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

(snip)

Roman took the cup from her and set it back on the tray. “Suidh air do làimh chlì,” (Lay on your left) he said, and then when she was ready he helped her move. Then he settled himself next to her but leaving her space and looked down at her to see if she was comfortable.

~ Roman

Rand had been laying more on her right side against him, so it took more movement than she wanted to roll over, but once she did and was still it was better along with whatever Shrine gave her. She was hurting too much to worry about it. Once the medicine started working and her stomach stopped hurting, Rand dozed in and out for awhile. Shrine was in no hurry to move her to her back and upset her stomach again.

About an hour later she stirred. “Am faca tu Nibbles agus Mushu? (Did you see Nibbles and Mushu?)” Rand had the feeling she hadn’t seen the animals in a long time, but she didn’t understand why. Certainly she would have seen Pipkin right? “Pipkin?”

Roman turned, carefully, so he was laying more comfortably with her, his arm a little awkwardly around her shoulder. “Chunnaic thu iad mu dhà latha air ais. Thadhail mi orra na bu thràithe an-diugh fhad ‘s a bha thu nad chadal.” (You saw them about two days ago. I visited them earlier today while you were sleeping.) Maybe a day and a half ago, but Roman was tired and it was getting difficult to speak in a language he wasn’t fluent in. “Tha iad a’ dèanamh gu math.” (They’re doing well.)

Shrine didn’t want to interrupt but she thought it might be better to get started why Rand was distracted talking to Cmdr Alden about whatever it was. Elbbirt came in and they helped get her settled on her back and started unwrapping the bandages for the session. Rand happened to glance down at her hands and went really quiet. Elbbirt was afraid she might panic again from the look on her face. She closed her eyes, she was having a nightmare that had to be it, that’s why nothing made sense. She wanted Roman’s hand but she was almost afraid to move. She began to cry, silently, just the tears, something was really really wrong but she couldn’t figure out what or why or how.

Rand

Roman moved back so he was more on his own bed than hers to give them space. He saw Rand’s expression when she was her hands. He knew the feeling, it was how he felt when he woke up the first time. His hands bandaged and now scarred, his chest injured, his heart damaged. It hadn’t made any sense, and he couldn’t imagine it as confused as Rand. He still couldn’t remember the incident itself, but at least he could understand that it had happened, and why. He squeezed her shoulder. He’d take her hand but he needed to be out of the way for the regenerator.

~ Roman

Rand didn’t talk anymore, just listened, and stayed still while the machine worked. The tingling was strange but not painful like Roman told her. Roman looked tired and she knew he hated sickbay. He should go back to his quarters, she was going to sleep anyway. She didn’t remember he couldn’t do that. When Shrine was finally done, Rand told her she was cold, but Shrine didn’t understand. “I’m sorry Rand I don’t understand Gaelic.” Rand looked confused again, she hated being confused. Shrine’s comment seemed to flip one switch anyway. “Blandeth,” it was horribly slurred even for one word and she had to think really hard about the English translation. But it was enough for Shrine to understand. She pulled the blanket up. Rand rolled back to her side, pulling the blanket as tight around herself as she could. One hand inched out from under the blanket for Roman’s.

She was scared, confused and wanted Randy. Roman was there and it helped a lot, but Randy was always there if she was sick. She didn’t understand why he left so fast when Roman came in or why he hadn’t come back. He must be mad at her, she did something wrong, or messed up, and it had to be bad for Randy to be mad at her. Her chest hurt and her arms felt like stabbing needles. So she just laid quiet and tried to sleep.

Randy was in the Rec Hall, boasting loudly about the superiority of Scottish nobility over English nobility. But what could he do? His sister was in love. He appeared drunk to most everyone, the crew assuming he was letting off steam and stress over what had happened to his family. Randy wasn’t drunk, he knew exactly what he was doing - making himself a target. Morgan knew it too and she was close to having a fit because she couldn’t him to shut up.

Rand