A Friendship to treasure

Posted on Sat Jan 15th, 2022 @ 2:33pm by Lieutenant Commander Callie Raven-Grayson & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis Dr

Mission: Respite
Location: Dex’s quarters

{ON}

Having finally been released from Sickbay Callie was finding life at home much more preferable, although after everything that had happened lately she was struggling to centre herself. Deciding to go for a walk she found herself outside Dex’s Quarters, pausing for a moment she reached out and pressed the chime.

Dex was relaxing wondering what she was going to do for the free time she had when she heard the chime. “Come on in” she called.

Callie walked in offering a smile as she did so. “Hi Shon, I hope you don’t mind me dropping by?”

She jumped up and threw her arms around Callie, “my friend I never mind you dropping by. In fact I was just thinking about you, please relax, can I get you anything?”

Callie paused. “Something chocolate! Everything chocolate!!” She offered a small grin.

“Well” Shon said “I have a wonderful surprise for you. I do not know if you know Sam has been seeing my brother Valev and he has been wooing her with all things chocolate. So” she went out to the small kitchen and came back with an array of chocolate goodness. She gave Callie a spoon and uncovered the tray. “Help yourself”.

The tray contained chocolate mousse, Dark chocolate pudding filled with honey from Vulcan. Vulcan chocolate biscuit fool. Hot chocolate with cream and sprinkles and plain biscuits from the monastery on Mount Selaya on Vulcan, fine and thin with a crisp break, when dipped in hot chocolate exploded in the mouth. “So help yourself Callie. They are all delicious.” Then when you are full tell me how you are.” She replicated herself an Earl Grey tea and sat down smiling at her friend waiting for her chocolate hit.

“Oh my...where do I start?” Callie offered a warmer smile before picking a chocolate mousse to tuck into. She dipped in her spoon and tried it. “Mmmm that is...heavenly!!” She tucked into another spoonful before pausing to talk to Dex. “To be honest it’s nice to be home, but I’m...struggling finding my centre Dex. I can’t seem to settle, Jon has been helping me with the nightmares I’ve been having lately. I just...” She shrugged her shoulders before eating more mousse.

Shon smiled warmly at her. “Recovering is going to take time, for both of you. Nightmares are your way of bringing things to the surface. Have you been talking to Eislyn?” She smiled at Callie’s enjoyment of the chocolate treats.

Callie nodded. “I’ve got another appointment soon, they say we medical professionals make the worst patients I guess that’s true. It’s just...I have to face what T’Vall did to me, plus the loss of another baby! It scares me Shon, what if I’ll never be able to have another baby? I want Jon and I to have a baby of our own.”

“As a medical professional I do not see why you and Jon should not have a child of your own. Sam managed to save all your reproductive functions and if you need help to conceive then we will get it. Both of you need to heal for a while before we begin. You may find as you both recover you do not need help.” She finished her tea. What T’Vall did to you you will remember, it will never go away completely but it will get less as your mind repairs itself, through therapy, returning to work and just living with Jon, and, you have Harry.”

Callie nodded. “I’ve missed Harry so much! He’s an amazing, wonderful, little boy! I’ve come to treasure him in the short time he’s been with us.”

“He needs his mum and dad so much at this age and I remember what he had been through. You see the most wonderful things often come to us at the most awful of times.” Shon helped herself to a biscuit. “To be honest I wish I had a love as great as yours.”

Callie smiled. “I have no doubt someone as wonderful as you will find someone to love Shon. You have so much to give. I consider myself lucky to have someone as wonderful as you as my friend.”

She shrugged, “well I am getting older now, I was lucky to have Mark and Shasta for that short time.” Her mind wondered off in remembrance of the family and love she lost and tears came to her eyes.

“Now whose the one holding back?” Callie offered an understanding smile. “You’ll find someone who loves you as much as I love Jon. No one is meant to be alone, just you wait and see.”

Shon smiled and put her hand on Callie’s shoulders. “I don’t know Callie. Living on board the ship is a very finite way of finding someone to love. Where did you meet Jon?”

“Funnily enough at Starfleet Academy” Callie smiled as she remembered. “We caught each other’s glances across a crowded hall, and it all went from there really. I just wish I’d known about T’Vall back then, Jon and I missed out on so many years together before we met here.”

“But you are both still young and who knows where life could have taken you. Now, at least you are settled..you are settled here?”

Callie nodded. “This feels like home. I have Jon & Harry here, plus my friends, what would I do without you!?” She offered a teary eyed smile. “I need all the family and friends I can get right now.”

“Come over here and sit next to me .”

Walking over to where Dex was sitting Callie took a seat.

She pulled Callie over to her and hugged her, stroking her hair. “Do you want me to help you feel better, it will be a sort of meld?”

“These melds of yours have multiple uses don’t they?” Callie nodded. “Yes, Please.”

“This is more of a meditation placed in your mind which you can retrieve whenever you need it. The word to do this is ‘rest’. Now I want you to look into my eyes, deeply into them, are you ready Callie?”

Callie nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be” She did as she was asked and looked into Dex’s eyes.

Shon placed her fingers on the neural pressure points and began. She spoke into Callie’s mind “come into my mind Callie open the door you see and come inside. Do not worry you are inside shall we say, my ante room. Then I want you to turn round and look through my eyes at yourself, what do you see?”

Callie entered the ante room of Dex’s mind, looking through her friend’s eyes at the vision of herself. “I see myself, just the same as I’ve always been.”

“Look beneath the outward aspect of your being, look inside yourself, what is in the forefront of your thoughts Callie?”

