Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Lost in the Dark

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Lost in the Dark

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: Lost in the Dark

(snip)

Roman wrote the notes instead while she washed up. It was partly his old method of distracting himself. Normally, Rand would notice the way he involved himself so deeply in what he was doing so there wasn’t room to think of anything else. But soon he set the PaDD down and turned to wash his hands, and then he rejoined Rand. “Is there anywhere else on the ship you’ve been wanting to go?”

~ Roman

Rand wasn’t sure. There was no where she went for fun. Except back to their quarters and here. But that was supposed to be work. The galley but she wasn’t hungry, and she disliked the rec room. Everyone always wanted to talk to her. She wasn’t allowed to run or really exercise except to walk, so no gym. The arboretum wasn’t finished…couldn’t she just go back to bed?

She supposed not. Randy had told her she had to get up and do something. “Ummm…I don’t know....the observation lounge?” She hadn’t been there since Roman proposed. She doubted there was anything to see so maybe it would be empty?

Rand

Roman smiled. He hadn’t been there since his proposal either. “That’s a good idea.” He walked with her out of the lab, after being sure everything was correctly put away, and to the observation lounge. It wasn’t empty, but it wasn’t busy either. She was right in thinking there was nothing besides empty space outside the observation deck’s great windows. Roman headed, as if there were no doubts where they would go, to the table they’d sat at months ago, when he’d proposed, twisting the ring on his finger.

~ Roman

Even with nothing of import to see, the view was welcome. There weren’t windows all over the ship, and Rand had not realized how confining that was. How it made that sense of imprisonment worse. Space was vast and black…well really if you looked hard enough, there were lots of colors, but just being able to see the streaks of light as they traveled at warp was a relief.

Rand followed him towards the table. It wasn’t busy which meant they were noticed. Cmdr Alden was greeted warmly, but it was Rand they wanted to talk to. She had returned to duty and then hadn’t been seen in awhile. It didn’t take long for the crew to know she had had a relapse with her head injury. It was endless questions (or so it felt to Rand) about how she was feeling, she had been missed, and whatnot. They were all kind enough to not ask when she would be back at work. The attention made her nervous,eventually her voice getting soft and strained and hiding her hands behind her back.

Rand

It was when she began hiding her hands that Roman intervened. “Please, some space.” He said, putting his arm around Rand. “We’re here for some quiet away from the quarters.” It was rare for Roman to share anything resembling private business. When they had moved away, he pulled Rand’s chair out for her, like he had done when he proposed, and then he sat across from her. He had always liked seeing the stars go by at warp. So many places streaking by at unimaginable speed.

~ Roman

Relief and embarrassment flooded Rand when Roman intervened. She leaned heavily against his arm. Apologies were given for interrupting and people moved quickly away. If Rand was struggling with her concussion, they certainly didn’t want to confuse and overwhelm her. Rand sat facing the window, but the tension returned when Roman moved around across from her. She watched the streaks of light silently. No matter how far and how fast they went, she couldn’t escape her failures.

It did not go unnoticed by the crew how depressed Rand looked or how disheveled. Rand always appeared immaculate in uniform, and put together the few times seen off duty. She always had a smile and an air of confidence, and she always always was kind to everyone. To Rand’s horror, if she knew, they would talk about her later. When was the last time any of them had seen or talked to her? No, no one had gone to check on or visit her or taken the time to get to know her. Maybe they should do something about that?

Rand