Extra sensitive

Posted on Sat Mar 6th, 2021 @ 10:06am by Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*) & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers

Mission: Cosmos
Location: New Rixx
Timeline: 2396
1271 words - 2.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Lake woke next to Ledeya's sleeping form and grinned. He loved it when they stayed together. Even just sleeping was a surreal experience sometimes when he thought about how lucky he was that she trusted him. This particular morning though seemed different. He rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit off but not as though he was ill, and headed for the shower. "Morning Sweetpea, want to shower with me before I head out?" He teased.

Ledeya woke at the voice in her voice and smiled at the use of sweetpea. She was anything but sweet and certainly was not a pea but he was insistent that he called her that, she was pretty sure that he was doing it now though as it bugged her. “Is that an actual offer or are you teasing me?” She wondered sleepily turning onto her side to look at him. He had fitted into her life as if he had always been there so much so that she was surprised that it had only been a few months since 718 and the lockdown.

Lake bent down, looking at her very seriously. "I would never tease you about taking a shower with me." He stood back up. "No, I don't just call you sweatpea because it annoys you, I think it's a term of endearment and it's adorable. It's even more adorable that it annoys you. You're a very stubborn woman Ledeya."

The former task group commander sat up clutching the sheet to her looking at his serious face. She frowned when he did not kiss her and as she poked his leg with a grin. He was a tease and he knew it but she got up to stand with him, she needed a shower and getting to share it with him was one of the best things about having him in her life. “Where did that come from?” She wondered looking at him intently. She had never let on that it annoyed her or that she even thought that before.

"Where did what come from?" He asked, pulling her close to him after he'd stopped chuckling. "Asking you to shower with me? We've been seeing each other a while," he laughed. "I didn't see the harm in it." In all honesty he was pretty sure he would marry her in an instant, but she still had some walls and he didn't want to push.

Ledeya rolled her eyes at him. “We have showered many times together so I did not mean that Lakeland.” She grinned teasing him just a little herself. She loved his name even if he was less than pleased with it. The commodore took a step back wondering if he was just teasing her pretending he did not know what she meant. “I meant I did know you knew that I did not know like being called sweetpea. It is not a term that I have heard until I met you.” She admitted. It was not a big thing but she did not realise it had shown on her face.

"Well you just said so . . . so it was kind of hard to miss. It's an affectionate nickname." He smiled back and offered her his hand to pull her toward the shower. "Ladies first?"

“Lake I did not say anything about it. It was just a stray thought. Something I was thinking… Oh no.” Ledeya frowned at him and shook her head. She said nothing of the sort aloud but she had thought. It dawned on her suddenly that infection control might have not been as good as Engineering and Science had thought. The woman stood there stunned for a moment before she took several steps back and looked around wildly. “Stay there.” She whispered looking worried as she clambered for a medical kit from the back of her wardrobe. She might not be a practising every day doctor but she still knew where her equipment was.

"Uh, okay." Lake said as his girlfriend suddenly looked like an animal caught in a bright light. Obviously she was now worrying about something else, he just didn't know what. "Staying here," He said, feeling the need to sit down on the bed again instead of stand there. Perhaps he was coming down with something.

The Commodore moved back to him and pulled out the tricorder holding it out to him.

“Hold it. I need to out something else on.” Ledeya instructed him not quite meeting his gaze as her thoughts troubled her. She leant over and pulled on his T-shirt before sitting next to and took the device back. She scanned over his head a few times before gripping the device hard in hands. “Lake…. I think you are infected by the virus below. I think it’s mutated and given you telepathy. I never said anything aloud and your brain activity is different.” She was stumbling over her words as she tried to stay in doctor mode.

"Uhhh, okay," Lake said, feeling stupid because he'd just said those same words a moment ago. "So . . . how do we fix it. I mean I have nothing against Betazoids obviously," He indicated Ledeya. "But I didn't imagine becoming one anytime soon."

Ledeya just started at him blankly. If she had been any other Betazoid it would be no issue but she was a betazoid with no abilities that were kept that way by some serious drugging that left her emotionlessly blind sometimes. “Sickbay. You will need to be checked over but seeing as you have it, it is likely already on board in high levels.” It was a simple route. She needed him checked and she needed her crew checked as the virus was now onboard. She was going over in her head how many non-telepathic species she had onboard and it was far more than telepathic species could handle if it turned into a situation like New Rixx.

"Yes Ma'am." Lake replied watching her. He wondered if he'd said something wrong. "Are you coming with me?" He asked hopefully, offering his hand out to her. He felt like one of her walls had gone up again, which happened often enough that he could almost feel it without this new weird symptom Lake had discovered.

Ledeya looked at him surprised that he would think she was not going to go with him but neither was dressed to face the world and she needed to instruct the ship to quarantine the ship. “Course I am. I just need a few moments to do Captain things.” The woman explained. “And you need to get dressed.” She pointed out as she disappeared into the living area of her quarters. Some quiet words later and the lighting on the ship changed to a blue. It was an unusual colour to see where red alert would inform the crew it was happening. It would inform every crew member to stay in quarters unless on active duty.

"You don't want me strolling down the corridor in my boxers?" He joked but got up and moved before she could retort or throw something at him as she was leaving. When she returned the whole mood of the ship appeared different but he was dressed and ready to go. "Ready when you are."

Ledeya was relieved when he moved away and she was allowed to pull on something other than his shirt despite how comfortable it was. “I am ready just need a moment" She mused taking in a few deep breaths gathering herself. "Let’s go.” She said simply feeling stress and the need to order it all in the pit of her stomach.