Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Joseph Rainns (Chief of Security) in side-sim A Day Off

Posted by Ensign Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in side-sim A Day Off

(snip)

Joseph stood up from table and walked over to the table and saw the console displaying names and assignments. He looked back at Sharah to see her on the floor in a ball. ’ Hey, it’s going to be ok.’ He said. Even though he didn’t doubt himself, the pain of the implications of what was happening seeped in and Joseph could feel the sadness welling up inside him. Life was about to get a little harder, he knew that, and he knew that she knew that. He walked over to where she was sitting and plopped down next to her, wrapping his arm around her curled form. ‘We knew this would imzadi, everything is going to be ok.’ He felt a massive amount of pressure on his chest. IT would be ok, he knew that, he just needed her to know that too.

Lt. JG Joseph Rainns- COS

‘I know…I know we talked about this. I…I just wasn’t expecting it so soon.’ She tried to breath through the silent sobs. They had never gotten around to the details though. She took another deep breath. She turned so she could hug him, her face buried against him. ‘I’ll be okay, I’m not right now, but I will be. What about you?’ The orders said she had 2 weeks before she disembarked. Two weeks had never looked like so small amount of time to her.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

‘I’m alright, somebody’s gotta stay behind and whip the new cadets into shape.’ Rainns responded. ‘I’m happy to be the man to do it. I just wish I would have you by my side while I did that.’ He kissed her on the forehead. ‘As soon as I’m done here, I get to pick which ship I want to serve on, where ever you go, I’ll be right behind you, I promise. Until then, you need to figure out a schedule so your brother and I don’t try to call you at the same time.’

Lt. Jg. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah tried to laugh, it didn’t really work. ‘My brother can forget it. I’ll write him when I have time. You come first, always.’ She looked up at him, ‘I’m gonna hold you to that promise.’ She kept trying to breath, ‘Teach me chess? We’ll play through letters.’ She wanted to stay with him, but if he was going to follow her it wouldn’t be so bad, right? They’d figure it out. She had a horrible thought though. ‘Please don’t hate me Joseph.’ Her mind began to pull away, just a bit. She had been relying on him a lot and neither of them could hold the distance. She was going to have to adjust again, she had time to do it slowly, but she had to do it. ‘Imzadi.’
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

‘I hope you do.’ Joseph said with a smile. ‘I intend to fulfill it.’ He nodded his head, ‘Of course I will, you won’t be able to beat me with all the distance.’ At first he was confused by Fayths plea, but then he felt it. Her mental presence was withdrawing from his. Pings of sadness radiated throughout Rainns heart, he knew that it had to be done though. ‘I will never hate you Sharah, never.’ As much as he wanted to, he did not stop her withdrawal.

Lt. Jg. Joseph Rainns- COS

‘I’m sorry, I have to. I’ll collapse if I try to do it all at once as I leave, and I don’t know what that would do to you,’ she stopped before the noise became distracting. Suddenly she kissed him, letting it linger. ‘Take advantage of very moment we have.’ She started to suggest they go to his quarters, they would have their day of reading and games, but she didn’t know if the memory of being in his quarters would be worse for him, so she stayed sitting on the floor next to him and let him decide.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Joseph welcomed the kiss with happiness and slowly breathed out after it was over. ‘I will trust me.’ he replied. ’ I would rather stay here if that’s ok with you.’ He said. I would hate to have my empty quarters taunt me after you leave.’

Lt. Jg. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah nodded, she understood. She reached around behind her and pulled out a chess set, made of cherry and ebony wood. She had meant it to be a gift, but now it would serve as a connection. She slid it in front of them and squeezed his hand, and took a deep breath. ‘Teach me.’
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Rainns eyes lit up upon seeing the board. ‘Of course.’ He began to take the pieces out and set them up on the board in their appropriate positions. making sure he was deliberate enough to allow Fayth to follow what he was doing. As he assembled the pieces together he figured he might as well get down to the real talk. ‘How often do you want to chat once we split apart?’ he asked solemnly.

Lt. Jg. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah watched very carefully, picking details of each piece from Joseph’s thoughts, trying to commit them to memory. She said the first answer that came to mind, ‘Every hour.’ She took a deep breath, that wasn’t going to help them. ‘Every day, though that might not happen for many reasons, but we can send recorded messages every day. I don’t think I can handle going longer than a week.’
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Joseph smiled. ‘Sweetheart we don’t even talk every hour here.’ He finished setting up the board. ‘Once a day will be perfect, and I can certainly accommodate your recorded messages request.’ He stopped and stared at the board. ‘You know, once my tour on Challenger is done, we could commit to formal union,’ he was very careful to avoid the m word. ‘That way we won’t be put on separate ships again after this little escapade. Granted the distance relationship works out, which I’m sure it will.’

Lt. Jg. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah chuckled a little, ‘no we don’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.’ Sharah listened and then sat a little stunned. She had to stop herself from simply saying yes and kissing him. She had to think, were they simply over-reacting to a difficult situation or not. She took a few deep breaths and took his hand. She choose to speak out loud as well as in his mind. “Joseph, you are my Imzadi, my best friend, my first and my only love, my soul-mate. Nothing would make me happier or more proud than to formally commit my life to yours. You simply have to tell me when.” ‘Yes, Joseph, if you are asking.’
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Joseph froze, he had not actually been prepared to propose on the spot, and had merely thrown out the suggestion to see how Fayth would react, her enthusiasm caught him completely off guard. He paused for a moment. Inside him a massive battle between his hear and his mind was playing out. His emotional side pulled him to say to hell with caution and tradition, and just do the deed. Opposed was his mind, which was telling him to give the relationship more time and to wait for a better moment than this. Joseph took in a deep breath, and made his choice. ‘Sharah, one day I will ask for your hand in marriage, and will be a beautiful moment in both of our lives. But that day is not today, I’m a man of tradition, and this is not the time or place for a proposal.’ He replied softly. ‘I love you imzadi, but now is just not the right moment.’

Lt. Jg. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah shook her head with a soft smile, keeping eye contact with him. ‘Joseph, Imzadi, I didn’t mean it was. You’re right, this isn’t the time, and even if it was, it wouldn’t change that I’m leaving.’ She squeezed his hand, ‘But I can’t leave, with you having put the idea out there and leave you to wonder how I feel about it. I have always been honest, maybe more blunt than I should, with you. Now, you know my answer. Think of it as a chance to read my mind when we aren’t close enough for you to do so.’ She returned her gaze to the chess board. ‘Now get to teaching so I can kick your butt.’ She glanced at him to make sure he was going to be okay.
Ensign Fayth, Doctor