Star Trek: Theurgy

Day 02 [1200 hrs.] Freezer Burn

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine
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Khorin felt only pain. "Our shields are not working!" came the chatter over his comm channel. Or rather, he remembered it coming over the comm channel. Where was he? He turned his ridged head to the left and struggled to open his eyes. Sickbay. That's where he was. What had happened? He distantly remembered...

Orange cascaded around him, like the hand of a great and terrible god smiting them, as if Fek'lhr himself had arrived to cast them down. Down came the phaser fire like a massive storm. Khorin screamed as he felt his fighter rip to shreds and he was swept downwards along with the terrible rainstorm. He panicked, flicking through the options on his control panel, wondering beyond all rationality why his shields weren't working. The flying he had just done would have made his house proud, but he had been clipped by a phaser burst, and then by another, and another, and another as his fighter came to pieces around him. He roared in fury as he wrenched his way back to reality, trying to get a grip...

Khorin tried to sit up in the sickbay, the memories still playing through his mind. It didn't pay for a warrior to dwell on the past like this, what mattered is that he had survived, strength of Kahless be with him. Khorin checked his flank where he had been burned. It had been replaced with spare grafts, his fresh skin no longer burned. His memories surfaced once more regardless, and he remembered...

Pain. Nothing but searing pain as the phaser sliced through his cockpit. The bright orange light nearly blinded him as it tore apart his fighter and charred his exosuit. He felt the flames from his damaged fighter sweep through the cockpit and engulf him- More memories came, different this time. He distantly remembered being pulled out of the wreck, being dragged by... someone. And then a woman had arrived, and shot them all-

Enough. Enough of this. Khorin sat up fully, ignoring the myriad excruciating protests that his body gave, and looked around him, a furious expression on his face. He gave a grunt of pain and laid back down, unsure of exactly what he had seen as he was unable to ascertain anything through the excruciating sensation wracking his form. "If anyone is there," He muttered under his breath. "Announce your presence."

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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          For Hylota today was a bit more interesting, her first duty shift back after laying her clutch she was looking forward to helping see to some of the patients still recovering from the previous conflict, instead she found herself responsible for one of the crew being brought back out of stasis, all things considered Hylota was not surprised they were intent to get some more crew back on, but she figured it was more likely thy had the resources to see to their medical need now. It didn't matter, Hylota knew she was being soft balled after her very brief pregnancy concluded, honestly the mammalian pregnancies made it hard for her to carry on with her duties, she was an amphibian, she was recovered and ready to keep going already.

As she looked to the information Hylota smiled to herself, at least she had a better grasp on dealing with the whole stasis thing, Ovri were much more welcome to using stasis as their biology made freezing and thawing a much safer activity. As Hylota made her way to Khorin's pod she was quick to go through the checking of vitals and systems before she began to restoration process, getting her patient out of the pod and into a biobed, looking him over Hylota could see why he had been put into stasis, the level of burns Khorin had suffered would have put a lot of strain on his body, not to mention the trauma of having his ship blow apart around him, Hylota imagined it might have been a bit like the chaos of what had happened at the triage center oh so long ago.

Administering the appropriate medication and followup for Khorin, Hylota stood near by and focused on reading through the information that she had, she needed to be here when he woke up to see to making sure that he did not harm himself by trying anything, if there was anything she knew from nurse Maal, it was that a Klingon was very head strong and had the strength to throw behind stupid ideas. Sure enough moments after regaining consciousness Khorin sat bolt upright and groaned, this made Hylota jump slightly as she turned back to her patient as he lost his strength and laid back down. Judging from his angered expression and the tone of voice he used as he demanded that she make herself known to him Hylota let out a sigh as she shook her head.

Walking over Hylota stood beside the biobed and she spoke clearly, her rust colored skin foreign and unusual no doubt, to the Klingon she was no doubt a foreign sight, Ovri were a new race among the Federation and a distant one without much influence. As her large dark eyes looked down at Khorin, Hylota spoke firmly to her patient. "My name is Hylota Vojona, I am the head nurse, you are recovering in the Theurgy Sickbay, and I must insist you remain laying down and do not make such rushed and harsh movements, you are still recovering from your severe burns and stasis." She then put a hand on Khorin's shoulder and held him firmly, not to do anything but make a show of strength. "If you do I will not hesitate to use force as needed." From what she knew from Maal, she needed to be firm with the Klingon if she wanted to get anywhere. "Now if you have any questions I will do my best to answer, I can understand that things might be a bit confusing for you, but what matters is that you are recovering, it appears that the grafts have taken well and you are healing as expected, you just need to avoid putting strain on your body."

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine
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Khorin turned his head to look at Hylota. The being before him was a sight to behold for sure. He did not recognize the species, but they were a strange one to him. Rust-colored amphibious skin, a flattened face with large dark eyes, and digitigrade legs protruding from the lower end of the torso. This creature seemed to him like a frog or other similar lifeform that had been forced into a humanoid shape. The creature introduced herself, apparently as Theurgy's head nurse. Khorin's heart skipped a beat. DId this mean that they were finally accepted back into Starfleet? Was the battle against the parasites complete? Khorin could only wonder

The being before him, Hylota, continued, advising Khorin to shy away from any rushed or harsh movements that may be taxing on his injured body. A smile of amusement quirked the edges of Khorin's mouth when Hylota threatened the use of force to stop him. "You can try." Rumbled his voice, as he continued to look over this curious being. When Hylota came to the matter of asking questions next, Khorin had many to be sure.

"Where is Eve?" Khorin gruffly asked. "Eve Jenkins, where is she?" He thought a bit about what he would say next. "And what happened since I was injured? Have the veqlargh* beasts been defeated? Are we back in the Federation? How long have I been asleep-" Khorin was cut  off as he groaned in pain, despite how much he tried to hold back the reaction to the pain. "Eve... where is Eve?" He asked again, wondering what had happened to the half-Deltan who he had met before his injuries and incarceration in stasis.

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*Veqlargh: Klingon word roughly meaning "Devil"

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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          With a sigh Hylota shook her head as she looked at Khorin and leaned down to speak in a more firm tone. "Lieutenant I do not think there is a single person in sickbay who could not hold you down at this point, especially with the medication we have you on, your unique Klingon physiology does make it harder to keep you down, but mixed  with your injuries you are about as weak as the proverbial kitten right now." Hylota was hoping that things would move a bit more slowly and that she would have time to fill Khorin in a bit more gradually without huge jumps, but considering the nature of stasis she figured she should have known better. As Khorin began to ask his question and rapidly escalated until he hurt himself with the strain.

Hylota gently pushed Khorin into the bedding, encouraging him to relax as she spoke up. "Lieutenant you need to relax, do not tense so much and  allow your body to be limp, you are working yourself up. Now as for your questions, it has not been that long, you were simply put into stasis until we managed to put the bulk of our conflicts behind us, now that we have had the time we have given you the treatment you needed. We are still apart from the Federation and continuing our battle against the parasites. Since your injury we have entered a few other combat situations and worked our way back into hiding for the time being." Hylota sighed as she let go of Khorin and she spoke calmly to him. "As for Head Nurse Eve, she was put into stasis not that long after you, I do not know the details as I was promoted into her former post and then hit with several personal issues that has kept me out of the loop as of late."

Hylota stood at the bedside and sighed once more. "I am sure that you will be fully debriefed and filled in on the current state of affairs when you are brought back fully into active duty, for the most part not much has changed. Is there anything else that you would like to ask about? Is there anything that you would like for me to do for you?"

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | location | Deck 00 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine 
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"you are about as weak as the proverbial kitten right now."

The words angered Khorin. His lips twisted into a snarl as he attempted to sit up again, nothing should be holding him down, he was Klingon! Well... half, but his Klingon side was most dominant. His two hearts beat furiously at once, as he strained against the effects of the drugs in his system and the pain that wracked his body. Before long he gave up and laid back in the biobed, resigning himself to his weakened body. A scowl remained branded on his features however.

Hylota's news did little to improve his mood. Little time has passed, which means that something must have happened to replace Eve, or otherwise he wouldn't be talking to this strange nurse before him. And apparently the fight against the parasites was still an ongoing threat, which is something that both displeased and intrigued Khorin. On the one hand, the beasts were still not vanquished, but on the other hand, Khorin's Klingon lust for battle would still find ways to be satiated. The two points of view battled in his head, until he heard the news that confirmed his fears. Something terrible had happened to Eve.

"No... Not Eve..." He growled. "Why did it have to be Eve?" He lamented. Eve had been good to him, in the brief time that they knew each other. And they had known each other indeed. Due to some mysterious force, they had been thrown into each others embrace of passion, and Khorin wished he could see her again. How he longed for her tender touch again, but alas, it seemed that fate was not going his way.

