Oh Brother, What Aren't Thou pt1

Posted on Mon Sep 15th, 2025 @ 3:29am by Lieutenant JG Christian Rogers
Edited on on Mon Sep 15th, 2025 @ 3:55am

1,851 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: What was Lost is Found
Location: Crew Quarters
Timeline: Morning after Just AnotherTraining Day

Kawolski walked into the main living space of the quarters, securing the towel around his waist. During the time while he brushed his teeth and shaved he realized it was about time to get a haircut again. it was almost to the point where the hair on the side of his head was more than visible, it covered his skin. That, he had learned long ago, was unacceptable.

He glanced over to see Brooks sitting on his bunk, his feet dangling. The left ankle was still slightly swollen and the purple/green/yellow bruising was faded.

"You need help getting down?" Kawolski asked, stopping in the middle of the room. He'd intended to order up a quick snack from the replicator to tide him over while he dressed and before he could get to the Mess for a proper meal. He'd argued with Brooks that he should have moved to to the top bunk, at least for the next few days until Brooks's ankle was fully healed. The petty officer wouldn't agree.

Despite knowing the durtanium steel used in starship construction and how strong it was, Brooks continued to have an irrational fear that Kawolski's sheer bulk would cause the bunks to collapse and Brooks would be crushed in his sleep.

"Would you?" Brooks said, a look of relief on his face.

"Yeah, no problem," Kawolski answered as he moved across and stood on the left side, bolstering Brooks as he dropped to the floor, landing squarely on his good foot and falling against Kawolski. Kawolski kept him stead until he stood on his own.

"Hurry up, we have to wrap that before you put your boots on. If we don't, Rogers will lose his shit. It's bad enough we had an injury during our training session but if he finds out we're not following Medical orders, well, you don't want to see it."

"Yeah, but what are the chances he'd ever find out?" Brooks said as he grabbed his hygiene kit to take to the head to shower and shave.

"He will," Kawolski said. "Guarantee. It's only your first week with him as your CO, trust me, he'll hunt you down to make sure. And work on lessening the limp. He see you walking like that and it'll be desk duty in the brig."

Brooks chuckled. "Oh, I believe the mail finally arrived. I think you got some too, I heard your PaDD chirp."

"Really?" Kawolski said grabbing his plate of two breakfast burritos and large mug of kaf from the slot and hurriedly set his pre-breakfast breakfast snack on the table and grabbed his PaDD. "I did!" he said excitedly, already forgetting that he was alone in the living space. "Several! Mom and dad wrote and..." His brows furrowed as he saw the sender of a second letter.

###

"That should do it," Kawolski said, fastening the strap around the ankle brace. "Give it a few steps to make sure though."

He sat back in the chair, his mug of kaf only half finished and a half a burrito survived on the plate. Brooks walked across the room once, turned and walked it again. "You okay, Kawolski?" he asked, eying the remnants of food on the plate. He'd only been assigned quarters with Kawolski since the SWAT/S team came aboard, but in that time he'd learned to keep away the Marines turned Security when there was food nearby. He was sure fingers and hands would be digesting before anyone realized they'd been eaten by mistake.

"Yeah, fine, everything's..." Kawolski pulled the strap on his tacvest again. "It's fine." he said. He looke dup suddenly. "Could you do me a favor? Let Baldwin and Brownie know that I am really ready for duty but...I gotta go talk to someone before making it to the office. Get our duty assignments as well?"

"Yeah, sure," Brooks said, frowning. Something was definitely off with Kawolski. "Hey, buddy," he said, "if you need anything, let me know."

"No," Kawolski said, giving an obviously pretend smile. "No, everything's okay." He checked his chrono. "I might see you in the Mess and if so, we can report to the office together like we're s'posed to, but, if I don't..."

"Yeah, I got you. I'll cover, no problem," Brooks answered. Kawolski gave him another fake smile then put his dishes to be reclaimed and left the room.

###

Kawolski lucked out. He'd gone to the Mess more to check to see if Hannah was there before reporting to duty himself. If Kawolski remembered correctly, Hannah was scheduled in Medical today which would have made it harder to get him alone to talk with him. But, even though there would be plenty of people in the Mess, he could still have a private chate with him. Hannah was moving from the service line over to the drinks.

Kawolski looked around. Normally they all sat together when eating but he didn't want that today. He hurried across the room to get to Hannah before he could seat himself at the 'ususl' table.

"Hannah," he whispered, tapping the shorter man on the shoulder. it seemed odd to see the medic without his normal emergency pack, but he guessed that Hannah left it in Medical since that's where he would be working today.

"Kawolski," Hannah said, filling two mugs of the dark roast coffee to the top with a good measure of cream. "You're hands are empty, going back for seconds already?"

