round 23 Cmdr Faranster & PNPC Laxyn - Checking in, and Catching up

[Nyals]

(( Corridors, USS Apollo-A ))

:: Sun had just gotten done saying goodbye to her brother, she was going to miss him, but finding out that he held himself back to take care of the family made her feel bad. He didn't need to put his life on hold for them, their parents were adults and she was grown herself. She had been taking care of herself for a while. She moved to her Quarters and checked up her uniform, before heading towards Jalana's quarters. Her friend needed her, and she wanted to be there for her. ::

:: Once she got to the quarters, she pressed the chime and waited for Jalana to answer. ::

(( Jalana Laxyn's Quarters, Deck 4, USS Apollo-A ))

:: After Nyals had left Jalana had been basically sitting on her couch like a statue, with the only difference that she was breathing. Barely. She was not sure why Nyals had woken her up. She guessed that it was mostly because he had wanted to talk with her about the situation before the mission came in the way of it and added to everything. Jalana sighed slightly. Now she sat here with this mess.. ::

:: First her fiancé had left for Earth to see his dying mother, then he had come back but not much time, even though he had never told her what he was doing exactly. ‘Got to take care of something’ had been usually his answer when she asked. Then when they had left the Aegis they had agreed to meet in their new quarters and there she had waited for days without a sign of him; had worried that something had happened. And it had just not the way she had thought. Sundassa had been the one to tell her, that he had been taken in custody by Starfleet, stripped of his commission and put in front of a court. Why? Because he was accused to have killed his father and some of his people and attacked the doctor who had taken care of his mother. As if lashing out at Sun and her brother had not been enough, Nyals had also told her that he loved her and then left, with new orders to leave for another ship. ::

:: If she had thought that being taken hostage during land-shore and almost dying from poison during a mission and drugging herself so she could sleep and work was messed up, the way she felt right now was completely undefinable. Lost might be something, or overwhelmed. Shaking her head she brushed her hands through the fiery red locks and sighed once more. She had no idea for how long she had been sitting here, thinking about what her life had become recently, when the door chime went off. ::

Laxyn: ::mumbling:: Please not another person adding to the pile. ::A bit louder:: Come in!

:: There seem to be all sorts of news that her friend shouldn't have to deal with, but was, and on top of that, Nyals decided he just HAD to wake her, like it was his responsibility. Sun was still a little miffed that he did so without her permission, and part of her was glad that wasn't going to be able to cause trouble anymore. But that wasn't like her, it was just the frustration, and she knew it. ::

:: She hesitantly spoke as she peaked in, unsure what condition she'd find her friend in. ::

Faranster: It's just me...are you alright?

:: Jalana jumped from the couch when she saw her best friend in the door and crossed the room with quick steps, not hesitating for a second and wrapped her arms around the Antosian tightly. ::

Laxyn: Sun! I am so glad to see you! I am so sorry… are you hurt? :: She made a step back and looked her friend over, to check herself. ::

:: After her friend released her from the bear-tight hug, Jalana had started examining her, Sun felt an awkward being examined like a patient. But since she knew that her friend was concerned about her, she stood there and let her. ::

Faranster: I'm fine, a bruised tailbone maybe, but that was from tripping... And a bruised ego.

Laxyn: :: Jalana felt guilty and it was clearly written in her face. :: I am so sorry, Sun. I did not intend to hurt you.

:: When she had come to Jalana's quarters, she hadn't expected the reaction her friend gave, thinking she knew her friend well enough to know what to expect. But she supposed there were different levels of knowing someone. ::

Faranster: I didn't expect the reaction... And I didn't like having to sedate you.

Laxyn: ::mumbling quietly to herself.:: I did not either. ::Looking up:: I .. understand why you had to.

Faranster: Has the Rexlin worn completely off?

Laxyn: I think so Nyals gave me something to neutralize it, when he wanted to wake me up. I had some headaches but he game me something against that as well. ::Looking at Sun, she pulled her brows together, last time she had seen her she had worn a red collar. Not any more.. :: Are you wearing teal?

:: Sun nodded, but there was something nagging her about Jalana's behavior when she broke the news. She never pegged her friend for a violent person, and yet she was harming herself and attacked her. Pulling her friend over to the sofa, she didn't want to have this conversation while her friend was standing. ::

Faranster: I've been assigned back to medical... But I can tell you all about that in a bit... It's a bit complicated. :: She paused. :: I want to ask, you don't have a history of violent outbursts like that?

