Lieutenant JG Charles Matthews - We Cannot Know the Unknown

[Serala]

Newly promoted LtJG @Charles Matthews is calling Serala out for being irresponsible while being pregnant. I am totally loving his internal monologues and thought I would share with everyone! Enjoy!

 

((Holodeck 2, Skyfire Beach, USS Astraeus))
[[Time Index: After the Awards, before conversation between Matthews and Zarax]]

((OOC – As previously stated, discussed with Serala. None of these are my views, nothing is personal. All context is purely IC))

Matthews: Ma’am, I respect you. A great deal. You’re a great officer; a fierce, honourable fighter, a snazzy dresser; but why would you put yourself in harm’s way when you’re pregnant? ::pause:: I know you’re a better fighter than me, but it would have only taken one mistimed blow, or one misstep, for something horrible to happen. My job is to help maintain the safety of everyone on board, that includes you. Your baby too.

Serala: ::gritting her teeth as she tried to respond calmly:: Okay, let me say this the only way I know how. And I apologize in advance if I hurt your feelings. Yes, I am pregnant. And I realize you don’t know me that well, Lieutenant, but I have been in much more dangerous situations while pregnant that sparring on the holodeck with a masterfully trained samurai swordsman. When I was pregnant with T’Saara, near the end of my term, I found myself running for my life in a frozen forest with a few of my fellow crewmates. I survived, and I survived in the holodeck.

oO OK, here we go. You just had to have this conversation, didn’t you? Right now, of all times and with her, of all people. You couldn’t just leave well enough alone?... No, I couldn’t. If I didn’t do this today, I wouldn’t have done it at all… Well, you’re in it now. Say what you need to but don’t antagonise her, and don’t let her feelings push yours to somewhere you don’t want them to go. Oo

Sensing the Commander had more to say, and not wanting to interject too much, Charlie let out a brief reply.

Matthews: There isn’t a need to apologise to me, Commander. I’ll be fine. ::smiles with uncertainty::

oO Liar! Oo

Serala: The mother in me is extremely grateful that you are so concerned about the well-being of my unborn child. And you are not the first security officer to express such concern. My best friend, and former Department Head before I leap-frogged him to become the First Officer, also had the same concerns for my health. It would be disingenuous of me to condemn you for your concern while praising him for his. But, and let me be clear on this, I did not, and would not, knowingly place myself and my child in harm’s way. I saw enough of your skill before we sparred, and am confident enough in my own skill, to know that nothing was going to happen. And even if by chance it had, medical is only a transporter ride away. And our doctors are some of the very best in Starfleet.

oO Oof. That stings. She saw enough of my abilities to know nothing was going to happen?? Wow. Pride has taken a hammer blow with that one. That’s nice… Relax. Think of some soothing music… I don’t think that will help… Well, put on your best poker face and fake it until you make it… Oo

Matthews: I understand that, Commander. However, I feel like I’d be being remiss with my duties if I didn’t express my concerns about this.

Serala: I appreciate your concern, Lieutenant. I really do. But I am asking for your trust that as a former Security Department Head, former Tactical Department Head, former Strategic Operations officer, trained martial artist, and First Officer - not to mention a mother - I know my limitations and will not knowingly place myself in danger unless the safety of this ship and its crew, or the interests of the Federation, require me to do so. Can you accept that, Lieutenant?

oO Is she bragging? To be fair, if I had a record like hers, I’d be listing it off too if some newly promoted Lieutenant was questioning how I was doing things. But I’m not questioning her record, or her list of commendations, or her abilities; I just want people to be safe. She wouldn’t knowingly put herself in danger, I know that, but what about the unknown?... Well, we can’t know about the unknown, can we?... Isn’t that another reason to have a crew? Not just for their expertise, but to offer a differing opinion, or to be another pair of eyes in a certain situation… Oo

Lieutenant Matthews took a few seconds to consider how he would reply to the First Officer. He could tell that she was trying to fight against her irritation, but he was also wondering how long she could maintain it for. Could she fight her natural instincts for that long? The fact of the matter is that he did trust her. He trusted everyone. Maybe not personally, not yet, but the trust was there professionally, and there was no reason for it not to be, not until somebody gave him a reason for him to not trust them.

Matthews: Ma’am, I can accept it, and I do trust you. Without question. I haven’t raised these concerns to annoy you in any way. If I have done that, I am sorry, it wasn’t my intention. Especially not on what should be a happy occasion.

oO Could it be that we’re a little alike, at least a bit? We’re both a little proud, maybe both find it too easy to get angry or defensive. Maybe we both feel as if we have things to prove too… Yeah, that sounds like top tier psychobabble there… What does she have to prove? She’s a massively decorated First Officer… Oo

Serala: Response

Matthews: I know you would never knowingly put yourself, the crew, or the ship in unnecessary danger; not unless it was for the good of the Federation, but it is the unknown that I am referring to as well, Commander. Yes, you’re a better fighter than me, better than most on the ship in fact, but is it totally out of the realm of possibility that something else could have happened when we sparred? Statistically, there was a possibility, no matter how slim that possibility could have been. We can never anticipate the unknown, ma’am. That is a part of the point I was trying to make.

Serala: Response

Matthews: To paraphrase what you said earlier, Commander, can you accept that I will always be keeping an eye out for the unexpected? Not just with yourself, or your baby, but with everyone. ::slightly smiling:: Much in the same way that you wanted to look out for the Captain when he wanted to board that damaged freighter. It’s not a testament to what I think of your abilities, or what you may think I may think of your abilities, it would be what I am here to do.

Serala: Response

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Lieutenant JG Charles Matthews
Tactical & Security Officer
USS Astraeus NCC-70652
A240012CM1