Marlo and Gabe--Talking it Out

||Starbase 12
||Engineering->Gym
||August 27, 2387
||1050 hours


Marlo slid out from under a bulkhead and examined her work, before looking around Engineering. Everywhere she looked she saw people bustling about reading reports and running diagnostics--it did her heart good to see everyone performing their jobs well and above the call of duty. An Engineer's work was never done it seemed. Something was missing--though it took Marlo a moment to figure out what it was.

She motioned an ensign over to her.

"Huskley have you seen Lieutenant Sharpe?"

He was scheduled for a shift at 1015, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. Something must've happened--he didn't have a counseling session until later that day. Maybe she be the one to talk to him...after all she knew exactly what he was going through. She'd been through the same thing two years ago.

Huskley shook his head. "Not since yesterday, Ma'am."

"It's not crunch time yet, Ensign. I'll let you know when." She teased, and looked up. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Sharpe."

"Lieutenant Sharpe is in the Gym." The computer stated coolly.

Marlo nodded, and motioned for Huskley to return to his post, as she made her way out of Engineering and to the gym, only to see Gabe passed out on the floor in front of a punching bag--something told her the incident on Deck 12 had hit him harder than he wanted to admit. She walked over to him and shook him gently.

"Gabe...wake up--are you okay?"

||Starbase 12
||Engineering->Gym
||August 27, 2387
||1050 hours


Marlo slid out from under a bulkhead and examined her work, before looking around Engineering. Everywhere she looked she saw people bustling about reading reports and running diagnostics--it did her heart good to see everyone performing their jobs well and above the call of duty. An Engineer's work was never done it seemed. Something was missing--though it took Marlo a moment to figure out what it was.

She motioned an ensign over to her.

"Huskley have you seen Lieutenant Sharpe?"

He was scheduled for a shift at 1015, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. Something must've happened--he didn't have a counseling session until later that day. Maybe she be the one to talk to him...after all she knew exactly what he was going through. She'd been through the same thing two years ago.

Huskley shook his head. "Not since yesterday, Ma'am."

"It's not crunch time yet, Ensign. I'll let you know when." She teased, and looked up. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Sharpe."

"Lieutenant Sharpe is in the Gym." The computer stated coolly.

Marlo nodded, and motioned for Huskley to return to his post, as she made her way out of Engineering and to the gym, only to see Gabe passed out on the floor in front of a punching bag--something told her the incident on Deck 12 had hit him harder than he wanted to admit. She walked over to him and shook him gently.

"Gabe...wake up--are you okay?"

His head feeling like a lead weight Gabe heard Marlo's voice, though it sounded much further away. He opened his eyes and attemped to sit up. As he did he felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he groaned. Pain ran through his arm as he raised it to his head to rub his eyes. As he started to regain his vision he saw Marlo right next to him and saw he was on the floor.

"I'm fine Chief." He said though his voice sounded weak and a little shakey, "Just need..." He started as he attempted to stand up, his knees buckling almost as soon as he did, "Okay maybe i need a minute or two."

||Starbase 12
||Engineering->Gym
||August 27, 2387
||1050 hours


Marlo slid out from under a bulkhead and examined her work, before looking around Engineering. Everywhere she looked she saw people bustling about reading reports and running diagnostics--it did her heart good to see everyone performing their jobs well and above the call of duty. An Engineer's work was never done it seemed. Something was missing--though it took Marlo a moment to figure out what it was.

She motioned an ensign over to her.

"Huskley have you seen Lieutenant Sharpe?"

He was scheduled for a shift at 1015, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. Something must've happened--he didn't have a counseling session until later that day. Maybe she should be the one to talk to him...after all she knew exactly what he was going through. She'd been through the same thing two years ago.

Huskley shook his head. "Not since yesterday, Ma'am."

"It's not crunch time yet, Ensign. I'll let you know when." She teased, and looked up. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Sharpe."

"Lieutenant Sharpe is in the Gym." The computer stated coolly.

