Visitor Hours

Posted on Sun May 16th, 2021 @ 6:50am by Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Lieutenant Commander S'hib

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: Recovery Ward/Main Sickbay
Timeline: MD -7 (Backpost)
1225 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Naxea was resting comfortably in her bed, though she still had a lot on her mind. She had the business to running the detachment though Warrant Officer Man'darr had stopped by briefly to give her a rundown of the ongoings of the detachment and to assure her that he had things well in hand. And then there was S'hib--he had yet to visit her which was causing her to worry the most. She had tried to assure herself that he was simply busy but she couldn't help but wonder.

S'hib promised himself he would take things slow, a promise that was broken the moment he approached sickbay and clicked hurriedly through.

He knew she had been hurt, but nobody said how bad, now he knew why. though the bandages and plush of way too many pillows hid most of it, his heart still sunk into the decks below.

"Naxea..." He sighed, the witty remark he had thought so carefully about having slipped from his mind upon seeing her. "I tried to come sooner, but they wouldn't let me until I calmed down." He added, shoving his forehead against hers while searching for her remaining hand to hold.

Naxea enjoyed the warmth of S'hib's closeness. "I'm just glad to see you," she said softly as she grasped his hand. "Were you injured?"

"A few cuts and scrapes, no more than anyone else..." He said softly, nostrils flaring to breathe in her skin. "you really must learn to share." He added, lifting his head up to place his lips gently against her forehead.

Chuckling at the comment, Naxea looked up at S'hib and shrugged as she grinned. "You know I don't like sharing. Although, if I have to rescue you one more time, I'm going to start charging credits," she joked.

"Well, a few more away missions and maybe you'll be able to buy some armour that works." He teased, resting his weight on the side of her biobed to hide the anxious twitching in his hooves.

Looking at him, she smiled, remaining quiet for a moment. She had been with him long enough to sense how worried and anxious he was. "Hey, try to make sure Tayalas doesn't know about what happened. She was over while you were away."

He nodded gently, unable to keep his eyes still. "I will..." he mumbled as his eyes glazed over with tears. "Sorry..." He laughed, rubbing his palms over his eyes.

"S'hib, I'm fine," she reassured him. "You have nothing to apologize for. So, I hear the Elysium is heading to Earth?" she asked, wanting to change the subject.

"Apparently, don't know why though..." He said as he turned back to face her, trying to ignore all the monitors behind her. "I'm sure I've been told, just... had a lot on my mind, as usual." He added, running a hand up along his neck to scratch his mane.

"Well, focus on your work. I'm fine. I may be down but I'm sure as hell not out."

His head snapped round to face her, sadness warped around genuine annoyance covered his features. "How can I?" He neighed, his deep voice filling the room in an instant. "red sands," He said somewhat quieter as his eyes watered over again. "You almost died Naxea..."

"But I didn't. It's the risk I take with the uniform just as you do. I don't regret my decisions, S'hib. I love you but I can't let my fear of being killed every time I go into a hostile situation deter me. What kind of officer would I be if I did that?"

"I know, I'm not angry at you... just terrified at how easily I can lose you." He said as he hunched over. "Which is why we are going to spend more time together, work be damned." He snorted, flicking his head back to look at her.

"Oh are we now?" she asked, grinning slyly at him, pausing for a moment before continuing. "I'd like that," she snuggled against him. His closeness made her feel safe. She wouldn't admit it but she was scared with the upcoming operation and the future in getting rehabilitated back to her normal condition.

"Well, you're not exactly going to be on active duty, no matter how much you protest..." He laughed, shuffling down the bed so she didn't have to lean so far. "And that also means no bringing PADDs to bed..."

"Awww, you're no fun," she complained teasingly. She hated the thought of not being on Active Duty, but she knew S'hib was right. "You should get some rest," she offered.

"You'll have to get one of the nurses to hit me with a hypospray before I do that." S'hib snorted as he lifted himself up slowly. "I'm staying here till my next shift..." he added as he lazily clicked through the recovery ward to find a replicator.

"Stubborn as a terran mule," she noted with a sigh. Yet she was glad for the company as right now, she didn't want to really be left alone. She kept having nightmares about the faceless enemy she fought on Quell'ish and then there were the dreams about Laan that she couldn't shake. It had seemed so real at first but now seemed to have been a dream. Had Laan been real? She recalled its promise to visit her again. "What are you getting?"

"Something to drink, you want anything? a Deka tea?" He replied with a smile, stopping by the exit to the recovery ward as it quietly hissed open.

"If only," she would love some Deka Tea but Sthilg had given her explicit orders to not have anything to drink other than water before the surgery. "I can only have water at the moment."

"And tea is mostly water..." S'hib remarked with a proud huff, disappearing into the next room to find the replicator.

"Besides, scales isn't here right now..." He shouted, his disembodied voice echoing into the recovery ward.

"Scales?" Naxea questioned with a grin as laughing was currently too painful. "Don't let him catch you calling him that."

"You say that, like it would stop me..." He replied, pausing mid-sentence as he typed into the replicator, watching the two mugs of tea and a large slice of Moba fruit materialise before him, suddenly wondering how to carry everything.

When he did reappear around the Recovery ward door, he was holding both mugs in each hand, grinning behind the slice of moba poking out of his mouth, its dark red juices already staining his white Sequellian coat.

"You're making a mess of yourself, S'hib," Naxea grinned tiredly. "What am I going to do with you?"

He mumbled a reply as he came around the side of her bed, hurriedly placing both mugs down as the moba juice and his saliva became increasingly more difficult to keep inside his mouth. "It's a messy fruit..." He protested, gently peeling the moba from between his teeth, trying his best not to spill any more on himself.

"More like the eater is simply messy," she teased.

"Really?" he mused, licking his red-stained lips. "So if I was to kiss you right now..."

"Do and I'll get Sthilg to kick your ass for me," she grinned, leveling a shaky finger at him. It felt good to be near S'hib and his 'horsing' around.