round 12 Ens Sovak - The Happy Place

[~Mo~]

((Sickbay - USS Atlantis))

::Lynn assured Sovak his confidentiality would be maintained, and the Vulcan explained that, unlike other Vulcans, he had failed to achieve control over his emotions. If this were a Vulcan ship, that would be considered exactly the kind of danger to the crew that would require Lynn to break his confidence. Fortunately, this was not a Vulcan ship. Which was great, because as the lowest ranking ops officer, Sovak would have hated cleaning up after all those meditation candles.::

::Sovak attempted to explain himself further, but he was distracted, not only by the uncomfortable emotions running through him in greater strength and number than he was accustomed to for some reason, but because of everything happening around him in Sickbay. From where he sat on a biobed, he could see Maiman Terpes talking with Dr. DyAmone, and he was worried about her. He also saw Lt. Ravenscroft enter, his face more bruised than ever, though even with the injury he remained inexplicably good-looking. Sovak wanted once again to melt through the deckplates and disappear.::

::It was with excellent timing that Dr. DyAmone interrupted the conversation to assign further tasks to Ensign Lynn. Sovak was saved from continuing with his embarrassing admissions before he got to the part about physical attraction and warm squishy feelings.::

DYAMONE: Hope you’re feeling better, Mr. Sovak. I’m sorry, but I have to take your physician from you.

::Sovak nodded. The pair instantly launched in on discussing the ship's current demands on the medical department. Sovak understood that his needs were inconsequential compared to the safety of the ship, and nodded his gratitude to Lynn as the deceptively aged ensign moved on with his duties. Maybe they would speak more at a later time.::

::Sovak laid back on the biobed to get some rest. He tried desperately not to watch Dr. DyAmone's examination of Ravenscroft, but they were directly in his line of vision, so his beady little Vulcan eyes couldn't help but stare. Sovak was safely tucked in the back where no one would disturb him. Other distressed telepaths were passed out on beds around him. If he squinted, he could see that Ravenscroft was built almost like Ren. A certain agricultural bearing. Though the captain's partner had a more colorful reputation. Sovak thought of the time he'd traveled to Trill with Ren on break from the Academy. His roommate had refused to leave him behind to "haunt the hills of San Francisco" alone. Sovak had been terrified of the outgoing, gregarious Rennyn clan. But the country they lived on was beautiful to him, so unlike anything on Vulcan, all full of greens in shades each more vibrant than the last.::

::A roar of laughter drew his attention back to the present. He looked to the source - Ravenscroft, of course - who, at that horrible moment, pointed directly at Sovak. The Vulcan's heart dropped out of him and he nearly stopped breathing as he pretended not to notice the doctor and the linguist looking him over and talking about him. He was sure his face had blushed deep green, but he laid back, staring intently at the ceiling, as though nothing was amiss. His heart was pounding away, desperate to escape the cage of ribs holding it in place.::

::When he'd visited Trill, Sovak had felt this same way most of the time. A constant parade of Ren's relatives and neighbors had fought for their moment with the Vulcan, the strange visitor from a distant, obtuse culture. All he'd wanted was escape. One day, he made his way unnoticed to the back fields of Tro'Arn Farm, where no one found him for hours. Sitting quite still on the crumbling remains of an abandoned border, he smelled the rich earth and felt the warm sun on his face, and heard nothing but the breeze rustling round him and the distant crack of the forest line, punctuated by bird's calls or the unselfconscious fall of a leaf or old fruit. He hadn't been able to resist a small, contented smile. That was the moment he understood who Ren really was. A few years in on trying to make sense of him at the Academy, the mystery finally came clear, how the Trill appeared calm every minute of the day, no matter what stress the universe threw at him.
While Sovak bundled up his nerves, always trying to get his feelings under control, Ren was revisiting this perfect place, in just such a perfect moment as this. He was running that moment on repeat in the back of his mind. He was traveling the galaxy on the warm breeze of home.::

::On the biobed, Sovak breathed deeply, his head awkwardly positioned on the little pillow. Every day of his young life, the kohlinar master had ordered him to meditate, to picture a time and place of safety. He'd always supposed he failed so many times because that place didn't exist for him. But he'd found some bit of it when he went home with Ren to Trill. He should have spent more time in that field. Panicking under Ravenscroft's glances, he tried desperately to recapture the feeling of that breeze. Flat on his back, he covered his face with his hands in frustration. He would have done well to pass out for the day with some of these other telepaths, but his powers were minimal compared to theirs, and he hadn't stood a chance of much more than a few minutes blackout and a mild headache after.::

::The Vulcan breathed deeply some more, and tried to shut out everything around him. He would have control one of these days, even if it was the last thing he did.::

Ens Sovak
OPS
USS Atlantis

simmed by
Ensign Ren Rennyn
Helm Officer
USS Atlantis
NCC-74682