Marlo nodded, and motioned for Huskley to return to his post, as she made her way out of Engineering and to the gym, only to see Gabe passed out on the floor in front of a punching bag--something told her the incident on Deck 12 had hit him harder than he wanted to admit. She walked over to him and shook him gently.

"Gabe...wake up--are you okay?"

His head feeling like a lead weight Gabe heard Marlo's voice, though it sounded much further away. He opened his eyes and attempted to sit up. As he did he felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he groaned. Pain ran through his arm as he raised it to his head to rub his eyes. As he started to regain his vision he saw Marlo right next to him and saw he was on the floor.

"I'm fine Chief." He said though his voice sounded weak and a little shaky, "Just need..." He started as he attempted to stand up, his knees buckling almost as soon as he did, "Okay maybe I need a minute or two."

Marlo nodded, and sat cross-legged next to him on the floor. He could take all the time he needed--she probably wouldn't even make him go clock in for his shift, It seemed like working and seeing a counselor were not the right call for Gabe. Approaching something like this wasn't easy but Marlo knew it would be better to just get it out--obviously talking to a counselor--even Shelley--wasn't good enough. They hadn't been through it and therefore couldn't really make him feel better, but she knew exactly what was going on in his head. Guilt, anger, self-loathing.

"Take all the time you need--I need you in top form...the incident on Deck Twelve really rattled your chain didn't it?" She asked slowly. "If you need to talk about it--I know exactly what you're going through."

||Starbase 12
||Engineering->Gym
||August 27, 2387
||1050 hours


Marlo slid out from under a bulkhead and examined her work, before looking around Engineering. Everywhere she looked she saw people bustling about reading reports and running diagnostics--it did her heart good to see everyone performing their jobs well and above the call of duty. An Engineer's work was never done it seemed. Something was missing--though it took Marlo a moment to figure out what it was.

She motioned an ensign over to her.

"Huskley have you seen Lieutenant Sharpe?"

He was scheduled for a shift at 1015, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. Something must've happened--he didn't have a counseling session until later that day. Maybe she should be the one to talk to him...after all she knew exactly what he was going through. She'd been through the same thing two years ago.

Huskley shook his head. "Not since yesterday, Ma'am."

"It's not crunch time yet, Ensign. I'll let you know when." She teased, and looked up. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Sharpe."

"Lieutenant Sharpe is in the Gym." The computer stated coolly.

Marlo nodded, and motioned for Huskley to return to his post, as she made her way out of Engineering and to the gym, only to see Gabe passed out on the floor in front of a punching bag--something told her the incident on Deck 12 had hit him harder than he wanted to admit. She walked over to him and shook him gently.

"Gabe...wake up--are you okay?"

His head feeling like a lead weight Gabe heard Marlo's voice, though it sounded much further away. He opened his eyes and attempted to sit up. As he did he felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he groaned. Pain ran through his arm as he raised it to his head to rub his eyes. As he started to regain his vision he saw Marlo right next to him and saw he was on the floor.

"I'm fine Chief." He said though his voice sounded weak and a little shaky, "Just need..." He started as he attempted to stand up, his knees buckling almost as soon as he did, "Okay maybe I need a minute or two."

Marlo nodded, and sat cross-legged next to him on the floor. He could take all the time he needed--she probably wouldn't even make him go clock in for his shift, It seemed like working and seeing a counselor were not the right call for Gabe. Approaching something like this wasn't easy but Marlo knew it would be better to just get it out--obviously talking to a counselor--even Shelley--wasn't good enough. They hadn't been through it and therefore couldn't really make him feel better, but she knew exactly what was going on in his head. Guilt, anger, self-loathing.

"Take all the time you need--I need you in top form...the incident on Deck Twelve really rattled your chain didn't it?" She asked slowly. "If you need to talk about it--I know exactly what you're going through."

Sitting on the ground Gabe nodded, His mind casting him back to earlier that month.

