Interrogation

Month 16 Day 10

08:01 Hours

Bugalu

Bugalu had just accepted the helm from A shift, and was about to ask the captain about piloting the shuttle between the 2 ships for the day when she beat him to it. "Lt Bugalu, before you go pilot the shuttle, I want to see you in my office."

"Yes, sir," he agreed, and followed her to her ready room.

Blossom got up and left as they entered. Captain Burke took a seat at her desk, and indicated he should also sit. "What in blazes is going on with MacDowell these days?"

What kind of information is she looking for? Does she know Mac is pregnant? I'm sure MacGregor told her, now that he officially knows. "Well, she's recuperating about as well as one can expect, considering they can't use a healing ray on her burns. She's working 12-hour shifts, but a kind of light duty..."

"I get that much from the daily reports I get from Dr MacGregor," she growled at him, Then she opened a drawer of her desk and took out 3 sheets of paper, spread them out in front of her. "3 Requests to get married," she identified them. "Each of them naming MacDowell as the intended bride. Whose bright idea was that?"

"Three?" I wonder if Smythe thought to renew his request? And was the idea MacGregor's, or did we each think of it on our own?

Burke must have thought he was asking, for she pointed to the papers one at a time. "Smythe. MacGregor. And you." She folded her hands together. "Marriage doesn't seem like a logical step for someone who claims to be her adopted brother."

"Well, she's between a rock and a hard place. I just want to make sure she's got plenty of options to choose from."

"And MacGregor? Is that what he's doing? Making sure she's got options?"

"You'd have to ask him. I don't know his reasons."

She gave a weary sigh and sat back in her chair. "Things would have been much simpler if she'd just married Smythe when they were engaged."

"It became obvious that he believed she was a liar and cheater. She didn't think that made a good basis for a marriage."

"She's right. And as it turned out, he didn't get a response from HQ about his request to marry her, which is why he's asked me to nudge that response along. Has he changed his opinion of her? Or is she willing to marry him anyway?"

Bugalu shook his head. "I don't know. She told me he 'reacted poorly' when he found out she was 'only' 6 weeks pregnant. So poorly that if he did propose to her again, she wasn't sure she'd accept. Then, the next thing I heard, he had done a complete turn-around, acted as if there was no doubt they would marry."

"Let me guess. She still has doubts."

"I think she wants to believe he's completely turned his thinking around, but with her background... her previous experiences... she doesn't know what to do."

"I can't blame her, if he's sent mixed signals." She sighed again. "You can't all marry her."

"Of course not. But on Gaelund, an unmarried mother is ostracized, tossed out of the family. Most turn to prostitution. The rest rely on whatever odd jobs they can find, making pennies to scrape by with. And maybe some help of family members who don't totally blame them for their situation."

"She doesn't have to return to Gaelund. For that matter, she could stay in the Fleet, although her choice of transfers would be curtailed."

"It's all part of her up-bringing, captain. It's hard to change that in a matter of days. And other than me, she doesn't have any family except on Gaelund. Nor friends, either."

"That's a sad story, but not true. She's made a lot of friends on this ship, and she can make friends at whatever position she transfers to." Bugalu frowned, and she asked, "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Captain, she has friends here, yes. But how many shipboard friends from when you were a lieutenant do you still communicate with regularly?"

"Alright, you've made your point. But my point remains that she'll need to make friends wherever she transfers to." She looked at the papers, gathered them up and shook them in the air. "And I'm afraid this stunt may backfire. Especially if HQ notices there are 3 requests for permission to marry the same bride!"

That doesn't sound good. "I thought the request was a formality."

"Usually, it is. But MacDowell's record won't show her in a good light. Look how hard we had to dig into her records to understand what had happened on those tugs. And, except for her grades, her record at the Academy isn't much better. Which reminds me, is this Lt Baker on the St Elmo the same Baker who gave her so much grief at the Academy?"

"The same," he confirmed. "Plus, he's to blame for the accident that landed her in their med bay with a burnt back."

"I would have thought Smitty would exert more control over him, if he's such a trouble-maker."

"He laid down rules and gave specific orders, but Baker ignored them. He's in the brig over there, probably saying that he was following Mr Facchini's orders. It worked for him at the Academy."

"Well, we've gotten off the subject," Burke said and laid the papers back on her desk. "I don't want to lose any of you, but if she decides to marry one of you, then I'll happily perform the ceremony. However, since I think multiple requests to marry may only complicate the process, can I at least count on you to rescind your request?"

Bugalu looked at his captain in shock. How can she ask such a thing? No, Mac and I aren't in love, but we have a kind of love, and I won't abandon her in her hour of need. "No, captain, I can't do it. I said I'd marry her, if she needs me to, and I can't renege on that."

"I had a feeling you were going to say that."

"If push comes to shove, can't you simply explain to HQ that we're trying to give Mac as many options as we can?"

Burke shook her head slightly. "I'm afraid they'd be more likely to assume that a beautiful young woman, caught in a bad situation, has convinced 3 officers to give her more options than she's entitled to. And 2 of them old enough to know better than to fall for any such conniving!"

"But that isn't the situation at all!"

"Maybe not. But I'm afraid that's what it will look like to HQ." She tossed the papers back into her desk drawer. "Well, go ahead. Go pilot the shuttle for the day. Don't forget to look in on MacDowell and give her my best wishes for a speedy recovery."

"Thank you, captain. I'm sure she'll appreciate the thought."