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

(snip)

Roman nodded, “Page him.” Then his timer went off for the ice pack. Now that she was a little more awake, he explained to her, “Tha mi air a bhith a ‘cleachdadh deigh air do cheann. Tha an t-àm ann an deigh a chuir air ais. A bheil thu airson gun dèan mi e?” (I’ve been using ice on your head. It’s time to put the ice back on. Do you want me to do it?)

~ Roman

Shrine left to page Randy and to tell Elbbirt about Rand reverting to her native language and how sweet it was that Cmdr Alden knew it and was talking to Rand in Gaelic.

Rand wasn’t sitting up very far but she was feeling more light headed and the fuzzy shapes around her didn’t seem to stay still. And her stomach felt strange. She was trying to pay attention, she really was, but it was so hard. Roman said something about ice and her head. “Tha (Yes),” if he thought it would help, Rand would let him.

Roman gently pressed the ice pack to her head with his left hand, keeping his right hand around her hand. He really just wanted to hug her tight and never let her go.

The ice stung at first but as the cold seeped in it soothed the burning and throbbing. It made her even more tired. She closed her eyes, her breathing slowing. After a couple minutes her wrist rotated back and forth slightly in his hand like she was making sure he was still there.

Randy arrived a few minutes later looking haggard and paused in the doorway taking in the scene. Shrine told him Rand was talking but only in Gaelic. He met Alden’s gaze, everything about him apologizing but at the same time not sure he could have done anything different. Rand looked like she might have dozed off again, so he didn’t say anything when he walked over and put a hand on her shoulder.

Rand

Roman looked exhausted and stressed and worried. He was laying on the edge of his bed as close to Rand as he could be without being on her bed, one hand behind her head with an ice pack and the other in her hand. When Randy came in he looked up and nodded to him but didn’t say anything either. Once he was sure she’d be asleep for a while he’d go check on Pipkin.

~ Roman

Randy grabbed a chair and brought it over. He spotted the timer and nodded to himself. He sat and placed one hand on Rand’s upper arm, his thumb rubbing back and forth.

Rand’s hand rocked in Roman’s again and then her shoulder under Randy’s hand shrugged. Her brow wrinkled again as she tried to figure out who was there. “Randy?”

“Tha mi ceart an seo. (I’m right here)” She tried to move her head so she could see him but bumped her head against the ice pack. But she kept trying to move her head stubbornly insistent she wanted to look at him. Randy looked at Roman with a nod but spoke to her, “Shh, cuidich leinn (Let us help).” Then he placed both his hands against her head and neck and gently helped her turn her head so she could look at him and Alden could keep the ice pack in place.

“Càite an robh thu (Where were you)?”

Randy looked hesitant, he should have been here, but he needed to be with Tracey too. His shoulders slumped in a silent sigh. “Bha mi còmhla ri…Tracey (I was with…Tracey).”

Rand squinted at him. Tracey? Who was Tracey…Oh, Morgan. He had been with Morgan. Randy was dating her. “Tha gaol agad oirre (You love her).” Randy didn’t say anything but his hand tightened on her shoulder a moment and then patted gently. Rand smiled slowly “Bha fios agam air (I knew it).” Randy grinned and shook his head. It was lost in Rand who hissed a breath softly trying to remember something. Something Roman said. It wouldn’t quite come to her though, something about Morgan, but her head would only throb. “Tha e doirbh smaoineachadh (It hurts to think).”

Randy rubbed her shoulder. “An uairsin stad air smaoineachadh. Dìreach cadal (Then stop thinking. Just sleep).” Simple instructions and easy to understand. Rand closed her eyes. Another pained moan escaped as she made her fingers curl around Roman’s hand, needing to hold onto him. She was very quickly asleep after that. She hadn’t been awake long or done much of anything, but her body felt like the strain and exhaustion.

Rand