Posted by Major General Charles Tenkiller (Vice Commandant, Colonial Customs and Defense Agency) in I Have Something To Tell You

Posted by Civilian Sharah Fayth (Director of Medical and Social Services) in I Have Something To Tell You

Posted by Major General Charles Tenkiller (Vice Commandant, Colonial Customs and Defense Agency) in I Have Something To Tell You
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Sharah returned home, early and quite unexpected. Charles and Yavia were both at work, and so it was just his family there. She’d sort of forgot that. Or she hadn’t included that in her plans. They were flimsy plans and more like the inkling of an idea. She walked in, and as always, trailed her fingers over Hope’s leaves. “Sharah!” Mary got up and hurried over to grab her in a huge hug. Sharah returned it. Abigail smiled quietly at her with a quiet “hello”. His father was always quiet, but warm. Donna respected the space that Sharah needed, but Sharah knew if she wanted to, Donna would hug her and never let go. “You’re home early.”

Sharah swallowed, “I was able to leave early today. Don’t let me interrupt your plans.” Donna shooed Mary away. “Let the poor girl go get relaxed. You can hang on her later.” Mary laughed and let her go. “Okay, but only for a moment.”

“I’m going to shower, but then I’ll come back up.” Sharah wasn’t sure how she would pull this off, but she liked his family too much to not spend a little more time with them.

When she opened the door after shower and changing, Donna was standing there. “Sharah, I think you need to talk.” That was how it all worked out. She told Donna everything. She hadn’t had to worry about it. She’d simply gone up stairs and said Sharah needed to rest and they were going out. Donna told her bye before they left, assuring her they would be out all night.

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

The car had picked Yavia up from the hospital and now they were sitting outside the CCDA building where TK would transport down. She was agitated. Impatient for him to get there so they could get home.

When he slid into the slider, it all rushed out. “Dr. Korczak had Sharah in the neurology department for over an hour, running tests today. Afterwards she disappeared. She left work. She hasn’t answered her comms.”

Yavia

Charles’s face darkened slightly, but he took Yavia’s hand in his and said “Ok. Take a breath, darlin’. If it was bad- bad, we’d ‘a known by now. And I do know she went and saw the Governor today. About what I dunno, but she wasn’t there long.” His brain started clicking pieces of seemingly unrelated events together. Scuttlebutt had Star Fleet losing a high ranking officer; but who wasn’t clear. Smart money was saying it was McBride. But there had also been a flash before he left his office that a new Director of some flavor had been hired. But with all the vacant seats and such, Tenkiller would be hard pressed to figure out which one. And he hadn’t had a background request in a few weeks, so as far as he knew no one was even in the pipeline. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Let’s just get home. If’n she ain’t there when we get back, I’ll ping her locator and send some folks to go take a look.” He opened his eyes and looked at Yavia. “Don’t stress, love. We’ll figure it out, okay? Don’t borrow trouble from tomorrow.” and he squeezed her hand.

Tenkiller - VC, CCDA

“Okay,” Yavia wasn’t one to borrow trouble. Dramatic - yes, fierce - absolutely, waiting for doomsday - never. This was Sharah though. She’d been through so much and was better. It scared her that Sharah had disappeared, more that she wasn’t answering her comms. She couldn’t sense her either. Sharah was probably wearing that headband. Yavia had been grateful for the reprieve for Sharah, but now she hated it.

The car finally pulled around behind the house and Yavia practically jumped out of the slider. She bounded up the steps and opened the door. “Donna?! Is Sharah home?” Except there was no answer. The Tenkillers weren’t there. There was a note on the counter in his father’s hand writing. Your mother said Sharah wasn’t feeling well, so we went out. The girls want to go see the night life. If I survive we’ll be back late.

Yavia

Hearing their voices, Sharah had removed the headband. She knew Yavia had messaged her several times, and not answer would upset her. But Sharah wouldn’t be able to keep the secret from Yavia if she did. This had to be done together. She knew, she hoped, Yavia would forgive her once she knew.

