The End of The Beginning

Posted on Tue Mar 1, 2016 @ 7:00am by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin

565 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Pangaea (Wrap up)
Location: Diana's Arrow
Timeline: MD 11 0800

[ON]

"How are you?" Yolanthe asked when Klia's eyes opened. Yolanthe had been waiting for her to wake. She didn't know if the woman would stay awake, she'd been tranqued like a targ But the bokkai wanted to make sure that her friend was okay. at least in the immediate term.

"It hurts. but its fuzzy." She reached her hand up to her head. "Bald. I feel a joke about Deltans coming on." She gave a weak smile.

Yolanthe tried to laugh, but it was forced. Then she took Klias hands in her own and gave a squeeze she hoped was reassuring "I'm so so sorry. I thought you were dead. I thought Dray had killed you, there was a body. We, we." She broke off and just threw her arms around the smaller woman.

Klia hugged her back, awkwardly at first and then with more feeling. "I know. I was there when he made the body."

In response, Yolanthe squeezed tighter.

"Ugh, I can't breathe, you freak. Let me go." Klia gave Yolanthe a glare that had less than a quarter of the vim the tall woman remembered.

They sat there for a moment. "How are you?" Klia asked.

Yolanthe shrugged. "I'm old, slow, under weight and out of practice."

Klia gave her a look. "How many training sims did I make you?"

"I know. But after you...I just..couldn't. The only one I use any more is Reshi."

Klia gave a deep sigh. "That one is designed to pound you flat and destroy you from the soul up. You need to try something you can actually win once in a while."

They sat together in silence for a few minutes, then Yolanthe said, "What happened to you? How did Dray do it? Ancesters, I have so many questions I don't know where to start."

Klia stiffened. She shut her eyes, and then opened them, and even Yolanthe was able to see the abyss of exhaustion, desperation and pain within them. "I can't right now, Lani. I just don't want to think about it."

Yolanthe faded to grey, her hair the colour of charcoal. She wanted to know, and she wanted to make it right. Klia's ordeal wasn't her fault, not really, but she still felt responsible. Her choices had provoked her psycho fairy godfather to expressing his displeasure and Klia had paid for it. But this was about Klia's needs. Not her.

"Okay." Yolanthe agreed. "But you know I'll be here for you when you want to talk. Anything you need."

"I know. And I promise I will tell you. I just need time." she hesitated. "Is Getal...?"

The bokkai shook her head. "He was recalled about six weeks ago." She didn't miss that Klia relaxed some at that.

"I need to sleep," the orion said. "Sort me out some food for when I wake up?"

Yolanthe stood, sensing the gap between them and dropped a few shades darker. "Sure. Whatever you need. Want me to turn the lights off?"

"No!" Klia said a bit too fast. "No," she was calmer this time. Leave it on."

Yolanthe felt her guts twist. Klia had never been afraid of the dark. "Okay. I'll be back in a bit." She left the tiny sickbay, still limping slightly on her left side.

Klia stared at the ceiling.

::OFF::

Yolanthe Ibalin
Owner, The Box of Delights
DS5

 

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