Well that was tiring

Posted on Sun Jun 27th, 2021 @ 2:05am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Remal Kajun

Mission: Gamma Quadrant
Location: Captain's Quarters
Timeline: Just after the drill

It was late evening before Captain Kaylen Rhenora dragged her weary body back from the bridge and to their quarters. As she walked she noticed the slight tell-tale signs of the rough life the Sunfire had lived. There were scuff marks on the corridor walls, the carpet was slightly worn in places, and here and there phaser damage that had been hastily repaired but not completely so. Just enough to get things moving again it would seem.

She empathised with her ship, feeling drained, a little war torn with some old scars that had healed enough to function again yet never really been properly addressed. She sighed, running her fingers over the outline of a phaser blast, promising herself to repair what damage had been done in the past as well as prevent any further altercations like that in the future. It was a tall order and one most likely made in vain in these troubling times.

The doors of the quarters she shared with her husband loomed before her, looking as tired as she was, the colours just a little faded, a rub mark where one of the doors had been slightly warped or bent.

The doors parted on her approach, reading her biosignature and running through the security check before accepting that she was who she was and opening. She headed straight for the couch, kicking off her boots and flopping down with a small ‘oaph’. As she did a barrage of sneezes erupted. She found they were worse when she was tired.

The doors parted from the washroom and Remal emerged dabbing a towel about his neck and chin, no shirt on. "I heard that." He said as he moved close to the couch. "Have you been drinking your tea with the herbs like the doctor ordered?"

He. knelt down and carefully began removing her boots for her. First the boots and socks, then the pants if she desired. He would strip her bare if that would relieve her of the pressures and the burdens she carried. Once the socks were off however, he began a gentle massage of her feet.

She sighed as he worked on her feet, her body relaxing as the worries from the day were erased.
"You truly are a blessing from the Prophets themselves" she said with contentment as she closed her eyes. "I'm exhausted, remind me to never run my own combat scenarios"

He rolled his eyes, "Like that will ever stop you. And you sidestepped the question. Have you been following doctors orders? Tea. Herbs. The important things." He emphasized as he worked on a particular knot on her right foot where she tended to favor an outside walking stance.

She winced as the knot tightened before releasing, not realising how much tension she had stored. "Ummmm a bit? The herbs are terrible, and I know I should drink more tea" she lamented the little things that needed to change to enable big things to happen. Cutting down the coffee was a work in progress, introducing tea and a robust herbal supplement regime was going to take a little more doing.

"Tell me, have you tried those herbs?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

He raised his eyebrow in response. "Can't say as I have as I have never been pregnant." He finished with one foot and let it drop playfully as he started on the other. "I'm just trying to remind you that you and your health are just as important as the crew and their combat readiness skills."

She gave him a mock glare that simmered and died before it even reached completion. “I didn’t realise how intense and how tiring it would be. Hopefully we’ll have a few down days so we can catch up on some rest. Besides, we need to find a way to make those herbs taste less like Pulluku scats” She paused for a moment, resting her body against the supportive couch. “ Now enough about me, how was your day?”

“Pulluku scats, huh. Didn’t think they’d be that bad.” he finished her foot and allowed it to fall gently to the floor before grabbing the cuff of both pant legs and giving a sudden tug. “My day was like most days. I saw a few patients, took a walk around the ship to familiarize myself, fought a few Jem’Hadar soldiers, oh and I finished unpacking. You know, the usual.”

“ Finish unpacking? I hadn’t even noticed, good lord I’m more tired than I thought.” She was going to rise and take a look but the pressure on her legs reminded her that Remal hadn’t finished. “Thank you, I’m sorry if there were a few lumps and bumps in your appointments today”

He gave her a smile and then abruptly yanked her pants off of her. She was left stunned as he tossed them aside and then picked her up off the floor. She needed a full massage and he was going to give her what she needed. “I’m used to the lumps and the bumps.” He said. “As are you by the tension in your muscles. Now, lay still.”

