Holding Tight

Posted on Sat Nov 26th, 2011 @ 6:35pm by Commander Oralia Zeferino & https://starbase900.info/index.php/personnel/character/23

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Oz's Quarters
Timeline: Current

Main Sickbay was a calm place - calm, compared to how it had been in the past several hours. The worst of the casualties from the explosion had been routed here while the 'lesser' injuries had been taken of on the other decks. Oralia knew that Doctors McKinney and Bren, among the other doctors on staff, had been swamped and, likely, had worked themselves to the bone. She grimaced at that imagery.

Standing out of the way in the Main Sickbay common area, Oralia caught sight of Connor through the transparent wall of his office. Pausing, she watched him a moment, admiring him, and saw that he was, apparently, dressing down a medic with Chief Petty Officer pips. His demeanor was intense, stressed, angry. Worried, she sighed.

That's when Natalia nearly made her jump out of her skin, "Get him out of here, please."

Startled, Oz glanced at the doctor and scoffed, "You think I can control him?"

"You have more ...effective techniques available than I have. As for myself? I just have sedatives and a hypospray. He's wound up tight", Natalia frowned, "and he needs to get out of here." She looked like she wanted to say more, instead she walked away.

Slightly smiling at Natalia's innuendo, Oralia shook her head and went into Connor's office. "Hey...," she started, clearing her throat, "...thought we might pick up where we left off...? You know, assuming no one's going to die if I pull you away for a roll in the hay right now. Or... sand, as it was."

Connor looked away at the last, rubbing his neck as he looked back to her, and then he half smiled, losing that smile as he struggled with what was bothering him. "Okay", he said finally, turning his computer monitor off, and forced that smile to return as he came around his desk to her.

He seemed less than enthusiastic about the idea but Oz put that off as the stress of the day. She had already reviewed the casualty list, and the causes of those casualties. It wasn't a good list, as if a casualty list could ever be good. "Come on, Iggy's with her babysitter. Seems she needs one, since the Admiral likes to ply her with alcohol. He's now making the list as the "Big Kahuna"!", she tried to lighten him up.

His eyebrows came together. "She's drinking with the Admiral?", he asked, actually smiling for real. "Oh wait.." he turned back to his desk, walking back behind it to pull out what looked to be a sterile glove partially inside out, to hold something inside it, something red. He tossed it to her, "Found it when I changed for surgery."

She didn't have to ask, or even look, to know what it was. Instead, she caught it, pulled her undergarment out of the glove and tossed the glove in the recycler. With her cheeks turning pink, she pocketed the panties and turned. "Come on. I'll tell you the story of the spider and the Big Kahuna. As much of it as the hungover arachnid would tell me, at least. Apparently she went up to see him and demanded he put me in charge of the station. I would love to have been a fly on that wall," she said, ignoring the dangers of being a fly around Iggy. Chatting lightly about Iggy and the Big Kahuna, the two headed for Oz's quarters, and did their best to forget Connor's security escort.

* * *Later* * *

There'd been nothing tender or gentle about their reunion sex. It'd been hard, fast, furious, and, for Oz, it had been an affirmation of life - confirmation that despite the deaths and the attacks and the threats she'd caused, reacted to and witnessed, she was alive and healthy, physically at least. Panting hard, feeling sweat trickle down her back, she leaned forward and kissed Connor then flopped to lay against his side. She was still catching her breath and lightly kissed his chest. "I feel like I've aged several years in just the past few days," she commented, thinking more about sleep than about talking.

His heart still beating fast, Connor tenderly caressed her back. "Yeah, me too..," he breathed, and his other hand tilted up her face to kiss her. Her lips were still swollen from all their kissing in the heat of their desperate need, and he wanted more. This time more slowly. "I want to lose myself in you," he whispered, rolling her over, towering over her as he continued to kiss her. Not ready to feel anything yet except her, his kiss deepened, and when he lifted his head meeting her eyes, he smiled before moving his lips to her jaw, her neck, and her throat.

She let him, accepting his kisses and relaxing into being with him again, into having someone else in her bed, touching her. Her hands slid over his skin, and she gasped and laughed as his teeth raked against her neck.

