Blood, Lies, and Missed Connections

Posted on Sat Nov 16th, 2024 @ 2:14pm by Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Adrianna Baciami

1,762 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Various | USS Arcadia

ON:

The door to Adrianna's office chimed.

Adrianna didn't look up from the PaDD she was reading, but paused sipping her coffee to simply say 'enter'.

Ensign Domins walked in. "Ma'am there is a call for you from Starbase two a Commander Walker."

Adrianna looked up and nodded, "thank you." She waited for the ensign to leave before pulling the call through. She smiled, "Commander Walker. How can I help?"

Sabastian who was still in sickbay and still looking pale smiled. "Hey Adrianna, met your brother. He's a real riot."

"If I didn't know better, I would have assumed that him being your drinking buddy got you into the med bay," she chuckled and shook her head, "how are you feeling?"

"Like I've been run over by a shuttle, repeatedly. They can't give me anything for the pain cause of... well the state I'm in; something about cell changes but apparently that's helping me heal faster or so they say."

Adrianna nodded, "I don't understand it fully, but at least you are alive. Are you calling so that I can put you through to Zai?"

"That's the thing I talked to Zai this morning, and he called or messaged me every hour since just to say hi, but... he said he'd call me about this time and he didn't. Your Ensign tried him but no response and I'm... worried. Can I impose on you to check on him. I didn't want to call Lee cause you know on the account that I don't want him near Zai for the moment."

Adrianna looked away from the screen for a moment, "merde-- I should have finished work an hour ago anyway. This may just be a good excuse for me to quit for the day. I'll go and see him and ensure he calls you."

She paused, "before I go-- the last time you saw my brother-- did he seem like he was in a good mood?"

"Yeah. He and Vance came to see me. Apparently they are going to dinner tonight. They seemed to have hit it off."

Adrianna muttered something under her breath in her native tongue, "I do not believe in any deity, but if I did, I'd sacrifice a small goat to it and pray they really do get along. Though I don't trust that Giovanni won't tell mortifying stories about me. Cazzo! Brothers!" She paused, "sorry-- alright. I'll go and see Zai. Speak soon. Rest up."

He smiled. "Thanks." He lay back as the coms from the base med bay clicked off.



=/\= Assistant Chief Engineer's quarters =/\=

Adrianna had tracked Zai down easily and found that he was in his quarters. Using the code Zai had given her, she let herself in. She waited for the door to shut behind her the softly called out, "Zai? You alright, cucciolo?" Now that she'd, sort of, announced herself, she stepped in properly and looked around. It seemed a bit too quiet.

Zai, who'd showered, changed, and then gone into the bedroom to grab a book had begun feeling a little unwell. The dizzy spell had taken him by surprise and when he'd come to he was on the floor of his bedroom shivering. His nose had started to bleed again and as he swam to consciousness a soft voice filtered through.

He groaned. He tried to call out but it was barley a whisper. The room still swam around him like a distorted bubble. Luck was on his side his body jerked violently and his food knocked the nightstand that sent the lamp to the ground with a clatter.

Adrianna froze at the sound and turned her head to where it had come from. She quickly ran to the room. She crouched down, "Madonna! Zai, are you alright?"

"N...normal. All okay." He got out before his body seized in pain. He turned in on himself into a fetal position his eyes rolling to the back of his head. He clenched his teeth as waves of pain radiated through him. When it eased a turned back onto his back. "It...it..w...will pass."

"Normal?" She asked but knew that she would have to trust him, "can I help at all? Also, I swear-- once all of this is done, you owe me. It is taking every bit of me to not drag you to med-bay, or panic."

He panted as he sat up with her help. "T...towel." he waved his hand at his bleeding nose. He wished that would stop, it was annoying.

Adrianna looked around and quickly spotted one. She reached over and handed it to him, sitting down properly next to him. She remained silent so that he could focus, but kept a wary eye on him.

He wiped his nose and held the towel in place. "Not....as...bad as it looks." His eyes widened. "Shh...shit." He said as another wave of pain hit him. He let out a loud yelp.

Just as he did the door to Zai's quarters chimed. He groaned. "S...shit, Frankie...let him in...p.." He doubled over in pain again.

Adrianna reluctantly stood up and went over to the door, allowing entry. "Ah, Frankie is one of the three musketeers from the base," she mused to herself, trying to find some humour in all of this. She gestured for him to follow her to Zai's room. She sat back down next to Zai.

