Posted by Lieutenant Commander Bethany Kovra Gadi (Chief of Security) in Nightmares Tell Us What to Pray Against

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Aasrel Izei (Chief Medical Officer) in Nightmares Tell Us What to Pray Against

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Bethany Kovra Gadi (Chief of Security) in Nightmares Tell Us What to Pray Against
Posted by… suppressed (77) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
“I promise I’ll try.” Aasrel said. He squeezed her hand. “Nothing is going to happen, okay? I’ll be okay.” Then he sighed softly. “I just… want to be able to help. I… I feel guilty for getting the surgery.”

~ Aasrel

Her head tipped to the side and she leaned in and kissed him. “Please don’t. I’m glad you got it. You were able to get the donation. It makes everything I’m dealing with worth it, knowing you’ll be okay now.” Bethany reached over and turned out the lights. She sat on the edge of the bed until he fell asleep. Then she sat in her chair, resting her head on her folded arms on the mattress. Her sleep was haunted by Nightmares.

Bethany

Aasrel smiled sadly. To him, it was only worth it if she was going to live. She had to. He lay quietly for a while, thinking about it. He’d been given the sleep aid and the nightmare meds again, with the nausea med. He slept soundly through the night, sleeping heavily and long.

~ Aasrel

Bethany slept fitfully haunted by monsters both past and present. Jonan made the mistake of trying to wake her and make her go to bed. The security chief proved her worth and skill, that despite the lightheadedness of her recovery, Jonan was thrown to the floor. The only thing that saved him was her deeply ingrained discipline.

She apologized profusely. Jonan thought it was hilarious and told her she was going to work twice as hard the next day in her exercises if she could that. He did get her to go to bed.

Sleep was non-existent after that, and her heart rate wouldn’t come down. She was out with a nurse exercising when Aasrel finally woke up.

Bethany

Aasrel woke in pain. His head was throbbing. Likely because of his stunt the day before. He wanted to sit up. He reached for his own bed controls and started moving the bed up. It made him dizzy, but he got what he wanted. He stopped at most of the way up. He wasn’t sensing anything right now. Where was Bethany? Not in the room. He had to think. he must be out walking. That was good for her. He was fine without her for a while.

~ Aasrel

Harkins walked in a few minutes later. “Well at least you didn’t try to get out of bed this morning.” She spoke carefully as she she read his monitors, “You have another round of scans this morning. How are you feeling?”

Harkins

Aasrel huffed. “I feel okay. My head hurts a little.” It was more than a little, looking at his readings. “I just want to get up. And maybe eat.”

~ Aasrel

Harkins sighed, “Dr. Izei we can’t get you better if you down play your symptoms. Plus you are scaring the life out of Bethany.” As she spoke she prepped a hypo with his pain medication. “There that should help. Poor girl barely slept all night and when she did she was having nightmares. What do you want to eat? You will get up after your tests this morning.”

Harkins

“She’s having nightmares again?” Aasrel asked. “Talk to Th’rethiss about giving her what it was you gave me. Please.” He shrugged, “I don’t care, anything’s fine.” He needed to hurry up and get her better.

~ Aasrel

Harkins brow went up. Again? “Well, I would in her place. I imagine she feels trapped. There is a clock ticking and no one can stop it. With this horrible mission she can’t even reach out to family or friends. The only person she has is sick and she is off duty. She can’t even work and do what she can for the crew to distract herself. I feel bad for her.” She adjusted his pillow. “I’ll be right back with your breakfast.”

Aasrel nodded miserably. “That’s why I don’t have all this time to waste. I need to look for her cure.”

Harkins shook her head, “Killing yourself won’t help her.”

Aasrel scoffed as if that were ridiculous. “I’m not going to.”

Harkins was gone a few minutes and returned with a tray full of a variety of hardy warm dishes from biscuits to oatmeal with toppings, to eggs, and other various items.

Harkins

“I hope that’s to share because I can’t eat all that,” Aasrel commented, picking up a biscuit and sticking an egg in it.