"You're beautiful," he whispered as they merged into one, the pace still slow, "I love you." His hand wrapped around her thigh to pull her against him.

Her hips shifted to meet his and, smiling, she met his eyes, "I know." She was playing on their conversation in the holosuite, when he'd answered her with the same phrase.

He smiled meeting her lips again. He understood she felt the same way. With each caress now, drawn out touch, and kiss, Connor had a feeling that they had begun to heal. A fear went suddenly through him that he would do something to make her doubt him, that he would doubt her. Their hands suddenly intertwining, the way she was responding to him, he managed to push those thoughts away.

Unaware of the maelstrom of thoughts and concerns going through Connor's head, Oralia had surprisingly few running through hers. True to her earlier resolution to say what she was thinking, she breathlessly voiced them, "Don't leave me. I love you."

Their eyes meeting again, he leaned in to kiss her face. "I won't..." his voice was low, and husky. Slightly increasing his pace he held onto her, the heat between them rising, their breathing quickening. The intense pleasure of their release seemed to last forever until Connor finally slowed down his movements to pull her tighter to him, his body trembling.

Holding him, she hid her face in his neck till they both recovered enough to separate and simply cuddle, basking in the glow of their bliss. Oz was just about ready to drift off towards sleep when a rancid thought caused her calm to curdle. "Connor," she turned in his arms, "...we should talk about something."

His eyes remaining closed, he mumbled, "What is it?"

"There are ...things happening," she started, "...on the station, that... well, last night, I spent the night in Jackson's bed and...,"

His eyes snapping open, he gripped her arm, "You said he turned you down?"

"He did, twice," she nodded, "But I slept there; he slept on his couch." She was having a moment of obliviousness: since she'd already told him about propositioning Jackson, she figured this wasn't any big deal.

Connor quickly pulled himself up, letting go of her arm. Nausea hit him as he sat on the edge of the bed, he was trembling again. "What's happening...?"

She sat up as he did. "Jackson saved me from a couple of guys who had drugged my drink," she finally revealed the crucial nugget of information. "Apparently he fought them off and then took me back to his place to sleep off the drug. Li told me this evening that the drugging wasn't an accident or a random occurrence. She says I've attracted the attention of some lowlife that traffics slaves."

Running his hands down his face, he turned to face her, "What's being done about it?" His stomach was churning. "Were you tested for the drug? What did they give you?"

She winced, "Um, well, no, I wasn't tested. I was in Sickbay earlier, with a broken wrist. The tech fixed me up, said I'm healthy." She smiled at him then added, "As to what's being done about it: I'm the Security Chief, so trust me when I say that Security is on top of the situation. But I didn't want to sugar coat it or hide it from you."

For the first time Connor felt regretful for making the decision that placed them both on a starbase. He reached over, pulling her to him as he climbed back onto the bed. Both on their knees, naked, he wrapped his arms around her, "Keep nothing from me." he said, one hand on the back of her head as he held her tightly to him.

"I'm trying with that, luv," she admitted. "Li said the two who drugged me have three days to try again," she eased back in his arms and grinned wickedly, "How would you feel about staying in for the next three days?" It was an impractical suggestion, if only because that would mean three days with very little actual exercise such as ...walking.

He pulled back, grabbing onto her face, "Don't make light of this."

She partly smiled, partly smirked, the expression slightly mashed thanks to his hold on her. "It's what I do," she started to say then saw the concern in his eyes, "Okay, okay, I won't."

His eyes studied hers, and it hit him how self-centered he was with this. He touched his forehead to hers. "I'm sorry", he said quietly, "You handle this however you need to." Her soft body pressed against him, his own began to respond, but this time he pulled away from her to climbed off the bed, grabbing his boxer briefs to put them on.

Surprised that he seemed to be getting dressed, Oralia asked, "Where are you going?" She settled back on the pillows.

