Letters From Home

Posted on Fri Jan 27th, 2023 @ 11:58pm by Lieutenant Michael Amato & Lieutenant Antoinette Jenkins

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Fool’s Errand
Location: Deck 7: Medical Division
Timeline: M1 MD14 (2268.29.05) 1800

On occasion personal transmissions were relayed to the Midway from subspace comms relays and Starbases. These were usually short recorded messages from home. This evening Dr. Amato had received one such message.

"Good evening son, we hope your first deep space assignment is going well," came the voice of his father, Joe Sr. There was a strong look of melancholy on his face. "Hello Michael," his mother, Anna said. She smiled although Mike could tell something was wrong. "We wished you could be here in person... But Starfleet just delivered your brother's folded Federation flag... It's official now..."

His parents had been holding out hope, no matter how slim they their eldest son might return home but after the Enterprise's report went through Starfleet Command, the bureaucracy had declared everyone serving aboard the Defiant as dead. Dead was so final.

"We wish we could be with you... Give Toby our best and we look forward to seeing you both.. Until then, we love you," his mother said before the screen faded to black.

Even though Faust had given the ladies some time off but Tony Jenkins couldn't sit still. Both doctors asked her to take it easy and stick to paperwork for a spell. Mike Amato's cupboard that passed for an office was tiny, he couldn't be in there and have the door closed. Tony was slowly going around the various stations making sure they were adequately stocked, she turned the corner and saw the door open and Mike hunched over, as she got closer she caught what she thought was Mike talking to himself, but it sounded all wrong. "Doctor, is everything okay?" The recording was on replay and she heard it all. "Oh Mike .... I'm sorry." She could hear the man quietly sobbing. Tony put her hand on Mike's shoulder. "If you need anything just say the word. Please."

Mike stopped the recording and looked up at Tony. His eyes were bright red and his tanned face was flushed. On instinct he reached out and gave Tony a hug around her middle. She was old enough to be his mother after all. He released her after a few seconds, "Sorry nurse," he apologized.

"It's perfectly okay Mike. We all need that at times." Tony gently pushed back on Mike's chest. "A ship just wiped from the stars like that it's hard to take. I had two friends on the Defiant myself."

The doctor nodded, "It's been difficult, incredibly difficult," he said, "I can't find any other way to describe it right now." He sighed and then sat back down in the chair. "And no one has any answers," he said.

Tony snagged some tissues from the box on the counter and handed them to Mike. "When you lose a friend or brother it is hard to take. Your brother name is Joe isn't it?" Tony asked.

"Was," Mike responded as he took the tissues that were offered to him, "Always looked up to him... He was also the Captain's best friend."

"I know. The Captain has a picture of the three of you in his quarters." Tony said remembering what she'd seen when she stopped by to get a special request signed.

"Yeah I forgot about that," Mike responded, "My Academy graduation if I recall... Those days were certainly simpler, as they always is."

"The days of leeches and probing the brain for the devil when you sneeze were kinda fun too." Tony said giggling giving a rye sort of grin. "I'm sorry. That's a bad joke."

"But appropriate," Mike said with a smile. He sighed and closed his eyes, "Only a few more hours..." he added, "Although only a few minutes for you. Hope you have a nice evening."

"You as well." Tony said setting her hand on his shoulder again giving it a squeeze. She slowly walked away humming to herself. Tony was about to step into a storage locker stopping in the door way, 'Lest we forget, and remember those we love and long for most.', she almost said a loud.

Dr. Amato stiffened up and replayed the message for a third time. The words were still unreal to him. Maybe if he heard them again they would lose their sting... Of course that was only wishful thinking.

 

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