~ Aasrel

Harkins smiled, “No, but with an upset stomach it is better to eat a little every so often. This way you have food when you get hungry. Besides the more you eat, the more energy you have, and that helps your body heal. I’ll be back with Th’rethiss when you are done.” Then the nurse left.

Harkins

Aasrel ate some, finishing the egg, sausage, and cheese biscuit he’d put together, and a glass of orange juice, and then set the tray aside. His PaDD had, at some point, been moved to the other side of the room. There was no way he could reach for it… He peeked at the door. Th’rethiss wasn’t coming yet and today should be busier. He’d have time.

Like before, he reached up and silenced the fall alarm. Then he eased himself out of bed, one foot on the ground at a time, then a hand to steady himself. The room was spinning violently. He had to keep a tight grip on the bed. He moved slowly toward the foot of the bed, toward the counter where his PaDD was set.

~ Aasrel

Bethany walked in about the time he let go of the bed. All it took was a quick scan of the direction to know why he was up - his PaDD.

Jonan had worked her to the point she was sweating. When he said she’d pay for that reflex he had meant it. She was grateful for a sonic shower because she didn’t think she had the energy for having to rinse, soap, rinse, dry off. Her heart rate was still up, she was still dizzy, and if she wasn’t careful her balance was off. Jonan ordered her to go sit, preferably lay down, and rest.

Bethany was suddenly by Aasrel’s side, ducking under his arm, her arm going around him for support as his knees seemed to buckle under him as he let go of the bed. Her foot twisted and stumbled under her as the room started acting like a fun house floor. She grit her teeth as she took his weight, squeezing her eyes shut and focusing on the tactile feel of the floor under her feet rather than her rebellious head. “What are you doing?” She hissed.

Bethany

The longer he was up, the worse his symptoms seemed to be. His stomach was going to rebel if he didn’t hurry this up. The room looked like one of those psychedelic drawings, nothing was still. As soon as Aasrel let go of the bed though, his knees buckled and he was headed back towards the floor, and fast.

Suddenly Bethany was under him and his descent slowed but did not stop as Bethany fell too. “My PaDD. I needed my PaDD,” Aasrel insisted. He needed to protect his head - and Bethany. One arm around her, he reached the other behind them, hoping to grab something or break their fall.

Aasrel’s hand collided with the floor, his palm stinging from the impact. Shooting pain stabbed his wrist as he tumbled the rest of the way down, hitting the ground hard. Bethany was on his right, this time it was his left side that collided rather abruptly with the ground. He sat dazed for a long minute, unable to focus on anything. Everything was moving too much.

~ Aasrel

Bethany knew how to fall. She knew how to take the impact of cushioning someone when she did. She also knew not to fight with them too hard when they struggled. Aasrel was fighting to protect her. Instead her arms came up and wrapped loosely around the helmet, taking the impact instead of his head.

She heard the crack, but wasn’t sure where it came from. She knew it wasn’t her. Oh her elbows and forearms would be a bit sore, maybe bruised but she knew she hadn’t broken anything. … Unless of course her mind was numb to it because it was really bad.

The room seemed to expand and contract but she managed to get beside him and keep his head still. “Jonan!” At least her voice was steady. “You could have asked,” she hissed at him. “You promised… Just be still.” The big Klingon entered the room, “I need help in here!” He almost roared to the larger bay. He took Bethany’s place, and she scooted out of the way. Two more medical officers entered and helped Jonan get him back on the bed. Harkins appeared beside her, helped her up, and took her out to a biobed to have one of the other doctors check her. Th’rethiss was muttering what was possibly curses as he hurried into the room.

Bethany

Aasrel babied his arm, holding it close to his body. When he heard her call Jonan he shook his head… to little effect as she was holding it still. “No, don’t call… Oh, too late.” He said under his breath. “I’m fine, honestly.” Jonan and two of the other officers lifted him up and back onto his bed. “Ouch, hey, I can move myself, thanks.” Then he saw Th’rethiss rush in, muttering what looked suspiciously like curses and he groaned quietly.

