Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: The Nightly Chats

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: The Nightly Chats

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: The Nightly Chats
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The next few days Roman’s performance was more like normal - save for the occasional fixable error. But four nights later, at 0130, Roman was awake again. He’d tried the tea, he’d tried music, he’d tried an audiobook, anything and everything he could think of but there he was. Frustrated and unable to sleep.

There was a note in his hand. It was somewhat crinkled after four days in his pocket and on his nightstand, but still very legible. He unfolded and read it, again. And then, throwing on an undershirt and shorts, he left his quarters and knocked softly on Rand’s door, note in hand. If she didn’t answer, he’d just go back to his own quarters. If she did, well, she was serious with the offer in the note, he was sure. That she’d make the coffee. He just hoped he wasn’t waking her.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand was asleep, but she was, now, used to waking up at the drop of a hat. She heard the soft knock and had a feeling she knew who it was because Rogers would use the comm. She slipped a robe on over her cotton flannel pajamas and walked over slipping out the door so as not to wake Randy up.

She looked up at Alden as she stepped into the corridor. “Want tea or coffee?”

Rand

“Coffee,” he opted. “I hope I haven’t woken you up.” It was the first bad night since the last time they’d spoken late like this, and, not wanting a repeat of the previous week, had decided to get Rand instead of just not sleep all night.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

“Not at all. I was reading,” she lied but she knew he wouldn’t ask again if he thought he’d woken her up. Rand nodded, “Give me 7 minutes. I’ll be right there.” She went back into her quarters to quietly make the Scottish coffee. Luckily she and Randy were used to each other moving around and didn’t wake up to the soft movement and sounds.

A few minutes later Rand knocked softly at his door, holding a mug for each of them.

Rand

Roman opened the door for her right away, and offered her what was becoming her usual seat by his computer station. It was really the only place to sit besides on his bed. “I don’t want to keep you up but I couldn’t sleep and.. maybe you could help.” He said after a short silence.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand sat in the chair, sipping the coffee. Hers having less whisky than his. “I am happy to help.” They talked for a long time, nothing ever being said. And yet another story about a young Rand and her misadventures with the wild creatures around her home.

Rand

As he began to get sleepy, he handed her the empty mug and said good night, and shortly after he was asleep.

The next day he asked her to make the citrus tea after lunch and spent his afternoon doing anything that kept him more awake than paperwork. He’d tried to finish all the necessary paperwork in the morning.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO

Rand continued to make the citrus tea and the coffee each night. It wasn’t helping, much. Or she felt like she wasn’t helping. She tried not to pry, she tried to say it was just the job. He wanted coffee middle of the night it was her job and she stayed up because there was no point in going back to bed if he just called again a few minutes later. But Rand cared and the longer it went on the more haunted Alden looked. Whatever it was bothering him…she wanted to help, she wanted him to feel better, she wanted him to stop hurting. It was obvious he was.

It was helping, Roman was sleeping more than he used to. Some nights he looks absolutely miserable, and they talked for a long time, others, he seemed mostly okay, and they spent a shorter time together. Some nights he looked purely haunted and those nights he wasn’t much into talking at all - he’d instead just listen to her, silently.

And that pushed her to share more about herself to him than she had to anyone not family. The conversations were always one sided, Rand giving of her story and Alden clamming up. That night she told him about the first time she ever had a panic attack…something even Randy didn’t know.

Rand

Rand had learned a little about him, mostly little details. She already knew he’d attended boarding school. He had a golden lab called Alfie who died when he was 12. The dog was only 8 - Roman left out the part where the dog died because instead of getting a vet when he fell ill, his father simply shot him. That he had three siblings, two older and one younger - but he never mentioned their names or ages or anything about them now. That he’d played the violin since he was pretty small, just four years old. He mentioned a nanny by the name of Bonnie a lot, never his actual parents.

Whenever she spoke of herself Roman listened intently, occasionally saying something but if she ever asked a question about his family or his schooling he’d evade it. He told her he joined the academy at sixteen, but that was all the information about that she’d managed to get out of him. Sometimes when he did share something, he’d get a pained a look and rub his right leg, and Rand would likely be able to tell he was holding something back.

That night, after she shared her story about her first panic attack (to which Roman listened intently and mentioned he was glad it worked out the way it did, because that way they worked together - a statement which probably would’ve never made it out if it weren’t for Scottish coffee), he looked as if he wanted to share something, but instead he looked away and if Rand were paying close attention, she might notice that he was trying to keep her from noticing his eyes well up. He was trying not to cry.

~ Lt Cmdr Alden, XO/CSO