Frankie's eyes widened. He went to the bathroom and came back with a wet cloth. "The pain is back?"

Zai gave a nod.

He looked at Adrianna. "Good to see you again Ma'am. I pretty much know what's going on. I'm guessing part of the reason is stress." He looked at Zai. "Have you spoke with my brother?"

Zai shook his head.

Frankie wiped some of the blood off his face now that the nose was done bleeding. "I'm guessing Sabastian is having kittens on the station. I'm surprised he hasn't called yet. We can't let him see you like this." He looked to Adrianna. "Ma'am how are you at telling lies?"

"It's the reason why I'm here-- you missed a check in with him and now he's worried," she replied. She then looked at Frankie, "I made my career out of it. Hell, even empaths struggle to know what's going on in my head. Isn't that right, Zai?" She looked back at Frankie, "want me to tell him that Zai just fell asleep and will call him when he wakes up?"

"He won't believe that but yeah lets weave something." He looked at Zai. "You, my dear soon to be brother in law, look like poop." He looked back at Adrianna, "by the way can we not tell Lieutenant Lee I'm Sabastian's brother?"

"Not my news to tell unless you anger me," she shrugged, "I'll figure something out and send you a message with the same story. Not being accused of lying this early into a friendship-- makes lying later, harder." She looked to Zai, "you need anything specifically from me?"

He shook his head.

Frankie gave a nod. "I'll help him to bed and stay the night." He stood. "Lieutenant, thanks. I know this is rough but...thanks." He sighed. "If you need a distraction and Sabastian gets too pushy just tell him I read his bad poetry to Zai and he'll be pissed off enough to drop the topic."

"If you're sticking around, Frankie, outside of work and especially behind closed doors-- it's Adrianna or Ade," she stood up brushing herself off, "if you need me, call me."

"Will do." He gave a nod.

She quickly left Zai's quarters, double checking herself for any blood before getting back to her office and pulling a call back through to Sabastian.

Sabastian sat at the doctor's desk enduring her glares. He sighed as he saw the coms go through but then tensed when he saw Adrianna. "What happened, he's bad, something happened right?"

She shook her head, "far from it. Your mate is just a moron who can't tell the time when he gets his mind set on something. I've told him to clean up first and then drop you a message. I don't even want to know what he had on him. Gawd, you engineers are--" she shuddered and chuckled, "look, stop panicking. He's fine. Think he said he was having dinner with someone tonight too-- I forget his name. One of the new engineers though-- Phil? Fran? Frankie. Frankie."

He sighed. "Oh thank god. Frankie yeah. I'm glad Frankie's there." He relaxed. "He's been okay though right? He hasn't been in pain or anything." He paused. "Can you please keep an eye on him for me?"

Ade opted for a touch of honesty to make this whole scenario believable, "he's a good liar, but I made my career from it. He's burying himself in work to mask what's going on. Up until he asks for help though-- I can't do much but be there for him. Either way-- I wouldn't say 'pain', perhaps more--" she said the word in Italian a few times before settling on the standard translation, "mild discomfort."

"There now ya see you heathen!" The doctor of the Starbase came into view. "Thanks Lieutenant. I'm taking this jackass back to bed now. Off with ya!"

Sabastian hissed. "Hey I fixed your med dispenser."

"Yes and ya gave me a heart condition earlier. Do you know what it's like to operate on someone you can't sedate? Hell Med school didn't prepare me for that now off to bed. Git!"

Sabastian sighed. He looked at Adrianna. "Thanks again for checking. I really appreciate it."

Adrianna chuckled and waved him off, "if you don't rest up, I'll block all calls from you."

The doctor motioned off screen to two tactical officers who came to help Sebastian back to a bio bed. She smiled at Adrianna. "Say hi to that hot doctor McDonald of yours. He's a real dreamboat that one. Gonna catch him one of these days."

Adrianna shook her head, "merde-- you are barking up the wrong twig."

She smiled and fluffed her bright red hair. "Hey you never know unless you try!" She waved. "Now let me go make sure that Edjiat is actually in a bio bed."

"Good luck," Adrianna chuckled and ended the call. She sat back in her chair and messaged Frankie with the lie before heading back to her own quarters. She wanted to check in on Vance, but she could feel herself struggling to stay awake.

OFF:

 

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