“Ok, I’m being ridiculous. This is just silly. I am perfectly capable of acting like an adult, and I am not going to hide in the bathroom.” She looked over at the door.
“Beka? You in here?” She swallowed.
“Yeah, uh, just a minute!” Taking a deep breath she left the bathroom, plastering on a smile for him. “Uh, so, what brings you here?”
“Just wanted to see how you were doing. You weren’t on the Maru.” She gave a small nervous giggle as she walked across the room, fidgeting fretfully.
“Uh, yeah, no I wasn’t. Um, I just thought I’d stay in here for a bit. You know, change of scenery and all that.” Looking a little confused, he nodded slowly.
“O…kay. Well, I guess I’ll just…”
“Yeah, you just go back to the Maru or your quarters or wherever you want to go and I’ll see you later,” she cut in, not wanting to take the chance that wasn’t what he was going to suggest.
“Um, well…”
“Yeah, wherever you want to go,” she stressed and looking quite uncertain, he turned and walked out of the door.
“Just call me…”
“If I need you, yeah yeah, I know.” As the door closed she gave a small defeated sigh and slumped down on the floor. She didn’t even want to think about where wherever you want to go would be. She wasn’t sure why it disturbed her so much, Harper and Rommie. He had always hit on Rommie, and it had never bothered her. Maybe because Harper hit on everyone, and it never meant anything. He’d done his fair share of hitting on her when they first met, but it had died out. As far as Beka was concerned, there were three possible reasons for this.
1. They’d grown quite close and he respected her too much as a captain and friend.
2. He’d given up because his advances never got him anywhere.
3. There were just so many better targets to hit on.
She pondered this for a moment. They had grown close over the years and people don’t hit on their best friend. Then again, it still seemed unlikely considering it was Harper. And he respected Rommie, didn’t he? But well, apparently he now loved Rommie.
Reason number two she discarded immediately. Not getting anywhere had never stopped him before.
So then there was three. She tried not to think of it, but that was probably it. What did she have on Rommie, what did she have on the numerous beautiful women they kept encountering? She shook her head with a small growl.
“Stop thinking like that,” she reminded herself, “why does it suddenly matter what Harper thinks? Why does it suddenly matter what anyone thinks?” Standing back up again she walked back to the bathroom to have a very long shower.
****
“Ok, so what the hell do I do now? Sheesh, I thought it was going fine, but oh no! Things just have to get complicated, don’t they? Right so…what do I do? It was all going fine but now she doesn’t want to know me and I have no idea why!”
“Harper,” Andromeda’s hologram enquired, “can I help you?” He flinched at her sudden appearance.
“Uh, no, I don’t think so.” He kept pacing and she moved, popping up in front of him. “Please. Don’t do that.”
“I am sorry Harper. However, I am concerned about your well-being.”
“Oh, now you’re concerned,” he replied sarcastically.
“I am responsible for the physical and emotional state of my crew, and right now I would say your emotional state is…not very good. So I am offering my help. What is the problem?”
“Like you don’t know! You heard me talking to myself, didn’t you?”
“Yes. So. Harper, you have to understand the recovery is not consistent. It has its good days and it has its bad days. Sometimes you take a step forward and sometimes you take a step back. It’s just the way it is!” He swallowed guiltily.
“It’s not…well, of course it is but…it wasn’t the recovery I was…mainly concerned about.”
“I see. You are more concerned about the fact that she pushes you away.”
“Well, sort of. I mean…it’s got to do with the recovery-thing as well! But…yeah, I know I can’t take it…things…further, and I’m trying to respect that! But she doesn’t even want me around now! What did I do wrong, Rommie?”
“You probably didn’t do anything. Harper, you have to understand most things she does will be related to her illness, especially when they’re irrational. She doesn’t mean to push you away, but things get rather messed up in her head. Maybe you should just leave her alone for today, maybe try again tonight?”
“Well…” Harper tried to think of something, “if I do that, who’s going to make sure she eats something?” He looked at her triumphantly as she searched for an answer.
“When was the last time she did?” Harper frowned.
“Uh…must have been at least twenty-four hours ago.”
“Oh.” She looked dumbfounded for a moment.
“So…I’ll just go there now? See if I can…” She gave him a determined glance.
“No. We’ve been putting too much pressure on you. I’m sending Trance. You go do something…recreational.” She popped out and Harper sighed in frustration. When would someone ever listen to him?
