Call from Home
Posted on Tue Aug 30th, 2016 @ 1:41am by Commander Elliot Drake
Mission:
Writing Challange - Mail Call
Location: Personal Quarters
“And this one… this one is of you, Uncle Elliot.” Seven year old Julia Bennett showed off her drawing while sitting on her mother’s lap. The drawing was rudimentary, and consisted mostly of stick figures and rough geometric shapes that represented clothes. But to Julia, and to her uncle Elliot, it was an amazing work of art.
“That’s great, Jules. You’re becoming quite the little artist,” Elliot replied with a warm smile. Most days it felt like there was little to smile about. He had seen more names on those casualty lists that he knew then he’d care to count. Everyday hearing about defeat after defeat tended to leave him jaded and cynical. But his chats with his sister and the kids gave him a warm feeling, even if only for a short time. “Maybe Mommy can send me a copy of it so I can hang it up in my quarters?”
The proud mother smiled and stroked her daughter’s hair. “Sure thing, Elliot. I’ll send you a copy tonight.”
Julia’s ten year old brother, James, was getting a little impatient with his sister’s accolades. He had his own show and tell. “Uncle Elliot, look what Dad bought me!” He leaned in front of the monitor pushing Julia out of view to hold up a model of an Akira-class starship. There were no markings on it to designate a name, but in his nephew’s eyes, there was only one ship it could be. “I’ve got my own Manoora now!” His excitement of the new toy was further demonstrated by a strafing run against his sister, complete with laser sounds and explosions.
“Mommy! Make him stop!” Julia yelled, annoyed with her brother’s sudden attack.
“James, stop blowing up your sister!” Michelle Bennett reprimanded, to little effect. “Why don’t you tell your Uncle Elliot goodbye and get ready for bed.”
The requested elicited groans from both of the children. “Bye, Uncle Elliot,” they said in unison.
“Bye, Julia. Bye, James. I’ll talk to you soon,” Elliot replied, smiling as he watched the kids run off.
Michelle called off to them as they ran away. “Don’t forget to brush your teeth. I’ll be in there soon to tuck you in.” She took a deep breath and rolled her eyes towards her brother. “Kids,” she muttered under her breath.
Elliot was still smiling at the exchange. Sometimes he felt like he was living a normal life vicariously through his sister and her family. “What would you do without them?” he asked rhetorically. “They seem to be taking things pretty well.”
“Relatively, I suppose. David and I have been trying to shield them as much as we can. We figured they won’t be so scared if they don’t know how bad things have gotten. I know you probably can’t tell me much, but has there been any signs of light?”
Elliot shook his head as his smile faded away. “I’m afraid not. Most of our offensives have stalled or completely repelled. We’ve been lucky enough that our missions have been mostly on patrols or away from the front. We haven’t been in many major operations. I suppose you could consider it a sign of light that the Dominion hasn’t pushed very far into Federation territory, but they’ve been mostly just tightening their grip on Deep Space Nine. The minefield is still up, so that’s a blessing I suppose.”
“Well, it’s better than nothing. Knowing that you’re out there at all, I’ll take any blessing I can get.”
“How’s Mom and Dad doing? Mom doesn’t like talking about the war, and Dad never gets a chance to ask me about it.”
“Oh, and he won’t,” Michelle answered. “Not if Mom has any say about it. I think he hides out in the barn just so he can read FNS reports. Mom’s always been worried about you being in Starfleet. Now if anyone even reminds her that there’s a war going on, she flips out. I think she’s one battle away from a nervous breakdown.”
“I’m sorry that I stuck you with dealing with that mess,” Drake replied with a remorseful grimace. “She’s never been great at handling stress.”
“No, she hasn’t, but it’s not your fault. As much as she worries, she’s still proud of you. We all are. I know I’m terrified about this war, but I feel a lot better knowing that Elliot Drake is on the front lines.”
Elliot chuckled, a rare sight these days. “I’m glad one of us does. I’m personally not too keen on the idea, but I suppose it is the job I signed up for.”
“Just be careful out there. You know not a day goes by that we’re not thinking about you out there, fighting for all of us that can’t.”
“I’m always careful, sis. You can be sure of that.”
“Well, I should probably get going. What’s the over-under on the kids brushing their teeth?” Michelle asked.
“Oh, no way in hell. Did we ever listen when Mom told us to get ready for bed?” Elliot replied with a grin.
“Good point. Stay safe out there Elliot. I’ll talk to you soon. Love you!”
“Love you too, Michelle. Don’t forget to tell David hi for me.” Elliot waved at the image of his sister right before she disconnected. Her face was quickly replaced by the generic Starfleet emblem, and Elliot leaned back in his chair to reflect. It felt like his calls to home were fewer and farther between. If there was a bright light to all of this fighting, though, it was seeing the smiling faces of his niece and nephew, reminding him that there was still some good, and innocence, left in the galaxy.
Commander Elliot Drake
Executive Officer
USS Manoora
