Deception: The lesser part of Valour – Picnic - Part 5 : Pique
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
With her customary dignified veneer still askew Isha reacted, “What is your problem, Chelsea?” she flared, “I am doing all I can to make sure that you and yours are kept out of this, whatever this happens to be! Why do you insist on making this impossible for me?” Isha threw her hands in the air and glared at the doctor, “I am trying to ensure that your man is not harmed. Can you get your dim Federation head round that concept?” her voice was low but clear and bubbling beneath it the breaking emotion, “Do you have any idea what can be done under the cover of diplomatic immunity? Imirrhlhhse (very rude word), why am I even bothering to try and help you?”
"My problem....." Chelsea explained with remarkable calm "...is that I entered into a new friendship with you a few days ago, which incidentally I have never regretted at any time since and I hope I have not given you that impression."
Chelsea realised she was digressing, so she came back to the point. "To answer your question, I want to believe that friendship is why you are trying to help me.
What you need to understand however, is how much you have rocked my trivial little world, in which I believe you had taken some interest, by warning me that through no fault, mistake or misdemeanour of my own, Ryan's life and in fact anything I value hangs in jeopardy at the whim of an agent of the Romulan Empire whose indifference to others and even life itself appears to trouble you much less than I had expected it would."
She took a breath, searching Isha's face with eyes that wanted to hold onto her faith in the Lady of t'Khellian.
"You say I should not have responded to the Arrain's call and had he invited me under any other circumstances I should certainly have declined, however I *am* a doctor and it's my sworn duty to answer those in need of medical care.
”The patient was in grave medical danger and genuinely would have died without treatment so it would have gone against everything I believe in to decline that summons. As such I was put into a situation from which I had no escape, which I still am now in fact and whilst I was foolish and naive enough at the time to think Raedheol could not possibly be serious (or effective) in his threats.
”I wondered if it might all be subject to some circumstantial evidence that would correct the balance of what appeared to be so surreal and wrong or perhaps some part of your culture that had a meaning as yet undisclosed. Perhaps it could have been a misunderstanding, or even a form of humour, who knows?
”I have found no explanation and my 'dim Federation head' is at a loss, but more than that, what I find hardest to come to terms with, is why you are angry with me when I feel I have made every effort to discover some way to comprehend and accept the differences in our cultures and backgrounds so that our friendship can survive and flourish despite the storm this one man appears to have created in each of our individual realities."
Isha's mouth fell open at Chelsea's tirade. “Are you quite finished,” she asked and receiving no reply she continued, “I have known that man for forty years, and yes, when all else is put aside all that is left is passion and storm but it touches everything that I am, no matter how hard I try to turn away. I want to be your friend, Chelsea, but this is Isha talking, not the lhhei t'Illialhlae or t'Khellian or anyone you have ever met; this is the girl who was raised to decorate a wealthy man's arm, the one feted, and flattered by half of Ra'tleihfi and denied nothing until the summer she was unfortunate enough to fall in love with a man her mother thought unsuitable ... everything was taken from me then and I cannot comprehend why you think I would wish deny you the happiness you have found.”
Isha blinked frantically and tossed her hair over her shoulder to obscure her face, “I am who I am,” Isha said as she controlled her breathing, “and the universe is the universe, I cannot change that, I see that it is too much of a step for you to be my friend.”
Chelsea was taken aback. Deeply moved and almost at a loss for words, she tried to absorb all that was embedded in that revelation from her friend.
"No step is too large for us, Isha." she insisted with great feeling. She couldn't help but to immediately put her arm around the Romulan Lady again, completely overwhelmed by her feelings and forgetting all formality and cultural differences.
"I never want you to think that way!" she protested, desperate to restore her friend's hurt feelings. "I don't understand much about the universe, but I do know how I feel and I never give up on a true friend." Gently clutching Isha in a hug, the roles seemed temporarily reversed as Chelsea took on an almost maternal attitude, soothing and reassuring. It was completely the opposite situation that they had begun with, such a short time ago, yet at the beginning of the whole lifetime of their relationship.
"Isha, whoever you are, be it royalty, leader, politician, journalist, big sister or best friend; whether you're the fire-filled, star-crossed lover, or the wounded, misused girl you have denied for so long; and whether you may or may not ever face and embrace any or all of those parts of yourself... you're still an awesome person!" Chelsea was not offering flattery, this was a genuine summary of her own feelings and opinion.
“I’m just so tired of being everyone I have to be,” Isha said quietly, “I am simply being stretched too far and in too many directions and I think that sooner or later I’ll be stretched so far that I’ll not regain my original shape.” Isha chuckled softly, “There is not one person back home who would believe that I just admitted that, but then one does not admit a weakness to someone who might choose to use it as a weapon,” she said with a half smile, “and it becomes difficult to inspire loyalty if people realise that you are every bit as flawed as they are.” Isha shook her head, “But listen to me wallowing in self pity, there’s no excuse for it really!”
"You are *not* wallowing! You're honouring me with a special insight into an extraordinary person, who has placed her trust in me in an unprecedented manner. We should try to enjoy this moment rather than feel embarrassed Isha because, although it's an exquisitely difficult honesty to deliver, these confessions we have gifted to each other have welded our friendship and they need no excuses!" Chelsea reassured her, smiling as she realised what she was saying.
"What did you do with that bottle of Spring Wine? I propose a toast!" she grinned, reaching for the glasses again. "Friendship and Fishing!"
