Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in One Step at a Time

Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in One Step at a Time

Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in One Step at a Time
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
She sighed again. “I know, and I try. It’s hard to sleep. The ship is always starting and stopping. People walk by my door all the time. It wakes me up no matter what I do.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

”....I hope at some point you’ll trust me to protect you the way I do Noril.” Sisnil said, so softly the radio barely registered it.

~ Zoi

She rolled over to face the radio. She did trust him. She knew he wouldn’t hurt her or let anyone else. She didn’tunderstand what he meant. “What do you mean?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“We have a close empathic and telepathic bond. When one is unable, the other is on alert. It’s a method of protection.” Sisnil sighed softly. “If either of us sense something, the other is immediately alerted.”

~ Zoi

Sisnil had alluded to that closeness before. “But I’m not telepathic. You know I don’t mind your telepathy, even though there are things… I wish you couldn’t see, I don’t mind. But I’m not telepathic,” she said again. She didn’t understand why he thought she didn’t trust him enough. Couldn’t he do that anyway?

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Because she wouldn’t let him stay in the room with her. “I know, Dee, so it’s always my job to make sure you are safe. I’m always on guard like that, for you.” He shrugged, though she couldn’t see it. “I mean, I am anyway, so don’t feel bad. Without Noril here, I can’t relax, ever.”

~ Zoi

He wasn’t responsible for her. He didn’t have to put himself under that kind of strain. At the same time she felt cherished and warm. “Can’t you hack your own security system so you feel a little more secure?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I… Already did,” Sisnil said. “Knowing an infiltration expert like Vash kind of erodes your trust in such things.”

~ Zoi

“Really? I thought you were the computer expert. She cooks, she fights, she mothers you all. Is there anything she doesn’t do?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“She can’t hack them, she can sneak around them.” Sisnil told her. “She… Well, she doesn’t do engineering. She can pilot, but not as well as others. She’s certainly not the muscle.”

~ Zoi

“Sneak around them?” She seemed like WonderWoman to Dradvia. “I thought all Orions were significantly stronger than other humanoids?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“But she’s only half Orion, half Deltan, so her strength isn’t like other Orions,” Sisnil said. “Besides, when I say muscle, I mean weapons expert.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia laughed softly. “Oh. I was thinking martial arts. But why does she make you not trust security systems?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Because if she can get past them, so can somebody else,” Sisnil said. “And we’re on a ship full of intelligence officers.”

~ Zoi

Well that made sense. “We aren’t all Intel officers,” she pointed out. “But what does that all have to do with what you said earlier?” About wishing she trusted him enough. “Is it because I’m not telepathic, so I can’t guard you like Noril could?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No, no, Dee… It’s because your trauma won’t allow you to let me stay with you,” Sisnil explained. “And before you go there, I don’t blame you for that. It isn’t your fault.”

~ Zoi

“Oh.” She felt small and inadequate. How could he love her for very long? “Look, Sisnil, you aren’t responsible for protecting me. Don’t worry about me. I’ll adjust eventually. You just worry about yourself.” That was too much on him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I can’t do that.” Sisnil said. “I care too much.”

~ Zoi

“You have to, Sisnil. You’ll make yourself sick trying to take care of everything.” Besides when he left, he would have to stop worrying. “You can’t change my instincts and responses. I have to learn to cope.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I’ll be fine,” Sisnil replied easily. “I know you have to cope. I want to help you do that, not do it for you.”

~ Zoi

“I know. I just worry about you.” There was a quiet pause. He could hear her shift again. It had been forever since anyone made her feel cared for. It was like rain after a century of drought. “Thanks you.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil let her feel the feeling of care and gratitude that washed over him. “Always, Dee.”

~ Zoi

He heard the quick surprised inhale as she recognized he was sharing his feelings with her. He wasn’t even in the same room! He had communicated with her while she was on the planet, but it still seemed remarkable to her.

She shifted onto her side again, pulled her blanket up, and hugged her pillow. She was feeling vulnerable and lost. She didn’t really know what to do with everything that had happened that day. She just… when she first said something it hadn’t been to just say good night, but to make sure he was still there. She still did, but she wanted him to have some rest for himself. “Good night, Sisnil.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Night, Dee,” Sisnil said. There was a silence, and then, “I’m gonna ask if you slept tomorrow, I’m hoping you’ll be able to say yes.”

~ Zoi

She paused as she set her Delta wave machine. “I will. I’ve turned my Delta waves on. Promise.” She smiled softly in the dark. Such a gentle sounding order. The man was contrary. She doubted he slept. “I hope you sleep too.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I’ll try, Dee. I’ll try.” Sisnil said.

---

In the early hours of the morning, Sisnil woke with a chill, a headache, and stomach pain. Dee’s comment about making oneself sick seemed somewhat funny now. Not wanting to wake her if she wasn’t already, he reached out empathically to check if she was awake.

~ Zoi

She was awake. Dradvia was lost in thought, but not really focusing on anyone thing. More trying not to.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer