Interlude – Taking care of each other
by Lieutenant Jana Kasikova & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
Jana stood at Ben's head , she stroked his hair away from his forehead. She sent silent prayers that he would be ok. Chelsea said he would be all right, but Ben was still very pale. "I'm sorry." She whispered and kissed his forehead. Nurses and other doctors walked passed them but Jana didn't see or hear them, she was in her own little bubble, with just her and Ben.
"Don't worry Honey, it's not your fault and I'm fine, really I am!" Ben tried to insist. "I sure showed that jerk, didn't i!" his lopsided grin returned in his pale face, his eyes twinkling as he squeezed her fingers affectionately.
"Are you sure?" She asked. It had been a year since Damon was killed and she hated seeing anyone that she cared about hurt...especially because of here.
"Well, now you ask." Ben coughed a little and clutched a his ribs as if in considerable pain. "oooh... " he winced, lapping up the caring, worried look on the gorgeous face that was right beside his as he lay in the bio-bed.
Ed arrived at this inopportune moment, spoiling the effect that Ben was hoping to enjoy. He was rewarded with a hint of a frown. "S'up?" was the friendly greeting.
"You, young hothead, are well enough to be discharged but the Boss has you scheduled for a session with the Kreallia for your stupidity." Ed scolded without malice. The older man was very protective of his protégés but fair with them and he spoke his mind out of concern for their welfare and progress. If he felt they'd done something they shouldn't have, he would say so but although this might seem harsh at the time, he would always follow it up with guidance and more practice if it were a medical mistake, or something else useful wherever he could help.
Ben wasn't a junior officer, as ACMO he stepped up right behind Chelsea in the Departmental chain of command and when he was acting in her stead he outranked all of them, however, like even the CMO herself, who had also been mentored by Ed in her time, no-one with any wisdom at all ever treated Ed with anything less than respect. Nurse McBain was never wrong. Scarily so. Everyone knew that to be a fact and a legend at the same time.
"Awww, but... Ed?! Did she really put me down for that? You're kidding me right?" Ben protested.
"She has to be seen to be being fair. How you come out of it, is up to you." Ed replied without emotion, signing off the padd and record on Ben's care in Sickbay.
"Your ribs, face and all other damaged bones have been regenerated, your skin and cells too. Your contusions and haematomas are broken down and absorbed, your renal functions have been restored, cerebral fluid rebalanced and concussion stabilised. You're going to be sore and achy for a while and you KNOW you must NOT re-inflict any further damage to the areas concerned for at least 48 hrs. You have 24hrs off work and ... why am I reciting this to you... you know it all off by heart... get outta here! ............and REST UP!" he called after the retreating form of Ben, being supported by Jana, making good progress towards the exit already, looking back over her shoulder as she tucked herself under his arm, attempting bravely to take his weight as much as she could.
Ben allowed her to tuck in close, wrapping his arm across her shoulders and leant a little on her despite not needing to at all. He winked at Ed, that lopsided grin spread from ear to ear.
"Sure thing" he called back. "...and thanks! Thanks a lot!"
* * * * * * * * *
As the pair hobbled along the corridor towards the officers' quarters Ben gave a little gasp and stopped, clutching his side. "Sorry, just a little winded" he winced. "Could we just rest a moment please?" He desperately wanted to lean down and plant a passionate kiss on the lovely face that Jana turned up towards him as she helped him against the bulkhead so he could lean heavily there and pant a little for effect.
"Thanks" he breathed. "I'm really sorry. You're so sweet to take care of me like this. If you get me to my quarters, you can leave me there, I'll be totally fine, I promise. Everything is fixed. I just need to rest... you heard the man. Ed's never wrong." He said, no word of a lie of course, but a certain amount of over-dramatised for the real fact that he wasn't as puffed as he made out.
"But Ben...I caused this...if I hadn't snubbed Lance the way I had then he wouldn't of done this to you...He was quite pissed that I chose you over him." She said as they leaned up against the wall so he could rest. "I'm not leaving you in your quarters...I will stay until you decide to kick me out." She laughed. "Come on...we are nearly there."
"Well, if you insist. I can't say I wouldn't LOVE that but I don't want to be an imposition on you." Ben replied only to have his protestations rebuked and winning himself another kiss on the cheek.
They made their way slowly to his quarters, once there Jana helped him to the couch and replicated him a cup of tea. "My babi, grandmother, would make me black tea when I was sick, she would put honey and a teaspoon of rum in it, it became a tablespoon when I was older though." She smiled shyly as she handed him the tea. "She took care of me when my parents explored the Galaxy. Babi and I would explore Praha, Prague...find all the little bakeries and little markets. We had so much fun."
Jana moved to his kitchen and started pulling out bowls and baking sheets. She mixed flour, sugar, butter vanillia, salt to make a sweet dough. Between Chelsea and Ben her wrist had been repaired so she didn't have to wear the splint. She rolled the dough into small balls and placed them on the baking sheets. She brushed them with melted butter and placed them in the oven. Jana then took an pot and mixed milk, vanilla sugar and butter in pan to make a custard. She added a couple healthy tablespoons of rum to the custard. It sat cooling and she cut strawberries in pieces.
Once everything was baked and cooked to her liking she let the items cool just enough so it wouldn't cook the strawberries. She put the sweet buns in a bowl and added the strawberries, Jana covered the whole mixture with the custard and brought it to Ben. "Babi would tell me that you need to put some meat on those bones of yours." She smiled and sat beside him. "She would pinch you and feed you until you would be ready to burst. Eat...babi taught me how to make this...it probably wont aid in your healing but it rather good."
"Everything about you is 'rather good'... in fact, it's all brilliant!" Ben enthused, now in 7th Heaven installed on the sofa and being waited on and fussed over to his heart's content. He was adoring every moment of it. He was even thinking he should get himself beaten up for her again when all this wore off. It would totally be worth it.
"I'm sorry about Lance...if I hadn't let his comment about my body get me upset none of this would of happened. I was so worried about you."
"Don't go taking the blame for that piece of ..... I won't swear in front of a lady." Ben tried to persuade her not to worry. "If I hadn't let him goad me, it wouldn't've happened either".
He settled back in the cushions. "And anyway, if he hadn't hit me, I wouldn't've won this pleasure of having you looking after me!" his endearing lopsided grin evident again.
"When I'm better, will you still cook strawberry dumplings for me?" he asked.
"Of course...it is a whole afternoon job though so be prepared not to see me for awhile." She smiled. Jana stayed at one end of the couch so she wouldn't be tempted to cuddle up with her injured hero. Secretly she was pleased about him liking her food. Damon was never big on her czech cooking and he had asked that she learn more...'American' cooking. Disgusted with herself for comparing Damon with Ben she got up and huffed back into the kitchen to clean up and clear her head. ~How could I compare the two? They are completely different!~
"Awwwwwwww!" he complained. "Then I don't want them... not if they'll keep you away from me!"
"And how is it going to work when we are working? Or I am on a dig somewhere?" She called from the kitchen.
"I'll follow you... or i'll lock the door and never let you leave!" he teased, smirking and laying back, stretching his arms up above his head, arching his back and sighing with relaxation and happiness and he enjoyed their bantering across the two rooms.
Jana came around the corner in time to see Ben stretch. "Ben! You...you!" She exclaimed, now she was furious with him. "I may not work in the medical field but if your ribs were hurting you that bad you would never be able to do what you just did! You liar!"
Ben jumped as if he'd been jabbed in the stomach, folding himself almost in half defensively as he sat bolt upright.
"What? Oh... no.. wait!" He began, trying to explain. "I didn't lie... I just didn't tell you how much better I was feeling..... not yet.... I love having your attention and I couldn't resist making the most of it while I could..... don't be angry, I didn't mean to deceive you, i was just taking my time telling you.... i really love having you here..." his words tumbled out in one breath and he looked up at her, searching her face to see if he'd gone too far.
