Hostages Part 6: Freedom

Posted on Tue Feb 26th, 2019 @ 8:05am by Lieutenant JG Gallia Norris

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Planetside-Female Staff Tent
Timeline: after Hostages 5
1984 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

The wait had taken so long, Estelle was beyond the point of being driven crazy. She had spent around forty of the past forty-eight hours either in surgery or performing other necessary medical procedures, she hadn’t had much sleep and her body had begun to reject coffee. She was on chamomile tea again. At least that helped calm her irritated stomach. It did nothing to further her ability to concentrate, and she had decided putting herself to sleep with an alpha wave inducer, only to be woken in case of emergency. In a state this tired, she was no good to anyone, and would probably start making life-threatening mistakes at the operating table. Good thing the Humboldt and the Zheng He had both arrived, bringing three more surgeons with them. She could afford to take a break, and for the past four hours, she had slept soundly on the cot, with the alpha wave inducer on her forehead, programmed for another four hours of sleep. At least she’d wake up rested. It was no long-term solution, as it made the sleep dreamless, no substitute for natural sleep, but it worked short-term, at least.

Gallia was about to flip out, all this sitting around was driving her nuts, she wanted to be out there rescuing her friend. The fact that the Home Guard guys had rolled out to investigate some kind of explosion hadn’t done anything for her mood, either. Bloody Hell, she thought as she paced the floor, this is beyond insane…

Liorga had decided she wasn’t going to the medical tent when she and Holmes got back, she had her own doctor and had planned an emergency follow up. She walked into the tent they’d all been sharing, seeing Gallia walking a hole in the ground beneath, putting a finger to her lips to silence the impending shout of joy. She looked past the red haired engineer and found exactly what she was looking for, her empty cot next to Estelle’s full one, and quietly moved hers to within an inch of the doctor’s, lying in it and putting her arm around the surgeon’s waist.

Estelle, however, showed no reaction whatsoever. The device on her forehead kept her fast asleep. She didn’t even know Gallia had returned, the last thing she knew was her friend being very angry, and about to shout at Kara, the woman with the worst possible judgement in the universe, as far as Estelle was concerned.

Gallia saw Estelle unmoved, didn’t take her long to figure it out. Walking over and smiling softly she whispered, “I think this thing’s on the blink anyway. I’ll take it for a look.” With that she removed the inducer and herself from the tent, she’d go for a happy pint now while her friends reunited.

With the alpha waves no longer actively putting her to sleep, Estelle stirred as she felt something touching her. She didn’t actively open her eyes yet. Even at the best of times, it took a while to get her to wake up fully. But there was a smell, a familiar scent that entered her nose, activating the lizard part of her brain. It took a few seconds to click, and then Estelle opened her eyes wide, springing to action by hugging Liorga tightly. She didn’t say a word, she simply started to cry.

“I got loose with the help of some friends, Cdr. Holmes found me and we hauled ass back here.” Liorga began, fighting tears herself, “When we got back, they told me I had to see a doctor, they didn’t say which one, so I came here….”

Estelle didn’t let go. She was hugging so tightly, it was beginning to tire her arms. “I was so scared! Are you all right, love?”

“I’m fine.” Liorga replied, and physically at least she was, “There’s still work to be done though. I’ve got a promise to keep, there are other hostages, they’re in danger and I gave my friend my word that we’d come back for them.”

“Let security handle it”, Estelle said. “Don’t leave me again.” She wasn’t sure she could make it through Liorga going back there again. “They’re dangerous.”

“They are.” Liorga agreed, “This Quinton Dunphy is the most dangerous man I’ve ever met and there are apparently even worse backing him up. But, in all likelihood, Syren gave her life so I could escape, all that done on the promise I’d come back with the cavalry. I can’t ignore that promise.”

“You’re an engineer, love. The cavalry can go without you”, Estelle reasoned. “They’re already on their way.” The last thing Estelle knew, before going to sleep, was they were getting the infiltration going, and then they wanted to storm the place.

“We’ll see what Cdr. Taylor wants to do, but those girls are going to be expecting me. Baby, some of them are legit kids.” Liorga began, thinking back to Emmy who MIGHT have been sixteen, “Speaking of kids though, how’s Dorso?”

“Fast asleep”, Estelle said. “But he’ll be fine. And so will Sami. She caught the same bug.” Estelle let go long enough to kiss Liorga. “I have to ask you something. I wanted to since we came here, was waiting for the right moment, for enough courage… after this, I don’t think I’ll ever need to wait for courage again…” She paused, belying her own words. “Liorga, my love, will you move in with me?”

“Well, considering my last quarters, yours are a definite upgrade.” Liorga joked, “And I know you’re an upgrade over my last roommates, no matter who they were. Yes, soon as we get back, we’ll move in, maybe once in a while we’ll even get Gallia and Kara to lend us Tayalas for cartoon nights.”

