Unexpected Call

Posted on Saturday, 5 December 2020 - 7:40pm by Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Commander Soral & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali & Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie

Mission: Operation: Ouroboros
Location: Lieuteant Vali's Quarters
Timeline: 2393

ON:

T’Lanna was sat feet up, trying to have a rest. Her back felt like it had been trampled on and she was grateful for the time to rest.

"Communications to Lieutenant T'Lanna. There is a call from Vulcan for you. A Lady Severine?"

T’Lanna raised an eyebrow in typical Vulcan fashion, grateful she was sat where she could see the comms screen. “Put it through on a secure channel please.”

The screen fizzled and showed a picture of a young lady who resembled Soral very much. "You are the counselor?"

“I am” T’Lanna nodded. “I’d say from the resemblance you must be Soral’s daughter?”

"Indeed. I require your assistance."

T’Lanna nodded. “By all means Severine. What is it you need?”

"My father is now well. He and Lady Alexandra are not well."

T’Lanna nodded. “What makes you think that Severine?”

"It is the way they interacted when we were there..." She paused. "My father is ... not himself." She would not say sad but he was sad. She could feel it. "Will you assist them?"

T’Lanna nodded. “Of course I will Severine.” She smiled warmly. “Soral and Alexandra are my friends, I will do everything in my power to help them.”

She gave a nod. "Very well.... I must go. This is not exactly a sanctioned call." She clicked off the call.

T’Lanna tapped her comm badge. “Vali to Soral and Kingsley, May I see you both in my quarters?”

“On my way,” Alex replied after a moment as she about turned.

Back in Alex and Soral's quarters Mac grabbed Soral's hand. "Don't respond. You need to go to sickbay."

"I am fine."

"You are not fine, not after what just happened. Your hands are still shaking." As if to punctuate it he held up Soral's hand lightly holding it as it shook.

"It will pass in a moment." He tore his hand away and tapped his com badge. "I will be there shortly."

Pressing the door chime, Alex waited for T’Lanna to call out before she entered. “I wasn't sure how urgent this was, so I didn’t stop to change into uniform. What’s wrong? Have you found something in your review of psych profiles already?”

“Actually... it’s a more delicate matter.” T’Lanna motioned to a seat. “I had a call from Severine.”

“From Severine?” Alex repeated in surprise. “Why?”

“I think perhaps I’d best explain that when both of you are here.” T’Lanna offered her friend a smile.

Thankfully it was not a long wait, the door chime ringing out to signal her husband's arrival. In that short amount of time, however, she tried to think of a reason for all of this. She knew Severine had been struggling since Soral's disappearance, something she could fully understand. Yet she had seen now, with her own eyes, that he was safe. Perhaps it had not been as reassuring as Alex thought it would be.

Stepping aside to allow Soral to enter she waited to hear exactly what was going on, trusting T'Lanna wouldn't be doing this in the middle of such an important mission for no reason.

“Soral, come on in and make yourself at home.” T’Lanna smiled warmly.

Soral, still feeling shaky walked in slowly ensuring to take his time. He slid into the nearest chair. "Yes counselor. How can we be of assistance."

“Now, as I just told Alex I had a call from Severine. She’s very concerned about the relationship between the two of you.” T’Lanna looked between her friends. “She’s noticed there’s tension between you and so have I. I think it’s time we spoke about what’s going on between you and I’d like to help if I can.”

"I personally think this is a terrible time," Alex commented before adding with a rueful smile, "but that may be my tendency to change the subject."

He raised an eyebrow. "Severine?" His eyes narrowed. "How is that possible she is on a ship that is running silent..." He would figure that out later. "I must agree with my wife. It is a terrible time." He shifted in the chair. Mac had been right. He should have gone to sickbay. He was more drawn holding back some of the discomfort that he was feeing. He looked at Alex and then surprised himself. "Alexandra has not made up her mind yet as to whether she wishes to forgive me."

T’Lanna had noticed that Soral was not looking well and she had no doubt Alex had noticed as well. “I take it the two of you are having some relationship problems at the moment?” She looked between them. “I know you normally prefer to keep matters private but what is said here will not leave this room.” She gazed at Soral. “Are you alright Soral? You don’t look well.”

"I am fine." He said stubbornly. "I have put my wife in a difficult position. I believe that she ... summarized it well in our quarters." He turned to Alex. "If you wish to share it then do so if not I will respect you decision." If she wanted to fix it he would let her decide. Gods knew he wanted to fix it but he wanted her to make the choice. He knew he didn't deserve her anyway.

A difficult position...

Feeling both their eyes on her, Alex shifted uncomfortably. It was private, deeply personal and she really did not wish to air it. And yet how else would they get beyond this? When her husband, who was clearly feeling ill was stubbornly insisting he was fine. What had happened in the short time she had been away from him?

“I don’t know where to start. Actually I do but you made it clear I had to take no blame for it...” she told Soral. “And now this?”

He raised an eyebrow for the moment forgetting T'Lanna was there. "I do no not understand. You are not to blame. It is I who erred. First with my lie of omission and then the carelessness of my words. Alexandra I do not deserve you. I know this. You must make the choice if you wish to fix things. You did not aid in the braking of it I did that myself."

T’Lanna simply sat observing the conversation, it was good that the two of them were airing what they needed to say to one another.

