Siren's Song

Posted on 20 Aug 2014 @ 9:08pm by Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D. & Commander Luke Wyatt
Edited on on 21 Aug 2014 @ 10:03am

2,286 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3, Starboard docking port
Timeline: MD8, 1430 hours

[ON]

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

With Jaana busy chipping away at her dissertation, Tuula was left with nowhere to practice her instrument without distracting her sister. Fortunately, she remembered that little-used docking ports were excellent places to practice. One could hide in the docking port without being bothered, and the airlock was basically soundproof. Not to mention that it offered a view of the stars, if one wanted to engage in some quiet contemplation.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.

But unbeknownst to Tuula, a poor tribble had gotten himself caught up in the relays for the airlock door, preventing it from closing all the way. This did two things: first, it let some beautiful singing and harp music into the corridors, a possible siren song for any passers by. Second, the ajar door set off an alarm in security, warning them of a potential intruder in the port docking bay.


Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird fly Blackbird fly
Into the light of the dark black night.

With the security department so swamped by the tribble problem and teams getting everything sorted after the mine's problem he decided to take this simple job of checking why an alarm was sounding from one of the airlocks on deck 3. When the turbolift opened onto the deck Luke could hear music being played from the direction he was due to travel and instantly made his way towards the originator.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life...

After a brisk walk and several tribble piles later Luke coincidently found himself outside the musics origin and the alarming docking hatch. Pressing in his secuirty code the door slid open and revealed the problem, a poor tribble caught with in the mechanism and Tuula the woman who had kissed him the day before. "Didn't expect to find anyone down here" he admitted.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was my music bothering anyone?" asked Tuula, her face red with embarrassment. She thought no one would be able to hear her there. She gently placed her harp down on the ground before turning around.

"I just wanted a quiet place to practice where no one would be able to listen in and--" It was him again - the father of the woman she saved only yesterday afternoon; the man she kissed yesterday morning. She smiled. "Oh, Luke, thank god it's you."

Luke smiled as he leaned himself up against the door frame holding the tribble under his arm "Who else was you expecting?" he laughed "This little demon was setting of a security alarm and I decided to check it out, what was that you was playing?"

"'Blackbird', it's a song from the mid 20th century," replied Tuula. "I like it, it's a very beautiful song. I just got this arrangement for the harp recently." She looked around at the open airlock. "I can pack up and go back to my quarters if you want."

Luke shook his head as he knelt over and placed the tribble down "No that's fine, you're not disturbing anyone" he sat down and buried his head in his knees "Mind if I stay a while?" He asked lifting his head up.

"Of course not," replied Tuula. "Though you may have to put up with my singing, and I know how much you jarheads appreciate the finer things in life," she added, in a tone that combined sarcasm with gentle humour.

Luke rolled his eyes accompanying it with a sarcastic tut "Actually we 'Jarheads' do appreciate the finer things in life especially singing... All be it usually under the influence of alcohol and sometimes drugs... But I do like a good song"

"All right; I've never performed this one in public yet, but here goes." Tuula knew that with Abbey still in sickbay, he would need something to take his mind off of her, so she began playing again. But soon she found her fingers stumbling over the strings and missing notes. She winced harder and harder with every wrong note until out of frustration, she stopped playing.

"Luke, I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I can't get this right. We need to talk." She let out a deep breath. "It's about Abbey. I managed to save her, but she had a back injury." Tuula was sweating; she was no good at telling people bad news. "She's going to need several surgeries to reconstruct her spine and repair the damage. Her recovery is going to be a long process, and she's going to need your support throughout the whole thing."

Luke slumped up against the wall siting in an uneasy silence, he had forgotten how it was Tuula who saved his daughters life and he felt wrong he had not yet seen Abbey. Luke blamed himself for allowing Abbey to go on the away team and joining Starfleet at all.

"Luke... I'm here for you." Tuula rolled herself over next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, I know more than anyone what it's like to go through an injury like this. It feels like it's the end of the world, but it's not. And with Abbey, though it may take weeks or months, she's going to make a recovery. If everything goes as predicted, she'll have at least a 90% recovery." Tuula shook him and offered him a faint smile. "Besides, she'll have one of the best surgeons in the fleet," she joked to try to make him feel better. "And I promise I won't use my bone saw, okay?"

Not being able to stop the corner of his mouth tugging into smile he turned and faced Tuula "I know she'll recover physically, but I'm worried that she won't mentally. I know the effects this can have on people. I've seen it first hand. It could destroy her and in turn me."

"She's going to be all right," said Tuula as she took his muscular hand in hers. From behind dark cat-eye makeup, her blue eyes conveyed a warmth and sincerity that shone through her dark exterior. "I can't say she's doing all that well emotionally at the moment. But there are a lot of resources available for her, and I know with a supportive father at her side, she'll get through this." Tuula released his hand and gave him a playful punch in the arm. "Besides, despite what Delainey might say, I turned out all right, didn't I?"

Smiling, Luke nodded. "I guess you did, I just can't help but think how she'll come out of this whole ordeal but if she's anything like her mother she'll be even stronger." He turned and faced Tuula. "Thanks for the support, Tuula."

