CAG xfer to Merlin, first night back

Posted on Friday 24 March 2017 @ 00:40 by Commander Save'ena (Sav) Tillatix & Captain Melody Jones

Mission: Escape from Dark Ventures, Sav's Tail
Location: Starbase Medical Outpatient Housing deck 52-185
Timeline: MD 38: 1700 hours
3590 words - 7.2 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Lt. Save'ena Amilia Tillatix was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting. Around her, medical staff were packing the medicines, physical therapy support items, quick wash massage gels, and instruction padds. Fortunately, she didn't have much in the way of personal affects or clothes as she had never transferred to Starbase Housing for USS Merlin crew. Unknown to her, a nice, large suite had been ready for her and she missed the experience.

Sav began to rub her arms again as a small tear appeared at her right eye. The 'ants' were busy right now, and the nurses could not give her any more pain meds to help out. She snorted out in humor, though, in thinking about the first five days after transfer from the surgical suite to inpatient care room. The Toluene poison getting out of her system, along with her nerves waking up after having been suppressed and damaged for so long, had felt like she was being eaten alive by those self same 'ants' she was feeling now.

She was still not back to full health, and would remain on Light duty for another three months, but the Docs said that her body was doing remarkably well and soon her 'ants' would be a distant memory. She suddenly smelled licorice spice tea, noticed it in front of her muzzle, and then reached out to take it from the offering hand. She sighed, saying, "Thanks, Melody, I needed this."

Melody smiled at her "It's no problem Sweetie, anytime."

Unknown to Sav, but known to Melody, Galeraz was chatting with the female nurses and the one female outpatient Doc for Sav. He had always been there for her, and Caroline, but staying in the background, out of sight. His investigations into her 'incident' on Apollonia had yielded very disturbing information on an Orion subsidized sex slave market, but which had been moved due to heat caused by Sav surviving what was supposed to be her death by a buyer, who was a Federation councilman to boot. Problem was, any leads to people involved were dead ending as they were found to be dead. Always by accidents, or muggings, or 'natural causes', but all loose ends were coming to naught.

He did a quick glance into Sav's room and was glad to see Commander Jones taking care of her. Those two had a bond, which helped immensely in Sav's recovery, even if both didn't realize it, or if one or the other did, not to the extent it was needed. Mephetians did better when they were helping and concerned for others, and Melody being a survivor of a Borg raid and growth chamber helped Sav and her psyche keep going, despite all evidence showing she easily could have died many times in her recovery.

In the bedroom, Sav quietly sipped her tea. The upcoming part was going to feel very weird for her. It was always customary for an outpatient, one still on light duty, to be escorted in a gravchair to the new outpatient place, ie, she would be in that silly chair from this room and until her CAG quarters on the Merlin. Her mouth dropped open with light churrs as she felt someone wiping down her muzzle, face, and ears with a wet cloth.

The nurse had brought a bowl in but Melody had stopped her and taken it herself. She was now looking tenderly down at Sav as she gently wiped her face. "Hey Sweetie, you should be able to get back to your quarters and rest. Don't you worry, I'll be here to look after you."

A light churring was easily heard from Sav as Melody wiped away her tears, as well as cooling down her fur and skin along her head, ears, and neck. "Thanks, Melody, for taking time off of your vacation to be here with me. I really am not looking forward to the ride in the gravchair. It mostly feels better when I am moving about as that helps keep the ants away. Just, of course, they come back with a vengeance with too much moving about."

Melody continued wiping Sav's forehead "Don't push yourself Sweetie. You need to rest and it's no problem. I want to be here for you, as always."

Sav heard people moving out of the way and knew the Grav Chair was coming into the room. She opened her eyes to look up at Melody and asked, "So... did you clear it with the Captain to be one of my counseling buddies? As XO, you have to keep a balance as you are the Officer liaison to the Captain, just as the Chief of the Boat is Enlisted Liaison to the Captain and you. Just, Brenda, Wyn, and you are my closest friends, with you being my bestest one."

"Oh....... Yes" Melody hesitated for a fraction of a second. She hadn't discussed the matter with the Captain and to be honest she wasn't sure what his response would be given her past.......... interactions with Sav. She could but try and even if the Captain refused, she would still be there in an unofficial capacity.

Two female nurses came on either side of Sav, saying, "Okay, Lieutenant, ready to get to your command?" They put her arms over their shoulders and grabbed her by supporting her with their arms around her back and under her chest, with their other arms under her thighs. They lifted and moved her into the chair, releasing their hold upon her. Sav, for her part, went with the flow, not thinking about where their hands were, and hence why there was a female team as directed by Galeraz.