Khorin sighed and grumbled, "No, there isn't much else you can do for me, just... help me get up and help me get back on my feet." He growled. Khorin was very very unhappy at this turn of events.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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          Hylota sighed as Khorin strained and struggled, he was doing nothing but making his body hurt, as he finally gave up and resigned himself to just laying there Hylota knew there was no way she would be able to dissuade Khorin from trying to do such things, he was headstrong a stubborn thanks to his Klingon heritage. Of course as things quickly took a turn and Khorin began to lament what had happened to Eve, Hylota tried to find the right words to say next.

Thankfully Khorin seemed to have motivation and drive to get himself back on his feet and continue his fight, but Hylota felt she needed to give him some level of hope. "As a member of the medical staff I will do everything in my power to ensure you make a quick recovery.  As for Eve, I do not know the relationship you shared with her, but she is not dead, simply within stasis. When this battle is over is you and her can be together. You should not let yourself give into despair Lieutenant."

Grabbing another hypospray she stood at the beside and placed the tool to Khorin's neck. "Now I need you to stop struggling at this point, I held off on some of your regiment as I figured you would struggle and strain yourself, and you might have done yourself some actual harm. Now that you are relaxed, I am going to be giving you some regenerative agents, this will help with the healing of your skin grafts and closing up the wounds fully. It will take some time however and you will need to remain still to avoid accidental damage." Administering the dose Hylota then place the hypospray to the side and spoke in an even tone. "I might not be a counselor, but I understand the stress of a loved one being held in stasis, if you wish to vent anything am am here to listen."

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine 
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Khorin was glad to hear that he would be assisted in making a full recovery, and that he would be able to be with Eve again soon. In truth, he had only known the half-Deltan nurse briefly, but it had been an exhilarating time for both of them. Still, Khorin felt... exhausted, like he was slipping from reality every so slowly. He must have tired himself out much more than he had thought, what with his struggles to sit upright and his weakened state.

Khorin sighed and looked at the strange Ovri nurse standing before him. "Who rescued me?" He asked. The thought had only just occurred to him to ask, and he was wondering how he got from a burning and crashing fighter in the inky void to being resuscitated in the Theurgy's medical bay. "I want to thank them." Khorin continued, his weakened state not slowing down his desire to get up in the slightest. Indeed he continued to struggle and attempt to sit upright until he was finished asking his question, at which point he resigned himself once more and laid there. He then realized that Hylota had made him an offer, one which he realized he should answer. "As for Eve... I wouldn't say she was a loved one, just... that..." He growled in frustration. "I wanted to see her again, maybe develop whatever was between us into something more... It's not right that she has to be stuck in there while I'm up and about." he said, with a gruff tone to his voice. "It shouldn't be that way."

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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Hylota sighed. "Sadly I lack a lot of information, to be honest I only know that you were brought into our care with severe burns and required many skin grafts and intensive treatment to put you into a stable situation, when I woke you I was mainly tasked with making sure that you could get back onto your feet and back into a cockpit as soon as possible. It would not surprise me if you would find the answers you seek with your commanding officer." Hylota went about her duties and took care of several small inane tasks as she remained close to Khorin, but as he spoke more and more about how he and Eve had just begun their relationship Hylota could sympathize.

Hylota nodded as she looked to Khorin. "I can sympathize, when I came aboard the Theurgy my brother was suffering from grave wounds and was left in stasis until he could recover and we could find the time to thaw him. To know someone you care about is in cryo while you must work on without them is indeed stressful. You feel that you should do more, that you must do something to make sure they can return, you can use these thoughts to keep yourself driven and motivated, but it is not your duty. Eve is not in stasis for anything you did, you cannot change how thing have played out and putting yourself into grief over this will do you no favors." Hylota put a hand on Khorin's shoulder, her dark eyes seeming to hold a great sympathy for Khorin as she looked into his eyes. "In my people's past great winters would freeze and lock away members in ice for many years at a time, there are many tales of families shattered, a daughter fully grown when their mother thawed from the ice, sometimes you cannot help these things, but my people had a mentality, you can choose to wait, maintain things as if your friend never left, or you can strive to offer them an even better world when they finally wake." Hylota lowered herself a little so she would be closer to eye level with Khorin as she spoke. "As a warrior would you not wish to greet your friend back as a conquering hero? To deliver them from this hardship and into safety?  Would that not be worth the time apart, would that not be better than your despair?"

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | location | Deck 00 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine 
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"If you're supposed to get me back on my feet," growled Khorin. "Then how come you keep drugging me?"

But what Hylota said next made Khorin soften a bit. Hylota's brother had suffered a grave injury it seemed, and the loss of someone so close to oneself was indeed something to be reckoned with, no matter how temporary or permanent it may be. Hylota was right, there was nothing that Khorin could do to to help Eve Jenkins at this time, and it would be foolish to think he could do anything about it.  Hylota placed a hand on Khorin's shoulder and Khorin glanced down at the amphibious appendage with conflicted feelings. Should he resist or simply continue to lay there as Hylota continued?

Khorin quickly elected to do the latter as Hylota resumed her speech. The two locked eyes as Hylota continued, her dark pools of eyes seeming to hold great sympathy. It seemed that the Ovri were accustomed to such things, with the curious winters on their homeworld freezing many members of their race. Khorin contemplated what a brutal environment it must be. These people must be warriors! To face such harsh seasons was no easy task, unless there was something that Khorin was not aware of. Nevertheless, Khorin saw Hylota's next point for what it was, and that was a valid and honest truth. It would be better this way in the end.

"I thank you, uh..." Khorin studied Hylota for a second before continuing "What is your name?" he asked.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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          As Hylota was asked the obvious question of why she was drugging Khorin she smirked. "Because I know another crewman with Klingon heritage, after he took a phaser shot to the chest he had to be kept sedated until his burns healed because he kept trying to get up while insisting he was fine. I am keeping you drugged because I know you might try and get up, and your severe burns might cause you some serious pain if you try to." As Khorin was given time to collect himself and just relax Hyota looked to him as he actually thanked her for her words, but as he did it he revealed that he had already forgotten her name, this made Hylota smile and chuckle softly. "The name is Hylota, Hylota Vojona." She preferred to go by her first name as having a brother working in the same field sometimes was confusing when using last names.

"We should not have to wait long before we can get into the rehabilitation phase, I will let you know that your body will feel more stiff than it has in the past, this is normal and not something you should worry about, thorough regular stretching and healing your body will loosen back up again, but you might not be as flexible as you once were." Hylota gave a comforting smile to Khorin. "I must admit though, Klingons have a rather interesting mentality to them, the constant drive and ambition for a challenge it seems, be it pain or a new foe. Far more interesting than the Vulcans my brother shows interest in, blind logic and no ambition."

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | location | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine
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Khorin couldn't quite argue with Hylota's statement that he might exacerbate his wounds by trying to get up and insist he was fine. Indeed he would do that, with barely any regard for himself or others around him as he did so. Luckily, they shouldn't have to wait long for the rehabilitation phase of the treatment, as Khorin dearly wished to get up and be mobile again, perhaps even try out his calisthenics program once more. Hylota's statement that Khorin might not be as flexible as before didn't sit well with him however.

But it was Hylota's next statement which intrigued him, when she said that Klingons had a "rather interesting mentality to them, the constant drive and ambition for a challenge it seems, be it pain or a new foe." and that Klingons were far more interesting than the Vulcans that her brother had an "interest in" what with their "blind logic and no ambition". The idea fascinated Khorin, but at the same time he knew that Hylota wasn't exactly wrong. Although Khorin was only half Klingon, he still enjoyed a challenge, and sought to fight against any challenges which would come his way. Khorin was a warrior, and he fought against adversity as it came.

"Interesting..." Khorin grumbled. "That's one way to describe us. Tell me... Hylota? How would you describe your own people?" He asked.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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           As Khorin seemed to understand things a bit better Hylota relaxed a little, she felt as though she was making progress, in truth another part of why she wanted Khorin to remain calm was he might cause damage that would limit his flexibility further and just overall slow the process of recovery before it had even began. Khorin was at least lucky that he did not have to wait long, burns always prompted quick administration to ensure a quick recovery, with the introduction of some drugs this was delayed, but not by much.

As Khorin asked Hyota how she would describe her race Hylota took a moment as she sat back. "Hmm, well as a member of the race I feel it is a bit harder to boil it down. I always was fond of a philosopher who described us as bubbles, floating through the sea of life always on the move, occasionally we connect with others and rise together, but as time goes on we split apart and merge with others, until we reach the surface and our life ends, what knowledge and experiences we had becoming added to the collective knowledge of our race." She chuckled and let out a sigh. "Another way to look at us is as a highly detached race of amphibians, personal relationships are quite often fleeting and only last a few years. We set goals for ourselves and work towards them, moving from passion to passion as we make out way to our end goal, approaching it from any possible angle that might help us, never let yourself be restricted by standard operation."

