Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in So… This Is It

Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in So… This Is It

Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in So… This Is It
Posted by… suppressed (20) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Sisnil could feel her worry. He sighed. “Yeah… I know it can do damage until it’s out. It just won’t kill me.”

~ Zoi

“I’m sorry. I’m not going to stop worrying. But once your system is clear I will bring him.” Or maybe Sisnil might be able to go back to his quarters. It just depended on how bad his nervous system was damaged.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil chuckled and shook his head again. “I don’t expect you to stop worrying, Dee, anymore than I’d expect a planet to stop orbiting its sun.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia’s face flushed, her stomach fluttering. “Are you saying you’re my sun?” Was she so obvious?

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil felt her embarrassment and laughed. “That wasn’t what I was going for, but you know what? Yeah.”

~ Zoi

Her checks turned bright red and Dradvia ducked her head to hide it. “That doesn’t bother you?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No,” Sisnil said with a shrug. “I love you, Dee. I like being that important to you.”

~ Zoi

Her fingers curled further around his hand. “You always will be.” It was true. Dradvia would never forget Sisnil. She had been… what since she’d met him? More relaxed? Happier? Safer? All those things, but not in ways most normal people thought of them. She’d never be that way again after he left.

“Do you want me to put something else on for you? Are you hungry or thirsty?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He suggested another movie that hopefully wouldn’t have anything that might set off Dradvia in it. “What can I have?” He asked about the food and drink.

~ Zoi

“Smoothie, milkshake, jello, pudding, soup, juice, coffee, tea, broth, ice pops, apple sauce. Maybe some lightly spread toast,” Dradvia rattled off the options. While she did Dradvia pulled up the movie he asked for.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He gave the name of an Orion soup that didn’t have too many hard things in it. “I think you’ll like this one,” he said about the movie.

~ Zoi

Dradvia asked one of the nurses to get the soup for him. She set her PaDD on her lap and worked while she watched. It wasn’t that the movie wasn’t interesting, but focusing on both things helped calm her mind.

The nurse returned with the soup in a large cup so he could drink it rather than fight with a spoon.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil glanced at the cup. It took several moments and then, “…Dee? Can you…?”

~ Zoi

Dradvia turned on her stool and picked up the cup. She brought it to his lips and gently tipped it toward his mouth.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He drank the soup slowly. It was embarrassing. But the soup was really good. Okay, there’s chunks I need to chew here, Dee, he said telepathically after a moment.

~ Zoi

Dradvia tipped the cup back, away from him so he could finish what he had. Dradvia didn’t mind helping him. She liked it, caring for him, knowing she could do even such small things to help him get better.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He finished what he had and then asked for more. It went like that until the soup was finished. He patted her hand gently. “Thanks.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia grinned and set the cup to the side. “You’re welcome. It makes me feel useful.” The movie was still going and Dradvia was quiet watching it. She’d never been much on movies, preferring her books, but she did enjoy them. When the movie was over she looked at him, “How are your arms feeling?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Painful, stiff. Same as before.” Sisnil said. “My body feels the same way.”

~ Zoi

“Do you want to lay back down for a bit? Is sitting up hurting too much?” It was still time before she could give him more meds. He’d been still so he wouldn’t have burned through the medication. The higher doses would be keeping him comfortable, or at least more so.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No, it’s not too bad. Lucky for the higher dose of pain meds, I think,” Sisnil said. He shrugged in a little movement. “I’ll be alright.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia rolled her eyes, totally exasperated. “Yes, I know. You will be. But I can’t read your mind or feel your emotions, so I have to ask, Sisnil.” She laughed just a little though.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Can’t you?” Sisnil grinned. “Take my hand, Dee.” He held one hand up carefully.

She gave him another exasperated look. She could guess based on readings, but no, she couldn’t feel it. She looked at his hand, he must be feeling better because he was absolutely admate not to do this earlier. Or maybe he was just feeling very lonely and vulnerable? A little disconnected and isolated? Dradvia set her hand in his without hesitation. She wasn’t afraid to feel his pain.

Then he made a connection with her that let her feel what he felt. It wasn’t so agonizingly painful like it was before, but it still hurt. He was stiff and painful and occasionally his muscles still twitched or his heart rate would destabilize and then correct itself.

~ Zoi

Dradvia closed her eyes, focusing on what she was feeling from him. It didn’t hurt her physically, but emotionally. Well…sort of. She hurt too, but she knew it wasn’t her own body that was hurting. Did it work the same for him? Could feeling what she felt, help him feel better? Sort of the way she sort of hurt but didn’t? She didn’t know how to share with him, how she felt. How her heart beat steadily, but raced because of him, that she was relaxed and comfortable. She’d gladly exchange how she felt for how he did.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil closed his eyes, too. It seemed to help him to share this way. I can always feel how you feel, Dee. He told her telepathically. She could not only feel how he did, but he was letting her hear his thoughts, too.

She knew that. She just hoped it helped him in some way.

And with how relaxed he was, he wasn’t policing his thoughts.

That was how she heard what was really worrying him that he’d been hiding, because he was scared: he wasn’t able to see correctly.

~ Zoi

Too many times Dradvia had sat beside people that were faced with horrible outcomes. A sudden turn in recovery or injuries and… experiments that were meant to torture. So realizing what was wrong didn’t shake her. Mentally she sighed. Why wouldn’t he tell her?

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Because telling her forced him to admit it was happening, and that it was a problem. And he hadn’t been ready to do that. But he heard her mental sigh and squeezed her hand lightly. Dee?

~ Zoi

Dradvia had seen patients unable to accept things, and it may be nothing. “I just wish there was more I could do,” she said aloud but quietly. “You’ll tell me if anything is wrong, so I can try to help? Please.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer