Lieutenant JG Roy Bancroft - I'll Leave the Light On for You
Carter Schimpff
(( Primary Sickbay, Deck 7 – USS Artemis-A ))
Bancroft: =/\= I’m here to do for you what you once did for me – shine a light on the path. I can’t walk it for you. But I will walk beside you. =/\=
He didn’t couch the words. Didn’t soften them. He’d learned – slowly, painfully – that some offers lost their meaning the moment they were hedged.
This wasn’t a plea, nor was it an offer of absolution. It was merely a statement of intent, offered plainly and without condition.
Even so, it seemed to land harder than he’d expected.
Sadar: =/\= ::unusually stern:: You will do no such thing. ::realization:: I-I’m s-s-sorry, that was- ::clears throat:: Wh-What I- ::sighs:: =/\=
Roy didn’t flinch. He recognized that response for what it was – a reflex. A boundary quickly erected by someone who’d grown too used to guarding every last inch of themselves.
He let the moment breathe and, when she sighed and seemed to be bereft of words, only then did he speak.
Bancroft: =/\= ::unruffled:: I hear you. And I’m not trying to take anything away from you. ::beat:: I’m simply telling you where I stand. It’s up to you what you do with it. =/\=
Sadar: =/\= ... Y-You are right. I-I’m the only one who can make something of my current situation... A-And whether I am able to do so or not, w-well, that depends on me, yes? ::slight smile:: And so, u-until I’ve made something of it, I-I won’t drag your reputation down with me... B-But, I... I-I'll think on what you said. Okay? =/\=
Thinking on it wasn’t acceptance. It wasn’t even progress – not yet. But it was the crack of a door that had previously been sealed tight.
And that, for now, was enough.
Bancroft: =/\= ::smiling slightly:: Fair enough. Thinking on it will do. I trust you to know when – and if – you’re ready for anything else. =/\=
The words weren’t a promise of return, a threat to continue, or an invitation waiting to be taken up. They were a release – permission to let the moment stand as it was, without obligation or expectation tugging at the frayed edges.
Sadar: =/\= ... I know, and I appreciate it. I do. ::smiles:: B-But instead of worrying about me, concern yourself with yourself. The job only gets harder from here. ::indicates his pips:: Captain MacKenzie works her Doctors particularly hard. =/\=
There it was – that familiar deflection, the return to a more professional, surface-level footing. But this time, it didn’t feel like retreat. And that, Roy knew, was where he needed to leave it.
Bancroft: =/\= ::rueful smile:: Boy, does she. But I choose to believe she does it because she believes the work matters. And because she believes her people can rise to it. =/\=
Roy didn’t say ‘I’m managing.’ He didn’t say ‘I’m fine.’ He let the truth sit where it belonged – in the space between expectation and trust. MacKenzie was relentless, and could sometimes be mistaken as cold – even cruel. But she was never careless, and in her own sharp-edged way, she’d already taught him many things about himself, too.
Sadar: =/\= Response =/\=
Bancroft: =/\= ::gently:: She’s not the only one. ::beat, meaningfully:: I wouldn’t still be here if a few people hadn’t seen something in me before I learned how to see it myself. =/\=
He didn’t need to press the point. Gila was intelligent enough to hear what wasn’t spoken and – whether she wanted to acknowledge it or not – strong enough to decide what to do with it.
Sadar: =/\= Response =/\=
Bancroft: =/\= ::thin smile:: Take care of yourself, Doctor Sadar. I’m glad we had the chance to talk. ::beat:: I’d like it if our paths crossed again. =/\=
Sadar: =/\= Response? =/\=
Once, Roy would have tried to do more; now, he knew better – and let that be enough.
TAG/End Scene for Bancroft
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Lieutenant JG Roy Bancroft
Medical Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240205RB1