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 (72) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
“I love you, Dee,” he said. His eyes closed, but he wasn’t really sleeping. He was letting the regenerator do its job. Or at least, that was the plan. But his body was so overworked, he fell asleep that way.

~ Zoi

Dradvia sat right beside him until the regenerator was done. She put her equipment away and closed the case quietly. She rubbed Simon’s ears. “Take care of him.” She pulled the blanket up and then sat down in the chair. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She stared at the door, keeping watch so he would know he was safe enough to sleep.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil slept until late the next morning. When he woke, his body was sore and painful. He sat up, leaning against the headboard. “Hey, Dee.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia wasn’t there though. The chair was turned toward him very close to the bed with a PaDD facing him, blinking with a message.

Hey Sisnil,

I was called to Sickbay. When you didn’t wake up for the comms, I knew you needed the sleep, so I didn’t wake you. I fed Simon before I left and locked the door. I will bring you breakfast. If you need me before, just comm.

I love you.

Dradvia

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil got the PaDD to read the message to him. He turned the PaDD off and set it down. Then he got up slowly and used the support frame to get into the bathroom.

~ Zoi

Sisnil could feel the guilt swirling around Dradvia. She hated leaving knowing how he felt about being alone, but she had orders. She hoped he wasn’t angry with her. Then again, if he was, she deserved it after causing him to get hurt the night before.

She returned with a tray with his usual breakfast. She was about to press the chime (and hope she didn’t wake him) when the door opened so he could make his way to the bathroom. “Oh…” she stepped back out of the way.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sunil immediately let go of the frame and clung on to Dee instead. “Dee! Hey, I saw your message. I had the system read it out loud.”

~ Zoi

She was startled by his enthusiasm. “Oh, good.” Dradvia juggled the tray with trying to steady him. “I was going to record it, but was afraid to wake you.” She adjusted the tray. “Where are going?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Uhm… The bathroom.” He kicked the support frame gently, “I hate this thing but I couldn’t hardly get out of bed without it, let alone across the hall.”

~ Zoi

“I know, but you’ll be stronger soon. Here,” she switched the tray and grabbed the frame to pull it closer. “Let me move out of your way with this tray.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sunil grabbed the frame again. “Wait for me in my quarters? Or do you have to go again?”

~ Zoi

“No, I’m… I’m done. I… um…” she was confused. “I can stay if that’s what you want.” She was keeping an eye for Simon in case he tried to follow Sisnil.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Of course that’s what I want.” He gestured towards the door. “I’ll be right back.”

~ Zoi

“Okay.” Dradvia went in and set the food on the desk. She picked up Simon and waited.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil came back a little later and sat on the bed with a tired sigh. Then he smiled at the tray. “The usual, huh?”

~ Zoi

Dradvia grabbed it and brought it over to set on the bed beside him. “I wasn’t sure what else to get. I can get you something else.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No, Dee, there’s a reason this is the usual.” Sisnil said and smiled as he started eating.

~ Zoi

A slight nod was her only response. Dradvia would have asked why, but after his reaction when she brought him soup she decided not to. She moved the desk chair out of the way and sat down on it, pulling her knees up again, and staring off into space.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil ate for a while before he looked over and saw her. “Dee? What’s wrong?”

~ Zoi

“Huh?” Her eyes flashed up as if she was surprised to hear him speak. “Oh, nothing.” Everything. Her break down, watching him suffer through the poison (yes he was fine), him getting hurt trying to take care of her when it should be the other way around. Everything was too close to the surface to put on a mask, but she didn’t want to talk about it either.

“Dr. Kane contacted me this morning. That’s why I got called away.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“About the brain thing? What did she say?” Her topic change wouldn’t have worked so well if it hadn’t been so important to him. Lucky her.

~ Zoi

Dradvia exhaled when he didn’t push the subject. “She was certain it would work. Cases where it didn’t completely restore the damage was where parts of the brain were actually missing. Any damage was repaired but the treatment doesn’t grow replacements. She said to wait until you’ve recovered from the poison given how weak it makes you. She also said to wait until your body has naturally healed the paracortex. Otherwise your body will just send the Psilosynine to your paracortex. You can donate yourself, or you can have a donor. She said if you donate yourself it’s all the more imperative to wait until your paracortex is healed. The donation is only viable for a few hours and you can’t wait for your levels to level out before doing the procedure. She said to expect your telepathy to be erratic for a few days as things level out.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“How long will all that take till we can try it?” Whined the supposed big bad pirate. “I want to see, Dee.”

