Try the Tea

Posted on Friday, 11 September 2020 - 5:41am by Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt

Mission: Operation: Dreamweaver
Location: Lounge

Adrianna found herself in the lounge. She couldn't sleep and didn't want to disturb Leopold. She knew it was one of his first nights off in a while, he probably needed the sleep. In theory though, even if she wanted, she couldn't talk to anyone about what played on her mind, especially Eyelaya. The Italian sighed, staring into a short glass of grappa.

T’Lanna strolled into the lounge looking pretty tired as she got herself a drink of hot chocolate. Turning she looked around and saw Adrianna, offering a smile she walked over to her. “Can’t sleep?”

Adrianna looked to the origin of disruption to her mind wandering into confusing spaces. She offered a smile, "no, brain won't hush."

“Lack of sleep seems to be going around on this ship at present.” T’Lanna sighed as she took a nearby seat. “I’m spending more time awake than I am asleep at present.”

Adrianna chuckled a little, "insomnia must be catching. What has you awake?"

“Nightmares” T’Lanna sighed. “Think I’ve just got too much on my mind at present and it’s got me wrattled. Although saying that there has been quite a spate of disturbed sleepers, I take it you haven’t had any nightmares?”

"Not as much recently and not the reason for tonight," Adrianna shook her head and sipped her drink, "in order to have nightmare, I must first sleep. Are you dreaming memories or the futuristic what if kind?"

“A touch of both” T’Lanna shrugged her shoulders. “When we were back at the nebula I had a nightmare whilst unconscious in the shuttle. About my mother and the Borg, but it can’t come true because she’s ...” She paused. “No longer alive. Yet the dream persists I must be missing something my brain wants me to know.” She stifled a yawn. “So do you sleep much?”

Adrianna understood where T'Lanna was coming from and held sympathy a moment. With a sigh Adrianna replied, "I've always struggled to sleep since I was, maybe 18. Brain likes to go over every little thing before I sleep. I was getting better though. Lately though, I feel that demon has returned. I'm hoping to pacify him with grappa since chamomile didn't work."

T’Lanna nodded. “To have managed with it since you were 18 you’ve obviously done the right things, lack of sleep can cause all kinds of problems but you function normally. I can manage to a degree but I’m not sure for now long.” She paused to sip her chocolate before it cooled down too much, not that it was cooling very fast. “Doesn’t help when I’m already tired thanks to my pregnancy, think I’ll be napping during shift at this rate!”

Adrianna chuckled, "surely you can use that as an excuse. My mother used to say she always had weird dreams when pregnant. I'm one of eight, so my poor father."

“Eight! Wow!” T’Lanna grinned. “That’s some family.” She paused to sip some more of her drink. “Perhaps I could use my pregnancy as an excuse for the dreams then. Blame the hormones!”

Adrianna smiled, reminiscing a little. She did miss the family, but now Giovanni was in contact and her mother had access, it was a possibility to relieve hiraeth. "Might as well," Adrianna replied, "are you not the psychology person? Pregnancy dreams are definitely a thing."

“Indeed they are” T’Lanna nodded. “Now you can tell how distracted lack of sleep makes me. I’m hoping this mug of hot chocolate will do the trick for me tonight.”

"If it doesn't, you should try bayleaf, mint and chamomile tea," Adrianna offered, "my cousins and sister in law used to swear by it. Also got rid of umm." Adrianna wasn't sure of the word in standard she just gestured with her hand, near her chest and throat, "heat? Burn?"

“Oh .. heartburn” T’Lanna nodded. “I’ll admit I do get a fair amount of that so I may just try that tea, thank you for recommending it.” She rolled her mug around in her hands playing with it. “I wish my baby’s father could be here to see his son, he was my best friend. We got a little tipsy one night and this was the result. He died before I found out I was pregnant, he was on an away party that went disastrously wrong. Still I think he’d like Raith.”

Adrianna raised a brow. "I think that time and life can be cruel. At least you'll have a piece of him in your child," Adrianna offered. It felt good to discuss someone else's problem.

T’Lanna nodded and smiled. “That’s true, I just wish I didn’t have to be separated from my son. He can’t stay onboard which means if I want to I have to leave him with family while we’re out on the ship. It’s not something I’m looking forward to.”

"As someone that has left family," Adrianna sipped her drink, "our situations aren't the same, but if you can look back one day and say 'I'd not change a thing', then you're doing right. Everyone needs to be happy and healthy, the decisions you make should be the right decision for all."

T’Lanna nodded. “Thank you Adrianna, I appreciate getting a different view. I guess I’ll see what happens in a few months time.”

Adrianna nodded ,"my opinion may not be the best, but I do hope that you at least feel confident in the decision you make, or those nightmares won't stop. Trust me." Adrianna finished her drink and looked into the empty glass. "Out of interest, as a psychologist, do you believe that people born into darkness will always have a predisposition to it?"

“As a psychologist I don’t believe in being born into darkness. We all have choices, it’s our choices that make us who we are not what we’re born into.” T’Lanna gave Adrianna a curious look but didn’t pry as to why such a specific question. “We only become dark if we choose to be that way.”

Adrianna smiled and nodded, "good to know." Adrianna stood up, "try the tea. It smells urgh in my opinion, but they swear by it. Try and sleep."

“I will, thank you Adrianna.” T’Lanna smiled warmly. “I hope you get some sleep too.”

Adrianna just smiled in response and left. She was satisfied with the answer given about darkness. It seemed to relieve her brain from whirring. Now sleep was catching up with her.

{OFF}

 

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