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 Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in You Have To Trust Someone Eventaully
Posted by… suppressed (67) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Sisnil sat next to her - also facing the room. But the way he sat was placing himself between her and the room. He’d ordered himself some Orion food. Eating it seemed to bring him some sadness and longing. Even so, his attention was always on those around them.

~ Zoi

Dradvia wasn’t so upset that she was unobservant. She noticed how Sisnil sat, blocking the room from her. Giving her space from the crowd. He also didn’t block her in. She also noticed he seemed sad. Her hand almost moved towards his. “Sisnil? What’s wrong?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Oh. You know. Just… Vash cooks this.” Sisnil shrugged and forced a smile. “‘S alright. It’s just food, anyway.” He said softly, half heartedly. “I’ll be fine, Dee.” He said.

~ Zoi

“Tell me about her.” There wasn’t anyone else Sisnil could talk to about, well, anything. Dradvia also knew how much it could hurt to not be able to talk about or openly remember the people that were important.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

There wasn’t. It was part of what made them so close, that people like Stevens couldn’t understand. “If she were here right now, she’d set her hand on my arm, like this,” he mimed it on the table, knowing she wouldn’t want to be touched. “and say everything will be okay.” Sisnil looked at her, “Vash is part Deltan, but she’d never manipulate my emotions without knowing I was okay with it. She wouldn’t make the loneliness, the emotional pain, go away, but she’d dull it. Make it more bearable.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia guessed they were closer than most people. With her Deltan empathy and his Betazoid telepathy. It must make the three of them really close. “Vash is kind of like the mother hen, huh? Makes sure you’re feeling okay, makes sure everyone eats, and stuff.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil thought about it. “I guess so.” He finished his food and pushed the tray aside. “She’s not the only one, though. Our medic’ll let you have it if you’re not making his job easier.” He grinned, “He likes to pretend he doesn’t care.”

~ Zoi

“It makes it easier,” Dradvia said. “When people are scared and hurting and they depend on you for comfort and to save them… it helps to pretend you don’t care.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil looked at her, “Do you do that?” He asked. He couldn’t see her pretending she didn’t care. Even with his training mishap, she’d been incredibly concerned and worried.

~ Zoi

Dradvia nodded slowly, “Sometimes. Not so much anymore, ya know.” She twirled her fork in the beans watching it for a moment. Remembering. “Now, I have access to the best medical equipment and treatments. I don’t see anything that can’t be taken care of. Before, though,” she looked up at him. “They get so scared, so it starts as a way to reassure them. Don’t show your shock or concern. Be really analytical so they stay calm. Then sometimes it is so bad it becomes an intellectual thing because you know you can’t do anything. They will live, but maimed. Eventually though the guilt and fear and anger starts to eat at you, so you have to hide even from yourself. Eventually, that bleeds into everything. Your friendships, your meals, yourself. The emotions are still there, but they belong to someone else.”

Her shoulders slumped, and she twirled her fork again. “I never fooled Kryssa though.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Never fool me, either,” Sisnil said. He had been the hurt one before, and while he wasn’t maimed, it hadn’t been clear whether he’d make it. He liked to know not be lied to.

~ Zoi

She looked up at him, “I didn’t mean it like that. I never lie to people. I meant about how scared I was. How much it hurt to lose someone, to not be able to help.” She held her hands out, palms up, helpless. “If I panic and cry, they will do worse. If Every case gets to me, eventually I won’t function and can’t help. Kryssa always knew how much it all got to me.” She studied his face for a moment, “I imagine you will too.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded. “I will. My empathy is pretty strong.” He sat back in his seat, “I probably won’t be as helpful as she was.” He’d seen plenty of terrible, and he’d been unable to help. But he’d shut down the part of himself that cared that deeply a long time ago.