"I haven't slept right since then, can't forget what happened and what i saw, Shoulda been a simple task." He started, "Had it not been for that damn hidden program i coulda sorted the problem in well under five minutes. As it is i fought for twenty minutes, using every trick i could think of."

He pinced the bridge of his nose and sighed slightly, as much as he hated himself for the events of that day he knew there was something much deeper to it.

"What makes things worse is that fact i'm pretty sure Cobalt was nothing more then a pawn in some larger chess game. Afterwards i went over every inch of that program. Whoever wrote it knew exactly what they were doing and exactly how to hide it in the system. Cobalt didn't have the knowledge needed to write that program."

||Starbase 12
||Engineering->Gym
||August 27, 2387
||1050 hours


Marlo slid out from under a bulkhead and examined her work, before looking around Engineering. Everywhere she looked she saw people bustling about reading reports and running diagnostics--it did her heart good to see everyone performing their jobs well and above the call of duty. An Engineer's work was never done it seemed. Something was missing--though it took Marlo a moment to figure out what it was.

She motioned an ensign over to her.

"Huskley have you seen Lieutenant Sharpe?"

He was scheduled for a shift at 1015, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. Something must've happened--he didn't have a counseling session until later that day. Maybe she should be the one to talk to him...after all she knew exactly what he was going through. She'd been through the same thing two years ago.

Huskley shook his head. "Not since yesterday, Ma'am."

"It's not crunch time yet, Ensign. I'll let you know when." She teased, and looked up. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Sharpe."

"Lieutenant Sharpe is in the Gym." The computer stated coolly.

Marlo nodded, and motioned for Huskley to return to his post, as she made her way out of Engineering and to the gym, only to see Gabe passed out on the floor in front of a punching bag--something told her the incident on Deck 12 had hit him harder than he wanted to admit. She walked over to him and shook him gently.

"Gabe...wake up--are you okay?"

His head feeling like a lead weight Gabe heard Marlo's voice, though it sounded much further away. He opened his eyes and attempted to sit up. As he did he felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he groaned. Pain ran through his arm as he raised it to his head to rub his eyes. As he started to regain his vision he saw Marlo right next to him and saw he was on the floor.

"I'm fine Chief." He said though his voice sounded weak and a little shaky, "Just need..." He started as he attempted to stand up, his knees buckling almost as soon as he did, "Okay maybe I need a minute or two."

Marlo nodded, and sat cross-legged next to him on the floor. He could take all the time he needed--she probably wouldn't even make him go clock in for his shift, It seemed like working and seeing a counselor were not the right call for Gabe. Approaching something like this wasn't easy but Marlo knew it would be better to just get it out--obviously talking to a counselor--even Shelley--wasn't good enough. They hadn't been through it and therefore couldn't really make him feel better, but she knew exactly what was going on in his head. Guilt, anger, self-loathing.

"Take all the time you need--I need you in top form...the incident on Deck Twelve really rattled your chain didn't it?" She asked slowly. "If you need to talk about it--I know exactly what you're going through."

Sitting on the ground Gabe nodded, His mind casting him back to earlier that month.

"I haven't slept right since then, can't forget what happened and what I saw, Shoulda been a simple task." He started, "Had it not been for that damn hidden program I coulda sorted the problem in well under five minutes. As it is, I fought for twenty minutes, using every trick I could think of."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed slightly, as much as he hated himself for the events of that day he knew there was something much deeper to it.

"What makes things worse is that fact I'm pretty sure Cobalt was nothing more then a pawn in some larger chess game. Afterwards, I went over every inch of that program. Whoever wrote it knew exactly what they were doing and exactly how to hide it in the system. Cobalt didn't have the knowledge needed to write that program."

Marlo nodded, and closed her eyes for a minute...something about this whole mess was familiar--but she couldn't figure out why...like a long forgotten memory. She shrugged it off and put a comforting hand on his shoulder--she could tell him he did everything he could; she could tell him he'd forget in time; she could tell him it was okay to grieve but to do better for those still alive; she could even tell him that without his hard work it could've been a lot worse...but she knew from experience that it wouldn't help and that time didn't heal all wounds.

