Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: In Memory of Jay

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: In Memory of Jay

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: In Memory of Jay
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
The next disk was another long one. Roman was quiet throughout the whole thing, mostly because he was cried out and tired rather than feeling any better. The videos seemed to go quickly to him this time and then Rand stood and stretched. Roman didn’t move, he stayed sitting, staring blankly at the screen, which wasn’t playing anything just then.

~ Roman

Rand watched him, staring at nothing, not even the middle distance in thought but blankly, saying nothing, nor moving. He’d been there for hours, just like her. He hadn’t moved, spoken, or reacted at all. Rand decided they had done enough, they had done more than enough today and the day before, and so on. Standing beside the desk she tapped and scribbled on her PaDD and then turned it off. She did the same with the computer and then the remaining disks got ‘secured’ in the storage compartment of her PaDD. She slid her chair out of the way and knelt down in front of him taking both of his hands, “Roman? What can I do?”

Rand

Roman didn’t move while she turned the computer and the PaDD off, and then cleaned the disks up, stashing them in her PaDD’s storage. He only looked at her when she pulled both of his hands into hers. The motion of his head was jolty as if she’d startled him. He’d been lost in the very memories he’d been trying to block away and ignore. His look was sad and tired and he shook his head to her question, a silent I don’t know, his hands tightening a little around hers.

~ Roman

Rand looked up at him, concern building in her. Not even on his worst nights had she seen him this unresponsive and despondent. She couldn’t help feeling guilty for bringing this on him, but that wasn’t going to help him now. “Tell me…what you were thinking about.” Moving, just something to do might help? Beating up the practice dummy? Rand didn’t know, “or…or we could go to the gym.”

Rand

Roman hadn’t responded to Rand’s first comment when she made a second. He shook his head. He was tired enough he’d probably injure himself trying to practice his jiu jitsu. He thought about the answer to her first question. It was Jay he was thinking about, wasn’t it obvious? But answering felt like an impossible task. All he wanted to do was cry but it felt like there weren’t any tears left to do it with.

~ Roman

She knew it was about Jay or the Ardent or both. But she had been asking specifics. What about Jay he had been thinking. She didn’t push though. Instead she stood up and moved about the room a moment, then she returned and took his hands. She tugged him to stand and to walk the few paces to the bed. Then she tugged his shirt off over his head and made him sit and the urged him to lay down. She draped the silly doll pillow over his eyes as best she could and then an icy cloth across the base of his skull. The bed dipped as she moved to sit next to his hip. Then the heavy herbal and menthol scent of muscle rub right before her hands began to work at the knots and soreness.

Rand

Maybe Rand was asking specifically, that was lost on him just then. Roman stood when she tugged on his hands, letting her lead him. He lifted his arms for her so she could get his shirt over his head. Her hands put gentle pressure against him, making him sit and then lay. He was compliant. There was no resistance. The ‘doll pillow’ and the icy cold cloth made him feel soothingly cold. He could smell the muscle rub before she started to rub the tightness out of his shoulders and his back. He knew she was as sore as he was and he felt bad letting her do this for him. But it was soothing, and felt really nice, and he didn’t feel like he had the energy for anything.

~ Roman