The Missing
Posted on Thu Mar 5th, 2020 @ 10:41am by Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Thu Mar 5th, 2020 @ 2:51pm
2,222 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Episode 9 - Empok's End
Location: Cornelius Tremble's Quarters - Deck 2 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD001 2330 hrs
Right, left...
Right, left...
Right, left, hook, duck...
Repeat...
And she did, Talli's face was matted her her hair and she worked through the motions. The covers on her gloves were fraying, she would have to change them soon but not yet. Her hands had gone numb a forgettable amount of time prior to this moment. Her thoughts were jumbled and she was having trouble figuring out what was real, and it was getting worse. This, this she knew was real.
thud, thud, thud...
Neil glanced up from the work station in his quarters, caught site of the projected time on the wall and frowned. Tallida *should* have been here a while ago. Even allowing for how distracted she could get, she usually wasn't *quite* this late.
Scratching the back of his head and clearing the reports and yet another training mission he was outline for The Cure, Neil vocalized.
"Tremble to Ovaa." He was met with static and figured on giving it a few moments. The marine walked over to the kitchenette that usually saw small service and looked at the vacuum sealed, self cooking Jigg's Meal that his mother had sent.
Salted beef ribblets would be boiled together with potatoes, carrot, cabbage, turnip, and turnip greens. Within the main bag, were two other bags which would cook per the directed times. One held pease pudding and the other figgy duff.
He hadn't had anything like that in years. It had been a staple Sunday meal while he was at home and his mother had made it the few times he'd went home after boot.
Neal's mouth actually watered a bit as he idly glanced at jars of mustard pickles, pickled beets, cranberry sauce, butter, and a thin gravy made from the drippings of the roasted meat which would heat in the jar once he activated it.
The marine chuckled, wondering what the counselor's comments would be from this meal, especially when he tried to explain to her that his next favorite dish from home was left over's from the Jigg's dinner which were added to fresh potatoes to make .
Clearing his throat, Neil again vocalized, "Tremble to Ovaa?"
Not gaining a response again, he frowned and said, "Computer, locate Lieutenant Ovaa."
"Lieutenant Ovaa is in Holodeck 5," came the immediate response.
Rolling his eyes, Neil headed for the door.
It was a short, ride and the marine strode purposely through the Corridor to HD5 and brought up the display.
She was in the gym.
Touching the door control, he entered as it motored open and walked into the familiar setting. He found Mik leaning against a pillar, watching Tallida working a heavy bag.
"She's working through...something," the manager said without preamble. "Been quiet too. Not really like her. You two love birds spatting?"
"We were," Neil told the Hologram as he took in a sweaty Tallida. His first thought was that she looked really good. Then he pushed past and went up to the bag, grabbed a hold of it to steady it and asked, "How's it going Tallida?"
Right, left...
Tallida's eyes shot up to fall on the face of the man steading her bag before she landed a few more punches before her glove gave out. She cursed under her breath as she set to remove the leathers. "What's up?" She asked as her lungs pulled in much needed breaths.
Neil purposely avoided staring at her chest heaving and said, "Dinner? You were later than usual and not answering comms so I came looking."
Tallida laughed. "Dinner?" She shook her head. "It is barely after lunch?" She loved him, but he was crazy.
Neil eyed her and shook his head slowly. "Negative, Tallida. It's just after twenty hundred... You alright?"
There was no way. Had she really been in here for over five hours? Moving to the bench she picked up her watch and her eyes went wide. Dropping the watch she looked over her knuckles. They were red, swollen, and bleeding. "Now, I am losing time?" She muttered and looked up at Neil in distress. Her headache thumped its presence.
Neil moved toward Tallida and knelt, calling out "Mik, get me the bucket." He took her hands gently and took a look at them. The hologram manager brought a galvanized metal pail up and sat it down with a concerned look on his mug as Neil pulled out a emitter and began treating her knuckles with the laser.
"Talk to me Tallida? Losing time?" The Marine asked.
Tallida watched him. The rough and tumble marine was always so tender with her it brought a tender smile to her lips. "Ever since we got back from the planet." She started. "First headaches, and not I lose track of three hours." She shook her head. "I didn't even feel it." She added referring to her hands.
Neil nodded as he continued to wash the beam over her hands, speaking calmly to help her keep calm. "Not surprising. Your mind was parsecs away. Headache and losing time. If it were me coming to you, Doctor. What would you say?"
"To go to sickbay, you might a Andocian sandworm." She scoffed. "But I already had them check me out." She replied almost snotty. "They told me my headache was appearing to be psychosomatic and that I needed to destress. Quacks."
Neil chuckled and kept a gentle hold of her hand as he pulled a can of bandages out of the bucket next and sprayed her knuckles lightly. First, antiseptic cleaned the wounds while the sealant covered her wounds and then dried into an elastic bandage. He then kissed her palms after replacing the can and looked at her. "Better?"
Then he said, "Well, being by yourself isn't working. Maybe it's not something you can work out alone?"
"This isn't in my head," She softly her voice breaking softly. "There is something...there." she paused. "In the back of mind like lethologica but my entire mind and not just my tongue." She let out a sigh. "I am sorry I missed dinner."
