Round 25 JP: Lt. (j.g.) Raissa Moonsong & Evan Martin: What Women Don't

[Sedrin Belasi]

((Ten Forward))

::Raissa found herself sitting in a corner of the room. Ten Forward was half empty with much of the crew on the station for shore leave. She ordered her usual tea as she tried to relax after a day full of appointments. For the time being her time was her own. Oddly enough she didn’t know what to do with it.::

::She looked out the window. The planet below gleamed with heavenly light. She knew nothing about the world. She made a mental note to find out more about it. But the sight of it was wonderful. A few years ago she didn’t imagine she would be out in the galaxy seeing new worlds and meeting new races.::

::Her family has supported her, cautiously at first. It was such a change from her original life path. She had trained under her Grandfather to be a shaman. To be a healer, not only of bodies but of minds. To use her gift to mend what was broken by time and trauma. Wounds that did not show on the outside::

::She had been content with her life until one of her patients had revealed a greater world. His words had cracked the door in her mind of the desire to go further, to see more, do more. The process was smooth yet exciting. But there was one thing that had changed and nearly ended her happiness. The hurt of that fateful day stayed with her.::

((Flashback))

::Raissa walked in the tiny apartment she shared with her fiance, Evan Martin, brimming with excitement. She had already called her parents with the good news that her application had been accepted. They both had given her cautious approval, but that had done nothing to dampen her high spirits::

::What she hadn’t expected was to see Evan off work standing by the window waiting for her. His handsome face was a mask of neutrality and Raissa began to feel the first stirring of doubt tapping at her heart::

Moonsong: I thought you had to work today.

Martin: I took the day off. I received some news that was affecting my work.

Moonsong: ::she frowned with concern:: What’s wrong?

Martin: A call came in while you were out. Chappy in red, with..were those pips on the collar? 4 of ‘em?

Moonsong: He found me at the Center. ::she referred to the outreach center she worked out of, helping older citizens deal with the changes in their lives. She smiled at him.:: I couldn’t believe they sent a captain…. He knew Colonel Merchant… ::She grinned wider:: I didn’t know the old man had sent a recommendation for me…

Martin: Recommendation for what? You’re not telling me the guy who called was actually some sort of secret service agent or something….wait a second….new boyfriend?

Moonsong: ::surprised:: Of course not, Evan. ::smiles:: Starfleet… They accepted my application to Starfleet. Colonel Merchant had more connections than I realized.

Martin: For the love of...oh, hell.

:: He sank into a chair, looking rather dejected. A conversation he had with a few folks who decided to join the military. He never thought his girl would be the one to drive the knife into his chest. ::

Moonsong: ::The smile was fading from her lips:: Evan…. you knew I would apply… I know you weren’t happy about it… and neither of us thought I would get it… But I did. This is good news… We can be together and see the universe…

Martin: You’ve been so passionate at work, and you never mentioned this guy. You never mentioned Colonel whats-his-name, you never mentioned that you’d even made any contacts. It seemed like you were so certain you wouldn’t get it and you honestly thought your app was lost in the queue trying to get in. Now you’re telling me all that’s…

:: He couldn’t finish. He had a life here, and to be asked to throw all of that away just seemed like one massive uprooting he wasn’t able to handle. It hurt, so much to the point that he felt he’d cry in front of her and bit back a few tears. ::

::Raissa stared at him for a long moment as if seeing him for the first time. He was unaware that he was battering her with his emotion and she struggled to shield herself from it. She felt tears filling her own eyes. Things had been going so well between them.::

Moonsong: ::Her voice was subdued:: Colonel Merchant is a patient at the center. Retired marine. Coming to terms with his disability. He tells me stories about his time in Starfleet… good and bad. ::She hesitated:: Evan… this is a great opportunity… for both of us… can’t you see that?

:: Evan made no reply. He lowered his head into his hands and was fighting his impulse to cry, not ready to leave everything he’d ever known. He had a job, friends, a stable apartment, and enough to get by moderately well. To leave all that behind was a sacrifice he was unable to handle. ::

Moonsong: ::She moved closer to him, laying a hand on his forearm:: Love… Think about it… Something new and exciting. We’d still be together. We could get married before I leave…

:: He looked up at her, meeting her gaze with eyes that conveyed worlds of hurt, his mind a chaotic trainwreck from being asked to make this ultimate sacrifice. What future would a simple auto mechanic have aboard a starship, anyway? He couldn’t face that truth. Or that future. Instead, he replied with only four words, very faint. ::

Martin: I can’t….I’m sorry…

::Raissa stared at him in shock. Her hand jerked away as if she had been burned. Suddenly he was a stranger. All these years, how could it be she didn’t know him at all? She found herself stepping back.::

Moonsong: Won’t you even think about it?

Martin: I…. :: He choked on his words. He didn’t know what to tell her. His eyes said it all -- that he was too rooted here to just rip it up and leave, like she seemed to be able to do. How could he have been so clueless that she was drifting farther away from him in the last couple of months to have not seen this coming? It didn’t matter now, he couldn’t finish his thought. His head went back into his hands, and he kept silent. ::

Moonsong: ::She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat:: You won’t consider it, will you? :: She gestured at the walls around them:: This is enough for you.. This life… ::She closed her eyes against the tears she wouldn’t give in to:: How could I be so wrong….?

((End Flashback))

::Raissa looked at her cold tea on the table in front of her. It had been five years since she and Evan had spoken. She had moved out of the apartment than night and stayed with her parents until she left for the academy.::

::She had avoided relationships from that point on. Being a counselor was an effective way to keep a distance between herself and others, but now, it was no longer enough for her. Carter was nothing like Evan. He had ambitions. Transferring to engineering was something that clearly made him happy. Despite her shields, she could feel his growing excitement over something new.::

::Abruptly she shook her head:: oO [...] it! Stop thinking about him. He and Skyfire are probably an item now! Oo.

::Raissa pushed aside her tea and got to her feet. She had only talked to the man twice and once was a patient. She also told him to pursue another relationship. What the hell did she expect?::

::She needed a distraction and fast. There was only one thing to do. Shop.::

====

Lt. (j.g.) Raissa Moonsong

Counselor

USS Garuda

Special Guest star:

NPC Evan Martin

simmed by

Lieutenant Chythar Skyfire

Acting CMO

USS Garuda NCC 73809