A Time to Heal

Posted on Wed May 20th, 2020 @ 1:38pm by Lieutenant Commander Sofia Nikedoros & Lieutenant Theodore Winslow

1,947 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Equivalent Exchange
Location: Chapel

It was Sunday, the man knew that as he sat there just inside the door of the building. Almost five o'clock in the morning. No one would be at church for a while now. The churchgoers had not even climbed out of their beds at this time. Not like the old days when he would have been long up and doing chores, Church was the resting time of the week.

He had had a lot more faith then. Times were different back on New Roanoke, he had been the solid reliable man, not the man relieved of duty. And certainly not the man sat in a building that was used for services sporting a black eye and signs of a beating thanks to some civilians who had heard the rumours and cornered him.

Sofia had been in the sacristy preparing for services when she hear someone enter. People sometimes came at early or late hours in order to have a quiet time to pray alone, but she peered out to check if the visitor was looking for her. He didn't seem to be, but he did seem troubled - and small wonder. She knew the suspicion Theo was under, and had done what she could to quell the rumors while the matter was investigated, but judging from the shadow a black eye it had not been enough.

Though she was loathe to interrupt private contemplation, she couldn't not check on him. Taking a brief detour to grab a small first kit, she made her way to back of the sanctuary. "Excuse me, Theo, I won't to intrude if you prefer to be alone, but I'm here if you'd like someone to talk to." She smiled softly. "Besides the Almighty, of course."

"Hello, Commander." The man said looking up at the woman as she approached him. He should have known she was there despite the earliness or lateness of the hour depending on how you thought on it. "I do not think the almighty is concerned with the likes of me at the moment." He was sure he was looking for help in the wrong place but he did not know where else to look.

"I believe that the Almighty is concerned with all of us," she replied gently. "Perhaps it was even divine providence that was in the sacristy rather than my office when you came in, because you look as though you could use a friendly ear right now."

"Who knows what he is concerned with at the moment." Theo was sure that God was rejecting him and for the life of him, he did not know what he had done to warrant it. "I am fine. I have had worse." He assured quickly look away.

"I'm sure you have," Sofia said, placing hand on his shoulder. "But that doesn't mean you should face this trouble alone. I'm here, if you want to talk about it."

Theo sighed rubbed at his eyes trying to ignore the angry and confused tears that for a moment were threatening to spill out but it only elicited a hiss as it was his bruised eye. "I do not even know what it is." he murmured.

"How about we start by treating that?" Sofia offered, indicating his blackened eye. "And any other bruises you have. I have medkit with me, but if you'd like more privacy we can go back to my office."

"Your office sounds better. Just encase they come back." The man got to his feet and nodded. He did not want to bring trouble to her door but she seemed the only person who cared enough to help him.

"My office will be more comfortable, but don't worry about anyone causing trouble here. This is a house of worship, of peace," she stated firmly, as she lead the way toward her office. "Anyone who violated of the sanctity of this place would find their welcome on this colony to be suddenly very limited."

"You would think that about attacking the Security Chief as well." The man said with a shrug of his shoulders as he slumped into the first chair inside the office. "This is a lot more comfortable than my former office." The man mused looking around impressed. It was not like he had put much effort into the room other than the basics.

"Yes, and it should be reported to your acting CSO," Sofia said, making a mental note to make sure Luka was made aware of the incident. The last thing they needed was even the appearance that Command was willing to turn a blind eye to this sort of thing. "But for now, let's take care of your bruises," she said, taking a small protoplaser out of her first aid kit. "I'm glad you find it comfortable here. That is the goal after all, to make people feel comfortable enough to speak freely." She began working on his black eye, leaving the hint about talking as an invitation he could take if he chose.

Theodore ignored the suggestion to report it. He was not going to do that at all. It was not going to fix things at all and would only make things worse. "It is familiar I guess." The man did not know if he felt comfortable to talk but he physically felt comfortable.

Sofia sighed inwardly. Security were often the hardest people to counsel because they were so reticent about talking. "There," she said, finishing with his face. "Not perfect, but I've gotten the worst of it. Are there other bruises to see to? Physical or emotional," she added.

