Second Thoughts

Posted on Fri Jul 1st, 2022 @ 12:21pm by Commander Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels

Mission: The Lost Brother
Location: Ten Forward
Timeline: a few hours before "Psych evaluation"

CJ sat with his tray of food in the Ten Forward and took a sip of his Synthale and looked out at the stars. He got a letter from a lady friend and was mulling over his life's choices.

"Penny for your thoughts." Tony said as she approached his table. "Mind if I join you?"

Boucher motion to the seat across from them grew with his boyish grin, "guess I'm a little homesick. An old friend just wrote to me to let me know she's getting engaged."

"Ah. Yeah I get that a lot as well. Nearly all my childhood friends have kids by now. I chose my career over love and kids."

CJ smiled, "I guess this life does readily lend it self to happy family life."

"Nope. Although it is not unheard of. My parents are still very happily married. Well ... at least they were." She grinned. They still had not located her mother. And she knew her father was not happy with that situation.

"Well from what I have observed marital bliss seems to be something that's in a constant state of flux." He took a.bit of his stew.

"Yeah. And it can get really hard when one spouse works for the other and disobeys orders."

He laughed, "a lot of family are Marines or Fleet, but they don't normally try to order their spouses to do anything cause that doesn't normally go well."

"Well...if your spouse is your chief of staff it is hard not to give an order once in a while."

"Wow that does complicate things," he smiled.

"You can say that again. And right now dear mum is awol trying to find my brother. And although he is shielding her, there is no way dad signed off on it."

"I'd imagine the instincts of motherhood are hard to deny." CJ chuckled.

"Oh yeah. She is a mama bear alright. How about your parents?"

"My daddy runs Boucher Survival school, are family business and moma in was the Planetary Governor but she retired a few years ago. I think she was hoping I'd settle down planetside to help dad with the school." He smiled, "I still might someday."

"Sounds nice." Tony said. "For us the family business is starfleet."

He grinned, "Starfleet doesn't drop thirteen year olds into the middle of the Orleans Bayou with nothing, but a survival knife."

"True. But I bet you you did not get bombed out of your home when you were 5."

"You have me there'" CJ said sipping his Synthale.

"Well I had a great childhood really." Tony mused and tried not to think of Nick. Doing that would make her cry and that was the last thing she wanted right now.

"Things okay Ma'am?" he asked.

"I'm fine, lieutenant. Just fine." She leaned back in her chair. "So how are you settling in?"

"I'm still finding my way around the ship," CJ smiled. "This vessel is a lot bigger than Lister."

"Yeah this is a big one. And all the corridors look the same. It always takes me a little while as well."

"The approach to security on a medical vessel is also very different from the Galaxy class starship." Boucher sighed.

"Is that a good or a bad thing?"

"Not sure," he shrugged. "It's nice not having my cousin on my back anymore, but looks like this ship's going to see a lot action and I'm not sure how that will go."


"You are security, isn't that what you like? A bit of action?" She was genuinely curious to know.

"Growing up my Uncle Ray was my hero, he was only ten years older so in some ways he was more like a brother. He taught how to shoot a rifle and how to live off the land. I was pretty sad when he joined the Marines and left Orleans. He came back from the Cardassian Border war but he was different, he'd have these fits of rage. He got help eventually, but never forgot the way he acted. I understand it a little better now, I guess I'm afraid I'll end up like him."

"Ah." Tony said. "I have seen many soldiers battle with what they have seen in the service. Including my own father and uncle. It changes you. Most though do learn to live with it by talking to loved ones and therapists. I won't lie to you, it can change a man. If you are really that afraid of it you may want to switch departments. Nothing disohonorable about that."

"Ren needs me," CJ said. "I'm not sure how to help, but I'm not going to leave now. The man's a tactical genius but it does some really dumb shit when completely left to his own devices."

"I am here to watch him as well." Tony reminded him. "I won't let him destroy himself."

"That's good to hear, I got an appointment with the ship's shrink." Boucher lookedout at stars.

"Sky is good at her job. You can trust her."

"That's good to know Ma'am. "

"I think I have asked you to call me Tony before. We are not on duty." She smiled at him.

"Alright Tony." CJ smiled.