Planning Festivities

Posted on 17 Dec 2017 @ 6:36pm by Master Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin & Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler

2,689 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Crossing Over
Location: Talons
Timeline: MD 15 || 1200 Hours

Joey sat at a table in a quiet corner inside Talons with a cup of tea in front of her. She'd sent Mila a message earlier in the day asking that the Senior Chief Petty Officer meet her, but had gotten so busy she hadn't been able to wait for a response to come through. Still, she knew her closest friend, and self appointed sister, would show up. There was much to talk about, and a lot of super fattening food to be consumed.

Mila entered a little later looking flustered, but a bright smile crossed her face when she saw her sestra and approached her with some pep in her step. "It is being Joey! How are you being?" she asked.

The taller woman smiled and rose to her feet to embrace her friend. "I'm okay, how about you?"

The Russian returned the hug and smiled. "I am being well," she said. "Other than dealing with random accidents in Administration, I am having no complaints."

Joey frowned. "I'm sorry, Mila. I'm not really okay. The truth is I'm worried about Harvey. All of this is taking its toll on him, and I can't do anything to help him. It's always there... like a festering wound that won't heal."

"Da," Mila said sadly. "He and I are having conversation because I was not being in loop. I am wishing that I could be doing something, but all I am able to do is lend him ear which I am feeling he is not taking full advantage of. He is being different man, it is seeming, but with worries like he is having, I am not knowing any who would be acting like usual."

"He's starting to wall himself up again," the Intel Chief said with a frown, looking down at her clasped hands. "I understand what he's going through, but seeing him like this is tearing me up inside."

"Perhaps he is needing day off," the Russian said. "Ship commanders are all being the same. They are ship commanders even when they are off duty. They are taking work home with them and waking up with it."

"I tried, but I don't know if he actually did or not," Joey said. She didn't know much of anything anymore. "I wanted to talk to you about maybe doing something for the crew for Christmas, but now I just don't feel like celebrating. As a matter of fact, I just don't feel like being around a lot of people right now. I'm going to go back to my office and get some work done. I'm sorry you came all the way here for nothing, Mila. I'll make it up to you on the future."

"What? Nyet," Mila said firmly with a shake of her head adding emphasis to her denial. "We will be having celebration and we will be getting Harvey out of shell. If I am not able to be doing this, I am not worthy of Rasputin name. Together, we will be finding way and we will be succeeding. Now, be placing order or I will be making borscht for you."

"I'm not hungry," the taller woman said unable to keep from sounding defeated. "Don't you get it? He doesn't want to be gotten out of his shell this time, Mila. Maybe he'll open up to you, and I wish you luck." With that, she rose to her feet and excused herself from the table. The woman who once walked with confidence and positivity now embodied the defeated feeling she felt inside.

"Am I being only sane person on ship?" the Russian asked as she came to her feet. "First him and now you? I am also noticing that Lieutenant Di Pasquale is not as she used to be. I am seeing sign on Fighter deck that is encouraging pilots to be hugging donkeys. What is being next?"

Joey made her way out of Talons and stopped in the corridor for a moment to take a breath. She felt broken... like a woman who had lost her spirit, and she wanted to hit something. Hard. That was never the answer, but training was. She wondered if Camila would be available to run a simulation for her, but she doubted that would happen. Instead, she'd likely have to settle for going to the gym and working out, but that defeated the purpose of not wanting to be around others.

Mila wanted to break something but knew that wasn't the way to handle things even if it would make her feel better. She walked out after her sestra and came up beside of her. "I am not knowing what is going on other than thing about probe, but if you breaking and Harvey is closing himself off, then he will be having no one to be supporting him. I am now having idea of why only probe came through Zone. We all died there because of being stupid."

It didn't surprise Joey that Mila knew about the probe. She had a feeling Harvey would have disclosed that information to her sooner or later. "Now isn't the time or place to talk about such things," Joey said softly. "If you feel like you can get Harvey to open up, then you have my blessing, because he won't talk to me. It's always the same thing. Maybe he'll trust one of us enough to confide in."