:: Jalana followed her friend and sat down next to her on the couch. Looking at the Antosian who had started on the ship as a Medical Officer, and had then for a short time been Jalana’s right hand as Assistant Chief Medical Officer. Way too soon she had been taken away to fulfill her role as First Officer. She knew how much her friend had struggled to find her place in that position. To hear that she was back in Medical now did of course confuse Jalana, but she was also glad to work with her again in that manner. ::

:: Then the Trill’s mind drifted to the question Sun had stated and her eyes widened with a vehement shake of her head. ::

Laxyn: No, never. Not even when I had those dreaded fights with my father about my future.

Faranster: So... Everyone thinks you had a lot of paperwork after that mission, that you are catching up on. I didn't want rumors to spread. Shel and Jaxx wouldn't say anything, and I am pretty sure Nyals wouldn't. So, if there's no history of outbursts, I want to know if there's something else going on with you that might provoke that kind of outburst?

:: After the brief conversation with the intelligence officer, the mention of Jalana having a hard time, unless Nyals told someone, no one should know about it. Sun was playing it off as extreme paperwork, to give the CMO some time. And, since Nyals snuck into Jalana's quarters to wake her up, she figured he must be love struck, and wouldn't want anything to tarnish her reputation. ::

Laxyn: I don’t know where it came from. .oO It cannot be. It must not be. Oo.

Faranster: Are you sure there is nothing that is bothering you? I feel like I have been so busy lately I haven't spent much time with you, and hope you would tell me if something was wrong.

:: Jalana took her eyes off Sun. She would never know how her friend knew when she tried to hide something, even if she did not show anything in her expression. It was like Sun read her mind, but of course she could not. Andrus’ Betazoid abilities were not contagious. Not even to his girlfriend. ::

Laxyn: I’m sure. .oO Look at you. Lying to your best friend. And you really think that you have no problem? You would have never done that before. Oo.

:: Sighing, Sun looked at her friend, she hoped the woman would come to her if there was a problem, so she had to believe that her friend thought there was none. Even so she wanted to get to the bottom of the behavior, her friend clearly wasn't herself, and she had been willing to write it off as shock, until she realized others had noticed. ::

Faranster: Are you getting enough sleep? I hope this last mission hasn't taken it's toll on your sleep schedule.

:: Sun didn't like the fact that those aliens had basically held her people hostage, even if it wasn't authorized by their leader. Once the computers were clear of the virus, she went about uploading a sketch she made of the aliens and Rapture, to the computer, and compiling the write ups of the officers that were involved or witnessed the aliens and what happened on either ship to ensure some sort of data survived. It wasn't much though. She wondered if the mission took it's toll on those that were on the alien ship, and she had not noticed it. ::

Laxyn: ::She took a deep breath and nodded slightly. :: I do get sleep, most of the nights enough, I still feel tired, but that is expected with the stress recently. .oO And you do not let yourself dream, of course you are tired, your mind does not get the needed processing. Oo.

:: She knew what she did wrong, she knew what caused it. But she could not just stop and obviously knowing that it was wrong, she hesitated to tell her friend about it. Would she understand or would she start to watch her like a hawk? Or even worse request her leave from her work? Jalana could lose her license. She could lose everything she had worked for and that thought terrified her so much, that she did not dare to say what she had done. ::

Faranster: Okay... Well, if anything is ever bothering you, I'm here. Now that I'll be in sickbay, I'll be better able to help you. :: She paused, looking at her friend, knowing the mention of sickbay would bring them back to why she was in the Teal uniform. :: So... I stepped down from being First Officer, and the official line is that it was for personal reasons, which is what the rumor mill will be grinding.

Laxyn: ::Looking at Sun her eyes dropped to the pipped collar and then back up with a warm gentle smile. :: So we are working together again. I like that. But what personal reasons? Did something happen? .oO Did she and Andrus have a fight or something else that made it impossible to work together so close? Oo.

Faranster: Well, that's a bit complicated, there's good and bad news. My brother got his own command, and he left with the others.

Laxyn: Oh. I did not know he was going for a command.

:: The chain under her uniform, felt so much more present, even though it was still hidden. She knew it wasn't the only reason her brother left, but it was the reason he felt free to leave, as he no longer needed to protect Sun. There seemed to be a transfer of protection that went from Shel to Jaxx, that she didn't quite understand, maybe it was just a guy thing. ::

Faranster: He said he can't wait to spread his wings, that he knowing I am in good hands, makes him feel free to do so.

Laxyn: :nodding:: I’m sure your brother will make a great Captain. You can be proud of him.

Faranster: I know, and I am, he'll do well.

Laxyn: So was that the good or the bad news?

:: The CMO understood that it could be both, since getting a command was something quite good for those who wanted to go down that line. But that he had left so soon after joining them was surely a bad thing for Sun. ::

Faranster: For me, bad. But, I can't tell him not to go.