At least those people had someone trying to save them--even if he didn't succeed, Gabe was at least there to try...it made it harder on him though, because he had had to watch them die; people who didn't do anything wrong--they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The people who destroyed the Endeavor--her friends--had sold everyone out to get back at her, while she was at an engineering seminar with her eleven most promising engineers. Monty had wanted her there, and had thus saved her life, but all she felt was guilt and remorse, anger and pain, loss and grief. Every emotion went hand in hand.

"I hate to sound cliche, and I know it won't make you feel better--but I know you did your best and there was nothing else you could've done. I know that won't help you sleep better...they still died on your watch, and you're beating yourself up for it even though deep down you know it doesn't help, but this feeling doesn't ever really go away. That's what it really comes down to--the loss of life, doesn't it?" Marlo asked glumly. "I remember every name, every face of my former crew, and I still grieve. But I remember them and try to do better for everyone still alive...everyone I can save. While there is no cure for death, I keep their memories close. In some way they're still here."

She hoped this was helping Gabe somewhat.

||Starbase 12
||Engineering->Gym
||August 27, 2387
||1050 hours


Marlo slid out from under a bulkhead and examined her work, before looking around Engineering. Everywhere she looked she saw people bustling about reading reports and running diagnostics--it did her heart good to see everyone performing their jobs well and above the call of duty. An Engineer's work was never done it seemed. Something was missing--though it took Marlo a moment to figure out what it was.

She motioned an ensign over to her.

"Huskley have you seen Lieutenant Sharpe?"

He was scheduled for a shift at 1015, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. Something must've happened--he didn't have a counseling session until later that day. Maybe she should be the one to talk to him...after all she knew exactly what he was going through. She'd been through the same thing two years ago.

Huskley shook his head. "Not since yesterday, Ma'am."

"It's not crunch time yet, Ensign. I'll let you know when." She teased, and looked up. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Sharpe."

"Lieutenant Sharpe is in the Gym." The computer stated coolly.

Marlo nodded, and motioned for Huskley to return to his post, as she made her way out of Engineering and to the gym, only to see Gabe passed out on the floor in front of a punching bag--something told her the incident on Deck 12 had hit him harder than he wanted to admit. She walked over to him and shook him gently.

"Gabe...wake up--are you okay?"

His head feeling like a lead weight Gabe heard Marlo's voice, though it sounded much further away. He opened his eyes and attempted to sit up. As he did he felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he groaned. Pain ran through his arm as he raised it to his head to rub his eyes. As he started to regain his vision he saw Marlo right next to him and saw he was on the floor.

"I'm fine Chief." He said though his voice sounded weak and a little shaky, "Just need..." He started as he attempted to stand up, his knees buckling almost as soon as he did, "Okay maybe I need a minute or two."

Marlo nodded, and sat cross-legged next to him on the floor. He could take all the time he needed--she probably wouldn't even make him go clock in for his shift, It seemed like working and seeing a counselor were not the right call for Gabe. Approaching something like this wasn't easy but Marlo knew it would be better to just get it out--obviously talking to a counselor--even Shelley--wasn't good enough. They hadn't been through it and therefore couldn't really make him feel better, but she knew exactly what was going on in his head. Guilt, anger, self-loathing.

"Take all the time you need--I need you in top form...the incident on Deck Twelve really rattled your chain didn't it?" She asked slowly. "If you need to talk about it--I know exactly what you're going through."

Sitting on the ground Gabe nodded, His mind casting him back to earlier that month.

"I haven't slept right since then, can't forget what happened and what I saw, Shoulda been a simple task." He started, "Had it not been for that damn hidden program I coulda sorted the problem in well under five minutes. As it is, I fought for twenty minutes, using every trick I could think of."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed slightly, as much as he hated himself for the events of that day he knew there was something much deeper to it.