~ Aasrel

Bethany wanted to stay, but knew she would be in the way. Harkins promised to tell her what was going on, BUT she had to behave and get checked herself.

Th’rethiss lowered the bed down and a field flashed to life over his legs. The cranial and neurological scanner was rolled into place over his head. Th’rethiss issued clips orders to the nurses, but he didn’t speak to Izei. He didn’t trust himself to be calm and professional. He ordered a hypo for the vertigo and the nausea and a booster of the pain meds. Hypo and dermal regenerators were passed back and forth. Jonan took his injured wrist carefully and took scans and images of it.

Th’rethiss

Aasrel was still enough for the scans of his head and his skull. He gave no problems to Jonan as the nurse scanned his wrist. It was a simple hairline fracture, nothing too bad but painful all the same. The scans of his head showed he’d jarred everything pretty good, he was lucky there was no bleeding but they’d want to check again later. He was definitely going to feel it and he’d probably made his symptoms worse. He still did not want to be made drowsy but he didn’t notice them giving him the hypo of nausea and vertigo meds. Then he seemed to realize Bethany was gone. “Hey, where’s Bethany? Is she okay? She didn’t get hurt, did she?”

~ Aasrel

Jonan showed the scans to Th’rethiss who gave the order for the settings on the bone knitter and dermal regenerator for the surrounding tissue. Th’rethiss had wanted to let his brain and head heal on its own, but he was going to have to interfere to help the swelling go down before the man killed himself.

“Harkins took her to Elbbirt,” Jonan said as he worked. “She is going to check Cmdr Gadi out.”

“You are lucky you are awake. You pull a stunt like that again and you’ll end up in a coma. Do you understand that?” Th’rethiss asked him. He was stern, forceful, and far to matter of fact for Aasrel to think he was exaggerating. “Then you will no good for her at all.”

Th’rethiss

“Yeah, yeah, I understand.” Aasrel said. It seemed like he was still taking this too casually. Until he mentioned Aasrel couldn’t help her in a coma. Then he seemed to get serious. “I just need to find her a cure before it’s too late. She can’t wait.”

~ Aasrel

Th’rethiss was becoming more than annoyed. “I know she can not. I am trying to find her a viable option, but I keep having to run in here because you are the cliché of a doctor being a horrible patient.” He took a breath. “I am happy to have your input, Dr. Izei. I will make sure you are provided whatever research you need, as long as you stay in bed. It will take both our expertise to help her. You are lowering her chances if you cause yourself to be removed from the equation.”

Th’rethiss

Aasrel grinned mischievously. It was a look he hadn’t given anyone but Bethany in some time. But he’d been known before now to be a difficult patient. He turned serious once more and nodded, the movement hurting his head despite the boost in pain meds. “Okay. As long as I can help.” He was supposed to limit screen time. That was a rule he’d have to get around.

~ Aasrel

Th’rethiss wasn’t too concerned with the screen time. His body would take care of that. The headaches would make it impossible to see straight or keep food down if Izei pushed it. The pain could even get so bad he might blackout.

Harkins figuring he was after his PaDD picked it up from the far counter to give it to him. Bethany had been standing in the doorway long enough to have heard. “He won’t need the PaDD or the research.” She was too exhausted to hide how she felt. She was tired and scared and out of options. She looked haunted to everyone in the room. She looked at Th’rethiss, “The surgery will fix me. I have decided to go forward with it. As soon as you are ready.”

Bethany

That caused Aasrel to shoot up, sitting up as far as he could with his legs still force field restrained. The sudden movement did not feel good and Bethany would be able to tell. “Bethany, no. You don’t know if it’ll fix you, remember? We just need more time.” He looked at her, the room spinning once again. “Give me more time.”

