Shadows from the past

Posted on 26 Feb 2018 @ 7:43pm by Verity Thorne & Lieutenant Aria Rice

1,260 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Earth: Starfleet Medical
Timeline: MD 95 - 15:00

ON:

Having read the same line of his book for the fifth time, Verity Thorne finally gave in and set it down on the low table in front of him. He sighed as he looked out of the window of the large day room, running his hands up over his dark hair in a light stretch of his body. He was going stir crazy. He knew that it had to be a good thing. At one point, he'd been too ill to feel bored and stir crazy. Now, being ready to escape the medical facility had to mean he'd improved a good deal.

He knew he had. He'd gone from being unable to walk from the brain damage caused from his illness, to now being up and about. Sure, he was still using a cane to help him walk, but it could have been so much worse. And he hoped it wouldn't be much longer until he was back to his old self.

Or, to put it another way, it had be soon. Or he'd go mad. And start breaking things. With the bloody walking stick.

Aria Rice, having had her little medical check-up after being away in space for two years, stopped the second she saw Verity. As this was Starfleet Medical she was wearing her uniform, her hair tied back in a sensible ponytail. She grinned and ran over, laughing as she gently wrapped her arms around Verity from behind. "Guess who!" she said against his ear, excited just to see a friend. And she hadn't seen Verity in so long.

Verity laughed warmly with surprise, knowing immediately who it was just from her voice. "Hm..." he made a play at feeling over her hands. "Iddy biddy little hands...." he felt up her arms with playful musing. "Is there a corset under that uniform jacket?"

"I wish!" Aria laughed warmly and smiled as she kissed his cheek before she moved around to sit in front of him. She studied his face before she tutted. "I need to bake for you, I can already tell. Looking a bit pale and skinny there, Verity. Or is this some Priest thing and this is actually a retreat? Because I've read about that stuff in the medieval times..."

Verity chuckled softly at the words, shaking his head lightly as he went along with it. "Oh, I have yet to fully serve my penance," he said seriously before shaking his head with a smile. "And you certainly know how to flatter a man," he teased.

"Well, you still look beautiful because that's just you," Aria said with a shake of her head before she smiled gently. "Are you okay?" she reached out, taking his hand to hold in hers. She was worried. She was genuinely worried about him.

Verity smiled gently at seeing the kindness in her, nodding quickly as he squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Yes, I'm okay. I've been better, but I've also been worse. And soon, hopefully I'll be better than okay again," he grinned at that, shaking his head. "And it can't come too soon, because I'm starting to lose it in here..."

Aria nodded at the words before she smiled gently. "Well, you are in luck! I am free and bored and oooh! I can totally entertain you and corrupt you..." she fluttered her eyelashes at him before sitting back with a pleased smile.

"I don't doubt that," Verity said with a small, knowing smile, but there was fondness in his eyes. He'd missed the exuberant young lady. This bouncy tigger of a girl may well be one of the most petite adults he'd met, but by goodness, was she a firecracker. Colourful. Aria Rice was colourful. "I'd like that," he admitted, shaking his head slowly. "It's been...a long stay."

Aria nodded before she smiled, watching him closely. "Well, let's start by going to the garden. The weather is nice," she said and stood, offering her hand to him. "So we might as well enjoy it."

Verity smiled gently at that. She knew him well, it seemed. He gripped her hand, pulling himself up with a sigh. He gripped the cane with a note of bitterness. He felt better about slipping his arm through hers though, even if their heights were at odds. "I'd love that," he admitted. "We can go to the orchard, the trees grow real fruit and everything," there was just a hint of sarcasm to his voice.

She watched him before she leant closer to him, her arm wrapping around his waist as they walked. "Does it mean I get to steal the real fruit?" she asked innocently. "You know...break a few rules?"

"I'd be disappointed in you if you didn't..." he tsked, shaking his head with a soft laugh. "Unless Aria Rice has changed for the worse since I saw her last..."

"Oi, less of that!" Aria grinned, her eyes shining as she walked with him. "I haven't changed that much. I mean, a little I suppose. Learned new skills. Had a few adventures...missed a lot of people, yourself included."

Verity gave her a small but grateful smile at the words, watching her as they walked slowly in the fresh air. "We missed you too, Aria. The Amateur Dramatics club wasn't the same without your dancing..."

"Really?" Aria looked at him with surprise before she blushed. "I loved the time I spent in the club. Just...letting go like that."

"It's why I like starting them up," Verity admitted, looking to her with a weak smile. "Starfleet personnel...you all have so much resting on your shoulders. And you don't go home from it at the end of the day, you're always there, living it, surviving it. Making decisions that cause ripples for so many people....it's a big responsibility. You deserve to have something to get lost in for a little while." He glanced to her, almost with concern.

Aria nodded before she bit her lip, considering it for a long moment. "I'd like that," she admitted quietly. "I mean, I've missed that. It's been good, done a lot, but it has...been tense. Very tense."

"Why tense?" he asked softly and lightly, glancing to her with a gentle smile, wanting her to be able to get it out.

"You know, all...grr..." she made a stern face before she relaxed and rolled her eyes. "So serious! Which I get, totally, you know...inspecting cargo and all that is serious stuff with so many padds of paperwork to fill out and log. But some people were...charming. Charming smugglers for instance! Nothing like having a bit of banter when you're closing up that brig..."

"Charming, hm?" Verity couldn't help a small smile at that, glancing innocently across to her with a glint in his eyes. "Could it be you found yourself a charmer to....banter with....?"

"Perhaps, on occasion..." Aria said and there was suddenly a blush to her pale skin, her blue eyes widening slightly. "I mean...it was all...you know, proper!"

Verity looked to her with a grin at that, pulling at her arm to make her sit on the bench under a large leafy tree with him. "Well, now you have to tell me all the gory details, missey..."

"Okay..." Aria laughed warmly and nodded, leaning closer to him, settling her head against his shoulder. "Well, it all started, like these things always do, with a boarding party, an unregistered ship and a lot of testosterone..."

OFF:

Lt. JG Aria Rice
Security Officer

&

Verity Thorne
Chaplain

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