Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: A Secret is a Prison

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: A Secret is a Prison

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: A Secret is a Prison
Posted by… suppressed (22) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Rand jerked awake a couple of times as the tension left and her muscles suddenly relaxed. She didn’t do more than open her eyes before falling right back to sleep.

Around 0230 she woke fully, but didn’t move. She didn’t know if Roman was awake or not and she was to wrung out to have energy to move.

Rand

Roman was still awake and could tell when she woke. If he had gone to sleep, he would have had a nightmare and woken her. So, for long quiet hours he had laid quietly next to her her but awake. When she woke, his tired voice floated quietly through the now dark room, “How are you feeling?”

~ Roman

“Th thirsty, shakey.” That wasn’t what Roman meant, she knew that but it was the easiest answer. “My head h h hurts.” At least the stutter was better.

“Let me get you some water. It might help your head, too.” Roman didn’t have to go far for the water, it was still in the drawer in the bedside table. He reached over and grabbed one, handing it to her.

Rand pushed her self up a little and sipped at the water a couple of times and then guzzled about half the bottle. She leaned over against him and sighed like sitting up and drinking the water was too much effort.

As for the rest Rand wasn’t sure. “If the people who love me can’t tr..tru…trust my mind, my j..j… judgement then I…I can’t be t…t.. trusted to do my duty. Do do don’t belong here.”

Rand

Roman shook his head and hugged her tight. “We do trust your judgement. Randy… He said it was okay to tell you weeks ago. I just didn’t know how.” He sounded ashamed and guilty. “I… I was having nightmares and it was selfish but I didn’t want you to be angry.” Then he started to laugh, little chuckles that did not sound happy at all. “But if I told you then, you probably wouldn’t really have been that angry at all.” Hindsight, after all, was 20/20.

~ Roman

Rand tilted her head back to look at him while he talked. Had she done something to make him think he couldn’t tell her anything? That she would hold that against him or not care? But when he mentioned his nightmares she looked concerned she wondered if maybe it was his own anxiety? She did understand why they chose not to tell her right away. She didn’t like it, but more because she was upset with herself for being confused and a burden than at them. She turned so her hands were propping her head up on his chest so she could look at him. “Ròmanach…” she looked at him a long moment. “I love you. Even if I’m upset I would never leave you alone with your nightmares or in sickbay. Never. Even if you decided you didn’t…didn’t…want to be us anymore I would still stay with you if you wanted me to.”

Rand

Rand hadn’t done anything at all to make him think that he couldn’t tell her. It was all in his own mind. He looked down at her when she propped her head up to look at him. “I… I know.” It was difficult for him to really, truly believe that. Though he did not doubt her words now, when he had been debating telling her, all he could think about were the worst possible outcomes. “I would never not want to be us.” He sighed softly and looked at her again, “We can handle it, right?”

~ Roman

Rand smiled, one of her quiet happy smiles, and the first one she’d had since the previous morning. “Yes, we can and we will.” She kissed him briefly and then laid back down. “Roman?” she paused and fidgeted with his shirt a little where her hand was resting, “Is there…anything else I should know? I won’t be mad. I know why you didn’t tell me, I know you couldn’t at the time. I just don’t want to find out later on my own.”

Rand

Roman kissed her back, immensely relieved it was finally just over and he didn’t have to hide things anymore. He looked down at her, with her questioning tone. Then at her question he grinned sheepishly and nodded, “There is one other thing Randy and I avoided telling you. But this bad decision was one I was wholly against.” His smile faded a little, “You were in sickbay still, it was very shortly after your attack. Your dear brother Randy decided to taunt our assassin, parading about the rec room flaunting his Scottish nobility. To… To make himself a target. So the assassin would make a mistake going after him.” Roman shook his head. “It didn’t work, thankfully, and he was sufficiently told off afterwards, but…” Roman shook his head again, “What the heck was he thinking?”

