Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: Matters of the Heart

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: Matters of the Heart

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: Matters of the Heart
Posted by… suppressed (12) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Roman nodded, looking briefly at Rand. Grat’s statement wasn’t hugely reassuring but at least it was something. He turned, slipping his legs over the bed, and then waited again. He felt lightheaded, his vitals again reacting though less drastically, to the movement. When he started to feel better, he looked at Grat.

~ Roman

“I’m not thrilled with how long it’s taking to return to resting, but it’s not unexpected for your first day. How are you feeling? Want to try standing again or rest for a bit?” Rand didn’t even need to hear the answer, Roman would try to stand again. She had too, and she kept trying till she could stand on her own.

Rand

“I want to try standing.” The answer came quickly, as Rand had expected. Roman was far too stubborn to say anything else. When Grat gave him the green light, he stood again, hand out towards the bed in case he needed it. He did need it, he was quickly so lightheaded he needed to sit back down or fall down, so he steadied himself and then sat. But he did not black out, and that felt… weirdly triumphant.

~ Roman

That was much better, and Grat let Roman keep working on standing until he showed signs of fatigue. “Alright, I would prefer you to rest for awhile, but if you are feeling up to it later, Elbbirt will be here all night.” He was rather pleased that the lower dosage was enough to keep Alden stable, but he had already learned not to say too much, for fear the Cmdr would become more stubborn.

This. was. frustrating. Roman tried until Grat made him stop and he still couldn’t stand reliably let alone walk on his own. With a frustrated harumph, he laid back when Grat made him stop. He hadn’t expected it to be so hard.

Rand moved back over and sat with him. “You did really well.” She kissed his cheek. “You want some water or citrus tea?” She remembered she wasn’t allowed caffeine for awhile. The stimulant could over work the heart.

Rand

“Citrus tea,” he sighed. At least it was tea. He wouldn’t be allowed his usual black tea for a while. He didn’t feel like he did well. He’d have at least liked to stand in one spot without needing to leave a hand on something to support himself, and that hadn’t happened yet, not even after all their trying. And the fact that standing in one spot without moving was some kind of accomplishment was just depressing to him.

~ Roman

Rand knew it was depressing and frustrating. To be so sure you could make your body obey and it wouldn’t. She could only sit with him and answer whatever questions he might have.

The following day was the same, Rand did have to leave for awhile. Only once for a longer session with Rogers. She had her escort the whole time. Then she stopped to visit Pipkin and to clean up and fresh clothes. She brought Roman something more comfortable than a medical gown to wear.

Roman had worried the entire time she was gone, though it added up to only a few hours. He was grateful however when she brought him some regular clothes. He’d been really tired most of the day, because he hadn’t slept much at all during the night. Between Sickbay and the stress of everything going on, he’d had a lot of trouble with his nightmares.

That evening Elbbirt came in and sat down. “Well you’ve been doing well, Cmdr. I know it may not feel like a lot of progress, but your heart is getting stronger, and self regulating so that’s excellent.” Elbbirt took a deep breath, hands braced on his knees, sitting up straight. “You’re scheduled for your last bone fuser treatment tonight. You’re off the pain killers now, but still have the cardiac-support and anti-inflammatories in your system. It’s up to you if you want the treatment or not.”

Elbbirt

Roman was familiar with that look. Elbbirt was going to tell him something he didn’t like. Then he took a deep breath. He’d made it through two sessions already (barely). He only had one more then with any luck he’d never see that awful machine again. And if he could get through it, they’d probably give him a little more freedom to move around. “I’ll… I’ll try it.” He said, squeezing Rand’s hand as he said it.

~ Roman

Rand squeezed his hand back and then moved around to the head of the bed to be out of the way. She laid her hands on his shoulders, and in an effort to make him smile she asked, “Cia mheud latha a dh’ fheumas mi satain uaine a chaitheamh a-nis?”

“You already promised me the whole honeymoon, didn’t you? Next it’ll be at the wedding.” He was kidding of course, but at least she had succeeded in distracting him a little bit as he chuckled at his own comment.

