Bad News

Posted on Fri May 22nd, 2015 @ 3:18am by Lieutenant Mimi & Lieutenant JG Robert Sorenson
Edited on on Sun Mar 4th, 2018 @ 10:29am

1,717 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Captains & Contraband

ON:

[Robert's Quarters]

Off shift for a couple hours, Robert had been reading a book to distract himself. A project he'd been involved in hadn't been going smoothly, and he'd been a bit stressed out. Add to that encountering Mimi again, the girl on the Carpathia he'd had a crush on. With whom he'd then proceeded to put his foot firmly in his mouth be admitting he had a crush on her, to her face no less, then doing almost the same when they met for coffee the day after. As much as Mimi seemed okay with what had happened, Robert had been trying to avoid Mimi so he didn't screw things up again.

[Mimi's Quarters]

Mimi sat at the desk in her quarters crying with her head in her hands as the computer screen slowly collapsed back into the desk, she'd just received a message from the Chief medical officer onboard her foster mothers ship, the USS Charleston. She told her that her mother had contracted Ilarian flu and she was in a very bad state.

[Robert's Quarters]

Putting the book down, Robert stared at the wall of his quarters. He was bored and as much as he'd put his foot in his mouth before, Mimi seemed not to mind. Shrugging, hoping he didn't end up embarrassing himself again, Robert activated him comms.

=^= Hey Mimi. It's Robert. You busy? =^=

Mimi practically jumped out of her fur when Roberts voice came out of her comm badge, still supporting her head with one hand she took a deep breath then reached down and tapped it. =^= Now isn't a very good time Robert =^= she replied trying not to sound like she had been crying.

Something didn't sound right to Robert. Mimi's usually cheerful voice was flat, something he'd never heard in her voice before. Even under strain her voice still had a gentle ring to it that was present. =^= Everything okay Mimi? =^=

Slowly shaking her head despite it being a voice only communication Mimi stopped trying to disguise her voice. =^= No, I got a message about Maria. =^= she said then remembered she had never mentioned her foster mothers name to him =^= My foster mother =^=

~Jeez.~ Robert thought as Mimi told him about a message from her mother. ~She's probably pretty badly shaken up.~ =^= Would you mind company Mimi? =^=

=^= Some company would be nice =^= Mimi answered after finally pulling herself away from the desk an over to her sofa.

=^= I'll come right over Mimi. =^= Closing the commlink Robert frowned. He'd never gotten bad news about a family member and was uncertain how Mimi was taking the news, whatever it was. Quickly making his way down a deck to Mimi's quarters, Robert found himself standing before her door, his finger tapping the chime.

"Come in." Mimi called out from the sofa where she sat cradling a glass in her hand.

Robert entered Mimi's quarters. Glancing around he saw her sitting on the couch glass in hand. As he approached her, he could see small streaks on her cheeks, evidence she'd been crying. Her ears were lower, not their normally upright selves, and her tail sat motionless, curled beside her on the couch.

Sitting down beside Mimi, without really thinking how she might react, Robert placed an arm gently around Mimi. "What's going on with your mother Mimi?"

Shifting her tail out of the way as he sat down Mimi leaned into Robert letting him wrap his arm around her "She has got Ilarin flu."

Robert tried wracking his brains. He'd never heard of it but it mustn't be good in Mimi was in tears. "It's bad I take it."

"The CMO told me it is deadly to humans, looks like a normal flu but is much much worse."

Robert pulled Mimi closer, his other hand wrapping around Mimi, his face resting against her head. "How is she doing?"

"Very bad, she is in a medical coma while they search for a treatment, it is not a very common plant that causes it." Mimi answered as she rested against Robert's chest, she felt warm and comfortable wrapped in his arms.

Gently stroking her hair, Robert whispered in Mimi's ear. "I'm sure they'll find a cure Mimi." His hand accidentally brushed Mimi's ear back and he hesitated, unsure how sensitive her ears were, or if she even liked them being touched.

Mimi's ear twitched when she felt Roberts hand brush over it "My mother always used to do that when I felt down." Mimi quietly said bringing up a hand to wipe the tears from her face.

Gently stroking her ear again, Robert gave Mimi's head a gentle kiss. As much as he had a crush on her, this felt more like a big brother moment; holding a younger sibling while they had a good cry. "If you need to cry, or talk, or just be held it's okay Mimi."