~ Zoi

“A couple of days. I need to read about the actual proceedure and how to do it. I want to practice in the holosuite first. Messing in the brain is dangerous. After your PT appointment we can do a scan and see where you are and decide.” She knew that wasn’t a great answer, but it was the best she could give at the moment.

“I want to see how your body does with recuperating after PT. That will tell me how long we need to wait. I will also check your paracortex and Psilosynine levels then.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I want to do it as soon as possible.” Sisnil said. “I need to know, Dee. I need to.”

~ Zoi

“I know.” She had to be ready though. She could kill him. She couldn’t live with that.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled but there was a sigh to his voice. “Just tell me what to do and when, and I will, okay?”

~ Zoi

Dradvia nodded. She wanted it to work, so she had to do everything she could to give him the best success rate. “How are you feeling? Up for your PT session?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded. “Of course.” He said. He should probably take today off, considering the fall and over doing it the night before, but he wouldn’t consider it. He had to keep going so he could get rid of that stupid frame.

~ Zoi

Should he? Maybe. Dradvia also knew he wouldn’t get better lying in bed. Not from this anyway. “Remember, it doesn’t understand sarcasm, okay?” She grinned just slightly. The first time in hours. “Computer activated EMH PT program Zoi.” The EMH shimmered into existence.

“Do you mind if I go shower and change?” She asked very quietly.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Of course not,” Sisnil said, setting a hand gently on her shoulder. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

~ Zoi

Drasvia nodded and slipped out if the room.

The EMH was no fun. It had no sense of humor and was annoyingly specific about what he did wrong or correct. The exercises focused on stretching and resistance. Sisnil was given a set of graded resistance bands and a full set of exercises to do four times a day.

Dradvia returned with 15 minutes left. Dradvia pressed the chime before entering.

Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, the tips of her hair still dripping slightly. She was in a fresh uniform and would have looked refreshed except for the dark circles.

The EMH looked at her. “I would like him to have a set of hand weights and a heated blanket. I would prefer a hot tub, but there isn’t one here.” Then he turned back to Sisnil and made him go through the whole set of exercises again.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil looked annoyed and frustrated and cursed in Orion. “Dee, tell the man I’m not made of rubber, will you?” He said, clearly using humor to help with his frustration.

~ Zoi

It was hard to not flinch at the sound of those words being uttered in Sisnil’s voice. The EMH was not affected by his out burst. “I informed you I am not familiar with that language. As for rubber, I would hope not, but your muscles do work under the same concept. These are all very good exercises for you.”

Dradvia picked up her tricorder and did a basic scan over him while he did the last repitions.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

The PT was doing its job, he was just frustrated with recovery and his nervous system was overworked, from the night before. But he was fine. “Good, you aren’t meant to be,” Sisnil snapped. He did the last exercises, “Lucky she wants this,” he muttered as he did.

~ Zoi

Dradvia had left to get the items the EMH had requested, and was back just 3 short minutes later. In enough tune to hear Sisnil’s last comment. Confusion and some unidentified hollow feeling filled her. Who was ‘she’? Dradvia was afraid to ask.

“It’s you, Dee,” Sisnil said, hearing her thoughts.

She didn’t understand the comment then. “I… I thought you wanted the PT so you could get better faster?” She wasn’t going to make him.

“Well, yeah, but…” Sisnil looked at her without knowing how to word his thoughts.

“You don’t have to,” she said quietly fidling with the items she brought. “I’m not going to make you.”

“Computer, cancel EMH.” The doctor disappeared in a shimmer. “I brought the blanket. It has a damp heat setting so that will help. I also reserved one of the VIP quarters for your sessions. You can use the hot tub there after.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil sat on the bed with a huff. “Thanks, Dee.” He rubbed his arms and legs. “If I ever find out who did this to me, they’re gonna have a bad time.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia nodded, even as she shivered at the tone in his voice. It had nothung to do with fear of him, but for him. “Room 533. We have no VIPs now, so you will be able to use it everyday. Do you want to go there now? Or do your eval first?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Let’s do the eval,” Sisnil said. “Then I can rest before I try to walk there.”

