Back Home Again

Posted on 27 Sep 2014 @ 6:13pm by Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle
Edited on on 27 Sep 2014 @ 6:27pm

2,583 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 7, Lounge
Timeline: MD04 21:30 Hours

[ON]

Jacob had always been good at finding those times at the lounge when it was sparsely populated so he could practice his music outside the confines of his room. He sat at the very end of the lounge. He had pulled over another chair which served as a placeholder for his music sheets and he gently strummed away at the twelve string guitar in his hand practicing cord progressions and different finger picking styles. Most of all, he was happy, happy again to be back on the Galileo and back to this old routine of his.

The doors to the lounge hissed open, and just as Delainey expected, there was hardly anyone around. This was her favorite time of the ship's day to grab a drink and take some time to look out at the passing stars. Hearing faint music coming from one corner of the room, she drew closer, only to be met with a wonderful surprise. "Come here often?" she asked with a smile.

Jacob sat at a table with his fold-able keyboard working on songs he was learning and writing his "embellishments" to them when Delainey walked in. He looked up when he heard her pretty voice, "Counselor! It is good to see you as well! Come, come have a seat by me." His smile beamed at her as he turned to the bartender and said, "Barkeep, another Orange Creme Soda for me and whatever the Counselor wants."

Delainey chuckled and looked to the bartender, clearly faking a deadpan expression. "I'm feeling dangerous. I'll take a orange creme soda too." Carlisle accepted the drink and sat beside Jacob as he requested. She didn't know him all that well, but the few times he'd interacted with her, she'd found him very personable and always in good humor. "I'm glad to have the company, Jacob. Thanks for inviting me to your jam session."

Jacob continued to smile sweetly at her. "Well, thanks for the company Counselor, always good to have a pretty woman at my table." He looked down at his multitude of music sheets. "So what brings you down to the lounge at this hour?"

Taking a sip from her drink and finding its sweetness just what she needed, she turned and shrugged. "I like to come here just to unwind and clear my head. I spend my time interacting with people, and I love it, but counseling and treating people's illnesses and injuries can still feel overwhelming...and lonely all at the same time, you know?" She wondered if she was making any sense. It was hard to explain wha it felt like to crave true social interaction and yet also need a break from it at the same time.

Jacob nodded and then replied, "Wow, I never thought a person who interacts with a bunch of people could ever get lonely... but I guess that would make sense..." He took a sip of his own soda, "...but hey, you aren't lonely anymore, you have this big ol' scientist to talk with."

Delainey laughed good-naturedly, but felt a pang of guilt at the admission. The last impression she wanted to leave was that he couldn't lean on her if he ever needed a professional ear. "I thank you for that. I do love my work, and I would hate to think people would avoid reaching out for help just because I get lonely from time to time. My loneliness is mine to fix...with orange creme sodas and friendly conversation, apparently," she added with a chuckle. "What about you? How do you deal with loneliness?"

"Come now Delainey, do you think this ol' science 'nerd' gets lonely?" Jacob laughed at himself, "I mean, science is everything correct?" He chuckled some more, "Besides, there are plenty of good holosims to use or work on..." He kept chuckling at the thought. "I guess I just keep myself busy. Working on music or writing or reading or, again, working on my various holosims."

"I think you're more social than you give yourself credit for. I find you quite easy to talk to, and despite the stress of the Away Team where we discovered the Borg corpse, I remember smiling and keeping my sense of humor through it all. You were a big part of that, Jacob, so thank you."

Jacob visibly blushed slightly, "I..umm.." He laughed nervously, "..it is appreciated..." He quickly drank a large swig of his soda, "I hope... I hope nothing like that ever happens again though.. I don't know if you knew that when those 'space zombies'attacked us... I was on the Bridge.. I took them down Delainey.. as many as I could... hand to hand combat at times... it was... horrific.. I did my best.. but.. I couldn't take them all... I couldn't reach Captain Holliday in time... and I will always regret that... " He looked down at his massive hands, hand that could kill as easy as they could dig up a long lost burial site.

He looked up at Delainey after a long pause and added, "Sorry, got lost their for a moment... let's talk about something else... do.. do you like music?"