~ Aasrel

Didn’t he understand that was exactly what she was doing. Giving him time to heal, to get better, so he would be around. So they could both be around. She just looked at him. He was sick and making himself worse over her. He was going to end up in a coma and with serious brain damage. “I don’t have more time. You and Th’rethiss both said so. It’s on the face of every medical officer every time they look at me.” Every time he looked at her.

Aasrel was getting really worked up over this. Th’rethiss was lucky he was force field-ed to the bed. “Don’t say that. We have time. I just need to be able to work. Bethany, I can do this.”

“I know you can.” There was no doubt about that. She just wasn’t sure they had enough time. Not with his recovery being set back every time he opened his eyes. She was conflicted between going through with it and giving him his request, and Aasrel could tell. So could everyone else. Slowly the extra staff slipped from the room.

Th’rethiss had already decided he wouldn’t do it. He still felt that it was the best option, but she was making the decision under duress, and not her own, but Izei’s. Izei’s blood pressure was going up Amanda the bed was reading spikes in pain and vertigo. He could guess from her appearance what Gadi’s stats were. “It will take me at least another week or two to finish researching how to perform the surgery. It’s never been done, removing the psilo-gland. It is uncharted territory.” Which made the risk factor go up exponentially.

Bethany

Aasrel knew that was a lie. There was risk but Th’rethiss knew how to do this. He felt bad about it but he kept quiet. He gripped the side of the bed. He was dizzy and sick though the meds were helping.

~ Aasrel

Bethany looked at Th’rethiss and smiled sadly. “I vetted every single person on this crew including you. You may never have done a psiloectomy, and maybe no Betazoid would ask for it, but you have the skill to do it.”

Th’rethiss shrugged. “As true as that may be, I won’t do the surgery until I am certain of how to do the procedure. That would be careless and malpractice on my part.” Th’rethiss left the room. He had no interest in being in the middle of their lovers’ quarrel.

Bethany

“Bethany please.” Aasrel looked pleadingly at her. “Don’t go through what I am when it might not even work.” He finally had to lay back, feeling awful both physically and emotionally. “Please.” He let out a long sigh, watching the world spin around him. “I just want you to be better.”

~ Aasrel

She sat down next to him, the bed shifting with her weight. “I know, Aasrel. I want to get better, but I can’t…” she paused for a shuddered breath, “I can’t let you kill yourself because of me. It’s not worth it. I can’t watch you die, not when I can do something about it.” He was getting worse instead of better.

Bethany

“This isn’t doing something about it, it might make you worse. Or only better for now. I can’t accept that.” He reached for her hand. “I just…” He had to take a breath too. “I feel like I’m watching you die and I can’t do it. I can’t.”

~ Aasrel

Fingers curled around his. “That’s how I feel. Like I’m having to stand back and let you kill yourself. I can’t do it any more than you can.” She closed her eyes and centered herself before looking at him again. “If I do nothing, I get worse and die. Or I can have the surgery. Worst case the inevitable happens faster. Best case I get better.” She brushed his hair back. “You, on the other hand, are getting worse. You were able to sit up without getting dizzy. Now you can barely open your eyes.” She sighed. “I’ll wait if you behave.”

Bethany

Aasrel just wanted to hug her. Instead he squeezed her hand. “I don’t want it to happen faster. I don’t want it to happen at all.” He was starting to cry and it was making his head hurt more. He wanted to open his eyes and keep them open in defiance, show her he could, but when he tried, he nearly hurled. Her last statement gave him hope and he nodded vigorously despite the pain. “Anything. I’ll do anything.”

~ Aasrel

Her hands framed his face, providing a physical anchor in the confusion. She leaned in so if he did open his eyes, all he could see was her. “I promise I am not giving up. I will keep fighting and I will wait for the surgery until I have no other choice or time left. I promise.” She gave him a quick peck. “Promise me, Aasrel. You will keep fighting to get better. You will do what the doctors say, you will stop pushing and hurting yourself.”

