Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side sim: Time Spent Together

Posted by Lieutenant V’alura Belmont (Scientist on Medical Leave) in Side sim: Time Spent Together

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side sim: Time Spent Together
Cafe Sud was a cafe on a cobble paved side street in V’alura’s downright expansive holographic representation of the city. The cafe really existed, on Earth, too. Solal had originally used the program mostly for the concert hall elsewhere in the city, expertly tuned to sound perfectly real.

Today though, he was there for another reason. Sat in a chair outside Cafe Sud across from V’alura, there was a boutique mug of coffee in front of him, complete with a little design drawn with the froth on the top of the drink. He had not even brought his violin, he wasn’t well enough to play it anyway.

Solal had not been doing well these past few days. His energy was worse than before, his breathing was struggling more than it had been previously, his heart rate resting high. The headaches and brain fog were bad, making it difficult to think, painful to be in the light. The reason the hologram was set to a lovely dusk with a beautiful sunset. It was darker than mid-day.

Solal looked frail and sickly and pale, hunched slightly in the chair in which he sat, though he tried not to. He didn’t want V’alura doing too much worrying. A defect of her more human nature.

He looked up, across the table at her, “So of all the things we could do, Paris makes you feel better?” Though he would deny it, he still clung desperately to his control, the familiarity of the city, the sound of the holographic people around them speaking his native language, the atmosphere they had chosen, all did seem to be putting him at ease.

~ Solal

“Here. . .or Wyoming.” V’alura gently eased the words out. Syllable by syllable, each breath carefully controlled and executed so that she could speak as normally as possible. These days nearly half of her big half-Vulcan brains seemed devoted towards managing her ever worsening symptoms. Which, given the capacity of her mind that was a shocking amount. Before her was her own tall glass that held her latte with a swirl of caramel syrup.

“Besides. . . coming here makes you feel better too.” It wasn’t either of their homes, and though V’alura was the only one to actually live in the city for a period of time, she knew it must give Solal some measure of comfort as well. More than Wyoming, anyhow. She calculated the strength it would take to grab hold of her drink and bring it to her lips. Balanced against the constant ache and tightness in her chest. She reaches and takes one small, delicate sip.

If Solal looked frail and sickly and pale then V’alura looked no better. Her normally lovely autumn complexion turned ashy and she’d long since given up on hiding the dark green bags under her eyes. Her hair limp and flat, the only care it seemed to receive was when it was pulled back into a haphazard bun. She still smiled, no matter how tired and subtle they were these days.

V’alura

Solal nodded, too tired to argue that comfort was a human idea. He took a sip of his own drink and looked at V’alura with that critical look, like he was studying a patient. Making sure she was okay. She looked as bad as he did, he knew she was as sick. He coughed into his elbow, a painful action that sparked pain in his chest and all the involved muscles, and then looked down at his drink. “What’s in Wyoming?” He asked. He wasn’t exactly an expert on US states, but he was pretty sure Wyoming was one of those big, empty states.

~ Solal

Solal’s cough made her wince with sympathy. It sounded painful, but she forced her concern down. Solal disliked it when she fussed like a mother hen, “Oh, only everything,” She joked, tone light and teasing. “Great open plains. . . an endless sky. Towering mountains and. . . winding canyons. Wild horses. . . and-” And my mother. The house I grew up in. Where beloved and deceased pets were laid to rest under ancient trees. Where she had her first crush and her first kiss. First championship won. First acting class. Where most of her mother’s family lived. Where she fell in love with nature and science. “And peace like you’ve never known.”

V’alura