Keeping Watch
Posted on Fri Mar 29th, 2019 @ 5:11am by Lieutenant Theodore Winslow & Lieutenant Commander Sofia Nikedoros
1,370 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Deep Freeze
Location: Chapel
Timeline: MD-10 2100
" '...and then Ereth lifted her eyes to the stars, and she knew that she had never been alone.'," Sofia finished, tapping the screen closed on her PaDD at the story's end. She tucked a blanket around the little girl. "And you are not alone either."
"I still miss Mama," the child mumbled sadly.
"Of course you do," Sofia said sympathetically. "But your mother should be released from the hospital any day now."
The girl frowned. "Wanna see her now."
"It's late, Janie, and your mother needs her rest. As do you," Sofia admonished gently, smoothing the child's hair. "Sleep well, and tomorrow I'll take you to visit her, okay?"
" 'kay..."
Giving her a reassuring smile, Sofia dimmed the little light by the cot and rose, saying a silent prayer as she headed into the main chapel. ~Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep...~
She began to make her way among the various adults, most of whom were still awake, to see if there were immediate needs.
The main chapel was quiet and Theo was pretty sure he needed the silence of somewhere familiar for a few moments to just reflect and centre himself before he carried on with his patrol for the night. The place was chaos and he had a headache that wouldn't go away at all. He heard the door open and rose instantly.
Catching the motion, Sofia saw that it was a security officer. His expression seemed tight, like someone tired and stressed - which to be fair was the look of most people here. She headed over to him. "Is everything all right? Do you need anything?"
The man was taken aback for a moment at the woman asking if he was okay and he quickly nodded. "Yes, Ma'am just needed a moment somewhere quiet to gather some loose thread." He said honestly shifting the rifle it had over his shoulder awkwardly like a little boy having been caught doing something he shouldn't have. He knew he should have left his weapon before he came in but with so many civilians around it was impossible and that was before he considered the Starfleet regulations.
Sofia smiled warmly. "You are certainly welcome to take all the moments you need here. I'm Sofia Nikedoros, the Chaplain. But I'm also a LT Commander in Starfleet," she added, noting the self-conscious way he had adjusted his rifle. "So if you would feel more comfortable praying without your rifle, I can put it in a secure location in my office."
"I'm Lieutenant Theodore Winslow." He said taking the gloves off his hands and offering her his hand. "I am the Chief of Security." He introduced himself. "I had better not. I have to lead by example Ma'am but thank you for the offer." He said hadn't met many of the department heads as of yet. They were all still scrambling around trying to sort out things for people to survive.
"I'm pleased to meet you, Lieutenant," she said, taking his hand. "And sorry that I didn't recognize you. I usually know the command staff, but I've been somewhat," she looked around at the various wounded and displaced still housed in the chapel, "...preoccupied. In any case, please don't feel uncomfortable about carrying your rifle here. I was raised in a Christian denomination, but I serve those of all faiths - or none - so I wouldn't forbid a rifle here since there are actually faiths that encourage or even require carrying a weapon during worship," she assured him.
"Well, I don't blame you in the slightest. It has all been a little chaos since the fall." He was glanced up at the ceiling wishing there was a glass ceiling to see the stars but for now it was just a temporary building. "I remember from my own religious studies."
Sofia's brows lifted. "You studied religions? At the Academy or as part of a program in your youth, if you don't mind me asking?"
"I am from New Roanoke." He said sitting back some looking more awkward by the moment. Everyone knew how ultra religious the colony had been before the Dominion War but twenty years later it was a hotbed of extremism.
The discomfort the admission brought was clear in his body language, but in light of what she knew of the colony, what also stood out was that he had not reacted negatively to a woman in a chaplain's role. It was possible that he took the view of some in the more extreme factions that ordination outside of their particular sect wasn't valid and so it didn't matter who other churches ordained, but adherents of that seldom left their communities, particularly for an organization as diverse as Starfleet. The counselor in her noted that even if he had left the colony specifically to get away from its social and religious strictures, the transition had probably not been easy.
"Well, then you must have had much more rigorous instruction in the bible than I did as a child. I think my family is still a bit shocked that I chose to study religion, even a dozen years after I was ordained," she replied lightly, hoping to set him more at ease.
"Rigorous instruction indeed." The man said thinking that was putting it mildly, to say the least. It was either learn freely or be force via pain to learn. "At least your family accept it though?" He wondered moving over on the bench to allow her to sit down.
"Eventually..." she said, settling onto the bench. "There are probably a few cousins that still roll their eyes, but my father has mostly come around and my stepmother is actually fairly supportive. Of course, she didn't come from a family background that inspired as much skepticism."
Theo found himself utter a small snort at the last word that the woman uttered. "Your family sound supportive. My family do not accept my Starfleet career at all. They believe I am going to hell in a handbasket," He admitted with a shrug. First, it had been acceptable but the fact he was now divorced and not even looking made it all very shameful for them on his behalf.
"I'm so sorry," Sofia said with genuine sympathy. It was a story she had heard in several variations over the years, but it never became less sad that faith, which should inspire greater love and tolerance, lead instead to rejection and alienation. "That must be hard."
The man looked up for a moment considering his options in answering. This woman would have been someone who wouldn't have been tolerated on his homeworld at all and he found he respected her even more. "Sometimes. It is what has made me agree to transfer here. Dig some roots somewhere else so to speak." He mused thinking of an old song he liked to listen to.
Sofia nodded. "I think there are few songs about that," she mused. "For good reason: I've seen a number of people find new life in a new place. And whether your family would agree or not, it's very biblical. Abraham left his father's house, and found his path and his calling in a new land," she said, offering a kind smile. "But he wasn't alone, so if you ever need help or just someone to talk with, I'm here."
The older woman made some very good points, ones that he would have to think over long and hard. "Very kind of you Commander." The man commented on rubbing his hands together before putting on the gloves that he had removed when he came in. "I really should be getting on with the patrol again. Can't expect my Officers to do something if I cannot do it without being sidetracked."
"I understand," she said rising. "God be with you, Lieutenant, and watch over you as you keep your watch."
"As with you Sir and the people in your keep." He said nodding to her picking up his rifle again. He was going to regret leaving the church quickly but he could hide there all night.
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