Marla Makes A Move

Posted on Sat Mar 12th, 2016 @ 12:21pm by Lieutenant Commander Ophelia Payne & Commander Dae Nalas & Marla & Lieutenant Commander Gilroy

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Piper Medical Center

* Piper Medical Center *

“Today’s readings look much better,” Ophelia stated as she studied the screen on the wall. “Keep this up and you’ll be back out in the field before you know it.” She was answered by silence. Turning back to the biobed, she spoke to the man there, whose eyes were still bandaged. She slipped her hand into his still one and this time spoke silently. Dae?

Is she here? was his singular thought.

Not yet today, Ophelia answered. “Perhaps she is getting ready for Sakkath’s memorial service.” She spoke aloud that time, hoping to push Dae to speak now that he was conscious and awake. So far he had refused. There had been some complications with his restoration and even now, though Solis had restored his normal eyes, interior implants would have to remain to make them function or he would be blind. He had not taken the news well. She hoped that mention of Sakkath would push him out of his self-imposed silence.

“I am missing it.” His voice was hoarse from disuse and it had been so long since Ophelia heard it that it came as a surprise.

“He would understand,” she assured him. “Don’t worry. If you like, we can pull it up on the screen for you to watch.”

“I would.” Dae reached up with his free hand to check the bandages. “How much longer? Why was I so much more difficult to repair?”

“Dr. Solis said this morning that he will be in this evening to remove the bandages. He expects no issues.” She didn’t answer his other question.

“You’re avoiding Ophelia. I can’t see you but my telepathy is just fine, thank you.”

“Our theory is that your alterations were done last and rather hastily, so with perhaps less care than the first ones. They were --”

“A hatchet job, is that what you’re saying?”

“Well, yes, more or less. But don’t worry, Dae. Everything else is fine, Your eyes were the most difficult but Solis was pleased with the surgery. Try not to worry.”

“And Marla? I know she was here the first two days but not since.”

“She’s frightened, Dae.” Ophelia squeezed his hand. “She was so afraid while you were gone, after the news came back, and worried that you wouldn’t return at all. It was stressful sitting here with nothing to do and no news and you not conscious. I suggested she try doing her normal everyday things and I would call her once you were awake. Which I have done, by the way. I spoke with her just before I came in.”

“Is she coming?”

“She said she would come now.” Ophelia let go of his hand and smoothed the blanket over him. “In the meantime, can I get you anything? I’ll bring you some lunch soon, but I warn you it will be soft since you’ve not been on solid food for the past week.”

“No, I’m fine. I think I --” he paused as if listening. “She’s coming down the corridor now.”

“Then I will scoot out and leave you two alone. Call if you need me.” She patted Dae’s hand and hurried out.

Marla was a bundle of nerves, so it was no surprise Dae could sense her coming. She stopped in the hallway and briefly chewed on her thumbnail. There were so many things to tell him, where would she start? She could start by getting into the same room with him. Taking a big breath, she pushed into his room and smiled as brightly as she could. “Dae! It’s so good to see you awake!”

“About time, isn’t it?” Despite his current situation, he smiled back at her. “No need to be nervous, Mar, it’s just me. Almost good as new...well I will be later this evening.”

“Later? Are they doing another surgery or something?” She took his hand and her concerns radiated out of her.

“All the surgeries are done. Solis is coming back tonight to take off the bandages so I will once again be able to see.” His lips pursed a moment. “Hey, it’s okay, you don’t have to worry. It’s done.”

“For now,” she said. “And next time? What if next time... it’s too horrible to even think about, Dae. I can’t do this,” she whispered.

“Mar, it’s been quite a while since I was out in the field, you know that.” Her words sent a ribbon of fear slicing through him. “Can’t do...what exactly?”

‘Wait for you. Wait behind while you go out and die. ...or nearly die,” she said.

“But I didn’t,” Dae pointed out. “This was an unusual situation, that’s all. I didn’t get this far without being very good at what I do.”

“I get that..., but... Dae, I don’t know that I’m going to be good at ...worrying about you. I love you, Dae, I do. I just can’t see continuing on this way,” she said, already crying.