Bethany

Aasrel opened his eyes and looked up at her. She wasn’t fully in focus. It was then that his telepathy decided to spark again, giving him a sudden sensation of everything she was feeling. “I promise. All of it. I will.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany let a gentle sigh out, the relief she felt was physical. She had no idea that her emotions were affecting him and she’d hate herself if she knew. She rested her forehead against his shoulder and slipped her arms around his waist as much as she could. Her arms were slightly tender from where she’d taken the brunt of the impact from where he’d fallen, but it was mostly gone. Elbbirt had made sure to take care of it.

Aasrel felt her relief and smiled. She was relaxing and that let him relax, too. Then her emotions and presence began to fade and he knew his empathy was turning off again. How long would it be before he got to keep it permanently?

Bethany appreciated his worry, she understood it, and the fact he was trying so desperately to help her meant everything. She didn’t have to be a doctor to know that he couldn’t do this. If he wasn’t banging his head around all the time, then maybe, but not with his level of confusion now. She stayed there for as long as he would let her.

Bethany

He would have let her stay there all day if he could. Aasrel loved laying there with her. The activity and trauma of the fall had tired him out. About half an hour later he yawned softly and smiled at her. “You’re staying here all day, right?”

~ Aasrel

Bethany nodded, “Yeah, except for my required exercises.” When he had sat up so suddenly, Jonan had raised the bed to support him. They hadn’t lowered it back down before they all left. “Do you want me to put a movie on and you can go to sleep?” She was sure he needed it and when he was asleep he wasn’t doing reckless things.

Bethany

“Okay.” Aasrel said. He reached for the controls and lowered the bed a little himself. “Whatever you want to watch is fine.” He said as he grabbed some food off the breakfast tray from earlier.

~ Aasrel

Bethany put on the movie that Aasrel had liked so much. She hoped it would help trigger memories. Pleasant ones that would ease his sleep. Th’rethiss had said memory recall was good for him. She was glad to see him eating as well. She probably should eat, but she had no appetite now. Too much worry and stress. She kept the lights where they were easy for him and after he fell asleep she worked from her PaDD. She wasn’t on duty, but that didn’t stop her from checking up on things from her chair.

Bethany

Aasrel ate a little more and then fell asleep, leaned towards Bethany. He slept for several hours before waking again in the evening. When he did wake, he was groggy and confused as he looked around the room as if it were unfamiliar to him.

~ Aasrel

Th’rethiss had come back to give the results of the scans. He told Bethany if she did well on her exercises through to.orrow he would release her back to work. Light duty only and no bridge shifts at all. He said he would come back when Aasrel was awake. He was not going to wake him.

Bethany noticed the change in his breathing and that made her look up. She smiled and reached for his hand. “Hey. How are you feeling?”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled and took her hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m okay. A little out of it, that’s all.” He looked at her with concern, “How are you feeling? You were so tired earlier…”

~ Aasrel

“Just take your time. No rush, okay.” She smiled quietly. “I feel okay. I rested some. Do you want some water or juice.” If he paid attention, he would notice she still looked tired. It could just be the light though.

Bethany

He shook his head at first, and then changed his mind. “Some juice, maybe.” He looked at her, something told him he should, and he frowned. “You look like you’re still tired.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany nodded. “I am. Jonan has been working me relentlessly. Th’rethiss said if I do well through tomorrow he will let me go back on light duty. So I guess I am getting better. I feel like I could sleep for a week though.” She got up, feeling the hours of sitting in one place and poured him juice from the pitcher and brought it back over to him. “How’s your pain?” She was so worried about him it was making her even more exhausted and she felt in a like she was in a constant state of fight or flight.

Berhany

“Up a little. Not too bad.” If Bethany knew how to read his monitor she’d know he was downplaying again. He visibly relaxed when she said Th’rethiss was letting her go back to light duty. He took the juice and sipped a little and then set it down. “I’m glad you’re getting better.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany was starting to learn some of the readings. Basic vitals she knew, but between listening to the staff talk and his facial expressions, Bethany knew. “Aaaaasreeeel,” she dragged his name out on a sigh. “You promised.”

