Beg, Steal or Borrow – Damage Limitation?
by Lieutenant Ryan Milarno & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
ON:
Ryan was sat in his office, the blinds were down but he had forgotten to lock the door, he was sat topless, his med kit opened out on the desk and a dermal regenerator in hand, he was healing the slight cut on the side of his chest and the bruising around it.
Chelsea walked in, her shift was about to start and she was just doing what she had to, absent mindedly thinking about a whole headfull of events from last night. She didn't expect to see Ryan, although it wasn't unreasonable that she should.
She started, taking in the bruises and cuts on him and fighting to breathe as he throat closed up. ~OH MY GOD!~ her mind went everywhere at once and returned by all the roads to one undeniable place. "Rh'vaurek!" she managed to breathe out in a strangled name, knowing the who and the what and even the why, without even having to ask. She could guess it all.
Ryan looked up at her. "Oh so...you do care....bloody hell, I'm shocked...well save it...I don't need yours or anyones sympathy...your welcome to the man..." Ryan said as he got up and put on his uniform jacket. "Now if you'll excuse me...I'm going to Kendra Valley to get a jumja stick and a Deka Tea, I've been up on all night and I could use the boost...excuse me"
"Ryan..... " it was more a wail than a name. "What.... welcome to whom? I... you? What about Nora? Are you ok?" she was a mess.
"Richard Dunham and Rh'vaurek, and what about Nora? Theres nothing to tell and no I'm not ok!" he said and then began to leave his office.
Ryan back tracked. "Actually no...you better join me...i think theres some things we have to say..."
Meekly, full of regret that he had been hurt, confused and lost, Chelsea followed him without arguing. Ed was about to sign off duty but he saw them meet, read the body language although he couldn't hear the words within the office, and decided to stay for an hour more. They didn't even see him, they were so absorbed in their trauma but he knew they'd both thank him later.
As Ryan and Chelsea entered the nearest turbolift. They both stood silently. "Level fourty four" Ryan requested. A few silent seconds passed by. "Oh by the way erm Nora went to my quarters to get her things from the bathroom...." he said and looked her straight in the eye. ..."You wouldn't happen to know what happened in there would you?" he asked.
Chelsea hung her head. "Yeah" she said without elaborating.
After a moment she added sadly. "The trophies aren't damaged, just the cabinet". She hadn't realised he didn't know about those yet.
"Ahhh I see....so you decided to trash my quarters aswell as recycle her belongings and my clothes...means a lot thanks...I guess you just got mad...hmmm did you feel good after it?"
Chelsea couldn't answer his sarcasm. She couldn't bear it.
"I *am* a good doctor, Ry. That was low." was all she could say after an inner struggle and a long silence.
"I was panicked...I was worried...I didn't mean it, it was low yeah...i apologise" he told her. "I just dont know where to go from here I really dont" he said as he stepped out and walked along the corridor to the bajoran cafe.
"You apologise now hun, but you said that in front of literally hundreds of people who have no way of knowing that you didn't have any reason to say I was a little fool who knew less than an intern and should never have been made an ACMO. At least half of them will have believed it, my credibility and my career are in the balance. And none of that would have mattered if you hadn't been looking at her the way you USED to look at m...e" she replied, her voice a hoarse whisper as her agony choked her throat closed.
"Oh but I bet you look at Richard like that!!!" he yelled. "Yeah I heard you two were spending an awful lot of time together..."
"Richard has been the perfect gentleman. He's been a good friend by keeping me from having to endure it alone that you've been spending 23 hrs a day in Nora's arms. And don't start on Rh'vaurek either, because he offered to kiss me and when I refused he said it was just as well because if I HAD accepted he'd never have spoken to me again, as it was a test to see if I would betray Isha."
She swallowed hard. "How was I supposed to spend the time while you two entwined yourselves around one another... and like what? so you don't deny that you look at her *like that* then? Oh Ryan... and you reproach me for *getting mad* .. no, I didn't enjoy it... and no, i didn't feel better afterwards in case you care about anything more than that Nora was inconvenienced..."
Chelsea was forced to suck in a breath that was more a sob than anything. She stopped and took several more to calm herself, walking in the opposite direction for a few moments until she was steady enough to speak without trembling.
"Chelsea it's a hobby that we both enjoy and yeah it's intimate but it doesnt mean I'm having sex...jesus...and no i don't look at her like that..." he lied but he was tangled here and in a mess. He began to realise that maybe he had feelings for Nora aswell.
It was Chelsea's turn to look *him* in the eyes. What she saw there cut the remains of her heart to raw meat. "Ryan?" she steeled herself for what had to be asked. "Do you love her?" She held his gaze, those eyes she would have died for, still melting her soul even though now, her heart was in no state to be affected.
