Around The Maze Part 2
Posted on Tue Feb 11th, 2020 @ 2:43pm by Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*) & Chief Helmsman Eden Bowers
Mission:
Cosmos
Location: Starbase 621 - Sickbay - Biohazard Isolation
Timeline: 2396
2299 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure
Lake had told himself he wasn't going to fall asleep but watching Ledeya sleep had somehow soothed him into the thought and he'd put his head down sitting up and drifted off. He was startled awake though, by what he wasn't certain. Seeing that she was still sleeping, he checked to make sure she was still breathing easily and then stood up to see if he could see anything outside of their little room.
As the head appeared at the window Nesra appeared out of thin air in front of him. "I am glad to see you awake Lieutenant. We have a bit of a situation here." She admitted wishing anyone else was telling him this. "We cannot get you out. The base's systems are still damaged when you dived in there you have activated the isolation system."
He gave a thumbs-up, not wanting to yell back and wake up Ledeya. The longer she slept the better probably. It meant that she wouldn't be freaking out about being locked in here with him. They would be all right. There was a bed, heat, a bathroom, a replicator . . . just the basics really but they wouldn't freeze or starve to death. Assuming everything kept working of course.
Nesra glanced down at where he was glancing down and frowned. “The timer is set for a week but we are working on getting you out quicker. The Engineers are even trying to get the dampening field that stops people beaming out of isolation. Is Captain Ehestri okay?” Maybe she should get him a tricorder?
He nodded. He really thought she would be alright. Sleeping off the effects was a good thing and her breathing was steady and strong. He didn't know how he was going to explain to her that it could be a week before they were out of here, but he'd say it somehow and hope she wouldn't hate him for pulling her in here in the first place. He left the window and slid down the wall in the same spot he'd been before.
Nesra said no more and moved away. She just hoped the Captain was in a good mood when she woke up. It wasn’t long until the woman in question let out a small moan and reached out instinctively. She stopped as she felt nothing and the ‘bed’ was cold and far firmer than she liked. Ledeya opened her eyes and slowly sat up. “What?” She wondered her head fuzzy.
"Good Morning," Lake got up again, squatting down a distance away from her. "How are you feeling?" First things first before he delivered the bad news. "You slept well. That's good at least. Hopefully, you got a lot of that gas out of your system. Are you hungry?"
Ledeya found herself looking at the man trying to fathom out what he was saying before shaking her head. "Not really. I feel like I'm going to be sick." Ledeya admitted staggering to her feet quickly.
Lake pointed to the restroom just around the bed from where she'd been sleeping. Poor thing, this worried him more than the feeling woozy. Maybe he should have asked for a tricorder after all. While she was gone he went to the replicator and asked for a cool wet washcloth. When she came back out he pointed to the bed "No sense in both of us not using it. Turns out we might be in here for a while." He showed her the cloth, wanting to put in o her forehead once she'd made herself comfortable on the bed.
"You do not need to fuss I am okay." She assured quickly as she finally admitted defeat and sat down on the bed wishing she had not done thrown up.
"I know I don't have to. But it is my fault you're in here and I'm worried about you." He handed her the wet cloth and sat back down on the floor. "I'm afraid I have some bad news on that front. We might be stuck in here a bit. The bases systems are damaged and we seem to have tripped quarantine protocol when I shut the doors. But they know we are in here,"
"I am okay." The woman assured blinking hard as she tried to focus. She was not okay but this man did not need to know the ins and outs of her condition. She turned and lay back down laying the cloth over her eyes. "How long has it been activated for?"
"Oh, about five hours I'd say, give or take a few minutes." He watched her closely for a bit. "Looks like we're going to have plenty of time for conversation. Shall I go first?"
The woman indicated he could talk away, she was biding her energy. She was just feeling relieved, she had thought it would be something like five days instead of mere hours.
"I mean it's been going for five hours," Lake clarified. "They said it could be up to a week before we get out of here. But I'm sure it will be quicker. I think they are worried that you might eat me or something," He smiled at her though she couldn't see him. "I'm not afraid of you though. Even if you are a Captain."
Ledeya winced as she rolled on her side. "Commodore." The woman corrected with a small sigh. She had gotten her promotion finally that had been delayed with Farragut leaving to allow her to outrank majority of the base and be able to support Rasardo. "And I am not actually that scary." She added putting the washcloth over her face covering her eyes. She had a headache brewing.
"Oh, I apologize. Congratulations. And no you aren't. Some people are afraid of rank but you're just a person, like everyone else. An incredibly interesting person. But I'll stop talking. Rest."
"Well seeing we are stuck in here shall we drop rank and formalities?" She wondered holding out her hand."I am Ledeya but you can call me Ed if it is too hard."
"You don't look like an Ed. Ledie or something like that maybe. It's kind of cute." He took her hand and squeezed it gently. He'd already told her she could call him Lake. "Silly question, but what's your favorite color?"
“Led-eya... comes from someone who could not pronounce it so broke my name down.” The woman smiled as she sat on the edge of the bed. “Um... teal. You?” It was a basic conversation but it was something to focus on instead of the countdown that was ticking in her head.