"You are being his wife. It is your job to be finding what is bothering him," the shorter woman said. "I have made two attempts so far and all I am getting is bad lip service, doubt and weak smiles from him. If I am to be treated this way, he is not worthy of my attention. If he is treating you this way, then is being your job to be kicking his ass."

Joey gestured for Mila to walk with her. "I've tried, but it's always the same thing. He's distancing himself, and it's killing me. I love that man with all my heart, but I can't help but feel like he's keeping something from me. Maybe I was wrong when I thought he didn't trust me because of what happened a couple weeks back." Now the tears she fought so hard to keep at bay started to flow freely, and Joey didn't care that others were seeing it. She was broken.

When Joey started crying, Mila didn't know what to do, so she did the first thing she could think of and went in front of her friend to give her a hug. "Everything is going to be okay," she said. "I am having faith that everything is to be working out. There is being reason for everything even if we are not knowing at present. If you are losing faith in man you love, he will lose faith in everyone around him and we will be falling apart. Do not be letting that happen, Sestra."

"I have faith in him, Mila," she said, wrapping her arms around the shorter woman. "I've never lost faith in him, and I never will, but if he can't come to me with things that are eating away at him... I'm his wife... I'm carrying his children. He should be able to tell me anything, right? Wouldn't you want that from Aidan?"

"Nyet," the Yeoman said. "But at same time I would be trusting him to be having my safety in mind if it is being something which could be hurting me. I am knowing that whatever he is not saying will be revealed in time, but we are having to wait for that time."

"I do trust him, Mila. That was never in question," Joey stated. "I'm just going to let it go. What choice do I really have?"

"Just be being yourself and being there for him," Mila said. "Is nothing else that can be done until he is revealing to us what is being wrong."

"Being their for him and supporting was never in question, either," the Intel Chief pointed out. "But... I can't help feel like he's going to shut me out entirely, then what? Do I fake a smile and pretend that everything is okay? That's not healthy for me or my babies. I need to think of them, too."

"We are all needing me time and when you are needing it for you and babies, that is when you are coming to me," the short brunette said. "In fact, I am already knowing plan very smart woman mentioned on how to be taking care of some of that."

"What's that?"

Mila smirked as she stepped back. "We are to be planning festivities for Christmas," she said with a grin.

"Harvey's one year anniversary as a Commanding Officer is coming up on a year very soon, too," Joey said. "I wanted to do something special for him."

"We could combine party with celebration and be having it where he was born in holodeck," the short woman said after a moment of thought.

Joey wrapped her arm around Mila's shoulders and made her way back to Talons once more. It didn't take long before they were back at their table once more. "I was thinking about having it here. That way it's easier for the crew to come and go. Well, those that wished to attend. I know not everyone celebrates Christmas."

"We would be needing permission to have it here," Mila responded as she sat down, glad her friend was rising to the occasion. "Not to be mentioning all catering and such that we are going to need. We are having many fresh supplies right now, but main question is how long are we going to be needing them? Harvey is telling me that probe came from hundred years in time. Will we be able to resupply from wherever we are ending up?" Of course, she didn't know about the worlds on the other side of the Zone, but her practicality had made her ask those questions.

"My guess is probably not. Maybe the holodeck would be best for this. At least then, we'll have enough to feed everyone. But then... what about the resources that will use?" the taller woman questioned. "The more logic comes to play, the worse the idea this becomes."

The Yeoman thought for a moment on what the ship had brought aboard and how long it could go without a resupply, then nodded. "We will be having enough," she finally decided. "As you are saying, not everyone is celebrating Christmas and will likely not attend. Even if we are using holodeck, it will be still using resources. So let us be doing it here and I will put in request for more supplies before then. Cargo holds are still having space."

