Nightmares

Posted on Wed Jul 20th, 2022 @ 2:28pm by NVeid tr'Rehu & Lieutenant Commander Finnley Keating VII

Mission: Character Development
Location: Finn's quarters
Timeline: Following "The Stalemate"
1065 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

My face will fill your nightmares until the day you die and your final thought will be: was the uniform worth it? Finn's mind spun in the dark. Ezar stood there just as he had promised, looming over her figure, haunting her. Silnan was there too, his body sat bleeding in the corner. Please, tell them, her Cardassian friend begged. Tears fell as freely as the blood from his wounds and her heart ached for his suffering. She wanted to jump up, to tell their interrogator everything she knew. Anything to keep them from torturing him. Anything to wipe clean her transgressions, but nothing she did pierced the realm of her dream.

Then suddenly the scene changed. She was watching a shadow of herself in the corner of a cell as Silnan's body was tortured over and over. With each painful flick of the device and cry of pain, the shadow snickered. Every time their torturer savagely removed her friend's arm, the cell echoed with maniacal laughter. NO, Finn screamed in her mind. Begging for release. She hadn't wanted this. She didn't mean it when she said she didn't care! Over and over the scene played, each one beating down Silnan more and more as her shadow refused to answer the pleas for mercy. End it, please her Cardassian friend reached out not to her shadow, but to her. With his good arm outstretched, he begged for the cycle of torment to end. You're too much of a coward to put your friend out of his misery Ezar's harsh words rang into her ear.

Finn? Hey, are you ok? Suddenly everything went dark but a small light and a warm embrace took hold. She looked up to find an image of her father, pulling her deep into a hug. It was just them. A small light in the surrounding darkness. A ray of hope. But then the room changed once more. Dad? She asked, a sense of fear creeping into her voice as the light expanded to show the horror that was there before. Silnan was dead. Blood dripping from his body. Ezar's knife had somehow found its way into her own hand. Finn, what did you...how could you? She looked up as her father pushed her away. Disgusted by the idea that his daughter could cause such wretched misery. How could you let this happen?.

Yes, how could you let this happen. Silnan replaced her father's form. I begged you to tell them and you wouldn't. I pleaded with you to end it and you were too much of a coward. You did this.

STOP. Make it stop! Finn screamed in her sleep, desperate to escape as the tears flowed freely from her eyes.

The scream was what woke him and he couldn't tell if it had been vocal or mental. The only thing he knew for sure was that he had heard it and he flew into the bedroom, squeezing through the door as soon as it had opened far enough for him to do so. "Finn....Finn!" Gently he shook the trembling woman, trying to rouse her. "Computer, lights!" Her pillow was damp from her tears, and he sighed to himself. "Finn, wake up..." He shook her a little harder but not rougher.

No. "NO!" She screamed, the second one audibly as she shot awake. Her body was shaking as she gasped for breath.

Sitting down next to her, he gathered her into his arms and held her. "Shhhh," he soothed, "whatever it was, it's just a dream. You're alright, you're in your room and you were dreaming. You're safe Finn." He held her to him, sheltering her despite both their personal aversion to touch.

Finn let the tension go, easing into the warmth of his arms. It was the same caring embrace that her father had offered in her dream until he found what she had done and then even he had pushed her away. NVeid would do the same if he knew, she thought, but for now, she appreciated the comfort he provided. Finn finally wiped the tears from her eyes and pushed away from her friend. "I'm sorry," she said, feeling awful for having continually dragged him into the ordeal despite her best efforts not to.

"Don't be," he whispered, releasing her, "I chose to stay, and it has proven to be the right thing to do. Don't feel bad over that. Your dream was intense... you were terrified and wouldn't wake up. Will you tell me about your dream?" Again it was a question, not a demand, leaving her the choice.

"No...I can't," she looked at NVeid with a sorrowful gaze. "Will you give me something this time? I...I can't watch it again," Finn gave in. Her mind and body were too exhausted to maintain the brave facade and though she felt she deserved every ache, she finally caved.

Nodding slowly, he walked over to her replicator, entered his authorisation and ordered a moderate sleeping drug. He could feel her exhaustion and he was glad she saw at least this much sense. Coming back, he eased her back down and held up the hypo. "This should help you through the night. You can't exceed the dosage and you can't take this without supervision right now. Do you understand?"

"I only want it once. I won't take it again, I swear. You can recycle anything else back to the replicator. I just need one night's sleep," she replied.

"Are you sure?" He pressed the medical device to her neck. "It'll take a few minutes to take effect." He sat next to her again and held her hand. "I do strongly recommend speaking with the counselor, if you won't confide in me."

"I'm sure. Thank you," Finn replied as the sleeping drug entered her bloodstream. She thought about what he said. About seeing Savin. "Maybe. In time," she took her hand out of his and curled up on her side.

"I never said immediately," he reminded her with a concerned smile. He leaned down and cast a protective arm around her. "At least you should have a good sleep now," he added softly, "and I'll be right here just in case."