Charles read the note over her shoulder and grunted softly. “Wait here, love.” and he stepped past her and went downstairs.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked down the hall. “Sharah? Honey? You here?” He waited for an answer.

Tenkiller - VC, CCDA

At the bottom of the stairs were two things. The first was a long roll of white paper covered in painted bare foot prints. The second thing was a trail of dehydrated paw-paws. The trails led to their bedroom door. The light was off, but there was a soft glow coming from under the door.

Sharah felt both their immediate concern and worry. She got the flash of details of the note from both of them. Oh dear. She hadn’t counted on anyone leaving a note. “I’m here!” she called. “I’m okay. In our bedroom.”

Yavia was not going to wait even though TK said to. She heard Sharah’s voice and hurried down the stairs to him. Staring at the trail and blinked in confusion. “What?”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

Charles could tell from Sharah’s tone that she was excited about something. He smiled and looked at V. “See? Nothin’ ta worry over. Let’s go see what’s got her all riled up.” and he chuckled.

Yavia breathed out a sigh of relief and nodded. “It had better be good for scaring me like that.” It was an empty threat. Maybe - Yavia might tickle her until she was sufficiently tortured.

He took V’s hand and led her down the hall. The door slid open silently and he said “Hun, ya better tell us what in the absolute hell is goin’ on ‘fore V here vibrates outta her skin.” He smiled and leaned in and gave Yavia a kiss on the cheek.

Tenkiller - VC, CCDA

Yavia leaned against Charles, the relief of seeing Sharah was alright momentarily requiring support. Then she noticed the room. Sharah was sitting in the middle of their massive bed. The lights were off, but the room was glowing. Bioluminescently glowing.

Months ago TK had asked Sharah to recreate her own room, here for them to share together. Sharah had done it. Yavia hadn’t even known she was working on it. Moss peeked and winked out at them from between the wood paneling on the walls. Ivy trailed across the artwork and wound up the legs of the furniture. Glass globes were suspended along the wall holding air plants and succulents that glowed with almost mystical fairy like properties. Hanging down from the ceiling were trailing flowers that created a canopy over the bed. Passion flower vines from Oklahoma, The Muktok plant from Betazed (a flowering plant with narrow orange to purple petals. Betazed. Muktok plants lived to be hundreds of years old, and produced a pleasant scent and their flowers chimed lightly when shaken), and silk love tulips from Delta IV.

Yavia

Charles looked around, a look of amazement on his face.

Sharah held her hands out. “Come here, please.” She was nervous, it was clear. They could almost feel it. There was uncertainty and nerves and anxiousness, and excitement. “I need to talk to you both. And I know you’re mad at me Yavia. I’m sorry luv, but I had to wait. Just… just let me get it all out and then…then you can yell, okay?”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

Charles moved towards her and took one her hands in his own. He looked at her and said “Sharah, honey… You know we ain’t gonna yell.” He sat down beside her on the bed and patted the other side of her for Yavia. “Ok, hun… ya got us here and most definitely got our attention. What’s on your mind?”

Tenkiller - VC, CCDA

Sharah grabbed each of their hands and blew out a nervous breath. “So,” how did she start? She hadn’t really thought this through. “Umm.”

Yavia squeezed her hand and glanced at Charles, but didn’t say anything.

Sharah squeezed both their hands again. “So, when, when you brought me here, I really wasn’t okay. I couldn’t really take care of myself. You both wanted me to stay here and, well through all of it I could hear, you know, how you kept having these thoughts of me staying as long as I wanted, until I was better, not really thinking past that. And I assumed once I was better, I’d have to leave. That I wouldn’t stay. This was temporary.”

Yavia opened her mouth, but before she could speak Sharah kissed her gently. “Let me finish.” She leaned over and kissed Charles too. “I wasn’t in a healthy place. I couldn’t see past the immediate. It wasn’t either of you. I kind of just of existed for a while and then just lived each day. It was too scary to think about anything too far into the future. I wasn’t ready.” Her voice was taking on that nervous rambling cadence, her speech picking up a bit.

