Reunited

Posted on 26 Jun 2017 @ 1:01am by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Greg Mitchell
Edited on on 26 Jun 2017 @ 3:56pm

2,504 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Earth - San Francisco, Angel of Hope Hospital
Timeline: MD 02, 1800 hours

[ON]

"Chief Warrant Officer Mitchell. Why am I not surprised." Came the voice behind him.

Greg turned around and came face to face with a woman about his age, dressed in a mix of a business casual attire. The young woman, brunette hair and blue eyes, had a look of mixed relief and annoyance on her face.

"Dr. Morgenstern. I'm glad to see you got all dressed up to see me." Greg smiled, "Have a fun trip?"

She rolled her eyes and stepped inside. "Don't flatter yourself, Chief." She waved a padd in front of him. "I'm here to check your mental status after the ordeal. Having heard that you were injured, and on a ship that was destroyed, I wanted too..." She finally got a closer look at him and noted his more gaunt appearance. "Greg, are you alright?"

"Never better." He laughed, "Why?"

"Well, lets start with the burn mark on your shoulder."

"You can't see my shoulder, it's covered up." Greg responded.

"No, but I can read your chart over there on the wall."

Greg turned to the chart that he just now noticed, pointing out the burns on his body, as well as the other injuries and cracked ribs he had received. "Uh huh. That would give it away."

"But lets also go with the fact that your face looks grimmer than usual and you have avoided making eye contact with me since I walked in the room"

"I'm tired. I've only been up for about a day." Greg responded.

"Bullshit, Mitchell." Jessica answered.

"Whoa, easy there doc. We have children in the next room."

"I've known you long enough to know when you are hiding things from me."

"What, you can read my mind now?" Greg joked.

"Can you not be serious for one second?" Jessica rolled her eyes and walked in to look around the room.

"I've been told in the past that I can be a smartass." Greg answered.

A voice came in from the hall, "That's for sure."

"Not helping, dad!" Greg yelled.

A chuckle could be heard as the elder Mitchell walked away from the room to give more privacy.

"And what exactly are you doing?" Greg looked at Jessica, who was straitening things up.

"Your room is a mess."

"You're a counselor, not a house keeper." Greg said, crossing his arms. "Just because your room is neat doesn't mean..."

"Greg!" Jessica turned to him, suddenly, and put her hands on her hips in an 'I'm about to scold you' manner. "You are a neat freak. I diagnosed you with minor OCD over constantly having to adjust things at right angles."

"Only when I don't have better things to do." Greg corrected.

"That's not the point. I've seen your quarters. You are usually the cleanest man in the world when it comes to your living and work area. Are you seeing what I'm saying?"

"Not really, Jess, and usually I can catch your approaches to the topic at hand."

Jessica sighed and looked at the floor before looking back at Greg. "You just got back from a mission that involved the destruction of your vessel. You appear to be exhausted. Your personality is much more agitated than usual. And you have made a mess of your living area. You haven't even smiled once since I arrived." She stepped closer, "Something is wrong. Something in you is different. What is it?"

Greg thought for a moment, before looking off to the side of the room. "

"Chief Warrant Officer Mitchell. Why am I not surprised." Came the voice behind him.

Greg turned around and came face to face with a woman about his age, dressed in a mix of a business casual attire. The young woman, brunette hair and blue eyes, had a look of mixed relief and annoyance on her face.

"Dr. Morgenstern. I'm glad to see you got all dressed up to see me." Greg smiled, "Have a fun trip?"

She rolled her eyes and stepped inside. "Don't flatter yourself, Chief." She waved a padd in front of him. "I'm here to check your mental status after the ordeal. Having heard that you were injured, and on a ship that was destroyed, I wanted too..." She finally got a closer look at him and noted his more gaunt appearance. "Greg, are you alright?"

"Never better." He laughed, "Why?"

"Well, lets start with the burn mark on your shoulder."

"You can't see my shoulder, it's covered up." Greg responded.

"No, but I can read your chart over there on the wall."

Greg turned to the chart that he just now noticed, pointing out the burns on his body, as well as the other injuries and cracked ribs he had received. "Uh huh. That would give it away."

