Hey You...

Posted on Sat Mar 20th, 2021 @ 9:59pm by Leiddem Kea (*) & Dixoho Saa (*) & Micheal Robertson

Mission: Mission 12 - Railway
Location: SS Mary Rose, Rec Room
Timeline: MD04 21:00
1694 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

Though not fully healed, Micheal was strong enough that Vinny had released him from sickbay. Currently needing a wheelchair to move about, he quickly made his way to Dixoho's quarters, thinking that she was there.

After arriving, he reached up and pressed the door chime. No response. After a beat, he pressed it again. Same result. As he hadn't been told whether his security clearances had been reinstated yet, he quickly moved to the nearest computer access point.

Typing in his query, the current location of Dixoho Saa, he was informed that she was currently down in the rec room. He started pumping the wheels on his chair, getting to the nearest turbolift in less than a minute. Once inside, he told the computer to take him to deck seven.

The ride took less than a minute, and he was again pumping his wheels again, working up a sweat as he practically sprinted, as one could in a wheelchair, through the nearly empty corridors of the deck. He nearly collided with a couple of crewmembers as he screeched around a corner. "Sorry!" He called out over his right shoulder as he got back up to full speed again.

Finally, he reached his destination. Taking a few beats to calm his breathing and collect himself, he slowly wheeled inside the rec room, looking for the woman he loved.

Dixoho had been sat with Leiddem and she took up as she watched him pale. “What is wrong with you? You look like you have seen a ghost.” She laughed as he stood up. Leiddem was not getting involved in this as Dixoho turned and did a double-take. “Well, I guess you were seeing ghosts.” She mused as Leiddem lent over and kissed her cheek. He just was not getting involved in this at all. It was too messy and complicated.
“Don’t murder him.” The former marine advised with a smile at the pair of them as he quickly ran out of the room.

Micheal turned in time to see Leiddem get up and lean in to kiss Dixoho on the cheek. The Texan was speechless. If he was honest with himself, he couldn't blame her if she had moved on. He was missing for a year, after all. For all she knew, he was dead. Unfortunately, that part of his logic wasn't working at the moment. Only his emotions were in command. Which, at the moment, was a mixture of heartbreak, elation, confusion, and some anger.

Feeling as if he was welded to the deck plating, Micheal barely noticed the other man leave. All of his focus was on the woman in front of him and the look on her face. She had been laughing with the other man. And, and she didn't look sick, or dying, as Cassie had spat at him earlier in sickbay.

Suddenly, his throat was completely dry. He tried to say something, but it only came out as a weak, "Hi..."

Dixoho frowned. She had thought Cami incorrect when she had gone by sickbay and found it empty apart from refugees but there he was in the flesh. He looked like hell and she could not help wonder what the hell he had been up to but at the moment she was the one who seemed to have a better grasp on words. “Is that all I get after the last year? Just a Hi?” She wondered softly. She had promised herself many months back that if she ever saw him again that she would not raise her voice, nor would she get angry and cry.

Locking the wheels on his chair, Micheal slowly, weakly, got to his feet. Breathing heavy, from both the effort and the adrenaline coursing through his veins, he started to move towards the woman that he felt was the most beautiful in the entire cosmos, and he had been through two galaxies. She was the reason he woke up every day, what motivated him to keep putting one foot in front of the other. To be the best man that he could be.

Each step towards Dixoho was exhausting. He started to sweat heavily from the exertion. Finally, reaching the point right in front of her, looking down into her deep, beautiful eyes, he fell to his knees, breathing hard, trying to gather his strength.

"What are you doing?" Dixoho asked looking concerned as he stepped towards her. If he face planted to the floor how was she going to explain this to medical?

"You..." he whispered. "You...are...everything..." He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Looking back into her eyes, he continued. "I...never...want...to be apart...from you...ever again." He straightened up, brought his right foot up so he was only kneeling on his left knee. He reached into his right front pants pocket and pulled out a small wad of silk. Carefully, he peeled the layers away, to reveal a ring.

