Sharing Secrets

Posted on Sat Oct 10th, 2015 @ 9:27pm by Vic & Desta

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Piper Medical Center

Entering Vic's room, Desta looked down at the tray she was holding. "I've brought you a cup of hot chocolate and some cookies," she said, bringing the tray to his side table. "If you want something different, I can go get it." She hadn't looked up at Vic yet.

"Oh, wow. Thanks!” Vic smiled but he noticed she hadn’t looked at him. She had also put down the tray and moved just out of reach. Six’s words rose in his mind and just seeing this reaction, he was suddenly angry that anyone could do something like that to Desta or Reva, or to anyone. He clamped down on the anger, however. He had no idea of she was an empath or a telepath and didn't want her thinking he was angry with her. “It’s really nice of you to offer to stay but you don’t have to. Sickbay isn’t the most exciting place.”

"Reva told me that, too. Perhaps I'll stay for just a little while then call her." Desta risked looking up at him. "Reva spoke of you. She said you hunted down some spiders with her."

That got an immediate laugh from Vic and he nodded. “We did. Iggy had found a mate and we were trying to track him down too, as well as the eggs. We didn’t want them hatching and crawling all over the station and freaking out everyone. We found him and the egg sac and carried them all back to science to be..ah….contained. Chance and Eli were with us and let me tell you, I’ve never seen three grown men so squeamish. That includes me, I admit.”

She laughed and it was a fantastic sound, light and clear. “I can’t blame you. She said the spiders are huge. Have you seen the hatchlings?” Truth be told, Desta was curious to see these things, just as she wanted to meet more people - one of the reasons she chose to stay behind with Vic.

“Not yet no.” Vic answered. “I’ve been off the station and just got back a few hours ago. In fact this stabbing happened on our ship as we were unloading. One of the troublemakers we brought back but he’s now in the brig.”

“What will you do to him once you’re out of here?” In Desta’s world, men took their own vengeance for wrongs - real and perceived - done to them. She wasn’t yet used to being back in civilized society. “May I sit?”

“Please do.” Vic moved over enough to give her some room, then motioned to the empty spot. His fingers grazed her arm as she sat. “Oh, sorry about that. Make yourself comfortable.”

“You don’t need to apologize for that.” In that flash, though, she’d picked up something from him. “You’re a telepath?” She carefully eased into the spot he’d created.

“I am.” He nodded. “From the Mari homeworld in this quadrant. Which means that you are too.” He thought back and it hit him in an instant. “Touch, yes?”

She nodded, “Like Reva. It was such a comfort to be able to read her. While we were on the ship, I mean. I was able to see her belief that the Fleet would come to get her. And then she damaged the engines. I helped her get to the engines, but that was it.” She frowned then, recalling what Pash had intended as her punishment after that.

“What is it?” Vic asked. He was curious but there was no way he was prying. He could guess, however, and the thought made him want to hit something. He just didn’t get how someone could think the way those men had. Women were to be loved and appreciated and spoiled rotten in his opinion. Six rose in his mind and he carefully pushed the thought away for now.

“Oh, we were caught,” she said. “And Fisher... he lost his mind. He was going to kill an Orion, one of his crew, to punish Reva. He’d already killed a Bajoran woman because Reva had ...she’d done something, but I don’t recall what.” She shrugged. “Sorry, there are some things I just don’t recall.”

“It’s alright. I can’t imagine the hell you two went through and maybe, for now, not recalling it is a good thing?” he asked. “How are you settling in so far? Do you like it here?”

Desta laughed. “Do I like it here? Absolutely! I’m living with Reva for now. She’s helping me settle in; so are Six and Falasin now. Reva’s said that she’ll probably have Riley over quite a bit and I’m happy about that. He came and got her and killed Fisher in the process.”

“I’m glad to hear someone finished him off,” Vic muttered. “He deserved it.” He smiled again finally. “Those ladies are wonderful. You’ll have a blast with them as friends I know. Do you want to stay here? Eventually go back home, wherever that is?”

Pausing to think about that for a moment, Desta shook her head, “I don’t know. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to think about what I want for my future. I’m not sure where to start now. But I’d like to stay with Reva for a while and see what comes.”

“There’s a lot to be said for this station,” he answered, then his curiosity got the better of him. “Where are you from?”

“Daled... ah, my homeworld is close to Daled IV. Are you always so curious?”, she smiled. “You must be if you’re willing to hunt down spider eggs.”

“I am.” He’d caught the slip and his eyes widened. “Daled IV? I was there once on a….a stopover.” It suddenly occurred to Vic that both of them held pretty big secrets.

“A stopover? What sort of business would have taken you to Daled IV?”

“It’s..umm….classified. Sorry. Back in my pre-bartender life,” Vic admitted. “Are you……?” He let the question linger between them.

“Am I an allasomorph?” She filled in his question. “If I am, I’m not supposed to tell anyone.”

“I can understand why,” he replied. “For many reasons.” He didn’t want to bring up her recent stay on Fisher’s ship. “I can tell you though, your secret is safe with me. Do the girls know?”

“Reva does. Falasin and Six don’t. Do they know about your ‘pre-bartender life’? Your secret will be safe with me.” She found herself almost flirting with him.

“Six does, Reva and Falasin don’t,” he answered and laughed as he looked up at her. Her sea-blue eyes and fiery red hair were an arresting combination. “So I suppose that makes us partners in crime, for lack of a better phrase. But now, since you’re one of the girls, I hope you consider me a friend. I look out for them, you see, so that now includes you.”

“Then I’m happy to have you as a friend, Vic. Those are in short supply for me,” she smiled.

“I suspect it won’t be long before you have plenty.” He smiled up at her and offered his hand. “If anyone gives you trouble, you just call me. I’ll deal with it.”

“Thanks,” she took his hand. “Are you tired? Do you want dinner? I could go get something for you.” As long as she didn’t run into any strange men, she could at least.

“They’ll bring dinner in soon so you don’t have to go. I’m enjoying the company tremendously.” Though he needed to warn Jackson that Desta had an inkling of what he was doing these days.

“Jackson?” She was holding Vic’s hand still and couldn’t help reading his active thoughts. It was a force of habit from living under Fisher’s and Pash’s rule. “Who is Jackson? Reva hasn’t mentioned him. Is he one of her friends, too? Or Six’s?”

“Yes to both. He owns the Nexus Club where I work and is my closest friend here besides Six. He’s a good guy and married to the Chief of Security. You’ll like him.” Vic squeezed her hand.

“He must be, if he’s married to the Security Chief. I’ve met her, briefly; she doesn’t look like she’d put up with much guff. You’re closer to Six? When they talked about you, it seemed Reva was closer to you - maybe because of the spider hunt,” she said.

Vic hesitated and withdrew his hand to run it through his hair. “That’s sort of a long story.”

“Oh, okay.” She nodded, trying to be understanding. She wondered how many times she’d hear that phrase from people.

“It’s okay.” He smiled at her once more. “Hey, do you think they’ll let me get up and we can take a walk?”

“I can go ask,” she offered. At his nod, she did so and came back a few moments later, “Chanella said it would be okay, as long as you move slowly.”

“Best news I’ve had all day.” He waited for her to stand, then slowly slipped off the bed. He felt surprisingly good, though a little sore on his left side. “Not bad. Shall we?” He offered his arm to Desta.


She took it and they started their walk around Sickbay. “You can lean on me if you need to,” she told him. “As Reva knows, I’m stronger than I look.” She smiled.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Vic smiled as they strolled on down the hall.

*************
Desta
Vic
Two of the No-Last-Name-Gang