Coffee Break
early season 5
Michael Garibaldi was almost ready to turn around and leave when the door finally slid open. As he looked at the man that he’d obviously just pulled out of bed he felt a twinge of guilt.
“Sorry, lieutenant,” he said. “If this is a bad time I can just come back later.”
“It’s okay. I was just about to get up in another four hours anyway,” Corwin said dryly as he leaned against the doorframe.
At least the kid’s sense of humor is intact, Michael thought. “Ah, well. Since you’re up then…” he said, “I was just wondering, see Susan… Commander Ivanova left something here on the station…”
Corwin gave him a perplexed frown.
“And she didn’t leave it with me,” Michael continued. “You’re the only other person I can think of that she might have given it to.”
“Given what to?”
“Well, that’s part of the problem. If you don’t know what it is, then...” he shrugged. “You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” He shook his head at the young man’s baffled expression. It had been a long shot anyway, he thought as he turned to leave. “Sorry to bother you, lieutenant.”
“Mr. Garibaldi?”
He looked back at Corwin still leaning in the doorway.
“You mean the coffee bean plant, don’t you?”
He eyed Corwin carefully. “She did give it to you, didn’t she?”
Corwin gave him a shallow, almost imperceptible nod.
“Damn,” he muttered. “Well, it figures.”
“If you want…” Corwin began.
“No,” Michael said quickly. “She gave it to you. She wanted you to have…” He stopped as the lieutenant ducked his head. He was trying to hide a grin, Michael realized.
“I wasn’t going to give you the plant,” Corwin said, the smile still twitching at the corner of his mouth. “But if you want a cup…” He backed up a step, inviting Michael in.
“Nah, I…” Something in Corwin’s expression made him pause. “What the hell,” he decided. “Sure.”
He glanced around the room as Corwin headed for the kitchen and felt a guilty surge of superiority. It never hurts to be reminded that there are quarters on this station smaller than your own, he thought. And the lieutenant’s quarters were definitely on the small side. Most of the furniture looked like it had probably come with the room and Corwin’s taste seemed to lean more toward comfortable than stylish.
“You read Minbari?” he asked, picking up a book from the desk.
“I’m working on it,” the younger man answered. “I took a few classes on the warrior dialect at the Academy, but most of the Minbari sent here are religious or worker caste. There’s a definite difference.”
“This one’s worker,” Michael noted as he flipped through the book.
“Can you read that?”
“Nah. Just enough to recognize the dialects.” He glanced up and grinned. “I’m getting pretty good at Narn though.”
“Haven’t tried that yet.”
“Yet?”
Corwin shrugged. “I’m probably out here for the long haul. Might as well learn something.”
“Most of the ambassadors speak English, you know.”
“When they’re talking to you,” Corwin agreed. “But not when they’re talking about you.”
Michael laughed. “I wouldn’t have pegged you for the paranoid type, David.”
“Who’s being paranoid? We work on the biggest interstellar trouble magnet in the galaxy. I’m just being practical.”
Michael had to laugh. The kid was smiling, too, but there was truth in his words. ‘Interstellar trouble magnet’ was a pretty accurate description. “If that’s your plan for keeping the peace around here you’re going to need to start learning a lot more languages.”
“Centauri, Brikiri, Narn, Abbai, Drazi.” Corwin pointed to various stacks of books and crystals piled around the small quarters. “Like I said... I’m working on it.”
The new head of IA Intelligence nearly choked on his laughter. “Man, you need to get out more.”
“Tell me about it,” the young man muttered.
Michael settled easily into one of the faded chairs near the BabCom unit and watched his host prepare the coffee. He suspected that the inherited coffee maker was the only appliance in the tiny kitchen that Corwin knew how to operate. Although he had to admit that he’d never given the kid much thought, Susan had seemed fond enough of him. That’s why he had been at the top of Michael’s short list of potential new plant owners.
Susan had surprised a lot of the command staff when she’d rather unexpectedly made him her second a couple of years ago. True, she had complained about Corwin more than she had praised him, but her complaints had been half-hearted. Too quiet. Too careful. Too deferential. He had too much diplomat and not enough soldier in him she had observed irritably. But when it was all said and done, B5 was a diplomatic station. And that, Michael decided, was probably why the unassuming young officer had risen through the ranks as quickly as he had. Corwin seemed to know when to keep his eyes open and his mouth shut. All things considered, Michael mused, Corwin wasn’t that bad a choice.
“Do you think she’s going to be okay?” Corwin asked as he handed Michael a mug. There was no need for him to say who “she” was.
Michael could see the dark worry in his eyes and understood. He’d wondered the same thing about her the past few weeks. He swirled the dark coffee in his mug, savoring the strong unmistakable aroma. He took a slow sip then nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Eventually.”