“What? I’m not pushing myself or hurting myself and I haven’t done anything the doctors told me not to.” Aasrel complained, looking at her.

Bethany leveled her own version of stern doctor at him. But hers was more take no crap Security chief. “Th’rethiss also said you had to be honest about how you are feeling and your symptoms. Good and bad so they can help.”

Aasrel sighed dramatically and looked at her. “Are you sure you’re not telepathic?” He asked. “It really hurts. But I can manage.”

Bethany shook her head, “Positive and you know I’m not. I’m just really good at reading people.”

She nodded, brushing her hair back from her face. “I’m glad too. I just hate I won’t be here with you.”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled. “Me too.” He wanted her there with him more than anything, but he also felt so bad about scaring her so much she almost did the surgery he wondered if it would be better for her to be back to work.

~ Aasrel

“You know I am only a comm call away. And I’ll be able to come through on patrol. Th’rethiss said no bridge shifts and no prolonged standing until my balance is better. I’ll can come have lunch with you if you want.”

Bethany

“I know…” Aasrel shrugged and smiled. “If you have time I’d like that.” He wanted her to stay. He was scared of waking up confused and alone. Or what if something happened to her while she was working? He wasn’t on duty, he couldn’t go to her. Th’rethiss might kill him himself if he tried.

~ Aasrel

She watched him a moment. “Stop worrying.” She set a hand on his chest. “I’m getting better. Now you need to as well.” She smirked at him. “Your eyes dilate and your thumb hooks around my pinky whenever you worry. And right here,” her finger rubbed over his nose just below and between his eyes, “You get a little crinkle.”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled and chuckled as she rubbed his nose gently where he ‘got a crinkle’. “I’ll be okay.” He looked up at her with a smile, intentionally hooking his thumb further around her pinky. “Maybe I just like holding your hand like that.” Then he sighed and shrugged, “It’s just… I don’t know.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany smiled, “Well I certainly wasn’t complaining about you holding my hand.” She nodded softly. “I know. I just don’t want you to wake up confused or from a nightmare. The meds seem to be helping with that though.” Maybe she could work Gamma shift, that way he could sleep while she was gone. Then she would be there while he was awake. “I’m worried too. About,” she sighed, “everything.”

Bethany

“I don’t want that to happen, either.” He sighed softly. “I’ll be okay though. I don’t want to worry you anymore.” He looked at her, “You have enough to worry about without me making you worse.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany shook her head, moved onto the edge of the bed and rested against him again like she had earlier. “You can’t make me worse. I would rather have the worry so you are in my life, rather than no worry without you.”

Bethany

Aasrel rested against her. There was another burst of empathy and he sighed contentedly. “Your presence is comforting.” He said softly, closing his eyes.

~ Aasrel

She tightened her arms around him slightly. It didn’t occur to Bethany that he was talking about her telepathic presence. She had lived with her father’s statement for so long that it wouldn’t occur to her. There was a slight twinge of regret, that he wanted to feel it so badly and she couldn’t give him that.

Bethany had an incredible ability to compartmentalize though and the twinge was gone before it fully formed. Instead she simply focused on being in the moment. Right then they were both okay. Well as okay as they could be. Present moments were all anyone really had anyway.

She felt exhausted but comforted by him. She didn’t allow any of the fear, doubt, or worry to intrude. Time for that later. Besides those feelings wouldn’t change anything. The quiet stretched until eventually her weight became heavier against him as she fell asleep.

Bethany

Aasrel was glad she was sleeping. His empathy faded again, making him feel more alone. It was difficult with it blipping on and off the way it was. Having her lay against him made it a little better - like a physical reminder she was still there. He didn’t think he’d fall asleep again, but he must have needed it because before he knew it, he was leaned against her fast asleep.

