Sleeping Beauty

Posted on Fri Jan 6th, 2023 @ 4:07pm by Jerant van Rijn & Lieutenant Xavier Leiko

Mission: Wrath of the People
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: a few minutes after Xav's rescue
1350 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

The scuffle of nurses in sickbay drew Jerant's attention and he peered around the curtain, having dutifully remained in sickbay all the while, as he'd been asked to do. Given the cortical inhibitor he was still wearing, he wasn't sensing much of anything in regards of the schuffle. Inching a little closer out of pure curiosity though, he gave a gasp of horror as he recognized the person who was just peeled from the EV-suit. "Xav!" he called out, racing forward towards the unconscious person on the bed.

If asked later, he wouldn't be able to recall how he had gotten past the nurses. He reached to touch the other Betazoid's face with both his hands, kissing him softly as if that would return him back to consciousness. It was a vain thought of course, as if kissing someone could really bring them back, but it was all he could think of in the spur of the moment. "Please don't die on me now," he begged, not knowing what had happened but even he could see the lifesigns were low. He allowed the nurses to push him aside, though he grabbed hold of the man's hand, refusing to remove much further than the side of the bed.

This dying lark isn't bad at all Xavier thought to himself. He expected it to feel cold and extremely lonely, but if anything he felt warm and ... loved? He was trying to figure out how he could feel. He could feel the EV suit being pulled from him and the warm air entering his lungs. He could feel his heart beating in his chest and the rush of blood warming his fingertips and toes. He could feel a kiss. No, surely he had imagined that? Dead people don't kiss anymore, they die and fade away; unless he wasn't dead? Straining with all his might his other senses kicked in. He could hear faint sounds and smell the sterile environment of artificial air and clean equipment. Eventually, he opened his eyes and was instantly blinded by the dazzling white light above his head. He closed them again, allowing his pupils time to adjust. Dead people's pupils didn't need time to adjust, in fact, they didn't move at all. Was this the proof he needed? "Am I alive?" He said in a small, croaky voice.

"Yes!" came the whispered exclamation of pure joy. Relief washed over Jerant's face as he saw the other briefly open his eyes. "Yes you're alive," he confirmed, smiling through the tears that formed in his eyes. "How do you feel?" It was a sensible question since with the cortical inhibitor still attached, Jerant couldn't sense anything, much to his own frustration.

"I... don't know," Xavier answered truthfully. He wanted to run his hands over his body, not fully believing this wasn't some afterlife, but one of his hands was attached to something. It took him longer than usual to realise that someone was holding it, the joys of hypoxia, and he would bet a lot of latinum it was Jerant. He squeezed the hand gently, happy for the contact and warmth. "How are you?" He asked as he finally managed to open his eyes.

"Worried," Jerant admitted as he returned the gentle squeeze, "stuck here I guess but that doesn't matter. You're more imporant right now. Do you need anything?" He figured the thermal blankets that were piled on top of Xavier were already keeping him warm enough. "Can I get you anything?" he added slowly. "I'm not going anywhere if you don't want me to, I can stay right here to keep you company."

"I don't think so," Xavier answered uncertainly. Facing his own mortality was all he could think about at the moment, he needed an anchor, some normality, allowing him time to work through things in his head. "What happened with the Romulans? Did everyone make it off the Avalon?" He asked, desperate for the distraction and the information.

"I think so, but I'm not sure," Jerant admitted. "I've been here in sickbay the entire time, as I was asked to be. I can try and find out for you though? Assuming of course they'll share anything with a civilian..." He smiled encouragingly. "You need to get better though....focus on that first." Without his empathy and telepathy active, he was unaware of his friend's desperate need. He reached out to brush a stray strand of hair from the other's face. "Are you still wearing the inhibitor? Or have to managed to get control back?" It was a sensitive question, he knew, but perhaps it might help and if he had, then he could take his own off in order to maybe be of better help.

"No it's okay, they might not tell you anything, this mission was so secret, I don't even have all the facts," Xavier said truthfully. He revelled in the light touch from Jerant moving the strand of hair and wished he had the strength to embrace the other Betazoid, but in truth, this conversation was the only thing keeping him awake right now. "I don't know," he answered as he reached up to the left side of his neck to see if the inhibitor was still in place; it was. Honestly, he was relieved. He had tried reaching out with his mind and felt nothing but fog, he worried that meant he still didn't have his telepathy back, but maybe the inhibitor was just doing its job, just like the EV suit had.

"Yeah it's still in place, is yours still working?" Xavier asked, seeing the small blinking device on Jerant's neck.

Jerant nodded. "Yeah... though I'll admit I'm tired of wearing it even if it's preserving my sanity right now. I feel very alone, wearing it and I think you probably do, too...Maybe, once we get away from this hellish place, we can get it removed. Maybe, being away from here also returns it to normal." Jerant had hope that it might. "What was it like, out there? In space, I mean...I've never made a space walk before. Is it as beautiful as they say it is?" Keep him talking, distracted...Jerant had a feeling that was helping.

Xavier had to think about that question for a second, being an engineer meant that spacewalking was part of his regular routine, there were some systems that you could only access outside of the ship. However, this was no regular spacewalk, this one had been different, this was about survival. "Under the right circumstances it's one of the most peaceful and beautiful things you can ever experience, maybe one day I'll take you on one?"

"I'd love that," Jerant smiled, "and I'll hold you to that. Meanwhile, what would you like to do, when we can get out of here? Is there anything fun you'd like to try, that you haven't done before and which we could both engage in?"

Xavier laughed, but the pain in his chest quickly made him regret that. He sometimes wondered what it would be like to be a civvie on a Federation starship, almost carefree with little responsibilities. "When I get out of here I'll probably be ordered to get some rest, then I'll have to help get the ship back on her feet. Between the nebula, the radiation, and the fight with the Romulans, we took some heavy damage." He could see the slight disappointment in Jerant's eyes. "Sorry, duty first, you know what us Starfleet types are like. I'm sure I'll get some downtime soon though."

"I can wait til downtime," Jerant grinned happily, "and I'll happily take care of you when you're supposed to rest. If you'll let me that is." He leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheek. "Let me know alright, and just page me if you want or need company. I'll just be over there." He nodded over towards the other ward. "Until doc releases me." With a final nod, the other Betazoid ducked out of the ward and returned to his own.