He took a moment, trying to piece his thoughts together, but with little success. “Would you worry if I were always here on the station? Marla, anything could happen to any of us at anytime. Li lost her husband but I am betting she doesn’t regret the time she did have.” He paused and frowned. “Okay may that isn’t the best example but you see what I’m getting at? If you love me, then being apart makes no sense.”

“Maybe I don’t love you enough, then,’ she whispered.

He sucked in a sharp breath. “You just said you did….what is it that you want Marla? I can easily answer that question and you know what I would say.”

“I don’t know what I want anymore,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve asked Seyla if i can return to work. For now, I’m doing her books.” She didn’t mention that Seyla had refused to let her take clients again until after she’d talked to Dae.

His hand tensed around hers. “For now….what comes after? Back to business?” His voice, still hoarse, cracked as he asked the question.

Tears wet her cheeks and dripped to her shirt. “Yeah. Back to seeing clients; I have to pay my keep.”

“Your keep? Does that mean you’re moving out and going back below?” His hand tightened on hers. “Don’t do this Marla. Don’t fall apart over one bad mission. I love you. You know that.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not made of the same stuff you are. I am moving back... Ophelia said they’d provide you with a nurse at home for a little while, so you won’t need me,” she kissed the back of his fingers.

“I don’t need a nurse! What I need is the woman I love at home with me, not back at Seyla’s with a client list as long as my arm.” He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it. “I know this has been awful for all concerned but don’t let your reaction to this ruin everything.”

A flash of grief- and fear-filled anger sparked in her. “My reaction? It isn’t my reaction that ruins everything! It’s the Borg attacking you and those other officers! Look at what they --- you can’t look at what they did to you, Dae! Your eyes don’t work.”

“They will tonight, don’t worry.” His voice softened. “I am fine. Really. And I survived this. If I can live through the Borg, I can get through anything.” He could read the fear and hurt in her so easily and it stung him. “Is it going to be easier to be away from me because of a maybe? The fear that something might happen...someday?”

“It might be,” she said, knowing her reasoning wasn’t rock solid. Her reasoning was based on Seyla’s, based on what Seyla thought of love. She knew Seyla wasn’t a fan of love or any high emotions.

Dae sighed aloud and now his own anger spiked. “Is this one more effort of Seyla’s to interfere? She’s tried all along, though we worked around her. Tell me, Mar.” The hard edge of his voice was now apparent.

She blinked and shook her head, “No... I went to her because I was scared. I was so scared that you weren’t coming back.”

“But I did,” he pointed out. “Is there anything I can do to persuade you to change your mind? Can I hope that you will?”

Sniffling, she wasn’t sure how to answer that. “I... I don’t know, Dae,” she leaned in suddenly and kissed him. “I gotta go. I love you.” She hurried out.

He lay still in the silence of the room, the conversation replaying in his thoughts. Marla….moved out…..leaving him…..gone….a sudden surge of irrational anger flooded him, white hot and blinding. He reached over the side of the bed, banging on the panel with his fist until the biobed’s arch retreated. He was off the bed and on his unsteady feet and now, still blind, he flailed around the room, smashing anything that came within reach. The small monitor that had been attached to the back of one hand flew wide, setting off an alarm. The beeping blended in with the crashing of cabinet doors and things flying off the shelf. He bellowed aloud as he tried to find the door of the room, but without much luck. The sound of the door opening got his attention and he whirled around. Staggering forward, he couldn’t see the bed in his path and crashed into it. He doubled over, groaning in pain.

“Whoever you are go away!”

“The bed is right behind you. Put your butt on it, Dae, or I’ll put it there for you,” Gilroy growled from a spot rather close to Dae. Behind him, Ophelia peered into the room.

“What brings you around Gil?” Dae reached out, moving his arm slowly until his hand touched the bed. It took him another minute to stand upright and he was still clutching his midsection where he’d hit the bed.

Though Dae couldn’t see him, Gilroy was spotting him, making sure he didn’t step on or into anything else. “You do. Are you okay or do you need a doctor?”

“What is it Dae?” Ophelia stepped fully into the room and steered him carefully to the bed.

“Nothing,” he growled. He felt along the edge of the bed and settled on the edge of it.

Gilroy nodded at Ophelia and waited till she’d gone out and the door had closed. “Wanna try that again, Dae? What’s with the blind destruction of a sickbay room?”

