JP - Lt Sheila Bailey & Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau - Deliberations and Decisions (Part II)
Amanda Nordstrom
((Promenade - Commercial District Starbase 118))
Alistair had moved to alert his handler’s companion as it seemed Sheila had taken no notice to the meaning of his licking. In order to do so Alistair, with constant repetition, pressed at Alora’s hand with his nose.
Bailey: Alistair! I’m sorry if he’s bothering you.
Again she tried to bring Alistair back to her side. Have him regain his concentration. Unfortunately she reached out with the arm he had been licking, the fire worn red welt on full display. Now the memory burned bright in full force behind her eyes. An act not done in full consciousness. Only a flame warming her from the inside.
On instinct she pulled away. Fast enough that she hoped no one saw. Shame that was what it was. Why? If he, the man, his image, was back home, then she could only guess at what he wanted. It appeared he still had a hold on her, still gripping tight from earlier events. Of what action did she have to reveal it now? The woman in front of her was practically a stranger. Then again there was a strange pull toward her, to relax in her presence; friendship.
DeVeau: He’s definitely not bothering me. And the puppy’s actions had brought to the forefront a rather irritated spot upon the doctor’s arm. She might not have a medical degree, but Alora was familiar enough with injuries and ailments, especially after her short stint when she had indeed been assigned as a medical officer.
No, Alistair may not have been bothering Alora yet Sheila felt bothered by his actions. Why couldn’t he leave well enough alone? It only acted to fan the flames as if it was dripping in reverse, wax crawling up the wick of the candle. DeVeau: That doesn’t look good. She motioned to the spot.
Bailey: I must have acquired it from one of my earlier falls. ::liar::
Only two times in the past day had she actively left the safety of her chair without the use of her crutches or even Alistair. Of course she had no knowledge of acquiring the reddening spot then. It had come later. Later when the shame had grown. Grown far too large for her withered, seemingly old bones to handle. Yet she wouldn’t say...it was far too embarrassing. To her it brought back the sudden rush of enjoyment she had once experienced.
Alora eyed the woman. There was something underneath her explanation, something that didn’t settle quite well. Something that was far too familiar to the scientist.
DeVeau: I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that it looks irritated. Will likely get infected if you don’t do something about it. Whether or not it came from a fall, Alora couldn’t say, but she could tell that it had been picked back. There was no way Sheila hadn’t noticed it before - and it would be simple to treat and take care of. So why hadn’t she?
Currently she would rather not do anything about it. Doing something would take away the pain. Pain that was her curse to bear for all those she could not save. If she was forced to live without them then she would rather be in pain for it.
On the other hand she did not deserve the kindness bestowed upon her. Not if she was going to fall into the trap, the addictive pit, the ally in her brain that had her scraping back every single sorry brick of memory. If she had fallen out of love then why had it come crawling back? If she had loved once then why did she hate it with such fever now?
DeVeau: Sheila, is everything all right?
An invisible flame snuffed out the light. She could tell there was no use lying again, not with the way that Alora had spoken her question, voice so full of kindness.
Bailey: It’s complicated.
Subconsciously, having previously pulled her arm back, did she start picking at it again. The area itched and would not be settled less she scratched at it. Alistair, bless his soul, poked at her hands with his nose pulling them away from each other.
Complicated? Alora knew complicated. What she was dealing with now was complicated, and that was putting it mildly. She watched the doctor in silence, waiting, letting her speak in her own time.
Bailey: I would….mind if we go somewhere quieter to catch up?
DeVeau: Of course. But where? One of their quarters would certainly be quieter, and more private, but that would be a long trek back. They were very close to the Ashalla district. While Alora had no desire to go back to the temple grounds, there were other places there that were pleasant, and would surely be quieter than where the festival was being held.
DeVeau: There’s a park nearby. Want to go there?
Anywhere but where the crowd pressed together. Anywhere than the main promenade was better. Plus the park was an exceedingly better place. There she would be able to breathe a little easier, she had been experiencing some pain of it late.
Bailey: That sounds lovely.
With a nod, Alora turned and moved forward. Keeping her pace comfortable for the wheeled woman, she remained silently as they passed through the entrance to the district. Right there off toward the right was a secondary entrance, but that one led to the park she had indicated. Pausing to make sure she wasn’t going ahead, she continued on through the gates and onto one of the paths, a wide way that curved around. Along that path, another smaller one veered off toward the side, still wide enough for the wheelchair to move through. A few feet inward, it widened into a little clearing where a single bench had been installed for anyone who wanted a place to sit and rest and enjoy the surroundings. Alora took a seat, watching the woman and her dog roll to a stop.