“My choice? Do you appreciate how... ironic that sounds?” She challenged. Shaking her head she moved to look out the window, “and what happened today - it all comes back to one thing. Our bond. And that was my fault. And yes there is a part of me that is scared. Not of you or us, but for you. What if we can never get it back?

What if we can? It has already hurt you so much, you said so even today. I’m not Vulcan, I can’t begin to understand how it feels for you. You’d never admit the extent of it but I’m not stupid, Soral. I see the pain in your eyes. I see you struggling to cope and trying to protect me. And that day, after you thought I was pregnant -

You looked so... disappointed. It broke my heart.”

“You thought Alex was pregnant?” T’Lanna looked at Soral curiously. “Ohhh... the things Alex bought for me!” She sighed. “I’m sorry, that was my fault. There’s nothing to stop the two of you from having a family if you want one. I don’t know if you’ve been told yet, but Commander Stillwater is having the ship outfitted to take families. He’s letting me keep my son onboard ship when he’s born.” She smiled hoping it might give them something special to think about.

Alex expression darkened. While it was great news for their friend her comment about trying actually made her laugh. “Funny thing,” she quipped, “apparently we have been trying, but only one of us knew.”

“Oh?” T’Lanna looked at Soral raising an eyebrow in typical Vulcan fashion.

Soral sighed. "Yes...I have stopped taking the shot for prevention of pregnancy...I had hoped..." He let it trail on. Standing with a little bit of discomfort he walked over to Alex and placed a hand on her shoulders. "My wife. You are not to blame. You did nothing to stop our bond. That woman, that I will find, did and she is responsible. As to the bond, without it I must admit to feeling lost. All my life I have lived alone in my mind and then you were there and now it is difficult to adjust to being alone again."

He turned her slowly to face him. "Yes, I was disappointed but not in you or you not being pregnant it was at myself. Because while I thought you were pregnant I knew that I had done wrong. I had taken the choice of having a child away from you. I chose pregnancy for you. Of course I would love for us to have a child but we have two. Severine and Soval are our children. Even they accept that and I for sure do."

If we do not have our bond or cannot restart it matters not to how I feel about you."

“How can you not blame me?” She shot back, her voice barely a whisper. “I lost control. If I hadn’t, my mother wouldn’t have confided in her and she would have never...”

She shook her head, unable to finish.

T’Lanna looked at her friends, they both meant a great deal to her. “The two of you are meant to be together, no matter what.”

Soral pulled his wife into his arm letting her rest her head against his chest. "I do not blame you at all. This was not your fault." He held her. "I promise you this."

While she knew she was still angry with him, she didn't fight him as he pulled her into his arms. How long had it been since he had just held her like this? Too long. "I know it hurts, it hurts all the time," she breathed, closing her eyes.

Before he could respond the door hissed open and Mac stood there looking dishevelled and pissed off. He aimed a phaser at Soral set to maximum stun. "You son of a bitch you nerve pinched me to avoid going to sickbay."

Soral raised an eyebrow. "You are being dramatic."

"Mac, what the hell?" Alex snapped as she eyed their friend and the weapon pointed at them. Well, mostly Soral but given his lack of sleep, she suspected his aim was perhaps not at its best. "Put the phaser away, Mac."

"Not until he agrees to go to sickbay. I found him on the ground gasping for air and when he recovered enough I tried to drag him to sickbay and he nerve pinches me." He sighed, "Alex step away from that idiot so I can stun him and take him to sickbay."

Ignoring his instruction to step away, Alex frowned as she peered up at Soral. “I don’t think you actually need me to say how I’m at my limit for secrets... what is he talking about? And the truth.”

He sighed, "I was feeling unwell. A...cardiac episode. I have had a few since we returned. Mac found me and we were on our way to sickbay...I asked to stop here and he said no so I...administered a Vulcan neck pinch."

Mac rubbed the back of his neck.

“A few?” Alex repeated incredulously as she stepped back, her look one of anger. Was there anything he wasn’t hiding from her? Cardiac episodes... as if it were all so perfectly natural. “In fact no. I’m sure you’ll say you had your reasons. Just... go to Sickbay, have the doctors check you out. Mac, make sure he gets there and home okay. You can shoot him if you have to.”

T'Lanna sighed. Just as they were getting somewhere Soral had 'blown himself out of the water' again by hiding this from Alex. "Get yourself down to Sickbay Soral, let the doctor look at you."

He sighed, "I truly believe we were..." The looks had him silenced. "Sickbay." He walked to Mac who put his phaser down temporarily. "Let's go. I now have your wife's permission to stun your ass." He pointed out the door.

Mac followed Soral out the door.

“I should go, I have an early start and lots still to do,” Alex said after a long moment.

"Alex ... Wait" T'Lanna looked at Alex. "He truly loves you, he just needs time and understanding. I promised Severine I'd help you both, I don't plan on breaking that promise."

Alex sighed. “I don’t doubt that he loves me,” she assured her, “but it’s painfully obvious he doesn’t trust me or respect me enough to be honest with me. I should go. Let me know if you find anything in the psych evals?”

T’Lanna nodded. “I get on those now and let you know what I find.” Watching Alex go T’Lanna couldn’t help but feel she had a long road ahead of her where helping her friends was concerned.

OFF