Jana pretended that she was still angry with him and crossed her arms before heading to the couch and sitting beside him. She was very pleased that he liked having her around, she liked being with him. Jana sat for a moment plotting her revenge on him, he would pay dearly for tricking her, she smiled inwardly. "All you had to do was ask me to stay Ben." She turned to him and pinched his side giving him the what for. She watched him squirm. "I see you are ticklish...revenge shall be mine!" Jana giggled.
"I ..... w.... ww... would... have..... aaaaahhhh!" Ben tried to say he would have asked her to stay if he had been sure she'd have said yes but he couldn't get the words out, he was laughing too much.
"n.....n...n.... oooooooo!" he tried to catch her lightening fast hands and hold them away from his sides. She had found his weakness, he was very ticklish.
"Do you surrender?" She asked still tickling him.
"Never" he replied resolutely but still laughing heartily and wrestling to catch one of her hands as he attempted to tickle her back in self-defence.
"Then I won't stop!"
Still laughing and wrestling, he managed to catch her other wrist too and tip her backwards so he could get his breath back. He was heavier and stronger but he didn't want to use his weight or force in case he hurt her and now he had both his own hands occupied with keeping hers at bay, he could do nothing more about this other than try to hold her still for a moment or two as he recovered.
His breath finally settling down and with his face only a few inches from hers as he held her arms out to each side, Ben dropped gently down and kissed her softly, first on the lips, then the forehead, then gently in a trail across her neck and throat.
"I have my own line of attack" he whispered, entwining his fingers with hers and bringing them back in closer so she could pull away if she still wanted to.
"You do, do you?" She asked smiling. "You can't keep me pinned forever." Jana said wiggling her hands free and wrapping them around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "All you have to do is ask me if I want to stay...the answer will always be yes." She said and kissed him on the lips. "Just no locking me in my quarters if I am going on a dig." She whispered, still kissing him.
"aaaaww!" he smirked, returning her kisses. "You're no fun!" He lied. ~Actually, you're not just fun, you're awesome!~ he thought, resolving to tell her later. In the meantime he had his own way of telling her how he felt.
A JP Between:
Lt. Jana Kasikova
CSO - DS5
and
Lt. Ben Kensington
ACMO - DS5
NPC'd by jools
by Lieutenant Jana Kasikova & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
| Title | Taking care of each other | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Jana Kasikova & Commander Chelsea Dunham | |
| Posted | Wed Oct 06, 2010 @ 10:59pm | |
| Location | Sickbay | |
| Timeline | SD32 |
"Don't worry Honey, it's not your fault and I'm fine, really I am!" Ben tried to insist. "I sure showed that jerk, didn't i!" his lopsided grin returned in his pale face, his eyes twinkling as he squeezed her fingers affectionately.
"Are you sure?" She asked. It had been a year since Damon was killed and she hated seeing anyone that she cared about hurt...especially because of here.
"Well, now you ask." Ben coughed a little and clutched a his ribs as if in considerable pain. "oooh... " he winced, lapping up the caring, worried look on the gorgeous face that was right beside his as he lay in the bio-bed.
Ed arrived at this inopportune moment, spoiling the effect that Ben was hoping to enjoy. He was rewarded with a hint of a frown. "S'up?" was the friendly greeting.
"You, young hothead, are well enough to be discharged but the Boss has you scheduled for a session with the Kreallia for your stupidity." Ed scolded without malice. The older man was very protective of his protégés but fair with them and he spoke his mind out of concern for their welfare and progress. If he felt they'd done something they shouldn't have, he would say so but although this might seem harsh at the time, he would always follow it up with guidance and more practice if it were a medical mistake, or something else useful wherever he could help.
Ben wasn't a junior officer, as ACMO he stepped up right behind Chelsea in the Departmental chain of command and when he was acting in her stead he outranked all of them, however, like even the CMO herself, who had also been mentored by Ed in her time, no-one with any wisdom at all ever treated Ed with anything less than respect. Nurse McBain was never wrong. Scarily so. Everyone knew that to be a fact and a legend at the same time.
"Awww, but... Ed?! Did she really put me down for that? You're kidding me right?" Ben protested.
"She has to be seen to be being fair. How you come out of it, is up to you." Ed replied without emotion, signing off the padd and record on Ben's care in Sickbay.
