Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side-sim: The Reckoning

(snip)

Rand laid against him as he pulled her closer and hugged him. She took his other hand and held it over his heart and just breathed with him while she hugged him. She hated the noises of sickbay, and it was always worse when she was the patient. She figured it was worse for Roman too. But despite all that, hugging him was still her favorite thing. She wasn’t sure it would make him feel better, but she quietly admitted, “You know I think I like this private room. I get to hug you whenever I want. Couldn’t do that on Kelmao.” Not moving too much she reached over to the console and quickly found the last scene he remembered. Then she turned the volume up just a little to help cover the noise. She would have turned the lights up, but she didn’t want to move, instead she turned a little on her side so she could watch the movie and still hug him.

Roman tightened his arm around her as she laid against him, hugging him. His other hand was in hers, and she held it on his chest, over his heart, where he could feel his heart beat with the soft beeping the biobed’s monitor made. They were there for a while, breathing quietly, before Rand spoke up. Roman smiled. “That was quite the drawback. At least we would have had the tent if the storm hadn’t taken away the campsite.” She started the movie from where he left off and turned the volume up a little and it helped cover the sound, making him feel more like they were back in his quarters.

Half an hour later Shrine came in. She quietly took his vitals and went about setting up the machines for the doctor. Since Rand was on his non-injured side, and Alden’s heart rate was relatively low, she saw no reason to make Rand move for the moment. The over night doctor had different ideas. “Ensign, I am sure you have quarters you can go sleep in,” he groused as he came in and turned the lights up brightly. “The Cmdr needs rest not to be fawned over.” Rand’s eyes went really wide, and she sat up as soon as the light turned up. She squeezed Roman’s hand tightly. He didn’t have a restricted visitation schedule, she checked. She swallowed before saying anything, she didn’t want to stammer. “I wasn’t sleeping Dr. we were watching a movie. No one told us his visitation restrictions changed.” The eyed her…leave to a yeoman to know whether or not she was in the wrong. “It hasn’t. Just…don’t get in the way.” He worked quickly, to set up the machines, and then asked Alden if he was still numb before starting the machines again, and then left. Rand wondered if he was the type to gossip.

Shrine turned the lights down some and patted Rand on the shoulder after the doctor left. “I’ll be back in an hour or so. Do either of you want drink or food?”

Rand

Roman blinked and turned his head as the lights were suddenly turned up to full. Then he squeezed Rand’s hand as the overnight doctor, a doctor Roman wasn’t familiar with, griped at Rand for being there. Before he could speak up with a rather sharp tongued reply Rand had already used the regulations to prove she could be there. His visitation was unrestricted, anyone could come and see him anytime, as long as he wasn’t sleeping. He nodded to answer about the numbness of his leg, and then the machines were set and the doctor was gone. “Not a very friendly one, is he?” Roman said to Rand. To the nurse he answered, “Actually I am quite hungry, I could try eating again.”

~ Roman

Shrine nodded and slipped out of the room. Rand shook her head, “No he’s not.” Her voice was tight, she was sitting stiffly, and she was holding tightly onto his hand, staring at the screen. She knew she was right. She hadn’t done anything wrong, hadn’t broken any rules, but the whole conversation made her anxious. What if the Dr changed Roman’s orders so she couldn’t stay? What if he was that petty, well he wouldn’t be in Star Fleet would he? Was she hurting Roman and hadn’t known it? Was that why the doctor was upset? Or was he just that way? Should she leave? Roman had been asleep, maybe she shouldn’t have woken him up? No, no that was one thing she was sure of. If she hadn’t he would have woken up in a full panic and that would be bad for his heart right now. If they made her leave she’d just pace her quarters all night anyway. She didn’t just want to stay she felt like she needed to.

Rand

Roman pulled her gently, beckoning her to lay against him once again, though he was careful not to jostle his bad leg at all. Rand was tense, her voice tight, and she we as staring intently at the screen but it didn’t look like she was really watching the movie all that closely. “He’s just grouchy. You’re right, there is no rule against you being here and we both know it’s better for both of us if you are here.”

~ Roman

If Rand thought about it she would find it strange how easily she let herself simply react and be herself and not worry when she was with Roman. She let him pull her back to lay against him. She immediately relaxed, mostly. She was careful to stay mostly on the chair so that he didn’t have to move to make room for her. She knew it was important for him to stay still while the machines worked. She words made her smile a little and she nodded against his shoulder. “You know,” she thought it was a good, but didn’t think about if it would stress him or not, “only one more session after this, and then if the images look good, Elbbirt will start removing the nerve black. Then you can go back to your quarters.” She was worried about the pain and his stubbornness, but mentally she knew he’d be better to be out of sickbay.

Shrine came back in with two trays. The woman was a professional but she couldn’t help the little motherly like grin on her face at the two, that was quickly hid. She set the trays down on the two bed tables and wheeled them over. “I thought you might be hungry too.” She was reluctant to do it, but she helped Rand to sit up. Poor girl looked exhausted, and almost like she had when she’d had to give her the Ativan when she was in sickbay. She took the blanket and folded it and set it and a pillow on the other biobed. If the beds weren’t bolted to the floor she’d push them together, just so Rand could rest a little easier. “Now I heard you tried to give Randy grief about helping you sit up, but I’m not putting up with it either. Not with the machine’s on.” Shrine was a lot stronger and capable than she might look and it didn’t take long to help Alden sit up so he could eat. “When you’re done and want to lie back you call me. We don’t want to have to start over.” She looked at Rand, “Randy warned me about you too, so eat.” And with that she bustled out of the room. Rand picked up the cup on her tray and sipped at the water. “Randy’s not even here and he’s bossy.”

Rand