A Slow Recovery

Posted on Mon Jan 14th, 2019 @ 4:14pm by

1,589 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: The Emerald Road
Location: Sickbay

It was another eight hours before the green skinned petite woman opened her good eye and let out a soft groan. She tried to raise an arm to shield her vision from the bright light, but found she couldn't. She had no idea where she was and thought the Mothers were going for a new round of torture.

"Fuck. You," she rasped from a throat that had been raw from screaming for hours on end.

"Vash, its ok, its ok. I'm here." Vash's outburst had woken Will from his sleep in the chair, in the other room watching her. He turned on the lights in his room so she could see him. He clearly looked like he'd just woken up as he rubbed his eyes with one hand. "You're on the Indefatigable. You are safe."

He was told it would be about this time the sedative Dr Patrovski had given her would wear off, now that Vash was awake the road to recovery could begin, and she would be alone doing it.

The little Orion woman slowly turned her head until his face filled her vision. "W-w-will?" she managed and sounded like she wasn't sure if he were really there or not.

"Yeah, its me." Going by the wake up he had to wonder just how many times was she tortured, and so could understand her uncertainty. Was this real, or a holographic fake. "Do you remember the time I first came into TPK, we spoke, a drink and then we ended up dancing on stage? Rather provocatively I might add." Trying to tell her something reassuring that it was him, that only those two would remember.

Vash tried to reach for him, but the action was limited and tears came from her eyes to slide down her pale green cheeks. "I thought...thought I'd never...never see you again."

"I know." He didn't want to admit that he'd felt the same. "But I'm here now, you are safe. Dr Patrovski is all over you with treatments and when you get out of there, I'll be here waiting." Will didn't like seeing her like this, still intent on blaming himself for being too slow, and in being so, partially in some way responsible for the suffering she had to endure.

She looked over at him and tried to smile. "Was stupid," she said. "Thought I was safe and let myself get trapped."

"You were at UP Yards, one of the most secure facilities in Starfleet, perfectly reasonable to feel safe, heart of the Federation and everything so don't blame yourself. You are safe now, here, with me. We are heading back home as we speak." Will didn't mention that he had two of the mothers in the Brig. He doubted Vash would need to know that just yet, she had to stay calm, relaxed. Not bent on revenge.

"Stupid," Vash repeated. "I'm the former head of the Syndicate and left without any guards. I should have known better. They have arms and ears everywhere."

"Most important thing now is you are safe." He suspected thats why they waited to get off the Dreadnought before they grabbed her. A corvette and two Klingon ships were no match for the Ascension Class. "Doctor Patrovski is very confident you will make a full recovery and I will be here, every step of the way."

"I have one eye, Will," she said softly. "I can't get that back." She didn't even want to think about the rest of what had been done to her.

"A single eye does not change who you are, it doesn't define the woman I know and love. Dr Patrovski has already said he is ready when you are to discuss ocular implant replacements to match your other eye as if it were real." Will explained trying to be the ray of hope in what must be a storm. "Everything else is treatable."

Vash wanted to scream, cry and rage out against everything that had been done to her despite her defiance but could only cry silently. "It will never be the same, Will," she told him. "All I can do is what I'm able to."

"But you won't be alone to do it." Will spoke. "It may not be the same, but I will be at your side every step of the way." Will knew it would take time and he was prepared to give as much of it as needed. It crushed him to see her so, the anguish, the suffering, he wanted to take it all away and wrap it up in his uniform like he did most things. He was doing it even now, with his own emotions as he tried to be the pillar of strength to ground Vash in this moment, with him.

"I...I don't deserve you," Vash said, almost too soft to be heard if not for the audio pickups in the room. "I'm not strong enough. Not good enough."

"Vash. You do deserve me. Not strong enough....together you and I, you don't have to be. As for good enough, no that one is on me. I've put so much time into my work and you have stood by me, long hours, duties, all the hoops and loops you had to jump through, just because of me. I've neglected you, not paid you enough attention. If anything, its me thats not good enough for you." Will spoke softly, but heart felt none the less.

"Didn't neglect," she disputed his words. "I knew you had a shp and crew and still wanted you. Still do but now I'm tainted. I wouldn't change what we had for anything, though."

"Not tainted, just hurting. Once you are out of here comfortable and resting at home. You can take alllll the time you need. We can talk, just lay there cuddling, I'll even let you have the entire bed to yourself if you like, and its not just any bed mind you, it's the Captains." He tried to add some humour into the moment to attempt a smile out of her.

"Commodore," Vash corrected. "And it's your bed, Will." At the moment, the thought of physical intimate contact with anyone made her shudder but she had to make an effort. "I'd l-love to feel you next to me."

"I won't be far, you will always know when to find me. I'll wait for as long as I have to, as slowly as I need to. We can work through this Vash." Will spoke softly, trying to be reassuring, supportive, encouraging that everything would work out and for the better in the end.

"I..I'm not certain how long that will take, Will," she said quietly. "Things might never be the same."

"Then all we can do is try, wait and see, hope and do the best we can." Will spoke trying to be comforting and reassuring. He knew the road ahead for her was going to be a long and difficult one but he'd be with her every step of the way. The Dr was hopeful and so was he, time and patience were the only commodities required here, and Will had plenty of both.

"D..did you get...get those bitches?" Vash asked as the meds tried to drag her down into sleep once more to help her recovery.

"Two, of the three." Will spoke hoping that they wouldn't come up. "The third decided to go down with her ship, I may have helped her along with that endeavour. The other two are in my Brig, under guard."

"Space....space the bitches," she growled. "Kill them now. Cut them into little pieces."

"You leave them to me, you however rest. Dr Patrovski has said he will inform me if you need me. It's over Vash, it's done, you are safe." And justice would be bitter sweet when they got back to Earth.

The petite Orion woman looked away for a moment before she turned her head back his way. "If they let me stay," she said quietly.

"They better. The Pink Kitty should be finished being rebuilt by the time we get back." Giving Vash a ray of hope, it was one of the things he'd made sure got rebuilt, exactly, as it was before the disaster. He knew it would be a touchy subject, given what she did there, but some hope was better than none, and all that hope was for her.

"Rebuilt?" she asked. "I'm...not sure if I want it back. Too much trouble." It could be that she forgot the new look they had talked about or her current state of mind.

"Well, how about, you get better and when we see it together if you like it great, if not we can tear it down and I'm sure Lt Bradshaw can build something else to your liking, how's that?" He could understand where she was coming from though, considering what she used to do there, dancing, scantly clad being eyed up by patrons. After what she had been through, that would be a tough pill to swallow.

"We'll see when they time comes," Vash said noncommittally. "I need to rest, Will. I'm sorry."

"Of course babe." Will looked down, he didn't like seeing her hurt, even if he felt responsible. "I'll be close if you need me ok, I love you." That, he meant. Every word, every syllable.

"I love you, too," she said as her eye drifted closed and her body began the healing process again.

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