:: Sun wondered what kind of sister she would be if she told her brother not to do what he wanted to, just so he could be around. She didn't need him there to protect her, but she wanted him around. She was getting to do what she wanted to do, it was selfish to deny him the same ability. ::

Laxyn: ::Nodding:: And what are the good news then?

:: She looked at Jalana, for Sun it was good news, but her friend just got news that meant her fiance may never return, so she was conflicted on when to tell her. Then there was the consideration that it might always sting, knowing that others are pushing forward with plans she can't, and if that was the case, it would probably hurt Jalana more to find out that she was one of the last to find out about it. Then she had to consider Jaxx, when she woke, she removed the ring from her finger and put it on the chain and hid it under her jacket, she wasn't ashamed or anything, she loved Jaxx very much, was just trying to be sensitive to her friend's feelings. ::

:: Sun reached up, hesitantly under her collar and fished the chain out from underneath the jacket. As the ring slid against the fabric of her jacket towards the opening, she spoke, it would come from her now, or the rumor mill. ::

Faranster: After a discussion about what direction our lives were going in, Andy proposed.

:: For a moment the Trill looked at the Antosian in front of her like she had not heard the words. She had, but they took a moment to sink into her mind. It took a plunge into her stomach and for a brief moment her heart hurt more dominantly again. She had not forgotten the pain but she had been a bit distracted from it. Jalana remembered the moment she had told Sun about her engagement. It had been on Sick Bay. She had been so happy. And now, what was left of it? ::

:: But then her brain kicked in. This was not about her and what happened to her, this was about Sun and Andrus, her friends. She had to push her own misery back for now. It took a moment until a smile stole its way onto her lips, not a full blown one but nevertheless a smile. ::

Laxyn: That is more than good news, Sun. That is fantastic news.

Faranster: Are you sure? I mean with what happened with you...

:: Sun hesitated on that, she didn't want to push, but she had so many emotions that she had been going through over the last few days. There was a great deal of happiness for her relationship with Jaxx, sympathy for Jalana, then there was the sadness and loneliness for her brother. ::

Laxyn: Let’s not talk about me, this is your moment. Do you already have plans?

Faranster: We haven't gotten much of a chance to talk about it yet, so much has happened. But we started talking about where our futures would lead, and he talked about my career in command, but a career alone doesn't make someone happy, and I had a perfectly nice career before.

Laxyn: So this is why you went back to Sick Bay. You did not want to be transferred to another ship as CO when your time would come.

:: She nodded, she couldn't see herself away from Jaxx, she knew that, and she was pretty sure that Jalana had felt the same about Viktor, which was part of why she took it so hard when the news was delivered. But the sudden recovery of the medical officer also threw her off, like she was trying to compensate for something. The brave face didn't match what she saw earlier. But she wasn't going to rock the boat for her friend. ::

Faranster: Pretty much, I love him, and it would be easier for him to keep me in the medical department, than have to field requests from Starfleet Command about my progression towards Command.

Laxyn: ::nodding:: Understandable. Who would want to be away from their loved ones.

Faranster: I would have told you this before I had to tell you the stuff this morning, the order seems all wrong...

:: Jalana met the gaze of her friend, wondering if there would have been a ‘right order’ for this kind of thing. She thought that in every constellation the pain would have not have been easier. So it did not really matter. She shook her head slightly, placing her rather cool hand on Sun’s. ::

Laxyn: Don’t worry about the order. If I can help with anything…

Faranster: I don't want to push anything on you, I can appreciate everything you are going through. I want you to be part of it, but I want to give you the time you need before thrusting you into any role.

Laxyn: ::Nodding slightly:: I won’t lie, it will take a bit for me to …::her voice cracked slightly, so she cleared her throat. :: ... process all of this that happened. But.. I want to be part of your happiness, you are my best friend, Sun.

Faranster: I know. :: She smiled at Jalana. ::

Laxyn: I have a file with lots of different dresses that I had compiled for myself… ::She tried to say it in a ‘by the way’ manner, not wanting to feel this stabbing pain every time she thought about this.:: … I could give you access to it if you want. If you want something that is not dress uniform that is.

:: Sun thought about it, knowing what she would wear would be good, but that would depend on what customs they were going to observe, and where it would be located. Every aspect of their relationship was an adventure, their wedding, wouldn't be any different for her, it would be fun and exciting, and something she could share with her extended family on the Apollo. She didn't object to having an adventure of any magnitude in a dress, or even following any special Betazoid customs there might be. ::

Faranster: Thank you Jalana, only if you don't mind, they were your choices after all.

