Star Trek: Theurgy

CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

June 15, 2021, 06:48:58 AM

[ Lieutenant Elro Kobol | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] Attn: Anyone

The injured coming in every time the door opened, the hissing sound in the background activating often but chaotically, Elro worked feverishly to tend the damage on the crewmember he and a nurse were attempting to restore to normal. His blue lab coat held a few tools in pockets over his chest for easy access, though he had the sleeves of the coat rolled up.

There was so much blood on his hands and arms, and gore, though being a doctor he wasn't as affected by it as others. He sensed panic and pain from all around, despite being the disciplined mind that he is, it was getting a little difficult to focus on his efforts.

He focused on the mental barriers he envisioned surrounding his mind to clamp down on his extrasensory reception and doubled his ministrations on his patient.

Elro and the nurse barely managed to stabilize the crewmember before moving onto the next. Klingons were amongst the majority of injured as they had nothing to do but be in the way of the Starfleet crew. Some Klingon medics were assisting in the war to save lives for their battle on Qo'noS had yet to happen and they all wanted to participate.

Hours passed and the medical staff had lost just as many as they had saved. Elro was tired as can be but a nurse had come around with energy drinks and snacks to keep them all going for as long as the battle continued.

Elro found that the criticals had slowed and he was able to supervise, though he was suddenly confronted with spotting the body of Derik Veradin on one of the beds. He slowly approached, the emotional shock began spreading through him at finding someone dead he had history with and desire to reconnect with, and a hand came to cover his mouth as tears formed, then fell down.

His mouth area and chin now covered in someone else's blood, though that didn't register as his realization at his chance of love again was taken from him by war and it pushed him to run out of Sickbay. Though he didn't make it far and found himself slumped against the corridor wall on the floor. He cried. He didn't want to feel anything anymore, much less anything from anyone.

---

OOC: If anyone would like to help Elro, most welcome to.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1300 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #1 – June 15, 2021, 05:02:14 PM

[ Lt Enyd Isolde Madsen | Corridor | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Sqweloookle , @Cheshirewild , Anyone

She was cold. Oh so very cold. Enyd shivered as stumbled her way along the corridor towards the closest sickbay to her quarters. Her body was still thrumming with the aftershock of her earlier fight, leaving her vulnerable in there was another wave of aggression. Her hands felt oddly wet and yet she knew, from obsessive checking, that they were not covered in blood as her mind insisted they were. Enyd refused to look over her shoulder as she continued on her journey. She knew Javec would not be there. She’d helped in his burial ceremony. Giving in to the temptation to look for a dead man hovering over her shoulder would be irrational.

Unlike earlier, Enyd had taken the time to strap her phaser to her side before leaving her quarters. Still, every little noise had her startling into a crouched position despite the pain, eyes darting from side to side as she waited for another attack. Enyd’d sustained no major injury from her earlier encounter, miraculously enough, but her left wrist felt sprained at the very least, her earlier activity had ripped a few of the stitches in her arm, and her right hamstring was tight enough to bounce a ball off of. None of the injuries were critical enough to render her incapable of service, but now that it seemed the worst of the fight was over with the Klingons beaming off Theurgy, Enyd figured it would be best to get things taken care of before another bout of hell broke loose.

It amazed Enyd, just how quickly the other shoe had dropped—or rather plummeted in a fiery fashion. She’d only just memorized the Great Houses at stake this morning before meeting with the rest of the diplomatic corps and had assumed, wrongly, that they’d have more time to prepare for the next stage. And yet now Fate was throwing more at them, and it seemed she wouldn’t have the peace desired for quiet study and reflection.

Her thoughts of self-pity died when, as she moved further along the corridor, Enyd caught sight of a tall man with his back against the wall but his body collapsed on the floor as if he had no more strength to stand. Dressed as a medical personnel member, his hands and arms were covered in what looked to be blood. Real blood. Reflecting on her earlier luck, Enyd could only imagine the horrors he’d been dealing with in sickbay all this time. Irrational guilt tugged at her gut as she continued to study him. It did not take inherent skills of empathy to see that he was in severe distress. Enyd hadn’t met him yet, but that was no surprise. A mere evening on board, and Enyd could personally name only about a dozen crew members she’d had a conversation with, and some of that was “cheating” since they’d transferred with her just the day before.

Enyd had no way of knowing if this man was the run-of-the-mill human or of another species with capabilities that may be helpful for his line of work, including psi powers. But, erring on the side of caution, Enyd resolutely maintained as much emotional and mental composure as possible, considering her own frailty. Enyd knew she wasn’t in the best position to offer great amounts of physical support, but Enyd knew from personal experience, even when in immense emotional or physical pain, it had been comforting to know she wasn’t alone.