"What makes things worse is that fact I'm pretty sure Cobalt was nothing more then a pawn in some larger chess game. Afterwards, I went over every inch of that program. Whoever wrote it knew exactly what they were doing and exactly how to hide it in the system. Cobalt didn't have the knowledge needed to write that program."

Marlo nodded, and closed her eyes for a minute...something about this whole mess was familiar--but she couldn't figure out why...like a long forgotten memory. She shrugged it off and put a comforting hand on his shoulder--she could tell him he did everything he could; she could tell him he'd forget in time; she could tell him it was okay to grieve but to do better for those still alive; she could even tell him that without his hard work it could've been a lot worse...but she knew from experience that it wouldn't help and that time didn't heal all wounds.

At least those people had someone trying to save them--even if he didn't succeed, Gabe was at least there to try...it made it harder on him though, because he had had to watch them die; people who didn't do anything wrong--they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The people who destroyed the Endeavor--her friends--had sold everyone out to get back at her, while she was at an engineering seminar with her eleven most promising engineers. Monty had wanted her there, and had thus saved her life, but all she felt was guilt and remorse, anger and pain, loss and grief. Every emotion went hand in hand.

"I hate to sound cliche, and I know it won't make you feel better--but I know you did your best and there was nothing else you could've done. I know that won't help you sleep better...they still died on your watch, and you're beating yourself up for it even though deep down you know it doesn't help, but this feeling doesn't ever really go away. That's what it really comes down to--the loss of life, doesn't it?" Marlo asked glumly. "I remember every name, every face of my former crew, and I still grieve. But I remember them and try to do better for everyone still alive...everyone I can save. While there is no cure for death, I keep their memories close. In some way they're still here."

She hoped this was helping Gabe somewhat.

He knew there was nothing he could have done, he was doomed from the start but that didn't help at the minute it seemed nothing did. He'd blamed himself everyday since the event dispite knowing it wasn't his fault, Nobody on the station to his knowledge blamed him, only himself.

Other then a few breakfasts with Shelly he'd thrown himself into his work, even more then normal, and gone over the programs left in the system. He'd spent hours going over every inch of the programs making notes and collecting as much information as he could.

Tapping his temple Gabe said, "Can't help but have the memories of that day close. They were waiting to be saved, to know that dispite whatever hell was happening they'd be able to walk away. I did everything i could but it wasn't enough, their only hope was a guy that had no hope of ever saving 'em."

||Starbase 12
||Engineering->Gym
||August 27, 2387
||1050 hours


Marlo slid out from under a bulkhead and examined her work, before looking around Engineering. Everywhere she looked she saw people bustling about reading reports and running diagnostics--it did her heart good to see everyone performing their jobs well and above the call of duty. An Engineer's work was never done it seemed. Something was missing--though it took Marlo a moment to figure out what it was.

She motioned an ensign over to her.

"Huskley have you seen Lieutenant Sharpe?"

He was scheduled for a shift at 1015, and there wasn't a sign of him anywhere. Something must've happened--he didn't have a counseling session until later that day. Maybe she should be the one to talk to him...after all she knew exactly what he was going through. She'd been through the same thing two years ago.

Huskley shook his head. "Not since yesterday, Ma'am."

"It's not crunch time yet, Ensign. I'll let you know when." She teased, and looked up. "Computer, locate Lieutenant Sharpe."

"Lieutenant Sharpe is in the Gym." The computer stated coolly.

Marlo nodded, and motioned for Huskley to return to his post, as she made her way out of Engineering and to the gym, only to see Gabe passed out on the floor in front of a punching bag--something told her the incident on Deck 12 had hit him harder than he wanted to admit. She walked over to him and shook him gently.

"Gabe...wake up--are you okay?"

His head feeling like a lead weight Gabe heard Marlo's voice, though it sounded much further away. He opened his eyes and attempted to sit up. As he did he felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he groaned. Pain ran through his arm as he raised it to his head to rub his eyes. As he started to regain his vision he saw Marlo right next to him and saw he was on the floor.