~ Zoi

Her mind glee backwards to that time. To a brown haired young girl. Black eyes full of fear and pain. “Kryssa, wasn’t really helpful. I hated she could feel it. I hated I couldn’t hide it from her. It made everything worse for her.” She shook her head, “Her telepathy… was out of control. She hadn’t had it long before we were taken. There was no one to teach her.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil seemed to almost wince at that. “Then I’ll be a lot more helpful than Kryssa.” In an environment like that.... Well, it was no wonder what happened, happened. “It takes practice to learn to separate other emotions from your own.” He said, voice gentle. “All the negativity around her… And the telepathic defense of a teenager. It would’ve been torture. I’m sorry.”

~ Zoi

That one word brought back flashes of screaming, burning pain, endless agony. “They… they used that to torture us.” It was too painful to talk about. “Kryssa was a pure soul. The vileness never changed that, but in the end she took the only escape possible.”

Sisnil looked like he mightnl hug her, but he refrained from doing so. “I understand why.” Was all he said.

“Thank you.” Dradvia understood from her perspective. She saw what it did to Kryssa, and would have done anything to have endured it all in her place.

She took a bite of her food, “So, I get your medic acting like he doesn’t care. You said he was a battlefield medic before he joined you. He’s seen the worst up close, the first to get to people, trying to hold them together till someone with the skill can save them. He had to fight for that detachment early. Otherwise it will destroy you.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil grinned, “Wait till he’s in your face telling you to shut up or he’ll let you die,” he said and chuckled. “As a Betazoid, and moreso as a Syndicate operative made to use my abilities in a way most people never would… Well, trying to pretend or hide from me doesn’t have much point.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia smiled a little. “Maybe not, but it’s just as much for him as it is for you. Then again,” her eyes danced at him for a moment, “After seeing your stubborn way of ‘dealing with an injury,’ I can see why he would yell at you.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Stubborn?” Cried Sisnil playfully. “I even let you take me to sickbay!” He said and elbowed her very gently. “Next time I’ll show you stubborn.” He was grinning and trying not to laugh.

~ Zoi

Dradvia gave him a stern look, that would have been effective except for her internal amusement. “I will have you know, Mr. Zoi, that I can be equally stubborn. Next time, should you be more stubborn, I will let you suffer rather than just telling you I should.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

That looks almost rivalled Vash’s and turned his stupid grin more sheepish. “Right, right, we’ll see.” He said. If it came to blows between himself and Stevens, ‘next time’ may not be that far off. Stevens was way bigger than him.

~ Zoi

Dradvia grinned as if she had just won something, and it made her look adorable. “Yes we will, won’t we. But there will be no more holodeck accidents.” She gave him a mock glare and then finished her food.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil laughed, “I can still trip and break something with the safeties on.” He commented as he stacked her tray on his own.

~ Zoi

Dradvia gave him a full once over, “You are not nearly that clumsy.” She flushed furiously as he walked away with their trays. She must be more upset over Stevens than she thought to act so outrageous. That was what she was telling herself anyway.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He put the trays away and returned to her. “Maybe I will be just so I can come see you.” He said. He wouldn’t really do that, being hurt was too dangerous. Too unsafe. But he could joke about it to rile Dee up.

~ Zoi

Pink, her cheeks were noticeably very pink and felt hot. He didn’t have to make up excuses to come see her. His banter was relaxing as it distracted her. “If you do that, I will confine you to sickbay under Nurse Cranston’s care.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil didn’t know Nurse Cranston, but it wasn’t Dradvia, so it wasn’t good enough for him. “I’ll hack into the system and lock out her controls.” He said.

~ Zoi

Dradvia set her arms on the table and grinned. “Hard to access a computer when you are under restraint on a biobed. Oh, and so you know, Cranston is a very cantankerous matron, who is more than capable of nursing you without all that shiny technology. You might get her out of the computer, but not away from caring for you.” She leaned toward him, “But if that isn’t enough of an incentive to not purposely get hurt, I will have to come up with something more devious.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil leaned towards her, careful not to violate her space. “Don’t threaten me with a good time, Dee. I’d love to see what you come up with.” He said and grinned, charming and playful.

~ Zoi

Just like that, Dradvia felt heat start at her toes and rush all the way to her head. Her gaze was tranfixed on his grin. He was the most attractive man she had ever met. Everything about him, especially his personality, made her heart race and stomach flutter. At those realizations, her instincts screamed at her to leave, back off, get away, flee.

But a very quiet almost completely lost part of her, urged her to stay just a bit longer. To keep bantering with him, even for a moment. It was okay, Sisnil would not hurt her.

She gave him another once over, her gaze slightly clinical, “Hmmmm, I might need to put you under observation if devious mean doctor orders are your idea of fun. You may have hit your head during that training accident yesterday.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil sensed her unease, but she stayed, even managed to throw banter back his way. He grinned. “They’re only fun if you’re in the room with me.” He commented. He rubbed his head, “Hmm… No bumps, no tenderness, nothing on scans… I think you’re out of luck there.”

~ Zoi

Her eyes laughed, “Not necessarily. I didn’t scan your head, because there ware no signs of concussion after so long. But that doesn’t mean there might be delayed swelling on the brain, putting pressure. Another scan might be in order.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No memory issues, no headaches, no blurry vision,” Sisnil listed competitively, “Come on, Dee, I was a criminal, I know how to watch for concussions.” He said and grinned again.

~ Zoi

“Brain swelling doesn’t have the exact same symptoms as concussion. Lowered inhibitions can be a sign of swelling or a brain bleed.” She tapped her finger on the table, “Of course, that is also a rare side effect of the anti-inflammatory I gave you. Happens in less than 1 percent of people. That could be you. You are pretty unique.” DID SHE JUST SAY THAT?!

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil laughed out loud, both because of what she said, and her internal reaction to it. “Hmmm… Maybe I do need a check over. I am unique after all. I’ve had a rare side effect before.” It was, surprisingly, true. He’d been young though, and so his medical records were long gone.

~ Zoi

Dradvia leaned slightly closer, “Oh really? I distinctly remember asking you if you had any allergies. What exactly was this rare side effect?” Dradvia expected he would say something outrageous that would make her blush again.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Side effects aren’t allergies.” Sisnil said. “But if you must know…” He beckoned her closer as if he was going to tell her a secret.

~ Zoi

“No, but rare side effects can range from odd to much worse.” He was like a magnet and she was drawn to him. His charm was irresistible. She hesitated for 3 heartbeats, but her curiosity over what he might say drew her closer. “I am your doctor, I think you had better tell me.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Painkillers,” he whispered, “make me three times more charming than I already am.” It was exactly the sort of absurd thing he might say.

She laughed very softly feeling her stomach flutter wildly. “Hmmm, you may have to suffer then, so the crew can be protected.” Not that it would help her, Dradvia was already in trouble.

“There’s only one crew member in any serious trouble,” Sisnil replied, grinning.

Dradvia couldn’t have named the feeling, but a shiver raced up her spine that made her lightheaded and in very real risk of grabbing hold of him so she didn’t fall, but she was already sitting.

He grinned and shrugged, “Seriously though, when I was sixteen, I got the rare heart trouble side effect from a pain med… I don’t remember which one, but it wasn’t like, the common one they use.”

~ Zoi

She became quite serious in a blink. “I’ll look into it. There are only a few that do that, and I’ll add it to your chart. I don’t suppose we can actually get those medical records, so I’ll just list them all to be safe.” She absolutely was not going to let anything happen to his heart while he was on the Wolverine.

“I’m not too worried about it. I’d rather it not be known, really.” It was his paranoia. He was afraid someone could read his record and give it to him intentionally.

“Alright. I’ll still check, so I know, but I won’t put it in your file.” She understood the need for privacy and to keep secret things that could hurt you, and be exploited. She thought, at least in that, they were similar.

Sisnil relaxed knowing she would protect that information. “Thanks, Dee.”

She was still leaned closer to him, unaware of how close they had actually gotten. She was studying his face letting her mind wander and wonder about things that all centered on Sisnil.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He was enjoying her closeness quietly. Her mind wondered in a way common to people who liked someone. He wouldn’t bring it up, it seemed to bother her when he did. “You know, you can ask me things. I’ll tell you if I can’t say.” He said softly.

~ Zoi

There was one question that immediately came to mind. Did he have anyone waiting for him? He said it wasn’t like that with Vash, but the way he talked about her, she wondered. He didn’t really talk about anyone else by name except Noril. Was that just because he was private or because there wasn’t anyone else? She was too shy to ask. Both the possible answer of yes and no created swirling conflicting emotions in her that told her she wasn’t ready to know that answer.

Sisnil answered the pressing question that he heard first. “No, not like that. Vash is like a little sister to me. I’ve always wondered if things would go that way for her and Noril though.” He said.

His answer reassured her, but she has no right to feel that way. Dradvia glanced down at her hands. She was jealous of Vash, but she shouldn’t be, even if Sisnil was with her. She never could be, so her reaction was irrational. She hated he knew she was jealous. She was sending mixed signals when she never meant to.

She wanted to know everything, but she didn’t know where to start. Her misbehaving thoughts weren’t helping her focus on that decision either. Her teeth tugged her bottom lip as she thought about it. “If you could do anything, anything at all, right now, what would you do?” It was a loaded question, but it blurted out anyway.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Honestly? I’d go back to my ship.” Sisnil looked at her, “But I’d ask you to come with me, knowing you couldn’t say yes, but wanting you to know I don’t want to leave you.”

~ Zoi

That wasn’t what she expected. Well getting back to his crew she did. She supposed she had hoped he would tease her again. What she had hoped he would say she pushed down before he could hear it.

Her heart pounded painfully and her throat knotted hard and her eyes burned. No, she could never go with him. Once the Syndicate found out he had her, they would take her. They would reward him for catching a runaway slave, and she would be punished. They wouldn’t kill her, they wouldn’t be that merciful. Would she go with him? Maybe, but never under those circumstances because it wouldn’t be with him.

She sat back, her fingers briefly touching the back of his hand before folding her hands in her lab. What she wanted to say, could never be uttered, even in her thoughts. “Escape Sisnil, the first chance you get.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled, but there was a sad look, almost as though he regretted his words. “Morris has been in intelligence a while now, he may not give me the chance. And if I fail… I’ll go to Federation prison, where the Syndicate may well have me killed to protect themselves.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia shook her head. That couldn’t happen. It couldn’t. She wanted to say she would help him escape, but she couldn’t. She took an oath of duty. She looked away and then back. “Why did he bring you here?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“He was the one who caught me. Intelligence on the Academy campus… He happened to be doing his CEs for his medical license.” Sisnil sighed as though annoyed. “Starfleet wants me on their side. Skills like mine are handy. So they let him cut me a deal. Service in exchange for no prison. I said I wouldn’t work with anyone else.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia felt sick. Utterly sick. What Star Fleet had done was no better than what the Syndicate had done to him. Death is Death. But here they had completely isolated him from everyone and everything. Forcing him to work for them. There was no escape and no reunions with Noril. Star Fleet would find him and do the same. Sisnil had list Noril as surely as she had lost Kryssa.

She wanted to deny that Star Fleet would do such a thing, but she knew Sisnil wasn’t lying to her. Her hand rested for a moment over his forearm. “I wish I could tell you it’s not that bad. That it will be okay.” She met his gaze. What would she do to get one last message to Kryssa? Anything. She would do anything. She could make that happen for Sisnil. “I promise I will get a message to your brother.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil set a hand gently over hers, but only for a moment. “I trust you.” He said softly. He refused to believe that. That Noril was as lost to him as Kryssa was to her. That meant he’d never see him again. And that was something Sisnil couldn’t live with. “I’m lucky, honestly.” He said. He felt like he didn’t deserve to be upset over his fate. Forced to work for whoever had the biggest threat over his head, but not assaulted, beaten, or worse like she had been. Like any Syndicate slave. Being upset over being given the option to skip prison seemed stupid in comparison.