He smiled and shook his head. "I didn't eat yet. I waited. Even if it is my mother's Jigg's dinner with figgy duff and peas pudding." Neil kept a straight face as he said it, watching her expression as he continued. "So, maybe you ran into something that didn't mesh well down there? I didn't breath anything other than recycled air and I've gotten hit with stun settings more than just once since the training ops.
Neil also hadn't slept, but he wasn't trying to get her sympathy.
"Well, do you still want me to come over?" She asked softly not wanting to talk about the fact that she was losing her mind. "I could shower quick while you finish getting dinner ready." She gave him a knowing smile and a wink.
"Always," Neil said automatically. "And my shower has been looking forward to it." He was worried about her and he sat there watching her for a time. She was diverting and he wasn't sure it was the best thing to do. That medical had pushed it away wasn't helping. She needed a counselor.
And he was just a marine.
"You can talk to me and I'm not going to do much but listen and be honest with you, Tallida" he finally ventured.
"I know," She replied as she zipped up her jacket and dabbed at her face. She was hot as a wave of exhaustion hit her. "It isn't that I don't want to talk, I just don't know what to talk about." She took a drink of her bottle. "Maybe I am just tired. I haven't slept in three days and that can mess with your mind also." She shrugged as she turned with him and headed towards the door.
"And maybe we'll do better together than apart," he stated as they hit the doorway and entered the corridor. "Though I am sadly, torn between wanting to join you in that shower and preparing food. If I join you, we likely won't eat for a while. And, well..." He grinned, watching her face as they strolled toward the turbo lift.
"Up to you, love." She replied as they arrived at the lift. "I am hungry for both," She gave him a wink before taking his hand as they stepped on the lift and grinned up at him.
Neil gave her a knowing grin and nodded, "Oh believe me, I'm particularly starved for both. I just know us." His fingers squeezed hers and he could feel some of the tension leaking from his neck. "But, maybe this time will be different. Get you clean. Feed you. Get you all dirty again...."
<>
Tallida was using a towel to rub her hair between her hands as she tried to dry the multi colored locked after her second shower of the evening. She had decided for the second one to take a standard, water shower. A smile was permanently affixed to her lips as she looked over herself in the mirror. Her glasses were on the night stand , not that she needed them. She hid behind them and she knew that. If she had been her own patient she would have plenty to say about it.
Neil lay awake. Vaguely, he could hear Tallida showering and he let a mental picture of that play through his mind a couple of times before he shut it down. Joining her in the shower was an entertaining thought but he knew she needed some thinking time too.
Besides, he was still full from supper, despite their best efforts and he just felt at complete ease for the first time since they'd left Empok Nor.
That's when his comm chimed. He feeling, for one of the first times in his adult life fairly content to ignore it until the comm warbled, "Incoming: Priority One Comm, Captain Tremble."
Grunting, he heaved himself out of bed, had the presence of mind to pull a sheet around him and hit the comm near the door.
"Computer, activate comm and play message," Neil ordered. "Access code, Zulu Echo Nine Nine. Authorization code, "Foxtrot two seven seven eight Charlie eight eight."
The system warbled again and the comm's holo went active, showing him a chest up representation of Colonel Emilio Woods."
Neil automatically slid to attention and saluted, dropping the sheet.
The colonel glanced him over, snorted with amusement and shook his head. "At ease, Captain. But then...you look fairly at ease. Cold on the Pioneer?"
Neil colored slightly, and then shrugged. "Aye aye sir...wha..."
"Shut up and listen. Empok Nor is being over-run and is lost. Malbrooke is getting the same message from Hood. The General is on a mission and has left some of this to me: I need you to start a preliminary plan for retaking the station."
Neil didn't say anything though he was sorely tempted as the Brigade exec continued. "S2 and S3 are planning the Brigade part, but The Cure will be leading the way on this. We need you to perform a boarding under fire and take out their C&C, Engineering and Security sections: then hold them until relieved."
The Colonel kept Neil's eyes the entire time he talked. After finishing, he asked, "Any questions, Captain?"
Neil caught a flash and saw Tallida in the doorway and he let himself drink the sight of her in for a moment before returning to the Colonel. "No sir. We'll get it done."
"Good man," Woods acknowledged with a tired smile. "Once you have your plan, we'll wash it through what we come up with but you need to get your people into the simulators."
"Aye, aye sir," Neil answered. Woods nodded again and appeared to sit back from his terminal, then amusement flickered over his eyes again and he said, "Oh, and say hello to Lieutenant Ovaa. I might suggest she get you a blanket or something? Woods out."
The image flicked off and Neil stood there processing for a moment, his eyes moving to Talli's again.
Tallida had leaned against the door jam with her arms across her waist as she simply listened. Her wet hair hung around her shoulders. She couldn't help a smirk at the comment from the Marine on the screen at the mention of her. She watched Neil finish the call and simply watched him for a moment,"Well, shit..." She had been on Empok more once, she didn't know it well, but there was no way this was going to end well.
"That pretty well sums it up," Neil replied, moving to a work station and activating it. "Looks like things are going to heat up....again. I'm glad we were able to sneak some time in together."
He met her eyes and they stood there looking at one another for a long moment before he got up and followed her into the shower.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Tallida Ovaa
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Captain Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer/Second Officer, USS Pioneer
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