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 (57) 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

Dradvia ordered a Deltan cream cake. Their food was similarly indulgent to Risan dishes, so it appealed to her. She sat down across from him. “I know. You don’t have to apologize though. It’s not your fault it reminds me of her. A lot of things do.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “I’m sorry you lost her.” He looked at her, “I was a criminal, a “pirate”, before the Syndicate. They just decided my skills were too valuable to keep independent. There’s a lot I don’t agree with. I just… Don’t get to have a choice.”

~ Zoi

“Comply and survive. Fight and die.” She had a far away look for a moment. She had no issue with run of the mill pirates and theives and such. There were plenty growing up on Risa. Usually decent people but hard up on their luck. “I don’t get it though. There were more of us than them, but we never fought back, in mass, organized. We could have overpowered them, but we never tried. I lived it, but I don’t understand it.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Orion culture is different than ours. I never understood why, but some of them aren’t unhappy as… Well, property.” Sisnil sighed, “The problem is, that makes it harder to organise the ones that aren’t.”

~ Zoi

She nodded her head, but she stared at her desert. “There are so many non-Orions forced to work for the Syndicate though.” She shrugged. They had been operating for centuries, no one had managed to stop them. She certainly wouldn’t be able to do it.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Don’t bother yourself with stopping them. That’s way over either of our heads,” Sisnil said. If he could buy her out… Then at least they wouldn’t be after her.

~ Zoi

She looked up at him, “Try to stop them? Not me. I’m not brave enough to try. I wish someone would though.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“It would be suicide.” Sisnil said. “Let’s talk about something less… utterly hopeless.”

~ Zoi

“Okay. Like what?” Dradvia asked before taking a bite.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Uhm… Well, I honestly expected you to come up with something,” Sisnil said and laughed awkwardly. “What could the two of us discuss that isn’t horribly depressing?”

~ Zoi

She smiled slightly, “Ummm,” she thought for a moment. “Our early childhoods? Or the latest book we read?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I don’t want to talk about my childhood.” Sisnil said firmly. “Books it is, then. What do you read?”

~ Zoi

The firmness in his voice made her mentally flinch. As much as he loved his brother, Dradvia had thought there would be good memories for him. Instead she had stepped where she shouldn’t.

It wasn’t that there were no good memories, but that there was a lot of bad and Sisnil didn’t want to talk about his brother right now. He missed him too much.

She started to answer, her eyes glancing at the PaDD she had brought with her. Oh that was embarrassing. “Historical pieces,” she tried not to think about the fact they were romances. “You?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil grinned playfully. “Embarrassing, but not wanting me to know why. Cute.” He opened his PaDD, tapped the screen, and showed her his library. It was full of fantasy, scifi, and fiction, in several different styles including regular novels, comic books, manga, and even poetry and plays.

~ Zoi

Her stomach fluttered, but she ignored it. She looked at what he showed her. “That’s quite a collection. What’s your favorite?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Ohhhhhh,” Sisnil groaned playfully, “Don’t make me pick. Unless you want to hear about at least ten of them in depth.”

~ Zoi

She grinned, then looked down at her plate, “I can’t sleep, so go for it. I don’t want to keep you up though.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shook his head. “Tessan gave me something to help, but…” He gave her this look, and he figured she might just understand. That he worried he wouldn’t wake up if something were happening or he was in danger.

~ Zoi

“There’s no one to watch your back.” She understood. It was why she couldn’t sleep. Her roommates at the Academy didn’t know that was what they did for her, but just having them there helped.

She was a doctor, “You could try a non medicated solution. Like a deltawave inducer. When you sleep, Delta waves in your brain get stronger and control the rhythm of the pulses in your brain so you can sleep. A Delta wave inducer sends out pulses of Delta waves to help your brain slip into sleep. It only goes for an hour or so before turning off. Then your brain continues through its natural sleep cycle.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil considered that for a moment. “Do I have to go to the infirmary for that?” He asked, still distrustful of the ship’s medical staff.

~ Zoi

Dradvia shook her head. “No, it’s not a medically controlled device. Lots of people use them. However, I can do a scan and enter it in your file that we talked about it if you want. If you have to go above an hour and 30 minutes of use though, something is medically wrong and you need to tell Dr. Tessan.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded. “Okay. I don’t really care what you put in my file. But I do want to try it.” He shook his head, “I’m not worried about that. It’s not a medical problem. I just miss my brother.”

~ Zoi

“We can get one from the replicator. I can set it up for you if you like,” she offered.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Oh.” Sisnil looked at her. “Thank you.” He finished his dessert. He seemed like he was doing a little better than when she’d talked him out of his little project.

~ Zoi

Dradvia shrugged, embarrassed. “Of course I’ll help you. I mean that’s what I’m here for to keep you healthy. Thecrewhealthy. I’m here to keep the crew healthy, and you are part of the crew.” Then she stuffed her mouth with the last of her cream cake before she said anything else embarrassing.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil managed to turn a laugh into a very amused grin. “General you. Not me you.” He said, but he was still grinning. Did she like him, or just want to be his friend? He wasn’t sure, but clearly she did like him.

~ Zoi

“Let me take my tray up, and then I’ll request one from the replicator.” Dradvia stood and took her tray. Yes the general ‘you’, but then why had she been so adamant that he knew that. It was obvious. Why was she being so weird?

“Take mine, too, please,” Sisnil asked, holding it out for her.

She nodded and took it with her.

She walked over to the replicator, and very quickly was able to return with the small device. “You can play around with the settings or I can take a scan and set it up.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil took the device and and looked at it… Well, a bit like it came from a strange alien planet. “Maybe you could do that? And show me how to use it?” He laughed lightly, “I’m not… exactly used to top of the line medical care.”

~ Zoi

“It’s really simple to use. Come on. I need to get my tricorder and then we can set it up.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded and stood. As he walked with her, he sighed softly. “Dee… Thank you. And not just for the delta… Thingy.”

~ Zoi

Her blue eyes darted at him. “It’s okay, really. I’m glad I could help.” She was. She didn’t want to have to report him. She also knew he might try again. Maybe, just maybe her promise to help him find a safe, for everyone, way would prevent it.

The ship was quiet and they reached the section of quarters where they were assigned. “Be right back.” She went into her quarters and returned with a tricorder. “Ummm… where?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“My quarters - if you’re okay with that. Otherwise… The jeffries tubes could offer some limited privacy.” Sisnil said. He heard her thoughts - that she suspected he wouldn’t give up so easily but that she hoped her promise would keep him from doing so. It made him feel guilty, torn.

~ Zoi

The two options swirled around her head as she struggled to decide. She scolded herself. It was a medical house call. That’s all. It was fine. Besides the tube’s were cramped anyway, confined, hard to move. “Your quarters. It will only take a minute or two. Then you won’t have to go far to get sleep.”

She really did want to help him. She understood being torn from the only person you knew. She just wanted everyone, the Wolverine crew and Sisnil’s crew to stay safe from the Syndicate. That was all she cared about. There was no hidden motives or reservations about it. She just wanted everyone safe from the Syndicate.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil knew she had no ulterior motives. She was just too nice for that. That, and he sensed no deception from her, no hiding anything really. Well, except her embarrassing taste in reading. “Alright.” He turned, pressed the button for his door, and let her in. The quarters looked untouched. Like he’d never even been there. “Get yourself set up, make yourself at home.”

~ Zoi