Dae reached up to rub the back of his neck, then shook his head. “Marla is what,” he finally answered. “After all the hell we went through, now that I’m home and finally going to be alright, she’s leaving me. Can’t handle the worry that everytime I go somewhere I might not come back. What am I supposed to do Gil? The happy dance?”

“Of course not,” Gil said, “You just alarmed the staff here, that’s all. I’m sorry she’s being short-sighted. It sucks.”

“So I finally get home, get back to being me, thrilled to be back with the woman I love and she’s taken off. Welcome home, Dae…” His voice was bitter. “And I can’t see...though Solis says I’ll have amazing vision. He’s having to leave the internal visual implants or I’ll be blind.” He banged his fist on the bed. “My apologies to the staff, huh?”

“No worries, man,” Gilroy pulled the blanket and sheet from the floor, shook them out and laid them over Dae’s legs. “Some women cannot handle seeing their loved ones in danger,” he said. He then considered the casual sexism in his comment and amended it: “I should say, some people cannot handle it. I imagine Jackson doesn’t rest easily when Oralia is on a mission.”

“Maybe but you couldn’t pry him away from her, no matter where she went or what she did. Thanks.” He managed a smile for Gil but it quickly faded. “So, tomorrow, I’ll go home to my empty quarters. And if I am so inclined, I can hire my former girlfriend for the evening.” The bitterness had returned to his voice.

Gilroy tried to think of what Darwin would say; he was better at handling issues concerning Seyla’s girls. “Then do so. Hire her for the night and spend the time presenting your case.” Sometimes, Gilroy thought in attorney terms and strategies.

“Maybe….maybe I’d rather spend a night letting her miss me even though I’m home.” He shook his head and muttered. “Probably wishful thinking on my part, huh?”

Gilroy silently wondered whether someone in Seyla’s employ could miss someone when she was with someone else. Thinking of how he could miss his parents even though he was with Kai, he decided one could. “I think it’s likely that she will, even if she’s busy trying to convince herself otherwise.”

“Yeah. We’ll see, won’t we?” He turned his head as if looking around the room, though he could see nothing. “How bad is the room?”

“Terrible,” Gilroy answered. It wasn’t all that bad and he was quietly putting what could be put right right. “Don’t worry about it, though, I’ll make sure Earl doesn’t send you a bill. You know, if you want to be creepy, you could lock her in your quarters.”

“Great idea….then you could come arrest me and I could keep Niro company in the brig.” He had to laugh at the suggestion though. “Does Kai know you’re that creepy?”

“She knows a good deal about me,” he replied. “Though I’m not actually creepy; I just see lots of creepy. Some of the brig’s denizens are there for stuff like that.”

“You should get going. Isn’t the memorial service soon?” Dae asked. “Ophelia offered to bring in a terminal so I could listen in. Likely in another room,” he said ruefully.

“Do you want to go with me?”

“I can’t. Solis will be in later to take off these bandages and check on me. They are still monitoring a few things and making sure the nanoprobes left in my system aren’t going to shift into assimilate mode.” Dae reached out, resting his hand on Gil’s shoulder briefly. “Give Li my best and tell her I’ll see her when I get out of here.”

“Will do, Dae,” Gilroy said. Before he left, he asked, “Hey, do you think Seyla might have influenced Marla’s fears? Pushed her one way or another?”

“She says no, and I didn’t get that impression from her thoughts either.” He shrugged then. “It’s not that unusual for those in the Intel field, honestly. You want to know why Leto and Nick work? Same field so they get it. You know, Li used to say that Rhys never could deal with her career choice either. Granted, he had a lot of other issues, but it’s par for the course for us spooks.”

“Turn her into one,” Gilroy suggested, as if doing so was as easy as saying it. “It's too bad; it's not like you go out on dangerous missions very often.”

“I tried to explain that but it was no good. “ Dae shook his head. “I’ll work through it. You, go, it’s not long till the service starts. I am going to apologize profusely to Ophelia, then let her lead me to a new room.”

“Okay. See you soon, Dae.” Gilroy told Ophelia on the way out that her patient needed her.

***************
Lt. Commander Ophelia Payne
Lt. Commander Dae Nalas
Marla
Lt. Gilroy