Post 282: Another One Into the Pan

Stardate:70704.0845
Title:Another One Into the Pan
Authors:TC Blane/Ashlyn Trind
Scene:Holodeck Four/T'Ana Beach House Program
Time:Following "Into the Fire"
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The waves gently rolled up on the beach as Ashlyn and TC casually walked along. Sunshine happily followed his master's lead.

Of course, with Sunshine being a Collie, his sweet and sometimes happy-go-lucky, throw-caution-to-the-wind personality would show through. He would see a crab on the beach and put his nose right up to it.

"Oh! Did you see that?" Ashlyn started to laugh, at the same time running over to the dog and comforting him.

"You silly boy. Don't you know that if you stick your nose where it doesn't belong, that the crabs are going to protect themselves and grab you?" Ashlyn took Sunshine's 'snooter' and looked at it as if she were a surgeon examining a full frontal shrapnel wound to the face. "Oh, you're OK, little trooper. After everything you've been through you need to enjoy your R&R too."

Trind was trying to keep things light and establish to TC that she was just a 'normal' person. TC smiled as he watched the dog happily accept the attention.

He waited for Ashlyn to return with Sunshine and resume their walk down the beach. Silence was never suitable to TC when he knew there was something to be said. "So I assume you have something to say to me?" He smiled, trying to smooth his bluntness. "I like your office." He waved at the sight of the ocean and the wide white beach.

"You can thank our science officer T'Ana for this beautiful scene. But I couldn't have thought of one any better. As to get to your question, TC, I admire your fortitude and your leadership of your men. So it's not really what I have to say to you exactly. I want you to tell me what went on down on Bajor. What reactions you saw your men having. What my job is, really, is to try to get people to get things out before they erupt into a volcano in the first place."

Ashlyn knew that it may be a way to get TC to talk more freely about his own feelings about the mission if he would talk about his men first. He had a natural penchant for leadership, and therefore caring about his men. She would try to use this to his advantage.

TC eyed the blond next to him. His thoughts drifted back to the destruction on Bajor. He had already filed the memories away; put them into a place reserved for those things that one does not care to remember. TC's file for those kinds of memories was rather full, the events on Bajor just being the most recent additions. TC would pull them out when he needed extra motivation, or a boost of emotion. He believed in making your bad experiences work for good results.

"It was difficult. Not just physically but emotionally for all of us down there." He glanced at her again. "Some of us handled it better than others." He once again tried to change the subject. "I thought we were under orders to relax and forget about the last few days." He frowned, feigning irritation. "Are you trying to make me disobey my orders?"

Trying to digest what he had just said to her, she found that she appreciated his bluntness. She gave him a sly smile, and had to hand it right back to him. *Well aren't you a tough nut to crack,* she thought. She was not used to that.

"Not at all," she continued, "I was merely having a conversation with you. Perhaps it's not one to have right now. But I can assure you for future reference. Starfleet has sent me, and I am not merely a cheerleader for the Federation or anything. I do have all the necessary clearances I need to talk to you, or even the Captain if necessary. And that is anytime I see fit, I might add."

She didn't like to bring out the 'big guns' if she didn't have to but when push came to shove she didn't like to be addressed as if she had no authority at all. Especially when she just wanted to do the job she loved to do, and that was to help save people unnecessary suffering, either physically or emotionally.

She felt guilty about going off like that-about what she had just said to him. "I'm sorry, TC. I can be a bit of a spitfire sometimes. It's just that I don't look like a very powerful person. People don't realize that I have PhD's and degrees. I have worked hard. I care about people and that's 24/7. I've seen a whole lot of suffering. I just want to help." With that she just sat down in the sand and Sunshine came over to lick her hand. TC was sort of stumped.

He crossed his arms and considered her words. "I understand that, Doc. I'm sorry if I seem abrasive." He leaned down and picked up a small, flat rock. "That was not my intent." He tossed the rock into an oncoming wave, piercing it with a splash.

He turned back to face Ashlyn. "The majority of my training from my career out of Starfleet has been for Special Operations." He plopped down into the sand next to her. "You have to understand, we were instructed -no- ordered, not to discuss the majority of our missions." He looked at her. "With anyone. So we were taught by some of the best how to bury the emotional reactions to the things we've seen. And we did." He scratched Sunshine behind the ear.

"Vulcans?" Ashlyn surmised.

TC gave a sly smile. "Maybe, maybe not. I can't say." She nodded, understanding.

He returned to being serious. "So, in short, it is hard to relearn how to talk, when to talk about these matters. It was always viewed as a weakness." He thought for a moment longer. "I think I still feel that way."

"You know what is said between us, not only because I am a doctor, but because I would also like to be your friend. I cannot divulge to anyone." Trind replied. "I took a very serious oath and would rather- and would- end up in the brig rather than say anything that someone told me in confidence. Even if Starfleet ordered me to. You see, I have a record as a bit of a, hmm. How shall I say it? Rebel."

"I think that's why Starfleet keeps me where they do. To keep a watchful eye on me. There are things I know too, that I have compartmentalized into little 'boxes' in my head. It's just easier to deal with it that way. I was the CMO on the Indy about ten years ago, did you know this?" She asked.

TC stopped throwing stones into the surf and looked over at her. "What?"

"Yes. But Starfleet called me back because of a top secret mission. It, too is something I can never divulge to anyone. Sometimes they don't know what they ask of us, do they? But yet and still, I am completely loyal, and the Prime Directive is something I have always firmly believed in. It drew me to Starfleet." Ashlyn started to smile and just shake her head as she drew stick figures in the sand. "Analyze that, TC." It was the stick figure of a little girl on the beach with a dog, and a big sun shining over them.

TC tossed their conversation around in his head for a moment. It was most definitely not what he had expected. Of course he really did not know what to expect as he had never experienced a conversation like this first hand.

He decided that he liked this Ashlyn Trind. She was honest, straight forward, and he felt she could be trusted. Not because she said she took some oath or signed some papers, but because he could feel it. TC was big on trusting his instincts and they were telling him she posed no threat.

"Okay, then." He finally spoke. "I give you my word that if I ever feel that I need to talk, you'll be the first to know." He sprawled out onto the sand, propping himself up on his elbow. "But I really am OK right now." He pointed to her, smiling. "You better have a comfy couch or something when and if I ever come to talk to you."

"Hey, I get the couch, you get the chair!" Ashlyn quipped back at him.

As she looked out over the water, she noticed something odd. Sunshine was barking at fish flopping about on the sand. Steam seemed to be coming off the water. TC sat up to see what the dog was barking at.

"Something doesn't look right about that, does it?" she began.

"It sure as hell doesn't. Come back here, Sunshine!" TC shouted.

"Let's get back to the house and see what's going on. I've heard of steaming clams on the beach, but this is ridiculous!"

With that the two started their way back to see if they could find out what was going on.

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TC Blane
Acting Chief of Operations
USS Independence

AND

Dr. Ashlyn Trind
On Special Assignment
USS Independence