Beyond A Stressful Workout

Posted on Mon Mar 3rd, 2025 @ 1:23pm by Commander Joren Tal & 1st Lieutenant Kara Melo

1,277 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Broken Mirror
Location: Calypso Holodeck
Timeline: Immediately after "A Stressful Workout"

ON

Kara took a moment to get control of herself, but she didn't dare take any longer. She knew the commander was just outside and likely to return at any moment. She wiped her face with the bottom of her t-shirt and stood, slipping the PADD into a pocket. She had to get control of herself. She couldn't keep falling apart every time she saw Cam or she'd be sent to see the counselor. Bela was nice enough, but Kara wasn't ready to talk to her about her love life--or lack thereof.

She began stretching out, hoping the commander wouldn't notice anything amiss.

Joren returned into the holodeck a little while after Bourne left. "Lieutenant." While Kara had done a decent job hiding her outward signs of crying, she still gave the energy of someone desperately trying, and only marginally succeeding, not to fall apart. "Are you ok?"

Kara looked at the commander for a moment and considered lying. Then she sighed. "I will be. Seeing Cam again has been...a shock, but I'll be fine once it wears off." At least she hoped so.

"You'll be fine. Eventually." Joren thought about his losses, albeit not love related - most of his life was consumed by work and/or idealism. "I'm not a therapist. But if you need someone to vent..." Walking to the side of the simulated gym, he grabbed 2 round punching targets, sliding them over his hands, inviting Kara to throw a few punches.

She smiled. "I don't want to talk, and I don't need a hug from the counselor, but throwing a few punches sounds great. Thanks." She put on a pair of gloves and went over to the commander to punch the targets. "I appreciate this, sir. I promise, I don't usually fall apart."

"We are Starfleet. We are the best of the best." Joren stated as he skillfully used the targets for Kara to train. "But we're also people. We all have our triggers, our weaknesses, our ways of coping with things. Yet we, as a group, can still be the best. By working together and covering for each other's weaknesses." Joren studied Kara's form for a while. "You're punching with your arms. You can conserve energy and improve your effectiveness by using momentum from your core."

She nodded, grateful for his words, and that he kept them generic. She could focus on her workout right now and think about Cam later. Unfortunately, she knew she couldn't keep herself from thinking about him. She re-positioned herself and focused on using her core to punch.

"That's it. Use the momentum of your rotation. Feel how your punches land with much more effectiveness." Joren took a bit more time just coaching Kara's form and movements, letting her decide if and when to talk about anything else.

She didn't talk. Instead, Kara focused on the movement, on controlling each punch rather than the random--and less effective--punches at first when she was going off emotion rather than logic. The concentration helped her focus her thoughts and slowly calm down. And the routine itself was calming and helped her center.

Eventually Joren tapped out, sweat on his brow. "There's nothing wrong with your endurance, I can tell you that much." Putting down the targets, he grabbed a towel to toss to Kara, before grabbing one himself to wipe off his forehead. "I usually use this simulation once a week or so. But right now, I'm looking forward to a shower and a cup of Raktajino."

She took the towel and wiped off her face and neck. "It's a good way to work off unwanted emotions." Or even wanted ones, she admitted to herself. She leaned against the bulkhead and watched the commander for a moment. "I appreciate your help, and your silence. But I owe you an explanation. I know you won't ask, but you'll find out soon enough, and I'd rather tell you myself."

She closed her eyes for a moment, then sighed. "Cam and I met a few years ago when he was assigned to the Calypso. We spent time together on away teams and slowly began to spend our off-time together as well. We were both Marines and we understood that it meant something more than being a Fleeter." She chuckled and shook her head. "No offense meant, sir. Neither of us had any problems with Starfleet. It's just that, we had to do more and be more. There's no off-duty with the Corps. But we were both dedicated to our jobs and it worked. It worked so well we got married."

She smiled at the memory of their time together, then it slowly faded. "And then he was transferred. We tried to get together, to arrange for leave, but with one thing and another, it just didn't happen. Either He was on assignment somewhere or we were in the middle of something. And getting together through the holodeck system isn't the same for a telepath. I couldn't feel him, not his thoughts or emotions. There wasn't the bonding that came with being in the same room. It hurt. A lot. After a while, I came to the conclusion that a marriage that wasn't a marriage wasn't fair to him. He had a wife he never saw and rarely spoke to. We mostly left each other messages. I finally decided that the best thing I could do for him was to file for divorce. Give him his freedom to find someone else who was better for him." She shrugged, once again feeling like her emotions were going to choke her. "I hadn't heard from him in over a year. I didn't even know he was back in the Corps. Not until he showed up here. And...well... Seeing him again, here, hit me hard. I'll get control of myself. I promise you that. And I won't let it affect my duty to the Calypso. I just need...time to process this."

"The marriage, and the divorce, are in your files." Joren said, matter of factly. "That said, I appreciate your explanation. Take your time to process this. Talk to people. Check in with the councilor, or whoever you trust to be able to give these feelings a place." Joren put down the towel. "I'll admit, I know little about love. But I do know a thing or two about loss. And it can be hard. It can take a while. Sometimes these feelings never truly fade. But eventually, you at least can get to grips with them."

She nodded. "You're right. I'll be okay." She knew the counselor was good--in spite of her penchant for hugging everyone--but there were some things she just wasn't ready to talk about. "This did help. Thank you, sir."

"Any time." Joren nodded, before starting towards the door of the holodeck, and a well-deserved shower.

Kara stayed on the holodeck for a while, thinking about her reactions since she first saw Cam in the shuttle bay. A year ago, she honestly felt that divorce was the best thing for both of them. Especially when he was no longer in the SFMC. He'd moved on with his life and she believed he'd moved on from her.

But now...now she could no longer lie to herself about her feelings for him. Just like she couldn't pretend that he felt the same way she did. She straightened and tossed the towel into the laundry bin as she headed out the door. She was still a Marine. She needed to act like one.

OFF

1st Lieutenant Kara Melo
Alpha Platoon Leader
USS Calypso

Commander Joren Tal
Executive Officer
USS Calypso

 

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