Callie frowned. “I...I don’t know. Being at home with my family is important to me, Jon and Harry are my universe!” She smiled warmly.

“Is T’Vall still in your mind, if he is bring him forward and look at him, what do you see?”

Callie shook her head. “No, I...can’t not yet.” Her memories were still pretty raw and she couldn’t face the memory of T’Vall just yet.

“It will be difficult for you until you can my friend. Remember when you were inside my mind in the different rooms. Try to find your inner rooms and open one of the doors?”

Callie nodded. She took a good five minutes choosing a door in her mind before opening it to reveal the memory of a fun day with Jon. The memory made her grin like a Cheshire Cat as she recalled the fun they had together.

“Now look at Jon, notice everything you love about him, his face, his body, the way he looks at you making love with him, the way he makes you laugh. Make the door the first one you see when you think of him.”

Callie nodded, her smile getting bigger and brighter with all the happy memories she had of being with Jon. “Okay, it’s the first door.”

“So place the word ‘Rest’ on that first door so whenever you need the love and reassurance of that day you need to think of that word and the door will open flooding you with the memory. I can also help Jon if he wishes it, it might help his recovery but of course it will not work as well. Right I will slip out of your mind now, I want you to sit for a few minutes before you speak just remembering that day.” Shon left Callie’s mind gently.

Callie gave it a few more minutes before she finally returned to the real world. “Thank you Shon, I feel better for having done that. I’m sorry I couldn’t face up to...” She shook her head. “I’m just not ready for that yet.”

“You may find you have to face him sooner rather than later, he will never disappear as he is part of you now how we face and deal with adversity makes us stronger Callie…believe you me I know.” She shivered as she remembered watching her beloved husband and daughter blacken and roast as they died..she swallowed and for a moment forgot Callie and the room she was in.

“Shon?” Callie saw the haunted expression on Dex’s face, it wasn’t one she’d seen Dex reveal before. “Shon, are you alright?”

Dex got up and poured herself a large glass of Valev’s brandy. She downed it in one go and refilled the glass. “To be honest with you no, I am not.” She smiled a watery smile. “I am usually able to keep my memories under control but, for some reason they are flooding back when I least expect them and now more frequently. I have tried meditating but it has not helped.” She took another drink, “to be honest Callie the alcohol helps more than anything.”

Callie nodded. “There has to be a reason why your memories are suddenly flooding your mind. Could it have anything to do with your melds with me? Or is it possible it’s something medical? As for the alcohol, you know as well as I do that doesn’t solve anything.”

“Well I bio scanned myself and found nothing more than an elevated temperature which has since gone. Everything else checks out. As for the melds, I must admit I have done more in the last few weeks than I think I have ever done but I do not think they would have had this effect.” She took another sip, “As for this,” she held the glass up, “this is keeping me going. Whilst Sam is away I told her I would look after the shop but I am beginning to think it would have been better to have had some time away.” She smiled brightly at Callie.

“Shon, you need a break as much as the rest of us” Callie offered a smile. “Isn’t there anyone else who could look after Sickbay for a while to give you some time off?”

“I could take a couple of hours off on the station but Sam and I agreed that there has to be a senior on duty or at least on call
and she was so looking forward to spending time with Valev. I had one date with Seth Travis our new Diplomatic Liason but he was called away so that ended before it had begun.” she sighed, “I’m just feeling sorry for myself Callie. Anyway I need to see how Jon is recovering. He is healing yes?”

Callie nodded. “He’s putting a brave face on it for me, being mr strong and supportive. I’ll make sure he gets plenty of rest.”

“He went through a lot for you, nearly lost his life, you, his career, the mental scars may take as long as his physical scars to heal. The best thing is for you to spend time as a family, get into a routine. How are things physically between you?”

“Physically...as in love making?” She paused. “To be honest we haven’t gotten that far yet, I wanted to give Jon time to heal and I think he’s giving me time as well.”

“Do not wait too long, you know there are softer ways of being physically intimate and I think it would help the two of you to heal.”

Callie nodded. “I know, and I know Jon would never do anything to hurt me. I guess I’m just...afraid incase something happens and Jon thinks he’s done something wrong.” She sighed her smile fading.

Shon sighed and held her friends hand. She was the counsellor not her, hopefully she would know when the time was right. For a moment she was back standing in front of the flames of her home ….”NO” she shouted….

“Shon...stay with me.” Callie kept hold of her friend’s hand waiting for her to come back from her inner memory.

She shook her head. “Sorry Callie, I was heading back into the memory but it has gone now.” She lied, she wanted to be here for her friend and she was not about to worry Callie with her problems. She smiled a false bright smile. “Do you want some more chocolate?” She took another gulp of her brandy.

Callie gave Dex a doubtful look. “Don’t lie to me Shon, and don’t do that either” She pointed to the alcohol.

She put the glass down, “are you and Jon going anywhere whilst you have the chance? A trip off the ship might do you both good.” She said desperately trying to deflect her friends attention from her.

“We might” Callie nodded. “That’s if Jon is up to it. I don’t want to rush his recovery.”

“I would hope so, Jon at some time will return to duty as Will you, this time together will help you both heal mentally and physically.” She took another drink, “when do you next see Counsellor Jortho?”

“I’ll see Eislyn again after shoreleave, when I’ve had time to process everything.” Callie smiled. “Anyway I’ll leave you to drown your sorrows in the bottom of a bottle...” She gave Dex a knowing look.

“Yes Callie thank you for stopping by, it was good to see you and say hello to Jon for me.” She had seen Callie’s look but that was already fading in her memory. She sat looking into the distance and in the distance was Ensara.

{OFF}