"But lets also go with the fact that your face looks grimmer than usual and you have avoided making eye contact with me since I walked in the room"

"I'm tired. I've only been up for about a day." Greg responded.

"Bullshit, Mitchell." Jessica answered.

"Whoa, easy there doc. We have children in the next room."

"I've known you long enough to know when you are hiding things from me."

"What, you can read my mind now?" Greg joked.

"Can you not be serious for one second?" Jessica rolled her eyes and walked in to look around the room.

"I've been told in the past that I can be a smartass." Greg answered.

A voice came in from the hall, "That's for sure."

"Not helping, dad!" Greg yelled.

A chuckle could be heard as the elder Mitchell walked away from the room to give more privacy.

"And what exactly are you doing?" Greg looked at Jessica, who was straitening things up.

"Your room is a mess."

"You're a counselor, not a house keeper." Greg said, crossing his arms. "Just because your room is neat doesn't mean..."

"Greg!" Jessica turned to him, suddenly, and put her hands on her hips in an 'I'm about to scold you' manner. "You are a neat freak. I diagnosed you with minor OCD over constantly having to adjust things at right angles."

"Only when I don't have better things to do." Greg corrected.

"That's not the point. I've seen your quarters. You are usually the cleanest man in the world when it comes to your living and work area. Are you seeing what I'm saying?"

"Not really, Jess, and usually I can catch your approaches to the topic at hand."

Jessica sighed and looked at the floor before looking back at Greg. "You just got back from a mission that involved the destruction of your vessel. You appear to be exhausted. Your personality is much more agitated than usual. And you have made a mess of your living area. You haven't even smiled once since I arrived." She stepped closer, "Something is wrong. Something in you is different. What is it?"

Greg thought for a moment, before looking off to the side of the room. "You came all the way out here to ask me something you could have asked over a transmission?"

"Stop avoiding the issue."

"I'm not avoiding the issue. I'm asking a question."

"Greg, you forget I know everything about you." Jessica stated.

"Not everything." Greg answered with a smirk.

The answer was harsher than he had intended, as it prompted a subtle change in her face from concern to shock. A type of change he was used to picking up from being a police officer.

"So that's it then. I come all the way out here to see if you are ok, and you act like an ass to me. That's just great." She looked at her padd again, "Then we'll get back to business."

"Jess, I..." Greg began.

"No, no. I get it. I don't know why I thought I could be concerned about you. But you are my patient, and like all my patients, I need to make sure you are ok. So we'll just keep this professional."

"Jess..."

"I need to get this report filled out soon to give my recommendation to Starfleet for your future, so we'll just start with some basic questions." She started to walk past him to a seat across the room.

I one swift move, Greg grabbed her by the arm, turned her to face him and backed her against the wall opposite the room. The entire maneuver was gentle and didn't hurt her, but it was to get her attention. And it worked, because she was finally looking at him again.

"Jess, I'm sorry. I am glad you came to visit." Greg said, smiling at her.

"Then why are you being so closed off from me?"

"Are you asking as a counselor or..." Greg joked.

The look he received from her reminded him to stop joking. "Greg..."

Greg thought for a minute. "I can't remember."

"Of course you can't." She mumbled.

"No, Jess, I mean I seriously cannot remember. Did you see the part of my chart that mentioned brain damage."

"I didn't get a good loo...brain damage?" She asked, shocked.

Greg stepped away and rubbed the back of his neck as he thought how to continue. "It's a long story. I'll tell you about it when I'm not hazy." He looked at her to re-iterate his point. "I promise."

She nodded, "But are you ok?"

"For now, yes. We don't know the specifics. My dad is here to visit. The rest of my family is coming."

"I talked to your brother for the first time."

"Really? When?" Greg asked.

"When you went missing. You didn't call like you usually do, so I tried to call you and the Starbase's computer couldn't contact the Galileo's."

"He sent our cousin to find me. He never did, but when we were rescued, he relayed a message from the Chaka to everyone including your Starbase that I was ok."

