Heart to heart

Posted on Tue Feb 23rd, 2021 @ 10:23am by Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Commander Sthilg

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Sickbay
1349 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Her appointment with Tate over Alicia was passing by Sthilg’s Office, seeing her adoptive father sitting at his desk she paused by the door. “Knock, Knock. Hope I’m not disturbing your peace and quiet?”

Looking up from his work the gorn face lit up at the sight of his adoptive daughter. " No, not at all. How are you today my dear."

Walking in Alicia took a seat, “I’m fine, just here for my eight month check up and prenatal class. I was surprised to see Tate but to be honest she made me feel so at ease, she’s put my fears to rest.

" I hope everything'sss well. Isss your blood pressssssure ssstable?" the old lizard inquired.

“Still a little on the high side, but Tate is happy with it for now.” Alicia smiled warmly. “To be honest I haven’t noticed anything to indicate any blood pressure problems, no headaches or anything. I find myself more tired than anything but for eight months I’m not surprised.”

" That'sss good. Won't be long before ssshe'll be joining this world. I hope Conner won't mind his little sssissster. " The gorn replied. " Have you gotten everything ready for her?"

“More or less” Alicia nodded. “I had poor Savar rearrange the nursery so many times before we finally settled on an agreed layout.” She shook her head. “She’ll be sleeping in with us in her Moses basket to start with though. I’m hoping Connor will enjoy having a little sister.”

" I'm sssure he'll adore her and do his bessst to help look after her. He may be young, but I'm already ssseeing a bright and caring man that he'sss going to become or it may be he'sss nice around his grandad because i give him wooden ssstarssship toysss." Sthilg replied with a chuckle.

“Ohh yes he loves those!” Alicia grinned. “Better than the toys he had in the ...” She paused not wanting to bring up the mirror universe. She’d actually gotten to a point where she’d forgotten Connor was the son of her mirror self.

" Connor is the Son of Savar and Alicia who are going to raissse him with the love all sssentiant life dessservesss." The gorn said reassuringly as he leaned forward and offered his hand to his adoptive daughter. " He'sss going to grow up to become a kind and caring man who will make this universsse a better place. Maybe he'll even become federation presssident."

Alicia took Sthilg’s hand. “Thank you father, this is the first time I’ve thought of the mirror universe in months. I’m sorry to bring it up, I know it wasn’t easy for you.”

" It'sss not been easssy. I've had to fix mossst of the physssical damage that thossse monssstersss did." The gorn said letting out a sigh. " That that thing did." he muttered bad memories of his mirror resurfacing. " I keep telling myself that he'sss dead that by sssevering hisss arm he'll have bled to death, but i have a very bad feeling that he'sss ssstill out there."

Alicia nodded. “Well if he is he’s on the other side of the mirror so-to-speak and he’s no danger to any of us from over there. Hopefully we’ll never encounter him or anyone else from there again!” She squeezed his hand offering her support. “As for you, we all know that you aren’t anything like him, no one blames you for what happened there. If it wasn’t for you those he altered would still be his creations, you cured them and saved them all.”

" I wisssh i could feel that. I sssee the terror in there eyesss when they sssee me. That monssster tainted my face in there mindsss." He replied giving her a squeeze in reply as he let out a slight sigh.

“You are not that monster!” Alicia looked into her father’s eyes. “You are the sweetest, kindest, and only Gorn I’ve ever met!” She grinned. “He was cruel, and heartless, two things that are most definitely not true about you. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you the same.”

" I know little one. I know. " he said reassuringly. " Ssspeaking of gorn where the closessst to my home I've ever been in my nearly two hundred yearsss."

“Really!?” Alicia looked at Sthilg in surprise, “Do you think you’d have time to visit? I’d love to see your home world one day.”

" I'm not sssure. It was on the outssskirtsss of gorn ssspace and..." The gorn paused as memories of his home came back. " Well i'd be worried about you sssetting foot on it. The last time i was there nighty percent of the population wasss dead from the virusss. I know it'sss highly unlikley that it could still be around after two hundred yearsss, but that virusss ssstill ssscaresss me."

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.” Alicia shook her head. “Was there no cure for the virus?”

" It'sss okay my dear. It'sss been a long time and the ghossst from that place do call from my mind every now and again. The Capetown'sss doctor and i manged to create an anti virusss, but not before ninety percent of the colony was dead. I hope you and my grandchildren never have to sssee what i sssaw during thossse weeksss."

“I can only imagine the horrors you must have seen, it makes me extremely proud to have you as my father.” She offered the warmest smile yet.

" Thank you, my dear. I do wish I could have introduced you to my birth family. I'm sssure they'd have loved you." he said giving his daughter a reassuring smile.

“I had the pleasure of meeting my adoptive sister, if only when I helped you in the spirit realm.” Alicia smiled. “I want to learn all there is to know about the rest of family members. No doubt you’ll be meeting my mother in the flesh soon enough. She can be ... very blunt and direct when she wants to be so don’t be surprised if she arrives for this little one’s birth and starts ordering things done her way!”

" I'll do my bessst to reminder her i have more experience in thisss matter," he replied with a chuckle.

“Well hopefully she’ll listen to you!” Alicia grinned. “Anyway I guess I should let you get back to your work. I have some personnel files I need to update anyway.”

" Take care my dear." The lizard said before sitting bolt upright. " Oh one more thing could you give this to my ssson-in-law? " the lizard said as he pulled a wrapped book from his desk draw." I know thisss hasss been confusing for him ssso I got him a book asss an apology gift."

Alicia took the book. “Of course father, there’s no need. Savar and I have talked, he understands my relationship with you better now. But I am sure he’ll appreciate your gift.” She smiled warmly. “Oh would you mind babysitting sometime soon? I’d like to spend an evening alone with Savar.”

" Off courssse. I'll book an appointment on the holo deck and take my grandssson fissshing down by the river of my hut. He likesss it down by the river." The lizard replied with the warmth that only a grandfather could give as he gently hugged his daughter.

“You’ll have to show me sometime” Alicia grinned as she hugged Sthilg. “I’ve never been fishing in my life. I’ll let you know which day we need you, I need to suggest it to Savar first.”

" I'll be waiting. Take care and give my love to my ssson-in-law and grandssson." the old lizard responded.

“I will I promise!” Alicia smiled warmly and heralded on her way.

The gorn smiled as he watched her go. As the door to his office closed he quietly said a prayer to the all-mother to watch over her and her unborn child. He couldn't bear to lose another daughter.

{OFF}