Not wanting to surprise him, Enyd called out as she closed the distance between them, “Excuse me,” she didn’t reach to touch him though her human instincts called for her to, “are you in need of help?” She had no way of knowing how he would respond to physical touch while in a state of distress. Keeping her voice calm and open, Enyd continued as she drew up within arm’s reach. “I am Lieutenant Enyd Madsen. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Re: CH06: S [D03|1300 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #2 – June 16, 2021, 09:05:46 AM

 [ Lieutenant Junior Grade Rem Kile | Corridor | Deck 11 | “The Sword” Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz , @sqweloookle , Anyone

Three hours of close-quarters combat against Klingon warriors took a serious toll against the crew of Theurgy. Rem Kile did his best, he fought hard, and now he dragged a fellow crewman, a female Benzite to sickbay. He pushed well past exhaustion. Fight, defend, survive, protect, the Betazoid operated on the most basic of instincts. His body screamed in pain with every step he took. His forearm bled sluggishly from where he earlier blocked a batlh’etlh swipe with his phaser rifle. His side burned from a glancing arc from a ruptured plasma conduit. His tunic hung in tatters from his collar from all of the nicks and superficial cuts he endured in lieu of immediate death. His trousers fared only a little better and for once, he regretted growing his hair long. His bangs draped loosely, matted against his skull with sweat, blocking his view from one eye but it did not matter. That eye had swelled shut from when a Klingon got a lucky shot past his defenses. It took all of his strength to bear his fellow officer’s weight.

“We’re almost there,” Rem croaked past his dry throat. “Hang on a little longer, Detos.” He tightened his grip on the Benzite. Rem refused to leave her behind and so he dragged the woman every step of the way toward sickbay. He spied a figure ahead and called out. Using that much energy led the Betazoid to stumble and fall to one knee. He pushed back to his feet but his body refused to obey.

“Help….” Rem called weakly. “We need help here.”

__________________________________

OOC: When anyone checks Detos isn’t merely dead, she is truly and most sincerely dead.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #3 – June 16, 2021, 06:13:54 PM

[ Lieutenant Elro Kobol | Corridor near Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Cheshirewild @Ellen Fitz

The ache in his heart kept spiking so much pain with every beat, it made him grab at his chest and squeeze his uniform and his flesh underneath. Elro's tears flowed and his breathing turned ragged as the anguish began it's emotional assault. This kept on for several minutes to an hour.

Some of the blood that was around Elro's mouth had been soaked by the tears down his neck, onto his uniform and lab coat, though his hands lay limp at his sides spreading the blood on them on the floor. His vision blurred between blinking as his body attempted to clear them.

His mind raced through the emotional turmoil he'd been in after the Dominion War but it felt so much more powerful as he'd simply had the opportunity and taken it for granted. Self loathing reared up to new heights within him, survivor's guilt sneaked in right behind and Elro wanted to make it all end.

Though his body was tired and he couldn't move as his breathing leveled out, all his tears were spent and he felt numb as well as sleepy. Someone's voice shocked him and made him jump in surprise, Elro snapped his attention towards the voice and slightly shifted away. He blinked furiously and finally his eyes cleared enough to see a human woman real close.

She asked him if he needed help. The first thought was he wanted help to die so he could join Derik, then his body's senses started to return to him. Some of his face, hands and forearms felt stiff and one hand was up like a shield to protect his face, his mind playing a trick that there was an enemy before him with the appearance of a friendly.

That's when she introduced herself as Lieutenant Enyd Madsen and she asked if there was anything she could do for him. He lowered his arm as he kinda just stared at her, he blinked every so often as if processing what was going on like coming out of a trance. He may or may not have croaked out so softly, ”Lost. Him. Forever.” He thought he imagined speaking.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #4 – June 17, 2021, 06:16:14 AM

[ Lt Enyd Isolde Madsen| Corridor | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] @Sqweloookle , @Cheshirewild

Enyd was glad she hadn’t touched him. Hearing her voice, the handsome man jerked away, his hand rising to protect his face as if she were one of the Klingon boarders about to attack. He only lowered his hand once she finished introducing herself. But recognition of her as anything more than a strange being staring at him didn’t cross his features. His eyes appeared glazed with his blink rate that of one coming out of a hypnotic state. And she had to lean closer to hear him whisper. But Enyd quickly braced her hand on the wall above his head to keep from falling. Her tight hamstring was making it a challenge to be limber.

“Lost. Him. Forever.”

Even if she hadn’t heard his whisper correctly, Enyd felt the truth of them explode in her own heart. Here she’d come to offer assistance, and instead, his pain had reignited her own. Enyd winced as the emotional ache shivered through her body, aggravating the physical discomfort already there. Her hands throbbed with the imagined coating of his blood, and it took every iota of her willpower to keep from looking over her shoulder for Javec. His handsome smirk would only ever been seen again in her memory. She’d gone through hell, almost literally, to do away with this kind of debilitation. But it seemed present circumstances were proving that she wasn’t nearly as healed from past trauma as Enyd would’ve like to believe.

Suddenly hearing a familiar voice croak out a plea just down the corridor, Enyd looked up. Her heart leapt to her throat at the sight of an injured Rem kneeling next to the body of a comrade. His disheveled hair blocked vision in one eye, and his uniform was shredded in places from apparent battle. Thoughts of her own pain, physical or emotional, rapidly receded, replaced with worry. Glancing down at the almost catatonic man for but a moment longer, Enyd pushed herself from the wall and hobbled towards her friend.

“Saints, Rem!” Enyd squatted next to him. Her hands instinctively reached out to touch, but faltered in the air around him. There was still much she didn’t know about the Betazoid, but Rem's aversion to touch had been earlier recognized. Quickly, Enyd shifted her attention to the fallen woman on the floor next to him. Seeing no obvious movement that would denote life, Enyd placed her fingers against the pulse point in her neck. Nothing. Looking back to Rem, Enyd shook her head. “She’s gone, Rem. I’m sorry. But let’s get you to sickbay, okay?”

