Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in You Have To Trust Someone Eventaully

Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in You Have To Trust Someone Eventaully

Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in You Have To Trust Someone Eventaully
Posted by… suppressed (52) by the Post Ghost! 👻
It had been several days after the day they’d used the garden Holoprogram, the days going much the same. They’d talk and visit, stave off each other’s loneliness. Then came the day they parted after breakfast and Dradvia didn’t see Sisnil for the rest of the day. He seemed to be nowhere. If she asked the computer where he was, it would say it couldn’t locate him (yes, he’d already figured out how to block the comm signal).

Dradvia wasn’t surprised he had found a way to trick the computer. She hoped he wasn’t do anything questionable. Should she report him missing? She didn’t think he had gone off anywhere. If a shuttle was stolen they would know it. It was kind of big and people would notice it gone. And they had been traveling at warp the whole time so he didn’t beam off. Perhaps he just got tired of her company?

Until later that night. There was a soft knock on the door to her quarters and a “Dee?” His voice sounded a little tense. “Dee, you in there?”

~ Zoi

Dradvia sat up abruptly at the knock and stared warily at the door. No one came to her door. If she was needed officially, the person just used the comm system. Dee? It was Sisnil. She stood up and walked over to the door. He sounded off. She pressed the door control and let it open. “Sisnil?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He looked a little pale and he was favouring one side slightly. His expression was one of concern and stress and… pain, maybe? He stepped inside her quarters so the door would close. “Sorry, I hope you don’t mind.” He seemed awkward, uncomfortable. “I need… help. Your help. Please. Only your help.”

~ Zoi

She back up a step as he just walked in, and then she realized he was hurt. She was by his side and under his arm with another around his back and she helped him over to the small couch. She tossed a blanket out of the way. “Sit. Easy, careful. What happened?” She moved over to her work station and picked up a med kit and came back and knelt in front of him. The tricorder flipped open and the scanner in her hand moving slowly over him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil let her walk him over, leaning gently against her. He sat down carefully and lifted one leg up onto the sofa. “I, uh… Heh.” He chuckled awkwardly. Whatever it was, it was embarrassing to him. The scan showed a broken ankle and… what looked like a shooting injury? It was on his side, just above the hip. It looked like it wasn’t serious, just painful.

~ Zoi

“Sisnil what did you do?” She looked up at him, with none of her usual shyness. She was far too concerned about him at the moment and needed to help him. Her tone, however, brooked no argument from him. “Do you have any allergies?” She filled the hypo with Hydrocortilene for the pain, but waited until he answered. “You have a broken ankle and you’ve been shot.” The concern and fear went far beyond being a doctor, but she was too focused on helping him to worry about that just then.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No, no allergies,” he answered. He leaned back with a sigh and pulled his shirt up and the waist of his pants down a little and unwrapped his makeshift bandage and showed her the injury. “It wasn’t anything crazy, I swear. Or uhm… ‘questionable’. It was nothing like that!”

~ Zoi

She looked up at him, her eyes serious, “What were you doing?” The question was firm. He’d been shot. She gave him the hypo and pulled out the portable burn unit/dermal regenerator and set it over the wound. She looked up at him, waiting for an answer.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Remember that hologame I told you about? To keep my skills sharp?” He sounded very sheepish as he lay back and let her set the device over him.

~ Zoi

Her eyes glared at him, “What did you do? Turn the safeties off? Do you have any idea how reckless that was, and dangerous? You do realize the holodeck can kill you? With the safety protocols off it carries the same risk, the same danger. And knowing you and your fancy computer skills you overrided the system and turned them to absolute 0.” She sounded as stern and disapproving as the most cantankerous doctor ever as she berated him. But her hands were gentle and sure and caring.

He had done exactly that and his expression said so. “Come on, Dee, the danger is the point.” He said and grinned that same slightly mischievous grin he always did. He was liking this stern, commanding side of her. None of her usual shyness was there. Just rightful scorn.

“You know what I should do. I should refer you to Dr. Tessan for a psychological evaluation to make sure you aren’t purposely trying to hurt yourself. I’m required to do that when someone bypasses security protocols. But I can’t because you’re civilian so I would need your permission.” She normally smiled back when he looked like that. She was too busy berating him to notice.

“Please don’t,” Sisnil said quickly. “I’m not suicidal, just… Y’know, needed my adrenaline fix I guess.”

“Hmm,” she pursed her lips with a disapproving look. “You can get that without turning the safeties all the way off.”

Sisnil grinned sheepishly again. That stern, disapproving look was… Really cute.

“Don’t you grin at me Sisnil Zoi,” she warned him, “I’m upset with you.”

Sisnil wiped the look off his face and gave her a playful pout instead.

She would not give in, she would not give in, she would not give in.

“And my bone knitter is not made for this kind of break, but we’ll be here hours because you are going to refuse to go to sickbay.” But he had come to her, that counted for something, right? She undid his boot making it as loose as possible. She slid it off, but had to cut the sock away. It was tight around the swelling. She gently supported it and lifted his leg onto a pillow and rolled the discarded blanket to support the sides.

He hid a wince as she wiggled the boot off. “It’ll be alright though, won’t it?” He actually sounded a little concerned for himself.

“It should, but it would be better if you go to sickbay with me. Emergency devices are only meant to stabilize the area. It can be done, it just takes longer.”

“This is going to hurt, I’m sorry.” Then she took his foot in her hands and quickly set the bone. She took the portable bone knitter and set it to stabilize the worst of the break.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil grunted and clenched his fist, uttering an Orion curse. “Sheesh, Dee, a little more warning next time,” he said, voice tight with pain.

~ Zoi

“Sorry, couldn’t risk you stiffening up more than you already are. Could risk tearing muscle and tendon as I set it. ” She brought out an emergency ice pack and put it around the ankle.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He started to relax as the hypo kicked in, dulling his pain in general, and the pain in his ankle subsided some. It was the most disarmed she’d seen him, and he still looked ready to jump up and fight at the drop of a hat. “It happened this morning… I was going to manage alone but that ankle…”

~ Zoi

“I should punch you right in that ankle,” she almost snapped. “You knew I was in sickbay, you could have come in and insisted on me seeing you. You made the process a lot longer continuing to walk on it.” She scanned the ankle again and adjusted a setting on the bone knitter.

“I limped back to my quarters and rested.” Sisnil said. “I didn’t walk around too much.”

“Not enough. This needed ice and elevation and an anti-inflammatory to help. Not to mention the bone had to be set.”

“In my defense, I thought it was sprained.” Sisnil said.

“And you tricked the computer into not being able to track you! What if you had been knocked unconscious, or fatally wounded? Huh? No one would have known until someone decided to use the holodeck.” She still sounded fierce, but inside she felt sick. He could have been really hurt, he could be dead. Accidents happened. She felt sick over it. What would she do if that happened? AND She had promised to tell Noril he was fine. She was did NOT want to send him a condolence letter. That almost broke her medical concentration.

So she’d looked for him? Awwww. He couldn’t suppress a tiny smile at that realization. It was only that sick fear she felt that made him feel guilty. “I’m sorry, Dee. I only tricked the badge after I was injured.” Which meant no one would’ve known till they came and checked his quarters for him. “I knew it wasn’t fatal or anything, I promise, if it were serious I’d have gone to you sooner.”

“If it was, you wouldn’t have been able to get to me,” she said matter of factly. “When you finally decided you needed help, why didn’t you just comm me?”

Sisnil sighed softly and looked up at her with a guilty expression. “The comms can be overheard. How do I know the captain’s not bugging mine or something? Or someone else, for that matter.”

“Okay, a good point, but if they are going that far, wouldn’t they be following you on the security feeds too?” They would still know what he was saying. She understood the paranoia, she didn’t want to make it worse. But sometimes you needed a perspective check.

Sisnil raised a brow. “So check them.” He said, as if daring her, knowing she would not find what she was looking for.

