Zora/Logs/Calming the Bird Down
IC Time: April 5, 2122
Redemption - Double Cabin 3 - A Deck
Wooden walls and stained wood trim line the walls of the simple quarters, but they are mostly hidden behind the pages of seed and plant catalogs which have been taped to virtually every square inch available, colorful illustrations brightening the room. Against each wall is a simple single-sized bed with a thick comfortable mattress. Sheets, blankets and a single pillow are folded neatly and with a military precision while they rest on the foot of one bed waiting for their next occupant to claim them. The other bed is completely bare, and apparently spurned in favor of the hammock strung above it, which has a nest of sheets and blankets obviously stolen from the bed below. The wooden box frame reveals depressed handles for three drawers on each bed frame. Each is deep enough to hold numerous clothes and a few personal effects without impending into the room's space. Against the far wall just beyond the foot of the beds is a desk for each crew member. Each with their own Cortex display units, work light and plenty of workspace.
Seed trays line the floor, making it hazardous to walk anywhere unless following the path of clear space leading from the door to the hammock to the desk. Grow lights have been positioned, and even though seeds don't need much light they remain on nearly constantly, obviating the need for the room lights to ever be used.
Grow lights illuminate the room, their light not so bright as they would be for full grown plants, casting a soft glow throughout the room. Wren stands beside a Cortex terminal, the glow from it adding a faint blue light around her hands and face. Watching the door warily, she waits as Alabaster steps outside. <English> Passing Alabaster with a nod, Zora quietly makes her way inside. The med coat she typically wears is nowhere to be seen, and her shirt has been buttoned in haste, one or two of them done incorrectly. Her cheeks flushed, she runs her hands through her hair nervously and calls out to Wren in a low voice. "Hey, Wrenbird. Can we talk for a second?" <English>
Wren blinks at Zora, taking in the flushed face and the buttons and general disarray. Everyone wants to talk. "A second isn't enough time to convey useful information," she declares eventually, remaining at her post by the terminal. <English>
"Yeeees. This is true," Zora conceeds, gesturing to the bed. "Would you mind if I sat down?" She moves over towards it, but waits for Wren to answer. "I would like to talk to you about something, until we've finished discussing it," Zora explains, being very careful this time not to ask too many questions at once, and to be very direct with the questions she does ask. "Would that be alright with you? We can stop talking about it anytime you say you want to stop."' <English>
Blinking owlishly at Zora, Wren watches her as she moves toward the bed. It doesn't appear to ever have been slept in, her hammock strung over the other bed has obviously stolen the blankets from its stripped bare condition. "Okay," she answers slowly, and then repeats, "Okay." Maintaining the one to one ratio of answers to questions. <English>
Nodding to Wren, Zora slowly sits down on the bed, peering curiously for a moment at the fact that it's bare. "Well, Wren, I'd like to talk to you about what happened to Passe the other night. Would you be willing to talk about that with me?" She waits for a reaction before continuing, "I just came from seeing him, and he's going to be alright, if you were worried. He's feeling much better, and he said to tell you hello." <English>
Wren gives a cautious nod to the first question. As Zora continues however, her immediate response is to demand, "I want to see him." Her jaw sets, chin tipping up at a defiant angle. This is clearly a non-negotiable point for her. <English>
"And I want you to see him," Zora says, her hands spreading wide in a gesture of peace. "I think we should talk about it first, and then make sure no one else minds if we go visit. I know that his head is hurt, and Doctor Syna has said that he needs a lot of rest. But I promise you, if they say it's alright, we will go visit him together. Do you think we can talk about what happened last night first, and then see if we'd be allowed to visit?" <English>
The river of words pushes at her, and Wren's eyes begin to drift before she clenches her hands into twin fists by her sides. Little red crescents have been cut into the palms of her hands where her nails have repeatedly bitting into the skin there. But her gaze refocuses, remaining on Zora stubbornly. "He shouldn't stay in there," she asserts, shaking her head and frowning unhappily. <English>
You test your Perception against a 50 difficulty. The result is successful (10).
