In Transit, Captain Francis

Posted on Tue 1st Aug, 2023 @ 5:33am by Captain Gordon Francis

748 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Neither Yours Nor Mine
Location: Transport Ship on the way to SB-109
Timeline: MD0

“Hey dad!” Hannah said as the comm link opened.

Captain Gordon Francis smiled as he shifted his seating position in the uncomfortable cramped quarters aboard the tiny transport that would take him to the next stop in the travel to his new command position, Starbase 109.

“Hi there sweetheart,” Francis said. “I miss you so much!”

Hannah grinned and rolled her eyes. “We said goodbye less than two days ago...”

“Well every minute a parent has to be away from their children is like an eternity,” Francis said with a shrug. “You're a mother now, you should know that!”

Hannah smiled. “Actually, it's a lot worse for the baby. A baby hasn't established object permanence... so if mommy isn't there, she doesn't exist!” She said the last part in baby-speak as her husband handed her their new baby girl, Jessica. Francis felt his heart melt upon seeing his new granddaughter, whom he had held just two days ago. His son Richard had two boys, but Francis had never known them as babies. Hardly knew them at all. His other daughter Alana was just as distant. Francis had hardly spoken to them after his divorce with their mother Emily-Rose.

“It was so good to...” he stammered for a second, stifling a tear and the minutest breaks his voice may have had, “...see you again. I was glad to see everyone, even if they weren't glad to see me.”

“Dad,” Hannah said, her tone very reassuring and sympathetic, “don't beat yourself up over what Jojo said. He didn't mean...”

“Don't give me that, Hannah,” Francis interrupted. There was a flash of anger, frustration, and fear. “He meant every damn word he said... every darn word, I mean.” he added, remembering his granddaughter was right there. He never swore once when his children were growing up and he cursed himself for saying it in front of his newborn grandchild. He shook his head remembering the horrible things his youngest son, Joseph, had said about him. Francis could understand being angry, but Joseph absolutely hated him.

“OK, he meant every word,” Hannah conceded. “And even I am not going to pretend you were the best father... or husband to Mom, for that matter. But you are a good man. Starfleet wouldn't have given you the rank of Captain and command of a Starbase if that weren't the case.”

“They didn't give me those things because I'm a good man,” Francis said, smiling at her naive reassurance. Hannah got that from her mother, even if her mother was no longer like that. Falling out of love changes a person. It brings out the worst in a person and, sometimes, erases the best. “They gave it to me because I'm a good officer. And don't forget I was an Admiral at one point!”

“Some day you need to come clean and say what really happened with all that,” Hannah said. “Maybe then Jojo would begin to understand.”

“Yeah, well... that's not going to happen,” muttered the stubborn old man. He took off his glasses and began cleaning them with the jacket of his uniform. It was a subconscious way of communicating that he didn't want to talk about it. He wasn't aware of the behavior, but Hannah had seen him do it her entire twenty-eight year life... mostly to Mom when Hannah and her siblings were growing up. But by the time they were all adults, he had started doing it with them too. It was the simplest way for him to deflect. This time, Hannah let it be, and instead looked down at her newborn baby. The awkward silence between the two was proof there were elephants everywhere in both of their rooms, several solar systems apart.

“Your mother looked good,” Francis said at last.

“Yes she did,” Hannah said, eyes still on the baby. Francis hated the sudden antisocial display she gave off. He didn't realize she got that from him.

More dead silence.

“Well,” Francis said, feeling like he'd run out of things to talk about. “I think I'm going to find something to eat and then get a couple hours of sleep before my layover.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Hannah said, returning her gaze to Francis. “I think Little Jessica needs a nap too.” She smiled, and so did he. Captain Francis took one last, long look at the little baby's innocent face.

“I'll see you soon, Hannah. Love you.”

“I love you too Dad.”

 

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