Goodbye Mason"
By: Matthew Mason, Prisoner, [RNPC]
Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58204.24 1145

==Sickbay== This was turning out to the worst day of his life. First he turned on his own allies and killed that cardassian and now he nearly killed a Maquis officer. He did not feel all that bad about the Maquis guy because we was a jerk. A typical Maquis barbarian. Mason smirked and sat down on an unused bio bed.

Zoei glanced at the prisoner sitting on the bio bed. He had an odd look on his face. It was as if he knew a secret joke. She hitched herself up onto the bio bed across from him. She was so tiny, her legs dangled over the edge. Zoei crossed her ankles and swung her feet gently back and forth. The palms of her hand were planted firmly on the bio bed. They braced her in position, so she didn't slide off the edge of the bed. "It's been a long day, hasn't it?"

Mason grunted and said, "Yes it has. Quite a mess I have gotten myself into." He looked at the counselor. She was an attractive woman. Mason figured she was probably Betazoid. They always seemed to carry themselves like they knew what is going to happen next. "I suppose I will be tortured and executed once this is all over huh?"

Zoei chuckled nervously. "I think it might depend on which side comes out on top. I can promise you that I will advocate for you for all of you have done to assist us through this. We wouldn't have made it this far without you."

Mason laughed, "I just about killed that one over there," Mason jabbed his thumb in the direction of Atwood's biobed. "I am afraid my days are numbered." Mason was a bit surprised. Everything he had been told about the Maquis was that they were barbaric, traitors, yet this woman would advocate for him after what he had nearly done. Mason was surely puzzled by this. "I am sure that you will end up on top when this is done. Birkoff is in charge and he is a crazy man. Crazy men make mistakes."

"Very true, crazy people make mistakes, and usually big ones. And the key is, you didn't kill that one over there. Why did you help us?" Zoei's legs continued to swing. Her elbows felt stiff. Her freshly healed shoulder ached from the tension in her muscles. She pushed herself back on the biobed and folder her legs on themselves. She braced her elbow on her thigh and propped her chin on the palm of her hand. This man reminded her somewhat of Silvio. There was something in his bearing and manner, she couldn't quite pin it down, but she was sure it would come to her.

Mason did not say anything at first, he just looked at Zoei. She was very pretty, he wondered if deep down that had anything to do with it. The thought of what that cardassian had on his mind made Mason sick. "Like I said, I do not like cardassians." He frowned. "I am not sure that I trust this Birkoff fellow and while I respect my captain I think he has made a mistake. You and the doctor came along at the right moment." He sighed, "I was pondering all these things when I ran into you." He smiled, "Listen, do you maquis really torture your prisoners and murder innocent people? That is what we have been told. That is what we are fighting against."

"I don't doubt your feelings toward the Cardassians, but I think there is more to it than that." Zoei didn't like to push at people when they were speaking, but there was something about this situation that begged for more information. Mason looked to be about her age and seemed to be genuinely nice. It was hard to reconcile that he was an active, involved member of the Federation. "Torture and murder? Some of that may be subjective to each person's opinion. I am sure you were held in the brig with people who felt they were being tortured. I am sure innocent people have been killed during battles. As for actively seeking to torture people, or to murder innocents, if I were aware of that being a remote possibility, I wouldn't be a party to it. I would be back home, having breakfast with my parents."

Mason had expected to be tortured when he was captured and so far that had not happened. This also added to his confusion. It seems that the things he had thought were true were not. He was a soldier who was not supposed to question his superiors but now he was doing just that. Could it be that this whole civil war has been fueled by ignorance? Could his own Federation be telling lies? Mason was just not sure anymore. "The real reason I helped you is because it was you. For some reason that I cannot explain I felt that you were a good person. I could not let that cardassian harm you." Mason was not sure he was making any sense.

Zoei's head snapped up. She looked intently at the man sitting across from her. "I don't know what to say other than I appreciate what you did more than I can explain with words. I appreciate you taking the time to view me as a person and not just the enemy." Zoei was unsure how she felt about this development. She was grateful to him, but she had never had anyone state they had done something just because of how she was perceived. As unsettling as this whole situation had already been, it was a little disconcerting to have heard this, too.

Mason looked at her and then realized that she was probably hungry and thirsty. "You must he hungry. Let me see if I can still make this replicator work." Mason got up and walked to the replicator in sickbay. "What would you like?"

"Just some water, please." Zoei unfolded her legs and scooted to the edge of the seat. She slid off the edge of the biobed, until her feet finally reached the floor. She followed Mason to the replicator.

He turned to the replicator, "Water. Cold." As the replicator began processing his request his comm badge chirped.

Oh Mason. Time for us to have a little talk.

Mason's hand went to his comm badge. A look of horror came across his face and he tried to remove his badge. It was too late the transporter cycle had already started and soon he was gone. Sitting on the replicator was one glass of cold water.