If having someone else to take care of had been enough to snap her out of her earlier panic, perhaps involving the distressed man would help him as well. Enyd shifted in her crouch to gaze at the stranger.

Enyd channeled calm steel into her voice when she addressed him, “I can’t carry him.”

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #5 – June 18, 2021, 07:58:45 AM

[ Lieutenant Junior Grade Rem Kile | Corridor | Deck 11 | “The Sword” Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz  , @Sqweloookle  , Anyone

“Dead,” Rem peered with his one good eye. The voice sounded familiar until his vision cleared. “Enyd, Lieutenant Madsen! No, she-Detos can’t be dead. We were just talking! She and Klein escorted me to sickbay. We met a boarding party. Lost Klein in the confusion. She can’t–” He turned his attention to the Benzite in his grasp and dared to reach out to her mind. A surge of bile and grief threatened to overwhelm him.

“She helped me defend the computer core.” He choked. “I wouldn’t be here if not for her. Detos, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t fast enough. I’m–” He pinched his eye shut and a visible shift passed over him. All sense of grief and exhaustion vanished, replaced with stone-faced determination. The Betazoid pushed to his feet and gently took Detos into his arms.

“I have her, Lieutenant,” his voice betrayed no strain. “If you would, please direct me to sickbay.”

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #6 – June 18, 2021, 04:20:05 PM

[ Lieutenant Elro Kobol | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Cheshirewild @Ellen Fitz

He watched as the woman's own emotions mimicked his own and it kind of flipped a switch in his mind as the professional healer took notice. It took over and pulled Elro out of his numbness, though before he could do  or say anything a new voice called out to them and the woman, Lieutenant Enyd Madsen was her name he recalled, rushed off.

Elro observed Enyd went to reach out to this new officer, Rem? He caught the name and how Enyd didn't actually follow through on touching him. Strange, Elro wondered why then noticed the Benzite woman next to them, he knew she was dead as he couldn't get any emotions or thoughts off her. Only Rem and Enyd registered on his extrasensory reception.

Emotions that had just mirrored his own was coming from the new officer though it soon was pushed aside as the man, a Betazoid Elro realised as he connected to Rem psionically. Though only a gentle soft caress against Rem's mind, not a probe, Elro withdrew as it was so easy linking with other Betazoids that he had to remember to ask first especially after introductions.

He slowly got to his feet, he saw dried blood all over his hands, forearms and could feel it on his mouth, neck and his uniform. The stiffness of the blood told him he had been almost catatonic long enough for the blood to dry. Elro recalled Derik's body was back in sickbay and he was utterly not prepared to see him again. Though Rem had asked Enyd to direct him to sickbay, Elro had his duty to tend to and he couldn't just fall into an emotional abyss when others relied on him.

Elro approached Rem and Enyd, he couldn't imagine how haunted he looked having blood on him in all the horror film places and not to mention how exhausted he felt. Though new determination gave him a little boost at the decision to focus on his purpose. ”Hello Lieutenants Madsen and Rem,” he hadn't caught the fellow Betazoid man's surname so left it for Rem to correct him. ”Sickbay is this way, come.” He said.

Turning around to walk back into Sickbay was the hardest thing he had ever had to force himself to do. Elro had to say goodbye to Derik, now was the only chance there was but first he had to make sure Enyd and Rem were treated.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #7 – June 20, 2021, 09:57:50 AM

[ Lieutenant Junior Grade Rem Kile | Corridor | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz  , @Sqweloookle  , Anyone


Rem shivered at the telepathic touch much like how one starved of skin contact craved it. He stiffened with surprise and took in the black eyes of the man before him. Another Betazoid, the spy thought. Any other time Rem’s reaction might have tugged between childlike delight and shameful reticence, but at present, he pushed his body to obey with pure adrenaline. He had nothing to spare for his conflicted emotions. Rem took in the figure before him with an appraising eye.

The Betazoid was taller than Rem by five or more centimeters, blond, chiseled of feature, scruffy but handsome, and broad of shoulders. The spy estimated that the figure easily had 15 kilograms of muscle on him. While imposing of stature, the stranger’s presence felt cerebral. He projected near overwhelming grief but he bit it back in order to care for Rem and Enyd. Rem noted belatedly that the new arrival wore medical scrubs covered with the dried blood of various species smeared across the placket.

A doctor, a surgeon by the look of his scrubs. The spy chastised his lapse. I am tired if I missed the obvious.

He put one foot before the other in a nearly mechanical procession that led past double doors of frosted transparent aluminum. The clear portion at the center, along the seam where the doors touched, formed an Asclepius symbol, universally recognized throughout Starfleet to denote centers specializing in medical care.

Interns rushed to assist the instant they saw the wounded. “We have her,” one gently relieved Rem of his burden and he watched as they lay the body of Detos on a gurney and moved away. Rem stood bereft of purpose and remained standing, silent, staring into the distance until Detos disappeared behind a door.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #8 – June 20, 2021, 04:24:37 PM

[ Lt Enyd Isolde Madsen| Corridor | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] @Sqweloookle  @Cheshirewild

Enyd watched the emotions play across Rem’s face: recognition, confusion, denial, horror, anguish, resolute acceptance. She clenched her fingers into fists to resist the temptation to touch her friend in comfort. As a Betazoid, receiving direct touch from her was one of the last things he needed.

