Goodbye Father, Part Three **CONTENT WARNING**

Posted on Tue Apr 16th, 2024 @ 6:11am by Consul Andrinn Orin
Edited on on Sun Apr 21st, 2024 @ 2:50am

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Trill Homeworld
Timeline: 2112
1228 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

[ON:]

--Trigger Warning: Death--

Andrinn stood in the doorway to his parents' bedroom while he waited to see if his father would even acknowledge Andrinn's presence. He had said hello to his father, but Andrinn's father, Endrin, was rather quiet. Endrin was staring out the window in the room and his gaze was rather soft.

However, it didn't take long for Endrin to realize that there was a new person in the room with him and he looked over to the doorway, where Andrinn had been standing for what felt like an eternity, even if it had only been a few moments. Endrin smiled as he saw his son and he said to Andrinn with all he could muster, "Hello, Andrinn! It's good to see you, my son! Come in and take a seat with me as I watch the birds fly by. They're absolutely beautiful."

Andrinn smiled when he finally heard his dad speak. It had been a bit since Andrinn had spoken to his father over subspace, but anytime that Andrinn could talk to his father was truly a blessing.

Especially on a day like this one. Andrinn took a few steps into the room and took a seat on the chair that was sitting by the bed. He looked out the window with his father and just took in the beauty of the capital City of the Trill homeworld. As the two men sat there, watching the nature that surrounded them out the window, Endrin said, "This truly is goodbye, isn't it? I...I never thought I'd see the day that I'd be going to the great beyond. I thought that I'd live forever and ever." Endrin let out a small chuckle as he said that, thinking about the stories that he would read to Andrinn and his siblings when they were younger about how the myths of old would live for what felt like an eternity.

Andrinn couldn't hold back or stifle his own chuckle as he heard his father talk about living forever and ever, thinking about how lucky he truly was to have the genes of both his father AND his mother. He could join with a Trill symbiant and live for several centuries without aging like most other species within the known galaxy. Andrinn knew that others must've been jealous of that, but they never said anything.

Andrinn just sat there and watched his father for a moment, trying to come up with some sly reply to his father, to help ease him as they both knew that before too long, his father would pass away. Thankfully, Endrin was surrounded by family from both sides. Andrinn looked at Endrin and said, "Who said you wouldn't live forever and ever? You have aa wife and kids that love you more than you know and we'll always remember the good old days, where we would play in the backyard, playing various games from both homeworlds. You've helped to make all of us into who we are today and for that, you'll live on in us forever and ever."

He took his father's hand and gently squeezed it, where Endrin squeezed it back with all the might that his frail body could muster. Endrin was still looking out the window, thinking over what Andrinn had said to him and Andrinn could tell that he was trying to cover up the tears that were starting to flow from his eyes, down his cheeks, and onto the pillow below. Andrinn leaned over and helped his father wipe away tears, knowing how difficult it would've been for his father to do it himself.

After wiping the tears away from his cheek, Andrinn threw the tissues away and sat back down in the chair, watching his father this time around. The man truly was a bit of a shell of the man that Andrinn remembered from his childhood. Endrin was a diplomat for the Trill government and continued to be one up until the late 21st century, where age and health made the man have to retire from his position. But, he retired from his position with a good home and Endrin had been set by the government to live a peaceful life. Andrinn's mother, Emory, had continued to work with the Vulcans and the Trill government after her husband's retirement. But, took a backseat role while his health declined and more of her time went into helping Endrin out.

Several more moments of silence filled the void between the two men as Andrinn held onto Endrin's hand. As the moments slid into one another, Andrinn hadn't noticed that his father was slowly starting to drift until the monitors that were hooked up to him started to beep slightly. They weren't rapid at first, but they started to come on faster and faster until the on duty nurse came into the room to check on Endrin. Emory came into the room alongside the nurse to check on what was happening and ushered Andrinn to come stand with her, so that he wasn't in the nurse's way.

The nurse checked all of Endrin's vitals and before long, she came back to Andrinn and Emory to deliver the news. She turned off the machines and said, "He's hanging in there, but I think it's because he wants to say one more goodbye to the both of you. You've got a minute to say your goodbyes, okay?"

The pair shook their heads in the affirmative as they walked over to Endrin's bedside and Emory started to stroke Endrin's hair. She whispered, tears rolling down her own face, "It has been quite a ride, hasn't it? Now, it's time for your next big adventure." Andrinn came over and stood next to his mother, wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he said to his father, "Yeah, you've got this. We'll be there eventually and we'll have even more stories to tell you."

Endrin shook his head and whispered, "I want to hear all about those adventures you both are going to take, and all of the ones that your siblings are going to take. I want to hear it all..." All three of them smiled as the nurse said, "Okay, I think that it's time." Emory kissed Endrin's cheek before whispering, "I love you."

The nurse walked the both of them out to the living area. But, before Andrinn completely left the room, he took one more look at his father and smiled, knowing that he would be going to a good place. With that, the pair headed back into the living room.

A few minutes later, the nurse came back out and announced that Endrin had passed away peacefully. Everyone knew that he was close, but it didn't mean that it made it any less hard on everyone. There were a lot of hugging, tears, and eventually, stories. The funeral would be a state funeral, so Emory knew that there would be a lot of planning.

That would be for another day. Once the body was removed and taken to the local corner's office to make sure that there was no foul play involved in the death, everyone continued to talk about life, death, and the meaning of the universe.

For Trill, it was only starting to get a whole lot bigger...

[OFF:]

Consul Andrinn Orin
Chief Diplomatic Officer
USS Elysium