Ryan broke eye contact with Chelsea. "I...I..." Ryan sighed. "...Yeah...I think I do..." he looked at her again. "But you have to believe me I haven't done anything with her, I wouldn't do that to you...I'm just so sorry, you have to believe me...we've just grown apart i guess...my fault though I understand that now..."
Chelsea stood frozen in time. Each millisecond a year long. "Don't sweat it" she heard herself say, and wondered where that had come from.
Numb from finally hearing her worst fear from his own lips, all she could think about was ~I can't lose him as a friend, not that too?~
"She seems nice" she went on bravely.
~Jesus! WHAT are you saying woman?~ her face even tried to force a smile. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Ry, I truly do...." she meant it but she didn't know how she was managing to say it.
Chelsea moved closer and reached her lips up to brush his cheek. "We can still be friends, right? I mean *proper* friends.... like not just strangers who pretend?" it was a plea, not a question but she managed to use her 'doctor giving bad news' face to make it seem like it wasn't as much the end of the world as it felt to her.
"Of course, i'd like that..." he smiled. "Chels...for what its worth...I do love you, I always have and I'm sorry if I've hurt you, I never wanted that"
"I love you too Ryan" she managed to choke out, finally losing her composure. "I always will, in my own stupid way. I'm half to blame too you know... we're a right pair." she fought to smile.
"Ryan, I never wanted Rh'vaurek to hurt you, I'm going to kill him, I swear." She took Ryan's hand in hers and held it tightly, as if she would never let go.
"I'm so sorry...." her voice broke and the tears began. She let go of his hand and tried to walk away without making a scene. "We'll talk? yeah? Soon?"
Ryan smiled, trying to hide his emotions but he wasn't doing a good job "We'll talk yeah definitely...anytime you need anything, and i mean it..." he said to her as he slowly started to walk away. "You know where i am...take care chels..."
She too walked away, slowly at first, looking longingly back at him as he disappeared into the cafe.
When he was inside she took off, running back to her quarters where she threw herself onto her bed and gazed up at the ceiling, not speaking, or weeping or moving. Just frozen.
OFF:
A jp between:
Lt Ryan Milarno
CMO - DS5
and
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
ACMO - DS5
by Lieutenant Ryan Milarno & Commander Chelsea Dunham
Post Details
| Title | Damage Limitation? | |
| Mission | Beg, Steal or Borrow | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Ryan Milarno & Commander Chelsea Dunham | |
| Posted | Sat Aug 29, 2009 @ 2:26am | |
| Location | Sickbay/Corridors | |
| Timeline | SD11 - 09:30 |
Ryan was sat in his office, the blinds were down but he had forgotten to lock the door, he was sat topless, his med kit opened out on the desk and a dermal regenerator in hand, he was healing the slight cut on the side of his chest and the bruising around it.
Chelsea walked in, her shift was about to start and she was just doing what she had to, absent mindedly thinking about a whole headfull of events from last night. She didn't expect to see Ryan, although it wasn't unreasonable that she should.
She started, taking in the bruises and cuts on him and fighting to breathe as he throat closed up. ~OH MY GOD!~ her mind went everywhere at once and returned by all the roads to one undeniable place. "Rh'vaurek!" she managed to breathe out in a strangled name, knowing the who and the what and even the why, without even having to ask. She could guess it all.
Ryan looked up at her. "Oh so...you do care....bloody hell, I'm shocked...well save it...I don't need yours or anyones sympathy...your welcome to the man..." Ryan said as he got up and put on his uniform jacket. "Now if you'll excuse me...I'm going to Kendra Valley to get a jumja stick and a Deka Tea, I've been up on all night and I could use the boost...excuse me"
"Ryan..... " it was more a wail than a name. "What.... welcome to whom? I... you? What about Nora? Are you ok?" she was a mess.
"Richard Dunham and Rh'vaurek, and what about Nora? Theres nothing to tell and no I'm not ok!" he said and then began to leave his office.
Ryan back tracked. "Actually no...you better join me...i think theres some things we have to say..."
Meekly, full of regret that he had been hurt, confused and lost, Chelsea followed him without arguing. Ed was about to sign off duty but he saw them meet, read the body language although he couldn't hear the words within the office, and decided to stay for an hour more. They didn't even see him, they were so absorbed in their trauma but he knew they'd both thank him later.
As Ryan and Chelsea entered the nearest turbolift. They both stood silently. "Level fourty four" Ryan requested. A few silent seconds passed by. "Oh by the way erm Nora went to my quarters to get her things from the bathroom...." he said and looked her straight in the eye. ..."You wouldn't happen to know what happened in there would you?" he asked.
Chelsea hung her head. "Yeah" she said without elaborating.
