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

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Lost in Thought

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Lost in Thought
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Roman smiled at her again and the smile grew bigger when she said she’d wear it again. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he said softly, giving her another look. “How do you want to spend the rest of our night?”

~ Roman

Rand tipped her head back to look at him again just in time to see that look. She felt her heart start beating faster, and she grinned with a slightly breathless voice, “Oh no. I know what you’re thinking. Uh huh. Elbbirt said you had to be careful not to let your blood sugar drop.” Then in a sudden seriousness, “I won’t be the reason something happens to you.”

Rand

Roman grinned sheepishly and shrugged, apparently claiming innocence because he said, “I didn’t say it.” He looked at her playfully, “We can always sit here just like this.” Then she turned suddenly serious in a way that reminded him of her brother. “Nothing is going to happen to me. You’ve already done so much. Prevented so many things.” He hugged her tighter as he said it.

~ Roman

Roman didn’t know that though. Horrible things just happened, but right then she just had to believe it, to have faith that things would be okay. Otherwise her imagination would have a panic session while she was sleeping. She hugged him just as tightly and settled in closer. “We can just sit here if you want. We can do anything,” a little grin, “almost anything you want. How does your head feel?”

Rand

Roman had to reframe his thinking to *get” it, the way Rand worried like that. It was the same as when he worried about landing parties or the way he’d protect her whenever something startled him. It being something awful was unlikely, but he’d still worry every time. “Let’s just sit and relax for a while,” Roman said, and then to answer her question, “I think it’s getting better. The medicine was only supposed to take twenty four hours and we’re already six or so in, so it would make sense.”

~ Roman

Who was this? Sit and relax? Not always doing something? Maybe he was feeling better, like Randy said would happen. Doing nothing sounded really good to her though. The last…too long had been filled with work, and more work, and helping the crew, and then that project, finding things for Roman to do so he would take a break, making sure they both ate, normal day to day tasks. Several that weren’t taken care of. Which reminded her, she had a lot to take care of tomorrow before they could return to work. Randy giving her the sedative had messed with her schedule. She let out yawn. She might have slept a long time, but it wasn’t quite the same as just relaxing. “I’m glad. Hopefully Elbbirt will clear you for duty tomorrow afternoon.” Rand wasn’t in a hurry to send him to work, but he lived his work, and Rand preferred to work than do nothing. “I’m worried about Mushy and Nibbles.”

Rand

Roman could tell she was surprised and he smiled. He was typically such a busybody because doing something kept the things that bothered him away. Right now he felt peaceful and happy. Nothing to run from. And spending time with Rand would always be a plus. “Hopefully he will. I’m sure I’ve got plenty to catch up with.” Nibbles and Mushu should be fine, he was pretty sure. Rand had made him visit them during the last week (he was not going to upset himself by thinking about the project), so it was only since he’d fainted that they hadn’t been to see them and that was because he couldn’t go to the lab as long as it was a possibility for him to faint again. “I think they’ll be okay. Maybe we can visit them first thing when Elbbirt clears me.”

~ Roman

Rand mumbled agreement. She did not want to see how many reports she had to go through, supplies to order and put away, uniforms to be taken care of and new crew to process. Plus a million little things that went along with that. Hopefully Elbbirt was going to clear her too. He’d been rather harsh with her. Despite Randy being around the medical staff had her medical history. Her continued service was conditional. Randy hadn’t known that at the time, but now that he was working as a nurse he did. She had to maintain her health and monitor her stress and heart. Most of the time a stress cardiomyopathy corrected itself with no further problems, but Rand had extenuating risk factors. If medical thought she might become unwell, that was the end of her career. Elbbirt had Ben quite firm about it all. She was going to b seeing a lot more of him, until he was certain her out of wack numbers were just over work and not signs of something else. Randy probably already knew but she wasn’t telling him or Roman. They didn’t ask so…it wasn’t a lie if she didn’t volunteer the information was it?

“I’d like that. Besides, even though I am careful and wash my hands before and after, I think Nibbles know about Pipkin.” Another small yawn.

Rand

Roman wouldn’t even know to ask, he didn’t know service could be conditional. And if he did find out her service was conditional he would always worry they’d decide to make her resign and she’d have to leave. Not to mention reigniting his own fear of getting kicked out because of his own mental health issues, the reason he’d had so much trouble telling anyone about the nightmares.

The truth was the intake officer and medical officer had over emphasized the importance of self care and that neglect of basic healthcare and self-care could be reasons for dismissal. Rand had been so nervous they wouldn’t let her join, her mind had kind of latched on and made it a bigger deal than it was. They had only meant to emphasize the importance of taking care of her health and to report any problems. Rand had gone over board. Elbbirt was making a big deal of it because with her acute anxiety and tendency for panic attacks and then the really really long hours and poor diet would make her more likely to have a problem if something triggered a massive panic attack. He was being cautious, Rand was being anxious. She did have to go through all the physical s, PT requirements and psych test before she joined. She had passed them all.

He smiled and shrugged to her statement. “As long as you’re as careful as you can be and they never see each other I don’t see a problem. They all got to smell the Captain’s cat when she first came aboard, too.”

~ Roman

Rand nodded, “That’s true. We’re lucky that cat hasn’t gotten in the lab or died falling down a ladder hatch. She sneaks out all the time. I’m actually surprised I haven’t found her at the door sniffing around.”

Rand