He reached for the oil Sarah had procured for him, spritzed a bit on his hands, rubbed it together to warm it up, then began massaging her calves and thighs. “Keep moving around and you’re going to get the full treatment.” He playfully threatened.

"Mmmhmmmm" she relaxed against his ministrations, her body finally letting go of the pent up tension of the day. "That smells different...a new oil?" She asked.

“Yep. Sarah suggested it. I think she picked it up when we were on Vulcan. She says it will relax your muscles almost as good as one of her hypos. That one loves herbs and roots I think.” He worked his way up and down her calves and shins, making sure to hit the nooks and crannies of her feet and toes.

"Do I dare ask what else you two have been conspiring about?" She retorted, craning her neck to meet his eyes.

“You can ask all you like. You usually do.” He rolled his eyes as she squirmed some more. “Alright, shirt off, on your front side. Let’s have a look at those back muscles.”

She wriggled out of the jacket, the tunic and tank top and flopped face first into the bed, sighing in contentment.

As she undressed he dabbed some more oil. “Mainly we chat about babies, baby care, caring for you while having babies, things of that nature. Nothing a hard working Captain who is making excuses to get hurt should concern herself with.” He seethed with sarcastic tones.

"I didn't get hurt….much, no more than anyone else. Besides, if you don't take a tumble on the bridge are you even a captain?" She snorted, but knew he was more serious than not.

“I wouldn’t know, I’ve only ever known two Captains in my life and only ever been married to the one. Besides, your bruises tell a different story.” He commented as he slowly and carefully massaged her butt and lower back.

She had the decency to blush, knowing that her skin never lied. They hadn't expected the wormhole to be quite so rough, but then again they knew very little about this ship in general. "Do you think the Dominion have gone quiet here in the Gamma Quadrant?" she changed tack slightly.

He sighed realising she needed to chat more about work than babies right now. “What I believe is superficial at best. They signed a treaty with the Federation not to engage in war. But…” He paused as he worked on a rather tight knot in her lower spine.

"Treaties are one thing, my gut tells me that we may find something different. I am hoping though that we may bump into some survivors from New Bajor, I know the last report said the destruction was absolute, but there are always survivors" Rhenora mused, realising there had been searches, but a search during a war whilst under attack in enemy territory could hardly be called thorough.

“But, they have no such treaty with the rest of the Gamma quadrant. As long as we are here, we are in their territory. And they are a race bred for war. I’ve chatted with countless soldiers who even five years later are wrestling with the horrors they’ve witnessed.”

"We all have scars from that war. But I fear that a breed bred for a single purpose would struggle to change their ways" she agreed, a small knot of anxiety gnawing at her belly. Were they ready to head into the den of the lion?

“True. And if they are Bajoran, they are bound to be survivors. We were once labeled the cockroaches of the galaxy for a reason. A most distasteful terminology I’m afraid.”

"Cockroaches can survive nuclear war, so can we," she snorted lightly. "I'll make sure we keep our eyes out for anything Bajoran out here. You never know. I refuse to believe every life was extinguished."

“Never give up hope when there are Bajorans in the story. Out there, or in here.” He waxed philosophical before turning his hands on her shoulders where she was holding the remainder of her tension. He could tell she was getting drowsy under his touch and the effects of the oils.

She tensed slightly as he found the knot where her shoulder had hit the floor before she'd managed to tuck and roll. It was tender but would eventually yield to his experienced hands. She closed her eyes and let the movement sooth her mind, letting a comfortable silence linger for a few moments.

He continued to work on her knots and bruises until he felt them even out. He then softened his touch as he finished on her neck. Normally he might have gotten playful, around her hairline, or say, her ears. But this had been a rough day, for many. So as he finished, he dried his hands on a towel then took a blanket and tossed it over her before tucking her in.

Lastly he leaned over and kissed her on the side of her head. “Rest well my lovely bean. Breakfast is on me in the morning.” He stood again. “Assuming I can remember where I left my coffee stash.” He grumbled as he began prepping himself for bed.