Enyd nodded as Rem recounted the heroics of his comrade. “She did her job, Rem, just as you did yours. And we are all still here because of it.” It may not be the most comforting thing to say, but it was the ultimate truth. The loss of life was only ever deemed acceptable when the mission was a success by the higher-ups, and the very fact that the ship was still running and they weren’t all dead proved to Enyd that both Rem and Detos and the others with Rem had been successful.

The taller man she’d left catatonic on the floor had since recovered, appearing in her peripheral as Enyd watched Rem pull Detos’ body into his arms and stand up. Enyd was slower in standing, shamelessly reaching out to lean against the corridor’s wall to basically climb up. Silly hamstring. Certainly the trio of them looked a sight, even without the dead body in tow. Enyd realized then she was the only one without blood coating various parts of her body or uniform. Of course, she still fought against the phantom feeling of blood on her hands, but she was rational enough in the moment to recognize that didn’t “count.”

Enyd fell into line with Rem to follow the taller man into sickbay. From the stiff way in which the man walked back towards the room he’d obviously fled from just moments before, Enyd was sure he was battling his own set of internal demons in order to assist them. They didn’t hand out medals for that type of fight. She would know.

Once they entered, her eyes drifted over the other occupants, spying Klingons among those assisting in stabilizing patients. Such a fascinating contrast. Here, they were allies; out there, they were enemies. Enyd sighed. This has to stop. Whatever needed to be done to end this battle between the houses had to be done, and soon. This type of slaughter, with the crew caught as collateral, could not continue.

Enyd dared to touch Rem’s elbow, albeit lightly, only once the medical interns took hold of Detos’ body and carted her out of sight. She offered him a soft smile of reassurance before turning to look back to the man they’d followed.

“I only have a sprain in the wrist and a strained hamstring. I think,” Enyd hobbled closer to the examination area, “So nothing needing immediate attention. I’d rather Rem get taken care of first.” Enyd shifted out of the way of the comings and goings of the room.

She waited only for a few moments longer before her curiosity got the better of her, and Enyd asked, “If you don’t mind, are you sure you’re alright to be assisting us?” She held up her non-injured hand. “Not to be ungrateful for your time and help. I mean, just a few moments ago, you were collapsed in the corridor. This may sound presumptuous, but it looked to me you were fairly close to a complete shutdown.” Enyd shook her head and sighed. She was indeed coming across as both presumptuous and pushy. Best to hush while the hushing was good. “I’m sorry. It really is none of my business. Please forgive the intrusion. I just,” she sighed again and gave a half shrug, “well, as cliché as it may sound, you’re not alone. So if there is anything I can do to help, please let me know.”

Her eyes traveled back to Rem, and her lips tugged back into a half-smile. “Same goes for you, Rem.”

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #9 – June 23, 2021, 12:27:26 PM

[ Joint post between Lieutenant Elro Kobol & Lieutenant Junior Grade Rem Kile & Lieutenant Enyd Isolde Madsen | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Cheshirewild @Ellen Fitz

“Thank you, Lieutenant.” The intel agent slid onto the biobed without argument, a testament to the severity of his fatigue. He leaned back with a hiss of pain, favoring his ribs, as well as the wound in his side where his uniform was scorched, as if by some kind of energy discharge. He rested his head back and data began to crawl across the black panel at the side. He felt ashamed to intrude on the doctor’s grief but to mention it, to voice it seemed wrong somehow, so he played his part as a patient and reported what happened.

“I broke my rib in an earlier engagement with Klingons.” He licked dry lips as he thought back to the battle. “The medic mended it and send me here for better treatment. We encountered another boarding party on the way. I held them off while the others provided fire support. A panel burst at some point. I remember feeling burned. The rest I imagine is cuts and bruises.”

Elro smiled as Rem got on the biobed, though he glanced over at Enyd. ”Very well but you are next.” He said with authority, ”Chief Medical Officer's orders.” He said and turned to the trolley next to the bed, grabbed the medical tricorder and scanned Rem's torso to get an idea of the where and what.

Enyd nodded, "I wouldn't dream of breaking such orders. I'm in no state to run away." She winced when she shifted wrong and tweaked her leg as an unnecessary  reminder. "I'm afraid I never got your name, doctor."

”Doctor Elro Kobol , at your service.” He said, a half smile on his lips as he gave Enyd a sideways glance from reading his medical tricorder. Though the smile seemed genuine but somewhat lacking, he was emotionally drained after all and they had seen him like that.

“Chief Medical Officer,” Rem met the other Betazoid’s gaze as he spoke. “I studied your profile before coming aboard. I missed you earlier when I came in for my physical. This isn’t how I would have preferred to say hello.”

”Welcome aboard, well our situation is not one that we have much freedom in. I'm glad both of you could join us and help us free Starfleet Command.” He said, after focusing on Rem again.

"I'll admit I played hooky from the standard medical checkup I was supposed to report to this morning but it has been a rather hurried transfer and integration process." Enyd smirked at his commendation of her support in the defense and shook her head. "I was thrown like a baseball down a corridor after stabbing an angry Klingon with a fork. I would not compare that in any fashion to the legitimate efforts made by Rem or others like him elsewhere on the ship."

