Why Stop Now?

Posted on 15 Apr 2026 @ 10:57am by Lieutenant Nicholas Miller
Edited on on 15 Apr 2026 @ 7:58pm

910 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: The Starfall Carnival
Location: USS Aarawyn

=*= Counseling Offices, USS Arawyn =*=

It had been a long shift and even as wiped out as he was Nick was still satisfied. Sleep had been neglected but his mind had been unable to rest with so much to be done. Arawyn herself was now in good hands, the damage done to the ship would be seen to by skilled hands and made ready but that placed a toll on every engineer available and the command crew as well to see that things were handled. That meant short timelines, high standards and a demand on the entire crew to step their game up whether fair or not. Making things harder was Arawyn's recent tutorial in loss, something the recently assembled crew was facing in large part for the first time, Nick had spent more time than he'd anticipated speaking with the 'lower' ranking officers many of whom had only recently arrived and had just encountered their first experiences with chaos. It was a difficult situation for anyone to trudge through, to find out that despite every preparation and anticipation one could muster there were still events to come that you just couldn't be ready for.

As he closed out his report logs for the evening, making sure to note for the CCns' sake just how much Engineering seemed to be struggling with their workload at the moment, Miller looked to the flask on the corner of his desk and cracked a grin. He'd already used it a few times and had to admit that his father had been pretty sharp about a few things. Inside the flask was a simple mixture; citric acid, black pepper and honey. All the flavor markings of a strong liqour without any of the side effects. He'd used it a few times since boarding and found it to be a great resource, more often than not another officer didn't look at him with the same suspicion when the flask was produced and offered as an olive branch of understanding.

Earning trust was hard enough as a medical officer to begin with, let alone the added struggle of being accepted as an ally. His time on Zetari had been very educational, officers by and large had been very hesitant to reveal excessive information to him lest it affect their careers.

Nick stood from his desk and headed to the replicator for another coffee. He was already up far too late and the next duty shift was a scant few hours away but the sensation of progression and achievement was too much for his body to rest. Good work had been done today and could be paid for later, that last trip to quarters and his bed made only that much sweeter. While exhausted the temptation to get more work done was just too enticing. At the very least he could organize things for tomorrow, take a nap, and get a head start on the next shift., While his mind was revved up and ready to go the body was calling it a day. He'd already nodded off a couple times and knew that he was circling the drain.

"Computer, espresso. Caramel." he mumbled, knowing that it would be enough to get him through the next hour and then all bets were off. A fresh coffee would do a lot to get him through all the reports and patient records needed to conclude the day. Everyone on Arawyn had been through a severe amount of strife since he'd been on board and recent events hadn't helped in the least. For now the ship was safe and the crew able to focus again on the tasks before them. Live had been lost and each crewmember was processing that reality in their own way, how much damage had been truly done only time would tell. Nick took a sip of coffee and smirked to himself, while potent with caffeine there was little response from his body. "You're too damned tired to be up this late" he muttered with a snciker.

Miller looked around the office, pleased with the environment. A few paintings added with scenic views, easily arranged and suited to each patient designed to reflect landscapes comfortable to them. Multiple seating options so that each patient felt the power of choice and control. He had a desk for work but had made it a point to put it in the corner, visibly not the focus of the room. The coffee table in the center held a half-finished jigsaw puzzle, an idle distraction for both himself and those that needed a few moments to process their thoughts. There was more he wanted to do, hopefully encouraging his crewmates to seek him out, but that would have to wait until after some solid rack time.

"You knew damn well coffee was the wrong idea this late." Miller stared down into his mug and shook his head. The morning briefing was sneaking up scary fast and he knew he was going to pay for partying past his bedtime. He looked to the bosnai on his desk and chuckled, tipping the coffee towards it. "Just keep growing? Right....."

Nick realized he'd never given the tree a proper title. "You seem like a Ray..... yeah. Let's call it a night Ray, cya in the morning." Miller set his empty mug down and let things lie for the morning. For now, sleep was the solution

--- End Log ---

Lt Nicholas Miller
Cns
USS Arawyn

 

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