Nightmares...

Posted on 29 Sep 2014 @ 3:45pm by Lieutenant Aria Rice & Lieutenant JG Dorian West

1,107 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 4 - West & Rice's Quarters
Timeline: MD 08 - 1900

ON:

Aria turned quickly on her bed, a soft whimper escaping her. Dressed in her customary night time pyjamas bottoms and large jumper, she was twisted in the red and white striped blanket. The worn stuffed toy elephant, once a bright blue, now seen more than a few years of rough play, had been flung on the floor. Another soft whimper escaped and the tears escaped as Aria turned again, caught in the nightmare.

Dorian blinked his eyes open at the sound, frowning as he let out a soft breath, getting his bearings back. He watched his roommate in the other bed, seeing her distress. He kicked the covers off, concerned as he moved to sit on her bed, reaching out to touch her arm. "Hey....Aria, wake up," he said softly, rubbing her arm.

Aria cried out as she woke up, sitting up as she gasped for breath, the tears running down her cheeks. She shivered, sniffing, her hands going to wipe her tears. "S...shit..."

"Hey..." Dorian grabbed her firmly, holding her close to hug with a worried frown. "Shhh....you're alright, Aria. Just our quarters, just us."

She wrapped her arms around him, swallowing hard as she clung to him. "I...I dreamt...I...there was so much blood, there was blood everywhere..."

Dorian's frown deepened at the words, his hand touching her hair soothingly. "Wait just one second," he whispered, moving to their, thankfully still working, replicator. He got a cup of tea before moving to sit back with her, easing it into her hands. "Here we go..."

She held the cup, taking in the heat before sipping it, closing her eyes. "T-they cut H-Hex open..." she managed to get out. "There was so much blood...everywhere...just...there, couldn't look away..."

"It's just a dream," he asked quietly, rubbing her arm slowly but firmly to bring her back to the real world. "Everyone's tucked up just fine."

"N...no," Aria shook her head, watching him with wide eyes. "It happened. She got wounded and...in sickbay, one of the doctors just...cut her up. There, with...with us all witnessing..." she said, shaking her head weakly, with disbelief. "So much blood."

Dorian watched her with shock, his dark eyes deepening in colour, first with pain at her having to see that, and then with anger that any medical professional would distress other patients in the sickbay by doing something so irresponsibly traumatic in front of them. His jaw tightened and he licked his lips to try and smother his anger and not make it obvious. He needed to concentrate on calming Aria down, not transferring his own feelings to her. "Is she okay?" he asked quickly, still stroking Aria's arm, keeping contact with her.

She nodded weakly, relaxing at the touch. She snuggled close to him, sipping the tea as she started to calm down. "She will be okay," she said softly, smiling weakly. "And she was thankfully not awake to witness it."

"Then when you start to think about it? Tell yourself that, like, actually say the words in your head," he said quietly, keeping her close with an arm around her shoulders.

Aria looked at him, searching his eyes for a moment at that. "I will," she promised before resting her head against him, breathing in his scent. "It made me think of my Dad."

"What were you thinking?" Dorian asked quietly with a frown, watching the wall rather than her, to give her some privacy.

"If he had been just as much on display as he died," she whispered and smiled weakly, looking at him. "He'd have hated that."

Dorian searched her face for a long moment before gently cupping her cheek in his hand, to make her look into his eyes in the dim light. "Do you know what I think? If he was aware and awake in his final moments, I think the only thing he'd be thinking about is his daughter. And I can't think of a better last thought for a man to have."

Aria swallowed at the words, her eyes wide as she let out a breath. "That's...I'd hope that. Thank...thank you..." she looked down, blushing.

He smiled gently at seeing her slowly starting to calm. "Sip your tea slowly, let it warm you up, you feel freezing."

She nodded, sipping her tea as she took a deeper breath. "You are very good at this," she said, almost shyly.

"It'd be rubbish if I wasn't, it's my job," he replied, but with a teasing smile that turned to a grin, nodding to her gently to show he didn't really mean it.

She chuckled as she hit his arm, lightly, taking a deeper breath before frowning. "Can I stay in your bed?" she asked softly. "Nothing...kinky. Just don't want to be alone."

"Sure," Dorian smiled gently, understanding. He tapped her arm, taking the cup away from her before moving back into his own bed. He shifted right up against the wall. "You're a tiny enough little thing anyway...."

She moved to his bed, crawling in before snuggling close, taking a breath. "I'm not scared or anything," she said, a pout on her lips. "Just...don't want to be alone. In case the nightmare comes back."

"I know," he assured quickly, closing his eyes with a small smile. "I don't doubt that for a second, Aria. You seem pretty damn fearless to me."

She touched his arm, stroking it lightly as she considered the words. "I sometimes make myself fearless. Just force it. The worst that can happen is that you die. Well...that happens to us all, right?"

"Apart from Q, yeah," he chuckled softly with a small smile, stroking her arm. "I like that attitude."

Aria nodded as she tilted her head, to look at him. "Afraid it is the only one I have going right now." She smiled, touching his chest. "Promise not to push me on the floor if I snore?"

"No promises," he said gruffly, but with a slight curl to his lips.

She hit his arm, smiling at that as she closed her eyes. "You're comfy..." she said and yawned, turning her face against him as she curled up. "Warm..."

"You security girls...coming in here, stealing my heat," Dorian mumbled, but with a soft chuckle rolling in his throat.

Aria smiled, her hand sliding over his side to hold, settling. "We're impossible...gotta love us..." she murmured before her body relaxed as she fell asleep.


OFF:

ENS Aria Rice
Security/Tactical
USS Galileo

LT JG Dorian West
Counsellor
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

RSS Feed