~ Zoi

To Dradvia it was the same. He was being forced to do things he didn’t want to do, but he didn’t want to die, so he did them. Star Fleet was doing the same. They knew if they put him in prison the Syndicate would kill him. They allowed it, even if their hands didn’t do it. The threat to Noril was a worse torture than anything physical. She knew.

She shook her head, “No one is lucky that has their life unwillingly controlled by another.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

On the other hand, they couldn’t let him off for his crimes either. They knew he was likely guilty of more than they had him on. Sisnil smiled and looked at her. “Dee? Thanks. For… Understanding, I guess.”

~ Zoi

At least if they had sent him straight to prison the Syndicate would know he didn’t cooperate, and he would have been safe. What Star Fleet had done was sign his death warrant. She squeezed his arm before letting go. “You’re welcome… I guess. It’s not hard to understand. Most of them,” she nodded toward the room, indicating the whole crew, “have never been there. They see things black and white. They are too ignorant to see the wndkess shades of grey.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil sighed softly. “When the day comes that the Syndicate comes after me,” it would happen, one way or another, eventually. “Make sure no one is stupid enough to come after me.”

~ Zoi

When that day came, Dradvia would get a message to Noril to tell him. She wasn’t brave enough to face the Syndicate again. Sisnil deserved better than that. So she would tell Noril because she believed he would do something. She couldn’t make sure anyone did anything as far as the ship went. The CO would probably try to go after him, to make sure he wasn’t double crossing Star Fleet. No one would listen to her.

“You’ll get him killed if you do that,” Sisnil said. “Please- if you tell him, he will do something, and it’ll get him killed.”

Dradvia gave him a steady look. “Sisnil, I have to tell him. Would you rather he be blindsided when the Syndicate tells him, and uses you to manipulate him? You think he wouldn’t do something reckless then? Forewarned is forearmed.” It was that or go herself. Noril had a much better chance of success and survival than she did.

“Noril… He… Well… We’ll worry about about that when it happens.” Sisnil said. He seemed more upset than she’d seen him. “I don’t want either one of you on the Syndicate’s blacklist on my behalf.”

She already was. They both knew it. She was a runaway. “We’ll deal with it when we have to.”

She sighed, staring into her empty cup. How had they ended up on such a horrific topic? She thought back, oh… her. Right and her question. She sighed again. “I’m sorry I muddied the mood. I’m sorry I can’t get you home. Is there something else you want to do?” There was no teasing or banter now. She just wanted to make him feel better.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shook his head. “Don’t be sorry. It’s not your responsibility to get me home.” He smiled and poked her in the shoulder. “Want to see my holodeck training program?”

~ Zoi

Dradvia wasn’t sure she was fit enough for what he considered training, but if it got his mind off things, “Sure. Let’s go.” She didn’t really want to go back to her quarters to be alone anyway.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He stood and went to the holodeck and started a program. Safeties on. In the holodeck appeared a space station full of people. In Sisnil’s hand appeared a non-Fleet PaDD. He opened it and on it were the mission details. “I’m stealing a shipment arriving at the space station in just under a half an hour, protected by Fleet Security.”

~ Zoi

“Okay, Cap’n. Show off for me.” Dradvia was more shocked at herself than she was over him practicing a heist on a Federation facility.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil let her watch as he ran the program, a near flawless run of his training, from sneaking in and getting what was to be stolen and getting it out, to avoiding guards’ fire on the way out. When he was done, he stood by her side. “Was that impressive enough for you?”

~ Zoi

Dradvia watched in fascination. She’d seen some of it, well the skills and tactics during her time at the Academy, and when she’d been accidently rescued. She had never seen it in someone self-taught. Unless he’d had some military training somewhere?

She was impressed though. Then again he had created the program. Maybe it wasn’t that hard. Dradvia didn’t think Sisnil would do that though. He wanted to challenge himself. “Okay… maaaayyyybe if you have another perfect run like that I will be convinved you are the best pirate ever.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

In the Syndicate, you either got good, or dead. Sisnil laughed and smiled, and started a new one. This time, Dradvia was “on the ship” watching him. It was another good run, with Sisnil doing the mission and returning ‘unhurt’. He looked at Dee, “Are you convinced?”

