Fingers crossed

Posted on Tue Oct 4th, 2022 @ 5:14am by NVeid tr'Rehu & Lieutenant Commander Finnley Keating VII

Mission: Scylla and Charybdis
Location: Tertiary engineering
Timeline: Anywhen that fits
1662 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Slowly, NVeid approached the chief engineer though he made a deliberate sound so it wouldn't appear as though he was sneaking up on her. As he did, he stopped a moment to observe her as she seemed deep in thought next to the space cow egg. "Commander?" He called out when apparently he hadn't been loud enough to trigger a response.

Finn had come to say her final goodbye to the creature knowing that the Washington's would soon arrive to take him off to join his own kind. Instead of turning when she heard NVeid, she placed a hand on the egg and whispered, "goodbye Benny. I hope one day our paths cross again." Her head drooped as her hand slid from the creature and Finn wiped the water from her eyes before turning to face the surgeon.

"Hi, NVeid. What can I do for you?" She asked, forcing a smile to her face.

Sensing what he felt must be grief, he gave her a concerned look. "Are you alright?" He asked as he got closer, and as he did he could see the moist in her eyes. "Is...it...alright?" He nodded towards the egg behind her.

"Yea, I'm fine, he's great," Finn smiled towards the egg. "He's actually about to join the rest of his kind. On that note, why don't we walk and talk? I'm done with everything I needed to do in here," she questioningly motioned towards the door.

"And how do you feel about that?" He held up his hand, offering an apologetic smile. "I'm not trying to be the counselor, I'm sorry...I couldn't help sensing your grief over something."

"I feel like I don't want to talk about it. I'm just hoping for the best in his return to his kind. Let's leave it at that," she half smiled as they walked into the corridor. "How have you been lately?" Finn asked, ready to change the subject to anything but herself.

"And what if he doesn't want to return to his kind?" The Romulan shrugged at her query. "I've been keeping busy, mostly to myself, cooped up in a lab or in a surgical suite. You know how it goes..." He rubbed his temple. "And your feelings are suddenly very loud," he added, "I promise I'm not trying but I can't help it."

Finn let out a slightly annoyed sigh, she couldn't help how she felt no matter how much she tried to bottle it in. "I'm sorry NVeid, there isn't much I can do about it." She stopped in the hall and looked at him. "What did you come to engineering for anyway? If you tell me what you need then perhaps we can get it fixed quickly and you can be rid of having to 'hear' my loud thoughts?"

"What if I don't want to be rid of you? It's not your fault, I think something is going on because I'm feeling like this all day now. I really came to see how you are doing.... Do you have full use of your fingers? Pain free?"

"Yes. No pain and full use," Finn nodded. "To be honest I didn't think I'd see you again for a while. Not after all of the arguing when we were last together," she noted with a curious brow raised. "Anyway, if you've been feeling off all day, shouldn't you go get checked out in sick bay?"

"I am your surgeon, of course I would check up on you!" He wasn't aware he raised his voice, "I don't know what is going on. It's just these headaches and increased sensitivity. Like, I hear you, and I hear.more.than you'd wish for me to hear. But I also hear others... I can even hear Benny though his thoughts make no sense to me. It's beyond my control no matter what i try. It's not that bad, but it is annoying. I don't want to know your innermost thought, not unless you want to share. And I know you don't because you don't like to talk about yourself, and you don't like telepaths..." The past part of his exclamation held a note of sadness.

"You can hear Benedict?" She asked, eager to understand what he might be thinking, but also instantly remembering that he couldn't make any of it out. "And I don't hate telepaths, I just don't love having my thoughts read and usually you're good about not prying, so clearly something is up. This area of space does have strange properties. Is it possible something is somehow interfering with your mind? I'm no expert in this, we should really get you to sickbay." Finn did an about face and started walking in the opposite direction, leading NVeid to someone that could actually help him.