"What?" Kawolski said, his brow furrowing. "Oh, no, I just got here. I need yoru help, could we talk privately?"

"I told you, I don't do "off the record antibiotics"," Hannah said, joking as he turned and scanned the room. "Though, I have to wonder why you'd be asking for it?"

Hannah found with the smaller group of enlisted, he didn't have to worry so much about the "leave flus" that he'd been warned about from his FMF instructors and mentors, and he learned never to worry about those problems with Baldwin or Kawolski. Both were devoted to their chosen spouses...though in Kawolski's case the term was somewhat nuanced.

"What?" Kawolski asked again, his tone agitated. "No, I don't need...look, I need to talk to you, okay? I've done something bad. I mean, I kinda thought it would happen but I didn't think for sure it would but now it has and I don't know what to do about it."

Hannah felt the weight of his tray and breakfast press on him, but not so much as the agitation and anguish he saw in Kawolski's features. "Okay, yeah, sure," he said, suddenly sure he was going to have to make an effort to refer Kawolski to the counselor. "Look, there's a couple spots over there. You want me to wait while you get chow or-"

"I'm not hungry, please, can we just..." Kawolski sighed, his large frame seeming to crumple.

"Okay, okay," Hannah said. "Look, just right over there."

"Yeah, thanks, thanks," Kawolski said, nearly knocking over an Engineering squint as he made the sudden turn in the rush to get to their seats. He apologized profusely and helped the man up then policed the tray and utensils that fell when he bumped into him. Having set the Engineering NCO right, he dashed to the spaces Hannah indicated, noting that the young medic was almost there already. By the time Kawolski got to him, he'd put his tray on the table and sat.

"Alright, do me a favor, try to calm down and tell me what's going on," Hannah said.

Kawolski nodded but his hands were tangled together and he was leaning too far forward to be considered comfortable in the Mess hall seating. He took several shallow breaths.

"Tactical breathing, Hunter," Hannah said, setting his fork down prepared to lead the large man through the exercise. Kawolski looked up, his eyes momentarily wide at the use of the first name. That Hannah used it was a measure that he thought Kawolski was in a bad state and needed 'bedside manner'. He nodded again, squeezed his hands together harder, but started measuring the length of exhales and inhales.

"You like what you do?" Kawolski asked, when he didn't feel his heartbeat clogging his throat as much. "You okay with it?"

It was, again, unusual behavior from him. Hannah worked with this group for a long time now. They'd been through some tough assignments and situations - including one that was weighing heavily on the young medic. Though, he considered maybe the same thing on his mind was on Kawolski's.

"I enjoy it. More so since I went FMF," Hannah said. "Working with you guys is never boring."

"But, you don't regret it? You think you're doing good work?"

"Breathe, Hunter, breathe. Yes, mostly. There's been some bad times but overall, I'm thoroughly satisfied with what I do. What's going on?"

"What about..." Kawolski said, looking around the room, his eyes darting around. "What about other medics? They seem to be okay with what they do? They think it's good work?"

"I guess," Hannah answered, slowly. "We don't really talk about it much. Just the grousing and complaining we all do about embracing the suck, but I think so."

"And it's safe work? Not muchly dangerous? I mean, if you don't work with the Marines or be a combat guy, like you? If you didn't do that, it'd be safe?"

"For the most part, yes," Hannah said, his food almost forgotten. Kawolski rubbed his face, but those five words seemed to have done the most to calm his agitation. "But it can get boring and tedious."

"What if, how easy is it to make sure someone gets posted somewhere that's not seeing a lot of problems? Like the Medical on Earth, or some rural colony area? Is that easy? If...could you...I mean, you're a Petty Officer First, could you, if you were asked and owed a huge favor, could you help make sure someone was posted somewhere really safe?"

"Okay," Hannah said, taking a deep drink of the coffee to give him a moment. "I think it's time you told me what's going on. I can't imagine that you're thinking of switching careers. I know you aren't looking for safe and tedious."

Kawolski's hands tightened around themselves again, the exposed portions of his forearms were corded and the veins popping. "it ain't me," he said. "But I did something I shouldn't've done because I didn't think it'd've ever happen but maybe it will and I gotta do what I can to make sure he stays safe if he does it."

"Okay, you're back to chattering, Petty Officer, let's break this down. First, who is 'he'?"

Kawolski glanced away, his eyes misting, his jaw clenched and lips pursed together. "It's my brother. He wrote me and I got the letter today. It may already be too late, but Lord, Our Father is mercifful and it's not."

TBC

Petty Officer 1st Corvus Hannah
SWAT/S Combat Medic

Petty Officer 2nd Hunter Kawolski
SWAT/S

 

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