Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Head Case

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Head Case

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Head Case
Posted by… suppressed (17) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
He grinned and shrugged, waiting for Gorshin to leave before adding, “But I dunno, that means it would be easier to carry you back to our quarters.” He said it as he was walking her out towards the lift. It was a short wait for the lift to arrive, and then they stepped in and Roman said, “Deck 3.”

~ Roman

Rand turned that shade of pink that Roman liked as they walked. As embarrassing as it was to be carried around the ship, she liked when Roman held her like that. He also seemed to take any excuse to carry her too. Getting into the lift she peeked up at him. “No. You haven’t been cleared to lift that much weight yet. No. I’m not that dizzy I can walk.” Dizzy? Why did she say dizzy? “Tired. I’m not that tired.”

Rand

Roman hated when she was confused, it was awful for both of them… but at least she kept forgetting what he was and wasn’t cleared for. He grinned playfully as the lift began to go up. “Dizzy and tired? Perfect reason to carry you then, so you don’t fall.” He’d been cleared up to fifty or sixty pounds… Rand weighed considerably more than that. Roman assumed he could manage.

~ Roman

Rand would have backed up…he had that look on his face…but there was no where to back up, she was already leaning against the wall, and she liked being that close to him. He was giving her butterflies in her stomach. “Romanach…no…you’ll make Randy mad at me for letting you. No....I can walk, promise!” How she managed to sound worried, breathless, and hopeful all at the same time…no…no no no she was not hopeful. He’d hurt himself.

Rand

Roman chuckled and grinned, “Randy will blame me for being the idiot he knows I gladly am.” He probably knew how much Roman liked carrying her, and he definitely knew she seemed to like it, even if it embarrassed her to. “You sure?” He asked, still giving her that look as the lift doors opened on deck three and he stepped out, leading her their usual way down the hall.

~ Roman

That look was doing all kinds of things to her stomach and making her heart race a little. Was she sure? Oh yeah she was sure what she wanted, but she wasn’t going to tell Roman that. “Yep, I’m sure I can walk.” It was obvious that wasn’t what she wanted to say. She stayed next to him, his arm around her as they made their way down the corridor. Rand couldn’t remember later exactly what it was that made her stop. Maybe it was Roman’s arm around her waist. Morgan hadn’t been holding her like that as they walked, but she had grabbed her around the waist and yanked her backwards. Maybe it was the weightless butterfly feeling from the way Roman was teasing her as she first caught sight of her office door being too similar to the feeling of weightlessness as she was blown backwards. Maybe it was the headache and tiredness and seeing her office for the first time since…since....since....

She couldn’t breathe right. Roman kept walking, but Rand wasn’t moving with him. Like she was stuck in concrete up to her neck, her feet were anchored in place and there was a huge weigh on her chest making it impossible to breath. Her eyes were glued to her office door and she wasn’t grinning anymore. Instead she looked terrified. She saw the spark, heard Morgan scream her name and being hauled violently backward, a blinding burning flash of light she was clawing at her arms and a noise so loud that she only heard the beginnings of the klaxons before all she heard was ringing. Burning and fire she pulled at her shirt right over her burns and then she could only remember blackness.

Rand suddenly doubled over, holding her stomach. Strained chocked wheezes, her throat had seized up and wouldn’t allow the screams out that clawed at her throat, nor would it allow out the meal she’d only just eaten as her stomach rebelled violently.

Rand

Roman didn’t notice right away. It took him a moment to turn around, “Rand?” And when he turned around, she was doubled over, looking terrified. Roman rushed back to her side and lowered himself down next to her. “Miranda, I’m here, right with you.” He said quietly, his hands gently on her shoulders. “It’s in the past, you’re okay now.” He could guess, by the way she looked, that she was remembering again. It had happened in her office… So he placed himself between her and the office, repeating things she said to him when he was struggling. “Let’s go to our quarters, away from here.”

~ Roman

Roman was suddenly in front of her. He was the only thing within her field of vision. He was talking to her, but it took several long moments for her to realize he wanted her to move. She couldn’t breath to answer him, she couldn’t move on her own to go with him. Even if she could have answered him she would only be sick. Her shoulders shifted against his hands as she tried to get up, but she couldn’t seem to stand up on her own. Her stomach twisted painfully and she was sweating with the effort to not lose the contents in the middle of the corridor. Her eyes moved past him to their door. One hand stayed wrapped around her abdomen, the memory of the pain bringing quiet strangled sounds from her throat. The other hand grabbed onto him and she tried again to stand. To be anywhere but where she was.