"I can hear him but I don't understand him," he acknowledged as he stopped walking. "I'm not going to sickbay, I'm off duty. I came to see you." He studied her. "I don't know if something is interfering per se, it's more as though it's enhanced that what is naturally present. I just can't control it like I used to."

"Now you sound like me, refusing to go to sick bay when something is wrong," she chuckled slightly. "I've given you your answer already, my fingers are fine. So why not go?"

"And then what?" Frustration etched the Romulan's face. "I'm a doctor, if I don't know how is another going to help?"

Finn looked at the surgeon incredulously. "Hell I'm the chief engineer, but it doesn't mean I don't ask for George or Xav's opinion on matters too. I'm sure Lt.Commander Ki might have an idea and if you don't want to listen to him then maybe someone else." Surely he wasn't that conceited, Finn thought. It must have been whatever else was going on with his head.

"He's Human." It wasn't that he didn't trust Ki, because he did. He just felt he needed another telepath. "I'm not conceited," he finally said, "I just need time to figure this out. I'm sure Ki has more pressing matters to see to than a civilian who can't control his telepathy."

"Right, you can hear my thoughts, sorry. How about Savin? He has some medical background I think, plus he's a telepath. Maybe he could help?" Finn suggested, hating to see the man suffer from whatever affliction was ailing him.

NVeid nodded, wondering why he hadn't considered the counselor. "No, I'm sorry, for breaching your privacy." He didn't realize he signed as he spoke, old habits coming to the surface. "Maybe he can help, or maybe I should just be put to sleep so I won't invade anyone else's thoughts. Just like when I got to the Chesapeake, my transport didn't appreciate the presence of a telepath. They forced me into stasis, which ironically saved my life as the transport was destroyed."

"I doubt that you need to be put to sleep, but I'm sure Savin might have some ideas. Let's go," Finn went to grab his hand but remembered his sensitivity to touch and instead motioned for him to follow her. "That sounds horrifying by the way, that they forced you into static and then the transport was destroyed."

"I didn't know it was until someone aboard my destination released me," NVeid answered, shivering at the memory, frowning as he noticed she wanted to take his hand, but then reconsidered. He knew she was aware of his aversion to touch, but sometimes he did need it to feel...wanted, or even to get grounded. And right now, he really did need to focus of a single mind. "I thought I had told you this before," he added, as he -somewhat shyly perhaps- reached for the priorly not quite offered hand anyway. He still didn't really want to see the counselor as he doubted the man could help him, reasoning that the other Romulan might actually be in a similar predicament if this affected all telepaths. If this affected all of them, because he didn't know that part either. Despite hearing everyone on the ship all at once, he was still very much in the dark.

Finn stopped as she felt NVeid's hand touch hers. "I thought you didn't like to be touched? I don't remember the specifics, but it was somehow linked to your telepathic abilities." Not that she wasn't willing to help him by holding his hand, but she wasn't big on people touching her either. If he needed help to get to Savin, she would provide it, but felt it best to confirm first in this case.

"Unannounced touch," he corrected slowly, "but right now, if that's alright with you that is, I need it in the hope that it will ground me. I'm afraid I'll lose myself if this gets worse." Of course he was aware of her aversion to touch too, especially now that the thought flit across her mind. "If it's not..." He started to pull his hand back, uncertainty and fear etched on his face. "This is worse than having nothing at all, and I do know how that feels...."

Finn let out a small barely audible sigh but then reached out before NVeid could fully pull his hand away. "It's fine," she snatched his hand and started to drag him through the corridor. "Is it helping?" The engineer swiveled her head to view the surgeon that was reluctantly being pulled. She thought for a quick second about how their relationship had evolved in such a short period of time. What was once a mere acquaintance was now a very fiery almost family-like relationship. Each wanting to help the other, even when neither necessarily wanted to receive the help.

"A little," he admitted, "and you're right it did evolve...and your desire to help is greatly appreciated. I'm grateful for your willingness to allow this, for the sake of my sanity."

::TBC::