Work Text:
Una’s heart pounds as she stands in the transporter room. Chris’ last comm message — “two to beam up” — is still ringing in her ears. Whatever happened on Skygowan, she knows it can’t be good.
Her nerves settle just a fraction as Chris and Joseph appear on the transporter platform, seemingly unharmed. Joseph heads out right away, no doubt to head back to Sickbay, but Chris lingers. “Captain?” she prompts.
He raises his head slowly, then blinks. Looks at her almost as if he’s seeing her for the first time, then shakes his head. “I’m fine, Number One. I’ll be in my quarters.” Then he hurries out of the room before she can question him.
Una knows that he isn’t okay. She doesn’t know exactly what happened, only that Marie is gone. But she figures if he’d been physically injured, Joseph wouldn’t have let him go. So she respects his privacy and gives him a whole two hours to himself as she finishes her shift.
When Alpha shift is over, Una passes off the conn to her relief and heads for Port Galley. With just a little negotiation, she convinces Kelzig to hand over her best bottle of bourbon. Then, she makes her way to the captain’s quarters. She presses the buzzer and waits.
The door opens after a few moments. And as Una sees Chris, a memory washes over her. After Boreth, he had commed her from Discovery. And he’s wearing the exact same haunted expression as he had then.
“Hey,” Una says softly. She holds up the bottle of bourbon as an offering. “Can I come in?”
His red-rimmed eyes stare at the floor. “Now’s not a good time, Number One.”
“I know.” She gently pushes her way inside and closes the door behind him. “That’s why I’m here.”