~ Zoi

“Here, you can put the blanket over you, and it should help.” She drappes it over him while he laid back against the pillows. She set the blanket for damp heat. Then she took out her tricorder and a neural scanner from her kit. It took longer than it would have with a biobed, but it gave Sisnil a chance to rest.

“Your tissue, muscles, and wound are fine. No aggregation from all the movement or…” she was going to say fall - that was her fault. Instead she said, “PT. Your paracortex and Psilosynine levels aren’t quite back to where they were. Another day I think will do it. But… your neural pathways.” She ran the scanner over him again, “They aren’t where I would like them to be for the procedure. I’d like to do another neural regeneration session… if you’ll let me.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“If it’ll make it so you can do this sooner, I’ll do it,” Sisnil said. He smiled and patted her hand, “See? Nothing bad happened. There’s nothing for you to be at fault for.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia didn’t respond. She tidied instead and called sickbay to reserve a biobed. It would be another hour before one would be available. The struggles of a small med bay.

She turned to find Simon curled up on the warm blanket with Sisnil. “Are you hungry? I can go get food while you wait.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shook his head. “No, I’m fine.” He said. “Are you gonna act weird around me forever now?” He’d always been the direct one.

~ Zoi

Dradvia flinched. Sisnil wasn’t being mean, but she didn’t know what to tell him. She couldn’t stand that he knew her memories, her nightmares, the darkest details of the hell she lived through. It was killing her. She shrugged sadly, hugging herself.

She didn’t know why it mattered so much. Sisnil knew what the Syndicate was like. He knew what they did to slaves and servants and people who worked for them. But she just could not stand it. Fear was a big part of it. Fear of seeing him look differently at her, and shame that always consumed her.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil could hear her thoughts, whether he wanted to or not. He wasn’t trying to listen, so he didn’t quite get all of it. “It’s about seeing your dream, isn’t it?” He looked at her sadly, “Dee, you should know that’s the curse that comes with telepathic abilities. We can’t help what we see.”

~ Zoi

She knew that. Well she knew some telepathy blocked things, but she was sure the Syndicate made sure Sisnil and his brother didn’t.

They had, in fact, received some of the best training in known space in order to hear, see, or any other possible sense, anything they possibly could, as well as excellent protection of their own minds.

She wasn’t upset at him, nor did she blame him. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She hugged herself tighter; her voice was tight and aching. Dradvia turned to fiddle at the desk with the dishes and containers of meat for Simon.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I don’t want things to go on like this. Not now, the way I am,” Sisnil said. “I don’t want to push, I just want.... I don’t know, normalcy, I guess?”

~ Zoi

The loose tips of her bun swayed as she nodded. She understood. “I just need a little time to get over it.” She never would, but she could bury it until she could put a mask on.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Okay.” There was a lengthy awkward silence and then, “....I’m sorry.” He was letting Simon, who rolled over, purring loudly.

~ Zoi

Dradvia looked over her shoulder at him and then turned fully around. “You don’t need to be. I’m not upset with you.” She sighed looking at Simon. “You didn’t break me. I just…” she swallowed against tears. “I just can’t stand you seeing it.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I’ve seen....” He was going to say he’d seen worse, but he decided that wouldn’t help, so instead he said, “I don’t care, Dee. I already knew. It doesn’t change a thing.” He gave Simon scratch around the neck. “The Syndicate… They turned us into telepathic weapons, always listening, until it was second nature. Betazoids… Generally there’s unspoken rules, that you don’t go listening to non telepaths when they don’t want it, but between my natural abilities and the Syndicate I just… can’t not, anymore.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia sighed, “I know.” That’s what they had wanted to do to Kryssa, but she didn’t survive it. “I don’t want you not to listen.” She sighed, turning back to fiddle with the dishes. “I know it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make any to me either.” She liked that he listened, that he understood. She didn’t feel so alone anymore, but she also couldn’t stand him knowing those things. The shame crushed her, made her wish she wouldn’t wake up again. “Can we not talk about it anymore?” the words came out on a silent sad breath.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded and held out his arms for her. “I love you, Dee.”

