Topsy Turvy (***BACKPOST***)

Posted on Fri Mar 24th, 2023 @ 9:34am by Captain David Tonelly [Reece] & Lieutenant Baeryn Whavi-Tonelly

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Tonelly/ Whavi Quarters
Timeline: MD 3 / 0200 hours
3143 words - 6.3 OF Standard Post Measure

David and Baeryn were laying together in bed, Baeryn's head on David's chest as she slept, curled up into his side. He hand one arm wrapped around her back, holding her against him, with his other hand drew soft, lazy designs on the back of the arm she had draped across his stomach.

With no warning Baeryn was thrown from the bed and sent tumbling across the floor of their bedroom. When her back slammed into the wall she yelled out in pain, she quickly jumped to action and grabbed the door frame. She held on while the ship continued to toss them about. A harsh cramping pain ignited in her stomach causing her body to curl upon itself as she held the door frame. "DAVID!" She screamed in hopes he was okay and only on the other side of the room. The lights flickered on and off like strobes making it near impossible to see him from where she was.

From where he landed in a thud, David heard Baeryn cry out in a mixture of pain and fear. He could instantly feel that something was wrong with her and their baby! "BAERYN!!" He jumped to his feet and vaulted the bed, coming to a stop right by her. Reaching down, he scooped her up in his arms and moved into the bathroom, away from the exterior viewports in their bedroom. It was a good thing too, for as soon as the bathroom door slid shut, a hull breach occured right where their bed was.

As the ship continued to rock and twist, David moved them to the large tub, laying Baeryn in first, then climbing in over her, using his body as a shield for any falling debris. "Are you okay, baby?! Any broken bones?!!"

With a pained face Baeryn shook her head no, "I don't feel anything broken..." She took a deep inhale before speaking loudly, "Computer, what's happened?"

No response came. After a few seconds she tried again, her voice louder with a hint of worry embedded in its tone. "Computer contact Operations."

Again, radio silence. Panic fought to taken over Baeryn's senses, instead of losing the battle she gripped David's forearm. "Communications must be down. We need to figure out the severity of the ship's system's damage and gain contact with the bridge."

"We will, Baer," David replied as he braced himself over her as the ship shook a bit more. "For now, though, you need to try to calm down. I heard you call out in pain, does everything feel aright with the baby?" He was keeping as calm as he could, even though he could feel a difference in the energies between Baeryn and their unborn daughter.

Baeryn was doing her best to ignore the fire like pain in her lower back. The injury wasn't severe if she could still move, right? The baby was moving, a bit erratically but strong. She held a hand to her stomach when the ship shook and fear started to rise like a steady tide. Normally in these situations Baeryn focused on anything else other then herself but knew David would have none of that. She bit down on her tongue to stop her growing panic. "The baby feels fine. Here, feel." She grabbed David's hand and held it to her stomach. The baby kicked and pushed out towards his hand.

David adjusted his covering position quickly when Baeryn tried to move his hand. Feeling their daughter move under his touch soothed some of his worry. However, he could still feel that something was off with Baeryn. Looking directly into her eyes, he said, "Baer, tell me the truth. Are you injured in any way?"

Baeryn sighed knowing David wouldn't let it go. "I hit my back on the door frame. It's not broken but I'm sure its bruised. I'll be fine. We have more dire things to worry about, we cant stay in this tub forever." She shifted and winced when her back pressed harder against the tubs surface.

Despite the situation, David grinned down at Baeryn. "And here I thought you enjoyed being in the tub with me?" He chuckled drying at the poor-timed joke. He then paused to listen to the ship around them. It seemed as if things had finally settled down. Though, he was dreading what they'd find when they left their quarters.

Climbing off of her, David then bent down and scooped Baeryn back up into his arms. Moving over to the sealed door, he gently put her back down and then tried to open the closed doors. They wouldn't budge. "Where's the manual release?"

"Behind the panel to the left," Baeryn pointed to a panel that was slightly off color from the rest of the wall. She moved to show him but stopped when her back screamed in protest. The pain was slightly dulling but she knew it would be uncomfortable for a few hours.

David moved to the indicated panel, then stopped and turned his attention to Baeryn. "Are you okay?"

Tight lipped Baeryn nodded quickly. "I'm fine."

While David wasn't fully convinced, now was not the time to push the point. For now, they had to get out of their quarters and get to Sickbay. Turning his attention back to the panel, he ripped it open and used the lever inside to open the door.

What they saw next was disheartening. There was a large, jagged hole along the outside bulkhead of their quarters, large enough to fly a workbee through. Everything they owned, that wasn't either secured to the deck plating, or locked away, was gone, sucked out into space before the emergency forcefields could activate, sealing the breach.

"By the Goddesses!" David swore under his breath, realizing just how close they had come to death.

Baeryn gasped, realizing they were in this room just moments before destruction hit. Her heart sank when she saw what was left of their quarters. It was all just...gone. Not all of it, but it might as well be when Baeryn noticed the missing bassinet. The hybrid knew they had bigger issues then missing furniture but her heightened emotions refused to be buried. Her eyes burned but she blinked it away, bringing the matter of getting out of their quarters back to the forefront of her mind. She started forward out of the bathroom, carful where she stepped.

Moving over to their wardrobe, David opened the door and was hlad to see that their clothes and emergency gear was still there. "First thing we need to do is get dressed. Then, I'm taking you to sickbay." He raised a warning finger. "Not up for debate."

Baeryn stepped closer, slightly annoyed he was coddling her. "There could be people in far worse a state then me. We need to figure out what happened and get communications back up." She strode to her closet and pulled out her newly fitted uniform that fit around her pregnant stomach.

"And we will," David replied, a commanding tone in his voice. "But first, we go to sickbay, or wherever the closest operating infirmary is located. While you are the Chief Operations Officer for this ship, you are also an expectant mother, who was just injured in a crisis. Your first duty is no longer to the ship. Nor is it to me." He gently turned her to face him and put his right hand delicately on her pregnancy bump. "It is to her." He sighed softly. "This little girl will have to come first for both of us." He paused a few beats and then asked softly, "You think I'm not wanting to get down to Marine County and check on my Marines? I have no idea what's going on down there. My responsibilities, currently, are to you and our daughter."

Baeryn inhaled deeply. She knew David was right but until this baby was outside of her body she had the tendency to ignore the fact she was pregnant. She knew once the baby was born and no longer apart of Baeryn she would have a difficult time adjusting to not knowing the babies constant whereabouts and wellbeing. A problem best dealt with another day... She laid her hand overtop David's. "Let's hurry. I can walk, so please don't fuse over carrying me."

Nodding slightly, David was convinced. For now.

Baeryn knew David was watching her, she bit the inside of her cheek as she changed hiding any evidence of pain. When ready she started to move towards the door, there was a maze of furniture blocking their way that luckily she did not have to climb over. She stopped at an overturned table and knelt down. The doc had given her pain medication that , when taken in small doses would have no affect on the baby. She tried to pry the drawer open but it was jammed.

After David was dressed in his uniform and had gathered their emergency gear in helps large ruck, he shouldered the pack and checked the charge on his CQB pulse rifle. After he was ready, he moved to where Baeryn was struggling with a desk drawer. "Here, I'll get your meds, Baer."

Stubborn Baeryn pulled at the drawer harder. Grunting when it still wouldn't come open. She moved to the side to allow David to try.

David moved closer and, after gently moving Baeryn a bit further from the desk, drew his trusty tomahawk and slammed the blunt end down hard. The drawer didn't so much open, as it shattered. A few things fell to the deck, one being the prescription that Baeryn was needing.

After picking everything up and securing what few trinkets they still had from each other, David handed over the medication. "Is there enough in it?" He asked in a concerned tone.

The tee shirt of David's that Baeryn had first worn caught her eye. It was currently covered in soil and water from her muktok plant. She pulled it and removed as much debris from it as she could. There was not a hole in it, making the shirt nearly unwearable. When David handed her the pill bottle she numbing accepted it. Refusing to leave the shirt behind, given its memories, she handed it to David hoping he would add it to his bag as she took a few pills to lessen the pain she was in. She stood slowly, "We should get going."

David took the shirt and folded it gently. He then put it sagely away in his pack. "We still have each other, and our most prized possession, my love." He gently hugged her, add softly placed his hand over her swollen belly. "The rest, is just stuff, in the grand scheme of things. We will rebuild what was lost." He then took her hand and started to lead her out of their ruined quarters.

The hall was dark, but light illuminated the floor, giving them somewhat of a sight of what lay before them. Baeryn could see that the hall to their left was blocked off, possibly due to a breach on the other side. She turned right and automatically started forward. "Is it possible this is all just a bad dream?"

David moved with her, moving debris from her path where he could, helping her over pieces that he couldn't. "I wish that were the case, Baer," he said sadly. "While I'm not telepathic, I can tell from the reduced energy around us, that Elysium has lost a painful amount of souls today."

Luckily for Baeryn her senses were dulled thanks to her meditation and training. Other than sensing the baby's annoyance from the sudden movements, she didn't sense anyone else's emotions. Fear of what she would find if she did reach out chilled her core. Surprisingly, they had yet to come upon any other life form. She stopped walking as the lights flickered out, casting the whole corridor in darkness. A few seconds later they powered back on, a bit dimmer then they had been before. "This section of the ship is experiencing a power drain, which could be due to a great many of things. I don't believe these lights will last much longer."

David looked at if he was listening to the ship itself. "You're right. We need to hurry." He helped her move a bit faster, though careful not to cause her any more pain than she was already feeling.

