The Morning After

Posted on Tue Sep 27th, 2011 @ 9:44am by https://starbase900.info/index.php/personnel/character/23 & Commander Oralia Zeferino & Cadet Senior Grade Chance Conradi

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Connor's and Oz's Quarters

Knowing that her day was going to be ...awful, Oralia had woken early, showered and dressed for work. She'd tried to stay quiet so as to not wake Connor and slipped out of the bedroom, intending to head to her office for a report on the search for Kh'ali.

Instead, she found herself chest to chest with her brother as she started to step through her front door. "Oh! Chance!" She glanced up and down the corridor before retreating into her living room, followed by her brother, who walked farther into the room than she did. Turning to keep him in her sight, Oralia asked him, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in bed with Eli or catting around looking for someone else?"

"Stuff it, sis," he said and softened his order with a quick smile. "It's a little early in the morning for me to be catting around. Besides, even if I were, I think your minions would make it next to impossible to actually score anyone. What's with the lock down and the deck by deck search?"

"It's why I'm up so early, Chance," Oralia answered. "Our diplomat, LC Kh'ali, went missing last night."

"Oh hell...," Chance breathed. "Wouldn't wanna be you right now."

She punched him in the bicep. The blow ended up being harder than she intended, but... so be it, she thought. Little twerp deserved it.

"Ow!" He whined and grabbed his arm, "Just for that, I'm not going to tell you what Jackson said."

"Jackson? What? What did he say?" Oz had taken his bait and had forgotten she was trying to be quiet to let Connor sleep in. Chance didn't look like he was going to spill the beans so she drew her fist back, threatening to punch his arm again. It was their family's typical sibling-language.

"Ok! Don't hit me again!" He laughed and shied away; his arm was going to be black and blue, he just knew it. "Jackson said that he'd be there for you, anytime, anything." It was a paraphrase, but that was the gist of it. "What's between you two, anyway? He's obviously--"

Oralia grabbed her brother by his arm and propelled him toward the door, "C'mon, I need to get to my office." She didn't let him go till they were in the corridor.

Back inside her quarters, Connor leaned an arm against a wall. He watched the doors close, running a trembling hand through his hair, his face pale, his jaw clenched from a pain far worse than the physical one, the extreme hangover he woke up with. What did Chance mean by what was between Oralia and Jackson? He would be there for her anytime ... anything... Anywhere? With Chance's last words echoing, the anxiety and paranoia that rose up through him was far worse than he had felt in a long, long time.

He turned enough to where his back was against the wall, breathing hard and closing his eyes as he tried to push all the feelings back deep inside himself...but that never worked. No matter how many times he tried in the past. He would have to face it. What all did he do last night? He couldn't remember..much, only vague memory was there.. Did he hurt her?! Oh God, did he finally this time do something to physically harm her!? No..no..he wouldnt. He couldn't. The thought repulsed him. The fear escalated. What did he do? What couldn't he remember? He had to find out.

The headache was bad, the nausea overwhelming. Romulan Ale...Connor leaned his head back, closing his eyes, pinching between them, thinking how he would never touch it again. He pulled himself away from the wall, and into the kitchen, thinking he should of drank more water before he went to bed. It would of helped to drink water. He leaned in towards the sink, gulping air as he reached for the faucet handle, falling away and then making a mad dash for the bathroom to heave over the toilet instead.

Somehow he managed to shower and get dressed, and after staring at the monitor of Oralia's computer for a while, where the music selection and the holoprogram was still there from the night before, he informed Sickbay he would be working partially in his quarters for the day. There were no meetings, no surgeries he was scheduled for. He'd been working his ass off, he could get away with a partial day off as long as he wasn't specifically needed...

A short time later, Connor found himself sitting on a bench in the promenade, staring over towards the Nexus Club. He wasn't even sure how he got there, couldn't remember walking there. He leaned forward, rubbing his palms together, hanging his head. More than anything he was feeling, and he felt like a mess, like a failure, his heart ached as he wondered if he had been betrayed.

Moments later, the object of Connor's distress stepped out of the Nexus Club, glanced left and right, then hurried away along the Promenade.

_______________________
Chance Conradi
Cadet 4th Class
Teasing Sibling

Oralia Zeferino
LC/CSEC
Causing Problems

Connor McKinney
Lt/ACMO
Waking up to a Painful Morning