DeVeau: This okay?
Rolling to a stop Sheila made sure she was facing Alora on the bench. Here she called Alistair over and took off his harness letting him know that he was free to run around and play if he wished. Ali did not wish, his puppy self would rather runny happily over to Alora before laying down for a nap. Sheila smiled at her companion. If he could show so much joy then her heart would be gladded upon it.
Bailey: This spot is more than lovely.
Alora nodded, letting her eyes shift around to enjoy the view. Off down a hill, children played, kicking a ball, the hollow smack echoing through the air. Their laughter joined in as they jumped and chased each other around. Her gaze lingered upon them for a moment before finally returning to the woman before her.
DeVeau: So how...
Bailey: Tell me what did you think of the festival?
Sheila was hoping not to talk about the unnatural events that fell at their door with the festival. She had considered it more useful to talk about the actual ceremony, the Bajoran aspects. A new cultural discovery.
The question took Alora aback. Unexpected, and not something she really wanted to dwell on. At the same time, it came to her thoughts unbidden even without mention of it by another party. Her heart and her mind were at war with each other, but the battles could be pushed down and ignored if she could find something else to distract her. Her jaw tightened, working a little as she attempted to formulate some sort of coherent answer that didn’t make her sound like she’d lost her mind, even if that was a bit more accurate than she would have liked. Her reticence seemed to resonate with the Elaysian.
Bailey: I’m sorry if I upset you. We don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want.
Sheila could tell she had hit a sore spot, not just for Alora. It had seemed that as soon as she had asked the question that she herself had regretted it too. Not because of what had happened at the festival but because of the memories. Not only had she missed Lukin’s touch but her own family. She missed the thought of being around them. Yet the more she thought about them the more the memories got clouded with her emotions for him. Frankly it made her sick.
DeVeau: No, you didn’t.
It wasn’t Sheila who had upset her. It was...it was….it was complicated, and Alora didn’t really feel like delving into the details of it.
DeVeau: I actually left early, before all the chaos broke out. So I wasn’t witness to everything.
Not to everything. Just to what was going on with herself. In her mind, Alora knew she was probably affected. In her mind, Alora knew she should go get the treatment. In her mind, Alora knew she was being foolish. And yet, at the same time, she’d felt something that, months before, had been taken, like a hand plunging itself into her soul and ripping it from her flesh. It was something she never thought she could ever feel again, an emotion that she had said farewell to. Now? Now she had it. That capability. That capacity she thought she had lost. She didn’t want to let it go, in spite of the other side of her that chided for her quick dismissal of the man she had already lost.
Oh. Sheila’s heart lightened at that. At least one person hadn’t seen all the horror, terrier of the day. Nevertheless it still seemed like Alora was struggling just as much as she was. At least she had been in the hopeful quiet for some time. Even then Sheila’s emotions sparked jealousy. She wished now that it had been her. That she had been the one able to run. Perhaps running away would be the solution she was looking for.
Bailey: Why don’t you tell me how you been since we last talked? Did you ever get around to planting those seeds I gave you?
DeVeau: I did, actually. They’ve sprouted and are doing well.
As much as her own emotions plagued her, Alora pushed them aside. It was not time to dwell on the ironic and contradictory state of her being at that particular moment.
That fact alone proved to be a reason to stay. As if an arrow had pinned the thought to a target. If any reason was good than home grown food was. Even better, what was growing was native to her home planet. The sweet, textural fruit told her that she did have a home on Starbase 118 Operations afterall.
DeVeau: But I don’t think that’s why you wanted to come here.
Sheila shook her head, hands working to smooth down the shiny satin of her dress. It was a small comfort, even if nothing else at the moment was. Still the woman would have rather talked about anything else. Her mind was still working to come to terms with the fresh pain of her act, of how her mindset was forming into something new.
Bailey: ::whispering:: You won’t want to be my friend.
DeVeau: I’m not here as anything but a friend, Sheila. I’ve got two working ears, and they're set to listen if you wanna talk about it..
Bailey: It has nothing to do with the festival. To be fair I’ve got some bad memories swimming in my head.
Lieutenant Sheila Bailey
Chief Medical Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
M239512BG0
"The very first requirement in a hospital is that it should do the sick no harm." - Florence Nightingale
&
Lt. Cmdr. Alora DeVeau
Chief Science Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
M239008AD0