~ Aasrel

Some time later, one of the younger nurses, who had been quite giddy over the budding gossip around Dr Izei and Cmdr Gadi walked in to check on them. The two of them tucked asleep together was too much and she squeaked slightly before heading back out to tell whomever she could find.

The noise woke Bethany, who needed a lot more sleep than she had gotten. She sat up slowly, not wanting to wake him and cast a glare at the retreating figure. Bethany didn’t care about gossip. It seemed to be as natural as needing to breathe and create order out of cosmic chaos. Couldn’t she be quieter about it?

She glanced at the time. Jonan must have felt sorry for her because she had missed one of her walks. Th’rethiss hadn’t been back to go over Aasrel’s scans either.

Bethany

Aasrel woke as soon as Bethany sat up. It took him a minute to wake fully up. Then he looked at Bethany and smiled. “Sleep well?”

~ Aasrel

Bethany’s smile was soft, “Better than I have in days. I think I just needed you.” Perhaps a slightly romantic comment, but none-the-less true. All she really wanted was a real bed, not a biobed, and Aasrel and sleep. That would have to wait though. “Are you hungry? You’ve been asleep most of the day.”

Bethany

“I fell asleep being able to feel you, telepathically, and now I can’t. It was a little disorienting,” Aasrel commented sleepily. He nodded. “I could eat.” He didn’t feel hungry, but he would soon. The smell of food would probably jump start his appetite. He smiled at her and leaned on her again. “Maybe we can arrange for you to stay and sleep here instead.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany wasn’t sure what to make of that. She knew he really wanted to feel her, and as confused as he was, maybe he thought he did. She sighed and tried to smile at him. “That must have been a good a dream.” She leaned in and kissed him. “I wish they would let me. I don’t mind sitting in the chair though. You’re worth it.”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled and kissed her back. Then he looked at her with a puzzled expression. “It wasn’t a dream. I know it wasn’t.” He stayed leaned against her. “I wish you didn’t have to go back on duty.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany returned the puzzled look. “I’m glad it’s coming back for you. I’m sure it will stay on the more you heal. So it’s important that you do what you are supposed to do.” She gave him a teasing warning look. “Th’rethiss should be back with your results soon.” She sighed, “I wish I could stay with you instead, too.”

Aasrel grinned. “I promised, remember? I have to.”

“I remember.” She leaned in to kiss him again. She felt this need to hold on to him. As if she didn’t, she might slip away. There was an unfamiliar ache in her chest, but she pushed it away too.

Harkins came in, “Time for food. Then you are getting up, Dr. Izei.”

Bethany

There were no complaints from him on that. “Getting up is what I want.” He said with a shrug. “What’s to eat?”

~ Aasrel

“Moryain quesadillas.” Harkins set the tray with two plates down on the table. The corn like tortillas were stuffed full of the meat and uniquely spiced salsa of the region. “I tried it earlier, it is very good.” She looked at Izei, “If you would like a change of clothes, Cmdr Gadi could get them. She is over due for her walk and I believe Jonan has a much longer routine planned today.” Bethany groaned good naturedly. She expected nothing less.

Aasrel looked hopefully at Bethany, “Would you?” Then he remembered he was going to need help changing and changed his mind. “Actually, forget it.”

Bethany thought she understood why he changed his mind. She didn’t smile, but thought it funny since he was a doctor. Or it was because someone would see his implants. That wasn’t amusing.

Harkins checked his vitals and gave him his hypo for pain and nausea. “I’ll be back when you are done.”

Bethany

Aasrel started eating. It was, as promised, very good. He was hungry and the food was quickly gone. He pushed the tray aside.

~ Aasrel

“You ate it all,” Bethany grinned as her eyes went up. “You must be feeling better.” She set her mostly finished plate aside. “I’ll bring you something okay. And you can decide how much you want to change. I’ll help if you don’t want anyone else to.” Even just a clean shirt would probably feel better. She had seen all his implants, it didn’t matter to her.