Rand

Roman picked her up, gently and carefully. It wasn’t as easy as it used to be. Nor was it the goofy moment he’d been hoping for, with her face flushed and them both laughing. Instead, he looked worried and stressed, holding her tightly to himself as he headed for their quarters, taking her away from that office so she could relax. He would call Randy once his hands were free, but he couldn’t both lift her and reach his comm.

~ Roman

She wanted to protest, tell him no when she felt his arms slip underneath her and lift. He wasn’t supposed to do that was he? But the best she could manage was to be still and try not to be sick. She squeezed her eyes shut against the movement and dizziness. She put her head against his shoulder hoping it would help. Roman could not only hear her strained breath but feel it against his neck. She was well and truly hyperventilating, her skin clammy from a cold sweat.

He wasn’t and he could feel the strain he was putting on himself, but he didn’t care. He could feel her hyperventilating against him and he wished he could help but there was nothing he could do. He set her down, he was meaning to set her on the bed, but as soon as he did she was gone, headed clumsily for the bathroom. He grabbed his comm and called Randy, “She passed her office and panicked, I need help.” And then he closed the comm.

The call was one that Randy was expecting eventually. He had hoped to be there when it happened though. It had only been a few days since Rand had been able to recall her nightmares, he hadn’t expected the memories to surface so quickly. The abruptly cut off comm had him up and moving with a sigh though. He kissed Tracy on the cheek as she paused the movie they were watching. “Should I bother to come back?” Tracy laughed, “You’d better.”

As soon as he put her down she ran…well stumbled her way into the bathroom. She knocked into table chair and leaned then pushed off the table. There was a thud and then a dull smack as her knees gave out and she was violently sick, punctuated by sobs, and stabs of pain where she’d been burned.

Rand

Roman gasped at the sound of the thud and smack and rushed into the bathroom after her, “Miranda!” And then he was kneeling on the floor next to her, his arms around her, hugging her with no idea what to say.

~ Roman

She wasn’t hurt, she just couldn’t stand up any longer and had crumpled to the floor. She leaned back against him as he hugged her, she couldn’t seem to breath normally or stop shaking. She lurched forward suddenly, her stomach expelling more of it’s contents.

Randy didn’t knock, just let himself in and made his way to the open bathroom door where Rand and Roman were both sitting on the floor. Randy reached up to a shelf and took down a cloth and wet it, passing it to Roman for Rand’s face and neck. Randy glanced around and oddly enough grabbed the bottle of Roman’s aftershave and opened it, letting the scent fill the small space.

Roman rubbed her back, just trying to calm her down a little. He glanced up at Randy, taking the cloth and pressing it gently to Rand’s face. He smelled his aftershave, and realized after a short moment, it was a familiar smell to her. It might help calm her.

The cloth was cold, it was strange it felt so wonderful with how sick she felt. Roman’s hand on her back was steadying. Between that and the cloth it was something else to focus on other than panic and fear.

Rand leaned back against Roman, everything hurt, but she didn’t think she’d be sick again. There couldn’t be anything left. Randy reached over Roman and handed her a glass. “Two hands, sis.” It was a good reminder, her hands were shaking as she lifted the water to her lips.

Rand

Roman hugged her tightly against him, using one hand to keep the wet cloth against her face or neck. He watched her drink the water, ready to help her if she needed it, but it didn’t seem like she did, so he just kept holding her.

~ Roman

She was still breathing too fast and too hard, but she rinsed her mouth with the water, and then leaned back against him. She smelled something familiar, and took a deeper breath - Roman’s after shave. It just reminded Rand that he was there, it was okay, they were both okay. She groaned slightly, her stomach and muscles felt sore.

Roman kept rubbing her back. She was still breathing too fast, and then she finally took a deep breath. The faster breathing resumed, but it was progress, Roman was pretty sure.

Randy could be heard moving around and then music came on, it was quiet, but it didn’t need to be loud. It was whatever Rand or Roman had been listening to last. It was simply to distract her. He came back with a glass of very quickly made lemonade. Water a lot of sugar and lemon juice from the lemons Rand kept for making tea. The acidity of the citrus should help settle her soured stomach. He handed the glass to Roman. “Have her sip this very slowly.”