Rand grinned, “You want me to wear a green satin wedding gown?”

Roman smiled. It was an idea, an inside joke that would make their wedding really special. “That sounds beautiful.”

Randy slid the machine into place and Elbbirt, always meticulous and careful, rechecked the settings and then started the session.

Rand

Still on anti-inflammatories and cardiac support meds, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. But those weren’t nearly as effective as pain killers in stopping pain, and this time he definitely felt the bone fuser, his memories making it worse than it actually was. The ship shook slightly, it was nothing out of the ordinary, just a disturbance in space or a pocket of gasses, but it was enough.

Suddenly Roman was back on the Ardent, and instead of Elbbirt and Randy, Roman saw Doctors Elliot and Suluk, two of the Ardent’s physicians. “Lay still, Alden, or they won’t heal right, and you don’t want that,” doctor Elliot had said, frowning down at him. “Relax, Lieutenant, it’s only a bone fuser, and it will be done in a few minutes,” Suluk had said. It was all Roman was seeing and hearing.

Rand continued to speak to him, but he seemed unaware. Where he had been holding her hand he suddenly jerked away. It surprised her and she sat up and back to look at him. He was acting agitated and tense like it was hard to be still under the fuser. “Roman, be still they’re almost done.” She looked at Randy and then Elbbirt. Randy set a hand on his shoulder and that seemed to make it worse.

Roman’s face changed, turning belligerent and stubborn. “No, no, let me go. Let me go!” The last few words came out louder than he meant them to, nearly a shout. There was no way to tell who he thought Rand was, but whoever it was he no longer seemed to notice or acknowledge her. He shifted under the bone fuser, as if attempting to slide out from under it. His heart rate was way up, reacting to his stress, and he was looking around desperately as if for a way out. “Doctor Elliot said the one before last should be the last session!”

~ Roman

Elbbirt cut the machine off and moved it. He’d rather a aborted session than fused body parts that shouldn’t be fused. “Elliot? Roman, who’s Doctor Elliot?” Randy spoke up, “His doctor from the Ardent.” He and Roman had talked about that so he was able to recall the name quickly, where Elbbirt would have had to read his medical file. “Rand back up.” She was about to argue with him when he gave her that big brother I’m not joking with you look. Randy moved to get in front of him. “Okay we’re done. No fuser. Cmdr Alden?” Randy didn’t yell but his voice was crisp and calming. “The fuser is gone, you’re on the Sentinel.” Elbbirt was watching his vitals and prepping a hypo with a cardiac stabalizer and a sedative.

Randy

Roman looked between them as they spoke, almost as if he couldn’t quite hear them. There was that panicky look in his eyes, like when he’d first woken and had wanted to run. “You said I’d be done,” he said again, his voice a little lower in volume, looking at Elbbirt. “No more!” He looked up to see who Randy was looking at, but when he saw Rand, there was none of that normal recognition on his face. He was seeing someone else.

At first they were all a little confused trying to follow what Roman was saying. Then it sank in her was having a pretty vivid flashback. Randy and Elbbirt backed away, giving him some room. There was no telling how he might react to what he was experiencing in his mind.

Randy got in front of him, trying to calm him. The movement only made him feel more trapped, and he backed away. The words didn’t seem to register or make sense to him, as if he wasn’t recognizing the name of his own ship. “Let me leave. It won’t matter anyway! No one is coming!” His answers didn’t make sense for what Randy was saying, but he went on, “What’s logical about that? What point is there?” He was shaking, sitting up, and pushing away from them. “I’ll be fine. I just need to go. Right now!” It was in his typical stubborn tone, except his voice shook slightly.

~ Roman

When he said no one was coming, Rand died a little inside, her heart breaking for him. She wanted to hug him, try and make it better. From behind him she spoke softly and quietly but with the acting skill to project her voice, “Ròmanach, thàinig iad. Tha thu sàbhailte a-nis. Tha e seachad. (Roman, they did come. Your safe now. It’s all over.).”

Rand