Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in Too Often to be Coincidence

Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in Too Often to be Coincidence

Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in Too Often to be Coincidence
Posted by… suppressed (23) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
“Still nothing to do? I’m sorry. Not much to do here either.” Dradvia stacked her things to return them. “I will. Though I’m not sure what I might need.” She stood, “Thanks, Sisnil.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “No problem.” He said, and then he headed out. That night, he wandered the halls. That doctor, Tessan, had given him a sleep aid, but he was uncomfortable using it. So, like nights previous, he wandered around the ship.

~ Zoi

Dradvia slept, but it wasn’t a very healing sleep or very long. Eventually, she stopped trying and decided to read. She couldn’t stand being in her quarters aline though. So she headed out, to the lounge, to read, near people. She ended up wandering a bit first.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil was sitting by a computer terminal with a PaDD, fiddling with it. There was a cable plugging the PaDD into an access panel under the terminal. He was in a secluded corner, no one else around. He didn’t hear Dradvia coming, he was so into what he was doing.

~ Zoi

Dradvia stopped, watching. Disappointment filled her, even as she told herself not to jump to conclusions. He might have finally been assigned some work. She hoped.

“What are you doing?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil jumped and looked up. Then felt her disappointment. He looked a little guilty. “Hey, Dee…” He smiled sheepishly. “Keep a secret? I’m setting up a way to contact my crew without giving them away.”
~ Zoi

She didn’t blame him for wanting to contact his brother. She didn’t, and she knew he would have to make sure it wasn’t traced, to protect them and himself. She wanted to believe it was that simple, but her duty… It was all she had really. “I can’t do that.” She was torn, “I don’t know what you’re telling them.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Nothing harmful.” He promised. “You tell, they lock me out, maybe put me under extra surveillance, I never get to contact anyone.” He could feel the conflict in her. “I’m sorry.” He jerked his head down the hall. “Do your job.” He was giving her permission.

~ Zoi

She walked closer and knelt down. “Sisnil, please stop.” She worked hard to sound calm but inside she desperately needed him to stop what he was doing. “Listen, you told me this,” she waved at the computer equipment, “is your specialty. Don’t you think they know that? That they are watching everything you do and where you go? Who you talk to? I know you miss your brother and your crew. I understand wanting to do anything to reach them. I wish I had one more chance to talk to Kryssa.”

Sisnil stopped what he was doing and set the PaDD down. He looked up at Dradvia as she spoke.

“Don’t put them at risk. I don’t know what promises were made, hinted at, or hedge around. I don’t want you to lose any chance at reaching them.”

Sisnil glanced at the PaDD and then back at her. Morris had promised to help him find a way. He didn’t trust Morris. For the same reason Dradvia had been conflicted, Morris couldn’t be trusted.

“What if the Syndicate is looking for you? What if they are watching your brother. If you contact him and he doesn’t report it, they will punish him and the rest of the crew. Please stop.” She didn’t want to turn him in, but she would have to. She was worried what would happen to him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil hesitated. “I have to…” He said softly, but made no moves. She was legitimately worried, so much so he imagined she must feel sick. She was worried what the Syndicate might do to him, to Noril. He sighed and reached into the access panel and pulled the cable. Then closed it up and turned off the PaDD. He looked really upset. “I have to find a way, Dee. Have to.”

~ Zoi

The way he shortened her name seemes to tie them together. She understood the desperation he felt. He was a captive just as surely as she had been. His prison was just nicer. “Okay. We’ll find a way. Just not like this. Not in a way that puts everyone at risk.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He nodded and picked up the PaDD and data cable and hugged them to himself. “I need him,” he whispered softly.

~ Zoi

She understood, a little, and she felt for him. “I know. He needs you too. So let’s find a way that makes sure you are both safe when that happens.” She stood slowly. She didn’t quite reach to touch his arm. “Come on.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil stood with her, still hugging the PaDD and looking at the floor. He looked like he was trying not to cry.

