Ephriam entered his quarters and sighed with relief. His shoulders seemed to relax immediately and he felt lighter than he had in a long time. While his work day had been completely routine, he did have his counselling session with Counselor Gray. Despite talking through the loss of someone extremely important in his life, something that was emotionally exhausting, there had been a bit more of a drive in his step throughout the remainder of the day and he was feeling better. 

“Computer, play something calm and relaxing please and replicate me some hasperat.” Ephriam stripped out of his uniform and tossed it on the back of one of his chairs. He quickly became a bit chilled so moved into his bedroom area swiftly and removed some comfortable sweatpants from his dresser. The drawer above where had found the pants revealed a comfortable looking navy blue knitted sweater and this caused Ephriam to pause in place for a moment. 

It was his favourite piece of loungewear and he had worn it many days since the death of his friend but for some reason the site of it today caused Ephriam to reflect on the moment he got this gift, where it came from, who he was with and a very special moment in his life.

2398 – Starbase 288

“Adjusting the graviton emitter settings by zero point two positive,” Ephriam responded providing the closed-loop communication to his working partner and superior, Commander Farek. The two of them had been occupied for several hours working in their favourite of the many science labs on Starbase 288. They had been exploring options to enhance the readiness of starships to provide temporary responses in unstable gravitational phenomenon occurrences.

“We are losing stability again. Adjust to compensate,” the flat and focused tone of Commander Farek warned.

“I’m trying. It’s not working this time either,” Ephriam replied as he furiously worked away on the control console in an attempt to compensate yet again. Their calculations had been extremely delicate and the prediction model they were currently utilizing was one of the more unstable put to the test yet. It was also their fourty-fifth go at it.

Both officers were distracted by the sounds of the doors to the lab opening. A young crewman holding a wrapped package emerged through with a bright and relaxed smile, 

“Lieutenant Adrasin? I have a package for you.” She announced her intentions in a tone reflective of her body language.

“Ephriam..” Farek’s voice had a bit more alarm to it, about as much as it could for a Vulcan. 

Ephriam grunted as he looked back down at the console. He could tell immediately that they had lost control of the testing parameters and were past the point of no return, for a few moments, he ignored everyone in the room and continued to attempt to save their situation. He sighed after another few seconds passed and his attempts had failed. 

“Looks like our fourty-fifth attempt is not going to cut it either.” The console started emitting an alarm signal and Ephriam quickly silenced it, he looked up to Farek and the commander raised his brow and nudged his head towards the crewman visitor. Ephriam stepped away from the console and met the young female bolian who egarly passed him the package. 

“Oh yes… Thank you, crewman.. Why was this not just dropped off at my quarters though? I have all mail set to forward directly there,” he gave the package a curious once over after he accepted it from the crewman. 

“I believe it was at the personal request of the sender, sir. I just follow what the tickets say.” The young crewman politely nodded to both men and began to make her exit. “Sorry to have interruipted. Take care.” With that, she made her exit as swiftly as she had entered.

Ephriam set the box down on the table nearest him and closely examined it. There was hand writing on the top of it which he immediately recognized as his mother’s. 

“What is she up to now,” he muttered and opened it with a fevered effort. A small stock-card with a simple messaged covered something fluffy and wrapped in a light ivory coloured tissue paper. 

‘Hope this will keep you warm out there in space… Don’t catch a cold….’

Ephriam gasped as he unveiled an intricately knitted dark navy blue sweater. It was soft and felt so cozy but what immediately brought a tear to his eye was the overwhelmingly pleasant and familiar smell. The sweater had hints of evergreen and freshly cut wood – it smelt exactly like home. With his eyes closed he could almost visualize the warm glow of woodstove in the living space of his parent’s wood cabin home being lit on a cold winter’s night, the evergreen emphasized the vast forests he grew up and played in for many hours of his childhood. 

“Is everything alright, lieutenant?” Farek moved closer with a raised and curious brow. Ephriam could tell he was somewhat taken back by what had now turned into a generous show of water-works down his cheeks. 

“Are you allergic to what was sent to you?” Farek closed the distance and stood by him now. 

Ephriam laughed while more tears fell down his cheeks. “No… no…” He clasped the sweater and brought it up closer to his face. The familiar smell became even stronger as he inhaled deeply. “It just smells like home, Commander.” It had been several years since he had been able to visit his parents or be in that safe place he was raised, the homemade item from his mother and the smell had immediately caused a visceral reaction. The longing he had felt became exemplified and had now overwhelmed him.

