Stardate: 60815:2152
Title: Comfort While Waiting
Author: Counsellor Simon Malloy
Time: After "A New Discovery"
Scene: Tharan 3/Quarantine


"Doesn't sound like defeat to me, more like someone who cares about the people in their life." Autumn managed her first genuine smile.

Just then the Chief of Operations felt a searing pain from the base of her skull and as she gripped her head she felt the concern gazes of Simon, Ted and Dathan.

"Doctor!" Yelled Simon, urgently.

Ted threw Simon a hypospray saying "Give that to her, it'll help the pain."

Ted walked over and checked Autumn's bioreadings as Simon pressed the hypospray to her neck.

Ted stroked Autumn's hair through his environmental suit, reassuring her. "We're working round the clock on this virus, we're going to get you better" he said confidently.

Autumn relaxed, the pain receding. "Thank you, Doctor."

"Autumn, I'll take personal responsibility of caring for Sooty while you are in Quarantine, if you like. I have a special place in my heart for all things warm and fuzzy." said Simon.

"He's sometimes adventurous" laughed Autumn. "He likes going on away missions to find carrots."

"I'll keep my eye on him" and Simon took a PADD off of the table and handed it to Autumn. She held it, but her hands were shaking from the virus affecting her motor cortex.

"Accidents like this happen everyday to people, always unexpected. I have always found that keeping your hopes high gets you through the situation for the better. Now, I haven't been here very long but from what I've seen of this crew everyone has spoken very highly of you. I can tell you're surrounded by love and all these people are going to work very hard to get you, and everyone else better."

"Now," said Simon "when I crashed on this planet I didn't know what would happen. Everyday I wrote a letter to my sister, Riann, telling her something I always wanted her to know." Simon pointed at the PADD. "They are all there. I think the last one I wrote told her about a mountain I had always wanted to stand on top of. I survived my little adventure crashing here and still plan on sending each letter to her."

"Why... why are you showing them to me?" Autumn asked, confused.

Simon laughed. "In my line of work I tend to make friends in strange ways. I usually discover things about people that I wouldn't know unless we had been friends for years within days, or even hours, of meeting. And I can tell you'll be a good friend already."

Simon opened his Betazed mind to Autumn, letting her know he really did feel for her as a close friend. A great advantage to being a Betazoid Counsellor, thought Simon.

Autumn blushed. She was touched by how much care she could feel coming from Simon, a man she just met. And if he loved this much, she wondered what her friends felt, like the Doctor. She looked at Ted, bent low over her blood sample working as hard as he could, and she could see that love coming out in his work as well.

"As I said, these letters are not admitting defeat, but admitting hope and love to those most important to you. Now, what do you say to getting to know each other? Who do you want to write to?" smiled Simon.


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Dr. Simon Malloy (Ens.)
Counsellor
USS Horizon
NCC-72400
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