Don't Say Goodbye

Posted on Thu May 25th, 2023 @ 9:54pm by Captain Mattias Richardson [Reece] & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Commander Sthilg & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford & Lieutenant Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen [Taylor] & High Priestess An'Dalus

Mission: Season 6: Episode 2: Survival
Location: Mess Hall
1613 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Arrianna woke up again in a cold sweat. Her hand shook and she was on the floor of her tent. Once again, it happened. She could feel the pain in her body. And she did what she usually did when it happen. When these dreams came, she doubled over and hurled. Her hand was on her stomach as she breathed hard. She began to clean up the area she vomited on and then put on her robe to go to the mess hall for some coffee.

It was clear to her.. The nightmares of being tortured, the pain, the times she felt like unleashing her rage on Kyle Cragen and Micheal Bishop. She couldn't resume her relationship with Josie like this. She deserved so much better than this. It was clear to her now.. She was still suffering. She was not well. She was still having so many problems. Arrianna left her domacile for the mess hall.

Entering the mess hall, she collapsed on something. It was her body, specifically her reproductive area. She breathed hard as she felt intense pain. There was nothing wrong, but it was the memories of the pain Bishop put her through. She tapped her combadge. "Commander Kelea-Salik... ARGGGGGGHHH!!!!" She dropped her mug as she felt it again.

Mattias was about to head back to the tent his family was using, his arms full of breakfast rations and drinks, when he saw Arri collapse. Without hesitation, he dropped what he was carrying and was by her side, holding her protectively. "Arri, what's wrong?" He slapped his own commbadge. "Medical emergency in the Mess Tent! Arrianna just collapsed!"

"I had another nightmare of being tortured.." Arri noted. "And let's just say... I have certain painful memories of Bishop puting a painstick in my reproductive system." Arri held her stomach again. "And when it happens.. I feel it all over again. He kept it in there for hours. I feel it even at times even though there's nothing wrong with my reproductive system like it's happening all over again."

While they had discussed her, and Josie's torture at the hands of Cragen and Bishop more than once, each time was almost like the first. Mattias started to feel his anger start to rise. "Arri," he said softly, despite his anger. "I am so sorry that this happened to you and that you are still suffering from the side effects." He carefully started to rise. "Can you stand?"

"Yes...." She pulled herself up. "When it happens, It comes and goes. I just have to endure it until it stops... someday...." Arrianna noted.

Mattias helped Arti stand, then guided her to a nearby chair. "Why don't you rest here, until someone from medical can get here to look you over, okay?" He stayed nearby, in case he was needed.

"I'm going to be like this for years." Arri noted. "And I can't be with her if I'm going to think she's Bishop one night and kill her."

Alicia had been resting, She was woken to the sound of Arrianna’s call for help. Quickly getting up she ran a brush through her hair, and straightened her clothing before rushing to find Arri. She saw medical heading for the mess tent, she could only guess that was where she’d find Arri.

Rushing into the tent alongside those from medical Alicia paused at Arri’s side. “What happened?”

Savar followed Alicia to the tent after taking Connor and N'Vea over to Heather and Fernando's tent. Once done, he entered the tent and saw Arriana in obvious pain. "Commander what has happened?"

"Another nightmare." Arri noted. "Bishop's torture. Ascendants dammit. If I ever get home. I am hunting him down. I can't be with her if one night, Counselors, I am going to strangle her thinking she's Bishop. I should have just been locked away forever like some kind of academic experiment!!!"

"Highly emotional and illogical Commander. You are stronger and better than this. Your people defeated the Borg. Are you saying you cannot defeat Michael Bishop?" Savar asked pointedly,

The heavy footsteps and words in gornish that didn't translate as the door slid open as the chief MD arrived. Not clad in survival gear having raced over so quickly. " What happned?" The gorn said hurrying over to Arri not bothering to wipe the snow off his clothes.

"The pain comes back at times Savar." Arri noted. "Sometimes in spurts after one of those Ascendants Cursed dreams. Always in my abdomen. I do have nightmares, Savar, and it's going to take me a bit to fight it."

