Catching up

Posted on 02 May 2024 @ 4:31pm by Lieutenant Commander Aiden MacMahon & Lieutenant Tavana of the House of Torath

1,093 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M-18 The Past is Future
Location: VIP Guest Quarters

The rest of her crew will be leaving soon, but the CMO wasn't ready to let her leave yet. At this point she didn't even know when she could leave the Phoenix. At first the CMO released her to the VIP quarters, but not long after that she was back in sickbay after throwing up all oven Aiden. She had drifted in and out of consciousness, and it seemed like he was there the whole time.

At least now she had been released back to the guest quarters accompanied by Aiden. She gratefully sank down on the couch, feeling weaker than she would have liked.

"Here is some water," Aiden said as he went to sit down next to her.

"I am fine, Aiden," she answered his unspoken question, taking small sips from the glass. "It is good to see you."

"Same here, Tavi," Aiden said. He wanted to say something more, but somehow didn't know where to begin. The longer neither said anything, the more loaded the silence became, loaded with so many shared memories and experiences and then so much to tell each other since they last saw one another. The way they parted and what was not said then, added to the weight of the moment between them.

"I also don't know where to begin," Tavana said eventually. "I read up on you," she informed him so spare him to tell her what happened between the disappearance of the VaQbach and now. "You did good.." she said quietly studying him.

He scoffed as he shifted his position to look at her directly. "You spoke to them?" he asked.

"Yes, I spoke to my Dad, and some of the others. They are okay, they won't come back though. They are not looking for a way home from the Nekrit Expance, they made one there," she said.

"That must be hard?"

Tavana nodded. "I only knew he was my father when I joined the D'ama, and now I may... will never see him or any of the others again. Many died Aiden, there were only seven hundred and sixty left of a crew of over two thousand five hundred," she said, stuggling to keep the tears out of her eyes.

"I know. I spoke to Jason and K'Vel, there were only 478 marines and 178 NCO's left. The lower decks were hit hardest. But they seem to survive on that side. Your dad will make sure of that," he said attemting to smile.

"Karagh died as well, there is no one to keep him in check, Aiden."

Aiden stared at her as he obviously didn't know that. "I am sorry Tavana," he said, taking her hand into his. "Anslo Anslo Tol will," he said after another pause in their conversation.

"Anslo will do what?" Tavana asled a bit confused.

"Keep your dad in check," Aiden explained. "But at least there is communication now even if it is once every three months right?"

"Every 102 days," she clarified. "But are you okay now? Do you still get them?"

"Haven't had a flashback for a long time, and if, it is less intense. I took a dive or two," he said referring to his bouts of overuse of meds and alcohol. "But I am much better now. And you?"

"I wasn't there, I didn't see and experience what you did, so I was spared that. Speaking to the crew, yes, that brought relief and I am so grateful, but then I missed them all over again too," she told him. "And on the Chippendale, you got demoted?" she asked him changing the focus from herself to him.

"Yeah, that was crap, but I should have found a better way to deal with the situation. I was impulsive and acted too fast," he chuckled. "And I paid for that.."

"Well, yet here you are, Executive Officer and all," she said laughing with him. "You are a case study for career ups and downs and getting up again."

"I am still not all that together. I lost my shit in front of the Marines. I forgot for a moment we were not on a Klingon ship," he added. "I still have to go and rectify that one," he added.

"And the Captain didn't demote you?"

"Nope, but he is a good mentor, I have a lot of respect for him, but I still need to find my way in this role."

Up to now Tavana was focussed on what Aiden said and how he felt, but now her attention shifted to the man, the lines on his face that tells the story of maturity, the leaner body, hardened muscles outlined by the long sleeved T-shirt he wore. It felt similar to what happened on the last mission they were on together and had to pretend to be a couple. Towards the end, it started to feel very real though. Before she could explore her feelings, the mission was over, he went on two missions that left him with PTSD and then the VaQbach disappeared.

She knew that he was involved in the search for long after she had been fetched by her Klingon family and returned to Q'uvat e' TigH, their home. This was the first time they had met since that time.

When he turned and caught her staring, he held her eyes, searching to confirm what he saw in them. So what do you think about staying a bit longer? The CMO told me your injury was quite severe. Klingon skull or not."


She closed her eyes to shake herself out of the memory. "Yes, what?" she responded. He just raised his eyebrows iving her time to figure out what he was asking. "Oh... I just heard, I haven't thought that far..."

Aiden laughed quietly and got up from the couch. "You need to rest, I will check in you later," he said. "That is an order," he said just before he left her quarters. When he left, Aiden stood outside her door for a moment and felt a familiar nausea rising. He moved away from the VIP quaters quickly, before Tavana could sense something. "No, no, no ... shit shit shit," he said. He made his way to his quarters. He needed to do something and fast.

Aiden was barely out the door before Tavana did what she ordered to. She fell asleep almost immediately, but not before she sensed feelings of nauseating panic, but was too tired to intepret it.

OFF

Lt Cmdr Aiden MacMahon
XO

Lt Tavana Kelan of the House of Torath
CSOO
(NPC)

 

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