"I was thrown like a baseball down a corridor after stabbing an angry Klingon with a fork. I would not compare that in any fashion to the legitimate efforts made by Rem or others like him elsewhere on the ship."

Rem heard the strain in the doctor’s voice. He sensed how Kobol  had suppressed his pain and grief in order to care for others a little while longer, to project a calm, confident air for their benefit. The Intel officer had done the same with Detos only a short time ago. Did his words make a difference while she was dying? He hoped so. He had been alone, wounded, and surrounded by enemies. He clung to the certain knowledge that Starfleet would not abandon him. He might have been too late to save Crewman Detos, but she knew he would get her to safety. She would go home to her family and rest peacefully with those who loved her. It was a small comfort but at this moment when everything seemed uncertain, it helped.

He thought of Enyd, new to the ship like him and facing less certain odds. He reached, falteringly, until he took her hand in his own. He had no words of solace, nor could he promise a certain and peaceful future, but he could offer comfort in this place and at this moment. He squeezed her hand and offered her a smile with a split lip and an epic shiner. It might have offered less certainty but he meant it. He squeezed her hand and when Doctor Elro Kobol  returned, he took his fellow Betazoid by the hand and squeezed.

~I’m sorry for your loss.~ He projected softly and shared his strength, his will to fight and press on. He gave of himself to bolster the doctor’s control so that Elro could hang on just a little while longer--so that he could offer hope to others.

~Thank you for helping us.~ He met the doctor's gaze with gentle warmth.

Elro suddenly realised he'd been asked why he had been in the corridor like he was when Enyd and Rem showed up. He didn't really want to talk about this now but it seems to not consume him as it did when he first discovered Derik's body and his future with the pilot was utterly shattered before he could even get it started.

The doctor was in professional mode now and having cried, hard, had given him some respite from the grief. Though it was still there nagging at the edges of his sanity. Elro glanced over at Enyd again and a single tear as if it had been stuck in his eye bulged and fell. He could sense it as it travelled down his cheek. ”I understand your concern but I am somewhat better now, I just discovered that our assistant chief helmsman, who I had history with, is dead in here somewhere.” He said sadly.

The tricorder chirped and he quickly focused on it, read it then closed it. Elro put it back on the trolley and started to arrange the tools he was about to use. Then he noticed the blood. He frowned. ”Excuse me, I must clean my hands.” He said and went to the nearest cleaning basin where surgeons could clean up.

Though Doctor Kobol  answered her questions in a professional tone of voice,  Enyd was quick to note the single tear making its way down his cheek. At his explanation, Enyd felt her heart lurch. She hoped, morbidly so, that the helmsman didn't die in Kobol 's arms, that the man could've been spared at least that much. After finishing his study of Rem's readings, the doctor seemed to notice the blood for the first time and was quick to excuse himself.

Enyd startled when she felt Rem's warm hand encompass her own. She couldn't help but stare dumbfounded between where his skin pressed against hers and his face, taking in the split lip smile with equal befuddlement. She felt a wash of emotions not her own; they were comforting, bolstering, and it didn't take Vulcan logic to deduct that they came from Rem. Enyd offered her own smile in return and squeezed his hand, albeit carefully, in case he had an injury even he hadn't known about.

Though not completely clean, there was some blood still stained on Elro's hands. He returned to Rem and was about to pick up the first tool to start treatment on Rem's ribs but the other Betazoid reached out and held his own hand. The squeeze of his hand immediately made Elro recall Enyd's hesitation to touch Rem from earlier, and now they were connected by skin.

That opened both to link their minds, although Betazoids didn't need touch. Elro noted that Rem was holding Enyd's hand as well and she was a bit shocked but smiled back at him. So the doctor too was about to do the same when a voice came through the connection.

~I’m sorry for your loss.~ Elro 'heard' Rem's mental words say and they came with projected feelings of strength and softness. ~Thank you for helping us.~ Rem added with warmth.

This truly made Elro smile genuinely and his expression softened though there was darkness around the light that would not be banished. Elro doubted he'd truly get over his loss of Derik, he'd need time. ~Thank you, and you are welcome Rem.~ Elro replied then added with a smirk. ”Now can I have my hand back so I can treat you?”

~Oh, but it’s such a nice hand,~ Rem’s thoughts slipped past his control and he pinched his eyes shut in embarrassment, more so when Enyd’s smile indicated that he had said it aloud at the same time. The heat flushing his cheeks glowed a rosy hue against his porcelain pale skin. His lips broke into an involuntary smile, much needed after spending hours desperately whipping the baying hounds of death back. He released the doctor’s hand with a measure of reluctance and rested his arms at his side. Rem winced, as now that nothing distracted him from it, the pain of myriad cuts and bruises screamed for attention, none louder than his ribs. He sucked air between his teeth in a pinched effort to keep from yelling out.

“I think I tore loose what the medic did to my ribs!” He gasped.

Elro chuckled, though Rem was being adorable, the doctor remained professional. It really was what was now holding back the emotional storm that was brewing behind his mental defenses. Elro wanted to do his duty before he had to seek out Derik to say goodbye.

”That teaches you to be more careful, now doesn't it." Elro said softly, he was about to start the treatment but realised that he'd need Rem's shirt off. ”I'm going to have to cut your shirt off Lieutenant, well it is in tatters anyway,” he observed with a smirk.