"To get a drink of water," he said, pulling up his briefs. He was trying so hard to remain calm, but inside he was extremely stressed, the day having taken it's toll, his muscles all tense giving him away. He raised his head having an image of finding those who were out to harm her, and what he proceeded to do to them in that image caused him to leave the room. Instead of getting a drink from the replicator, he bent over the sink, hanging his head over it as he turned the water spigot on to cold. He shoved his head under the water, and held on to the edge of the sink.

That was certainly allowed, all things considered. She followed him, saw what he did at the sink and brought him a towel, leaning into him as she draped it around his neck. Staying close to him, she trailed fingers along the lines of his back muscles. "I know having a security detail following you everywhere is annoying, but I'll need you to put up with it a while longer." She didn't mention that she was avoiding putting such a detail on herself.

He turned off the water, and nodded as he grabbed onto the towel, using both hands to dry his face. "It's cool-bananas, doesn't bother me. But what I need to know is...what about you.." he straightened himself, turning to her swallowing, "n' what is going on within the civilian populace on this base? First the attack on me, the threat towards you 'n' now this..."

She brushed past his question about her, instead answering the question about the population, "I'd have to guess that we're seeing the Wild West effect here. The Federation's presence causes an imbalance and uncertainty in the region and criminals are moving in to take advantage of whatever angles they can." Moving to hug him while still looking up at him, she continued, "The attack on you has me worried, as does the threat that you or Chance or... anyone else... will be hurt because of the choices I make as the Chief of Security. But I'll keep making those decisions and, eventually, those who would hurt you will either be caught and prosecuted, move on to easier targets - hopefully on some other planet or starbase - or ...." Her brow wrinkled and she frowned, "Or they'll get the better of it."

Connor stiffened, and he grabbed hold of her hands behind him, "And what about you, Oralia? You've evaded my question long enough," his eyes following hers until they locked, "I want to know what you are doing to protect yourself."

"I'm not going into the shady areas of the 'base for the next few days", she started to play it off then sighed and agreed, "I won't be alone, either. With the explosion and the investigation into who might have set that off, the Divitian Speaker still being here, and now the investigation into Suresh and his men, I'll be busy, which means either Gilroy or Darwin or Chase will be around me. I promise."

He continued to study her, finally nodding his head reluctantly, releasing her hands to pull her closer. He wrapped his arms around her to look down at her with a softening expression. His eyes, they gave him away; how much he loved her, and how he had this feeling of dread he couldn't let go. "I... I should go."

"You should? Why?" She held onto him then chuckled, "Did you adopt a puppy and now have to rush home to feed it?" Knowing he hadn't, she invited, "Stay with me; I have the feeling we'll both sleep better."

Slightly smiling, he had to agree. Since his attack he had been sleeping on the couch, his bed had become a trigger he avoided. "I have to rise at oh-three hundred hours. I don't want to cause you to lose any crash."

"C'mon, you know I can sleep like the dead," she answered. Then she pulled back a touch and looked at him, "Don't let me twist your arm, though. If you'd rather not sleep with me, I get it."

"Wha..?" his brows came together, "Really? After the way we made love less than a half an hour ago?", and seeing her expression, he put his arms out in exasperation, "I have an early appointment with the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy tank, Oralia! I don't want to disturb you in the middle of the night. Is that so hard to believe 'n' besides, I don't live here. Remember?"

He had left; that wasn't something she'd yet forgotten. "Of course," she nodded and withdrew a step towards the bedroom. They had come so far, but were losing ground now. "I'd like you to stay, but if you'd rather not," she shrugged, "...okay."

"If you think..", he took a step towards her, "I don't care how you feel", he realized he was scared, ".. that I wouldn't rather stay here with you, you're wrong."

"Okay, let's do this, Connor," she said, taking his hand and pulling him into the bedroom with her, "First, we'll both shut up and get in bed."

As she lead him there, his eyes swept over her. "Second?", he asked.

"Second, you have a choice," she pulled him into the bed and kissed him, "...going straight to sleep or having a third helping and then going to sleep." It was easy to tell which way he'd go on that one.

_______________________
Lt.Cmdr Oralia Zeferino
CSec

Lt.Cmdr Connor McKinney
CMO