More Than a Lifetime #5: Return to Normal

Chapter 9

One week later, they were all back aboard the Enterprise, with the exception of Kathryn and Chakotay. They had all had a wonderful time on the Dolas, despite the fact that Will and Dani had to share a room with her parents. It hadn't been so bad. Just a bit of an...inconvenience. And Dani and Will had been able to actually get some sleep the rest of their nights there.

The morning of her first day back on duty, Dani was preparing to go to the bridge for the start of her bridge shift at Ops when she was unexpectedly commed by the captain.

"Captain Picard to Lt. Janeway."

Dani tapped her comm badge. "Janeway here, sir."

"Lieutenant, I need to see you in my ready room at your earliest convenience," the captain informed her.

"Aye, sir. I'm on my way." She tapped her badge, closing the connection, and gave herself one final look-over in the mirror to make sure everything was as it should be before walking out the door.

As she strode onto the bridge, Will, in the command chair, turned to see who was stepping out of the turbolift. When saw that it was Dani, he was expecting her to go to her station at Ops and was quite surprised when she walked over to the captain's ready room door instead. When she pressed the captain's door chime, Will cast her a puzzled look.

Dani heard the captain's invite and entered. Once the doors shut behind her, she said, "You wanted to see me, sir?"

Picard was seated at his desk, sipping on his customary cup of Earl Grey tea. "Yes, Lieutenant. Please - have a seat."

Dani sat down in one of the two chairs in front of the captain's desk. She had no idea what this was all about. Right now, she was calm, but she wouldn't be surprised if, soon, her heart was beating about a thousand beats a minute.

Picard placed his cup on his desk and, sitting back in his chair and clasping his fingers over his waist, began. "Dani, I've had a chance to read the officers' reports on the survey mission that took place a few weeks ago on Garessa II."

Dani felt her heart rate spike. She'd been right. She might just have a heart attack before this was over with.

xxx

On the Bridge, Deanna, who'd just taken her seat, sensed extreme anxiety from someone. At first she thought that it was someone actually on the bridge, but no. She looked at the captain's ready room door and then looked at Will, concerned.

"Dani's in with him," Will filled her in.

"Why?" Deanna asked.

Will shook his head. "I don't know. She never said anything to me about meeting with the captain."

"Will," Deanna lowered her voice and leaned in closer to him. "She's very nervous. I'm sensing fear, anxiety, apprehensiveness."

Will looked at the ready room door, worry clouding his features. Dani was in there, and there was nothing he could do to help her. At least not at this moment. Perhaps later, he could talk to the captain on her behalf. What could she have done, Will asked himself.

xxx

Inside the ready room, Picard continued. "It's come to my attention that many of your fellow officers offered numerous comments on your behavior and your actions throughout the ordeal."

It was all Dani could do not to pass out. It was getting to where she had to force herself to breathe. But she sat there, the picture of calmness and reserve, as a good Starfleet officer should. Her mind raced over the numerous possibilities of what those other officers could have written about her in their reports. When her mind came to Eric Clements, all she had to do was scratch the surface of what he might have written before her nose began to burn with the beginning of the crying process. She would not cry, though. Not in front of this man.