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 (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
When the turbolift opened Roman hid his symptoms while they resumed their act, “manhandling” Randy into Sickbay. But once they were in the room he lay down without argument. He heard Randy and he shook his head. “She was asleep. I was looking for you… to apologize.” He almost didn’t want to say that’s what he was doing, but it slipped out anyway.

Randy stopped and glared at him, “Don’t you dare go doing that, you’ll shatter the foundation of my whole universe.” He held up the vial so Roman could see the label. It was his cardiac meds and then he slipped it into the hypo and pressed it to Roman’s neck. “You should feel better in a minute.”

“What? I can’t think I was wrong?” Roman pulled away from the hypo out of habit, his normal excuse of It’ll get better on its own, just let it be, nearly coming out, but then forced himself to be still. He wasn’t interested in dying of heart problems right then. Or worse, getting back on the machines.

“Sure you can think it, but uttering it? The universe must have cracked and is coming to an end.” Randy was being sassy and grinning. Nothing made the world right again than arguing with Alden. “Besides isn’t there some unwritten English rule about not apologizing if you weren’t wrong?”

“I’ve never been a very good English,” Roman replied with a little shrug, “So it doesn’t matter what the unspoken English rules are, does it?” He wasn’t usually that defensive when his Englishness was brought up but right now he wanted separated from his family even more than normal. Simply being related to them was getting everyone he cared about in danger. If he weren’t there, he didn’t think these people would even be aboard to attempt to kill Rand or Randy.

Randy set a hand on his shoulder, “No it doesn’t, but you shouldn’t judge your quality by the rest of your family. Those that care about you certainly don’t.” It was a topic they had discussed back and forth a few times.

They had, Roman still wouldn’t go into much detail about them, but it was a discussion that came up nearly every time his family did. He shrugged slightly.

He was taking breaths in between his words. “And then I found you… doing that. Like a suicidal idiot. Rand couldn’t live without you, you know. I’m not you. I can’t replace… you for her. Never will.” He spoke quietly and occasionally glanced at Rand to make sure she was still asleep. He wasn’t sure how much she remembered through her confusion, the whole thing would just scare and confuse her further. “I’m ordering security that you’re to stay here, in Sickbay as much as possible. You’re not going wandering around the ship trying to get yourself killed after that stunt.”

~ Roman

Randy crossed his arms and torqued his hip out and tapped a foot. “And I can’t replace you or her. This guy needs to be stopped. Now look this guy is a fanatical he doesn’t think straight. He failed at getting you so he went after Rand. I don’t think he knew she was nobility. He was just going after her to get to you. To get you to come out so he could try again. If he knew she was nobility he would know I was and come after me already. Or if he did already know he didn’t feel me worth it, now I’ve mocked him. So now not only did he fail with you twice because you didn’t take the bait, he failed a 3rd time because he didn’t kill Rand either. So now he has a new target, he can’t fail this time. He’s desperate and he’s going to make a mistake, a major one. The only thing that is solely mine that no one else messes with is my quarters. Kovan is there now, hiding out on deck 3 watching to see who goes into my quarters to mess with things. And he will go now because I won’t be there, I’ve been arrested. I have no intention of wandering back around.”

“Yes, fantastic. If you’re right. If you’re wrong you’ve endangered yourself for nothing.” Roman was starting to feel better, the painful tightness in his chest beginning to subside, but he still needed rest so he stayed laying down, just shifted so he could see Randy better. “You could help her through my loss. I can’t help her get over you because that’s not possible.” In his mind, it would be worse than losing Jay had been for him, Rand and Randy were closer. Actually siblings. If something were to happen to him, she’d be devastated but he (perhaps mistakenly) thought that she’d be able to move on and be happy with someone else, maybe someone with less… Problems than him. “So sit in that chair” he pointed for emphasis at the chair on the other side of Rand’s bed, “comfort your sister, and don’t do anything else intolerably stupid.”

