A Conversation

Posted on Wed Sep 23rd, 2020 @ 1:54am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun

Mission: Welcome Aboard!
Location: Captain's Quarters

So they'd confined her to quarters, denied her coffee and then sedated her. Rhenora was a mix between wild rage and sobering humility. Had she really been that bad, that the ship's counsellor thought such actions were necessary for her own well being?

Never having been on a Sovereign class ship before, Remal had taken a stroll around the ship, seen the sights of the arboretum among many other things. As a civilian aboard a starship his roll was more or less undefined. After his stroll though, he returned to his purpose in life, tending to his wife. Right now there was no other purpose more worthy. He was aware only that an argument about quarter confinement had taken place.

After his shower he found her asleep upon the bed. Figuring she was worn out from the long day, he left her uniform on, covered her up and went out on his stroll. Now upon entering, he found her still asleep upon the bed and all that he could do is sit by her side and watch her sleep. It was a hobby, don’t judge.

Meanwhile there was a chime at the door, Dr Sarah Wilson waited patiently on the other side, medkit in hand, phaser in the holster on the other side - just in case. The Captain should be waking some time soon and would most likely be pissed when she did.

Not expecting interruptions in his hobby or his lovers sleep cycle, Remal quietly stood and moved to the door causing it to open. Standing on the other side was a woman wearing a long white coat, clearly the doctor on duty.
"Can I help you doctor?"

A cursory visual inspection revealed the rooms in the same state in which she had last seen them, and this newcomer who opened the door to be in fine physical form.

“ You are?” She asked, curious as to who was cohabitating the Captain’s quarters.

"Oh, right, sorry. Manners." He kept his voice low as he ushered her inside and allowed the door to close. "The name is Remal Kajun, I'm her husband."

“ Oh right, of course, Sorry I don’t have your records on file” Wilson stammered, blushing bright red at the thought of the Captain having a husband on board. Logic would say ‘why not?’

“ Is she….still asleep?” The Doctor stammered, trying valiantly to recover her composure. She made a mental note to add some extra details to the Captain’s medical file regarding her relationship status and cohabitating.

Remal nodded, "Sorry about my records. It was a last minute decision to stay on board. I can have them sent from the consulate on Bajor if you would like." He looked back at his wife then back to the doctor "Yep, been almost 14 hours now. Can I get your name, uh, doctor?"

“ She must have really needed it. Oh… Dr Sarah Wilson, Counsellor Savar asked me to check in on the Captain. He was very… intent...on her getting some time off, less coffee and proper nutrition.” Sarah explained, peeking towards the bedroom where the Captain was still lightly slumbering. She headed in with a tricorder at the ready, taking a few scans before retreating back to the living area where Remal was waiting.

“ Yep, she should be awake within the hour, She’ll be hungry and probably cranky” Wilson advised, wondering just how long Remal had known the Captain for.

“ Are you sure you’ll be ok when she wakes up? I can get a security detail….” The words drifted off as she realised just how absurd they sounded. Why was everyone afraid of a grumpy Captain?

"Thanks, but there won't be a need for a security detail, but I do advise everyone to hide their toothbrushes." He chuckled knowing how touchy Rhen was about her having to endure forced time off and even more about a lack of proper coffee. "Thanks for stopping by Dr. Wilson. I'll keep you posted on her, uh, progress." He walked her to and out the door before returning to the seat where he took up watch once more.

Some time later

She woke thankfully in her own bed, sadly still dressed in the uniform she had worn yesterday. Checking the chronometer she realised she'd been asleep for 14 hours. Rhenora rubbed her eyes, stretching underneath the covers and letting out a sigh of someone who’s had a decent night’s sleep after many restless ones. There were a number of priorities that needed urgent attention. Bathroom, then coffee, then food.

“ Hey you” She smiled warmly as she noticed Remal sitting quietly absorbed in reading. “ I’m sorry I’ve not been the conversationalist” She said with a wry smile, heading towards the replicator.

“ Want anything?”

"A fresh cup of tea would be lovely." She seemed spry, almost chipper. He thought after that much sleep she might wake feeling extra groggy.

"One tea and one coffee - extra strong" she ordered almost automatically, waiting patiently until the replicator bebooped in error.
"Caffeinated beverages have been restricted from this replicator by order of Commander Savar"

Rhenora couldn't help but slap the wall in frustration. So it hadn't been a dream.

"Fine, peppermint tea, two servings" she grumbled " plus a large fruit salad to share"

That would keep the well meaning counsellor at bay for a while. She picked up the small trays and headed for the couch, setting the food and beverages down on the coffee table. Coffee - table, the table for holding coffee. She shook her head wryly at the thought. She would have to have words with that Vulcan.

Remal sipped his tea then nodded in amusement at the flavor. He then looked at his bride of six years past and wondered where to start when there were pieces needing to be picked up. Start with the little things he decided. "So, no coffee, house arrest and sedation. What else has your second in command got in store for you and more importantly what can I do to help you get through your coffee drought?"

Rhenora flopped onto the couch, taking a sip of the tea and wriggling her nose as the scent irritated her sinuses slightly. “ I could NOT get used to this” She grumbled, picking at the fruit platter.

“ He means well - he thought I wasn’t looking after myself, and he’s probably right.” She admitted, looking at her husband over the rim of the coffee cup filled with tea. She changed tack slightly “ What did you get up to while I was enforced to have a nap?”