With that Hylota moved over and administered another hypospray to Khorin before she moved to help his sit up before she began to stretch his arm, lifting it up and gently moving it to help stretch the tendons and muscles that had been forcefully contracted by the burns.

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | location | Deck 00 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine
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Khorin tried to relax as Hylota spoke. It infuriated him slightly, being unable to move or get up. But another part of him told him he was simply being foolish and that he should just lie down and let the doctor do her work and be done with it.  Despite this inner turmoil, Khorin found what Hylota was saying to be quite fascinating. A highly detached race of amphibians, something that Khorin had never encountered before. The bubbles analogy was quite amusing as well, and quite interesting. As Khorin observed this strange nurse who was caring for him, he began to appreciate this other species majesty for what it was. Perhaps they weren't a race of warriors to survive such hardship, but they were an interesting one at that.

As Hylota moved to stretch out Khorin's arm, his voice rumbled out in a response. "Your people are really interesting." He said, and attempted not to wince from the pain of his arm being stretched out.  "My people are quite different. Well... I guess it depends on what I mean by "my people" since I'm only half Klingon." He continued, begrudgingly. "But Klingons... They are much different. They are like a beating heart after one has run for miles. Fierce, determined, ferocious. Like they could break out of their prisons of bodies at any moment." Khorin grinned proudly. "We are like a force of nature, all of us. It is no wonder that we rose up and slew our gods as they ran from us."

Khorin paused and looked around. "You mentioned a brother by the way. Where is he? Is he still alive?"

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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          Hylota kept working to stretch Khorin's arms and shoulders, the hypospray she had just given him was slowly working to remove the other drug from his system, allowing Khorin to move once more as she helped him get moving. She moved his joints so that the full range of movement was explored, allowing the internal workings to stretch out, but it was only the beginning, this would need to be done again on a regular basis, but at least Khorin would be able to see to it himself in the future.

As Khorin gave another description of Klingons Hylota let out a hum and nodded, of course as he spoke of his people killing their gods Hylota smirked. "Killed your gods huh, well the Ovri never claimed to do such a thing, of course our most prominent religion regarded the celestial bodies as gods, our moons and forced of nature the most prominent." Hylota began to finish with her work on Khorin's arms as he began to feel his strength returning to himself. "Once you begin to feel your strength returning I want you to take the arm I just stretched out and work on moving it, only move it to the point where the stretching begins to sting, it is not a challenge, it is a warning that you are reaching the limit of your damaged body, it will increase with time, but overextending could delay your recovery."

As Hylota was asked about her brother she let out a sigh. "He is around, he also works here in sickbay. The fact he has survived this long is sometimes amazing, when we worked at the triage center he almost died in the destruction of the camp, then he almost died while he was recovering here during the mutiny when sickbay was taken. Despite it all he has managed to put himself back together and returned to service." She shook her head. "We were never even supposed to be out here, we were assigned to the Harbinger for some hands on training and got dragged into this." She sighed and ran her hand over the clearly artificial mark on her forehead. "Were here now though, we survived and we will make it to the end of this. And I will do my best to ensure you make it as well."

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine
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"Once you begin to feel your strength returning I want you to take the arm I just stretched out and work on moving it, only move it to the point where the stretching begins to sting, it is not a challenge, it is a warning that you are reaching the limit of your damaged body, it will increase with time, but overextending could delay your body." Hylota said to Khorin as she stretched out his arms.

She went on to elaborate about her brother, how they were assigned to the USS Harbinger and how they were never supposed to make it, but they've somehow managed to persist until now. She concluded by saying that she would do what she could to let Khorin persist as well.

"Thank you, doctor." Khorin rumbled. "I wish I knew what it was like to have a good relationship with my brother..." He said. "My brother was full Klingon, the product of my father and his Klingon wife. We were always... strained. He always looked down on me, like some kind of mongrel mutt who shouldn't have been born." Khorin scoffed and tried to sit up. Through several moments of struggling and straining, he managed to eventually succeed and sat upright. "I showed him though, we fought and I bested him not once but-" Khorin groaned and eased himself back once more. "Three times. Oof. How long until I'm able to get back up and about?" He asked.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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          Hylota let out a soft chuckle at the statement about her relationship with her brother, it was true she had a close tie to Vinata, but she had other siblings she had never been close to. Of course as Khorin began to explain more of his past and his relationship with his brother Hylota could tell that it was nowhere near the same level of hostility. Of course as Khorin managed to get sitting up again Hylota gave some slight support with her hold on his arm as she moved it for stretching. As Khorin spoke of wanting to know how long it would take to get back on his feet Hylota smiled a little. "Well your wounds were mostly to your back and along your arms, your legs were mostly spared by the seat in your fighter. Once you are free of the effects of the drugs you should be able to get up with relative ease, but the thing is that we will be moving from sickbay to a physical therapy room so we can work on restoring your range of mobility."

As she worked with Khorin's arm Hylota made sure to be careful as she extended his arm and worked to loosen him up. "Within the clutch I came from my brother and I are the closest, we had an older sibling who matured first and proved the more ambitious of the clutch. She took the encouragement of the schooling programs to heart and poured herself into her studies and passed my brother and me in aptitude. After she was taken off to more advanced schooling I never really bothered to follow her progress, I instead chose to stick with my brother." She took another moment and looked to Khorin. "Do you want to try getting up?"

[ Lt.JG Khorin Douglas | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Zenozine
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Khorin was glad to hear that the wounds were mostly only on his back and arms. And, for that matter, that he would be able to get up with relative ease once the drugs in his system wore off. He was somewhat disgruntled at the idea of physical therapy, but what was he to really do, after all he had been injured in the line of glorious battle, and he had to now repair the damage. Or the doctors had to repair the damage, one of those two.

As Khorin listened to Hylota, she continued on to speak of the clutch she was raised in, which intrigued Khorin somewhat. This, combined with other factors that Khorin had heard, told him that this species was very much like frogs after all, something which Khorin felt somewhat uneasy about considering that one of them was currently the doctor tending to him. Apparently, Hylota chose to stick with her brother through thick and thin, something which Khorin envied, something which he wished he had with Kah, but was never able to. Kah was a trueborn son of Drax, not like Khorin who had been partially mixed with that of his mother, Heather. Then came the question from Hylota.

"Do you want to try getting up?"

Khorin grinned and tried to sit up and bring himself to an upward position. "I thought you would never ask..." he said, in a rumbling voice. Khorin attempted to prop himself up on his arm and, ignoring the pain shooting through his body, he managed to accomplish a measure of success.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Hastata-Nerada
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          Hylota simply watched as Khorin pushed himself up and got into a sitting position. "Good, good, you are regaining your strength, your legs should be sturdy enough at this point, so I suggest we get you out of bed and into a patient gown for the therapy segment." Hylota stepped away from the biobed and went to collect a gown for Khorin that she set on the foot of the bed. "I will allow you the privacy you need for getting the gown on, although if you begin to find difficulty getting it on just let me know and I will be in to assist you as best I can." She smiled and walked to a panel near the bed and activated the holographic curtain, this one though did show the vaguest shadowy outlines moving on either side of the curtain so that Hylota could keep an eye on Khorin.

As Hylota remained vigilant she chose to continue the small talk to hopefully give Khorin something to focus on aside from the pain he would no doubt be feeling. Once he had sat up it was painful to use the arms for any movements, the stinging searing pain also made it hard to push against the beg to get off the biobed. Moving hurt, flexing hurt and just in general it all hurt, the pain from the burns was not too much to manage, but it did cause quite a bit of strain. "So I am curious, as a pilot, how much strain do you put yourself under while you are flying? I would imagine working in a zero gravity environment moving at high sublight speeds can be quite taxing."

[Lt. JG Khorin Douglas| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]Attn: @Zenozine

Keen on wanting to get out of sickbay, but less so about the pain involved, Khorin ground his teeth and tested his legs. He felt like a new-born, and he hated his state of weakness. He had Klingon blood, but he felt like a Ferengi sloth. His feet were on the deck plating, and he used the biobed for support. It already felt like he'd wrestled a Targ, the mere act of standing up like a bout in a fighting pit on Qo'noS . Once he stood, his bare body sore, he grinned, reaching for the gown. Only it was too far away... and he realised his mistake too late.

He staggered, arm outstretched to the bloody garment, his feet refused to obey the furious commands of his brain and his legs decided that his wet-paper consistency didn't deserve the abuse that Khorin had decided to provide them. In a second, his whole body seemed to fail in a chain reaction and he found himself collapsed on the floor, letting out a loud grunt. It was a sound halfway between frustration, pain and shame. It was the second time he found himself leaving the freezer in a short time. The second time! What kind of warrior was he? He could almost hear his brother's laughter in the back of his brain, reminding him that he was nothing more than a mingle mutt, someone who didn't deserve the honor of belonging to the Mo'Kai house. The half-klingon fit his jaw and tried to incorporate his body only by force of arms. The tender skin that covered his past burns seemed unwilling to stretch enough to contain the movement of his muscles, his legs refused to respond until they received a gentler treatment. Khorin roared. He clung to the bed as if clinging to his enemy by the neck and climbed to its surface. The feeling was to climb to the top of a volcano. His muscles burned, his skin protested and his body was reduced to an immense ache. But that was not going to stop him ...

