Checking Back In

Posted on Tue Feb 28th, 2023 @ 6:29am by Lieutenant Mark Valleroy & Captain Calypso Skyie & Ensign Rene Rouen & Lieutenant JG Jenna Jade

Mission: The Interim
Location: Various points on the ship

Rene led the way through the embarkation tube to the Chimera side. He paused just outside the inner airlock door and spoke to the Petty Officer Second Class sitting at a small collapsible table. "Ensign Rene Rouen and party requests permission to come aboard."

The POOW (Petty Officer of the Watch) looked up from his PADD and nodded. "Permission granted and welcome back sir."

Rene stepped across onto the deck, faced the United Federation of Planets banner on the bulkhead and saluted before turning back to the POOW. "Thank you Tanner. Good to be back." He turned and ushered the two teenagers that had been following him forward. "Louis, Amelie please."

Louis and Amelie stepped on to the ship and mumbled a greeting to the POOW. They then followed Rene to his quarters where Rene had them place their bags on the couch before turning to his brother and sister and speaking briefly. "Je serai bientot de retour." He departed and headed for the bridge.

Rene stepped off the turbo-lift and saw Jenna at the engineering subsystems console along the portside bulkhead. "Hi. I'm back."

"Oh mah god!" Jenna dropped the PADD in her hands that clattered to the deck as she saw him, abandoning her station as she rushed over to him and threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight, "Thank god you're back! Ah was so scared we'd be leavin' before you returned and Ah don't know what I would have done about that!" She shot a look over at the officer in the center chair, keeping it warm for the Captain, "Perhaps we should go to my quarters, or yours?"

"Later." Rene looked tired and not in the best of spirits. He knew she was curious about his sudden departure several weeks ago. "Swing by my quarters when you get off. I will explain everything then."

She nodded with a worried look, then leaned up to give him a kiss on the lips, squeezing him tight one more time before releasing him, "You shoulda taken me with you, Rene, Ah could've been some help, Ah'm sure. But later, all right."

Rene stepped over to the Captain's Ready Room door where he knew Lieutenant Valleroy was. He took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh as he tapped the door chime.

"Come in." Cally's voice rang out as the chime sounded. She and Mark had been going over the security team's arrangements for the last half hour, the various shift leads and the works. As Rene entered the room, she stood from her chair with a slight smile, "Welcome back, Rene, I presume that everything at home has been resolved?"

Rene nodded. His expression was still one of a man grieving and somewhat lost. "There is one issue that needs to be addressed." He paused for a moment, not exactly sure how to address the issue regarding his siblings.

Cally both saw and felt the hesitation, she didn’t even need to use her empathic sense for that it was so obvious, “Rene, I know you’ve been gone for a while and the Four know that we could have used you several times during that period, but I’d like to think that in the time before then that you’d gotten used to the informality I prefer.” Her wise smile turned more quirky, “In other words, spit it out.”

Rene took a deep breath. "Um, what with the death of my older siblings along with my parents in the fire and my grandfather really to old to take custody of Louis and Amelie. The courts awarded me custody. It was either that or foster care." He paused to let his words sink in for a moment. "Right now my younger brother and sister are in my quarters. My quarters aren't big enough for the three of us and I know Amelie isn't going to want to share quarters with her two brothers. I was hoping to speak with you both about...options."

"You very much have our condolences on your loss," Mark said, reflecting on the loss of his own parents and the later imprisonment of his brother and sister-in-law that had led to him getting the custody of his two nephews. "I'm one who can certainly empathize with the situation, and I for one certainly do not see problems with making arrangements for adjustments to the living situation."

“The good news is that we’re still running light on personnel, about eighty percent.” Calypso shrugged as she sat back down and waved to another of the chairs for him, “Not as many civilians as expected, so we should have some family unit quarters available on one of the mid-decks. Talk to Ensign Xiang to have the quarters assigned and… Miss Erilin in the lounge, let her know I’m asking her to be a civilian liaison in addition to whatever else she has going on. She won’t complain, much.”

Rene had listened attentively to Mark and Calypso as they offered up recommendations for his and his siblings situation. The offer to billet him and his siblings in the family quarters had come as a surprise. Those were limited and usually restricted for use by the senior staff with spouses and/or children. "I...I don't know what to say. Merci Captain and you as well Lieutenant Valleroy." A bit of relief washed over him.

"Je vous en prie." Cally said quietly, it was always good to know how to say 'thank you' and 'you're welcome' in as many languages as possible, along with 'Where is the bathroom.' "We're a family here on Chimera, not just individuals. As I know you're aware, we're going to be leaving Federation space in the next couple of days, so best we get going along as mean to keep going. I'm not always heartless, you know."

Rene gave a tired nod. He was going to need to get Louis and Amelie settled in before he would be able to focus on his duties. "Oui Captain. I just need a day to get my brother and sister squared away. Introduced them to the people who will be the most helpful in the days to come."

"If you need any help with that," Mark said, "let me know and I'll see what I can do. Like the captain said, we stick together around here."

Rene gave Mark a nod of appreciation. "Merci. I will probably be asking you for advice...quite often actually. I fear I am way out of my comfort zone."

Mark nodded, then turned to Cally. "If there is nothing else, perhaps we should let the ensign go now. He still has some things to attend to before calling it a day."

"Right." Cally nodded, "Go on and be about it, Ensign. We'll put you back on duty oh... Day after tomorrow, get settled back in first."

Rene nodded to both Cally and Mark. "Thank you both." He departed the ready room.

Calypso raised an eyebrow at Mark, "Well Mark, this should be interesting, don't you think?"

"That may be the understatement of the year," Mark said.

Rene crossed to Jenna. "See you in a couple of hours. I will explain everything then."

Jenna nodded, her face beaming in excitement and genuine happiness. "Ah'll come to your quarters as soon as Ah'm off." She promised.

Rene entered the turbolift and headed for the administrative and personnel offices for quarters reassignment.