Sav, now in the chair, blushed gently. She was doing much better as this was the thirteenth day of being in her own room with physical therapy. She could have walked, but protocols were protocols. She reached out for Melody's hand and asked, "Would you walk with me to my room on the Merlin?"

Melody smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze. "Of course Sweetie."

One nurse began pushing the grav chair as the other walked along and monitored Sav with a medical tricorder on loan from Galeraz. On the side it was earmarked 'USS Merlin, Private Property of Dr. Caroline Miller'. It was a parting gift to her from Galeraz. As they went through the main living area, Galeraz had already disappeared so as to not cause any grief for Save'ena.

Now out of the room, the trio with their patient headed to the turbolift to head towards the USS Merlin. As this floor was all outpatient rooms, there were several people moving about in grav chairs and complaining about having to do so.

"Come on Sweetie, Well get you back to your room and I'll sort you out a nice cup of tea. I may even bring Nibbles over for a visit sometime. I'm sure some hedgehog therapy is just what the doctor ordered and I think she is missing you." As they walked, Melody reached out and held onto Sav's hand.

Sav churr giggled, "Ayuh, sounds lahka me, sounds Lahka me." She caressed over Melody's hand with hers and added, "Thanks again, Melody, fer bein here within me asa we're heading towards my room ona t'e Mehrlin." One of the nurses took note that Sav's voice was switching between swamp and normal, and that was actually a good sign.

Melody also notice that Sav's speech pattern was returning to normal.

The trip was pretty uneventful as shoreleave was up the following day and people going to and from the ship were minimal. The Nurses had to be let on board by Melody so they could get Sav to her room on the second floor. Once in the room, they once again grasped Sav into a between carry and placed her in her new recliner chair placed in her room for her recovery. They left, leaving Melody and Sav alone.

Melody moved another chair over to next to her and sat down, taking her hand again. "You're home again Sweetie. Is there anything I can get for you?"

There still was a blush across Sav's muzzle from having been escorted with a grav chair through the starbase and Merlin. She churr-giggled in humor as she responded, "Ayuh, erahse t'e security rehcordin's ofa me ina grav chair." She sighed as she looked over Melody sitting beside her. She stood up as she said, "I think Ah'll get some tea, yah know, get up tah stretch. Would yah like some?"

"Ok Sweetie. Lieutenant Scarlet might get a bit peeved at me erasing his security logs, but I'm sure he'll understand. There's not much I can do about the logs on the Starbase I'm afraid. As for the tea, sounds lovely. Mind if I tag along and give you a hand. I just don't want you pushing yourself too hard ok?"

Sav grinned and responded, "Sure thing, come along fer the stroll. Do usa both good." She turned and walked to the kitchen alcove where her tea set was. She hrmmed out a little minor aches as her body let her know she needed a good stretch. She grimaced lightly and turned to look at Melody, saying, "Just my body lettin meuh know I need t'e stretch, tis all."

"Ok, but I'm here for you to rest on as well if it gets a bit too much." Melody gave her a concerned look. She knew Sav wanted to get moving as soon as possible and that also she would down play any pain she was in.

Sav grabbed the Tea set and touched the bottom plate of the hot water carafe. The crystalline base glowed and the water could be heard rapidly heating up. She took out two cups and put in two tea strainers of her blend of Autumn Harvest. The carafe began whistling its tune of boiling as Sav picked it up and poured it gently over one strainer, then the other. Now waiting for the tea to steep, she began moving her shoulders and head around to get the kinks out.

"How's everything feeling?" Melody asked, still looking rather concerned.

Sav snorted out in humor. "Just feelin' tensed up, isa all. PT with long periods ofa rest does not make for flowin' movements. Ah reallah could use ah mahssage after mah tea." She mouthed something to herself, then said, "It comes and goes, doesn't it? Mah nahtive tongue, it still just comes ana goes. Still, I am speakin normally more than half t'e time, Ah think."

Melody rubbed her hands together "All you have to do is ask sweetie."

Sav heard the rubbing sound and looked back towards Melody. She churr-giggled at the sight of Melody showing she wanted to massage her. She responded, "T'anks, Melody, I'll take you up ona t'at."