He got a pair of scissors from the trolley and started cutting the shirt. Once that was done, Elro picked up the tool that he'd use to help regenerate the broken parts of Rem's ribs. He placed his other hand on top of Rem's chest. ”Breathe softly, slowly and fully Lieutenant.” He instructed as he had to see the full range of movement Rem's ribs would go to make sure that he didn't set the rib too short or long.

Rem shivered at the doctor’s touch. He ached for skin contact and it did not help that the doctor tested the Betazoid’s control in ways other than managing his empathic projection. The cutting off of his shirt possessed a sensual quality and his reaction felt wholly inappropriate given the tragedies that played out only a short time ago. Still, the body did not think or care, it only responded to stimulus and Dr. Kobol ’s touch proved quite stimulating.

The Betazoid Intel officer forgot his pain in his scramble to limit the embarrassment his body presented. He took deep breaths or rather, he attempted but they felt fluttery and nervous. Rem had snaked his hand back until he clasped with Enyd once more and now, to his dismay, he discovered that he had been squeezing her hand quite tightly. He let go, quickly, fronting now two vectors of embarrassment. He finally gave up as he felt his body react fully. He blushed deep inside his core and pinched his eyes shut in silent humiliation. This behavior seemed beneath him, especially now, and yet he could not control his most basic physical impulses. It struck him suddenly how long it had been since he had last felt the touch of one of his own people.

Lenzo. He breathed a mournful sigh at the memory of his distant and former love.

I worried because he grew cold and distant. He reflected privately. Now I am exactly the same.

“It feels better.” Rem reported as the doctor worked.

”I'm glad.” He smiled and put the tool he was using down, then picked up the dermal regenerator. All the while left his other hand on Rem's chest.

A moment later Elro had the regenerator hovering over the worst of the bruisers and cuts, he switched hands. He kind of kept pressure on Rem's chest so the other Betazoid would stay still. It helps the ribs heal. ”Stay still, your rib needs to set.”

Thea's voice came over the speaker in his combadge. ”Doctor Kobol , you are requested to join the away team on the Allegiant's mission to Praxis, departure is soon, I suggest preparing now and reporting to the Allegiant's departure lounge as soon as possible.”

”This is Kobol , understood Thea, thank you for the warning.” Elro said as he wondered who was leading the mission and then turned to face Enyd. Chief Petty Officer Jacques Hebot was walking past and Elro called him over. ”Hello, please make sure that this man stays still for an hour or so, his ribs are healing.”

”Hello, yes Doctor,” Jacques replied with a smile and a nod, the enlisted nurse went to the other side of the biobed and replaced Elro's hand with his on Rem's chest.

”For only an hour or so Rem.” Elro said and patted the other Betazoid on the chest a few times. ”I'll see you when I get back. Okay Lieutenant Madsen your turn.” He left Rem's side and gestured for Enyd to join him by the now available biobed next to Rem.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #10 – June 25, 2021, 01:51:36 PM

[ Lt Enyd Isolde Madsen | Corridor | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] @Sqweloookle  , @Cheshirewild

Enyd couldn’t help but blink with a dumbfounded smile touching her lips as she watched both Rem and Doctor Kobol . Rem because of the obvious red-hue growing in his cheeks the longer the doctor administered attention to him and in direct response to his observation on the niceness of the doctor’s hands. And the doctor for how smoothly he seemed to be receiving Rem’s apparent attraction and attention. Enyd could not detect the deeper emotions of a person like her friend, but she had perfectly working eyes. If her instincts hadn’t been rattled off-kilter by that Klingon throw earlier, she would venture a guess that Rem found the doctor more than a little passing fair and that the doctor, though in pain from a recent loss, was not blind to Rem if his professional but affectionate verbal banter could be used as evidence towards that fact. Fascinating.

Enyd winced in sympathy as she watched and listened to the doctor set Rem to rights again. When he had to cut off Rem’s shirt, Enyd averted her eyes and lightly fanned herself. It seemed the room had grown warmer suddenly. And it wasn’t because she was attracted to Rem. He did have a lovely physique, and he was attractive, but Enyd knew she was not his type. No, the fanning came from the deeper nuances of the situation. It was evident to her that Rem found Doctor Kobol  attractive, and he was obviously having a physical response to the doctor’s touch, and those two factors together, withEnyd being a naturally empathetic individual towards her friends, and she could only imagine the sorts of difficulties Rem was having at the moment. When Rem took hold of her hand again and squeezed it, tightly, this only proved her assumptions about his predicament correct.

Though Rem quickly pulled his hand away in embarrassment moments later, Enyd reached out and lightly patted the back of it in reassurance as she projected calming thoughts. She knew from personal experience that the body didn't give a damn about timing. Her eyes remained on Doctor Kobol ’s movements now, fascinated to watch how the tools he used knit together Rem’s injuries. She’d always found medicine interesting, just hadn’t had the patience for it. So engrossed in her study of his work, Enyd jerked in surprise when Thea’s voice chimed in through his combadge. The instructions were straightforward and denoted the necessity for speed.

When Doctor Kobol  moved next to an empty biobed and gestured for Enyd to join him, Enyd fell against Rem’s biobed in her efforts to move quickly. Then, righting herself from one clumsy mess, fell into the doctor himself when her leg locked up. She had to grab handfuls of the doctor’s uniform and cling like a damsel in distress to keep from collapsing to the floor entirely. Holding on to keep from falling irritated her bum wrist, but Enyd would rather irritate the wrist than fall to the floor. Again. Thus, it was Enyd’s turn to be embarrassed, but for entirely different reasons.

