Gathering Evidence

Posted on Tue Oct 20th, 2015 @ 12:02pm by Captain Li Hawke & Suresh & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & Senior Chief Petty Officer Edana

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Darwin's Quarters / Lao's

* Darwin's Quarters *

After seeing Seyla, Darwin returned to his quarters, intending to enjoy lying flat on his bed for a few hours before needing to return to Archadia and the cramped confines of the couch in Solaana’s sitting room. He stripped off his clothes and had just relaxed on his bed (which was long enough to fit all of him), when his commbadge chirped. “Fuck...,” he whispered to the room.

Hauling himself up, he reached over and tapped the commbadge, “Darwin here.”

=^= Hey gorgeous =^= It was Edana’s voice. =^= I’m looking into something and you aren’t gonna like it. =^= She filled him in on the current Suresh situation, giving him the important points.

Feeling like he wanted to throw something at a wall, Darwin cursed a blue streak. “You’re right: I don’t like it! Damnit, Ed. What is wrong ....nevermind, I’ll call him.” He closed the commchannel and opened one to Suresh, telling him to get to his quarters immediately.

After a moment’s consideration, Darwin opened a channel to someone else and requested her presence in his quarters as well. He updated her on the situation then dressed and waited for guests.

Edana was the first to arrive, and she came straight there on purpose. She stepped in and reached for Darwin, planting a kiss on his lips. “Sorry to drop all this on you but as I said to Vic just now, we need to figure out what the hell is going on. Before you ask, yes, he has Six.”

“Is he ...,” he shrugged with one shoulder, “um... consoling her?” He put his arms around her, keeping her from dancing away from him.

“He was yelling about ethics when I left but I don’t expect that to last.” She smiled as he wrapped his arms around her. “We’ll have to test your ethics later, once this is done. You may have to keep me from skinning him alive though.”

“Skinning Vic?” Darwin drew back slightly. “What’s he done?”

“No, skinning Suresh. For doing what he did, if he did it. And if he didn’t, for being dumb enough to let that woman put one over on him. Or both.” She kissed Darwin once more and then the chime rang again.

“Hold that thought for a while, okay?” Darwin kissed her quickly then answered the door, hauling Suresh inside. “Get in here and sit down.”

“Hey! Watch the jacket, jackass,” Suresh stumbled in under Darwin’s power. “Ed, hi,” he sat as told.

“Suresh.” She gave him a hard look, then relented. “How’re you holding up?”

“Not well,” he shook his head and nearly blubbered... “She ran out so fast! I ...I don’t even! There is no way I would willingly go to bed with that woman! You have to believe that!”

Darwin sighed. “Who wants a drink? All I’ve got is some of Jackson’s bourbon.” He went to a cupboard and pulled out a bottle and some glasses.

“All of us,” Edana answered. “And pour one more for our other guest. I think we’re gonna need it.” She turned back to Suresh. “Look, Surie, the problem is that willingly or not, you seem to have done so. What did you expect her to do? Stay and make tea for the three of you?”

“No!” Suresh shouted.

“Hey, hey, shh. I have neighbors,” Darwin said, half-joking. There was no way his neighbors would hear them, but he did want Suresh to not shout. He poured out four glasses of the bourbon and handed one to Suresh. “What happened?”

“I... uh... I had a couple of drinks at Saturnalia then went to Iapetus. Xerena came in, bothered me and then I went over to talk to Patch, hoping she’d leave. She didn’t. I went back and finished my whiskey...,” his voice hitched but he continued, “She suggested we go back to my place. And I agreed! I have no idea what I was thinking! I fucking agreed!”

Edana shot a glance at Darwin. “Just like that? No hesitation, nothing?” The door chimed again. “Hold that thought.” She rose and crossed to let in the last visitor - Li. “Come in, Captain.”

Li entered and greeted the rest, then took a seat. “So, we seem to have a bit of a problem. Why don’t you pick up with what you were saying before I interrupted?”

“You gonna read me? See if I’m telling the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” Suresh looked at her sourly.