~ Zoi

She was observing and getting to watch all of it, but she still didn’t see how he was able to anticipate some of the things that happened. Then avoid them. The program never paused or declared him injured. She watched closely too.

She glanced at him. A different look in her eye behind the humor and banter. The beginning of understanding he really could protect her. She grinned at him. “I don’t know. I think conceding that might make you 6x more charming and the trouble that one person is in will seem like a nap.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil grinned and laughed. “You’re the one that said it.” He said and sat down. The ship wasn’t his ship, he was paranoid about Starfleet knowing exactly what ship it was, but it was similar. If only his whole crew was here… The thought made him sad. They were by no means unstoppable but they were good at what they did.

~ Zoi

Well crap. She did say it. She was embarrassed, but she was starting to accept that was a normal state of being around him. She was going to have to do something about her confusing feelings.

She raised her eyes to look at his face. He was sad. Lonely. She understood that. She hated seeing that look on him, and wanted to make it better. Before she could think about it, “Sisnil, can I hug you?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil was surprised she’d ask at all, but not at all unhappy about it. He smiled a little and nodded. “Yeah, ‘course you can, Dee.” He said, softly. He held his arms up for her, letting her come to him.

~ Zoi

She chewed her lower lip as she took two steps towards him. She wasn’t sure she could, but he looked so lonely and sad. She hated it. Then she suddenly came up with a compromise that she was sure she could manage.

She stepped past him and sat behind him. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around him and clasping her hands over his abdomen. Her cheek rested on his shoulder, and she tightened her arms as hard as she could.

He was strong and warm. Solid and steady despite what he was going through. It felt good to comfort someone in such a simple way. It was… incredible and anxiously frightening to hug Sisnil. The longer she held the hug, the more her body relaxed and settled into him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil could live with that. He rested his hands over hers and leaned his head against her. He felt her relax into him and his body relaxed too. It seemed to help him, even though it was just a hug. His eyes closed and he sighed softly.

~ Zoi

It felt good to offer such simple comfort. To know she could, and she admitted, especially to Sisnil. His hands were warm and calloused against hers. It was a simple touch that offered her far more comfort than she could have imagined. She wondered what it would be like to lace her fingers with his and hold on tightly. She didn’t dare. She wasn’t sure she could and maintain the calm they were in right at that moment.

Even after it became awkward, and she was increasingly more self-conscious, Dradvia held the hug. Her arms shifted slightly to hold him more easily. She let her eyes close and her emotions float along for a bit.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil let himself float in their calm emotions, resting against her, the holographic ship making various regular ship sounds. He seemed relaxed and at home. After a long while, his voice was soft. “You can let go if you’re uncomfortable, Dee.”

~ Zoi

By the time he spoke, the awkwardness had passed. Dradvia was floating as well affected by his own calm. She was almost lost in a meditative state. “Hmmm,” she sounded sleepy, but Sisnil could tell she was simply relaxed in a way she hadn’t been in years. She was at peace.

Right then, he could turn and give her a proper hug and she wouldn’t think twice about it. She would, most likely curl up and cuddle against him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

That was when he was glad to be telepathic, because he could tell it would be okay to do that, and so he did. He turned gently in her arms, wrapping his hands around her. His grip was a little loose, not wanting her to feel trapped, but allowing her head to rest on his shoulder, her body against his chest. Then he tucked his head against hers and closed his eyes again.

~ Zoi

She protested softly as he moved, wanting him to stay where he was. But then he was hugging, holding her close against him. Her arms were still clasped around him, she could feel his breaths as his lungs expanded and deflated, and still hear the rhythm of his heart under her ear.

She stayed in the warmth he created. Eventually she realized what she was doing. Rather than run, though the urge was strong, she cried quietly. It was a much needed release and not a sign of fear or pain.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil let her cry. It was a release she needed and it didn’t bother him. He just kept hugging her gently, his eyes closed, his body relaxed.

~ Zoi