"Your ribs, face and all other damaged bones have been regenerated, your skin and cells too. Your contusions and haematomas are broken down and absorbed, your renal functions have been restored, cerebral fluid rebalanced and concussion stabilised. You're going to be sore and achy for a while and you KNOW you must NOT re-inflict any further damage to the areas concerned for at least 48 hrs. You have 24hrs off work and ... why am I reciting this to you... you know it all off by heart... get outta here! ............and REST UP!" he called after the retreating form of Ben, being supported by Jana, making good progress towards the exit already, looking back over her shoulder as she tucked herself under his arm, attempting bravely to take his weight as much as she could.
Ben allowed her to tuck in close, wrapping his arm across her shoulders and leant a little on her despite not needing to at all. He winked at Ed, that lopsided grin spread from ear to ear.
"Sure thing" he called back. "...and thanks! Thanks a lot!"
* * * * * * * * *
As the pair hobbled along the corridor towards the officers' quarters Ben gave a little gasp and stopped, clutching his side. "Sorry, just a little winded" he winced. "Could we just rest a moment please?" He desperately wanted to lean down and plant a passionate kiss on the lovely face that Jana turned up towards him as she helped him against the bulkhead so he could lean heavily there and pant a little for effect.
"Thanks" he breathed. "I'm really sorry. You're so sweet to take care of me like this. If you get me to my quarters, you can leave me there, I'll be totally fine, I promise. Everything is fixed. I just need to rest... you heard the man. Ed's never wrong." He said, no word of a lie of course, but a certain amount of over-dramatised for the real fact that he wasn't as puffed as he made out.
"But Ben...I caused this...if I hadn't snubbed Lance the way I had then he wouldn't of done this to you...He was quite pissed that I chose you over him." She said as they leaned up against the wall so he could rest. "I'm not leaving you in your quarters...I will stay until you decide to kick me out." She laughed. "Come on...we are nearly there."
"Well, if you insist. I can't say I wouldn't LOVE that but I don't want to be an imposition on you." Ben replied only to have his protestations rebuked and winning himself another kiss on the cheek.
They made their way slowly to his quarters, once there Jana helped him to the couch and replicated him a cup of tea. "My babi, grandmother, would make me black tea when I was sick, she would put honey and a teaspoon of rum in it, it became a tablespoon when I was older though." She smiled shyly as she handed him the tea. "She took care of me when my parents explored the Galaxy. Babi and I would explore Praha, Prague...find all the little bakeries and little markets. We had so much fun."
Jana moved to his kitchen and started pulling out bowls and baking sheets. She mixed flour, sugar, butter vanillia, salt to make a sweet dough. Between Chelsea and Ben her wrist had been repaired so she didn't have to wear the splint. She rolled the dough into small balls and placed them on the baking sheets. She brushed them with melted butter and placed them in the oven. Jana then took an pot and mixed milk, vanilla sugar and butter in pan to make a custard. She added a couple healthy tablespoons of rum to the custard. It sat cooling and she cut strawberries in pieces.
Once everything was baked and cooked to her liking she let the items cool just enough so it wouldn't cook the strawberries. She put the sweet buns in a bowl and added the strawberries, Jana covered the whole mixture with the custard and brought it to Ben. "Babi would tell me that you need to put some meat on those bones of yours." She smiled and sat beside him. "She would pinch you and feed you until you would be ready to burst. Eat...babi taught me how to make this...it probably wont aid in your healing but it rather good."
"Everything about you is 'rather good'... in fact, it's all brilliant!" Ben enthused, now in 7th Heaven installed on the sofa and being waited on and fussed over to his heart's content. He was adoring every moment of it. He was even thinking he should get himself beaten up for her again when all this wore off. It would totally be worth it.
"I'm sorry about Lance...if I hadn't let his comment about my body get me upset none of this would of happened. I was so worried about you."
"Don't go taking the blame for that piece of ..... I won't swear in front of a lady." Ben tried to persuade her not to worry. "If I hadn't let him goad me, it wouldn't've happened either".