“Oh. I see.” Farek gave him a curious look. “So the smell of home is causing you pain? I do not quite understand. Is there anything I can do?” 

“Not unless you can transport me home!” Epriam replied and wiped the tears off his face. His tone had been a bit sharp and not appropriate but he had grown a bit annoyed with his mentor’s lack of understanding. The man was a Vulcan and Ephriam knew that he could likely not empathize in the way he needed. It wasn’t the first time and it wouldn’t be the last. 

“Is it okay if I’m dismissed, commander?” Ephriam asked in a much softer tone, he tried to be a bit more mindful of his professionalism.

“Of course. We have worked well over our shift for today anyways. We will pick this up tomorrow, Lieutenant.” The Vulcan’s voice was once again neutral sounding. 

“Thank you, sir.” Ephriam sniffled and clutched the gift close to him as he made a swift exit. He felt he needed some privacy to compose himself but also to just run through and process what he had felt. This gift from home had been unexpected and welcome, but was a stark reminder of just how much he missed his parents and the place where he had been raised. 

–

It had been a restless night. Ephriam woke up to the sound of Commander Farek’s voice emerging through the communicator badge on his nightstand. “Lieutenant Adrasin. Would you meet me in holodeck eight in approximately twenty three minutes? Please wear that sweater you received last night.” 

Ephriam groaned and stretched out to tap the communicator, “Of course, Commander. I will meet you there,” he responded sleepily. The sweater that he had been gifted the night prior was resting on his chest and he could still smell that evergreen and fresh cut wood aroma. 

It was almost enough to convince him to skip the sonic shower before meeting Farek.

–

Ephriam prided himself on being precise and that was reflective in his timing. Exactly twenty three minutes after Commader Farek has requested his company in holodeck eight, he emerged through the large doors and gasped at the sight. A snowy mountain view and a wood cabin house was before him, Commander Farek was there too with his hands clasped together behind his back in cream coloured sweater with dark navy pants. 

“What is this?” Ephriam walked closer to his friend and mentor, and the holodeck doors swished closed behind him. The view of the door faded away into an expanded panorama of what appeared to be some location in Colorado, his home on Earth. 

“I thought it may be agreeable to you if we continued our work on revised calculations in here today. I cannot transport you home as you stated last night. This is as close to that as I am capable of,” the Vulcan gave Ephriam a nod and tilted his head. 

“You…. You did this for me?” Ephriam asked the rhetorical question, tears once again formed in his eyes but this time he had been quick to wipe them away with the sleeve of the gifted sweater from his mother. “I…. Thank you,” he said this softly and felt even more regret for how he had reacted the night prior. This had been one of the nicest and most kind things someone had ever done for him. “I am agreeable.” 

The two spent the day on the holodeck, working on calculations. Commander Farek may have not been able to fully empathize given his Vulcan nature, but his genuine respect and close bond with his mentee allowed him to show a certain level of uncharacteristic human caring in the gesture towards Ephriam.

The gift from his mother had brought him close to home, along with the influx of emotions and longing that came with it. The gift his friend and mentor had given him allowed him to be that much closer. It was a kindness that Ephriam would never forget.

2401 – USS Hathaway

Ephriam pulled the navy blue sweater over his head and embraced the feeling of the garment offering him a warm and secure hug. He used the sleeve and wiped away the few tears that had formed in his eyes. The moments he had taken to reflect on the memory of the sweater had been intense but oddly welcoming as well. The Counselor had validated for him that these feelings would need to be processed and that memories should be given the space they deserve to manifest.

It had been a long time since he had thought about the day he had received this gift from his mother but also about the kindness and comfort that Farek had shown him. Ephriam could admit to himself now that it had been a mistake to put so much effort and thought into not thinking about his lost friend. It had been taking up so much of his energy over the past several weeks. 

He strutted over to the replicator pad and retrieved his meal. He then planted himself on the sofa and took a big bite.

“That’s the stuff,” he said aloud to himself and then turned his head to the right. His hand retrieved one of the many lonely PADDs that were in a mess across the sofa beside. He had been putting off doing work on his doctorate, this was something he had also discussed with Counselor Gray. Farek would have wanted him to be continuing to work on this as much as he could. Gray had made him commit to an action item in the session they had that day and Ephriam had landed on a commitment to getting back to work on his doctorate.

He began to read and make notations on data sets as he continued to eat his hasperat. Proud of himself for following through on what he had promised that very same day.