[ST] Apron-strings :: PG :: Gen :: 1/1
Title: Apron-strings
Author: chaletian
Fandom: Star Trek
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Star Trek XI
Summary: Winona Kirk must watch her son go into Starfleet.
It’s nearly lunchtime when Sheriff Jackson appears on Winona Kirk’s front porch. She’s sitting on the swing, and he takes his hat off as he comes up the steps.
“Mornin’, Winona,” he says. “Your boy around here someplace?” She shakes her head, mute. The sheriff glances down; sees a letter in her hand. “Had a complaint from Mason, down at that bar the Starfleet kids go to. Appears Jim got himself into a bit of a ruckus.”
“He’s gone,” says Winona. She moves her hand limply; the letter shifts in the breeze. “Starfleet Academy. Left on the shuttle this morning.”
Jackson purses his lips. “Academy, huh? Well, good for Jim!”
“If you can call it that.” Winona’s voice is bitter. Jackson reckons he understands well enough how she feels.
“It’s a good opportunity,” he says. “Jim needs direction, Winona. That boy’s been struggling a while. Can’t pretend we don’t both know it.”
“I don’t want him out there,” she says. “I don’t want…”
“Well, now, I reckon this isn’t much to do with what you want,” says Jackson, and if his tone isn’t reproving, it’s because he’s known her most of her life, and he gets her pretty well. “Jim needs this. He was wasting his life, wasn’t happy: can’t tell me you didn’t know it.” She makes a move to interrupt, and he rides right over her. “He was heading to gaol, Winona, no two ways about it. Pure dumb luck he escaped it so far. Whoever talked him into Starfleet did him a favour.”
“I’m his mother.” She’s angry now, her eyes sparking a little. “It’s my job to keep him safe.”
“You can’t keep him safe,” says Jackson. “You can’t now, and you couldn’t when he was a kid driving Mike’s car off a cliff. Jim isn’t made to be safe.”
Tears appear in Winona’s eyes, and he sits beside her on the swing. “Aw, now,” he says. “That boy wouldn’t recognise a no-win situation if it came up and bit him on the ass. Mark my words, he’ll come home every time, not a scratch on him.”
“I bet that’s what all the mothers say.”
They sit for a while, then Jackson stands up, puts his hat back on. “He’s a good boy, Winona,” he says. “Under it all, he’s a good boy, always has been. He’ll be a credit, you’ll see.”
oOo
He leaves as Winona nods and agrees, but she can’t help but remember chaos and fire and her husband killing himself for his ship, for his crew, for her. She prays Jim doesn’t have to do that. She prays hard, because there’s nothing else for her to do.
THE END
Author: chaletian
Fandom: Star Trek
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Star Trek XI
Summary: Winona Kirk must watch her son go into Starfleet.
It’s nearly lunchtime when Sheriff Jackson appears on Winona Kirk’s front porch. She’s sitting on the swing, and he takes his hat off as he comes up the steps.
“Mornin’, Winona,” he says. “Your boy around here someplace?” She shakes her head, mute. The sheriff glances down; sees a letter in her hand. “Had a complaint from Mason, down at that bar the Starfleet kids go to. Appears Jim got himself into a bit of a ruckus.”
“He’s gone,” says Winona. She moves her hand limply; the letter shifts in the breeze. “Starfleet Academy. Left on the shuttle this morning.”
Jackson purses his lips. “Academy, huh? Well, good for Jim!”
“If you can call it that.” Winona’s voice is bitter. Jackson reckons he understands well enough how she feels.
“It’s a good opportunity,” he says. “Jim needs direction, Winona. That boy’s been struggling a while. Can’t pretend we don’t both know it.”
“I don’t want him out there,” she says. “I don’t want…”
“Well, now, I reckon this isn’t much to do with what you want,” says Jackson, and if his tone isn’t reproving, it’s because he’s known her most of her life, and he gets her pretty well. “Jim needs this. He was wasting his life, wasn’t happy: can’t tell me you didn’t know it.” She makes a move to interrupt, and he rides right over her. “He was heading to gaol, Winona, no two ways about it. Pure dumb luck he escaped it so far. Whoever talked him into Starfleet did him a favour.”
“I’m his mother.” She’s angry now, her eyes sparking a little. “It’s my job to keep him safe.”
“You can’t keep him safe,” says Jackson. “You can’t now, and you couldn’t when he was a kid driving Mike’s car off a cliff. Jim isn’t made to be safe.”
Tears appear in Winona’s eyes, and he sits beside her on the swing. “Aw, now,” he says. “That boy wouldn’t recognise a no-win situation if it came up and bit him on the ass. Mark my words, he’ll come home every time, not a scratch on him.”
“I bet that’s what all the mothers say.”
They sit for a while, then Jackson stands up, puts his hat back on. “He’s a good boy, Winona,” he says. “Under it all, he’s a good boy, always has been. He’ll be a credit, you’ll see.”
oOo
He leaves as Winona nods and agrees, but she can’t help but remember chaos and fire and her husband killing himself for his ship, for his crew, for her. She prays Jim doesn’t have to do that. She prays hard, because there’s nothing else for her to do.
THE END