There was a bit of a pause as Carlisle felt torn between her counselor instincts and her desire to just be Delainey. Ultimately, she decided the only way to break out of professional isolation was to choose to act in the moment. Nodding her head, she replied, "I love all sorts of music."

Jacob smiled and picked up his guitar, "Ok then Delainey, tell me what you think of this: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3VgSOYsUBo)

'Where the walker runs down to the Carson Valley Plain
There lived a maiden, Darcy Farrow was her name
The daughter of old Dundee and a fair one was she
The sweetest flower that bloomed oer the range

Her voice was as sweet as the sugar candy
Her touch was as soft as a bed of goose down
Her eyes shone bright like the pretty lights
That shine in the night out of Yerrington town

She was courted by Young Vandamere
A fine lad was he as I am to hear
He gave her silver rings and lacy things
And she promised to wed before the snows came that year

Her pony did stumble but she didn't fall
Her dyin' touched the hearts of us one and all
Young Vandy in his pain put a bullet through his brain
We buried them together as the snows began to fall

They sing of Darcy Farrow where the Truckee runs through
They sing of her beauty in Virginia City too
At dusky sundown to her name they drink a round
And to young Vandy whose love was true...'"

Jacob's voice was deep as always but soft and gentle as he sang the sad, lovely song. He then looked up at Delainey to get her thoughts.

"That was...beautiful and sad," Delainey added. "An interesting choice for you to share."

Jacob smiled, "Just learned it two days ago and really enjoying the intricate finger work I have to do. It is beautiful and sad but still great to play on the guitar." He put the instrument down and said, "So tell me what are you listening to these days?"

"You mean besides my own racing thoughts and those of others shared aloud?" she asked with a grin. More seriously, she added, "I really enjoy classical music from Earth, especially any pieces with piano and violin. If I'm feeling more lively, I'm a fan of Journey and Michael McDonald."

Jacob smiled and rolled out his flexible keyboard across the table and then gave her a wink and began to play and sing, "I keep forgettin' we're not in love anymore.." He easily worked through the famous Mike McDonald song and watched to see if she'd sing along.

Delainey's eyes lit up as Jacob began to sing one of her favorite songs by one of her favorite artists. She didn't expect him to know the name, let alone know the song. In truth, she wasn't sure what he would think since McDonald wasn't a musician most Earth music fans associated with enduring popularity, but Delainey had found his bluesy style reached her emotionally. She hesitated for a mere moment before she added her soft voice to his. Carlisle was shy at first, not used to letting others hear her sing. "I keep forgettin' things will never be the same again. I keep forgettin how you made that so clear..."

Jacob smiled wide as Delainey joined in as they sang away. Reaching the bridge in the song he belted out in as good "Blue Eyed Soul" as he could:

"Every time I hear
How you never want to live a lie
How it's gone too far
And you don't have to tell me why

Why you're gone and why the game is through
If this is what's real
If this is what's true
Tell me how come..."

Inspired by Jacob's enthusiasm, Delainey's soprano joined him in turn:


"I keep forgettin' we're not in love anymore
I keep forgettin' things will never be the same
again
I keep forgettin' how you made that so clear
I keep forgettin'"

Jacob smiled even wider and rocked his electronic keyboard as they sang together and he finished with a keyboard flurry.

He looked over at Delainey. "Now that ROCKED!"

Carlisle chuckled. "It did and I give you all the credit. Normally, I need a few more special crme sodas in me before I'll sing. Thanks for the sing-along. It was quite therapeutic. You might consider a back-up career as a music therapist," she added with a grin.

"Music therapist? Wow, that sounds really like a great time, but, you know, having that 'label' as a 'shrink' might be a problem..." Jacob gave Delainey a playful but mischievous wink and smile as he gave her a little bit of "hard time".

"Yeah, you don't want to lose your cool factor, I'm sure. The shrinks are real sticks in the mud," she replied with a grin.

Jacob laughed. "One of my wingmates in college was going to become a shrink, I think she changed her mind when other the some of the other guys she was hanging out with suddenly didn't want to go out on dates with her anymore... I guess they didn't want to feel like they were being 'examined' all the time." He laughed more at the memory of those times.

