Firetrap

Posted on 01 Jun 2014 @ 3:00am by Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark

559 words; about a 3 minute read

"I think we got the bar installed at just the right time....things are heating up around here."

Gabriel shook his head, taking another sip of his ice cold vodka. He stretched in the chair, sighing as he glanced back to the screen that was recording his log.

"I mean, I know they're Cardassians, but I think we're more at risk of losing it than them at the moment, judging by some of the faces I've seen around here."

He shrugged, licking his lips in thought. "To be fair, I'm too young to have served during the war, that must colour your view. I saw the reports though, the news, I grew up with it in my life like everyone else."

Even as a kid, I thought it was weird when my father entertained a group of Cardassians. What with the war going on. I mean, a politician entertaining the 'enemy' during the conflict? I don't know. My father, even now, is a powerful force in politics. I don't think I want to know the secrets that went on behind closed doors in our house. Ignorance can keep me sane and out of bloody prison."

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as he tilted his head to the side, trying to get rid of the ache there. "I'm more pissed off that this whole thing led to holodeck group training in Security."

Group training always turns out bad in one way or another on the holodeck. Usually too many cooks syndrome. This time? I don't know. The team I was on, we completed the exercise, but...well, no thanks to me. It was all Amon," he shook his head with a weak smile looking down.

"I totally started to lose my grip. It felt real, like....the people we were trying to calm down, real. The fear and pain they'd been through, it felt real, and....seeing them feel threatened and being threatened when they'd already been traumatised and hurt?" he swallowed hard, his eyes reddening with unshed tears.

He shrugged weakly, taking a shaking breath. "I almost went into flashback. I could feel myself losing reality, my breath going, the sweat starting, the tingling in my hands. Amon brought me back down though. He could see it, I know he could. I just hope no one else in the department did. I know I had a fixed requirement for regular counselling in my medical file, but, well, I've managed to avoid it mostly so far. I'd like to bloody keep it that way."

Gabriel leant forward, rubbing his face. "It's so bloody frustrating. Put me in a fire fight, with a good rifle, and I can keep going with a cool head until either they drop or I do...and still walk into the bar for a drink and a laugh after. Put me in front of a crying girl? And I'm trying to punch Klingons, half way between anxiety attack and flaming rage. So bloody stupid."

He shook his head at himself, sighing as he ran his hands tightly through his dark hair. "I'm going to see if I can get some sleep. I've not slept well since the training. If I can grab a few decent hours, it'll probably look better in the morning."

Gabriel nodded to the screen before shutting the computer off.

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