Battle Lines

"I’ve discovered we can’t afford to die here. Not even once." 

Bashir

It’s odd – I certainly have never sought the position, but time after time I seem to end up being in the middle of two warring parties, and having the choice of picking sides and joining in, getting caught in the crossfire, or mediating a ceasefire!

I’m almost certain I wouldn’t be viewed as a peacemaker, nor a mediator, but I have nevertheless been called upon to mediate on several occasions.

This tiime, though, I have inadvertently got emotionally involved – and I’m not sure I’ve picked the right side.

A year or so ago, Commander Sisko’s sister’s husband walked out on her after 25 years of marriage, for an *older* woman! But rather than washing her hands of him, she threw away all her self respect and begged him to come home, even agreeing to ‘share’ him. OK, whatever – if you have an open marriage, that’s fine, but surely it needs to be agreed on beforehand, not under duress! So anyway, it caused a whole heap of problems and family arguments, but he did eventually come home.

The thing is, I’ve been fumingly angry over this thing which the parties involved have mostly got over and watched wash under the bridge (as it were?!), with the exception of one of their sons and his wife.  They are still estranged from Sisko’s sister and her husband over the affair.

In my defense, I did start off trying to mediate between them, but over time I just got swept up in their anger and unforgiveness.

Now having seen it, I wonder what to do – is it possible to backtrack? There’s been a real problem of miscommunication and lack of communication in this whole sorry business, but do I have the guts to come out and say it like it is? Oh!

Relationships, man! They’re tough!