“I think that’ll happen soon”, Estelle said, not wanting to trouble Liorga with the details of what had happened earlier. She put her palm on Liorga’s face. “I know you must have been scared. I want you to know, whatever you want to talk about. I’ll listen. Anything.”

“We’ll talk about everything.” Liorga promised, “Just as soon as it’s really over.”

“If you really have to go, I’m coming with you”, Estelle said.

Part of Liorga wanted to say ‘no way’ emphatically, but there was also a part of her that knew that there was going to be a need for a doctor when it hit the fan down there. She sighed and said, “I think that’s actually a good idea, but it’s not going to be my call. Either way, it’s going to get busy for you in a hurry, love.” There was going to be blood, she knew that, she just hoped Dunphy’s was among it.

“It was busy these past few days”, Estelle said. “Now that you’re here, the rest will be a piece of cake.” She kissed her again. “How about we take a shower, and sit down for a real meal, before anything else?”

“A shower sounds fabulous. Real food sounds even better.” Liorga smiled, “Being back with you is the best though.”

“I’ll still need to take a good look at you, make sure you’re fine, at least physically”, Estelle grinned. “And I can’t think of a better place than the shower.”

“Well,” Liorga smirked naughtily, “you’re the doctor…”

Estelle climbed off the cot and offered Liorga her hand. “And they really didn’t hurt you?” she asked. She’d expected the worst. She’d expected a bruised and bloodied Liorga to be returned to her, maybe alive, maybe not.

“No, they went out of their way to keep from roughing me up.” Liorga replied, she didn’t think much of the one or two smacks she got earlier, she’d taken worse beatings in the gym, “You are, however, doing this wrong.” She said, taking Estelle’s hand and slipping her other arm under the doctor’s legs before hauling her into the air against the Deltan’s chest, “Better.”

Estelle held on to Liorga and beamed at her. “Yes, much better.” This alone proved she couldn’t be injured too much. Estelle wasn’t exactly a lightweight. “I could get used to this really fast, so be careful.”

“Works for me.” Liorga laughed, compared to the weight of her just recently shed terror, Estelle was a beautiful blonde feather.

“I’m glad.” Estelle was happy, this moment was great. She knew there were going to be long hours, she expected Liorga to have unpleasant dreams, and she was determined to be there for her all the way. But this moment was great.

“So,” Liorga snickered as she moved Estelle into the shower with her, “who sat on the Scottish Whirlwind to keep her from charging off into the night to conquer all the bad guys with her spanner?”

“I did”, Estelle admitted. “I asked her to stay with me, let the professionals handle it. You know, the people who are trained for this sort of thing, who know how to do this without more people getting hurt.” Maybe that argument worked for Liorga, too?

Liorga turned the shower on, stripping off the rather dirty clothes she’d been wearing, “Managed to do that and treat both of the kids. Impressive.” She’d been worried about Sami, even before she knew she’d gotten sick, the kid was all hyped up about Neeze and Liorga was worried that she was going to end up getting hurt.

Estelle followed suit, or rather Estelle’s suit followed, dropping her clothes onto the pile with Liorga’s. “I was trying very hard to stay busy. I know, it didn’t look like that when you found me. I set an alpha wave inducer for eight hours, I felt like I was drunk, couldn’t walk in a straight line any more.” She picked up the soap and took her sweet time soaping up her woman.

“Yeah, this is much better.” Liorga sighed contentedly, not wanting to admit that there had been a time where she wondered if this was going to ever happen again...

“I can’t wait to be away from this accursed planet”, Estelle admitted. “But now it won’t be as bad.” She ran her soapy hand over the top of Liorga’s bald head.

“Starting to like it a little more myself.” Liorga replied, giggling as Estelle lathered her scalp, “If the price is right we might should buy a place here.”

“There have to be better places”, Estelle said. “Like on Rura Penthe.”

“Well, I guess we can always stay on the Elysium then.” Liorga shrugged, “Wherever we live is fine. Long as we’re together.” She’d decided earlier that the nap she took in Dunphy’s women’s prison was the last time she ever wanted to sleep without Estelle.

“I love you, Liorga”, Estelle said, for the first time.

“I love you, too.” Liorga said, “Since the first second I saw you. Never looked back since.”

It was all the food, Estelle remembered, that first second. But it was true, they had hit it off immediately. “And now I need to have as much wild sex as possible, so one day I can become an inappropriate old lady that blurts out things like ‘When I was your age, I got a concussion after being bent over a desk’, and then my family can be like ‘Aunt Estelle, you’re making family reunions really uncomfortable’, and it will be great!”

“So basically you want me to help you become a family embarrassment?” Liorga snickered, “Cool, I’m in.”