They finally reached rhe turbolift near their quarters. The doors were open but there was no car standing ready. Putting his hand up to stop her from moving closer, David carefully leaned his head out into the shaft, looking upwards, ensuring there wasn't anything about to drop down the shaft and hit them. Thankfully, while there was structural damage in the shaft, he couldn't see anything that seemed particularly hazardous to them in the immediate future. Then he turned his eyes down the shaft. While he couldn't see the bottom, there was a soft glow flickering in the dark. "Looks like there's a fire of some kind down at the bottom of the shaft, Baer."

"If the Elysium is in full lock down the turbo lifts wont run. I don't believe in my condition its safe to climb down..." Baeryn looked to David concerned as her mind raked how they were supposed to get to sick bay. She doubted they would find a way in the Jefferies tubes. "Ideas? Do you have my PaDD in that bag?" She should have a mental map of the Elysium but for the life of her couldnt think straight to recall it.

David shook his head. "No, but I can get you down there." He unslung his ruck and opened the main compartment. A few beats later, he pulled out a few coils of rope. "Come here," he said as he started to untie a six foot length of the rope.

Baeryn obliged by stepped forward tentatively. "Is this going to work? Are you sure?"

He looked up into Baeryn's worry-filled eyes. In a soft voice, full of control and confidence, David replied. "I can tie a harness on you that will hold you easily. I will then lower you down. I can handle the weight of you two easily. This way, you can just climb down as safely as possible."

"What about you?" Baeryn looked down toward the rope David was fastening into a harness. Her hands mindlessly went to her stomach when the worry began to sour her gut.

David looked up at the woman he loved, seeing the worry on her face. Stopping what he was doing, he stood and moved over to Baeryn, gently wrapping his arms around her. Putting his face down into the hair on the top of her head, he spoke softly. "It'll be okay, my love." He gave her a soft squeeze, then leaned back slightly to look into her face. He gave her a devilishly handsome grin. "Besides, I've been free climbing sheer cliff faces longer than Starfleet has existed. I can get down a few decks without breaking a sweat."

Baeryn took a deep breath gathering what little energy and courage she had after the initial shock of what was happening had started to wear off. "Okay, I trust you David."

After kissing the top of her head, David gently lifted Baeryn's chin, to look her in the eyes. "Try not to think about anything but the baby. Keep her safe, and you'll be safe as well." He leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

After a few beats, he let go of her and reached down to the harness that he had started to put around her waist and legs. Once satisfied that everything was set, David stood back up and picked up the excess rope. "Okay, sweetheart, do exactly as I tell you and this will go smoothly. Move over here to the edge and turn to put you back towards the shaft."

Baeryn gathered what courage she could muster and moved to the spot David instructed. She fought the urge to curl up and protect her swollen stomach. She pulled at the right ropes now strapped to her waist and legs to ensure they were tight and not going to slip off or break. She looked over her shoulder and down the drop. Falling would not be pleasant. Shaking off her growing anxiety, Baeryn met David with a serious face, “Let’s do this.”

David had his footing set, and the rope wrapped around him to anchor and lower Baeryn down the turbolift shaft. "Just stay calm and watch out for anything that you might get caught on, okay?" His voice was completely calm and in control.

Though she was feeling some fear, more for the safety of their unborn child than for her, Baeryn heard the calm tone in David's voice and nodded. "Okay..."

"Okay...here we go. I want you to lean back slowly, like you're about to sit down in a chair. But don't go all the way back. As I lower you, keep your feet spread shoulder-width apart and in front of you. Do not stop walking down the shaft. If you do, you'll flip upside down. Also, don't walk too fast, or you’ll lose your footing and you'll slip into the wall, hanging there, understand?"

"I understand," Baeryn replied softly as she followed his instructions.

David started to slowly let out rope, keeping things at an even and slow pace for Baeryn to follow his instructions. Once she was out of his line of sight, he called out. "How's it going, Baer?"

"There's a lot of debris in here. Hold on...." she grunted briefly, then continued. "Okay! I'm down on the deck!"

Once Baeryn was safely down, David had her secure her end of the rope to act as a safety tie-down for his decent. He then entered the turbolift shaft and nimbly made his way down to the deck she was waiting on.

After they were together again, David collected the rope and recoiled it, putting it back in his pack. "Now, let's get you to sickbay, sweetheart."

Too tired and nervous to make a remark about him using pet names again, Baeryn simply nodded and clung to his side, taking strength in the power that she felt from him.

A few minutes later, after moving past several injured crewmembers, which were being treated in the corridors surrounding Main Sickbay, David and Baeryn were directed to the maternity ward. There, they were shown to the last open biobed and Baeryn was helped down onto it. After a brief scan of her body and their unborn baby, they were told that one of the doctors will be with them as soon as they are finished helping the other patients.

~END~