The Heart

Posted on Wed Sep 16th, 2020 @ 10:23pm by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun

Mission: Welcome Aboard!
Location: ShuttleBay

The Captain indicated for the routine security guard on duty in the shuttle bay. The young officer ran forward and skidded to a halt in front of the Captain. Apparently having something to do was a good thing.

“ Ensign, escort this…’Lucy’ to secured guest quarters, remove all privileges and ensure a guard detail is present at all times. No visitors without my direct authorisation” The Captain instructed. That was one part that could wait a while.

“ Mr Cody, I will assign you guest quarters if you wish, or you are welcome to remain on your shuttle, there will be some questions that need answers though.”

He felt a cool breeze across his exposed cheeks, "Beggin your pardon ma'am but I'll stay here with this ship if it's all the same to you." His tone changed to reflect his innocence. "Don't be worryin any. I won't go anywhere." That last part was directed solely at Bonnie.

Meanwhile Bonnie released Lucy to the young security guard and realized she had been released to go to engineering. She looked at the Captain, then pointed to herself, then pointed to the door signalling to her own brain and two feet what needed to happen. She moved off in the direction of the door and as it parted for her to pass from the smooth deck of the bay to the carpeted interior of the halls, she tripped slightly, before catching herself.

Shrugging off her mistake she turned left and disappeared before momentarily turning around and walking the opposite direction, off to engineering to figure out the engine issues. This left Remal alone with his wife to do what husbands and wives do when they've been apart for 5 or 6 years, to catch up.

With Cody disappearing back into the bowels of his shuttle rear end first, it left Rhenora alone with her husband. She seemed a little unsure at first, her mind swirling in a thousand different directions all at the same time.

“ I can’t believe you’re here…” She said quietly, reaching for his hand and squeezing it gently “ It’s been so long. I have missed the comfort of your touch terribly”

He smiles down at her, "I trust I haven't come at a bad time." He knew his wife and the trouble she was predisposed to getting into. She looked battered, sore even. He brushed a loose strand of hair from her brow feeling her soft skin against his. "Mind if I walk you to sickbay? And then maybe we can catch up over a cup of coffee?" Unfortunately he had left his matching cup behind.

“ Can we skip sickbay?” She asked with a wry smile. “ I don’t know how you can stand the place” Although there was a new CMO and a new team in the hallowed halls of healing that had yet to ascertain the Captain’s track record. “ Actually… a hypo and a cup of coffee, that would be lovely” She agreed to meet in the middle, remembering the highly refined art of communication with a loved one. Yep - rusty.

At first she was as stubborn as always, but then she quickly gave in. He questioned this woman who stood before him. Was she really that different than the woman who left him on Bajor oh so long ago? Had she really changed or was this just a fight weary version of the woman who left? How would she respond to the questions he intended to propose of her? Only some time alone would tell. He guided her out into the hallway, hand in hand. It felt good to be in her touch once more. That old familiar longing returned, yet he suppressed the urge to shed any real emotion before they had a chance to talk.

They walked for a while, Rhenora interlacing her fingers with her husband’s in a rare show of public affection. A rapid visit to sickbay was had with a scan, a date with a bone knitter for 10 minutes and a hypospray solved a multitude of problems. Dr Wilson seemed unperturbed by this new addition who seemed to hold concern for the Captain’s welfare.

All he could do was watch with a husband's concern and an old counselor's skeptical eye as she took the hypo as though it was an old familiar routine. Endure, recover, fight on, it was the same old song and dance, though under the surface something had changed for the both of them. Something they would eventually have to address.

The Captain had so many questions she didn’t even know how to ask, so she remained silent, soaking in the close warmth of her husband in close proximity rather than being light years away.

Without knowing her feet led her back to her quarters, still freshly unpacked from a few days back when she had first arrived.

“ Coffee?” She asked simply, pressing the control on the door panel.

He smiled, "That would be lovely, thank you. Do you remember how I take it?" He was already musing at the idea that she wouldn't remember those little details like he had, but this little test was nothing more than a musing to him. The doors parted before them.

Rhenora stepped forward, letting the movement cover her embarrassment. She thought she remembered how he liked his coffee but as always there was a seed of doubt now planted that began to grow. She felt like a failure, unable to recall the small things, the things that mattered.