Delainey smiled a bit uncomfortably, both because she could relate to being misjudged in relationships of any sort off-duty because of what she did on-duty, but also because she didn't like the notion that someone would choose a different career path based on someone else's shallow reaction. "Sounds like your friend wasn't all that serious about being a therapist. I can relate to being misjudged, though, and conversely, feeling pressure to maintain a certain level of professional distance all the time."

Jacob frowned, "And yet, you are so easy to talk with, you are insightful and intelligent... being distant would be so hard for me for instance. I couldn't do it. Especially if I ran across someone that found interesting and incredible to be around.. is it the 'curse' of all counselors that in having to be 'distant' that they miss out on possible relations? I've always wondered about that."

Delainey smiled at his compliments and bowed her head in thanks when he offered them. "I suppose it is for me," she offered. "Perhaps others have found a better balance that works, but I've found some therapists become so concerned with not acting like a counselor, whatever stereotype they think that is, that they come too close to abdicating their professional responsibilities just to be seen as the 'un-counselor' if you know what I mean? Maybe if you met me in session I wouldn't seem so insightful or easy to talk to," she teased.

Jacob smiled back, "Oh right," his voice had a playfully sarcastic tone, "You would NEVER be so insightful or easy to talk with in a counseling session... oh universe forbid that!" He playfully (and gently) poked her left arm.

Delainey laughed. "You'd be surprised how many people find me less insightful and harder to open up to the moment they realize what I do. Perhaps that could be an experiment. Have people with the same problem receive the same advice from me, with me either behind my desk or behind the bar let's say. I bet even sober, people would prefer Delainey the barmaid or hell, Delainey the chaplain."

"I like Delainey the PERSON just fine..." He gave her a mischievous look, "Although the barmaid would be pretty cool too.. as long as you were wearing something revealing, sexy and scandalous..." He curled up in a defensive pose knowing she was probably going to smack him for that comment even though he was just giving her a hard time.

Instead of smacking him, Delainey arched an eyebrow. "So it really is true? Human guys think about sex at least every seven seconds?"

Jacob laughed, "Just 'bustin' your chops Delainey, just bustin' your chops.'" He chuckled some more and added more "fuel to the fire" as it were, "And so is it true that women think about sex every eleven seconds?"

Delainey snorted. "Not this one, I assure you...unless trying to make sense of other people's sex lives counts as thinking about sex?"

Jacob raised his eyebrow, "Huh.. well now you stumped me... did you just go into some deep thinking philosophical territory here?"

Now it was her turn to hit him playfully. "Hello? Therapist, remember?" she asked with a chuckle.

"Ahh, very good Doctor 'C', very good indeed." Jacob replied and then pretended to be "hurt" as he playfully rubbed his arm where she playfully hit him. "I should have known never to get into an intellectual fight with a therapist since they don't fight fair." His voice was playfully taunting her just to see her reaction.

Delainey's expression was one of mock outrage. "I'll have you know we therapists fight very fair. Many of us wrote the book on how to fight fair."

Teasingly Jacob nodded, "Uh huh... wrote the books.. some pages and chapters skewed towards the therapist I bet..."

He was giving her a good natured ribbing and hard time. He was being a pest and troublemaker just for fun; not in a mean way of course, just an ornery yet playful pain in the arse.

"Are you always this paranoid?" Delainey shot back, laughing.

"Well yeah! Especially around you therapist types." He winked at her and then ordered another round for both of them.

Delainey nodded in appreciation for the second round. "I'll get the tab for this one. It isn't often I get to cut loose like this. Thank you for drawing me out, Jacob."

He smiled back at her. "What are friends and crewmates for?" He paused, "Now if you don't mind, I am hungry and therefor I am going to order a massive plate of wings. A plate of teriyaki, one of garlic and parmesan, and one of barbeque. Want to share some with me?"

Delainey's eyes widened and she smiled, both because she welcomed the invitation and the cuisine. "That sounds amazing. Barkeep, another round!"

[OFF]

Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

Lt. Delainey Carlisle, M.D., Ph.D.
Counselor/Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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