Bethany

Aasrel smiled. “I think the sleep helped.” He leaned back, trying to let things settle. “Then again, maybe I ate too quickly.” He looked at her and nodded. “Okay. Only if you alone help me.” He tugged on his right sleeve as if pulling it down.

~ Aasrel

“Well just take it easy. You got your Zofran, so you should be okay.” She took his hand, “Relax, it’s just me. But I don’t know,” she grinned cheekily at him, “alone? We could get into serious trouble.”

Jonan walked in, “Alright Gadi. Time to go. No slacking, get moving. You’re working with Tova today and she’s meaner than me.” Tova was a Teelerite nurse with a delightfully surely attitude. The insults would be heard across the ship.

Bethany grinned and got up with a laugh. Jonan grumbled, “It’s not supposed to be fun.” She left and Jonan let out a deep amused laugh. “At least if they kill each other they will have fun. Alright Dr. Izei, your turn. Let’s get up.”

Jonan

“If I’m not supposed to be pushing myself as asked by Gadi, you’re going to have to help me up,” Aasrel said, arms playfully crossed. He watched Bethany, wishing she could be there with him.

~ Aasrel

Jonan let out a deep rumbling laugh as he watch Izei watch Bethany leave. “She has trapped you good, Doctor. Good for you. She is an honorable woman.” He lumbered forward, “Better she leaves otherwise she might try to help you, and her balance goes off suddenly sometimes.” He raised the bed all the way up. “Unless of course you need to show off for your mate, then I will go get her.” He waves at Izei’s feet and pointed at the ground. He wanted Aasrel to sit up on the side of the bed.

Jonan

Aasrel smiled with a little sigh. “Yes, she is.” He laughed then, “There won’t be much showing off today. Sitting up with the bed has me a little dizzy.” He moved carefully to the edge of the bed and swing his feet over the side.

~ Aasrel

Jonan nodded, “We will sit here until it passes. While we do, I want you to flex and rotate your ankles. Then swing your legs from the knees, forward, backward, and side to side.”

True to his promise to Bethany, Aasrel complied.

When the dizziness passed, he had Izei turn his head and look up and down, then twist side to side at the waist, lean, bend, and stretch.

Jonan

Each movement caused dizziness. Aasrel didn’t mention it until it was pretty bad. The stretching felt good though. He’d forgotten how long he’d been in that bed, only allowed short walks if anything at all.

~ Aasrel

Jonan nodded when he said he was dizzy. “It is a balance of what limits to push and which to rest. We will let the dizziness pass, and then we will stand up. Your BP and heart rate are doing well, so it is safe to proceed.”

When he was ready, Jonan helped him stand. It was slow going as they paused to let the dizziness stop. When he was ready to walk, Jonan put an old fashioned walker in front of him for support. “You seem to do alright when you are holding onto something. Something physical to help your body orient, so we will use this as your mind rights itself.”

Jonan

Aasrel scowled at the walker. “I don’t want to look like I’m a hundred and twenty,” he complained, but it was quickly clear he couldn’t do it without it and soon he was taking slow, unsteady steps with the help of the walker.

~ Aasrel

“Better that than falling down again,” Jonan said. “And you are under your own power and not mine. Be realistic, where do you want to go? Remember you have to walk back.”

The big Klingon was all for patients setting their own goals, they worked harder that way, but unrealistic ones could cause more problems.

Jonan

Aasrel threw up a hand, the other keeping him steady with the walker. “You decide.” He was apparently still set on being a bad patient, just in new ways.

~ Aasrel

“Alright. Let’s head for the facilities, then we will see how far you can get around sickbay.” It didn’t bother Jonan either way. He was near at hand incase Izei became light headed, started to fall, or anything concerning happened. Otherwise he allowed Izei to find his footing on his own.

Jonan

Aasrel made it to the facilities, then a little ways outside of sickbay he started to feel lightheaded. He told Jonan because if he didn’t, Bethany might kill him herself.

~ Aasrel