"Anytime," she replied. "I think I still owe you one from that favour you did for me in the mess hall the other day."

Luke looked at Tuula "You don't owe me anything, you've already done more than enough for me and if anything I owe you" He couldn't help but see how the light caught Tuula's eyes.

"Well, I do owe you one thing; I think I did promise you a song." She thought for a moment and placed her harp aside. She thought back to one of the last songs she performed publicly; this one would be vocals only. "I don't suppose a jarhead like yourself would be familiar with the works of Gilbert and Sullivan?"

Luke smiled, "Actually..." he paused for effect "Nope, Not at all" He shrugged it of with a cheeky grin. "But I would love to hear it, and I do enjoy a good song." He settled himself against the bulkhead, looking up at Tuula he couldn't help but think back to the time when he used to do this during his time in the Marines.

"Of course you haven't heard of them, you jarheads are all a bunch of philistines." Tuula sighed; the aggressively uncivilized nature of Marines made them some of her least favourite people. Though she was being sarcastic, her deadpan delivery may have confused her companion. "Gilbert was a librettist and Sullivan a composer; they collaborated to produce a number of comic operas in the Victorian era," she explained, hoping that she was using terms that even a boorish marine would understand. She looked up at Luke, a smirk upon her face. "I was the leading lady in The Pirates of Penzance, one of their most famous works, Computer, activate background vocals, playlist Voutilainen Echo six."

As the background vocals played over the loudspeaker in the airlock, Tuula took a deep breath and filled the tiny room with her voice.

Poor wandering one
Though thou hast surely strayed
Take heart of grace, thy steps retrace
Poor wandering one

Poor wandering one
If such poor love as mine
Can help thee find true peace of mind
Why, take it, it is thine...

Luke had closed his eye's by the time she finished the song and the instruments background softened out "Tuula..." He started sitting himself up and opening his eyes "What is the whole story behind that jerk we kissed for?" He asked curiously.

"What, did Delainey put you up to this?" she asked, defensively. Her psych eval hadn't gone well, to say the least.

Throwing his hands up from being totally taken by surprise from Tuulas Defensiveness he shook his head "No, I haven't even spoken to Delainey," he admitted, wondering what story there was to tell.

"All right." Tuula let out a defeated sigh. "I suppose if anyone, I do owe you an explanation after how you helped me yesterday morning. But you can't tell anyone, okay? I haven't even told Jaana this."

Luke nodded "You can count on me" he gave her smile and shuffled closer to her resting his hand on hers.

"Okay, here goes..."

*****************************
20 minutes later

"...and then I never saw him again. Or at least, not until I saw him in the mess hall a few days ago." She took a deep breath. It was something that had been on her chest for six years, and she couldn't help but feel a bit of relief at having finally told someone. "So you see, that's why I was so desperate to get rid of him when I saw him in the mess hall." She looked up at Luke. "Not that, you know, you're not an attractive guy..."

"Well you know, we aren't all as lucky as me," he joked before turning serious again. "Take it from me you stay away from that guy and don't get yourself involved with him again. He's obviously not worth it... Do you need me to shove him out of the airlock?" He joked noticing he had still held her hand during the whole exchange. "I can't believe you haven't even told Jaana."

"I wanted to, believe me, I did," she started, wiping a tear from her eye. "I just didn't know how she would react. I was always the big sister." She gripped his hand tightly. "It's not that I'm ashamed of my choices. Far from it, I know I made the right decision. My only regret is staying with him for so long. I just... I don't know. I don't know how she's going to feel, and I don't want to cause her any distress."

Luke caressed the top of her hand with his thumb "Tuula, in my experience not speaking to people about it, especially the people you love, often results in more hurt. It's a way of release and its better for you to deal with it with someone you love like your sister than to just keep it locked up like nothing happened." He shrugged. "Besides she must have some kind of idea."

"I don't think she knows the whole story. But you're right," she said, looking up into his eyes. "I'm going to tell her. I just need to find the right time. Thank you. Thank you so much."

Flashing a smile he released her hand and stood up "Well I'm glad to hear it and when you see me ill be saying told you so!" Leaning forward he gave Tuula a hug "I best get back because leave them for two minutes and they've probably set the offices ablaze."

"I'm sure the automatic fire suppression systems can handle it," joked Tuula. "If you don't mind, I'd like to stay here for a bit. I've got some thinking to do."

Luke nodded as he slowly backed up against the air lock and pressed the control panel to open it "See you around, Tuula" He smiled with a wink before turning around and out of the airlock.

As Luke left, Tuula closed the airlock door behind her and stared out the porthole at the stars whizzing past. Perhaps Delainey was right; she needed to talk to someone about Zuwtt. But first, she had to talk to Jaana, and figure out a way to discuss the subject without causing her too much distress. Pressing her head against the transparent aluminum porthole between the interior of the Galileo and the cold vacuum of space, she closed her eyes. A single tear ran down her cheek.

[OFF]

Lieutenant (J.G.) Luke Wyatt
Acting Chief of Security
USS Galileo

&

Lieutenant (J.G.) Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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