Lia walked into the mess tent, she looked at the scene playing out before her, crossing to Savar she tapped his arm. "Silly question, but what the hell is going on?"

Savar turned at the tap, "Commander Taylor." He greeted her politely. "As to what is going on, Commander an Vantar is suffering from what may be psychosomatic pain brought on by the memories of her torture at the hands of Michael Bishop."

"Not going to pretend I fully understand all that, but I understand the underlining comment." She watched Schilg continue his ministrations, "Hey Doc! Need any assistance from my section?" She needed to get the CMO to either require help or let her continue onwards with her patrol of the makeshift base, plus S'hib needed a final brief before he returned to the Elysium.

" Pleassse ssstick around my dear. i may need a hand to get her to sssickbay." The doctor replied calmly.

Alicia looked at her father. “What do you think father? Is this psycho semantic or something else?”

Running his scanner over his friend the gorn kept his cool, but inside his blood ran cold. It looked like her brain was shutting down at random. " Jussst lay back my dear. Keep your breathing normal and calm." he said in his grandfather's tone.

Alicia gave her father a worried look, she could tell it was serious from his ultra calm beside demeanour. She offered Arri a caring smile as she sat beside her.

Tag Arri

Damien had been passing by the mess tent, violin case cradled in his arms, having just been entertaining some of the other officers, when he heard what sounded like a commotion coming from the mess tent. Quickly changing direction, he hurried into the tent, looking around, spotting Commander an Vantar on the floor surrounded by people. Not knowing fully what was happening, but seeing Commander Taylor nearby, he slowly walked over, stopping near the group, wanting to help, but not knowing exactly what he could do.

Words carried far on this desolate world, especially at night when everything was as still as the fresh snow An'Dalus walked on.

She pondered for a moment, weighing her options despite still walking towards the commotion, having seen others rushing inside prior.

These were not her people, she thought, she had no place to interfere... but, she was charged with helping others if she could. so the choice was simple, interfere. "Dunes give me strength..." She sighed before stopping and smirking, a slight puff of air leaving her nostrils as she remembered where she was, what she was standing on... possibly the farthest thing from sand.

"Is everything alright?" She said softly, her words fluttering into the makeshift mess hall with a sickly sweetness to them. "I heard shouting..."

As Arrianna was surrounded by the medical staff, Mattias had backed off to give them room. When he heard the High Priestess's voice drifting from outside. Stepping out, he looked up into her eyes. "Yes, Ma'am. Thank you for your concern. The Doc is here and has the matter in hand." While she had tried his patience up on the ship, Mattias still kept calm, despite her best efforts to the contrary. "While I know the accommodations are not ideal, I hope you are as comfortable as possible, your highness."

"And if I say I'm not... what are you going to do about it?" She mocked, leering over him as though he was a child. "Hold my hooves in your hands until the ice has melted from them?" she added as she stepped around him with a hand on his shoulder, intent on going inside.

Mattias was just about done with her superior attitude. "No Ma'am," he replied, ice in his tone. "I'd tell you to go jump in the heart of the hottest star in creation, because perhaps then, you might warm up enough to have the semblance of a heart." He then turned and started heading back to his family's tent.

She snorted a long disdainful huff at this, watching him leave. Though in truth she was thankful he had dropped that tiresome charade, for there was nothing she disliked more than a false smile pointed in her direction.

Maybe they would see eye to eye eventually, but it was unlikely to be anytime soon she thought as she ducked low and stepped inside the Mess Hall.

Sthilg was doing his best, but nothing seemed to be working. Thinking his brain came to one idea that sent a shiver down his spine. Reaching for a special pouch in his medical kit he pulled a hypospray cartridge from within. " Arria thisss isss sssome very powerful ssstuff. You'll hear a pinch for jussst for one ssseconed, then you'll fall into a deep sssleep. " He said calmly.

TAG Arria.

Sthilg kept a check on her plush as the drugs took effect and her brain activity fell to a more stable level. " Right everyone let''sss get her into a ssstasssis chamber. I can't fix here with the tech we have here or on the ship."

~TRUNCATED~