~ Zoi

It felt insurmountable to make her way over to him, but she did. She sat down next to him, letting him pull her into his arms. Dradvia kind of melted as the tension eased out of her. He made everything better, like none of that stuff mattered. “I love you, too.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil hugged her and rested his head gently on her. He looked at her after a long moment. “I think I’m just worried for myself.”

~ Zoi

Lifting her head to look at him, Dradvia nodded, “I know. But we’re going to do everything we can. Even if you didn’t love me, I still would.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I know, Dee,” Sisnil said softly. “I just also know everything you can might not make a difference.”

~ Zoi

“Maybe, but we aren’t going to think about that right now. We’re just going to move forward, one thing at a time. Don’t think like that.” Dradvia laid her head back on his shoulder for a moment. “Are you ready to go to sickbay? Or do you want to go use the hot tub?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil sighed contentedly, eyes closed. Then, “Didn’t you have to reserve a bed? We wouldn’t want to take up space for too long.”

~ Zoi

Oh, she did. “I can reschedule if you need to rest more.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shook his head. “I can rest afterwards,” he said. “Let’s go.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia stood up, “Okay.” They left and made their way to sickbay. It was a long walk after PT she was sure, but the more he moved the sooner his body remembered how to work without pain.

Kgnan had the frame ready when they arrived. Dradvia played one of the warming blankets over him while she worked.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

It was actually comfortable, with the heated blanket, lying there while she worked. It seemed to make him really sleepy between the regeneration and the comfortableness.

~ Zoi

Dradvia worked for an hour. Meticulous and refining the work she had done. His body was more than willing to repair the damage but what was slowing it down?

Then it occured to her. Sisnil needed vitamin infusions. His body was depleted and needed the help because he needed a lot. She pulled the hypo vials and dialed in the dose and gave it to him. On the cellular imager it was like watching a desert soak up rain. Dradvia nodded to herself and continued working.

When she was done, she had Kgnan remove the frame and prepare a hypo kit with the vitamin I fusions for Sisnil to take with him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“What did you give me?” Sisnil asked sleepily. “Is it done?” He asked as they removed the frame.

~ Zoi

“Vitamin infusion. Your body burned through what it had, and using up everything you take in. That’s why you weren’t healing as fast as I expected. So you’ll take this for a week.” Dradvia held up the small box.

“Yeah, all done. You won’t need any more sessions.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He nodded as he got up. “What about the brain thing?”

~ Zoi

“I haven’t touched your paracortex because it is healing on its own. I think tomorrow should show it completely healed. Then we just wait for your Psilosynine levels to return to normal.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded again. “Will that take another day?” He asked, starting to move towards the Sickbay door with with support frame.

~ Zoi

Dradvia shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m not sure what your baseline is. I… I’m sorry. I never logged that information.” She should have done that. Why didn’t she?

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“My telepathy seems okay, so it can’t be that low, right?” Sisnil asked. He took her hand and tugged it gently. “Hey. Don’t go beating yourself up over it. It’s fine.”

~ Zoi

“I know from talking to Dr. Kane your levels may be producing normally, but it’s going toward healing you.” She looked down at their hands. “I should know this. I can’t give you answers because I didn’t do what I should have. I’m sorry.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shook his head, “You didn’t know you need it and I wanted as little documented as possible. It’s not your fault.”

~ Zoi

“Hmmm,” was all she said. Maybe not hugely at fault, bit knowing how important his telepathy was too him, she should have made note of it.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil stumbled with the frame, tired and weak. He caught himself, but jammed his knee into the support frame. “Ow!” Then another swear. Then he recollected himself and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

~ Zoi

“Do you want to sit down? If we take this lift we’ll be right next to the mess,” Dradvia said.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

There was a look in his eye - Dee would recognize it. He didn’t want to look weak, he was defensive. But then his gaze softened and he nodded. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

~ Zoi

It was heartbreaking to see that look fade from his eyes. They got onto the lift and Dradvia called for the deck. As they moved toward the mess she paused. “If you can make it a bit further you can go to the VIP quarters and soak instead.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer