Letters, Lunch and Life Lessons (Day 3, Afternoon)

Serena wasn’t especially hungry, but she did make a sandwich for the crew chief after Doctah Adluh gave him a letter from Jacy. *Eavesdropping*was a new hobby, and, like the crew chief said, as long as she didn't get caught, he wouldn’t have to do anything about it. She’d giggled as Yeva made suggestive comments. The crew chief wasn’t comfortable about that at all. Once she’d tried to explain how Gil made her t Her exuberance was stowed for the time being also as she still tried to figure out what her stupid heart wanted. When she was with the doc, he made sense, and when she was with the crew chief, he made sense. The nun Lyen didn’t say anything about what to do if your heart was torn up in two pieces. Maybe that’s the reason it weren’t saying nothing.

Normally the sight of the doc could brighten her mood tenfold, but today she balked when he came into the galley to get himself a cup of coffee. She wanted to avoid him asking about the gun, knowing she didn’t have any sort of answer for him in regards to going into town, and instead offered up the first sandwich she made to *procrastinate* having to make the decision. “It’s got mustard,” she warned, “but Ah can make one without if you aren’t a fan.”

The medic smiled. “Typically not,” he said as he joined her, “but life’s tah be lived. Is there still coffee about? Decent sandwich,” he said after a bite. “Sure wouldn’t mind Marisol’s cookin’ once more.”

Serena kicked the rim of the cabinet, at the name. Marisol - the engineer who was giving up on all of them. The situation left a worse taste in the teen’s mouth than Captain Keller’s lousy old blue label whiskey.

“Ah seen her this morning,” She groused, not hiding the tone in her voice. A cup of coffee was poured and set down for the doc before going back to make a replacement sandwich for the crew chief. “She quit. Said was time for her to move on not on this ship. She can just stay here then for all ah care. She left her own kids, don't know why ah'm surprised she's leavin' me, ah mean... us too."

"Mmmmm." He said over a sip of the fresh brewed coffee. "A harsh assessment, mei-mei." Serena inadvertently rolled her eyes. Who cares if it’s harsh? Leaving is harsh. She couldn’t help but sulk.

"It ain’t.” She replied, brooding. “This is a great ship. Ah don't know why she wants ta leave it. If she wants ta get back home, we're headin' that way. Or to tha Skyplex. It don't make no sense."

"Well, then...perhaps yah should ask her. Ah hear we know where she's stayin'."

"Can't." The teen replied petulantly. Doctah Adluh was making sense and offering solutions and the deckhand was in no mood for either.
"That's a pity,” he said over a bite of his sandwich, taking a minute to chew before replying. "One thing Ah know 'bout Marisol. She makes a decision, yah can bet there's a solid reason behind it."

"That's why Ah can't. If Ah know the reason, Ah may not be mad, and if Ah can't be mad, it'll hurt, an' not even your chair can fix that." She admitted. Doctah Adluh didn’t even flinch.

"Depends upon tha reason, Ah s'pose. I personally prefer tha truth tah second hand accounts."

The teen snorted, just like the crew chief when something *disgusted*him. "Ah have a good imagination. Jjust on account of somethin' bein' the truth don't mean it'd hurt no less. An' if she didn't even tell you tha truth, what chance do Ah get hearin' it. ‘Sides, Ah ain’t moonbrained. Ah know it don't have nothing to do with me, and nothin' Ah say is gonna change her mind. She don't wanna be on this ship, but you know what? Not all ships are like this one. Ah'm already gonna be worryin' bout what happens to her next, even if she don’t care what happens to me.” Selfish was the word. Marisol was being selfish, not caring what happened to her or Lyen or the doc. “Goin' ta see her is just gonna make the hurt last longer.”

Dorian took another sip of his coffee calmly. If Serena was looking for an argument, there was none to be found in Doctah Adluh. "Interesting. So, if Ah understand, yah'd rathah fantasize a reason tah minimize tha hurtful emotions yah don't wish tah feel. Is that about right?"

"Yeah, only it sounds bad when you say it out loud even with ya fancy words.” She admitted warily. This was some sort of trap, where he’d point out that her line of thinking was wrong, but Serena was ready for him. “What's wrong with not wantin' to be hurt? That's why they make oven mitts."

"Good analogy. Yah use an oven mitt tah keep from gettin' burned...but sometimes it still happens, correct? So, let me ask, what do yah do when yah get burned?"

She narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out his play. "Ah go see you an' you put somethin' on it tah make it feel bettah." *Analogy. Banked.*

"That's right. We do what it takes tah heal tha burn. We don’t make believe there is no burn, do we? Yah emotions are tha same. Somethin' hurt 'em, tryin' tah make believe isn't a cure at all. At tha end, yah still have tha hurt."

“Yeah but…” She stammered, “She doesn’t….There ain’t no band-aid make believe or not …” The teen’s shoulders dropped in defeat as she slathered on mustard for the crew chief’s sandwich. “Ah guess that makes sense. Maybe Ah'll go. Maybe. In any case,” she grumbled, “gettin' burned teaches yah next time to be real careful 'fore sticking your hand in the ruttin' oven."

"Life's full of hurts,” he observed. “When yah care 'bout people, yah gonna get hurt. Doesn't mean yah stop carin'. “

Serena stared over at him. Was there anything the doctah didn’t know? He was ah-mazing. "Ah dunno, Ah think if Ah get enough burns Ah'd start to just eat sandwiches. Thanks, Ghuh. Ah still don't like it, at all. But havin' you makes everthin' hurt less. Always has since day one Ah met yah." She gave him a quick hug around the shoulders.

"What a very kind thing tah say. Thank yah.” He finished his sandwich and coffee, before dabbing at his lips with a napkin. “Time fah me tah start work."

“Me too. I gotta get back, Gil is still in town so I’m gonna take care of his share.” Serena replied, putting the ship’s doctor’s plate and mug in the sink before picking up the Crew Chief’s sandwich. “Someday? I’m gonna be smart like you, with all the answers.”