“Hey, c’mon, Suresh, just finish the story. You left your whiskey with Xerena?” Darwin asked.

“Yeah, I was gone from the table for less than a minute,” Suresh shrugged. “She suggested we go to my place, we did. She ...she asked me to kiss her.... and that’s all I recall. I mean, then I hear Six and Xerena’s on top of me and... you should have seen where I had lipstick!” That mental image was out there, free for the viewing if Li was looking.

Li’s eyes widened. “Oh...shit.” It was one of the rare times they’d heard her curse. “As for reading you, yes, as long as you agree. However, given that this could prove she did something to you, which would mean a violation of Station laws, and possibly get your wife back...I’d think you wouldn’t mind, Suresh.” She sighed aloud and took his hand. “This situation sucks and we’d like to figure out what happened for both your sakes.”

He nodded. “Read me! Six thinks I fu-- ah... slept with Xerena and that’s just crazy! You know she put the lipstick there as a taunt, right? I mean... Suresh had her lover’s twig and berries cut off - she was showing me that she could have done the same!”

Darwin looked at Edana and winced so hard even his twig and berries cringed.

“Very well.” Li went quiet as her gaze locked onto Suresh and grew intent. She began to sift through the day’s memories and back, seeing Six enter their quarters, the scene with Xerena and she shuddered briefly. The pain was searing and she closed her eyes. She continued to wade back through his memories, seeing the scene at Iapetus, the moment outside the door of his quarters and then inside. From Suresh’s point of view she was looking at Xerena and leaning closer, then….nothing until Six’s scream and the bedroom scene. Finally her eyes opened and she described all that she’d seen.

“Huh... kissing Xerena and then waking up to Six screaming?” Darwin looked at Edana. “After leaving a drink unattended with Xerena. Whatever she used, I’ll bet it’s out of his system already.”

Edana tapped her comm badge. “Edana to Piper. Get one of the nurses to Lt. Darwin’s quarters with a medkit immediately.” She closed the connection. “We can hope. It hasn’t been long.”

“Did you shower?” Li asked.

“Um... no,” Suresh’s shoulders slumped. “I should have.” Suddenly suspicious, he said, “I understand what Darwin said, but, Li? What do you mean?”

“That’s actually a good thing,” Li answered. “There may be some traces in the sweat on your skin. Is the..lipstick...still there?”

“I... I, uh... wiped at it with a towel but I was more concerned about finding Six.”

The door chime rang; Darwin stepped past the others and opened the door to admit one of Piper’s nurses. Quietly, he explained to her what was needed then let her fully into his quarters. “Suresh, c’mon, let’s go in my bedroom.”

“Hey, I don’t swing that way,” Suresh joked before getting up and following the nurse through to the other room.

Li watched as the door to Darwin’s bedroom closed and she turned back to Edana. “I tried, Edana. There’s just nothing there. Now, if we have reason to believe that she has drugged Suresh, Security can bring her in and read her and then we might get some answers.”

Edana nodded. “Let’s cross our fingers then.”

“You have Six up in Intel?”

“Yeah, Vic’s with her in one of the safe rooms. She didn’t want to go home to Suresh for obvious reasons,” Edana replied. “I don’t know that she will go home, to be honest, Li. She seemed pretty traumatized and Vic’s the perfect one to play protector.”

Li smiled slightly. “I feel bad for both of them. I honestly don’t see Suresh doing this willingly, but once trust is broken, it’s sometimes impossible to regain it. Trust me on that one.”

The bedroom door slid open and both women turned to look. “Well?” Edana asked.

Darwin shook his head. “No traces of actual sex, though Xerena’s epithelials are around his penis.”

The nurse followed Darwin out and took her leave, saying, “I’ll have these results logged and saved, Lieutenant,” she winked at him.

Grinning at her, Darwin nodded then caught the look Edana was sending his way. He cleared his throat and wiped the grin from his face, “Ah... um, there were oxidated traces of zomtrazipan, a sedative that causes suggestibility prior to knocking a person out.”

