You Tried To Be A Hero

Posted on Tue Jul 27th, 2021 @ 3:25pm by Nollel Livaam (*) & Chief Engineer Michael Burnstein & Beya

Mission: Mission 13: Stowaway
Timeline: MD 09 10:00
1411 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Nollel felt like she had a hangover. Her head hurt and she had a chalky taste in her mouth but she knew she had not been drinking. It was not something she did often at all as she hated how it left her with no memory. What had she been doing to cause such a headache? Oh… she remembered she had been on the bridge when the maurders from the other ship had snuck through their defences just like they had been trying to do. She could not remember what happened but she was sure it was not good. “Mmmm.” She winced trying to open her eyes.

Thank God Burnie wasn't particularly religious, and he'd been assured she'd be okay, but the thought still leapt to mind at the first sign of Nollel returning to consciousness. He leaned closer, squeezing the hand he'd been holding lightly. "Hey," he said, speaking softly (because he knew from personal experience how she probably felt after that blow to the head). "Easy now. Do you want some water?"

Nollel finally came back enough to look down seeing someone holding her hand. She blinked a few times to clear her eyes so she could see who was trying to talk to her. "Hi." She croaked smiling sleepily at Burnie. "Please." She said hoping it might alleviate the dry feeling in her throat.

"Here." Burnie handed over the water waiting on the side table and adjusted her bed to bring her into more of a sitting position so she could drink. "You want to gulp, but trust me, sip it slowly."

Noticing the activity, Beya had came over, watching them with an amused smile. You'd think she had pheromones the way he'd stuck by her bedside. Once he stopped pacing, that is. Now he was doing her job. "Careful there, Burnstein. You might wind up transferred," she joked. "This has a lot of engineers, but we need nurses."

Burnie glanced back at her and puffed a laugh. "I'm just doing what I remember helps. I've had one or two ...dozen... head injuries before."

Nollel looked at the engineer a little blankly as the bed moved so she could sit up. It made the room spin a little but her hands accepted the mug of water and sipped slowly via the straw. “Thank you.” She said holding the mug in her lap looking at Beya. “What happened?” She finally wondered.

"You tried to be a hero -" Beya started.

"You were a hero," Burnie cut in. "You hit the alert button and let the rest of us know about the boarders."

"And a pirate slammed your head into a console for it," Beya finished. Honestly, did other species not think of using distraction or misdirection to do that? "But don't worry, Liha took him out."

"Yeah..." Burnie glanced down. He'd have liked to be the one to do that - preferably by stuffing C4 down his throat, shoving him out an airlock and then blowing him up right before the vacuum got him. "I owe her a drink for that."

“Worth it if we won.” The woman said thinking that she vaguely remembered the fear the maurder came over as the others distracted him. “Someone had to do it and I was the one at the communication console.” She murmured as she started to feel like the lights were too bright. Nollel blushed just a little as put the drink on the side table as her hands were shaking.

"You did great," Burnie assured, taking her hands in his. "I'm just sorry I couldn't blow up their ship for you."

"Ow!" Nollel tried to laugh but the movement made her headache and slumped back on the bed. "You do not have to blow everything up for me." She assured quietly looking at Beya blushing a little. People might not understand his words or the force of what he meant but she did, it meant more than anything.

Beya shook her head. They were an oddly cute couple even if Burnie had some very strange ideas of what counted as a romantic gesture. But, hey, to each their own. Of more immediate concern was that Nollel was clearly in pain. Picking up a hypo and applying it to the woman's neck. "That should help with the dizziness and headache," she said and grinned. "You'll be up to watching him blow stuff up again in no time. But for now, no explosions in here, okay?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Burnie replied but grinned back. "Unless something here needs blowing up of course."

“I am fully capable of blowing up my own things. I did blow up a cargo bay on this very vessel.” Nollel commented on with a relieved sigh as the painkillers went through her system and the pain become nothing more than a dull thud.

Burnie beamed a fond smile at her. "When you're feeling better, maybe we can blow something up together?"

"As long as don't send anyone here," Beya said, rolling her eyes. "Sometimes I can't decide if you two are adorable or scary..."

Nollel has never injured anyone intentionally. Even her explosion in the cargo bay had been timed so no one would be hurt. “Just unfiltered and honest,” Nollel said squeezing his hand tightly now that she was no longer shaking. “ I am sorry for scary you.”

"I'm just sorry I wasn't there to stop him from hurting you," Burnie said sincerely. "But I'm here now, so anything you need, just ask."

Nollel shook her head at him leaning out to squeeze his hand hard. “I made my own choice to trigger the alarm despite being told to stay still and do not do anything stupid.” She assured quickly. She would do it every single time without fail. “For you to go rest.” She answered. The blonde could see how knackered he looked easier. “How long has he been here?” She asked Beya not taking her eyes off the man.

Beya shrugged. "Hard to say. He was pacing outside the treatment room when we brought you to recovery. But definitely overnight."

"Hey, I slept," Burnie objected. "I'm good at falling asleep in chairs - ask any of my earth literature teachers from high school."

Nollel glanced at the woman before looking back at the chief engineering. Why did he have to be such a hero? She would have known no different. “Maybe when I finally see Earth but let’s not risk it. Go on Michael go and have some rest. I am likely to be here a little bit longer.” Nollel was under no illusions she was getting out of there any time soon so he might as well get some rest.

"Yes, she will," Beya confirmed looking pointedly at Burnie. "And she'll rest better without you here watching her like an anxious puppy."

"Okay, fine," Burnie conceded, rolling his eyes at the medic. Jea and Cami probably had everything in hand, but he should still check their progress with the stasis unit and make sure all his bomb-making materials had been properly stowed. He squeezed Nollel's hand before pushing the chair back to stand. "I'll check back later. Let me know if you want something better than medbay food brought in."

Nollel just smiled weakly and nodded. She did not have the heart to tell him that all the food on board was the same but it was the thought that counted. “I will but Beya and everyone else will look after me.” She felt like she was going to just sleep.

Burnie nodded. He was reluctant to leave but he could see she was ready to drift off again and knew that would be the best thing for her. It wasn't as though he was under any illusion that she needed him here (and he'd been told that enough last night even if he'd hadn't already known). Staying had been because he needed to because hearing she'd been taken to medbay had brought up such a tangle of traumatic memories and fears that he needed to see her breathing, see the biomonitor showing heartbeat, brain function, and every other sign that she'd open her eyes and be okay.

"They better," he said, half-joking, and tucked her blanket up a little before turning to go. She would be okay. And he needed to stop obsessing and get some actual rest. Right after checking in with engineering...