JP - Foot in Mouth Disease

Posted on Fri Apr 10th, 2020 @ 11:26am by Lieutenant JG Gallia Norris

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Deck 2- 6
Timeline: TBD
868 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

The pair moved away from the larger crowds for the barest amount of privacy, before Feyth turned to Gallia. "I know we don't know each other well, but there is something I'd like to tell you about me," she began quietly. "I have this ability. It's something I've been able to do for a very, very long time." Feyth looked to either side, before sharing her secret. "It's an uncanny knack for putting my foot in my mouth. And not just a little bit. Lately, I've been able to get everything up to my knee down my throat."

"If I gave ye anuther five minutes ye might've managed te swallow yer whole arse last time." Gallia replied, trying so hard not to rip into this woman for having the audacity to accuse her of feeding her child bugs...

Feyth's eyes went wide at Gallia's colorful agreement. Taking a breath to find herself, the Bajoran mustered up the courage to speak again. "Look, I don't exactly understand what happened before. Somehow things shifted from me asking questions about Earth dietary choices to us shouting at each other." She stopped herself, raising a hand between them. "Anyway. I won't try to make any more excuses. But I do want you to know that I didn't mean anything. You are an amazing mom. Believe me when I say that I am absolutely in awe of you. And I'm -- well -- here." She thrust the gift at Gallia.

"What's this then?" Gallia asked, raising an eyebrow as she began to unwrap the present.

"Well," Feyth began uncertainly, "After our...discussion, I did some research on the infamous Greyps Raysen you offered my daughter. Imagine my surprise when the closest match the computer had for me was a raisin -- the dried product of the edible vine fruit known as a grape." Her eyes watched Gallia's fingers work the wrapping. "I have a hard time admitting I'm wrong. A very hard time. So I put a lot of effort in getting the computer to find me something I was justified in being concerned about. This was as close as it came."

Listening to Feyth continue her apology, Gallia found herself not much closer to forgiveness, still hurting as she was, but she unwrapped the present and pulled out... a raisin musician?

"It's a twentieth century earth action figurine," Feyth said as Gallia beheld the 3-inch tall sunglasses wearing, saxophone wielding, plastic purple grape. "My understanding is that there was a number of them that played together in a band. In California."

"Aye, thot looks like somethin' they do in Califarnia." Gallia laughed, "It's lovely and definitely unique, thank ye."

"Obviously, it's a toy that Tayalas can play with. But...more than that...I hope it can serve as a reminder of how utterly foolish I feel. And of how truly sorry I am for making you feel like I was calling your ability to parent into question."

"It's okay, Ah guess that's jus' a sar spot far me yet." Gallia said honestly, "Ah dinnae know half the time if I'm really no a shite mum, wonder sometimes if Tayalas knows I'm no her real mum an' knows I dinnae belong..." That was one advantage Feyth had with Sedi, she knew she belonged where she was; Gallia felt as though she was doomed to a life of second guesses.

"Hey," Feyth cut her off. "I grew up on a world where being born into a family was meaningless. People got killed, or separated, or even sold away. A real family is made up of the people that you can always count on. No matter what. It doesn't take a lot to have a kid. But it takes everything to raise one." She put a gentle hand on Gallia's arm. "Believe me, you are Tayalas' mother. Through and through."

That helped more than Gallia could express, she had never really been able to fight the feeling that Tay knew she was only a substitute. She wiped a tear from her eye and segued, "Spakin' a sprogs, whar might yer l'il angel be? Tay misses 'er somthin' fierce an' I couldnae explain whar she was te her. Might be best if we got 'em together, let 'em know that mums dinnae keep actin' like children ourselves."

Feyth couldn't but laugh, surprised that at the end of it she too was sniffling back tears. Something about Gallia always made Feyth feel overwhelmed with empathy. It was probably why she liked the woman so much. She was one of the few people aboard that made her feel safe letting her guard down. "Lt. Aroyl from flight control has her tonight. I put her down in our quarters and he's staying there with her. He promised he'd let me know at the first sign of trouble." Absently, Feyth found her hand digging into her pocket for her communicator to ensure that she still had it with her.

"Well, we'll get 'em together in the marnin' then." Gallia smiled, "It willnae do far her te miss out on Christmas altogether. Aside that I'm shar I got a present a some sort for her."