Isha t'Khellian
&
Lt. (jg) Chelsea Adams
Assistant Chief Medical Officer - DS5
by Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
| Title | Picnic - Part 5 : Pique | |
| Mission | Deception: The lesser part of Valour | |
| Author(s) | Commander Isha t'Vaurek & Commander Chelsea Dunham | |
| Posted | Sun Nov 16, 2008 @ 10:47pm | |
| Location | Bajoran Gardens | |
| Timeline | Day 3 - Around 1.15pm |
"My problem....." Chelsea explained with remarkable calm "...is that I entered into a new friendship with you a few days ago, which incidentally I have never regretted at any time since and I hope I have not given you that impression."
Chelsea realised she was digressing, so she came back to the point. "To answer your question, I want to believe that friendship is why you are trying to help me.
What you need to understand however, is how much you have rocked my trivial little world, in which I believe you had taken some interest, by warning me that through no fault, mistake or misdemeanour of my own, Ryan's life and in fact anything I value hangs in jeopardy at the whim of an agent of the Romulan Empire whose indifference to others and even life itself appears to trouble you much less than I had expected it would."
She took a breath, searching Isha's face with eyes that wanted to hold onto her faith in the Lady of t'Khellian.
"You say I should not have responded to the Arrain's call and had he invited me under any other circumstances I should certainly have declined, however I *am* a doctor and it's my sworn duty to answer those in need of medical care.
”The patient was in grave medical danger and genuinely would have died without treatment so it would have gone against everything I believe in to decline that summons. As such I was put into a situation from which I had no escape, which I still am now in fact and whilst I was foolish and naive enough at the time to think Raedheol could not possibly be serious (or effective) in his threats.
”I wondered if it might all be subject to some circumstantial evidence that would correct the balance of what appeared to be so surreal and wrong or perhaps some part of your culture that had a meaning as yet undisclosed. Perhaps it could have been a misunderstanding, or even a form of humour, who knows?
”I have found no explanation and my 'dim Federation head' is at a loss, but more than that, what I find hardest to come to terms with, is why you are angry with me when I feel I have made every effort to discover some way to comprehend and accept the differences in our cultures and backgrounds so that our friendship can survive and flourish despite the storm this one man appears to have created in each of our individual realities."
Isha's mouth fell open at Chelsea's tirade. “Are you quite finished,” she asked and receiving no reply she continued, “I have known that man for forty years, and yes, when all else is put aside all that is left is passion and storm but it touches everything that I am, no matter how hard I try to turn away. I want to be your friend, Chelsea, but this is Isha talking, not the lhhei t'Illialhlae or t'Khellian or anyone you have ever met; this is the girl who was raised to decorate a wealthy man's arm, the one feted, and flattered by half of Ra'tleihfi and denied nothing until the summer she was unfortunate enough to fall in love with a man her mother thought unsuitable ... everything was taken from me then and I cannot comprehend why you think I would wish deny you the happiness you have found.”
Isha blinked frantically and tossed her hair over her shoulder to obscure her face, “I am who I am,” Isha said as she controlled her breathing, “and the universe is the universe, I cannot change that, I see that it is too much of a step for you to be my friend.”
Chelsea was taken aback. Deeply moved and almost at a loss for words, she tried to absorb all that was embedded in that revelation from her friend.
"No step is too large for us, Isha." she insisted with great feeling. She couldn't help but to immediately put her arm around the Romulan Lady again, completely overwhelmed by her feelings and forgetting all formality and cultural differences.
"I never want you to think that way!" she protested, desperate to restore her friend's hurt feelings. "I don't understand much about the universe, but I do know how I feel and I never give up on a true friend." Gently clutching Isha in a hug, the roles seemed temporarily reversed as Chelsea took on an almost maternal attitude, soothing and reassuring. It was completely the opposite situation that they had begun with, such a short time ago, yet at the beginning of the whole lifetime of their relationship.
"Isha, whoever you are, be it royalty, leader, politician, journalist, big sister or best friend; whether you're the fire-filled, star-crossed lover, or the wounded, misused girl you have denied for so long; and whether you may or may not ever face and embrace any or all of those parts of yourself... you're still an awesome person!" Chelsea was not offering flattery, this was a genuine summary of her own feelings and opinion.
“I’m just so tired of being everyone I have to be,” Isha said quietly, “I am simply being stretched too far and in too many directions and I think that sooner or later I’ll be stretched so far that I’ll not regain my original shape.” Isha chuckled softly, “There is not one person back home who would believe that I just admitted that, but then one does not admit a weakness to someone who might choose to use it as a weapon,” she said with a half smile, “and it becomes difficult to inspire loyalty if people realise that you are every bit as flawed as they are.” Isha shook her head, “But listen to me wallowing in self pity, there’s no excuse for it really!”
"You are *not* wallowing! You're honouring me with a special insight into an extraordinary person, who has placed her trust in me in an unprecedented manner. We should try to enjoy this moment rather than feel embarrassed Isha because, although it's an exquisitely difficult honesty to deliver, these confessions we have gifted to each other have welded our friendship and they need no excuses!" Chelsea reassured her, smiling as she realised what she was saying.
"What did you do with that bottle of Spring Wine? I propose a toast!" she grinned, reaching for the glasses again. "Friendship and Fishing!"
Isha t'Khellian
&
Lt. (jg) Chelsea Adams
Assistant Chief Medical Officer - DS5