~ Roman

Rand was very quiet, still curled up next to him, while he talked. Then she went very very still. She knew exactly what Randy was thinking. Very calmly she got up from the bed, brushed and tugged at her uniform (she’d fallen asleep in it). Without bothering with shoes, she walked out the door and to the right to Randy’s door. She made a fist and rapidly thudded it against the door. “Randall Oyne Tavish William Ian Farquharson! Fosgail an Doras Seo (Open This Door!)” Why was she banging? Rand could easily open the door, she still had the access code, but it was middle of the night and she wanted to scare him.

Roman rushed out of bed after her, smacking his hand down on the side table to help himself balance as once again, the action of laying to standing made him lightheaded. With no opportunity for much of anything, he rushed after her, his uniform wrinkled from laying in it all night, no shoes or socks, and messy hair to complete his utterly exhausted look. “Miranda wait! Wait, wait, wait! Do you want to wake the captain?” He complained.

Rand looked away from the door to him and lowered her voice. “No, I don’t want to wake the captain, but 1) she sleeps deeply, and 2) she wouldn’t put up with this either.”

She banged again, and no answer so she went in cursing and yelling like some demonic she-devil. She was going on about if he wanted to be a target he could get up and stand that while she made him one.

Randy was not in the room. She turned back around, heading for the door. “He’s with Morgan. Deck 6 section C.”

Rand

Before he could say anything, she was turning for the door and stomping down the hallway. “Miranda, can’t this wait till morning or are you set on waking half the crew?” He asked, rushing after her.

~ Roman

Rand paused and turned to look at him. Her accent heavy and lilting - on purpose. “Wait? Nay this canna wait. It’s waited nearly 3 months. Every one on this ship knows the moronic thing my twin did and I’m sure they are waitin’ for his comeuppance. They ha’ been waiting for a show, and Imma give ‘em one.” She seemed now to notice how disheveled Roman looked and then looked at herself. “But it can wait half an hour for a fresh uniform…and shoes.” Then she marched right back into their quarters for that very purpose.

Rand

Roman followed her back into their quarters. It was the first time since being shot that he did not hide in the bathroom to change, instead stripping his shirt off the moment the door shut and chucking it into the laundry. The scar from his heart had lightened some, but still remained as a long pink line about a fourth of an inch wide, extending all the way down the center of his chest. The new scar, from being shot, was just at his last rib on the right, a misshapen circle of burned, rough skin the size of something like an apple perhaps. He didn’t look quite as defined as he used to, after so long of not being able to work out and then being too distracted with Rand’s injuries and other problems to work out but now that he had started again his usual form was beginning to come back.

Rand paused and turned around as a shirt went flying by her head and landed in the bin. She blushes brightly as she looked at him and then her expression turned serious. Roman had new scars. The one over his heart was healed but still new and pink and a drawn, dry, wrinkled burn scar below his ribs. Her ire at Randy was momentarily forgotten. She walked back over to him, slipped her arms tightly around his waist and squeezed with her head on his chest. She almost lost him three times now and once more before she ever met him. She didn’t know what she would do if she ever lost him. “I love you.”

Roman grinned as she turned and blushed, she always blushed like that when she saw him. But then her expression changed and Roman looked at her questioning, like what? He let out a small ‘oof’ as she hugged him, tight, her arms wrapping around his waist with her head rested on his chest. He looked down at her, still confused as to what prompted this, and then smiled and hugged her back, squeezing tight when she said she loved him. “I love you too.”

Because he knew he was going to follow her down, he switched into a new uniform shirt and a new pair of pants, putting socks and shoes on, and then brushing his hair out. He looked much better than before, more like his usual, spotless self.

~ Roman

Rand changed into a clean, immaculate, and pressed uniform, stockings and boots. She pinned her sash to her right shoulder and then secured the tail in a gentle drap under her belt. She brushed the knots carefully out of her hair. She walked over to the door. “Ya don’ have ta come.”

Roman gave her a look. “Of course I’m coming.”