“Enough for you to bring her in Dar,” Li replied. “Get her ass in to Security. Do you want to use me or one of your in-house telepaths?”

“In house is fine, Captain,” Darwin said. “I’ll ask Gilroy to take this over. I need to get back to Archadia, but I have just one thing to do before I go. Soon as Suresh is done taking a shower.”

“What’s that?” Li asked.

Darwin blinked. “Um...,” and his first thought was his answer. He coughed, “Edana,” he answered since Li had likely already picked up the answer.

Li actually snickered. “Have fun then. Wait, I need to take Suresh with me. Hey Suresh, get out here!” she called.

Still wet behind the ears but in new clothes, Suresh stepped out, “What is it, woman! Gods... impatient much?”

Darwin laughed, “Actually, Surie, it’s me that’s impatient. Now, go. We’ll get things with Six worked out.” He took Edana’s arm to prevent her from leaving with Li and Suresh.

“They’ll get things with Xerena worked out. Then, what happens after that is up to you. Come on, I’ll buy you dinner.” Li winked at Darwin and Edana and ushered Suresh out.

* Lao’s Chinese Restaurant *

They’d been shown to a table by the aquarium and once they were alone, Li looked across the table at Suresh. “Do you recall the night you and I first spoke, right here at this table? Watching the blue fish and red fish?”

"Vaguely. A lot has happened since then," he answered morosely.

“It has,” Li agreed. “It was that meeting when I first began to trust you for who you are, despite who you look like, even though it wasn’t easy. That night led to our trip, to the end of the old and your saving Oz’s life. You became a friend and one I trusted with my own life. I say that because I want you to know that there’s someone here who believes you when you say you didn’t do it. This whole scenario smacks of set-up.”

He covered his face with his napkin and both hands, hiding that he was tearing up. Sneezing violently, he wiped his eyes and nose before clearing his throat and looking at Li. "Thanks, Li. You have no idea how much that means to me." He put his hand over hers on the table. "If I can just get Six to believe that...."

Li smiled back at him. “I am not fooled by fake sneezes. As for Six, that won’t be as easy as convincing me or Darwin or Ed. We are not your wife who expects you to honor the commitment you made, nor did we see what she saw. You have to remember, Suresh, that she’s very young. She’s been out of the collective for only four years. She’s never had to deal with emotions of this magnitude before, especially painful ones.”

"Fake sneezes may not fool you, my dear, but they keep people from wondering why the mighty Suresh is tearing up," he whispered. "Darwin told me she was too young. I didn't listen, I just thought love would be enough. But in this snake pit... I'm not sure anything is enough."

“So what are you going to do about it?” Li waited as the sake was placed before them, then filled the small cups and passed one to Suresh.

"She doesn't want to talk to me. She sent a text that she wants some time and space to think." His frustration showed in his hands as he clutched the cup of sake.

“That’s reasonable. Put yourself in her shoes. What if it had been her and someone else?” Li saw the image of Vic that immediately popped into his head but she kept that to herself.

His grip on the cup tightened. Fortunately, it was too small and too hard for him to crush. "I'd have stayed and wrung the guy's neck." In his head, he was doing just that to Vic. "I don't know what to do, Li. What should I do?", he whined.

“Give her a little time as she has asked,” Li answered. “Nothing good can come of trying to force it. That doesn’t mean you just vanish into nothing for the next few days. You bought her that bracelet. Send it. Once Security has rounded up Xerena, then you’ll have a lot more to go on and Six will hear about the results. Remember though, you can make your case but you can’t make her decide one way or another.”

"I'll wait, but not patiently." Suresh frowned and looked around Lao's. "I'll stop by Darwin's again and ask him to get the bracelet to Six."

“Ed may be a better bet. Darwin’s dealing with some other things and may not be able to,” Li informed him. “Don’t forget flowers too.”

"Okay, flowers, too." He laughed. "At least I know now that she isn't hidden in Vic's quarters."

***************
Captain Li Hawke
Lt. M. Darwin
SPCO Edana
Suresh