Dradvia raised a brow. “Why? I’m not following you. I don’t have access to those feeds anyway.”

“You wouldn’t see anything worth seeing.” Sisnil said.

“Have you eaten?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Uh… No, not since breakfast.” He answered honestly. The truth was, he wouldn’t be seen injured. Injury was weakness.

~ Zoi

“Don’t move. I’ll be back.” Technology was great, but accelerated healing only worked for as long as the body could sustain it. Dradvia stood and left.

She returned ten minutes later with a tray. She moved the low coffee table closer to him and set it down. It was something she had seen him order before. “You need to eat, but first drink the water. Are you nauseated? I can give you something.”

“No, I’m okay.” She remembered what he ordered. That was… Nice. He picked up the water obediently. Even the most hardened criminal knew the person to listen to, was your doctor.

She knelt beside his foot again and scanned it to see how the progress was going.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

It was stabilizing. Like she predicted, he’d worsened it not treating it right and walking on it. It would heal, but especially with the little emergency device, it would take time.

~ Zoi

“This is going to take all night. You’ll have to stay very still.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil huffed softly. “That long, huh?” He asked, looking up at her. He drank some water. “How’s my side?”

~ Zoi

She checked his side. “It’s healing. It will be slow too. Eat. Your body needs the energy.” She sat down on the floor, legs crossed and looked at him. “Yeah, it will take awhile. Or you could let me take you to sickbay and heal you correctly.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil ate a little. He looked at her, sitting on the floor near him. “You want me to go to sickbay.” He said.

~ Zoi

“Yes, but I won’t make you. I can give you better care there. Either way though, I’ll do my absolute best for you,” Dradvia said. He was going to hurt more and longer than necessary this way. She would not force him to go though. She understood wanting to avoid it.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Her words were utterly, painstakingly sincere. He could sense it. But how far could his trust take him? “Can you stay with me? I mean, literally, do not let me leave your sight. Can you?”

~ Zoi

“Yes.” There was no doubt. She was not on duty, so any other issues arising in sickbay would be handled by the on duty doctor. Anything she needed from storage she could ask a nurse to get.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Swear.” He insisted, watching her carefully. “Swear and I’ll go.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia wasn’t one to give her word lightly or make promises she couldn’t keep. She met his gaze steadily, “Barring a shipwide emergency, I swear I won’t let you leave my sight.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Dradvia was the only person he trusted to have his interests at heart. Not the interests of the Fleet. He was quiet for a moment and then nodded. “Okay. You can take me there.” He said, looking at her.

~ Zoi

She wanted to get him there, but he couldn’t move yet. “Finish eating. By the time you are done, I will be able to wrap your ankle and you will be able to make it there.” Dradvia knew he wouldn’t want a stretcher.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He’d die first. Unless he was actually dying. And he wasn’t. He started eating his food, eyeing her like she might yell at him again. It was a playful look though.

~ Zoi

When he was finished, Dradvia wrapped his ankle and helped get his shoe back on. Then they headed for sickbay.

When they got there, she had him sit on the biobed. She asked the nurse to bring the osteo-regenerator while she pulled the larger Dermal regenerator out and set it to his ribs.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He sat and lay back on the biobed. He was calm, but on guard. He lay still and let Dee line up the regenerator. His ankle hurt from their walk down, but he wasn’t saying anything. He was watching Dee and keeping a close eye on anyone else in the room.

~ Zoi

His side began to feel better immediately as the burn healed. The nurse returned with the osteo-regenerator. Dradvia set it up over his ankle. She took another scan before unwrapping and starting the cycle.

The doctor on duty came over and spoke to her. Dradvia explained she had run into Sisnil outside the holodeck after he had just had a minor accident. She had helped him to sickbay.

He checked behind her. She was an Ensign and brand new doctor. Dradvia wasn’t offended and new everything was correct. The other doctor nodded with approval and assured Sisnil he would be feeling better shortly.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil overheard the conversation. He felt he’d made the right choice in trusting Dee. With his side feeling better and his ankle beginning to feel better, he was getting tired. Pain made the body tired. “Dee.” He said. “I want to go back up-decks as soon as possible.”