~ Zoi

“Hey,” she ducked her head to look at him. “It’s okay to lonely and unsure.” She wouldn’t attribute fear to him. “You just have to keep going until it gets figured out.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No, it isn’t. That’s how you get distracted and indecisive. Those get you dead.” Sisnil said, voice sad but hard. His crew would tell her he was reassuring, strong. When they were afraid, he let them be. But he and Noril only confided such things in each other.

~ Zoi

Dradvia knew exactly what he meant. “It is okay, as long as no one knows. I get it,” she looked at him, quite serious, “I do.” She thought maybe he could use someone to talk to, but she doubted he would confide much in her. There was nowhere private to go, except their quarters. She didn’t want to leave him alone, and it was nothing to do with security and messages. He seemed to be struggling. She’d seen it over and over, and the healer in her just couldn’t walk away. “Come on, we’ll get desert. I guess most people would offer a strong drink, but the truth is people who drink scare me.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Then good thing I don’t. Norry and I prefer a clear head. Can’t protect yourself if you’re tipsy.” Sisnil said. “Desert sounds good.”

~ Zoi

That reassured her. “No, you can’t. It makes you do things you wouldn’t normally do as well.” She led the way to the turbolift and then to the galley. “What do you like? For desert I mean? Was there something Vash made that was a favorite?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Orion arash navah,” Sisnil answered. “It’s a frozen sweet similar to ice cream. I think she learned the recipe somewhere. But when she makes it, it’s the best thing.”

~ Zoi

“You sound like everything she makes is good.” Did she sound envious? “Well I know we don’t have anything Orion. What else so you like?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Uhhh… Betazoid sheylatha cake?” Sisnil said, after a moment of thinking. He nodded, “It is. She’s an amazing cook.”

~ Zoi

“I don’t know but probably. It’s a member world so most things are there. Unlike Risa. It is independent. Well that and most people are afraid to give away recipes. The food is such a huge pull to the to the tourist trade.” Maybe she should find a way to cook fresh. Maybe Sisnil would like it better here.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil could get his hands on Risan recipes. And he wouldn’t have to break rules to do it. “You don’t have to cook for me, Dee,” He said, overhearing her thoughts. He turned to look at her, setting a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t want you to be like Vash,” he almost said, I like you for you, but decided to instead say, “I want you to be you.” They made their way into the galley. “I’m sure I can replicate near anything Betazoid.”

~ Zoi

She flinched as he touched her shoulder and she took a half step back. Sisnil could tell it wasn’t him at all. It was instict born of her trauma. Physical contact with anyone was extremely uncomfortable.

There was so much in that statement it made her mind whirl. She hadn’t said she would try to cook for him. He was listening to her thoughts. All the time? Or was she loud. Kryssa had talked about certain people being louder than others.

“I don’t want to be Vash,” she said. She was lying to herself. She wouldn’t want to be in Vash’s position, but the way he spoke of her… Dradvia could never compete with an Orion woman. He seemed lonely and talked about all the things she did. She wanted him to feel more comfortable here.

She turned to keep walking. “So what will you choose?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled apologetically. “Sorry.” He walked alongside her. “I don’t know. Probably the Betazoid cake I mentioned.” He walked in silence for several steps before adding, “I can try not to listen so much. It’s habit for me, but I know it makes you uncomfortable.”

~ Zoi

“I’m not uncomfortable,” she rushed out. “Well, I am, but that’s because I don’t really know you. I know what goes on in my head.” The nightmares, the uncertainty, the constant suspicion and doubt.

She was quiet until they were almost to the lounge. “It’s… it reminds me of Kryssa. She used to do that. I never minded. It was part of who she was. Just like it is part of you. It just makes me miss her.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded. “Sorry.” He had the replicator make him his desert and sat down with it. “We won’t get to know each other overnight.”

~ Zoi