"Thank you it hurts less to blink now," Theo confirmed with a nod. He sat there a moment before nodding. "My ribs." He slowly admitted. Maybe he should have just gone to sickbay but it felt at the moment that he was person non grata.

"Let me see," Sofia said, lifting the edge of his shirt to get a better look. She didn't think he had any cracked ribs or he'd be in more obvious discomfort, but he also might be better at masking pain than most. "I can imagine why you might be hesitant to report this," she said while gently probing his side to evaluate the damage. "But whoever did this should be in brig. No one deserves this sort of treatment and people who think they can get away it are potentially danger to everyone."

The man gently took the edge of the shirt from her and shifted uncomfortably until she exposed the growing bruises across his torso. "Not exactly something anyone will want to investigate when I am potentially a danger to everyone myself." The Chief of Security reminded with a small sigh. He could not believe that he was under an investigation like this. Who had be pissed off enough for it to lead to this?

Sofia tsked as she saw the extensive bruising. "On the contrary," she said, starting to work on it. "It's not a matter of what anyone wants - and I can assure you quite a few people didn't want to even consider that you might be a suspect - but about what's necessary, and right. You are innocent until proven guilty and even the appearance that the colony leaders would look the other way on 'mob justice' is detrimental to both the rule of law and the fabric of the kind of society we want to build here." She paused, and expelled a breath. "Sorry, I'm a pastor and can't help falling into preaching, but you are not the one who needs a sermon." However, she filed the thoughts away for later because even if the people who did this weren't likely to attend services, there might be others who knew of them and just needed the right push to come forward.

"Someone being a pastor is familiar ground." The Security Officer assured solemnly. It was familiar and familiar was nice when the world was not in order, it gave him just a little bit of hope that one day it might be.

"I suppose that's true..." she said, continuing to treat the bruises. "Then let me offer a different sermon: there are a lot of people here with a lot of anger and fear they don't know how to express, and a rumor has made you a lightning rod for it right now. I can only guess how hard that must be, but it is not everyone and you do not have to face this alone. I don't know who might have set you up or why, but I do not think you are guilty, and though I don't like to brag, my intuition about people is usually good. So take heart; and believe that truth will prevail."

The man listened silently thanked his autopilot for leading him to there instead of anywhere else. Her words were exactly what she needed to hear. "I appreciate that Ma'am." The man said honestly as he reflected on her words.

"I mean it, Theo," she assured him, finishing with his side and putting the medkit aside. "Now, is there anything else you need? If you don't feel safe in your new quarters, I have guest rooms in the rectory and you'd be quite welcome to 'sanctuary' here as well."

"I would hate to be more of a burden." It sounded pathetic to the man who never needed anyone in his life. His new quarters were not so bad but he did miss his old rooms and the way he did not feel quite as alone.

Sofia shook her head, wondering if Theo and Gunnar had met. They were different personalities, but seemed to share both a desire to help others and resistance to accepting such help themselves. It had taken more than a little prodding to get Gunnar to realize that his need for self-sufficiency was driving the friends who wanted to help him crazy.
She placed a hand on Theo's arm. "You would not be," she said sincerely. "I think you know that, because you are someone who would offer help and never think it a burden. In fact, you probably find it harder to be turned down when you offered it."

The man froze at the hand on his arm for a moment before remembering it was Sofia. "Thank you for your words and offer I..." he paused as his PADD in his pocket went off. He pulled it out and winced at the shattered screen for a moment before he saw the request on the screen. "Seems someone would like to interview me around all of this." He mused thrust it back into the pocket making a mental note to get a new one.

She considered for a moment offering to walk with him since no one was likely to attack the colony chaplain no matter who she was escorting, but knew he would refuse, and probably feel embarrassed by the idea as well. "You should go then, but my offer stands," Sofia said. "And you know where to find me, even if you just want to talk."

The man nodded and retrieved his shirt shoving his arms back into it pulling it on a lot easier than it was removed. "Thank you for your assistance Commander." He said almost shyly before retrieving the rest of his stuff making a quick exit. He did not want to be there anymore when he was feeling as awkward as a newborn. he needed to get his game face on.

"Anytime, Lieutenant." Sofia said. She watched him heading through the door, and added quietly, "and may God go with you."

 

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