When he managed to get back on his feet, wearing the gown, he was panting. But he had won and, above all, he hadn't asked for help. He was going to leave that hu'tegh sickbay by his own feet  even if he had to do it crawling. He shook his head slightly, trying to dispel the black flecks he saw in his eyes. It was then that he realized that the nurse, Hylota, had spoken to him. What had she said? Something about the strain of being a pilot. Khorin chuckled humorlessly. "I would go to Grethor to drink blood wine with the dead if in return I could re-enter the cockpit of my Valkyrie in 5 minutes. It's intense, but there's nothing better to move the blood in your veins that going out with your pack and facing the enemy " the pilot couldn't stop the grin that appeared on his lips " That's really being alive ". And now he was there, almost out of breath, turned into a pujwI '.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen
[Show/Hide]

---

Hylota wanted to intervene and help Khorin, she wanted to to give him the support to ensure that he did not get too heavily injured, but she knew better, her knowledge of Klingons and their stubborn nature made it clear to her that words would not help she could not provide any aid to make Khorin feel better, the only thing she could do was stand by and keep an eye on him, making sure that he did not cause too much harm, making sure that Khorin was able to get up on his own two feet once more, from there she could be helpful, she could offer herself as a crutch, she could help him subtly to the next step of the therapy, but the first step needed to be taken by Khorin on his own.

As Khorin managed to get up Hylota walked up to his side, she put her hands together and did her best to not act condescending or mocking in any way, she needed to be careful with how she moved forward. Her dark eyes drifted over Khorin as she thought for a moment and she just decided weather or not he was able to keep going, the initial drug induced healing was making sure that there was minimal seepage and that the surface was not showing any visual signs of bad damage, the real problem was below the surface, the base level with the muscles and tendons, all tightened and stiff from the fire damage, it would be harsh to work back from how he was, but Hylota was sure he would make it.

Approaching Khorin, Hylota stood beside him, she raised on e arm and kept it ready for him to grab if needed before she spoke. "I think it would be best if you walk to the physical therapy room, it is not far and it would be good for your legs. I will not force you to hold onto me for support, but to ensure that you do not take a fall in the halls and no one can gauge the level of harm you sustained, you can grab hold of me for support when needed."  She motioned to a door and smiled softly. "I will take the lead and do my best to keep people from looking down on you." She would help guide Khorin the the therapy room where she would intend to get him doing some walking exercises and also stretching out his arms and shoulders.

[Lt. JG Khorin Douglas| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ]
Attn: @Zenozine
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Khorin glanced at Nurse Hylota with a furrowed brow and jaw cramped forward stubbornly. He moved his gaze to the arm she'd extended towards him and his eyes darkened even more. He looked back at the nurse's face, trying to see the slightest hint of threat or mockery on her amphibious face. The minimum sign that she considered him weak. But he found none of it, just an indecipherable stare. The woman didn't wait for his answer nor seemed too impressed by his unproductive bravado.

He shrugged slightly and prepared to make the longest journey of his life. For the second time. He rested his hand on the wall to ease the load on his legs. The first tentative steps were unsteady, but little by little he began gaining confidence. Halfway down the corridor he allowed himself a broad smirk. Margon's son did not need help from anyone. He was a warrior at the prime of his life. He was...

His legs lost strength again, while a shooting pain crawled from his heels to his back. He knew he was going to fall again if he kept trying to keep going on his own, so he swallowed his bitter pride and stumbled forward, reaching the nurse. He clung to Hylota's arm as best he could, letting his bulky frame rest on the petite nurse. They continued their advance in silence, the hybrid mortified by its display of weakness, the woman expression unfathomable. The therapy room seemed to be light years away. The black dots at the back of his retinas returned, the stiffness of his legs became more pronounced than just a few moments ago and the tighness of his tender flesh burned again. He was starting to get fed up with his own weakness but he could not do much more to accelerate the process, only withstand it, and clench his teeth. And go down that hu'tegh corridor without fall again. It sounded simple. He wish it were.

When they finally arrived, Douglas sighed in relief and faced the Ovri. "We won't talk about this. Never. With nobody" His intention was to sound intimidating, but rather than that, he looked like was pleading for help. It seemed that nothing worked as it should anymore. Khorin sighed again and composed one of his trademarked crooked grins. Since his klingon part didn't seem willing to collaborate perhaps the charm he had inherited from his Ma could help him. He needed to be discharged so he could get out of there. The sooner, the better.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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---

Compared to the muscled frame of Khorin, Hylota might look petite, but she was a much more masculine figure, the signs of her feminine nature vague and not obvious to those that did not know what they were looking at. As Khorin took his first few steps, Hylota allowed him to take his own pace, she was in no rush, but as he ended up grabbing onto her Hylota was not supposed and she easily took his weight into her shoulder as she braced Khorin and helped him to walk down the hall to the next stage of treatment in physical therapy. As they walked Hylota did her best to look as though nothing was happening pretending that he was simply being close not giving away how much Khorin needed her help.

As they arrived and Khorin made it clear Hylota was to never speak of what had happened, Hylota cocked her head and gave a coy smile. "I do not know what you are talking about, all that we have done is walk into a new room where you will begin working on your recovery, I am only here to supervise, you required no aid to get back on your feet." The false statement making it clear she had no intention to show Khorin as weak, and that she was going to do what she could to help him.

Taking a step forward she did offer a hand to Khorin again. "Unofficially I will do all I can to make sure you recover as quickly as possible, I will record what need to be said to make a proper medical record. For the beginning of this we will need to start on working out some of the tension you have been put under. We will start with the legs and work out way up your body before we begin walking again. So if you will allow me I will assist in lowering you to the ground." Hylota knew full well how much of a danger Khorin would be if he was not suitably rehabilitated before returning to service. As a pilot he would need his mobility to keep his quick reactions and allow him to keep his head moving and looking around his cockpit, but as he was now, such things would be slow and stiff until the tightness and strain was worked out. As Khorin put on a cocky grin Hylota could not help but smile a bit, he certainly was a resilient man, a shame she struggled to find mammalian males as attractive as one of her own race.

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ]
[Show/Hide]Attn: @Zenozine


When the nurse stated that she had only accompanied him, and that he didn't need her help, Khorin snorted through the nose and nodded, satisfied. His shame would be locked in the sickbay and, hopefully, it would never leave those walls. "Hov ghajbe'bogh ram rur pegh ghajbe'bogh jaj."* Muttered the klingon, remembering something he had heard long time ago, when he was living on the Homeworld. He hadn't thought about that proverb for a long time, but it was something he had usually heard in his childhood, when he spend time in Mo'Kai's holdings. He returned to the present when he heard the nurse's words. He listened attentively, nodding when she described the next steps to follow.

Her tiny smile in response to his boastful grin encouraged him to keep going, and he took her hand to lowering himself to the floorplates. Unfortunately, halfway through the movement, with his knees still bent, a sudden pain made him lose his foot and landed on his rear. For a moment he felt again the vertigo, the free fall sensation, the world tumbling and spinning around him. But his tremendous fall was barely a foot high till the floor. However, he felt helpless again, unable to trust his own body and in his tender muscles. The massive man felt as dependent as a child, as vulnerable as he had not been for many, many years.





When he awoke, he discovered with horror that he could only see through one of his eyes. The other was closed and bloated and was unable to open it, no matter how much he tried. He didn't know where he was, he didn't remember having arrived there neither. He began to breathe quickly, anguished, and tried to sit up, but flare-up of pain prevented him to made it. He could only stay still, lying down, until his gasps were transformed into a silent sobbing. He tried to curled up, but only managed to bend his back a bit and embed his face against something soft. Probably a pillow. He barely remembered anything. A couple of hands on his back. A mean-spirited grin. And so many stairs.

"Margon, stop your mumbo jumbo, Federation Standard clear ... Are you ACTUALLY telling me that Gorka've tried to kill his brother?" Her voice sounded incredulous and, at the same time, as if she was willing to tear the throat out of his older brother with a single bite.

"His half brother, but yes, your statement is ... accurate" Margon sounded oddly conciliatory in contrast.

"What the hell have you done with that boy, they are children! Both of them. And despite your technicalities, they ARE brothers." Heather sighed and Khorin could hear how she began to pace the room uneasily. The young hybrid tried to turn around to have a better perspective of the situation with his only healthy eye, but could barely turn on his back. His parents didn't seem to notice the movement, immersed as they were in their discussion. At least from that position he could hear slightly better. Out of the corner of his eye he could see his father by the door too. The child was surprised at how tired he looked.