Tipping her head back to stare up into the doctor’s face, Enyd sighed, “Terribly sorry, Doctor Kobol . My leg is locking up more now. Not sure what you need to do to loosen it back up,” she tried to pull herself up, using his body as a ladder, but it was to no avail, and so she continued to hang there like a limp monkey, “but I’d like to keep the leg if you don’t mind.”

Enyd tipped her head to the side and quickly added, “Also, once we get my silliness squared away, I’d be happy to help you prepare and organize for the away mission if you have a need. Call it an act of gratitude for fixing me straight again.”

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #11 – July 19, 2021, 04:44:59 AM

[ Lieutenant Elro Kobol | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Cheshirewild and @Ellen Fitz  I do apologise for the delay.

Elro caught Enyd as she seemed to have difficulty, this concerned the Betazoid doctor. His instinct was to probe her mind for what it could be that caused her fall but he refrained; however, he kept his senses open though somewhat focused on the, what she appeared to be, clumsy woman.

He felt her embarrassment and pain. She then explained that her leg seized up and then half joked about that she'd like to keep it attached. Elro raised an eyebrow and half smirked at the joke, he assisted her to the biobed as she explained that she'd return the favour and help him pack for the Praxis away mission.

”Very well Lieutenant, but let's get this sorted first.” Elro said as he lifted Enyd onto the biobed carefully. ”When did this start and what were you doing when it started?” He asked as he went to his trolley for his tools.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #12 – July 23, 2021, 10:07:30 AM

[ Lt Enyd Isolde Madsen| Corridor | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] @Sqweloookle  , @Cheshirewild

Enyd couldn’t disguise the gasp of surprise at how effortlessly Doctor Kobol  moved as he adjusted from catching her to lifting her onto the biobed. Thankfully, he turned away to retrieve his tools from the trolley and so didn’t see the playful wink Enyd sent Rem behind the doctor's back. The man was attractive; he was strong, and he seemed accomplished. That he could move from a state of crisis back into a position to render aid was testimony to his internal strength and character. While he could be the type to find both genders attractive, Enyd had a strange instinctive suspicion that the man leaned more towards the likes of Rem than herself. Not that she was in the market in any regard but-

Enyd blinked. Surprise slithered through her body and momentarily stole her ability to process current stimuli. Enyd realized sitting there on that biobed, with Rem beside her and Doctor Kobol  asking her questions, that she hadn’t even thought of another being as a potential partner since Javec’s death. Yes, it had been literal years, but the concept just had never crossed her mind before this moment. Of course, the concept was still negated because of circumstances, but the very fact that the concept HAD even crossed her mind was a sign of…progress? Enyd shook her head and filed the existential debate for later study.

Realizing with a blush that she hadn’t yet answered Doctor Kobol ’s question, Enyd laughed, “Do you know baseball, Doctor Kobol , the Earth game? Even if you don’t imagine this,” she used her non-injured hand to draw pictures in the air as she spoke, “giant Klingon grows upset with pesky human, picks up said human, and chucks her down the corridor as if she were nothing more than a human baseball.” She gave a half shrug then, “Thankfully, I know how to adjust weight and momentum in the air from previous years of gymnastic training and martial arts, but I landed wrong regardless and in my frantic running to get to my corridors to then engage in a shootout with said Klingon and friends, I must’ve pulled something. And I think the wrist is also from the landing or the corridor sparring,” another half-shrug, “but neither injury is major, and I recognize how lucky I am. Both are quite distracting nonetheless.”

Enyd looked around the room again and sighed inwardly and outwardly at the continued evidence of turmoil. Although she spoke more, it was more a voiced thought than intended for dialogue. “I would like to get back into a position to be of greater use than I presently am, that much is certain. I don't like feeling useless.”

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #13 – August 07, 2021, 05:48:48 PM

[ Lieutenant Elro Kobol | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Cheshirewild @Ellen Fitz apologies for the delay. We are still packing but we have a new house contract so we just have to wait the time set for settlements. Lockdowns in my area are not helping.

Elro couldn't help but somewhat chuckle at Enyd as she explained what happened to her. It all seemed comedic like some of those old Earth cartoons he'd come across in the library back at the Academy. Though he calmed down and frowned. ”You may believe they aren't major but combined it is serious.” Elro said as he got his medical tricorder and scanned her from head to toe.

”I too do not like feeling useless, I'm sure everyone has that dislike.” He commented with a smile as he took a few deeper scans of her legs and transferred the data to the monitor above the biobed. He examined her leg in sections and got to work on fixing what he could in the time he had before the Praxis away mission was to launch.

He finished and smiled as he made eye contact with Enyd. ”Well you are mostly good to go Lieutenant, though test your legs before you walk on them, is that clear?” Elro ordered with his eyes narrowed at her. He waited a moment before continuing. ”Now I will be getting ready for my away mission, join me when you are ready.” He said and patted her hand before leaving her.

