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

(snip)

Roman had been late to his secret burn session, they’d had to figuratively drag him out of the lab. And then he’d barely made it through the session itself. He was NOT looking forward to a second one later in the day. And when Rand asked if he’d walk with her… She was overdoing it, he knew, because she wanted out of sickbay, but he also wasn’t feeling very compliant so he nodded reluctantly, “Alright, let’s go. But hurry up, Randy will stop you if he sees us.”

~ Roman

Rand was already ready to go. She had been all morning. She was so happy that he agreed, Rand practically bounded off the biobed and ended up tripping/falling into him. She was quick to say she was okay and hurry out of Sickbay. Hurry being a relative word. Rand was dizzy and lightheaded and navigating more by memory and instinct than seeing where she was going. She didn’t want to tell Roman because she didn’t want him to change his mind.

It was a slow walk, and she worried that Roman was annoyed it was taking her so long. She tried to hurry but that made everything worse. The biology lab was slightly more than half way around the deck and she was stubbornly determined to make it there. She knew she couldn’t go in, but thought that maybe she could peek at Nibbles from the door. She really wanted to ask Roman, if he would take her later, just to see her. She wouldn’t try to pet her or feed her or anything. She didn’t though because she didn’t want to ask him to break the rules for her.

She didn’t make it to the lab though. She made it 2/3rds if the way there, slowly and determined, but mostly steady (or as steady as she could be). The last third she kept reaching for the wall to steady herself and know which way she was going. She didn’t reach for Roman because she had to do it on her own or they wouldn’t let her leave. When they got half way around the deck, a vice seemed to squeeze her head and her vision tunneled. Starting at her head she felt really hot and then cold racing down her back, and her knees went out, and she thought she might be sick. She reached for the wall to hold herself up, but it didn’t. She grabbed for Roman instead.

Rand

Roman followed behind her, keeping an eye on her as they went. He stayed close enough to help if she needed it but far enough to make it count as doing it on her own. He was watching her closely, he’d feel terrible if she got hurt because he let her do this. She was just about half way, doing okay…

But instead she looked unsteady like she might fall and he stepped forward just in time to catch her. The sudden movement stretched his burn and made it hurt, a lot, and he tried to make the resulting grunt seem like it was just catching her.

He waited a minute with her, hoping she’d feel a little better, and then said, “We need to head back. Can you walk yourself?” The alternative, of course, was for him to carry her like he had when she broke her ankle. It wouldn’t be comfortable for him right now, but he’d do it.

~ Roman

Rand stayed there until her legs didn’t feel like they would fold on her. She sighed she wanted to finish the whole lap, but heading back was shorter than finishing. She also knew Roman wasn’t going to let her. He would be very stubborn about it. “I…I think so. I want to finish, maybe if you help me?” Maybe he’d let her at least finish the lap if she let him help her?

Rand