Taking the lift to deck 6 Rand made her way to Morgan’s quarters and very calmly and politely rang the chime on the door.

Rand

He followed her into the lift and stood behind her as she pressed the chime. It was nearly 0300 in the morning, who did she think Morgan would think it was?

~ Roman

Rand didn’t really care who Morgan thought it was; she was only concerned with Randall. They waited half a moment before the door slid open to an obviously just woken up Morgan, tying her robe, “Yes…? Oh Rand, is everything okay?” Morgan glanced past her to Cmdr Alden and stood a little straighter. She really hoped this was a personal thing and not an official thing. She didn’t like talking with senior officers in her robe.

“Relax, Lieutenant, it’s a personal visit.” Roman commented watching as Morgan’s gaze landing on him and her posture instantly corrected. He was just accompanying Rand, after all.

Morgan nodded and relaxed turning her attention back to Rand.

“Is Randy here?” Rand seemed calm but Tracey thought she sounded a little on edge. She stepped back, “Yeah, yeah he’s here.” Randy, hearing his sister got up and started toward the door, “Rand? What’s wrong?” He didn’t see Roman, and was afraid Rand hadn’t taken things well, she didn’t look like she’d been crying but the look in her eyes was upset.

Rand got about 3 feet from Randy and launched herself at him, throwing him backwards onto the bed where she preceded to sit on his legs and wail on him. “HOW COULD YOU? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? RANDY THIS IS UNFORGIVABLE!” Randy went down with an ‘oof’ and Morgan was shocked into stillness for half a second before she grabbed Rand and tried to yank her off of her brother.

Rand

Roman stepping into the room and gave a soft sigh when Rand launched herself at Randy. This was why he had insisted on coming. He helped Morgan pull her off her brother. “Miranda, you are rightfully upset but I can’t have you beating up your fellow officers.” He glanced at Morgan and mouthed something about ‘being shot’ and ‘target ploy’, hoping she got what he meant.

~ Roman

Rand stopped as soon as Tracey and Roman grabbed her arm. She nodded but glares daggers at Randy. “I’m not beating up my fellow officers. He’s my twin, we literally shared a womb and a placenta. Technically I can argue I am beating up myself.”

Tracey caught Roman’s quiet explanation, Randy did not. “Oh, if that’s the case she can have at him.”

Randy looked at Tracey, “What’d I do?”

Rand glared at him, “Ya tried ta sacrifice yerself ya big Oaf! And the two of ya think I wouldna find out!”

Randy raised a brow and sat up laced his fingers behind his back and reclined. Rand was giving quite the show, he wasn’t even sure she was aware of it. This dramatic little display was the kind of thing she hated. She was really riled, but she wasn’t crying or running away from him. And Roman was with her so that was a good sign, “Oh yes dear dear Scarlett, we must make a scene musent we. I won’t put up with your vapours and aires.” He gave Roman a look that he hoped conveyed it was alright and then winked at Tracey as Rand fairly vibrated. Scarlett? SCARLETT!!!! Randy knew she hated that part and when ever she was being rediculous he always called her that. Well, if he wanted to see a woman have a full out tantrum he was going to get it.

She started ranting in Gaelic, some of the phrases enough to make Randy blush and others laugh to hear his sister say them. Randy egged her on shamelessly. She was giving an impromptu masterful performance of a modern day Scarlett O’Hara, but no matter how much prodding the actual lines wouldn’t be uttered, but man did she have the attitude down. The longer he laid there relaxed an uncaring the feistier she got. Giving an onlooker a good idea of why she had all that red hair.

Rand

Roman waited quietly to the side of the scene as if he was used to these two being… well, these two. There was no stopping them and he could tell Randy was egging her on, plus the look he gave him, Roman knew he was fine. He seemed relaxed standing in the middle of Morgan’s quarters out of the Farquharson twins way, waiting for Rand to go ahead and shout at Randy until she was ready to calm down. Roman had been angry, too. Randy could’ve gotten himself killed at a time when Rand was injured, and Roman was healing.

~ Roman

Morgan was used to Randy’s outrageousness, Rand though....she didn’t think Rand had it in her to be like…well like this. Tracey supposed though that Randy could drive anyone furious and insane.

“What were you thinking?” Randy opened his mouth but never got to speak. “Don’t don’t you dare Randall or so help me I will smack that smart mouth of yours hard enough you swallow that sassy tongue of yours. You weren’t thinking, you were reacting. Exactly what you always tell me not to do.”

Her remark got a shocked look from Randy. Not that he thought she would do it, but just the vehemence in the statement. “It was a good plan!” Randy protested.

“It was not. You didn’t even tell anyone about it. Only your own opinion and skill and you are not a fighter Randy. You just went off by yourself and decided to get yourself killed. What would I do without you?”

“I was trying to stop Roman from getting hurt again or you! What else was I supposed to do?”

“Leave it to the experts. I expect you to be there for him because I wasn’t. He is your brother now! We stand with family, and in your head I know that’s what you thought you were doing, but you were wrong. You want to be a target for someone’s wrath? I can arrange that. I will call home and tell Seanmhair (grandmother) what you are up to. You need a reminder.”

A bit of color came to Roman’s face in a rosy flush when Rand called him family and he glanced away, hoping Morgan didn’t notice. But at the mention of telling their grandmother, he had to cover a small grin. Rand had told him stories.

Morgan thought it was a wonderful sentiment. She liked Alden a lot as an XO and she had seen him a bit more of an off duty person than others because of Randy and the security detail. She missed Alden’s reaction because she was too busy watching the scene unfolding before her. She did not miss Randy’s immediate horror and guilt at Rand’s threat and she covered her mouth with her hand to hide the laughter.

“Rand, don’t you dare. That old crone will come all the way out here to give me that lecture.” Randy was actually up off the bed, real worry on his face. Their Seanmhair would come out there and it would scare her horribly to know what he did. He hugged Rand suddenly apologizing profusely, promising never to do it again. Rand grinned where Randy couldn’t see.

Rand

Like Roman expected, it was over before long. Apparently, their grandmother’s wrath was a terrifying idea indeed. Roman saw Rand’s grin and had to smile as well, shaking his head and glancing at Morgan to see if she was equally amused.

~ Roman

Tracey was more than amused and shared a grin with Alden. No one realized, except Rand who had expected it to happen, the door was open and several gamma shift officers and those that rose early were outside Morgan’s quarters watching, with equal amusement. If anyone paid attention to Rand’s remark about Roman being family, they all just accepted it as ‘typical’ Rand.

It was lucky Roman did not notice the crowd, he would have been entirely embarrassed. Instead he was still watching Rand and Randy.

Most people had wandered off after Randy hugged her, but the coup de grâce of this performance came next. Rand pulled back and glanced over at Roman her grin turning wicked. “I think ya both owe me penance. I think two weeks worth of sessions playin’ Mr Dummy for Roman ought ta be enough.” She glanced at Randy, “Aye, that should do nicely.” Randy would take a beating and maybe learn something useful, and Roman would hate doing it, but he needed to do more than work. Keep him busy and make these two stubborn aggregating men of hers in line for awhile.

Rand

Roman looked at Rand and then Randy, shaking his head stubbornly. “Do what? With who? I practice alone.” And for reasons Roman still hadn’t been able to put his fingers on, Randy was the last person he’d pick to practice with if he had to pick someone. “Rand you can’t make me do this.” His tone was almost pleading, but he straightened himself and cleared his throat. “Randy doesn’t know the first thing about jiu jitsu.”

~ Roman

Rand eyed him, “Yer right he doesn’t. This won’na be practice for you, ya will teach him. So next time he does something stupid, and it will happen, he might survive ‘til Morgan can save his arse. And I get the benefit of knowing yer gettin’ healthier because yer back to exercising. Your rigid schedule and intense practice is what saved your heart, so that’s that.” Rand was not negotiating. She was not scared upset now, she was scared mad. “Ya both want ta apologize, this is how. The details of how ya gonna make it work is between the two of us.”