"I rather like the use of the holodeck, to be honest. Not that I don't like the idea of having it here at Talons, but in the holodeck, at least we can decorate it the way we want to, and I've already got some ideas for that," the taller woman stated as their waitress came around.

"What can I get you ladies?" the waitress asked.

"I will have pierogies with kielbasa, please," Mila said. "And apple cider for drink."

"I'm still not very hungry, so just bring me a salad and water, please," Joey requested.

Their server nodded with a smile. "Those will be out in just a few," she said just before turning to put the order in. With that done, she began making their drinks to get them out to the table.

The Russian looked at her sestra. "Not very hungry or not, you are to be eating for three and I am not thinking that salad is having enough vitamins and such that babies are needing."

Joey looked at Mila in return, but said nothing while their server put their drinks on the table. Once she was gone again, she spoke. "Why doesn't it? It's got lettuce, carrots, cheese, eggs, grilled chicken and other stuff in it that have plenty of that stuff. I'm not going to starve my children even if I'm not hungry, Mila. Give me a little credit."

"Please be forgiving me," Mila said. "I am thinking salad as just lettuce, tomato and cucumber. I have been having too many things on brain lately."

"I haven't been sleeping much, so I can completely understand where you're coming from. There's no need to apologize for something like that," the Intel Chief said, reaching out to pat her hand.

"I am hearing side salad," the Russian said. "As I am saying, I am having too much on brain."

Joey shook her head. "It's okay, Mila. We all have a lot on the brain right now. I haven't slept in two days, so I can relate."

"I am hearing that is going around and now I am knowing why, but I am still not having idea on what to do," Mila said as their food arrived. "Would you like me to be finding recipe to be helping you sleep?"

"I don't think anything is going to help at this point," she replied honestly as she reached for her fork. Too many things were keeping Joey up at night, and it was beginning to wear on her. "Worrying about Harvey keeps me up... not knowing exactly what we're going to encounter... not being able to get comfortable and stay that way. And that's just to name a few. Maybe things will get better over time. Who knows?"

"You know that I am being last person to nag you, but I am thinking that you should be going to medical if it is becoming that bad," the shorter woman said before she cut a pierogi in half and took a bite.

Joey shook her head. "It's just stress. I was losing sleep before, too."

"Perhaps be trying warm milk with nutmeg," Mila suggested. "Is centuries old cure."

"Maybe. I'm not sure much is going to help short of a blunt object to the back of the head. It's not a pleasant feeling, and it leaves a headache from hell behind, but it's effective."

"Please be trying warm milk before you are giving yourself concussion," the Yeoman said as she cut her kielbasa up and took a bite. "Is less painful."

Joey sighed, looking down at the untouched salad in front of her. She knew she needed to eat, but just the thought of it soured her stomach. "I'll try it if I need to, though, a hard enough hit to the head comes with the possibility of amnesia, and right now... I'd welcome forgetting everything," she said softly. "I'm sorry, Mila. I just don't feel up to hosting a party. Being around a bunch of people just doesn't appeal to me right now, and I don't see that getting any better as time progresses. In fact, I'd rather just skip Christmas this year entirely."

Mila blinked. "You are coming here to be talking about party, then you are saying you do not wish to. I am being off duty in two hours, but will schedule appointment with counselor for you."

"I'm quite capable of making any appointments that are necessary, Mila," the taller woman said with a frown. "And I don't need a counselor. I kind of thought you'd be the one who would be most understanding, but it seems I've been wrong about a lot lately. I need to get back to work. Forgive me for feeling like things in my life aren't going well right now. I'll try harder not to burden you with it in the future. See you around." With that, she rose to her feet and walked out of Talons again, leaving her salad forgotten on the table.

"I am giving up," the Yeoman said to no one as Joey walked out a second time but she wasn't going after her this time. "Perhaps would be best if no party is given at all because no one is going to be sane if it is thrown."

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