"I do not think I could bear having her die, she is the only family I have left." Mimi told Robert as he continued to gently stroke her ears, despite the situation it really was making her feel better and it made her think that he really did care about her.

"What is she like? Maria I mean?" Robert asked, hopping to deflect Mimi's attention to the happier memories of her mother.

"A lot like my real mother. Kind, caring and with the patience of a saint."

"I don't know if I'd call my mother a saint but she did the best she could." Gently stroking Mimi's hair as he held her, memories of his childhood came to mind. "Patient hmm? I'll bet you were a handful." Robert remarked.

Mimi chuckled ever so slightly; a clear sign she was cheering up a little. "I was yeah, used to sneak out of our quarters and explore the ship all the time, she would try and find me but the Charleston had so many little hiding spots but she also knew I'd come running if she told me we were having fish for our next meal."

"Sneaking. Hiding. Fish. One would almost think you were a cat." Robert said, grinning. He could sense a change in Mimi's voice, her voice becoming brighter again. He also noticed her tail, still off to the side, was beginning to twitch a little.

"I am, but with a few differences." Mimi said not understanding that he was teasing her.

"I know Mimi. I'm just teasing." Robert gently stroked her ears a little more, enjoying the scent of her hair as he held her.

"I never could understand teasing." Mimi said, she was feeling a lot better now so thought about leaving his embrace but she also felt perfectly content to stay right where she was because she was comfortable, warm and enjoying his stroking of her ears.

Loosening his arms, Robert kept one hand gently stroking Mimi's head and ears, his still head resting against hers. The other hand he placed down by her side resting against her leg but just barely. He didn't want to let go in this moment, he wanted to stay and enjoy her in his arms, but he also knew he had to eventually. "Then I won't tease you Mimi. Or at least I promise I'll try not to."

"Thanks." Mimi said, teasing was one of the few things she still hadn't quite figured out that humans and some other cultures did. Feeling his hand rest against her leg Mimi's tail took it upon itself to intervene snaking itself between his hand and her leg with its tip wrapping slightly around his wrist.

Robert could feel Mimi's tail snake around his hand & wrist as it lay there against her leg. Unsure what the gesture meant, but not wanting to screw things up again, he took that to be a friendly warning not to go any further.

Feeling her tail wrap around his hand Mimi glanced up at Robert but couldn't really see how he reacted. "Sorry, mind of its own at times." She said uncoiling her tail from his hand. "Thank you for coming to cheer me up Robert."

"It's okay Mimi. And you're welcome." Taking that as a hint their time together was over, Robert removed his hand from Mimi's leg. Reluctantly letting go of Mimi, he'd have remained on her couch holding her all evening if she'd have let him, Robert gave her ear one last gentle rub before he shifted away from her and slowly stood. "I should probably be going."

Mimi vocalised her displeasure at Robert getting up to leave but shifted to one side of the sofa as he let go of her and got up.

"You okay Mimi?" Robert asked, having heard a rather odd sound from Mimi when he got up to leave.

"I was comfortable." Mimi said with a slight smirk.

"I can stay longer if you want Mimi?" Even as he asked, he was hoping she'd say no. Not that he'd mind but the last little bit he was holding Mimi, it'd begun to feel less like he was comforting her, and more like they were cuddling. Not wanting to go down that road if Mimi wasn't ready, he'd backed off.

"No, it's ok." Mimi said as she got up and walked up to him "Thank you again." she leaned in and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

Robert blushed as Mimi kissed him. "See you around Mimi." He replied, smiling at Mimi as he exited her quarters.

Mimi walked back over to her sofa and sat down

The short walk from Mimi's quarters Robert barely noticed. Keying in his code, Robert flopped on the couch after he entered his quarters. Unsure what to make of what just transpired, Robert lay back and closed his eyes. Emotional turmoil roiled through him as he tried to make sense of things. He'd gone there to comfort her but it felt like more then that had transpired. It was probably just foolish thinking as Mimi had said she wasn't interested in him, not yet anyways, and her desire to be held was motivated by fear and pain. Robert for his part hadn't gone there for anything other then to comfort a friend, so why did he feel like he'd taken something from Mimi that didn't belong to him?

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