The ring was made out of silvery metal, polished to a perfect shine. The crown of the ring held the most intricate assortment of polished stones, all surrounding one large, flawless, perfectly cut and set, diamond.

"Dixoho Saa. You breathed life back into me. You were the one thing that kept me alive as I fought my way back here. I can't imagine my life without you next to me, as my partner. Will..you..marry...me?"

Dixoho looked at him as everyone around them paused and looked at them. "You cannot just do this..."She muttered rubbing her head. "You cannot just turn up and declare this. This is not how relationships work." She hissed looking stunned at him.

Micheal felt anguish start to bubble up inside of his soul. This was not how he thought this moment would go. Slowly, his eyes drifted down to the deck plating. "I..uh..I.." he tried to speak, but, the words simply failed him. During his time lost in the AndromedaGalaxy,
all he could focus on was staying alive long enough to get back to Dixoho and express his heartfelt feelings to her. To hear her express negativity in response, that never even entered his thoughts once.

"I'm...I'm sorry," he whispered, feeling completely crestfallen. Of course, she didn't want him like that. He had been gone for over a year. For all she knew, he had been dead. Of course, she had moved on with her life. Slowly, he rewrapped the ring, put it back in his pocket, then, using the table next to him as a brace, slowly got back up to his feet.

Afraid to look into Dixoho's angry eyes, he slowly turned, suddenly realizing everyone around them. His face turned beet red in embarrassment. A bit unsteadily, he made his way out of the rec room, leaving his wheelchair empty.

Dixoho looked around the room and everyone staring and rolled her eyes as she wandered after him nearly at the same pace with the wheelchair in tow. "You are obviously going to fall over if you leave this behind," Dixoho muttered.

Using the bulkhead for support, Micheal didn't get far, before he heard Dixoho stomping after him, pushing the wheelchair in front of her. His embarrassment only amplified. He had embarrassed her in front of everyone in the rec room. Before the end of the day, this gossip would spread around the entire ship. Stopping, his back still to the approaching Trill, Micheal dropped his chin to his chest and said, "I'm sorry Di. I didn't mean to embarass you like that."

The woman shrugged. What was done was done now. She would deal with the rumours just like everything else that came her way. "Whatever you have been through had obviously addled your brain and left you with only a few cells left." She surmised pointing to the wheelchair in a get it or else motion. "This is not the way to have a reunion." She finally decided was the better track to take with him.

After a few stubborn beats, Micheal finally sighed, then relented. Turning back, he moved to his wheelchair. As he lowered his powerful frame into it, several joints and ligaments made popping sounds. Finally seated, he exhaled a large breath. He still looked as if his heart had been ripped out and stomped on right in front of him. "I'm sorry, Di." His voice a whisper. "I had no idea I'd be trapped in another galaxy for a year. I just...I... he.." the big man covered his face with his hands and began to sob softly.

“Things get out of hand pretty quickly when it comes to your life. But this is not the time or place to talk about it, Michael. You are not well and I have to be on Bridge watch in twenty minutes.” She admitted with a shake of her head as she started to push him along the corridor with only a bit of effort on her part. Thankful for the antigrav chair she did not need to strain too much.

Micheal stopped the chair. He shook his head. "Stop." He croaked. "Tell me," he said as he looked up at Dixoho. "Do you like him? Do you like Leiddem?"

"Of course I like Leiddem." She murmured pushing herself back from the chair just about avoiding flying over the handles. She paused realising what he meant. "Me and him it is not like that." She offered shaking her head not that it was any of his business.

"It's fine, Di," Micheal stated, gaze still towards the deck. "I was gone for over a year. For all you knew, I was dead. Of course, you'd move on." Sighing quietly, he continued. "Once I'm fully healed, I'll find passage on another ship, so you two can be together. I won't get in the way. You can keep Alexandria, just, talk to Rebecca, she starts to get scared if left alone too long." He started to move the chair away, feeling his heartbreaking.

Dixoho let the man go confusion written all over her face about what he meant and said. This was such a confusing day.