She removed the tea strainers and handed a tea cup to Melody. She then picked up the other one and took a sip. Churring sounded out from her chest. "mmmMMmmm, this is sooo good. Only thing better would be tah have Wyn ana Brenda by tah say hi, ya know. They are probably enjoyin' t'e last of their vacation, fer sure."

With timing bordering on the supernatural, the door chime sounded.

Sav touched the kitchenette control surface to activate the Door Annunciator as she called out, "Come on in, Door is nota locked."

The door opened and Wyn walked in. "I was just coming to see that you were ok, I was worried about..." She stopped as she saw Melody and came to attention "Commander!"

"Hey Wyn. It's ok I'm not on duty so Melody is fine. Please, relax before you sprain something."

Sav churred gently in humor, "Heya, Wyn. Glad yah could mahke it, ayuh. Pahlease hahve ah seat. Woulda yah like a cup of Tea? I have autumn harvest ready tah brew."

Wyn relaxed but frowned for a moment then nodded, her whiskers twitched "Thank you Comman....... Sorry Melody. Sorry Lieutenant, I'd love a cup. What's up with your accent? It keeps changing."

Sav snorted out in light humor and responded, "Yah, mah native dialect keeps coming and going, Wyn. It has to do with my brain still recohverin froma havin ah trahnsportah beacon rehmoved froma me brain. It was put there for... for... I'll let you do the imagining. My tail's ability to block scannah signahls kept meuh sahfe, ayuh."

Wyn shuddered, imagining something being removed from her brain. "Sounds nasty. What exactly happened. There are some rumours flying round that you were poisoned?" Wyn moved slightly closer to Sav and just 'listened' to what her senses were telling her. She could tell that Save'ena wasn't at full strength, but the feeling she had got from Save'ena when they first met had gone.

Wyn breathed a sigh of relief. "There's something different, I can feel it. Tis a good change. I can tell you the first time we met, the feeling I got made me really uneasy."

Sav sighed while churring a little. She replied, "Yeah, I was poisoned. There... " She paused, shuddering to herself lightly as her thoughts turned to 'They were deliberately trying to kill me'. She took a breath in, then let it out and was able to continue, "was a mix up with the meshes used to hold mah insides tahgethah. T'ey were trainin' cadavah meshes mahde witha nylon ana lahced with Toluene glue. It was everywhere through my body. It is mostly gone now, mostly. My pet ants are much less, now"

Wyn was having to concentrate to understand what Save'ena was saying as her 'swamp dialect' was very difficult for her to follow. Something about tied to kill her....... Pets ants.......... She smiled and nodded while she lent a bit closer to Melody and whispered "Did you understand all of that?"

Melody was smiling at Sav and whispered back to Wyn "Most of it....... Most of it....... It gets easier with time."

Wyn nodded uncertainly "There was glue inside of you?"

Sav sat down in a chair as she studied her tea cup. "The meshes were put in to keep me together after I encountered t'e seedier sahde ofa blahck mahrket sexin trade. Ah wasa rescued rahght befer Ah was supposed to become a guys bedspread... I'll... let you fill ina blahnks. Justa, Ah ama on light duteh fer now as I heal."

Wyn was not convinced that Save'ena 'Swamp talk' was getting easier to understand, but she was getting the gist of what Sav was saying "Oh Gods, that's horrible. You need to rest."

She looked at Melody, "ME and Melody will be here to help you on the road to recovery, yes?"

Melody was nodding even before Wyn had finished. "Of course. You have to get your strength back. Wyn and I will be here to help you all the way, Sweetie."

Sav snorted out in humor and replied, "Thanks for that, I think. And, yeah, it twas horrible... twas..."

The door chimed and slid open barely before Brenda stormed in. The woman looked like she'd spent the last month in a warzone. Which was actually only partially true thanks to Scarlet's new training. Her hair was pinned back but with loose strains poking out randomly. Her uniform looked like it had been sent through a tumble wash with a horta and there was a spot of blood on her lip. "SAVE'ENA! You're back!"

Sav sat bolt upright as she stared at the battle crazed Terran now in her room. There was a chance it could be Brenda, her friend, but just a chance. Fortunately for all, the voice that shouted out her name confirmed it. It was definitely Brenda. Sav waved gently and said, "I'm here, Brenda. Please, join us."

Brenda smiled and waved excitedly to everyone in the room. "I'm SOOOOO sorry I didn't get a chance to visit you sooner, and I probably just failed my last training session to get here now as soon as I heard you were back." She went to hug the Mephetian, but quickly stopped as she realized how messy she was. "Oh right... sorry. Training is intense." Even as she said it, her eyes sparkled. "The Lieutenant has me doing extra training against Klingons in hand to hand combat." She was about to point to one of her badges on her warrior's sash but remembered that part of her uniform was just holographic and had disappeared when she left the simulation. "Oh... I'll have to show you all sometime!"