Rand

The music was something soft - something they might’ve danced to. Roman took the glass and offered it to Rand carefully. It smelled citrus-y. “Randy says drink it slowly.” He said softly, repeating Randy’s directions. “Do you feel any better?”

~ Roman

Rand sipped very slowly, it was sour, not enough sugar to make it taste good, but the smell of the heavy lemon and the taste though shockingly sour cleared her mouth and after a few sips helped to settle her stomach. She leaned back again, trying to breath and then turned her head into his shoulder. “I....don’t know…maybe.” She was managing a few deeper breaths, and sipping the lemonade was helping with that. After a few minutes she shivered, the sweat cooling as they sat on the cold floor and cold cloth Roman was using.

“Here,” Randy passed over a long knee length t-shirt. “Rand why don’t you change and then if you feel up to it, we’ll get you off the floor.” Randy ducked out of the room and Roman could hear him moving the table and chairs, either out of the way or putting them back where Rand had moved them, trying to get to the bathroom.

Rand

Roman shifted slightly and then paused, “Do you want me to stay here or move so you can change?” He didn’t want to let her go if she didn’t want him to, but she was usually shy about changing.

~ Roman

Rand didn’t want to move at all. She just wanted to sit there on the cool floor, with the cold cloth, and Roman sitting with her. She reached for the lemonade and drank some more. Then made a face. “Can I have water?”

Roman reached for the glass of water from before. A new one would be better but he didn’t want to leave her unless he had to.

Her head was pounding. With Randy there it was awkward to have Roman help her, but she wasn’t sure she could stand by herself. “I feel…light… lightheaded.” Maybe she could manage alone if she didn’t stand up. Randy was right though, she didn’t want stay in the clothes she had on. She needed to change. “If I sit…I’ll be okay.” She didn’t move right away though.

Roman nodded and stood carefully, hesitantly as if he didn’t want to leave. Then he went outside the bathroom and leaned against the wall by the bathroom door.

She sat on the cold floor, leaning against the wall for support while she exchanged her soiled shirt for the clean sleep shirt. Being alone made things worse. She waited for Roman to come help her get up, but she was starting to panic again.

Rand

Roman waited until he didn’t hear her moving around anymore and then peeked in. “Are you okay in there?” When he saw she was dressed, he went back in and crouched down by her, putting his arms back around her in a hug. He’d carry her again if he had to, but he’d give her the chance to walk herself first. “Ready?”

~ Roman

“No,” she wasn’t okay. She should have let Roman stay, and she didn’t know why she didn’t. She was crying again, rocking slightly back and forth as she sat on the dloor. He could feel her shaking again as he hugged her. She curled into him, buching her hands in his shirt. She nodded her head against his shoulder. She was ready, but her head was throbbing and she felt rather shakey. She was trying really hard not to hyperventilate again. She was struggling to breathe deeply, but she was trying.

Rand

Roman hugged her tightly when he felt her shaking again. He’d do anything so she didn’t have to go through this. She nodded yes, she was ready but she wasn’t moving yet so he gave her another minute of just him hugging her. If she hadn’t moved in another couple minutes he’d lift her.

~ Roman

Rand tried to get her feet under her, but when she did her stomach protested. Hearing the dry heaves, the bathroom was suddenly very crowded, Randy stepped over Roman to get to Rand. He pressed a hypo to her neck. “Breathe through your nose Rand. It will ease up in a moment.” Rand felt so bad she didn’t care if it put her to sleep. It would not, Randy wouldn’t risk her concussion by sweating her even a little bit. After a couple minutes and she seemed to have relaxed a little, Randy moved back out of the way. “Let’s get her up. Then we can give her her other meds.”

Roman shifted out of the way so Randy could give it to her and then nodded. Then he hugged onto her again.

Randy moved out of the bathroom, it was a small space after all. Her stomach wasn’t hurting any more, so she was more willing to move. She felt bad holding onto him so hard, making him work to support her, but she couldn’t do it on her own.

Rand

Roman lifted her, not bridal style like he normally would but with his arm around her body, taking her weight but still letting her walk. It was nearly as straining on him as carrying her bridal style had been earlier and he could tell he was pushing it for himself. He was trying to hide it though. She didn’t need to worry about him, she needed to rest and feel better. He led her back out into their quarters and towards their bed.

~ Roman