"You know my son and I are not ... close. And since my own brother has been wounded, Gorka has been ill-advised against Khorin." There was more behind those words than was said, and the two Douglas realized it. His Ma stopped her pace around the room, and stopped just in front of him, blocking his narrow sight with her back.

"What do you mean, Margon? What does that have to do with the boys?" Khorin knew that tone of voice. It was the same she used when he was in trouble. He cringed a bit, wouldn't like to be Margon at that time.

"Since I'll be the next in line if my brother die, there are some factions in the family that are looking to secure someone manipulable in the line of Drax, and looks like they had put their eyes in Gorka. The same ones that tried to reject my acknowledgment of Khorin. They'll try to redirect the Head of the House through him if they can, but for that they need Gorka as my heir. My ONLY heir, full klingon."

" 'tlhIngan jIH je" whispered young Khorin, unable to remain silent in the face of such an offense. "And I'm puqlI''e' too" whimpered immediately after. He didn't understand anything, only that they didn't consider him good enough for ... for whatever it was.

"You are awake, pup" The relief in his mother's voice was evident when she sat in the bed, next to him, and caressed softly his forehead. "How do you feel, darling?". The child shrugged a bit, and gave her a crooked smile, a surprisingly human smile.

After that, Khorin saw how his father towered behind his mother, his austere face evidently softening. "bIpIv'a'?," he repeated Heather's question, only in tlhIngan Hol.

"It hurts," Khorin replied, frowning. "I am also a Klingon." He reiterated, this time using only Standard.

"But you are half human too, pup, and there are some that don't like that" Explained Margon, as many times as he'd made before. Khorin pouted his mouth and tried to protest again, but the hand of his Ma prevented it.

"Listen Khorin, we know, but you must understand some people do not, and they don't like your human part. They believe you're only half as good as them. That's why I want  you to..." His mother looked at Margon's worried face, then returned her resolute gaze to their four-year-old son "... we NEED you to prove to them that this isn't your case. That you are twice as strong than them, twice as brave than them. You have to be better than them "

"Do you understand, pup? Will you do it?" Asked his father, and Khorin was startled to notice a note of anxiety in his voice.

"I do ... i'll do my best" replied the boy, clenching his little fists. "nIvbogh yIvang," he repeated, leaning on the pillow again. He couldn't help but yawn, and rubbed the only healthy eye with the palm of his hand, exhausted by the short conversation. "jIH sleepy"

"We know, pup. Rest well, my little warrior "






The memory faded away as quickly as it had come, leaving him completely bewildered, looking blankly at some point beyond Hylota's shoulder. The pilot quickly reassembled and looked into the Ovri's huge eyes with a determined expression and a fierce smile on his face. "We'll fix me up soon, I know it, I trust you" he proclaimed, trying to facilitate the work of the nurse.

---

*A day without secrets is like a night without stars.
"tlhIngan jIH je" - I'm a klingon too
" puqlI''e" - your son
"bIpIv'a'?" - How are you?
tlhIngan Hol - klingon language
"nIvbogh yIvang" I'll do my best
"jIH" - I am

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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---

Hylota watched at Khorin fell, it might not have been far, heck it was a very small slip, but it still was something that Hylota knew he would be feeling the pain from. As Khorin ended up landing on the floor Hylota gave him a moment, allowing his pride to harden once more before she made any offer of assistance, not knowing at all what memories flashed through Khorin's mind. Cocking her head Hylota was about to ask if everything was alright when Khorin smirked and gave his bold declaration. Truly there was a soft spot in Hylota's heart for the Klingon race, or at the very least their attitude, it was very much one that she could respect.
 
Hylota returned the smile as she stood up straight, there was no need to dote over Khorin like some mother hen, instead she took a few steps around Knorin and nodded. "I thank you for the faith, and I promise I will do everything in my power to keep this recovery as swift as possible." As she got into place Hylota gently rubbed at Khorin's shoulders, helping to relieve some tension as she chose the first stretch they would perform.  "To start us off we will just do some basic stretches, I need you to extend your leg out in front of you and reach out to touch your toes, I will apply some light pressure to your back to help encourage your body to stretch out, we will go out to what you feel is your limit, then we will hold for a few seconds before I let go, at that point you will sit up straight and extend your arms out at your sides, working them in circular motions to help stretch them out while your body relaxes."

As she looked down at Khorin, Hylota looked to her hands, the ever so slight color difference as she remembered her own rehabilitation oh so many years ago. A foolish brash child she had chosen to try and earn fame by performing her own research, working off of new technologies acquired through trade Hylota had intentionally cut her arm and tried to speed up the healing process. Unfortunately the mishmash of alien medicines did not work with Ovri biology and she had instead caused a festering wound. Having to have the arm amputated and regrown was a sobering and humbling experience.  Hylota knew the importance of a recovery, how it could help one grow past their insecurities and flaws, she did not know if Khorin had such things, but all the same being able to hold your head high as you recover does help and she would do her best to give that to Khorin.

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy]
[Show/Hide]Attn: @Zenozine



When Khorin felt Hylota's hands on his shoulders, he tensed  all his muscles quickly, his reflexes still ready to respond violently after the vivid memory that had assaulted him. However, as soon as he noticed the relief that the massage provided to his stiff muscles, he relaxed his stance and let it go on, grunting contentedly. However, the nurse's ministrations lasted too little time for his taste, and soon the therapist indicated a series of exercises in order to get her body ready again. He hesitated a second, not because he suddenly didn't trust in Hylota, but because he distrusted his own body. The short walk down the hall had left him more exhausted and aching than he wanted to acknowledge and the sudden burst of pain, without warning, urged him to be cautious.

He was ashamed of himself for feeling this way, hiding his face under the curtain of his wild mane. But the discouragement lasted little, contrary to his proud nature. He was stronger than most, more worthy than most human and klingon alike. He was not going to be defeated by wounds and lack of self-confidence. Many times before, he had been accused that his ego was so big that it didn't fit in the same room as himself and he intended to use all that determination to return to service as soon as possible.

He stretched his leg in front of him, took a breath and set out to try to reach his bare toes. At first, he was barely able to bend his back, rigid and contracted as it was, but thanks to the pressure of the nurse on his shoulders, his hands were able to overcome his knees and move a little closer to their goal. The hybrid emptied the air from his lungs as he did so, trying to ignore the growing pain that was beginning to build itself in the small of his back. Finally he gave up his effort, panting slightly. This was going to be a battle that he had to win thanks to the resistance rather than the brute force, so, following the nurse's instructions, he recovered his breath working with his arms, making circles with both of them in the sides of his body. This movement was easier, less painful and, little by little, he felt ready for a new attempt. On this occasion his fingers almost brushed his instep, but when he retreated, the pain was so intense that he felt the room spinning around him. But he didn't give up his effort and, after several unsuccessful attempts, he was able to brush against the tip of his toes.

At that time he sweated profusely, as if he had been practicing with the bat'leth for hours or had run several kellicam, but it didn't matter. He turned slightly to face Hylota, a broad, proud grin flashing his features. "Qapla!" He exclaimed, boastful as he had not been for so long thanks of his small victory. Without waiting for the nurse's guidance, he stood up, staggering slightly at first, to finally settle firmly on his feet, puffing his chest full of bravado. The pain hadn't gone away, but it had become a dull and continuous sensation that he was more than willing to endure. He stretched his arms over his head, crunching his broad shoulders and tentatively tried a couple of common stretches, which he used to practice when he trained. He was far from being able to move with the fluency and security he was accustomed, but he noticed a slight improvement.


Emboldened, he tried a more complex movement, sure as he was of being able to bear what his battered body was willing to use to challenge his will. And, for a change, his body won, betraying him again. In the middle of the wide movement his muscles decided to fail again, so he ended up doing a sort of simulation of the exercise, embracing himself to try to appease the pain that rose from his lower back to his shoulders, leaving his arms almost useless. A whimper escaped from between his clenched teeth, testifying to his momentary weakness. He had to overcome it, he had no other options.

---

kellicam → Klingon unit of length, roughtly 2 km
Qapla'! → Success

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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---

As they went through the exercise routine and worked to stretch out Khorin's muscles, slowly bringing back his range of mobility, Hylota made sure to keep in mind that she would need to still have Khorin stop and rest as his body would likely begin to face the fatigue and strain of the stretching and eventually his body would begin to protest the activity, she recalled some of her early basic lessons, of how if you raised an arm long enough it would eventually just lose its strength and go limp. The body did have its fail-safes to ensure that one did not destroy itself.

As Khorin then got up and began to grow his ego once more and began to do more and more stretches Hylota decided this was the time to speak up. "Alright, you should be a bit careful there, you are beginning to wear out you body much faster than you think, your muscles and tendons are not used to this level of work any more, you should not push yourself too far so soon it might not end well for you." She got up and moved close so that she could be there in case things began to go south and Khorin lost his footing, besides she did not want to risk him hurting his head by falling to the floor.