Sav churred gently and replied, "Ah would love to see that."

Keeping back a fair distance out of consideration for the state she was in, Brenda sighed. "Sav... I'm just glad you're alright now. Just don't... don't go scaring me anymore alright?"

Sav stood up and came over anyways to Brenda. She took her into a hug, churring. She said, "I think I scared the docs more than anytin else whena toluene toxins showed up ahlong witha nylon ina meshes holdin' me insides tahgetheh. Pahlease, have a seat with us and I'll make you a cup of tea."

Brenda appreciated and returned the hug quickly before giving Sav a sideways look. "Hun, you really shouldn't be drinking so soon after surgery. But yes, I'll have that cup of tea."

Sav blushed and snorted out in humor, "My speech goes funny as Ah heal from havin' a traspondeh beacon removed from me brain ina long term memory area. One of the fun surprises the docs found. And, if you don't unnerstan' sometin, justa ask ana Ah willa repeat meself. T'e speech seems to come and go in cycles, but it's getting better." She headed for the kitchenette to get the Tea for Brenda.

"It's alright, for the most part I can understand everything. For the most part." Brenda licked her lip and finally noticed the blood. "Shit, Karak did manage to make me bleed... that bastard. I'm going to remove his holographic nuts the next time we duel." She looked back up at everyone. "Sorry... we gave the simulations a memory and personality so they could learn and be better opponents. Karak is my own personal whipping boy."

Sav was working on filling the tea strainer with the leaves as she heard Brenda talk. Security always seemed to talk that way, especially when talking about combat and one-ups. However, when Brenda got to the last part, Sav jerked and momentarily froze. Her hands shook as they held the hot water carafe and tea strainer. She closed her eyes and just breathed, even as under her breath she said, "Ah be knowen how that feels.." It had only been eleven days since the imprints were removed and Sav having to relive what happened was still fresh on her mind. She did not move as she tried to tamp down the roiling emotions going through her.

Brendas face blanched as she looked over at Sav. "Oh my god hun... I am so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Brenda continued to mentally kick herself for the insensitivity. "Maybe I should go get cleaned up and come back later..."

Sav tried to speak up, but all she got out was a whispered, "No, please, stay, I'll be ahlrahght.."

Melody spoke up "I think we maybe should all get out of Sav's hair and let her rest, she's been through a lot."

Sav managed to put down the items in her hands and turn around. She was trying to switch gears, but her body remembered the whippings as they thwacked over her body, causing small tremors about her. There was so many devilishly sadistic ways to beat a person without leaving a mark for a prospective buyer, and that had stuck right now with Sav.

Melody came over to Sav and slipped her arms around her waist and held her for a moment "You get some rest, ok Sweetie and I'll come back and check in on you later. If you need anything, just call." She placed a gentle kiss on Sav's lips before turning to Wyn "Wyn?"

"Aye Sir." Wyn finished her tea and also gave Sav a hug, "Hope you're feeling better soon."

Sav had felt Melody's kiss, and the hug by Wyn. She could only nod, though, to them. She turned towards Brenda and held up her arms in hoping for a hug from her. It was not to be, however.

Brenda managed one quick glance at Save'ena. "I... I am so sorry..." With her head down so they wouldn't see her lip quiver or the moisture in her eyes, the young crewman rushed from the room and down the corridor.

Sav watched as Melody and Wyn followed Brenda out the door.

The door had fully shut upon her when Sav finally managed to say, "Wait.. please.. come back..." A couple of tears formed in her eyes as she lurched towards her easy chair. Falling into it, she managed to gently cry herself to sleep for a nap, her last thoughts of having caused Brenda emotional pain. She did not mean too... just, give her time, she would get better, honest.

OFF:

Dr. Galeraz Zephyr
Xeno Doctor
Station: Outpost 785 on Argelius II
Visiting Consultant

Lt. Save'ena Amilia Tillatix
CAG / Uroboros Squadron Leader
USS Merlin

Lieutenant Commander Melody Jones
Executive Officer
USS Merlin

Crewman Wyn Rhoderick
CAG Personal Assistant
Fighter Maintenance Tech
USS Merlin

Crewman Recruit Brenda Aumento
Security Specialist
USS Merlin