He settled back in the cushions. "And anyway, if he hadn't hit me, I wouldn't've won this pleasure of having you looking after me!" his endearing lopsided grin evident again.
"When I'm better, will you still cook strawberry dumplings for me?" he asked.
"Of course...it is a whole afternoon job though so be prepared not to see me for awhile." She smiled. Jana stayed at one end of the couch so she wouldn't be tempted to cuddle up with her injured hero. Secretly she was pleased about him liking her food. Damon was never big on her czech cooking and he had asked that she learn more...'American' cooking. Disgusted with herself for comparing Damon with Ben she got up and huffed back into the kitchen to clean up and clear her head. ~How could I compare the two? They are completely different!~
"Awwwwwwww!" he complained. "Then I don't want them... not if they'll keep you away from me!"
"And how is it going to work when we are working? Or I am on a dig somewhere?" She called from the kitchen.
"I'll follow you... or i'll lock the door and never let you leave!" he teased, smirking and laying back, stretching his arms up above his head, arching his back and sighing with relaxation and happiness and he enjoyed their bantering across the two rooms.
Jana came around the corner in time to see Ben stretch. "Ben! You...you!" She exclaimed, now she was furious with him. "I may not work in the medical field but if your ribs were hurting you that bad you would never be able to do what you just did! You liar!"
Ben jumped as if he'd been jabbed in the stomach, folding himself almost in half defensively as he sat bolt upright.
"What? Oh... no.. wait!" He began, trying to explain. "I didn't lie... I just didn't tell you how much better I was feeling..... not yet.... I love having your attention and I couldn't resist making the most of it while I could..... don't be angry, I didn't mean to deceive you, i was just taking my time telling you.... i really love having you here..." his words tumbled out in one breath and he looked up at her, searching her face to see if he'd gone too far.
Jana pretended that she was still angry with him and crossed her arms before heading to the couch and sitting beside him. She was very pleased that he liked having her around, she liked being with him. Jana sat for a moment plotting her revenge on him, he would pay dearly for tricking her, she smiled inwardly. "All you had to do was ask me to stay Ben." She turned to him and pinched his side giving him the what for. She watched him squirm. "I see you are ticklish...revenge shall be mine!" Jana giggled.
"I ..... w.... ww... would... have..... aaaaahhhh!" Ben tried to say he would have asked her to stay if he had been sure she'd have said yes but he couldn't get the words out, he was laughing too much.
"n.....n...n.... oooooooo!" he tried to catch her lightening fast hands and hold them away from his sides. She had found his weakness, he was very ticklish.
"Do you surrender?" She asked still tickling him.
"Never" he replied resolutely but still laughing heartily and wrestling to catch one of her hands as he attempted to tickle her back in self-defence.
"Then I won't stop!"
Still laughing and wrestling, he managed to catch her other wrist too and tip her backwards so he could get his breath back. He was heavier and stronger but he didn't want to use his weight or force in case he hurt her and now he had both his own hands occupied with keeping hers at bay, he could do nothing more about this other than try to hold her still for a moment or two as he recovered.
His breath finally settling down and with his face only a few inches from hers as he held her arms out to each side, Ben dropped gently down and kissed her softly, first on the lips, then the forehead, then gently in a trail across her neck and throat.
"I have my own line of attack" he whispered, entwining his fingers with hers and bringing them back in closer so she could pull away if she still wanted to.
"You do, do you?" She asked smiling. "You can't keep me pinned forever." Jana said wiggling her hands free and wrapping them around his neck, pulling him closer to her. "All you have to do is ask me if I want to stay...the answer will always be yes." She said and kissed him on the lips. "Just no locking me in my quarters if I am going on a dig." She whispered, still kissing him.
"aaaaww!" he smirked, returning her kisses. "You're no fun!" He lied. ~Actually, you're not just fun, you're awesome!~ he thought, resolving to tell her later. In the meantime he had his own way of telling her how he felt.
A JP Between:
Lt. Jana Kasikova
CSO - DS5
and
Lt. Ben Kensington
ACMO - DS5
NPC'd by jools