:: She leaned forward and hugged Jalana, it was something that she felt needed to be done, she wanted to hug her when she gave the news of Viktor, and ended up having to sedate the woman instead, now they were talking about planning their own wedding. ::

:: Jalana was surprised about the gesture but accepted it thankfully, by wrapping her arms around Sun and squeezing her slightly for just a brief moment. ::

Laxyn: I don’t mind, maybe they give you some inspiration for yourself. Unless it does not fit to your customs. Are you going for Antosian?

Faranster: I somehow doubt Starfleet will allow us to observe the wedding customs of my people to the fullest... As it would be quite inconvenient to have a ship out of commission for ninety-three to two hundred and seventeen hours, and I think Andy would oppose to having to party for that long. :: She laughed. ::

:: Now she remembered, that Sun had told her about the custom to celebrate an Antosian wedding for up to a week. She could not imagine that any Captain would like seeing their ship out of order for that long. She joined the laugh, but it sounded of a little. ::

Laxyn: I think so too. Either way I am sure it will be a wonderful wedding.

Faranster: We can talk about any of this later though, we have plenty of time as we are in sickbay together, to talk about this or anything you want to. But, you should clean up and get ready, as I believe you were cleared for observed duty.

:: Sun knew Nyals said he would clear her for duty, but she wanted to make sure there was a plan in effect for watching over her friend. ::

Laxyn: ::Nodding slightly:: Yes, he mentioned that he would clear me before he had to go. ::Then she realized that her friend had said earlier, that her brother had left with the others.:: Wait a second, what did you mean with ‘the others’? Who else left?

:: She thought back to the goodbyes she had to say to various people, half of their senior staff traded off and a number of other crew. ::

Faranster: Let's see. :: She looked upwards and started counting on her hands. :: Williams, McCleran, Big Blue, Danara, Nyals, and Baker from our senior staff. Lieutenant Cranford, Danara's husband, and a slew of enlisted.

Laxyn: ::widening her eyes:: That many?

:: It was quite a change for them to have to deal with. But it was the nature of life in Starfleet, the faces you served with changed, sometimes you were lucky to stay with the same group all your life, but she wondered if that was really good. ::

Faranster: I haven't gotten to know the exact number, but yeah, pretty much half of the people we see on a daily basis, or at least used to.

Laxyn: I see. That means we’ll have to get to know a bunch of new people.

Faranster: :: Nodding. :: But, least you don't have to go through it alone, I'll be there. :: She smiled, and then remembered the request Nyals made, and frowned. :: Oh, that reminds me, Romeo told me to tell you goodbye. :: When she saw Jalana's confused expression she clarified. :: Nyals, that is.

Laxyn: ::Taking a deep breath:: Ah, yes, I thought so. The way he had left and the transfer orders did not make me think he’d come back to say it to me himself.

:: Sun was still pretty miffed at the counselor for waking her friend up, but she didn't know how her friend responded to it, so she had to ask to find out. Best case was the man's intrusion on her friend's sleep didn't impact her, worse case is that he'd have to contend with her when she saw him next. ::

Faranster: I hope he didn't make things harder on you.

Laxyn: ::getting up from her seat she sighed:: He said he loved me. I don’t really know what to think of that, he barely knows me.

Faranster: Well, just tell me, I'll call Shel up and see if he can get him scrubbing the reclamation chamber, like Pierce and Raiden did after Izar.

Laxyn: ::She nodded.:: Well, right now we will have to get ready for our job. So I’ll be getting into uniform. See you in Sick Bay?

:: She certain did not feel the way she spoke right now. Her head felt overwhelmed by all the thoughts and feelings, her heart physically hurt and she wanted to hide in a corner and cry, or demolish that corner - maybe a mix of both. But that would not help her, she needed distraction and her work had been a steady companion in that endeavour so far. ::

Faranster: Absolutely. I'll be right there for you. :: She smiled and hugged her friend again before standing up and heading for the door. :: I'll make sure Dial has the place cleaned up for you.

:: With that, Sun exited the quarters, on her way to sickbay. ::

:: Jalana took a moment to look after Sun. After the doors closed she was left alone with the empty quarters and her heartache. She stared into nothing, she did not even see what was around her, but knowing that these quarters would only be hers and hers alone. She realized her vision blur and quickly swallowed, forcing the tears back. It was time to get back to work, no matter how much she wanted to hide in a cave. With that thought she headed into the bedroom and changed into her uniform, before binding her fiery locks back and with another look into the mirror, not recognizing the eyes of the woman looking at her, she left for work. Everything else had to wait. ::

Commander Sundassa "Bright Hair" Faranster

Medical Officer

USS Apollo, NCC-71669

and

PNPC Lieutenant Commander Jalana Laxyn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Apollo, NCC-71669