Chapter Text
Once he'd sent the comm, there was no taking it back. He hoped it wasn't out of place to ask his former commanding officer to coffee, but he was desperate to see a familiar face. Not that he hadn't seen his parents that morning, and the same officers at drydock that had been there when he started two weeks ago. But they still sometimes felt disconnected, and he needed to see at least one of the faces that had been constants in his life for seven years.
It took two hours for her to respond, but she did, and that is how he ended up in line at the coffee shop at fifteen hundred on a Wednesday afternoon, with an unexpectedly quiet companion.
Tom had always been the chatty one in the senior staff, but the captain had a charismatic streak that made everyone more comfortable in her presence. Now, however, she was withdrawn and listless. He realized he hadn't seen her in over two months, not since the ball that marked the end of the debriefing. As he thought about it, he realized she'd kept herself out of the center of attention that day,instead opting for taking care of Miral and Naomi, so their parents could enjoy themselves.
He ordered himself the most complex thing he could find on the menu-having real drinks prepared by a real barista was something he would never take for granted again. He ordered her a black coffee without even asking her what she wanted. She didn't contradict him, but he had the distinct feeling she would have accepted any drink at that point.
He chose the table, a booth by the window where they could feel the sunshine. Even that didn't seem to perk her up.
'Enjoying your leave?' he asked, though he thought he knew the answer.
'I've requested reassignment,' she said.
'Me too,' he said. 'Any news?'
'Admiral Page is waiting for clearance from my counselor.' On the surface, she seemed just as listless and uncaring as before, but Harry could see the mild annoyance under the surface. He wasn't sure she actually felt it, but at least it was there.
'I've been with landing ops at dry docks for two weeks now,' he said, sighing over his coffee. He blew over it to cool it, but then realized he'd ordered an iced drink. She didn't seem to notice. She also didn't ask him to continue, either.
He did anyway.
'It keeps me busy,' he said. 'Promised my mother I'd stay on planet for the next year, at the least.'
They lapsed into an awkward silence.
'Did Tom send you the newest pictures, yesterday? She's getting big already.'
She nodded, with a forced smile. 'Have you seen her recently?'
'No,' he sighed. 'They went to Gisar Seven to see B'Elanna's father and have been there for a few weeks. I think that's a good sign.'
She murmured in agreement.
'The Doctor is on Jupiter Station with Dr. Zimmerman,' he continued. He couldn't tell if this was new information for her or not. He also couldn't even tell if she cared.
They lapsed into silence and coffee drinking again. Harry was regretting his choice of coffee, trying to place the fruity undertones. Maybe simplicity wasn't a bad thing.
'Congratulations on the promotion,' she added. It still seemed forced, like she had to work up the motivation to make small talk, something that had once seemed to come easy to her.
'Thank you,' he answered. 'For the congratulations. And for getting it through.'
'Is everything alright, Harry?' she asked. Again, he wasn't sure she cared, or if she was just on autopilot.
'I'm okay.'
There was silence.
'I guess I'm missing Voyager,' he relented. 'It's been two weeks since I've seen any of you, and it was driving me batty.'
'And since Tom is off-planet, you called me.'
'I haven't seen you since the debriefing.'
She indicated that was a reasonable explanation with a nod.
'Any word on Voyager?' he asked. 'She's still in dry dock, but nothing's moving, so I don't get to visit often.'
In reality, he'd spent many of his off-hours in the hangar. It was strange to see Voyager from the outside-he'd only seen the outer hull plating a handful of times before, and never from above. The silence surrounding the ship was unnerving, as she sat and waited for directions. He hadn't worked up the guts to go inside yet-although he had access, he wasn't sure he was ready to see her powered down and empty.
'They're talking a museum on the Presidio,' she said. 'It's not really a matter of urgency-I think Starfleet wants to give everyone a few months to breathe before we confront it.'
Somehow, Harry didn't think she was doing so well with the extra breathing room. He didn't cope easily with inactivity, but it was mostly his overbearing parents that drove him to take on a new assignment. Everyone knew it wasn't permanent and it wasn't up to his potential, but it was all he needed to ease his way back into this new normal. If he could.
'It's strange to see her empty,' he said. 'But I suspect it will be even more odd to see her full of strangers and school field trips.'
'I suspect you're right,' she said, once again indifferent.
They both stared into their coffees. Hers was nearly empty-his was nearly full, but he'd lost his desire for it.
'Same time, next week?' he offered, when she had taken her last sip. He expected her to decline, but she nodded.