~ Zoi

She stood beside the bed the whole time. “As soon as the osteo-regenerator is done. She was making notes. She had to, to log her care, but it was in his sealed record. It took about 20 minutes for the ankle to be healed completely and then she removed the device. “There, all done. Be easy on it tonight and in the morning.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded. “I will. Promise.” He grinned, “See? I’m all better now.” Then he looked at her. “But there’s one more thing. I want you to stay with me, Dee. Just for tonight, while I need to let things rest.”

~ Zoi

She was going to make some retort about knowing what she was doing, but his last request froze her. Her eyes went wide and her heart and respiration both raced in panic. No, I can’t. I can’t spend the night with him. That wasn’t part of what she promised. He wasn’t staying in sickbay. She couldn’t justify keeping him overnight, filling up half the biobeds when he was fine.”You aren’t staying. You can go back to your quarters.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He nodded. “I know that. But Dee - I know from experience, your body is weaker when it’s recovering from these things. And you.... You’ve got my back.” He looked at her, a look of trust. “Is it more comfortable in your quarters?”

~ Zoi

There was a part of her that understood he felt vulnerable and exposed right now. That he had no one but her that he could trust. That part wanted to help him, wanted, almost needed, to ease his pain and fear.

The other part was terrified. She couldn’t do it. He didn’t understand what he was asking of her. That part also vehemently denied staying in her quarters. She hated being alone in the vast space, but it was hers, her haven from all the things that haunted her.

That first part, the doctor in her argued she had spent many nights beside patients, beside the others nursing them, making sure they made it through.

But the second part screamed it wasn’t the same. He wasn’t at risk of dying, and he certainly wouldn’t be in a makeshift infirmary. She couldn’t stay alone with a man.

This was Sisnil. He wouldn’t hurt her. He understood. He would do it for her. It wasn’t an unreasonable favor. She couldn’t. Didn’t he understand that? He wasn’t in danger here.

He feels he is, and so do I. Nothing feels safe anymore.

The nurse was watching them. The patient’s treatment was finished, he was cleared to go, why were they still there? She started walking over. That forced the answer, “Yours is fine.” Dradvia stepped away to put her tricorder down and thank the nurse for her assistance. She headed out the door once he had joined her.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled at the nurse, thanked her, and left with Dradvia. Once they were out of sickbay, he looked at her. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t know that would be such a hard ask. You don’t have to.”

~ Zoi

She had given her word, and she would keep it. It was important to him, or he wouldn’t have asked. She walked along, trying to look normal. “It’s okay. I understand, really. But ummm, my shift starts at 0500. I’ll leave at 0400. You’ll be asleep, but I promise, I won’t leave before that.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“You’ll wake me before you go.” Sisnil replied. It was important to him. Noril was the only person he trusted normally, and they always had each other. No need to worry about who could get you in your sleep if you had a twin in the same room likely to notice. Now he was alone and the only person he trusted was Dradvia, because of her history. Vulnerable as he felt, even healed, he needed somebody he trusted with him. He’d panic without her there, not that he’d admit that. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

~ Zoi

“I told you I would. It’s okay.” Dradvia may not have said she promised to stay with him over night in those exact words, but she had agreed. That was the same thing to her. She was going to be uncomfortable no matter what. If it helped him get sleep and kept him from stressing when he needed rest, then she would do it.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

They stepped onto the lift and he gave it a deck number. As the lift rose, he leaned on the wall and massaged and rolled his ankle around. “Dee.... Thank you.”

~ Zoi

“You’re welcome,” she knew how hard it was. She could manage being uncomfortable for a night to help him. She watched him rub his ankle. “Does it still hurt?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“It’s sore,” he said, shrugging. “It happens. That’s why they recommend the rest.” Sisnil looked at her and grinned. “I’ll be alright.”