Rand

As much as Roman was enjoying Rand’s Scottish accent coming out, he did not like this arrangement at all. “Lieutenant Anders can teach Randy hand to hand if he must be taught.” Roman insisted, eyeing Randy. “And isn’t he on Beta or Gamma shift? When would we have the time?” Was arguing with Angry Rand smart? Probably not, but Roman was tired and terrified of his nightmares and those things made him make stupid choices. He wasn’t sure what she meant by his rigid schedule and intense practice saved his heart, but if she wanted him to exercise again he could do that. Alone. “I can exercise. Just not with Randy.”

~ Roman

Rand glanced out the door. This had nothing to do with letting the crew have a good laugh at Randy. She walked stiff and tension almost snapping her shoulders. She closed the door and then turned fully on them both. Her voice cracked with anger and fear. “Anders didn’t lie to me and doesn’t now owe me a favor.” She looked from one to the other.

Randy refrained from putting his arm around Tracey and making some off color remark about her saving him. Rand wasn’t messing with them. They’d done something incredibly stupid, on both counts, she could have lost them both from their own poor decisions. He tried to catch Roman’s gaze and shake his head. To discourage him from arguing with her. When Roman said ‘Just not with Randy’, he refrained from saying ‘Hey why not me? What’s wrong with me?’ It would have been meant to joke and kid, but Rand was not in the mood.

The words It’s Anders’ job to teach people that stuff died in his throat at Randy’s look. He was shaking his head, a silent don’t argue. If Randy had asked that, Roman would, firstly, feel bad because it was a bit rude, and secondly, not be able to come up with a good answer.

Rand looked back and forth between them then suddenly turned and walked out of the room.

Rand

Roman had no good answers, so he was silent until Rand turned and walked away. Roman gave Randy a look like do I follow her?

~ Roman

Randy honestly didn’t know. Tracey sighed and would have rolled her eyes at Randy but that would be rude in front of her XO. “Woman’s advice? One of you go after her. Not both, she’ll just feel ganged up on. She’s pretty upset and she’s trying really hard to stay calm, and it’s not working. She didn’t leave because she’s mad she left because she doesn’t know what else to do. So yes, follow her.”

“I’ll go.” Roman looked awkwardly between the two of them and then left the room, heading in the same direction she had gone at a brisk pace.

As he left he could here Morgan already giving Randy a piece of her mind.

Rand walked out into the corridor and turned back the way they had come. She forced herself to walk at a normal pace with a neutral expression on her face. She didn’t want anyone asking, but no one did. Maybe she was being ridiculous or selfish, but she felt like this was a small thing to ask them to do. When Roman had decided he would feel better when she had to go on landing teams, he had shown her how to fire a phaser and taught her a few things. He hadn’t insisted she go to Anders, he only trusted himself. For Rand it wasn’t really a matter of trusting Anders, he was excellent at his job, but she felt like Roman and Randy owed her this. It was a small thing, wasn’t it?

Rand

It wasn’t long before Roman caught up with her. “Miranda!” He slowed to match her pace. “I’ll… I’ll do it, okay? I’ll teach him.” He said. He’d have said anything to calm her down, but he didn’t make promises lightly. He said he’d do it to calm her down, but now he had to actually do it.

~ Roman

Rand stopped when he called her name. She wasn’t trying to avoid him or storming off in anger. As Morgan said, she didn’t know what to do so she was walking, moving in order to do something. She walked beside him, slipping her hand into his. His words seemed to take the tension out of her shoulders. When they stopped at the lift, Rand looked up at him, gratefulness all over her expression. “Thank you.” She was quiet until they got on the lift. “Thank you. I know it probably doesn’t seem like a big deal, but I don’t know what I would do if he got hurt. I don’t think he would listen to anyone else.”

Rand