As expected Khorin's body began to give out, to help ensure his safety and to make sure that Khorin's ego was not harmed in this pivotal time, it was important to have herself in position just in case. As she moved into a position behind Khorin, Hylota took a braced pose so that she would be able to catch Khorin if needed. "Are you alright? Just lean back and let me help you down if you feel your legs giving out. You are going to need to rest your body for a brief while. You have made great progress so far with how much damage you are recovering from. After this I think we will get you up on the treadmill for some walking to help get your legs more accustomed to use once more. But for now we need to give it a short break."

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy]
[Show/Hide]Attn: @Zenozine


Khorin gave a piercing gaze to Hylota, but he said nothing. He simply growled deeply his pain and frustration. To his respect,the nurse seemed able to read his body much better than himself, which amazed and annoyed him equally. He resented having lost  the control of his own body, being a slave to the whims of muscles that didn't conform to his wishes, but given the situation, it was ideal that whoever was in charge of his recovery was someone sensible and honourable. Clever enough to know when quiet his shame and gently rebuke his excessive enthusiasm. The half-Klingon had found few people who could deal so aptly with his tempestuous nature, which told lot about the nurse's merit.

So, when the she got behind him, he let her hold him, giving a break to his battered muscles. He remained like this for a while, hanging like a frayed rag from the small figure of Hylota, while the pain slowly subsided. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before returning to stand firmly on his feet. The ache was still a dull memory beneath his tender skin and strained muscles, but he overcame it gritting his teeth and frowning decisively. "yInDayajmeH 'oy' yISIQ, now I understand life better" He said after a soft chuckle. Khorin stared at the nurse from top to bottom, assessing his options facing her proposal to sit down. Finally, he shook his head, so that his wild mane ended up forming a wet waterfall half hiding his face. "No, I'll stay on my feet, I just need a little break," he lied. He needed a BIG break. Maybe he could sit himself on the floor and fall on his side, panting, until the pain or himself succumbs. But that was not what a warrior did, that was not the way a member of House Mo'Kai managed to move on. He had seen his uncle, his father's older brother, survive and thrive with a mutilation that most Klingons would consider worthy of ritual suicide. He couldn't be less, having all the Federation medicine on his side. He oughted to be at the level of his relatives, and top of the standards that  he had marked for himself.

Finally, when he recovered from the last betrayal of his body, he turned to the nurse with a cocky smile on his lips. "I'm fine, I'm fine now," he said, dropping a paw-like hand on Hylota's shoulder to use her as support. "Take the lead, i'll follow you." It wasn't something he usually said outside the cockpit, but the nurse had earned his trust. "Instead of the treadmill maybe we could assault the holodeck and activate a recreation of the Qam-Chee battle," he joked. Stumbling idly in a treadmill has little appeal to him, but he guessed it was necessary.. Still, he lost nothing by asking for alternatives. He was aware that the holodeck wasn't a real alternative due to the energy cutback, but maybe Hylota had some ace in the sleeve more entertaining.

---

yInDayajmeH 'oy' yISIQ – To understand life, endure pain

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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          Hylota remained in place and prepared just in case Khorin's muscles decided that they had been through too much and he collapsed like a marionette with its string's cut. Based on where she was standing Hylota was right in the path Khorin would collapse in when his strength gave out. Thankfully Khorin was able to hold himself up and prove his Klingon genetics proud by toughing out the strain until his body could recover, in truth it was rather impressive to watch for Hylota, her own understanding of Klingon biology was mostly limited, but she was having plenty of time to learn things first hand, it made her wonder how her child would be, would they inherit a certain level of genetic ability from crossing with Klingon genetics, would they have improved healing for smaller wounds or perhaps faster regeneration, it was truly something to think about, but for now she had work to do and she returned her focus squarely on Khorin and his treatment.

As Khorin teased about how he was wanted to enter a battle simulation, Hylota chuckled and shook her head with a sigh as she stood up straight. "Well you could try that, but I think we need more than a brief bit of exercise." The pilot saying had sadly gone over Hylota's head as she did not have any familiarity with such sayings and she was not from that subculture. Of course what Hylota did know was the bravado and she was able to at least come up with a decent counter to Khorin's suggestion. "Now we could go with an Ovri story that my brother enjoys. Traveler under the Winter Starts, it is a lot more walking, less fighting, but it is considered one of the ancient epics of my people." Hylota looked Khorin over and rubbed her chin and shook her head. "Of course I do not know how well you would be able to combat an arachnid the size of a shuttle with no modern weapons.  No I think that would not end too well either, no we will stick with the treadmill for now."

Hylota walked over to the treadmill and began to enter in some basic information. The treadmill was an omnidirectional pad, it would keep Khorin at the center no matter which direction he would go or at what speed. "Would you like for me to have the railings active for you to reach for if needed or would you rather have the harness so you can keep going until your legs quit on you? Either way I want you to give a minute of movement so that you have your feet back under you and make sure you have your footing on the treadmill. Once we have taken care of that I believe we can activate a holo curtain with a projection on it to give you a basic running course you could take. It would not be the greatest illusion of a running course, but it would be better than nothing." Hylota looked to Knorin to see if he had anything to say on the matter.

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy]
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When Hylota told him about the Traveler under the Winter Stars, Khorin set out to protest, like all Klingon blooded, he had a low tolerance to cold temperatures, as his huge collection of sweaters testified it. Even when he endured cold temperatures better than a full-Klingon, the prospect of running in the threadmill in a clearly hostile environment didn't seem palatable to him... until the nurse scratched her chin citing a hand-to-hand combat with a giant arachnid , which aroused the interest of the pilot to such an extent that he leaned forward to check if the Ovri woman wasn't joking ... and he lost his balance slightly when doing it.


Khorin took a couple of quick steps forward, trying to regain stability until he got it by leaning against the wall. He turned to Hylota, still intrigued, and couldn't read anything in the huge-eyed face of the amphibian woman. "[color=silver]Maybe ... maybe that story is not that bad ... although I would prefer it to be in the summer, I'm not very fond of snow and ice[/color]" He would never confirm on his own initiative that he was a cold-sensitive, but if he could avoid the cold he was happy. But finally the nurse totally dismissed the possibility of the holodeck, which was received with a pouted mouth and a disappointed grunt.


In this way, they reached the threadmill, and the Klingon climbed onto the pad without hesitation, noticing its strange texture under his bare feet and the electric sensation emanating from it. It wasn't the first time he was subjected to work on that machine and he didn't have much appreciation to the device. "I'd rather not have to use railings or harness. But if I have to choose one, I prefer the railings” Having to use security measures as if he were a P'Tok was extremely embarrassing for him but neither he nor the nurse could have full confidence that his battered body wouldn't fail again. But he refused to use harness as if he were an invalid. There were humiliations that he wasn't willing to endure.


His first steps were hesitant, getting used little by little to the strange feeling of not being able to direct his steps wherever he wanted to. He staggered a couple of times, but after several minutes, he got a stable step, although quite slow. Khorin wished he could run freely, with long strides, but he knew he couldn't do it so soon. He tried to hide his frustration by biting the inside of his cheeks and went on stubbornly, until Hylota dropped the holo curtain, which meant she approved of his progress. "Can I choose the environment? San Francisco, Ocean Beach, a summer sunrise "


After his move to Earth, and undergoing his jak'tahla, Khorin had drowned his anguish and teenage frustration by running along that shore. The cool breeze of the Pacific, the sound of seagulls and the salty smell had always succeeded in appeasing his spirit. For a moment he wondered what the nurse would think about his choice, being so different from his usual Klingon bravado and given her amphibious nature.

---

P'Tok → Spineless Human Child

jak'tahla → klingon puberty

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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---

As they got over to the treadmill Hylota shook her head. "Sadly that story has the winter setting as rather integeral, of course I feel you do not have the correct image of winter on the world of my people's birth. Qworthrik is not like the human Earth, the seasons are not the same. To the Ovri a winter is what some would call a Mini Ice Age, during our winters the polar caps begin to expand and global temperature averages drop. The epic mainly follows the travels of a hero as they make their way to a great range of mountains, facing the dangers of the untamed wilds in a hope to avert the oncoming winter. You would not mind the first half of the journey I am sure." Hylota began to chuckle as she began to raise the railing around the treadmill, the padded band surrounded the platform and was supported on pistons that would likely have some give to them, allowing for the shock of a fall to be absorbed somewhat without causing too much harm to Khorin.

