Haunting Memories

Posted on Thu Oct 19th, 2023 @ 1:58pm by Kerilia Dosivi & Teevs Dosivi

Mission: Season 6: Episode 4: Memory Lane
Location: Quarters
Timeline: MD1 :: 0315h
957 words - 1.9 OF Standard Post Measure

"Koren, stay with me!"

Teevs was crouching next to Koren, who was struggling with a gaping wound in his chest, behind a console. In the distance, various shouts and weapons fire could be heard. The group had retreated to yet another deck on the Avelu as the Kavai intruders advanced. Before they managed to seal the doors, a stray shot hit Koren in the chest, pushing him backwards into the wall before he crumpled to the floor. Teevs had run over and pulled him behind the consoleto get some protection. His best friend wasn't looking great, and it seemed like each attempt to breathe pushed a little more blood out of his body. "Koren... Koren, come on, stay with me!"

The sandy-haired man weakly looked up at Teevs. His pain had turned into a numbing ache, agitated only when he tried to move. "T... Teevs... go..." he muttered, a coughing fit making him wince.

"No, I won't leave you!" Teevs grabbed the medical kit to try and stop the bleeding. An explosion sounded behind him, making him duck as debris pelleted him, before he continued. There was so much blood. Teevs fumbled with some pads designed to stop the bleeding, putting one on Koren's chest before using his other hand to try and find more. Why couldn't he find more?? "You'll make it, Koren-"

"No... I won't... stop..." Slowly, Koren shook his head. With the energy he had left, he put his hand on top of Teevs' shaking hands, inhibiting their movements and forcing his friend to stop treating him.

Teevs tried to continue despite the hands on his, but the realization of how futile his efforts were sank in. His vision began to blur as he understood why Koren was stopping him. It was too late. "Dammit, Koren, you promised!" He choked out.

The response was a faint smile. "Don't... worry about me... you idiot." He remembered when they shipped off, how the two bantered about how many kills they would get as they fought for rights over asteroid Bedia. They promised they would make it out alive, and had made a dumb challenge that the loser would buy drinks, but they didn't expect to actually fight. They didn't expect the Kavai ship to overpower them and board the Avelu, to corner them on their own ship. "You'll owe me... that drink..."

The mention of their bet put a heartbroken smile on Teevs face for a moment, but the life slipping from his eyes made the smile quickly fade. "Koren... Koren!" Teevs felt like he couldn't breathe, tears making tracks down his dirtied cheeks as his best friend fell limp, Koren's half-open eyes staring past Teevs into the void only seen by the dead. Clenching his eyes shut, Teevs leaned over, as if the grief washing over him were a physical injury. A couple of tears dripped onto his friend's chest, being absorbed quickly by the pad used to try and stop the bleeding.

Hearing the whine of an energy weapon, Teevs opened his eyes and looked up to see a Kavai standing over him, her snarl as menacing as the crescent mark on her forehead. His eyes focused on the weapon pointed at his head, his eyes widening-


It was some combination of the haunting nature of his own dream and the chilling scream from the other room that made Teevs bolt upright in his bed with a gasp, sweat making his shirt stick to his chest. "... Kerilia?" He called out. The sound of whimpering and obvious distress in return had Teevs out of bed in an instant and running to his daughter's room to make sure she was alright.

In the smaller space, Kerilia was restless under the sheets. Her expression was contorted into one of fear, and as Teevs came in, he could tell that she was crying in her sleep. Rushing to the bed, Teevs gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Kerilia, wake up." When she wouldn't, he began to shake her shoulder. "Kerilia!"

With another scream, Kerilia's eyes shot open, and the contact on her shoulder made her scramble out of reach. The grinning expression of the Nelorin was still present in her mind, causing her to panic and fear for her life. It was dark, a figure was beside her bed, that was all she could focus on. "S-stay away!"

Teevs was startled by the sudden movement, and asked the computer to turn up the lights a little so she could see. "Hey, hey, it's me. You're ok," he assured, watching her with clear concern.

His voice helped Kerilia focus, and when she realized that the figure in the room with her was her father and not some evil raider, she began to tremble. Her vision got blurry, and she began to sob, her breathing coming in short gasps. Crawling across the bed back to him, she sank into his arms and cried into his shoulder. The nightmare was still fresh in her mind: the Nelorin capturing her and considering what to do with her, the terrified faces of her parents as they negotiated for her life, her mother collapsing, the blood, so much blood...

"It's ok, I'm here..." Teevs held her in a comforting embrace, gently resting a hand on the back of her head. The last time she responded this bad to a dream was... "Was it about mom?" When he felt her nod her head, the Lonian hugged her a little tighter, feeling her body tremble. His own nightmare was now a fuzzy memory; he knew he had a bad dream, but what of was forgotten as the terrified girl took priority in his mind. "Shhhhh, I'm here. You're safe."