bad at losing people," she allowed herself to say.

"No one with any semblance of humanity every has an easy time of it. You just start to accept it as part of living after a while. Coping with things is a far cry from being good at handling loss. Once you get good at it, you're probably the next one in line to kick the old bucket. So... you have a fair few decades left ahead of you, kiddo," Nathan chuckled reassuringly, "At least you will as long as you stick around here and listen to my medical advice."

"I don't know sticking around here and listening to you is what got me crushed by a bulkhead in the first place," she said, laughing a little. "So what's it gonna be?" she asked. "If I stick around..."

"That's entirely up to you. I'd wager you have your own ideas about the situation," Nathan smirked.

Jenn looked at him for a second, she wasn't really sure how to answer. "Well I suppose if you keep giving me good advise, and maybe keep visiting I'll stay." She said, wondering if he'd understand what she meant. It had been a long time since their conversation about her needing to decide if she was interested in him or not. Though it wasn't exactly either of their fault they never had time to finish it. "I mean... if you can handle me that is," she smirked.

"It's the other way around. I'm a lot harder to live with than you'll ever be... Too stuck in my ways to change... you either like me as is or you don't," the Commodore remarked, but followed up with the slightest of winks.

"Well maybe I'm an idiot, but I seem to like the way you are for some reason. Besides, maybe the whole old fashioned thing is my style. And I guess you're about as the biggest antique I could find." She said, her smirk returning. "So... what exactly are we saying here old man?" she asked.

"Sounds like we're beating around the 'your place or mine' bush," Nathan responded.

Jenn laughed a little, "I'd love too... It's been since before boot camp, but I honestly... don't think I could physically handle it." She said, sighing. "Besides don't you think we should have dinner or something first," she stuck her tongue out at him. "Though, I wouldn't write it off completely for the future."

"Well, that sounds nice and all... How about after I get back from the away mission, we sit down and have a bite. Sound good?" Nathan said.''

"Sounds good," she said. "But I have to get back to work, so I'll see you later. Be safe," she said, with a slight smile of concern.

"Thanks..." Nathan said before the woman was out the door.