"Hmm, green I suppose. Though I like a lot of colors. I'm not a beige or black person." He noticed the change in her posture. She was paying close attention to him as if she expected him to ask something else. "My favorite color in nature is the color of the Kenai River as it runs through Cooper Landing Alaska. I wish I could show you a picture. When we get out of here I will. Do you have any siblings?"
It sounded like a really deep and interesting colour, almost warm despite being water. "Um no." The woman had grown up as an only child but surrounded by cousins so she supposed that counted. "Do you?" It really was an easy conversation one that was breaking the ice.
"I have an older sister. She's ten years older than me. I was kind of a surprise to my parents. They thought they couldn't have any more children. Her name is Sarah. I just found out I'm going to be an uncle for the first time actually. I'm super excited about it." He grinned at her.
The woman found herself grinning back at him. "I have lots of cousins so I guess I am never without siblings." The woman mused softly. It had always been hard to have a moment's rest.
"For some reason, my sister thinks I'm going to be a bad influence on the kid and I'm totally innocent." He watched Ledeya again. "But it's good to have family around. Okay, miss Leddie, what kind of hobbies do you like?"
The Task Group Commander raised an eyebrow at the fact he called her Leddie but she did not have the energy to argue that point at that moment. "I like anti grav ball... reading... um..." The woman was frown by the question and found herself stammering to tell him something but the truth just spluttered out.
"You may not know this about me," Lake joked, "But I'm kind of a klutz. So I don't know about the first one, but what do you like to read?"
"Anything. I've read Bolian classics to Earth classics. It is all learning." The woman was just happy to learn and grow with her new skills. She glanced up as she saw the nurse stood there waiting. "Excuse me a moment," Ledeya said already knowing what the conversation was about.
"Sure," Lake almost moved to stand up but figured maybe this was supposed to be a private conversation between the two of them. He put his head down in his lap and tried to think of anything . . . Bolian classics but his mind was firmly on Ledeya. She was close, she was beautiful and she was talking to him despite having bowled her over twice and locked her in here.
Ledeya glanced back at him a few times before frowning at the woman. "I need you to get my Chief Medical Officer over here to talk to," Ledeya said to the Ensign turning away from the window and coming back over to where the man was sat.
It wasn't any of his business but he heard her come back over to the bed so he raised his head again. "Still not feeling well? Shall I keep talking or do you want to rest?"
"I need a prescription." The woman admitted. She was not sure if the replicator could process something as complex but she needed Ranav to discuss it with. He was the only medical professional who had ever seen her without her sedative.
"Ah, I see." Lake nodded. "Not really but it's what people say when someone says something that makes sense and yet gives them no more information about the topic than they had before." He grinned up at her. "What's your favorite meal?" He said quickly changing the subject before she could get her feathers ruffled at him.
"I cannot discuss it anymore." The woman wanted to get annoyed, wanting to get annoyed at her roommate but the man was the only person in the isolation ward with her and she needed to keep things pleasant. "I do not believe I have a favourite meal," Ledeya admitted with a shrug.
There was that wall again. But Lake didn't mind. He wanted to know why she felt she had to protect herself but he certainly wanted her to keep speaking to him so he didn't ask. "I love food from a certain region on Earth called Mexico but I also like Bajoran food. Afraid I haven't had much Betazoid food, maybe you can point me in the first direction of what to eat there. Is Cosmos your first command?"
"I have had Mexican." She admitted. It had been a bit too spicy for her but it had been enjoyable until she had overdone it. Not many people enjoyed Betazoid food outside of Betazoid or species that enjoyed sweet meals. "No. I was in charge of USS Gemini before I returned to my first ever ship. What about you? Tell me about your position?"
"I'm a stellar cartographer. Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed being stationed here. It's not that I can't study things, it's just that it's the same view all the time. I kind of had my eye on discovering new things. Not sure who I made mad, gotta be my curious nature gone too far. Oh well." Lake shrugged glancing up at her.
"Does seem a little bit of an odd posting but..." The woman shrugged herself, who was she to judge. She did not know this man from Adam really, he had just saved her from some very nasty drug interactions.
"Yeah. Apparently, I'm trying to make the best of it by knocking over women in the corridor and then locking them up with me in quarantine. I mean I'm usually pretty social but this is new. Seriously, Ed, I'm glad I met you. I think we could be friends if you'd be seen with a lowly Lieutenant."
"Rank means nothing in friendship Lake." The woman commented on with a small smile. "But I really do need to thank you for locking me up with you really. Supposedly that gas was pretty toxic so you saved me from some pretty nasty things." It could have been a lot worse.
"Oh, you're very welcome. It was the least I could do. I wish I could have done something for the others too." He looked quite pleased that she was willing to be friends with him though. "Any chance you need a stellar cartographer on your ship?"
Ledeya found herself genuinely laughing. "Ask me when we are not locked in here." She offered. She couldn't remember what her science department looked like but she was sure if he requested a transfer she was sure she would not turn him down.
Lake grinned. "Deal." He was pretty sure that despite having known her for less than a day he was going to follow her anywhere in the universe never complain about it.
Lieutenant Lakeland Brown
Stellar Cartographer
SB 621
(PNPC Bowers)
Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri
Commanding Officer
USS Cosmos / TG 72-B
(PNPC Gregnol)