~ Zoi

“Of course you will, I’m your doctor,” she said confidently. Dradvia didn’t believe she could fix everything and anything, but she knew her limits and would request a consult or another doctor who could. Her ego was not more important than the well being of her patient. “I’ll check it when we get back. You might need to ice it a bit more.” They got off the lift and she stopped between their quarters. “I’ll get my kit.” She went into her quarters. She paused to close her eyes and take a breath. She packed up her kit and then grabbed it and her PaDD. She could procrastinate, prep her uniform for the next morning and what not, but there wasn’t a need. Sisnil might think she was going back on her word. Procrastinating wouldn’t ease her nervousness.

She stepped back out of her quarters. “Alright.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil stepped into his quarters. The space was still empty mostly, but the computer terminal seemed to be doing something. A PaDD set open on the desk next to it. “Make yourself at home,” he said, sitting down on the sofa. “You’re here as my doctor but you are my friend. You’re welcome in here.”

~ Zoi

There really wasn’t a place to sit. These quarters were small and did not encourage one to have guests. It hadn’t occurred to her that it was nothing but a bedroom when he was in her quarters. He had been hurt though, and she hadn’t thought about it. She knelt down beside him and took out her tricorder. “Your ankle is still a bit inflamed. You need to elevate it and put some ice on it.” The only place to do that was on the bed. “Do you have an extra pillow or blanket I can put under it?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded. He went to the small closet and pulled out two extra pillows and a blanket. “One for my leg and one for you.” He glanced at the floor, “I wish I could make it more comfortable.”

~ Zoi

It was sort of sweet he thought she would actually sleep. She also appreciated he didn’t try to argue and insist he take the floor. That wasn’t going to happen. “The carpet is actually very plush. I’ll be fine.” She motioned to the bed. “I can step out while you get settled. I’ll put the ice on after.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No need to step out.” Sisnil pulled the covers back and sat down on the bed and then lay back. He set the spare pillow down and set his foot on it gently. Then pulled his blanket over, leaving his foot uncovered so she could ice it.

~ Zoi

Wha…? Once he was settled she let out a breath feeling embarrassed. She took the ice pack out of her kit and using the blanket between the pack and his ankle she placed it over the worst of the inflammation. “If it starts hurting and wakes you up, I can give something else for the pain, okay.” She saw the delta wave inducer and reached over and turned it one for him. Then she grabbed the spare chair and sat down with her PaDD and her tricorder. She was situated where she could monitor him, but had a clear view of the door as well. It wasn’t the first time she’d sat with someone who was afraid of what might come through the door. She’d sat up enough nights with herself for the same reason.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil chuckled sleepily. “You look like you’re defending a dying patient.” He said. With the inducer on, he’d be asleep soon.

~ Zoi

Dradvia chuckled softly. “Hardly. I’m just here to sound the alarm. Though you probably sleep lightly enough I won’t get the chance to make a sound.” That’s why he wanted her here after all to watch his back. Even injured, Dradvia was sure he was more capable than she was of dealing with, well anything. She looked over at him. He was going to be asleep very soon.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He was, but it put him at ease that there was someone else watching. Empathically Sisnil felt her presence, he was quite familiar with it by now. Like the comforting scent of someone you liked. “The more eyes, the less likely something gets by.” Sisnil said softly. Then he took a few slow breaths, and then he was asleep. He looked peaceful and relaxed.

~ Zoi

Dradvia understood the sentiment. While he slept she made sure to stay behind the Delta wave inducer. She was not going to fall asleep. That was asking far more than she could give. She sat in the chair with her PaDD and read. Every noise made her alert. She watched him, to make sure he was asleep as much as she watched the door. She was quiet. Even anxious she new how to be utterly still and quiet like a mouse. It was a survival technique that she had never lost.

It was a Ling night of tense nerves in an uncomfortable environment. At least Sisnil didn’t talk in his sleep or mive around a lot. That would have been too much. She scanned his ankle several times to make sure the infamation was gone.

By the time 0400 arrived she was exhausted, but he had slept, so that was good. She spoke for the first time all night. “Sisnil. Sisnil I have to go.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer