The 'Hale' Archives: "Seven Days"

Posted on Mon Mar 30th, 2026 @ 2:16am by Lieutenant JG Rowan Hale
Edited on on Mon Mar 30th, 2026 @ 2:40am

1,466 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Character Development
Location: Various
Timeline: 5 Years Ago

Five Years Ago

(Day #1 - Observation Lounge)

The observation lounge was quieter than the rest of the ship. Elara had chosen it deliberately for that reason. Less noise. Fewer interruptions. A place where conversations didn't have to compete. She was halfway through a data review when someone stepped up beside the table.

"Is this seat taken?"

She glanced up. Starfleet uniform. Medical blue. He didn't smile but he wasn't cold either. He was... composed.

"No."

He sat down with a small nod, already setting the padd down in front of him. They worked in silence for a few minutes. There was no awkwardness. Just shared space.  Elara had noticed it first. Most people filled silence. This guy didn't.

"You're not going to ask what I'm working on?" she said eventually.

"Do you want me to?" He replied, glancing up.

That caught her off guard.

"..maybe."

Rowan paused momentarily. "What are you working on?"

"Subspatial diagnostics." She replied unable to contain her smile.

“Sounds painful.” He replied nodding once and returning to his padd.

Elara laughed softly. "You're either very focused," she said, "or very good at ignoring people."

"I'm not ignoring you."

“Mmhm,” she replied, unconvinced. “That’s exactly what someone ignoring me would say.”

Rowan's eyes glanced back up from the padd again.

"... that's a fair point."

"I'm Elara."

"Rowan."

​She waited, expecting the usual Starfleet resume but nothing followed. Her smile widened.. "That's it? No rank, no department, no carefully structured introduction?"

"I assumed we would arrive at that information if it became relevant."

She laughed again.

"Wow. You really are like this."

Somehow, she didn't find it off-putting. It was.. Interesting. 

(Day #2 - Observation Lounge)

Rowan was seated there again. Same table. Same posture. Same quiet focus. Elara didn't ask if she could join him. She just sat down. Rowan glanced up briefly, registering her, then returned to his work.

"You came back," she said.

"It's a consistent location."

"That's not what I meant."

“I didn't object to your presence yesterday.” He said, returning to his screen.

Elara blinked and then smiled. “Wow. Careful. That almost sounded like an invitation.”

“It wasn't intended to be misleading.” he replied, frowning slightly. 

“Oh no,” she said lightly. “Too late. You’re going to start being more careful what you say around me, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

She laughed. “Good luck with that. You're very comfortable with this," she added after a while. "Not filling spaces."

"..yes."

"That's rare."

"Its efficient."

She smiled faintly. "Everything is with you."

"Not everything."

That got her attention.

"What isn't?" she said, looking up.

"I haven't determined that yet."

She laughed, softer this time. "Let me know when you do."

(Day #3 - Corridor outside Sickbay)

Elara was walking through the corridor between shifts when she spotted him.

"You disappeared," she said, falling into step beside him.

"I was assigned to a rotation."

"That's a very formal way of saying - I didn't think to tell you."

Rowan glanced at her. "I didn't anticipate it would be necessary."

"You're not used to people expecting you to show up, are you?" Elara asked, tilting her head.

"..no." he replied, honestly.

“Good. We’ll work on that.”

“Work on what?" He asked, a frown forming.

“Making you slightly less… predictable.”

“I am not predictable.”

She gave him a look. “You sat in the exact same seat two days in a row.”

“That was coincidence.”

“Was it.”

“…no.”

She laughed. “See? Progress already.”

They walked in silence for a few steps until Rowan broke it. "You were reviewing subspatial diagnostics."

She blinked, genuinely surprised. "You remember that?"

“You mentioned it.”

“That was two days ago.”

“Yes.”

“Okay… that’s actually a little impressive.” she said, studying him. 

“It is relevant to ship function.”

She laughed.

“That’s not why I’m impressed.”

He didn’t respond to that, but there was the faintest shift in his expression. Not quite a smile. But close. 

(Day #4 - Rowan's Quarters)

Elara had stopped by his quarters before her shift. Rowan was standing by the replicator studying the options like it was a triage board.  

“You’re overthinking it.” She said, leaning against the counter.

“I'm looking for a new blend so I am making a selection.”

“It’s coffee Rowan, not a life decision.”

“The previous selection was suboptimal.”

“That’s a very diplomatic way of saying it tasted terrible.”

“It did.”

Elara laughed, "I've got to go. Don't forget dinner in my quarters tonight." she said, heading for the exit. 

Later that evening..

Elara leaned back in her chair, watching Rowan from across the table. His meal sat on the table long gone cold and he was leaning over a padd, his brow furrowed.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?" Rowan replied, his eyes never leaving the data.

"Working while eating."

"It's time sensitive."

Elara smiled faintly. "I didn't say stop."

​He stopped anyway, setting the padd down with a soft clack.

"See? That wasn't so hard." she said, her smile softening.

"It will delay completion."

"By how long?"

Rowan considered it.

"..seventeen minutes."

​She laughed. "I think the Federation will survive seventeen minutes." She sat back, twirling a lock of hair. "I like this version of you."

"This version?" Rowan replied.

"The one that chooses to be here, in the moment.."

"I am here."

"Yeah," she said gently. "Right now."

(Day #5 - Replicator Alcove)

​"This is terrible," Rowan stated, staring into his cup with genuine betrayal.

"You selected it."

"I was told it was good."

"By who?"

"A colleague."

Elara leaned against the counter, amused. "And you trusted that?"

She reached over, taking the cup from his hand without asking and taking a sip. She paused and immediately pulled a face.

"Okay, no, that's on you."

"I have already acknowledged the error."

She laughed, handing the cup back. "Try this," she said, tapping a new selection into the panel. The replicator hummed and she handed him the new drink. He hesitated for a fraction before taking a sip.

"This is... better."

"High praise."

"Still not optimal."

She laughed. “You’re impossible.”

“That has been suggested.”

“By many people?”

“A statistically relevant number.”

That got a proper laugh out of her. “You realise that’s not helping your case.”

“I wasn't aware I had one.”

“You do now.” she said, "You don't do this often, do you?"

"Do what?"

"This," she said, gesturing between them. "Standing around. Talking about nothing important."

Rowan considered it briefly. "..no."

"And yet," she said lightly, "you haven't left."

He glanced at her, not analyzing her. Just... looking.

"No," he said. "I haven't."

(Day #6 - Outside Science Department)

​"You're early," Elara said, surprised to see him standing near the lab entrance.

​"My previous task concluded ahead of schedule."

​"That almost sounds like you made time."

​"I didn't,"  he replied, though his eyes shifted away for a split second. "..but maybe I didn't immediately reassign myself either."

​Elara smiled. "I'll take that."

​They walked side by side. They weren't touching, but the space between them felt charged.

​"You're getting better at this," she said.

​"At what?"

​"Being in the present."

​He slowed his pace to match hers. "..That is not intentional."

​"Sure it isn't."

​“…it may be partially intentional.”

​Elara laughed. “Progress.”

(Day #7 - Observation Lounge (Again)

They had ended up back where they had started. Different time but the same familiar quiet. Elara sat cross legged in her chair, her padd forgotten beside her.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?" Rowan replied, glancing up.

"Thinking instead of answering."

"I am formulating an accurate response."

"That's what I said."

There was a small pause. 

"You asked why I chose Starfleet Medical," he said.

"Mmhm."

“I prefer environments where outcomes can be influenced.”

“That’s a very you answer.”

“Its also correct.”

She smiled faintly. “I think you like control.”

“I think most people do.”

“Not like you.”

“Like me how.”

She studied him for a second. Not teasing this time. Just… honest.

“Like if you understand something well enough, you can keep it from going wrong.”

Rowan didn't answer immediately. He wasn't deflecting, just considering it.

"..that is the objective."

“And when you can’t?” she asked softly.

Rowan’s gaze shifted slightly. “Then you manage the outcome.”

Elara watched him. There was something in his answer that stayed with her but instead of pushing, she just smiled. "Well," she said, lighter again. "you're going to have to make an exception."

"For what."

"For me." she answered, "I'm statistically unpredictable."

Rowan let out the faintest smile. "I had already accounted for that."

Elara blinked and then laughed.

"Wow. You're impossible."

 

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