"I'm fine Chief." He said though his voice sounded weak and a little shaky, "Just need..." He started as he attempted to stand up, his knees buckling almost as soon as he did, "Okay maybe I need a minute or two."

Marlo nodded, and sat cross-legged next to him on the floor. He could take all the time he needed--she probably wouldn't even make him go clock in for his shift, It seemed like working and seeing a counselor were not the right call for Gabe. Approaching something like this wasn't easy but Marlo knew it would be better to just get it out--obviously talking to a counselor--even Shelley--wasn't good enough. They hadn't been through it and therefore couldn't really make him feel better, but she knew exactly what was going on in his head. Guilt, anger, self-loathing.

"Take all the time you need--I need you in top form...the incident on Deck Twelve really rattled your chain didn't it?" She asked slowly. "If you need to talk about it--I know exactly what you're going through."

Sitting on the ground Gabe nodded, His mind casting him back to earlier that month.

"I haven't slept right since then, can't forget what happened and what I saw, Shoulda been a simple task." He started, "Had it not been for that damn hidden program I coulda sorted the problem in well under five minutes. As it is, I fought for twenty minutes, using every trick I could think of."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed slightly, as much as he hated himself for the events of that day he knew there was something much deeper to it.

"What makes things worse is that fact I'm pretty sure Cobalt was nothing more then a pawn in some larger chess game. Afterwards, I went over every inch of that program. Whoever wrote it knew exactly what they were doing and exactly how to hide it in the system. Cobalt didn't have the knowledge needed to write that program."

Marlo nodded, and closed her eyes for a minute...something about this whole mess was familiar--but she couldn't figure out why...like a long forgotten memory. She shrugged it off and put a comforting hand on his shoulder--she could tell him he did everything he could; she could tell him he'd forget in time; she could tell him it was okay to grieve but to do better for those still alive; she could even tell him that without his hard work it could've been a lot worse...but she knew from experience that it wouldn't help and that time didn't heal all wounds.

At least those people had someone trying to save them--even if he didn't succeed, Gabe was at least there to try...it made it harder on him though, because he had had to watch them die; people who didn't do anything wrong--they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. The people who destroyed the Endeavor--her friends--had sold everyone out to get back at her, while she was at an engineering seminar with her eleven most promising engineers. Monty had wanted her there, and had thus saved her life, but all she felt was guilt and remorse, anger and pain, loss and grief. Every emotion went hand in hand.

"I hate to sound cliche, and I know it won't make you feel better--but I know you did your best and there was nothing else you could've done. I know that won't help you sleep better...they still died on your watch, and you're beating yourself up for it even though deep down you know it doesn't help, but this feeling doesn't ever really go away. That's what it really comes down to--the loss of life, doesn't it?" Marlo asked glumly. "I remember every name, every face of my former crew, and I still grieve. But I remember them and try to do better for everyone still alive...everyone I can save. While there is no cure for death, I keep their memories close. In some way they're still here."

She hoped this was helping Gabe somewhat.

He knew there was nothing he could have done, he was doomed from the start but that didn't help at the minute it seemed nothing did. He'd blamed himself everyday since the event despite knowing it wasn't his fault, nobody on the station to his knowledge blamed him, only himself.

Other then a few breakfasts with Shelly he'd thrown himself into his work, even more then normal, and gone over the programs left in the system. He'd spent hours going over every inch of the programs making notes and collecting as much information as he could.

Tapping his temple Gabe said, "Can't help but have the memories of that day close. They were waiting to be saved, to know that despite whatever Hell was happening they'd be able to walk away. I did everything I could but it wasn't enough, their only hope was a guy that had no hope of ever saving 'em."

Marlo stood up and brushed herself off. "Take the day off, sit on a beach in the holodeck, or stare out a window in the mess--whatever you feel is best. I don't want you killing yourself over this."


<fin?>

Works for me