After a moment she added sadly. "The trophies aren't damaged, just the cabinet". She hadn't realised he didn't know about those yet.
"Ahhh I see....so you decided to trash my quarters aswell as recycle her belongings and my clothes...means a lot thanks...I guess you just got mad...hmmm did you feel good after it?"
Chelsea couldn't answer his sarcasm. She couldn't bear it.
"I *am* a good doctor, Ry. That was low." was all she could say after an inner struggle and a long silence.
"I was panicked...I was worried...I didn't mean it, it was low yeah...i apologise" he told her. "I just dont know where to go from here I really dont" he said as he stepped out and walked along the corridor to the bajoran cafe.
"You apologise now hun, but you said that in front of literally hundreds of people who have no way of knowing that you didn't have any reason to say I was a little fool who knew less than an intern and should never have been made an ACMO. At least half of them will have believed it, my credibility and my career are in the balance. And none of that would have mattered if you hadn't been looking at her the way you USED to look at m...e" she replied, her voice a hoarse whisper as her agony choked her throat closed.
"Oh but I bet you look at Richard like that!!!" he yelled. "Yeah I heard you two were spending an awful lot of time together..."
"Richard has been the perfect gentleman. He's been a good friend by keeping me from having to endure it alone that you've been spending 23 hrs a day in Nora's arms. And don't start on Rh'vaurek either, because he offered to kiss me and when I refused he said it was just as well because if I HAD accepted he'd never have spoken to me again, as it was a test to see if I would betray Isha."
She swallowed hard. "How was I supposed to spend the time while you two entwined yourselves around one another... and like what? so you don't deny that you look at her *like that* then? Oh Ryan... and you reproach me for *getting mad* .. no, I didn't enjoy it... and no, i didn't feel better afterwards in case you care about anything more than that Nora was inconvenienced..."
Chelsea was forced to suck in a breath that was more a sob than anything. She stopped and took several more to calm herself, walking in the opposite direction for a few moments until she was steady enough to speak without trembling.
"Chelsea it's a hobby that we both enjoy and yeah it's intimate but it doesnt mean I'm having sex...jesus...and no i don't look at her like that..." he lied but he was tangled here and in a mess. He began to realise that maybe he had feelings for Nora aswell.
It was Chelsea's turn to look *him* in the eyes. What she saw there cut the remains of her heart to raw meat. "Ryan?" she steeled herself for what had to be asked. "Do you love her?" She held his gaze, those eyes she would have died for, still melting her soul even though now, her heart was in no state to be affected.
Ryan broke eye contact with Chelsea. "I...I..." Ryan sighed. "...Yeah...I think I do..." he looked at her again. "But you have to believe me I haven't done anything with her, I wouldn't do that to you...I'm just so sorry, you have to believe me...we've just grown apart i guess...my fault though I understand that now..."
Chelsea stood frozen in time. Each millisecond a year long. "Don't sweat it" she heard herself say, and wondered where that had come from.
Numb from finally hearing her worst fear from his own lips, all she could think about was ~I can't lose him as a friend, not that too?~
"She seems nice" she went on bravely.
~Jesus! WHAT are you saying woman?~ her face even tried to force a smile. "I wish you all the happiness in the world, Ry, I truly do...." she meant it but she didn't know how she was managing to say it.
Chelsea moved closer and reached her lips up to brush his cheek. "We can still be friends, right? I mean *proper* friends.... like not just strangers who pretend?" it was a plea, not a question but she managed to use her 'doctor giving bad news' face to make it seem like it wasn't as much the end of the world as it felt to her.
"Of course, i'd like that..." he smiled. "Chels...for what its worth...I do love you, I always have and I'm sorry if I've hurt you, I never wanted that"
"I love you too Ryan" she managed to choke out, finally losing her composure. "I always will, in my own stupid way. I'm half to blame too you know... we're a right pair." she fought to smile.
"Ryan, I never wanted Rh'vaurek to hurt you, I'm going to kill him, I swear." She took Ryan's hand in hers and held it tightly, as if she would never let go.
"I'm so sorry...." her voice broke and the tears began. She let go of his hand and tried to walk away without making a scene. "We'll talk? yeah? Soon?"
Ryan smiled, trying to hide his emotions but he wasn't doing a good job "We'll talk yeah definitely...anytime you need anything, and i mean it..." he said to her as he slowly started to walk away. "You know where i am...take care chels..."
She too walked away, slowly at first, looking longingly back at him as he disappeared into the cafe.
When he was inside she took off, running back to her quarters where she threw herself onto her bed and gazed up at the ceiling, not speaking, or weeping or moving. Just frozen.
OFF:
A jp between:
Lt Ryan Milarno
CMO - DS5
and
Lt. Cmdr. Chelsea Adams
ACMO - DS5