The annoying ex-yeoman shrugged, “If I’m wrong then I made a fool of myself, and that’s nothing new. If I’m right it’s taken the focus off of both of you for the moment and I don’t have to worry he’ll take advantage of you both recovering. And honestly, if I didn’t go rant over almost loosing my sister it would be suspicious.” Randy shook his head. “She wouldn’t get over either of us, but it’s you she needs.” He glanced at Rand and the chair. “She’s sleeping. And you tolerated it just fine.”

“Well I did not!” came the whispered hiss of Morgan.

Roman glared at Randy. “Tolerated it? Hardly! I still think you couldn’t have done anything more self centered or foolish. How worried do you think Rand would be if she found out? She doesn’t need that right now.” Then he shrugged, “Besides, I’m healed enough to walk around the ship, what is there to take advantage of? I can manage on my own.”

Randy just looked at him and pointed at his chest. No matter how skilled Roman was, an attacker could easily take advantage of him being out of breath and not fully back up to par.

Roman scowled at the look Randy gave him. “Whoever they are, I get the impression they aren’t exactly fighters. Otherwise why rely on rigging electronics? My ability to fight most likely won’t be relevant.” He just hated feeling like he couldn’t protect himself.

Morgan came in at that moment and she glanced at Rand who was asleep and at Alden who looked like he might end up on the machines again and then her gaze landed on Randy. The lower lid of her right eye was twitching. She marched Randy down across the room backing him into a corner. Her voice was so quiet Roman couldn’t hear what she was saying but her whole body vibrated with tension. If this was Greek Mythology she would be Medusa and Randy would now be made of stone. She poked him in the chest, her hands gesturing back out the door. It was obvious she was giving Randy the lecture of his life. Randy had the good sense to look sorry and his gaze softened. He reached up to caress her cheek and Morgan slapped his hand so hard the noise made Rand stir in her sleep, but she didn’t wake.

Randy

Roman was watching them though he couldn’t hear what they were saying. But he had the impression he got the gist of it. Randy deserved it, as would Roman if Roman had done it. Maybe Morgan could make him listen to reason. He looked over at Rand when she stirred but she was still asleep so he turned his attention back to Randy.

~ Roman

Morgan pointed at the exact same chair Roman had. “You sit there and don’t move. I don’t care what the reason is. You will not leave this room for anything until I am positive we’ve caught the person.”

“Aww Tracy come on, I can’t sleep there.”

She spun back on him so fast Randy rocked back, “Then sleep on the cold floor and be glad the floor is cold and not your dead body.” Then she stormed out, well if doors were still old fashioned and on hinges. Of course she wouldn’t have slammed the door out of respect for the sleeping Rand. She hoped Rand could make Randy feel contrite about what he’d done at the very least. But she was not going to be the one to tell Rand what Randy had done.

Randy moved over to the chair and sat, sufficiently chastised at Morgan’s parting shot. He crossed his arms, and legs at the ankles, put his head against the wall and closed his eyes and waited. He knew Roman wasn’t done yet.

Randy

Roman had no plans of telling Rand about it, not right now. He wasn’t sure she’d understand anyway. It was better to let her rest and pretend nothing was wrong. He sat up and grinned at Randy, “You could always sleep on my bed, I’ll sleep in the chair.” He hadn’t really been doing much quality sleeping anyway. He was too worried about Rand, and now he’d have to worry about Randy, too. “I’d rather sleep there than you risk going to your quarters and losing you…” He nearly said again. He wasn’t quite sure where that came from. He’d come a lot closer to losing Rand than Randy.

~ Roman

“I had no intention of going back to my quarters any time soon.” Randy opened an eye and looked at him. “I appreciate the offer. We can take it in shifts. Right now you stay there, you need it. That walk about the ship winded you.” And Randy did feel bad about that. Roman wasn’t supposed to know about what he was up to.

Roman gave a long sigh and nodded. His meds had him feeling better, but he was still supposed to rest. It was starting to drive him crazy, the more restless he got, the more he wanted to do. But a walk about the ship had him winded. Tomorrow he planned to stop by the lab again, give him something to do. He was sure Franks would like the help.

Dinner came and went and Rand was still asleep. Randy tried to go get dinner for them, but he was forcefully pushed back in the room and told to sit down. Morgan was really mad at him and the rest of security felt the same. For a lack of anything to do, Randy started icing Rand’s head again. The swelling was coming down but it had been doing better with the ice pack.