“But she’s lost so many people.” Corwin sat down on the small sofa and frowned. “Her mother, her brother in the E/M war.”
“Her dad a few years ago,” Michael said, remembering. “That guy a while back, that friend who turned out to be Homeguard… What was his name?”
“Malcolm Biggs.”
Michael was a little surprised at how quickly Corwin could place the man. That had to have been three or four years ago. He knew then that the lieutenant had kept a protective eye on Susan, too. He had always suspected that Corwin had harbored more than just fear of and respect for her, but the generally soft-spoken young man had never said anything.
“You really liked her,” Michael said.
“She was a good officer.”
Michael smiled. “That ain’t what I asked.”
Corwin turned his mug slowly between his hands. “It doesn’t matter whether I liked her or not,” he said without looking up. “She was my commanding officer.”
They both sat silently for a moment. There was really no arguing with that, Michael thought. Military hierarchy was a bitch.
“You know, the Minbari have this theory,” Michael said. “About souls travelling together.”
“Paths that keep crossing.” Corwin nodded. “I’ve heard of it.”
“Maybe in another lifetime…”
Corwin turned the mug again. “Maybe.” He looked up then. “Talia Winters,” he said abruptly. “They were friends, too, before…”
“Yeah.” He hadn’t thought that Corwin would have noticed that one.
“And now Marcus.”
“Yeah,” he said again. He shook his head. “But she’s strong. She’ll be all right. Eventually.” He tried a weak smile. “And she still has us.”
“She won’t be back,” Corwin said with quiet certainty.
And the thing was, Michael thought sadly, he was probably right. He took another drink. He doubted that he would ever be able to drink coffee again without thinking of Susan. “So, whadaya think of the new captain?” he asked to change the topic.
Corwin frowned slightly, obviously trying to find a diplomatic phrase. At last he gave Michael a small shrug. “She’s very professional. And organized. And she seems to think that a hectic station is a poor reflection on its leadership.”
Michael grinned at his dismayed tone. “You did explain to her that the chaos really isn’t our fault?”
“I tried. I don’t think she quite understood.”
“She’ll learn.”
“I don’t think she likes me much,” Corwin said ruefully.
Michael laughed. “Consider yourself lucky, pal. I know she doesn’t like me.”
The bottom of his mug became visible all too quickly. Despite the fact that he knew he shouldn’t really begrudge Corwin Susan’s gift, he just couldn’t help being a little jealous of the other man’s luck. He looked wistfully at the empty mug. “I don’t suppose...?”
Corwin smiled but shook his head. “Not for a while,” he said regretfully. “It really isn’t a very big plant.”
“Probably a good thing then,” Michael grinned. “I can see how this might get pretty addictive.”
“Definitely a reason to get out of bed in the morning,” Corwin agreed.
“Well, the next time you get around to picking those beans again…”
“I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks. And thanks for this one,” Michael said with one last look at the empty mug. He glanced back at Corwin who was frowning thoughtfully into his own mug. Whether he was still worrying about Susan or about the new captain Michael wasn’t sure. They hadn’t really spent enough time around each other for Michael to understand quite how Corwin thought so he decided to cover both bases. “Susan will be fine,” he said. “She’s tough. And I wouldn’t worry too much about Lochley if I were you. Susan had faith in you. Lochley’ll come around.”
Corwin gave him half a smile. “Thanks.”
Michael set his mug on the end table and glanced at his watch. “Look, I hate to drink and run,” he said. “But I’ve got a meeting with John this morning. Sorry,” he said at Corwin’s raised eyebrows. “I have a meeting with The President this morning.”
“No problem,” the lieutenant laughed quietly. “Garibaldi,” he said as Michael headed for the door. “Thank you. It was nice to talk to somebody about… things.”
Michael nodded in understanding. Corwin wasn’t in an easy position. Despite his rather unimpressive rank he was nonetheless the station’s XO. He wasn’t exactly allowed to kick back and talk to just anyone. It wouldn’t look right for him to discuss concerns about Lochley even with another officer and there were few people that he could talk to about Susan. “Any time,” Michael said.
As he walked toward Sheridan’s new office he realized that talking to Corwin a little more often probably was a good idea. And it didn’t have anything to do with the coffee. Because of Corwin’s quiet disposition it was easy to forget just how much authority he actually had. As B5’s executive officer he knew nearly everything that the captain knew. In certain situations he probably knew more. He was also in the perfect position to keep an eye on Lochley. Michael still had misgivings about her loyalties during the civil war. Corwin’s perspective on her actions at her new post would be useful to know. Yep, he thought. Staying in contact with Corwin could be pretty handy. Besides, he was beginning to agree with Susan. The kid kind of grew on you.
***
Babylon 5 fic home