Elro went to start packing supplies, gear and equipment for the Allegiant's sickbay in the storage room.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #14 – August 23, 2021, 03:30:08 PM

[ Lt Enyd Isolde Madsen| Corridor | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] @Sqweloookle

“The devil is in the details, my grandmother always used to say. Never quite understood what she meant when she said it, but I suppose it is in line with what you’ve said, Doctor Kobol.” She always felt odd sitting still while someone scanned her, almost as fidgety as a child, but Enyd’s leg truly felt bad enough to keep her still until the doctor was done scanning and administering the necessary assistance.

“Test my legs,” Enyd chuckled, “aside from walking on them, is there another way to test?” She was again just trying to lighten the mood, considering the pain Doctor Kobol had been in when she’d first seen him not long before. Enyd was tentative about scooting off the biobed and standing on her own two feet again. She did a slow plie with each leg with a releve in between the movements. There was still some residual tightness, but overall, it truly was as good as new.

After checking to ensure that Rem was recovering well, Enyd began to follow Doctor Kobol to the storage area, only to pause halfway from the biobed and the storage room when she was called up and informed she’d be accompanying an away team to Qo’nos, leaving soon as well. Curious that both she and the Doctor would be on away missions and at such a time…

“I’m curious,” Enyd spoke as she entered the storage area and immediately made herself available and useful to the doctor in whatever way he indicated, “what is up the proverbial shirtsleeves right now since we are both to be on away missions shortly. You to the Allegiant and myself to the Rosalind Franklin.”

She worked efficiently and quietly for but a few moments before she tiptoed back into the deep waters many preferred not to swim in.

“On Cardassia my fiancé bled to death in my arms.” Enyd stopped and shook her head. That was an abrupt way to begin, but there was no going back now. “I haven’t been in a skirmish since that day two years ago.” Enyd paused in her work to look at the doctor, holding up her hands for him to see, “I know there is no blood on my hands right now but ever since the fight earlier I keep feeling the warm, sticky sensation of Javec’s blood coating my skin.” Dropping her hands, Enyd sighed. “Grief is strange, Doctor Kobol. I have healed in so many ways, grown in so many ways since his death, and yet something can trigger that sort of reaction in an instant.”

Enyd shook her head and resumed her work, “Life goes on after death, is what I’m trying to say, Doctor Kobol. Not flippantly or nonchalantly, either. The grief will remain with you in the same way the memories will, and if you’re of that blessed population who finds love again, you will have room for it. Between grief and love, I’ve found that love takes up more space in the heart when given the chance.”

She hoped the doctor sensed her sincerity, her desire to support and encourage him through this difficult time, instead of taking offense with her words so soon after the loss of his lover.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1640 hrs] Out Of Love Luck

Reply #15 – September 26, 2021, 03:59:52 AM

Responses from @Ellen Fitz added with permission.

[ Lieutenant Elro Kobol | Main Sickbay - Storage Room | Deck 11 | "The Sword" Vector 02 USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Ellen Fitz apologies for the delay

Having managed to pack at least one container before Enyd joined him in the Storage room, Elro wondered what exactly their goals at Praxis are. Will they all be going down to the surface or just some of them? Probably just a small team, Elro mused, he hoped to go as well.

”I imagine we will need to go to the surface of Praxis and do some recon.” Elro replied to Enyd's first question. ”I better grab a phaser on the way to the Allegiant, though I do not wish to shoot anyone unless I have to.”

"I'm a good shot myself but if a diplomat starts shooting, well, then, you better be better at running than I am at shooting because something went terribly wrong."

Elro laughed as they continued packing the various supplies and equipment that the Allegiant isn't normally stocked with, then doubled on some of the more commonly used liquids in vials, etcetera. Enyd began speaking about her fiancé dying in her arms and abruptly stopped before shaking her head. On Cardassia no less, the hub of the Dominion's operations in the Alpha and Beta quadrants.

Though he came to terms with his arranged marriage's death on his homeworld when the Dominion invaded, even though they had never met or knew each other, it was more the concept of a romance that he mourned. So he had gone into full career obsession, though the occasional flights of lust had gripped him along the way. Derik being one of them, maybe one other that was lost on the Endeavour.

Even before he could dive into the pool of emotions like self-loathing, grief, survivor's guilt and anger in a variety of ways at the situation of Derik's death, Enyd went on. Elro found he could pack the supplies while listening though the emotional storm was brewing again.

He nodded in agreement when she said grief is strange, though many emotions fit that bill and even his own people had not yet fully explored the emotional landscape. A good handful are Counselors in both Starfleet and civilian agencies, most had a grasp on how emotions affected the various species but there was always something to learn.

Elro had to admit it was a pretty good pep talk, he smiled when she finished as he picked up on her sincerity. ”I thank you for your support Lieutenant Madsen.” He said, Elro quickly got back to packing as time was of the essence and they couldn't waste any when away missions could start at any minute. ”We better get going soon. We can talk once our missions are over, now you stay safe okay.” He added a moment later with a wink.

"I exist in a state of chaos, or so I've been told, so while I can't make any promises that I won't end up waltzing into danger, you have already seen for yourself that I 'bounce' fairly well and should be fine."

It took another 10 minutes before they had packed everything Elro wanted, of course there was much more he had liked to bring but their away missions and fellow officers may be waiting on them. ”See you when I see you.” Elro said in farewell as he carried the containers on an antigrav sled to the Allegiant's docking lounge, though could hear Enyd call after him.

"See you later handsome."

FIN