A Stressful Workout

Posted on Tue Feb 18th, 2025 @ 12:00pm by 1st Lieutenant Kara Melo & Commander Joren Tal & Captain Cameron Bourne

1,564 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Broken Mirror
Location: Calypso Holodeck

Kara was trying to keep busy so she could keep her mind off Cam, but it wasn't working. She couldn't run fast enough, shoot enough, or drink enough to stop thinking about him. Forget paperwork. She went through the motions, but her mind was only half on what she was doing. She had to correct something every paragraph. He hadn't been aboard long and he was already driving her nuts.

When she finally finished the report, she sent it in and grabbed her PADD. This was nuts. She needed...something. Maybe she could take out her frustration on a punching bag.

Joren ran into Kara in the hallways. He immediately recognized the pent up energy and frustrations nearly oozing off her. "Lieutenant." he nodded as he increased his pace to keep up. "Holodeck?"

She looked at the commander for a moment, then nodded. "Sure. It might help."

As the pair entered the holodeck, Joren said "Joren training simulation Charlie." Which instantly changed the square room into a sports center, complete with a boxing ring and training sandbags, but also things like treadmills and bench presses. "Pick your poison." Joren said briefly, curious what the platoon first lieutenant would pick.

She looked around for a moment, then decided. "Sandbags." That would give her a way to vent some of her frustration on an inanimate object.

Joren stepped to one of the sandbags, ready to hold it as Kara started some exploratory punches.

Stepping into the holodeck, Cam was looking to discuss a training regimen he'd drawn up to put the marines though to test them and push them to be their best. He wanted to get Kara's opinion on it as she was the next most senior marine under him and would have to help him run the marines through it. Looking up from the PADD, he was about to speak when he saw her working out with Joren. This caused Cam to freeze up for a moment. For some reason he hadn't expected her to be training with someone and seeing her train with a guy seemed to trigger something in him. Taking a quick breath in, Cam quietly turned around to leave before he said anything.

Kara sensed Cam enter the holodeck and turned. "Cam?" She wasn't sure why he came onto the holodeck, or why he was leaving, but if he wanted to see the first officer, she didn't want to get in his way.

Joren didn't say anything, but one of his eyebrows did creep up before focusing back on Kara. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Damn" Cam said under his breath as he paused at the door. He didn't want to interrupt, but he couldn't avoid her forever. Turning around, Cam stepped back inside and walked over to the pair, "Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt, could I borrow Kara for a moment?"

"No, but thank you," Kara said to Joren. She appreciated his asking, but this was something she needed to deal with herself.

Then she turned to Cam. "Okay." She nodded toward a corner of the gym. "We can talk back there."

Giving her a nod of agreement, Cam followed Kara over to the corner. Clearing his throat, he tried to be as professional as he could right now, "thank you for your time. I'd like to get your opinion on a training regime I've drawn up for the marines. Captain Rye wants me to whip the newer marines into shape, and I’d like your help with it"

That wasn't what she expected--or was it hoped--and she was a little disappointed by his response--which made her angry at herself. She'd filed for divorce. She thought she had good reasons, too. She had no right to have second thoughts now. "Umm...sure. I'll be happy to help." She was keenly aware that the commander wasn't far away. "Do you want to get Commander Tal's opinion on your basic idea?"

Cam raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "um, yea sure" he then turned to Joren, "If you'd like to give some input Commander" he said to him. Cam was a little surprised that Kara would suggest for the XO to be included in this conversation. After all it was a simple marine training exercise. Did he really have such an effect on her?

Kara didn't wait to hear if the XO would join them or not. She headed back to the corner to give herself a minute to control her reaction to Cam. Again.

Watching Kara walk off, Cam chose to leave her be for now and instead discuss his plans with the XO, "so, Commander, I want to run the marines through a team on team exercise in the holodeck. This will be a king of the hill scenario with both sides objective to capture and hold a central point"

A slightly raised eyebrow was the only reaction Joren gave to Kara storming off. Having read the files, he knew that there was some.. history between the two. While it wasn't his job to reconcile whatever feelings or emotions there were between the two, it *was* his job to ensure the crew worked together.

For the time being, he focused his attention back on Captain Bourne. "Sounds like a plan. I myself enjoy a team exercise on the holodeck every now and then." With a glint of mischief in his eyes, he added "I might even join myself."

Cam cocked an eyebrow, "hmm, an interesting idea. That would allow me to observe from the outside rather than while I ran one of the teams. Your help would be appreciated Commander"

"Very well. Anything else you need, Captain?" In the corner of his eye Joren saw Kara wildly punching one of the sandbags, pointedly ignoring this side of the room.

Kara knew she should go back and talk to them. She should let Cam explain what he had in mind as he was her superior officer. She should show more self-control. She steadied the bag. This wasn't working. Forcing herself to be calm, she returned to the other two. "Sorry, I wanted you to talk to the commander first." It was a lame excuse, but she wasn't going to tell Cam she was thrown off by his appearance. "Do you still need to talk to me?"

Looking to Kara as she came back over, Cam knew he had to talk to her about things. Not only as her Ex, but also as the division XO as that was part of his duties. Turning back to Joren, Cam nodded, “not right now, thank you commander. I’ll keep you updated. For now, May we have the room for a moment?”

Briefly looking over the two, Joren simply nodded and posted himself outside of the holodeck, outside of earshot.

Waiting for Joren to leave, Cam let out a long sigh before turning to Kara, “can we talk?”

She didn't want to talk, but she knew she had unresolved feelings about him that were driving her nuts. Might as well get it over with now. "Okay."

Giving a sigh, Cam figured he should just get to it, "look, we can't just avoid each other the whole time. we're going to have to work together. I know I left and I'm sorry, but I need to be able to rely on you"

That stung. She'd never shirked her duty as a Marine. At the same time, she couldn't tell him she hadn't stopped loving him. They were divorced and he moved on. It was her fault that she couldn't do the same. "You've just...taken me off guard. I'm not going to do anything to compromise you or my responsibilities."

Cam gave Kara a smile, "I know you won't, I definitely wasn't questioning your abilities as a marine. I meant that I didn't want anything to be strained between us. I understand why you wanted the divorce, and I should never have left, but I'm hoping we can be friendly at least" he said, his eyes almost pleading. His mind was screaming at him to just tell her how he felt, but he didn't want to push thing to far so soon after returning.

Friends? The word felt like a punch to her gut. The look in his eyes told her that he wanted them to just be friends, but she didn't know if she could do it. Especially if that meant he wanted to date someone on the ship. That would be more than she could handle. She wished she could get a read on his emotions, but her empathic and telepathic abilities had short-circuited with her emotional overload. "Sure," she lied. "I don't want to cause you any problems." That part was true enough.

Taking a breath, Cam nodded. For now, that was as good an answer as he could hope for, "I know" he said, handing her his PADD, "here, if you could look this over and get back to me with any feedback, I'd appreciate it"

She stared down at the PADD and nodded. "I'll do that." Was she crying? No. She refused to cry. Once she heard Cam leave, she sank down to the deck, wrapped her arms around her knees, and did.

End:

Captain Cameron Bourne
Marine XO
USS Calypso

1st Lieutenant Kara melo
Platoon Leader
USS Calypso

Commander Joren Tal
Executive Officer
USS Calypso

 

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