Picard watches her, oh yes. And he can read the succession of thoughts passing through her mind almost as easily as if she had spoken them aloud. He does not do her the injustice of presuming, neither does he move in to console her — not immediately, at any rate. She needs to center herself, and he won't interrupt that.

"Yes, in due time," he says, nodding softly. He then turns to the officers, who look more confused than ever, and nods to the discarded phaser. "You may take the lieutenant's weapon and escort us to Sickbay, but she will not be seeing the brig today."

He hastens to add, turning back to Tasha: "That's an order, lieutenant."

If she is the Tasha he remembers, he is aware that nothing less will convince her. She believes she is a deserter, and as such a brigging would be no less than what she deserves. The truth is perhaps far worse than what she can imagine, and he would rather Beverly were at his side for it than imparting it from the other side of a cell.