Randy

Roman still had his lab feeds of the animals and he was still catching up on reports he’d missed. He was still on medical leave, which meant he couldn’t sign off, but he could still stage them like he and Rand had after his leg. During dinner, he made himself eat a little, but managed less than half his plate. Then he went back to his report. Whenever Rand moved or stirred in her sleep, he’d put his hand over hers comfortingly in case she woke up, but she hadn’t yet. When it was getting late, Roman stood from the bed and went over to Randy, “Your turn.”

~ Roman

Randy actually didn’t argue with him. He stood up and leaned over and said something quietly to Rand before kissing her temple and then he stretched out on the bed, closed his eyes, and slept, well appeared to anyway. He slept more than Roman had. He knew he needed it, someone had to be healthy out of the group. At some point they came in to do another dermal session. Rand still slept. Elbbirt was concerned. The swelling was down, and sleep was good, but nothing disturbed her. In truth it did, it filtered into her dreams and even woke her some, but Rand simply didn’t want to deal with it. To deal with the confusion and questions so she let sleep claim her again.

An hour or so later, Rand woke fully. She didn’t say anything she just stared at the dim room and tried not to move too much. Her head was cold and that felt good but her stomach hurt.

Rand

Roman had his feet up on a small table in the room, leaned back in the chair, with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes closed, when Elbbirt came in for her dermal regenerator session. He hadn’t been asleep long, but at least he was getting a little. It was after Elbbirt left that his nightmare started. Sickbay was making it impossible to sleep without having them. He often twitched, tossed and turned, and cried out during them, this time balanced carefully in the chair to sleep, it was the tossing and turning that caused him to nearly fall out of the chair. He woke and put his feet down, then readjusted himself in the chair. Then he looked at Rand, she was still asleep. He put an ice pack against her head and started the timer.

Ten minutes later she woke, by then Roman was leaned back in his chair again, watching the timer so he didn’t notice right away that she was awake. When he did, he put his hand over hers and asked quietly so he didn’t wake Randy, “How do you feel?”

~ Roman

Her face was streaked with tears. She’d been dreaming? She wasn’t sure but she was running from something and there was fire everywhere. Rand seemed surprised by his voice. She blinked and her eyes moved to focus on him, but she didn’t answer. She didn’t recognize where she was. She knew it was a hospital room, but it didn’t look like any hospital room she was familiar with. She was cold, Elbbirt and Shrine hadn’t pulled the blanket back up after they were done with the session for her stomach. Her head hurt because she’d hit it hard. She didn’t remember hitting it though. She was hungry but the idea of food made her stomach cramp painfully. She started to started to answer and then she remembered one of the nurses said they couldn’t understand her and trying to think of the right words made her head hurt so bad she couldn’t see. So she just shook head, very carefully, making the ice pack slip. She turned slowly onto her side, grimacing and then crying out at the pain both from the burns and her head. She stared at the bandages confused and afraid. Why couldn’t she remember? She tried to actually hold his hand rather than just lay there, but the bandages were too bulky and stiff. Her gaze slipped away, staring at nothing, and she seemed to deflate.

Rand

It was driving Roman crazy watching her like this. She was confused and upset and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. He winced himself when she cried out as she tried to turn herself. He leaned in and carefully hugged her, hoping it would help at least a little. “Tha e gu bhith ceart gu leòr.” (It’s going to be okay). He’d forgotten to ask in Gaelic, he wondered if that had made it worse for her somehow. So he switched to Gaelic when he spoke this time.

~ Roman

Rand tried to hug him back even though the movement made her wince as she stretched the arm. It was uncomfortable, but not horribly painful. “Tha mi airson a dhol dhachaigh. Fuirichidh mi anns an leabaidh, tha mi dìreach airson a dhol dhachaigh. (I want to go home. I’ll stay in bed, I just want to go home.)” She didn’t remember they were stuck in the room for a reason and that leaving meant a security escort. She also didn’t know that their quarters had been tampered with as well. Of course at the moment she thought she was planetside in an unknown hospital and wanted to go home, wherever that was.

Rand