Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Jessica Lemann (Doctor) in Post Sim - Jessica’s Quarters

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Va’rek (Engineer) in Post Sim - Jessica’s Quarters

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Jessica Lemann (Doctor) in Post Sim - Jessica’s Quarters
Jessica flopped to her other side, restless as she tried to sleep following the brutally exhausting mission. Rolling on her back didn’t seem to help much either, as she consciously tried to stretch her body out, pointing her toes and flexing them back in an attempt to calm her tense muscles and busy mind. Finally, she rolled back on her side again, stuffing the spare pillow she kept nearby against her stomach and wrapping her arms tightly around it. Her face burrowed into its softness and within moments, the fabric was wet with tears that threatened to spill out of her green eyes. Feeling alone had never been a problem during her childhood; her home had been bustling with brothers every day. Even once they had all headed to the Academy, she’d filled her days helping her father at his practice.

The thoughts of her beloved family didn’t help her control over the tears and they started to trickle, caught by the fabric of the pillow as she burrowed her face into it deeper. She could feel the incoming sobs beginning to shake her form as the loneliness seemed to fill every aspect of her.... except one. Somewhere, nagging in her mind, was the soft thoughts of Va’rek, encouraging her to hold on and that she could do it. Suddenly angry at the sadness that consumed her, she threw the pillow off the edge of the bed and slapped down hard on the comm badge resting beside it. Her voice was anything but normal as she spoke, the words already tumbling out of her mouth when she realized that she should have enquired about his location with the computer first:

=/\= Lemann to Va’rek. Are you free? =/\=

Dr. Lemann

On sleepless roads the sleepless go… He couldn’t remember where he’d heard that couplet, but it was worming its way through his own sleepless explorations. Everything had changed so drastically in the last few weeks. Whatever equilibrium he’d had was now askew. It wasn’t bad, but the changes had stressed the system to the point where new processes were needed to deal with everything. Thanks to friends and actually communicating and in some cases sharing his experience, Va’rek actually got sleep now, but occasionally he couldn’t and he would haunt the corridors.

Tonight was one of those. He wasn’t sure if it was residual, or if it was a new sense, but he sensed something and he’d unconsciously allowed that to lead him to this deck, this corridor junction… This door. However, it was the middle of the night. So he could find no acceptable reason to knock. His senses swirled around inside his head, and in a cloud of defeat, he sank into a crouch to cradle his head in his hands… When his comm badge connected.

=/\= Lemann to Va’rek. Are you free? =/\=

Stunned to continued silence for a few seconds, slowly his hand rose to tap his badge and reply before he even knew what to say…

=/\= I am. Are you ok?/=/\=

-Va’rek

The only response back was a muffled… =/\= No… =/\=. The comm channel cut off with just the hint of the beginning of a sob.

Dr. Lemann

He swallowed once, and pressed the door chime.

-Va’rek