"Ah well, I took a stroll to see the sights. Then I returned to find the best view of all right from our very quarters." He was of course referring to watching her sleep tails up. "Had a short chat with Dr. Wilson and read a short book." He held the book aloft. The cover was of two humans held in one anothers embrace on what appeared to be the deck of a pirate ship. "More importantly though, do you think he's right?"

“ You haven’t lost your charm” Rhenora smiled warmly, reaching across to grasp his hand, savouring the touch of his skin against hers. It had indeed been far too long. She sighed, looking at the peppermint tea with a hint of disgust “ Probably, we’re not as young as we used to be, I can’t go taking on Orions like I did 15 years ago. Goodness that makes me feel old” She shook her head as she looked at her husband.

"We are only so young as we feel and only so old as the sound of our cracking bones." He mused. "You see I may agree with young Savars ideals, I'm not so sure I agree with his methods. Treating you as an addict and forcing your recovery may work on some but is highly detrimental for others. I've seen too many fall off that wagon without a support group and a guiding hand." He spoke from years of experience though his heart would always be on her side as his bias began to show.

“ Mmmm I think he was more making the point that I need to look after myself or he would make sure that I do. Soon as I bust outta here though there are words to be had.” Rhenora admitted “ But in the meantime there’s no-one else I’d rather be confined to quarters on enforced rest with.” She felt a subtle shift in the deckplates as the Liberty began to move again. Looks like the Engineers had done their job.

He sat the book down upon the 'tea' table and gave her that look that said, well then, now what. He smirked, "So then, what did you have in mind O'Captain my Captain?" He was thinking about the Fabio character he had been reading about and his many womanizing adventures and how unrealistic they were. But then again those books were there for pure entertainment value.

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully as though carefully pondering the question.
“ I believe we have 6 years to catch up on, much has happened to both of us.” She admitted, feeling guilty that she hadn’t found the time to visit him on Bajor. Just how was their marriage going to fall back into the same easy relaxed habit that they used to enjoy?

"Well the way I see it, we can start with the little things and get to know each other all over again, or we could pretend like time and distance are truly relative to two hearts that were meant to be together." He stood and crossed around the table to sit on the couch next to her. "So what's new in your life, Rhenora is it?" He gave a broad smile for he enjoyed toying with her ever so slightly.

“ Well let’s see…” She mused, playing along with the game “ After you left the Sunfire… we were recalled to Earth and she was dry docked. I was court martialed for crashing one too many ships and given a desk job. My goodness it damn near killed me Remal. I can’t stay in the same place for that long”

"Hmm go on, a desk job you say. Was this job on Earth doing menial tasks?" While enjoying the game he was genuinely curious about Rhenora, the between years. "I bet you were bored to tears." Sarcasm filled his voice.

“ Bored to tears was an understatement. I was ordering parts for starships as punishment for crashing the Sunfire. Sooooo stimulating. Then again I guess it was better than being thrown in prison.” She admitted, “ Could you imagine the mundane repetitiveness of ordering parts for 5 years straight?” There was a remarkable level of sarcasm dripping from her tone, almost as much as Remal’s. “ And yourself? Solving the mysteries of the Bajoran mind?”

"Oh no you don't. Dealing with post war trauma victims is nothing compared to ordering starship parts. I definitely want to hear more about these parts you were ordering and maybe you could spice it up with what you did in your spare time, you know, while on a foreign planet."

“ Oh my spare parts are nothing compared to war victims. Spare time… geez, I went for lots of walks, mostly thinking about you, and catching up on some Bajoran literature. I hadn’t had time to read much being in space so it was kind of nice to be honest” She admitted, giving him a shy smile. “Nothing overly exciting let me assure you”

"Wow, reading, you really did have too much time on your hands. You never thought to take in a show or taste the local cuisine or, I don't know, maybe travel?" He leaned back after he asked, pulling away. There was a slight bitterness in his voice as his thoughts betrayed him. He didn't want to say it out right but he wondered why, if she was so bored, why she never came to see him. There were so many stories he could share with her but being the man he was, he chose to bottle them in deep.

“ Where would I travel? I couldn’t return back to Bajor, the thought of travelling was...unappealing without you. I should have pushed for more leave though and for that I am deeply sorry” Her eyes were downcast as she spoke her truth. She’d been caught up in the mundane and monotony of life she’d just rolled with whatever they’d told her.

He was frustrated and hurting. "In six years you never even tried to come see me despite the mundane torture Starfleet put you through, and yet you're still hopelessly devoted to them." He brokered a smile, "And you always will be. And I," he took her hands in his. "will always be devoted to you." He knew he sounded sappy but he couldn't help it.

“ I don’t deserve that devotion, you’ve given up everything for me not once but now twice and I couldn’t even travel to see you” Rhenora regarded her hands closely, the emotion causing tears to threaten. She definitely did not deserve just an honest and noble man.

Tension surpassed a single moment of silence as they looked at each other. He had not meant to make her feel guilty but it happened, now they needed to move past it. "So this Savar, do I need to have a conversation with him about all of your past traumas and afflictions or…" They had a lot of growing left to do together but it could never begin until they could leave the hurt and the guilt behind. Remal still blamed himself for leaving and driving her away in the first place. He silently vowed never again.

“ Depends if you want him to know the whole story” Rhenora shrugged as she thought about the Vulcan knowing her deepest and darkest secrets. Her personnel file was one thing, but there was a multitude of darkness that never made the official reports.

"Maybe I'll let it be just as a surprise to him as it was for me, though truth be told I lived through them with you, he did not." He released her hands, picked up his cup of tea and stood up facing out the window once more.