Shock from the Past - Part I

Posted on Sunday, 30 May 2021 - 2:46pm by Ensign Oriana Skye Sety & Lieutenant JG Hayashi Hamura

Mission: Operation: Neu Reich
Location: Various | USS Standing Bear
Timeline: 2394 MD 16

ON:

Oriana sought some privacy after her shift. The week had been both amazing and confusing. Each morning she was greeted with breakfast and a rose and some coffee. Hamura of course, was gone to work by then but left everything for her waiting. It never failed to bring a tear to her eye and often she just sat there staring at the display. It was more than for her ever. This was for her? Why? Why did it give her such a warm feeling when she saw this, when she saw Hamura?

In general, the routine was they both returned home after a long day and had dinner together, talked of their day, cleaned up and then sat watching movies or just reading. It was comfortable, intimate in some ways and yet distant in others and it felt…like there was a ton that was unsaid between the two.

There had been many times when she’d wanted to say something but something held her back. A weariness in Hamura’s eyes. Now she was here, on the holodeck, a holo program of a swimming pool. She was swimming laps trying to exhaust herself and outrun her mind, if that was possible.

Hours later feeling exhausted and perhaps a little defeated in that she could not silence the chatter of her mind she came home showered and changed. When she came out, she noticed that Hamura was not back yet. Shrugging she was about to turn in when she saw a little flash on the shared computer screen. Walking over she opened it to find five messages waiting for her. She read over the first two, from the captain with a few notations on items that she’d asked him to look at. The third was the usual mess hall weekly menu that got sent out. She glanced over it noting that Wednesday seemed like a good day to devote to the mess hall offerings, and then the fourth was a note from the XO with a nasty number of attachments, all the reports that were due next week he’d finished in a day. She sighed. “That was wayyyyy too fast.” She smiled. “At least he’s efficient.” She closed the message down and then opened the last one. The moment she read the sender’s name she froze.

There flashing at her was

Sender: Lt. Cmdr. Jon Sky
Subject: Second attempt please review and respond Kitana

Reflexively her body started to shake. She stepped back as if she’d been scolded by fire. Her legs felt like rubber and her vision blurred. She had left her family and she wanted nothing to with her parents or brothers. She wanted, for once in her life to just be happy.

Her hearing seemed to tunnel out as if sounds were coming through a great distance. She could only hear her own gasps of breath and she practically felt the sweat forming on her forehead. Dark spots danced in her vision and her heart hammered in her chest. She heard a hiss as if from a distance.

Was that a voice? Do I hear a voice? She felt her body drop and then warm arms. Her eyes tried to focus a familiar face swam in front of them. She knew that face but her mind could not place it.


Hayashi had been called back to engineering to deal with a minor glitch. It took longer than expected and upon returning to the quarters Hayashi shared with Oriana Hayashi found Oriana stumbling, pale sweating, gasping for air. Hayashi knew in an instant that Oriana was having a panic attack. As her body dropped Haya lunged forward and caught her before she fell. “Oriana! Look at me!”

She didn’t seem to recognize Hayashi. The panic episode was different from the last time, more intense.

Oriana managed to speak but just slightly, “N…no medical.”

Hayashi swore. “Alright, I have you. You are safe.” Haya held her close trying to give her some comfort. The feelings that were coming from Oriana were confusing; Hayashi sensed panic, fear, pain, confusion, sadness, anger, and nausea…

Quickly Haya got her to the bathroom where Oriana paid homage to the porcelain bowl and lost her breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Quickly wetting a cloth Haya wiped her mouth and then wet a second cloth to put on her forehead. Lifting Oriana Hayashi carried her to her bed and laid her down.

Oriana grabbed Hayashi’s hand, “Please don’t leave.”

The episode seemed to be abating a little. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” Hayashi sat on the bed holding her hand. “It’s going to be alright. You’re safe. I promise.”

Oriana held Hayashi’s gaze and Haya could sense she was fighting for calm but also sensed that Hayashi’s presence seemed to infuse Oriana with calm so she kept talking to her.

Hayashi very rarely did this but used every bit of Betazoid ability to project the words, ”I’m here. You are safe,” into Oriana’s mind over and over.

She seemed to latch onto that and her hand tightened on Hayashi’s. Her breathing slowed and soon Haya could sense her calm returning. “It’s alright. You’re alright,” she said out loud.

It wasn’t long before Oriana was asleep. Hayashi tucked the blanket around her and then left for the living room area.

Haya paced the room. What had happened? Almost immediately as the question formed Haya’s eyes rested on the screen a message flashing. Walking over Hayashi saw the message flashing.

Sender: Lt. Cmdr. Jon Sky
Subject: Second attempt please review and respond Kitana

She had been standing close to the screen when Haya had returned. Anger spiked cold and hard through Hayashi. Stabbing at the message Haya watched it come to life on the screen.

A handsome face filled the screen, he had Oriana’s dimples and eyes. Short cropped hair and the pips of a Lieutenant Commander in the Medical track.

The frozen image unfroze and his deep rich voice filled the room. “Kitana…or should I say Oriana. I know you changed your name. I … I tried to reach out to you a while ago. I know that you probably don’t want to hear from me or anyone in the family. I get it. We treated you…horribly. Our parents were never on your side and frankly me and the other two idiots, as your brothers, should have done a better job of being on your side. I can only say…I’m sorry. Listen Kit...Oriana, father came across your name when reviewing Admin records for a new assistant, that’s how I knew where to find you. Your picture…well connected the dots for us. He’s an Admiral now and he may try to contact you or mother may, she’s a CO now stationed at HQ or they may not. I just wanted to give you a heads up.”

There was a pause. The man seemed to show embarrassment and then went on, “I also wanted to contact you. Since you left, I did a lot of thinking. I’ve been wanting to reach out to say sorry that I wasn't the best brother in the world, I'm sorry I never made you feel like you mattered. I reached out because I wanted to see if maybe you wanted to speak to me but didn’t know where you were until now. God knows life wasn’t easy for you growing up but you are still my sister and I wanted to try and make a mends for all the times we, yelled at you, teased you, made you feel like you were not part of our family. You deserved better.”

There was a deep sigh of weariness and Hayashi could almost tell that the man was going through some emotional pain of his own. “I’m really sorry. I know you never felt loved or accepted with us and we were all idiots. Mother and Father often treated you like an inconvenience and you grew up feeling never good enough but I want you to know that that’s not true. Please at least let me know you got this and if you don’t want me to contact you again I won’t. I just…wanted to say I’m sorry.”

“I don’t believe him.”

Hayashi turned and found Oriana standing at the door. “I thought you were asleep.”

She smiled weakly. “I nap for a few minutes after…I heard voices.”

Hayashi blushed. “I’m sorry I shouldn’t have…”

Oriana waved a hand. “It’s fine.”

“You heard the message?”

“Yes.”

Hayashi said nothing.

“I’m going to shower and brush my teeth.”

Hayashi gave a nod. “Sure. Tea?”

She stayed silent a moment and then gave a nod.

Hayashi watched her turn and go to the bathroom. Sighing Haya set about brewing tea the old-fashioned way. It was better then replicated tea and she deserved the best. That thought startled Haya. It had been one that had never entered Hayashi’s mind about anyone.

To Be Continued…