As Hylota finished raising the railing she activated the holographic curtain and listened to what Khorin wanted to have as the setting before she nodded. "Alright, computer project San Francisco, Ocean Beach, with a summer sunrise." Hylota looked to the curtain as the projection began to activate and depicted a stretch of beach, Hylota took in the image and nodded as she looked it over. "Quite the lovely place, but as I was saying, you would have likely loved the first half of the Traveler's story, it consists of more jungle environments, and contains a few apex predators that hunted Ovri. Considering how much you seem intent on proving your prowess in battle I am sure you would find it quite engaging."

Looking at the setting again Hylota could tell from the architecture that this was no doubt a human city, no doubt one that was on earth, honestly though she could never remember all the names, there were so many notable cities, all of them in vastly different places and many of them in different languages to that of other cities, it was just one big confusing mess. Honestly though Hylota did not care why this was the chosen location for Khorin's walk, to her it was likely just a location that Khorin had been to once before and he just enjoyed the look of for a walk, perhaps he had gone here on leave with a human crew mate once, or perhaps he had even come here as a youth with the human half of his parentage. No matter how Khorin knew the place it was at least a location he was interested in walking in.

Hylota changed her position and looked around the setting once more before she spoke. "For today I feel that we should get a baseline, we will have you walk until you are at your limit, by that I do not mean that I want you to walk until you collapse, I want you to simply go up til the point you feel like you will begin to give out, we will record that and set it as baseline. This way with each visit we can focus on timed walks and perhaps jogs with an endurance test every now and then to see how you are improving. Every now and then I will initiate a upper body workout as well though, just something to keep your  upper body loose. Of course if you feel yourself getting stiff feel free to stretch as you go, I will be here in case the worst happens and you lose all control." Hylota nodded as she looked at the setting once more, sure she might not care the importance, but it helped the patients to talk, so she might as well ask. "So, what makes this place your first choice? We went from considering a battlefield and an epic journey to going for a stroll on a beach, I feel there is some importance to that."

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy]
[Show/Hide]Attn: @Zenozine

 
The Klingon took the training slowly at first, more unstable than he wanted on his feet. This gave him time to reflect on Hylota's words about her home planet and notice the strangeness in her voice facing Khorin's choice of a stage for the holographic curtain, one much less combative than she expected.


"Proving their prowess in battle is what a warrior must do for reach Sto-Vo-Kor, our afterlife, and to success in Klingon society. Maybe I do not live in the Empire, but I want to live by the rules of my Father's people: gain glory in battle, live with honor in heart and die a glorious death. Facing warriors or creatures more powerful than oneself only shows that you have confidence in your heart and the ability to overcome your own adversities .... fighting against an inferior enemy does not allow you to obtain honor, where there is no challenge there is no battle " he finally said, at the time the hybrid accelerated his pace to the long strides to which he was accustomed. Maybe it wasn't the fastest pace, but it was a rhythm he could hold for hours. The pilot knew that his muscular frame was built for brute and explosive strength and he had never tried to develop a fast race, contrary to his constitution.


He continued running in silence for a while, concentrating on his breathing and keeping his steps stable. He started to sweat much sooner than he would have liked, his body far from being at its peak, but still found himself much more in tune with his anatomy than he had been during the rest of the rehabilitation session, maybe because his muscles had warmed up with the previous exercises, or perhaps because his Klingon blood was beginning to get over the human and finally accelerated his recovery process as he had wanted so much. Maybe he had just got used to the soreness of his body and it had become something he could ignore. Either way, his footsteps became more secure, his breathing less hectic.


"I chose this place because it always gave me peace to run on this beach while I lived on Earth," he finally pantted. "And because although my biggest desire would be to be full Klingon, I'm not. I'm half human. And I have to remind myself that, on occasion, I cannot force my body as much as I wish. "A sad smile flashed briefly on Khorin's face. He loved his mother passionately, but his human blood had always been a disadvantage in Qo'noS, put him away from the succession line of his House and was partly the basis of all his problems with Gorka. It was his weakness, his blemish. And for someone so proud and overconfident, remembering it was painful. But necessary.


The minutes stretched while Khorin continued running tirelessly, waiting for the nurse next orders.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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---

Hylota listened to what Khorin had to say about why he chose to do what he did, and she listened to his philosophy on matters, it was interesting to get a view in at other cultures, it made the universe seem all that more large and unique, to remind her that there were people with vastly different ideas and philosophies all over the spectrum. Of course as Hylota considered what was said about how Khorin was half human and how this limited him she let out a sigh. "Well I do not wish to make this about your philosophy, but it sounds at least to me that you are looking at your human side the wrong way. Although it is true that a human is not as physically commanding as a Klingon, humans still can hold their own, through their adaptive nature and ability to change to suit their situation. Humans have snatched victory from the jaws of defeat in many conflicts, even showing their own prowess to match the Klingon Empire in the early years of their Federation. " Hylota stood up as she stopped leaning on the railing. "Humanity might not win every battle, but they return again and again, and you have certainly benefited from that bit of their nature."

Hylota checked the distance traveled and nodded. "Well I guess we have a good baseline here, we can test you on this same distance in the future, see how long it takes you to travel the same length in our next session." Hylota added the data to Khorin's file and stored things away. "Now then, seeing as we are finished with the testing for the day there are a few things we can move on to doing with our time. We can either send you back to quarters to rest and recuperate, trusting you to keep to a regiment of stretches and exercise on your own, or we can keep you here for examination and scheduled stretches with us. I am sure I know which one you would prefer already, but I still must ask for the sake of putting out the option." Hylota stretched as the holographic curtain turned off and the railing descended, the treadmill turning off as Hlyota looked to Khorin.

There was a slight glint in Hylota's eye as she looked Khorin over. "Seeing as you seem intent on having a conflict of some kind to challenge yourself, and considering the space we are in, I would like to make an offer for you. We can have a little bit of a sparring match, see how much mobility you have and gauge how well you can use your body right now. It is a bit unorthodox, but I am sure that it is just the kind of activity you would like to enjoy." Hylota smiled wryly as she considered how this could play out, she knew how far she could go, and she was certain that she could avoid causing any harm to Khorin if she got the upper hand, and in his current state she figured he was not strong enough to be a major threat just yet.

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy]
[Show/Hide]Attn: @Zenozine


Khorin reflected for a few minutes on Hylota's words about human tenacity, clearly seeing the points where her mother's stubbornness had permeated in his own personality. His expression turned into a grimace for a moment. If there was someone in the whole Federation more stubborn than himself, that was his mother. And it was surprisingly scary for someone who barely exceeded five feet. "Well, the next time someone says that I'm a big-headed klingon bastard, I'll blame my human blood" he joked,a cocky grin again in his lips.


Soon after, the nurse decided that the training at the theadmill had been sufficient, and the pilot descended from the device as fast as he could, more than willing to end his stay in the sickbay. Hylota seemed to know perfectly well the idea that was hovering in his head, because even though she offered him the option of staying or leaving, she knew what his choice would be. The Wolves Lounge was calling him, the klingon really needed to know what had happened while he had been in the freezer.


Then, her proposal arrived. A little sparring, just a trainning to check that his body progressed properly after treatment and recovery. It was something that Khorin couldn't deny, lust for battle quickly growing in his broad chest. "I cannot oppose a proposition to engage myself in combat" he growled satisfied. He looked her up and down: although the Ovri woman seemed be in shape, she was shorter than him and considerably lighter. At any other time, he knew that she wouldn't be a match for him, but with his body willing to betray him at any moment maybe fighting with the nurse could be a small challenge. Even with everything, Khorin was sure that he would be victorious. "You just have to promise me that you'll let me know if I hurt you too much, I don't compete if it's not with the intention of winning, pa' tu'lu'bogh vI'Iprup quv puS yay.”

---

pa' tu'lu'bogh vI'Iprup quv puS yay. → There is nothing more honorable than victory.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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---

Hylota let out a soft chuckle, the sound clearly containing some uneasiness, but part of Hylota wanted this, she needed to make sure her body was still strong, to make sure she knew how to use herself in combat. She had invested time since the disaster at the triage center into her defense training, only making more efforts to know how to defend herself since the events of the mutiny. It had proved good for stress relief and exercise, but keeping it to herself was limiting how much she could really apply. Taking a long slow deep breath Hylota looked intently at Khorin before she nodded and smiled to his words. "Of course, just so long as you do the same. If you feel that you have over exerted or that the fight has become too taxing, just let me know. This is just a bit of fun to see how well everything responds to you."

With that last point presented once more Hylota dropped into a stance, it was similar to something out of jujitsu, her arms remaining in close with her hands up and ready, her stance firm, at the very least she looked well practiced, of course her stance did imply that she was prepared to take on a frontal attack. Of course with the Ovri telegraphing and emphasizing intentions to mislead were among the first lessons taught in combat, to be prepared to lead your opponent into a trap. Ovri might never have been the strongest, but they were agile, and Hylota had plans for this advantage.

