Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: New Normal

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

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: New Normal
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Rand was very aware of that. So were a good number of the female officers. She stood up, “Why don’t you pack a gym bag. You can use the locker room instead of walking all the way back here. We could…eat after…”was she asking or suggesting? Rand probably didn’t even know. “Or I could get bring a tray back after we’re done while you come back…” She started her day much earlier than Roman, but she didn’t want him over doing it either.

Roman nodded to the idea of packing a gym bag so he didn’t have to come all the way back up here. “Alright, then we’ll eat together after. No need to come all the way back if I’m taking a gym bag anyway,” he said. Then he could just get started in the lab a little early, since Rand normally started earlier than him.

She slipped next door, quietly, hoping not to wake Randy. She managed to change and get her things ready for the day without waking him, but as she headed for the door she heard his laughter. “Guess Alden isn’t horribly disfigured.” Rand groaned in frustration and left the room followed by more of her brother’s laughter.

Rand knocked on the door, and then stepped in, now in her running clothes, “Ready?”

Rand

Now dressed in his gym clothes (which today, happened to be just his shorts and athletic shoes) with a bag with his regular clothes in it slung over his shoulder, he nodded. “I think I’ve got everything. Let’s go.”

~ Roman

Rand stared for a moment, then blinked clearing her throat slightly. He was really going to go to the gym like that? Of course he was, because she’d said something about it. Everyone was going to stare. Lords help her if Scott found out or saw them. She didn’t think she could stand a round with Scott. She meant well, Rand knew she wanted to be friends, but it was just hard and Rand, though she swapped stories with Randy, didn’t like to gossip about others and spread stories or rumor. Rand was thankful the corridors were mostly empty at 0430 in the morning. She grabbed a single crutch and held it out to Roman before turning back to the door. She knew he’d prefer to leave it, but if his leg was sore after or Sovak happened to see them, he’d be irate if Roman didn’t have his crutch. Rand moved to Roman’s good side and switched her own bag to the opposite shoulder out of his way. Once the lift arrived she stepped on, turned the handle, “Deck 8” and off they went.

Rand

Rand stared at him for a minute, and Roman gave a playful grin and shrug. He headed for the door, pausing briefly as one of his crutches was held out toward him. With an irrate grumble, Roman took the crutch and positioned it under his shoulder. Then he walked with Rand to the lift and rode down.

At this time of morning, the gym was empty, thankful for Rand. The day shift wasn’t awake yet, even the early risers, and the night shift wasn’t off duty yet. But it wouldn’t be long before morning people started showing up. Roman set his bag in the gym’s locker room and then joined Rand once more, deciding which activities didn’t require legs.

~ Roman

Rand set her bag in the locker room. The only thing she kept on her was her personal communicator and her key rods. Those never left her sight. There was a myriad of cardiovascular equipment. Treadmills were best for running, though Rand hated them, you just didn’t get the same kind of work out and couldn’t adjust your speed and gait without adjusting the machine first. There were stationary bikes, which Sovak had Roman using for a few minutes each time Roman had a session, along with lots of stretching. And of course there were all kinds of weight machines for both upper and lower body workouts.

When Roman joined her in the gym she was sitting on the main central mat, off to the side, stretching. She wasn’t planning on full out running, but there was something about a good stretch and deep breaths that woke her up. Sitting next to her was a pile of resistance bands of various tension and a balance board. Roman seemed to both enjoy the challenge of the board and despise using it in front of people. But in just a couple of sessions Rand had noticed that Roman’s endurance was up and he could stand on his bad leg longer. She had one leg bent in, foot to her knee, and both hands clasped around her outstretched foot and was bent forward, forehead to knee. She turned her head and grinned at him when she heard him come in.

Rand

Roman hated PT. He didn’t know why, but he did. If he could get away with not going, he would. He tended to be stubborn during his appointments, hiding his discomfort and trying to get through them as quickly as possible. He didn’t mind using the stationary bike, though too long and it would make his leg really sore. The balance board Roman did like, it was entertaining to attempt to balance atop it, and it was a gentle work out for his leg. But it seemed so… childish, perhaps? He didn’t like people watching him use it.

He was not as flexible as Rand was, and he looked down at her, her forehead all the way to her knee. He seemed impressed. There were resistance bands and… the balance board doctor Sovak made him use. He made a face.

~ Roman