Alexander Matthews Posted October 20, 2012 Posted October 20, 2012 ((USS Mercury - Sickbay)) ::Isaac stood in the doorway to Sickbay watching Velana work. He shouldn't be wasting time... he still had to brief D'ciq and her Marines... but Velana hadn't noticed him yet, and he couldn't help just standing there taking in the sight of her. He knew better than anyone else alive what was waiting for them on Vathor 3. He knew he may never get the chance to see Velana again. Perhaps it was better that his actions with the Cardassians had pushed them apart. It might be easier for Velana when the day finally came that he didn't return from a mission. He stood watching her for a few long moments before she lifted her head and froze, her back still towards the door. Isaac could have disappeared... could have been gone before she turned around... but for some reason, he still stood there staring.:: ::The tiny hairs on the back of Velana's neck stood at full attention. She was being watched; every instinct told her so. She glanced around, but it wasn't until she turned towards the main entrance that she found what she was looking for.::::Isaac Bale stood in the doorway, his intense eyes fixed on her. Her back straightened; the last time he'd seen her she'd been at her most vulnerable. She'd judged him, perhaps too harshly, and he'd walked away angry. But now he was back...and maybe she was being given a second chance.::Velana: Lieutenant. ::She approached him cautiously, unsure of what to say.:: I hope we haven't kept you waiting. Bale: Not long. ::he lied:: I just came to brief you. We'll be arriving at the Vathor system within a few hours, and once there I will be joining Captain D'ciq and her Marines on a rescue mission to retrieve our missing crew. Velana: ::frowning:: That's...admirable, but it sounds dangerous. Bale: I have to go. I've been there before, and I'm the only one who can lead D'ciq through the tunnels. ::pausing:: And if we plan on retrieving our Captain and crew, we have only two choices... kill or be killed. They're going to need my particular skills set. ::She glanced away, drawing in a deep, but silent breath. When she looked back at him, his expression had gone cold. Velana folded her arms over her tender stomach like a shield.::::Isaac noticed her look away and take a steadying breath. He was a trained operative. He knew how to read people, and he didn't need telepathy to know that she was being defensive. She felt vulnerable. In spite of everything... in spite of the fact that they were completely wrong for each other, Isaac wanted to wrap his arms around the woman in front of him to make her feel safe. And in spite of himself, he knew that he couldn't. By the time Velana looked back up to him, Isaac had wiped all traces of emotion from his face. When Velana wrapped her arms around her abdomen, she confirmed that he'd been correct in his reading.::Velana: What are you trying to say to me?Bale: We don't know how many enemies we might be facing when we get there. The planet itself will try to kill us, let alone the Klingons we find there. I wanted to let you know to prepare for wounded. Velana: We'll be prepared. We were already prepared to help the colonists. ::A moment passed.:: Is that the only reason you came here?::There it was... a direct question that left him little choice. Was she trying to figure out how he felt, or did she already know and she was only trying to get him to admit it? Had she been more awake than he'd realized when he carried her in his arms to Sickbay? Could she hear him growling away anyone who came near as he'd watched over her in her semi-conscious state. Isaac was hard pressed to hold his neutral expression, but there were too many questions that he couldn't address right now. They had missing crew members to rescue, and he needed his head in the game. Isaac defensively deflected her question with one of his own.::Bale: What other reason would there be?Velana: I don't know. I thought perhaps you might be... ::She shook her head.:: I'm sorry. That would be presumptuous, if not inappropriate.Bale: ::lowering his voice:: Go on...Velana: To think that you might have wanted to see me. ::Smiling briefly before rushing on to hide the bronze flush in her cheeks.:: Thank you for stopping by, Lieutenant. Good luck on your mission and please...come back safe and...::Isaac's expression softened as she spoke. She blushed at the thought of him coming to see her. She felt... more. She was worried about him, and it was more than a professional concern for a crew member under her care. She cared about him, even after her realization that his was a life full of death. The emotions he felt radiating from her as she continued were powerful. She wanted him to come back and...::::She stopped when he cut her off.::Bale: Velana...::He took a step forward, well within her personal space. She froze, but didn't flinch. She didn't back away as he reached up toward her face. He stopped his hand just millimeters from her soft skin, and held that pose for a few very long heartbeats before pulling his hand back down to his side.::::She wanted to know what his hand felt like against her cheek, but he drew back, leaving her wanting. Velana could only hope that he wasn't aware of it, that her face or eyes didn't betray her longing for that contact.::Bale: I will come back...::Velana nodded tightly.::.::Isaac turned and walked out of Sickbay without finishing the rest of his statement. "For her." He would come back for her. He had a very powerful motivation now for coming back from this mission, and woe to any who stood in his way.::Velana: ::letting out her breath after he was gone:: I'm going to hold you to that, Isaac. TBC...Lt. Commander VelanaChief Medical OfficerUSS Mercury &Lt.(j.g.) Isaac BaleStarfleet IntelligenceUSS MercuryNCC-99812 1
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