“Until last week. Things changed.” She looked at Charles, something so much more than love in her eyes, “I wasn’t hiding, I promise. I just, at first was going to talk to you both about it, but it was really something I needed to decide how I felt and what I wanted before I did. I needed to take that ownership of it. So I took the time to think about it and decide.” She smiled sheepishly at Yavia. “I know you knew something was going on and I wouldn’t talk to you. I… needed to think it out on my own.”

“A week ago, Captain McBride called me to his office. My term of service is up in 5 weeks. I had to decide if I was going to reup. I didn’t know what I was going to do. See, when I signed up for Star Fleet, I knew my life span was short. My super-sensitivity, wears on the brain and the body, forcing it to deteriorate too fast. I’ve already lived long past most children like me. I am one of 3 in the last century to reach adult hood. So when I signed up I choose the shortest term of service. I knew I wouldn’t be alive to sign up for another one.” There was pain and fear choking her voice now. Tears pooled a bit in her eyes.

“So I had to decide if I was going to stay. But then Captain McBride told me if I did I would be transferred off Oed. And I don’t want that. I want to stay. I love my work here and my friends and my life and you are both my life. But I thought that might be really selfish of me to stay because I know I’m dying. Abigail was really up set when I told her that. That I was putting you through that, even though I had told you,” Sharah said to Charles. “So I thought maybe it would be best if I did get transferred, rather than making you two watch what was going to happen to me. And I know that is your choice not mine, and it was really selfish on my part because I didn’t want to feel it. I didn’t want to hear your thoughts as you sat by me and watched. But…then today…I found something else out.”

“I had my regular counseling appointment with Korczak. I told him about my tour of duty being up and we talked about it. I told him I wanted to stay on Oed even if I had to leave Star Fleet. Then I told him how tired and lethargic I’ve been. It’s hard for me to wake up and I was worried. So he took me to neurology and ran a bunch of tests.” Her hands squeezed theirs almost painfully. “Ummm, I can show you the scans, but they weren’t what we were expecting. Umm,” she blew out a shaky breath with a little laugh. “My brain is healing. Not just a little bit, but a lot. He, he thinks it’s the headband,” she nodded her hand to the box on the side table where it sat. “He did the scans while I was wearing it. We were able to see how it was giving my mind a reprieve and allowing it to do what it does naturally. He wants to run more tests, but he thinks in six months the damage will be gone.” Her voice shook. This was a life altering piece of information.

“So, ummm, I told Captain McBride I was resigning and then, well I went to see Governor Hyrushi. He gave me the head band and we’ve been working on a project somewhat connected to it. I wanted to tell him, but more I wanted him to know I was leaving Star Fleet. Things with the colony are so iffy with Fleet, I wanted him to know. And I know you might be upset I told him first, but I really needed to be able to tell you both together, and I knew my resignation would get out quickly. And ummm… he asked me what I was going to do.” She bit her lip and rolled her shoulders a bit. “He offered me a job as the Director of Medical and Social Services. I accepted.”

Charles had remained quiet, knowing Sharah needed to unburden herself and express all she needed to. Inside, though, his heart raced and he was giddy with happiness. He looked at Yavia and grinned. “You’re totally bangin’ your boss!” and he laughed loudly.

TK’s happiness fueled her own, making her laugh just a bit wilder than necessary. “Well that is a first for me.” She had a million questions to ask, and she certainly wanted to talk to Korczak. She knew Sharah would tell her everything she knew, but she still wanted to hear it from Sharah’s doctor.

“I know this is a huge decision and you have a right to be part of it. And if it’s not okay, I’ll figure something out. But…ummm…” now she got really anxious. Yavia could feel it, even Charles could, it shivered through their connection. “I, umm, I need to ask you both something.”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, DoMSS

Tenkiller - VC, CCDA

Yavia reached out and gently touched her Sharah’s temple. “You can ask us anything, Sweetheart. Whatever it is, we’re here.” She reached over and took TK’s other hand, “Our circle. We’re complete together.”

Yavia