Of course at the same time Hylota knew her intentions for this spar, it was not for her benefit, it was for Khorin's. Hylota was not going to overpower Khorin, she wanted to make him move, to work his body like this was a fight, to see if it would listen to his demands. So to start Hylota chose to test how well Khorin could follow her movements. Hylota began to move, slowly circling Khorin, observing him as he tracked her, but in a quick movement Hylota leapt, her frog-like legs clearly having a great amount of power as she quickly dashed, moving from Khorin's right into his left, hoping to get him to follow her movements as she moved to dash into Khorin's blind spot behind him. From there she would move in close, prepared to block and not attack, she wanted to see how he would lash out, and she needed to be prepared to take quick unrestrained attacks that would come from lashing out on reflex no doubt.

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy]
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As soon as Hylota began moving, Khorin adopted a defensive guard, more like Philly Shell than a Mok'bara guard. He was familiar with Klingon martial arts, but somehow he had always preferred human boxing. His relaxed attitude disappeared almost instantly, giving way to a frown and a concentrated face. Having never fought against an Ovri, and feeling more insecure of his abilities than he would recognize aloud he decided to play a defensive stance. For once he wouldn't try to take the initiative for himself and play the role of the counterpuncher. It was a role to which he could adapt well, blocking and bobbing whatever Hylota had prepared for him. His training as a pilot had developt his reflexes and quick reactions. He knew that even though he was far from being at his optimal moment he could take a few punches, waiting for a chance that would allow him to give a couple of jabs and hooks to end the fight. Soon he fell into a comfortable  feet routine he could carry for a time, following the movements of the nurse with his face and chest protected.

When the Klingon least expected it, Hylota leaped, shifting direction suddenly trying to reach his back. The body and reflexes of the pilot acted before his conscious thought, shrugging his torso to protect his sensitive areas, while throwing a blow with the elbow to dissuade any combination that the nurse had prepared. As soon as he saw that the Ovri was within his reach, he launched a quick burst of the jabs and cross, seemingly too fast for someone of the Lone Wolf's size. At a certain moment, he felt his fist reach the soft flesh of the nurse. A crooked grin appears in his face when he felt it, and intensified his attack, battle lush began to seize him.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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A few of the cornerstones of Ovri self defense were evasion, agility and redirection, sure a powerful flurry of blows could end a fight before it got too far, but many schools focused on exploiting the natural gifts of the Ovri to allow windows for fleeing. Sure it was not a martial art, but more often then not the best option in a fight was to find an opening to get away, and for a race with natural predictors, knowing how to escape had always been prudent. So as Hylota had a few blind swings thrown her way to make her keep her distance she rocked back on her floor and prepared as a pivot, so when Khorin came at her with a few followup blows, Hylota prepared herself, moving her arms into place as she took a blow.

Hylota did not tense into the strike though, her body turned, allowing her body to turn with the blow as her hands gripped Khorin's arm. With her body positioned in a more stable position,  giving her the ability to pull Khorin into his swing as Hylota pivoted on her heel and turned to throw Khorin. At the same time she began to back away, creating distance between them once more, partially to give Khorin time to recover and partially so that he would have more time to react as she crouched low and charged in low, working on grappling principles to either force Khorin to retreat, or fight as she went for his legs, intent on tackling Khorin. The fight was already rather intense and Hylota could hear the thumping of her heart in her ears as she moved.

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy]
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Khorin rolled over the floorplates, spining around himself to get back on his feet, facing the nurse again, while one of his fist rested on the floor to steady his squated body. On a diferent circunstance, a simple change in his center of gravity and the adequate muscular tension would have prevented her from projecting him to the floor, taking advantage of his weight and greater muscular strength to prevent Hylota from using the inertia of his blows against him. But in some way, the pilot still felt like a Targ who was using his fangs for first time, and his body reacted in unaccustomed manners. His muscles were still too tender and new to fully trust in them. However, on this occasion, that additional difficulty brought a toothy grin to his face. It was a challenge, and Khorin was enjoying it.

When the Ovri threw herself against his legs, ready to knock him down, Khorin spread his feet, stabilizing his position, which made harder that Hylota was able to tackle him down again. Then, he put his left arm around the nurse's body while supporting the heel of his right palm under Hylota's chin, trying to force her to move her head back, leaving her neck exposed. That would give him the chance of strangle her or break her neck in a real fight, in a training match like they were in, it was a quick way to finish the combat. They had barely exchanged a few blows, but the sweat beaded the hybrid's forehead. The long rehabilitation, the exercises he had performed just before the battle began and the time in the freezer began to weight on him. But there were two things for which the Klingons were known: their great stamina that allowed them to fight for long periods of time and their extreme stubbornness. And Khorin, despite being only half-Klingon, had plenty of both. He wouldn't give up. He wouldn't voice his fatigue. He clenched his teeth in a tense smirk, ready to follow with the challenge that Hylota represented.

[ Nurse Hylota Vojona | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Numen 
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As much as Hylota wanted to keep up the fight, to struggle and get herself on top, there was really no nice way to go about it. Ovri battle tactics never excluded "dirty tricks" as other races called them. In battle an Ovri was expected to use any method to gain the edge and survive. In a world with numerous natural predators the original tactics were written differently than those of apex species like humans and klingons, it was an accepted norm that death could be violent and harsh and that you should give as harsh as you could expect to receive. This resulted in much of what Hylota could think of doing being things like attacking weak joints, genitalia, the raw burns, even deceit. These ideas were quickly pushed away and Hylota simply struggled in the firm hold as she thought of how she wanted to progress. Eventually she made her choice and began to pull back, getting her feet back under her once more as she prepared herself, shifting to brace her shoulder's on Khorin's thighs before she kicked off in a sudden jump.

The act was not intended to break free, more to test Khorin's footing, and considering how he took it Hylota decided that their fight was over as she stopped her struggling and took a long slow breath. "That was quite the exhilarating conflict. Sadly I do not see a real way that I could get out of this. Well no way out that would not be detrimental to your recovery. On top of that I do feel that we have done enough stress testing for the time being. I feel you should be fine out on your own, I will see too it that you are returned to your quarters, you should spend the rest of the day in rest, tomorrow I will have a schedule sent to you, a regiment of physical activity and workouts you should try and follow as well as a followup for you. We need to make sure you are keeping active and stretched out, but I see no need to micromanage your progress when you should be fine on your own." Hylota remained where she was and then cleared her throat. "Now that that is finished do you think that I could perhaps be released so that we may make the walk to your quarters together?"

[ Lt. JG Khorin Douglas (https://uss-theurgy.com/w/index.php?title=Khorin_Douglas)| Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy]
[Show/Hide]Attn: @Zenozine

Hylota struggled against his grapple, unable to fully release herself.  But even though Khorin tried hard to keep her immobilised, the nurse flowed between his arms, almost as if she was boneless. The half-klingon curled his lip, trying to regain the advantage he had lost. Despite all his efforts to avoid it, the ovri planted firmly her digitigrade feet on the ground and pushed with her shoulder against the top of his thighs. The pilot tried to keep his balance, but ended up stumbling backwards, without letting go of the woman. Fortunately, he was able to recover his balance before falling to the floor, but the sudden blow showed him again that he was far from being in his prime. The pilot gnashed his teeth with the effort to keep the nurse secured against his chest. He wasn't going to dishonor himself being defeated, he wasn't going to... When the shame began to fan the fires of his anger again, Hylota simply gave in, giving the fight finished. Khorin took a few long minutes to undo his grip, battlelust still high in his bloodstream, while eyelids blinked repeatedly, showing his bewilderment. In addition, although the Ovri granted him the victory of that fight, it tasted as bitter as defeat in Khorin's mouth. He hadn't shown any technical or physical superiority, not even a keenest mind. The fight ended simply because Hylota preferred not to continue fighting, possibly for not stressing his newly thawed body and humiliating him another time. Despite the bitterness of the situation, the hybrid could not help but admire the subtle knowledge that the woman seemed to have about Klingon psychology. The nurse continued telling the next steps to follow, and Khorin simply let her talk without paying too much attention, still struggling with his instinct to keep fighting. In addition, physical activity and stretching were part of a warrior's daily routine, he only had to adapt his own to the medical requirements of his current situation.

It was then that Hylota suggested he must release her, and the hybrid loosened his arms with an apologetic smile on his face. "Yeah, sorry. I guess i was carried along by the thrill of the fight " He rumbled as an apology, his usual boastful tone dimmed for a moment. He took two steps back and slowly inclined his head, granting his respect to the Ovri. Her methods and customs were very different from the Klingons or the Humans, but Hylota was an honorable woman in her own way. And she had earned a big deal of Khorin's respect. Dressing his face again with one of his trademarked crooked grin, he accepted the proposal to walk together to his quarters.

The route to the deck where the Lone Wolves cabins were concentrated was long enough to be taught about the exercise regimen that he must follow, so with a sigh of relief and Hylota on his side, Khorin finally abandoned the sickbay.

- FIN