"I got the message. I didn't know it was your cousin who sent it. I was out of the office at the time. The office supervisor took the message." Jessica responded.

"I'm just glad he didn't get himself into trouble." Greg said, "How'd you like my brother?"

"He reminds me of you. Only more serious and less reckless. And he actually made officer, unlike you."

"I like working for a living." Greg joked, before realizing he was talking to a Lieutenant, "Sorry."

"I got the joke, Greg." Jessica smiled, "I'm not as stone cold as you think."

"No, I picked up on that. That's why I like you so much."

She nodded, before her face turned serious. "I think he knows about us."

"He knows you are my counselor." Greg responded.

"No, I mean..."

Greg took a second to register, before he nodded. "Ah..." Will, his father, his cousin, and he was fairly certain he heard friggen Wilson find out about it some how. This was getting out of hand. "I'm sure he doesn't." Greg reassured her. "And even if he did, he wouldn't tell anyone."

"Greg, he's an officer. And if anyone finds out about us, it could cost me my job, and get you in trouble."

"He's my brother, Jess. I know him. But don't worry, he doesn't know." He leaned in closer and took her hand in his. "You heading back after this?"

"I need to get this report to Headquarters and then I'll hit a transport tomorrow."

"Leaving already?" Greg asked.

"I still have a job to do." Jessica said. "I'm not on leave here."

"I haven't actually got a chance to visit you in some time, I was hoping he could at least talk some more."

"Talk? Or..."

"Talk." Greg responded, "Just talk."

She looked at him in the eyes, "You really have changed, Greg."

"Don't be worried. I'm still here. I'm still normal. I just have a lot of things on my mind."

"I care about you Greg. I really do."

"Same here, Jess." Greg said, "And like I said, I am glad you came to visit."

They looked at each other for a moment, before Greg leaned down and kissed her. For a brief moment, Greg was finally able to let his guard down and relax.

So it was an obvious shock when the moment was ruined by a person clearing his throat at the door. The two broke the kiss and looked over at the doctor who had re-entered the room. "Maybe I should come back another time?"

"Yah, that may be great for everyone." Greg responded in annoyance.

As the doctor left, Jessica spoke, "Greg, he's just doing his job."

"He's been a pain in my ass since I arrived. Maybe I should have stabbed his hand when I woke up."

"WHAT?"

"Hey, would you look at the time. You need to be getting that report done don't you?"

Jessica sighed, rolling her eyes. "You will always amaze me, Greg." She brought her padd back up, "This won't take long. Basic psych questions as usual..."

"Can you do me a favor?" Greg asked.

She looked up at him, "What?"

"If for some reason you feel I'm unfit for duty, can you tell me? And can you promise me that you will send that full report to Command?"

Jessica tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion, "Do you think you are unfit?"

"I don't know." Greg responded. "But I just want to be sure. If I'm not able to protect people properly, I want you to tell me. I need to know for sure."

She nodded slowly, "I promise. But you have to promise me something in return."

"Like what?" Greg asked.

"You need to promise to tell me everything that happened to you."

Greg nodded, "Ok."

"Not just the Galileo Greg. I mean the Ohio as well." Jessica responded.

"I've told you about..."

"No you haven't. Not everything. I've read the mission report. All that was unclassified. I've read your creatively written report. I've known you were keeping something from me since the moment we met." Jessica responded. "You forgot, it's my job to understand people."

Greg looked away for a moment.

Jessica continued, "Greg, just talk to me. Tell me what happened to you. I know it had negative effects on you. If not me, talk to anyone. But you need to let out what happened. It's the only way we can heal you. It's not healthy to keep this buried. Ok?"

Greg thought for a minute, before slowly nodding. "Ok. I promise."

"Greg..."

"I promise, Jess." He looked at her. "I've never lied to you before. I've kept things from you, yes. But I've always kept my promises."

He smiled at her. "Besides, how else can I stay on your good side?"

"Ha ha." Jessica pretended to laugh, but Greg could see a real smile on her face. "Ok, let's get started."

[OFF]

--

CWO3 Greg Mitchell,
Security Officer,
USS Galileo

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