"I agree, Wren," Zora responds seriously. "And he won't stay in there, not a moment longer than he has to. Is it alright with you if we talk about things before we visit him?" She keeps the dialogue short and sweet this time, catching on to the fact that too many words, and Wren loses focus. <English>
"No," Wren answers, short, sweet, and very pointed. "Are you letting me choose?" she asks a moment later, her head canting to the side as she watches Zora intently. The question seems to hold a lot of weight for her. Are you letting me choose? Or are you dictating and asking for acceptance? The answer to the latter is clearly no, she doesn't accept. <English>
"Yes, honey, I'm letting you choose," Zora says sadly. "I'd very much like to talk to you about things. But if you don't want to, I will respect that. I can't promise to get you to Passe right this second, but no matter whether you decide to talk to me or not, I will try my best, I promise." <English>
"You saw him," Wren points out after being silent for a time to digest the stream of words. "Why can't I?" It's a challenge, pure and simple. <English>
"Because you pointed a gun at everyone last night, and that made them all very nervous," Zora explains just as simply. "They're worried that you're going to try and hurt them. Which is why I have to ask special to see if they'll let you visit him. And," Zora adds as an afterthought, "He really does need to rest. Syna might want us to stay away until he gets better." <English>
"He shouldn't stay in there," Wren repeats again, shaking her head. "He could rest in here. There's a bed," she points out, nodding her chin at the one Zora sits on. <English>
"Yes, there is a bed here he could rest on," Zora agrees, nodding slowly and sighing. "But his head is very hurt. And there are things in the room where he is now that could help him, and those things can't be moved from that room." She looks down for a moment and catches sight of her mismatched buttons as she does so. Blushing a bit, she reaches down and begins to fix them while she speaks. "But maybe we could ask Syna if, when he's feeling better, he could sleep in here on the bed." <English>
"Monsters hurt your head," Wren mutters and then falls silent, watching Zora as she fixes the buttons. The lines of her face are tight and strained, remaining constantly on the alert can't be an easy thing, always watching for when the monsters decide that there's no more time for playing nice. <English>
"Yes, I'd imagine that monsters would hurt your head," Zora replies, her shirt restored to normal order. She looks over at a few of Wren's plants before turning her attention back to Wren herself. "But they aren't the only thing that could hurt your head. Something falling on you would hit your head. You falling down could hurt your head. And that's what we think happened to Passe, he fell and hit his head. We're pretty sure it wasn't a monster." <English>
Wren is quiet, studying Zora for a long time after she speaks, long enough that she may begin to wonder if she's going to start talking again at all. "He was afraid. An' willin' to die to make sure they didn't hurt him. Monsters need you alive, it's a good threat," she finally states, finding her way through the maze of words slowly. "He thought they were monsters. I saw. I heard. I *listened*," she continues, frustration edging her voice. <English>
"Yes, he did think they were monsters," Zora agrees once more. There's really not much she can do at this point, beyond being honest with Wren, and agreeing with the bits of her reality that match up with actual pieces of reality. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Have you ever thought someone was a monster, and been wrong?" <English>
Wren sighs, rubbing at the crease that's etched itself permanantly into her forehead. "Maybe. Sam says he was lost, time delayed an' looped around. So I needta ask him, to be sure. But you won't let me," she asserts, anger sparking in her voice. <English>
"No, Wren, I will let you," Zora says defensively. "But I have to ask others first. I'm not the boss on this ship, I'm not in charge. I ask permission before I do things." Zora stands up and opens her arms to Wren. "I would like very much to give you a hug, if that would be alright. Would you like a hug?" <English> Wren shakes her head rapidly at Zora. "No-- you stay back," she insists, pushing back a little further against the desk where the terminal rests. The anger that sparked a moment ago is rapidly flaring flaring to fear, her eyes wide. <English>
"Okay, Wren, it's okay!" Zora immediately pulls her arms back. "Listen, honey! I won't ever make you do something you don't want to do! And if you don't want to hug me, that's okay, I promise." She sits right back down on the bed, trying to appear non-threatening. "No hugs. I thought you might need one, but if you don't, then okay." <English>
Relaxing fractionally, Wren nods a little at Zora. "Someone got too close, earlier. Shoulda been more careful-- but I was scared. An' they made me sleep," she explains briefly. "No more sleeping." <English>
"Well, I don't know who did that," Zora says, frowning. "But they were really scared, sweetheart, which had a lot to do with it, I'm sure. And I can't make promises for other people. But I can tell you that I won't make you do anything you don't want to do. And I won't make you sleep. Alright?" Suddenly, Zora's eyes light up with inspiration, and she reaches into her pocket to pull out her iComm. "Alabaster, are you around?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "Alabaster, are you around?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Alabaster Smith says, "Ah am, what's up?" <English>
Still at the far side of the room by her Cortex terminal, Wren watches Zora carefully as she speaks, occasionally tightening her hands to press her nails deeper against the skin of her palms. "Alright," she agrees, though she doesn't look to be wholly convinced of the promise. People have made promises to her before, and broken them. Falling silent, she waits and listens to what is said over the comm. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "I've got somebody here who really needs to hear from Passe that he's alright. Do you think you could arrange him with an earpiece so they can talk? It would go far to calming her down." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Alabaster Smith says, "Not a problem. Ah reckon if it'll help the situation, we can do that." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Why not just let them use the comm?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "I don't think Syna would like for him to be unrestrained enough to hold one, is all." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Alabaster Smith says, "Our boy is wired for hearing and speaking, Zora." <English>
Zora listens and speaks during the iComm conversation, before nodding at their affirmation that Passe is hooked in, and turning to Wren. "Okay, Wrenbird," she explains. "I know this isn't as good as seeing him, but I'll talk to Syna about that as soon as I can. This is the next best thing, and later we'll see about you getting to see him. Would you like to talk to Passe? Just pick up your iComm and talk on the ship channel. He's there, okay?" <English>
She's listening carefully, and so Wren's eyes narrow notably when Zora mentions the word unrestrained. Her gaze remains fixed on the woman as she speaks, hands tightening again when her eyes begin to drift. Nodding once, she shifts her attention over to the desk, uncurling her right hand stiffly in order to pick up the comm sitting there. Holding the device carefully, she speaks into it tentatively. "Passe?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Wren says, "Passe?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Passe says, "I'm here, la Petite. ... How are you?" <English>
There's only one question she's been able to devise in this time, and her gaze flicks over to Zora briefly as she asks it. Monitoring reactions here when she can't monitor them there. "When was last night?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Wren says, "When was last night?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Passe says, "I, uh, um. I'm not really sure. *sigh* I don't remember what happened yesterday." <English>
"That's because his head hurts," Zora explains quickly. "He remembers things strangely. But from what everyone told me, yesterday was 12 years ago for him. And the better his head gets, the more he'll remember. I just wanted you to know." She glances down at her iComm, a look of helplessness crossing her face. <English>
Wren frowns unhappily at Passe's answer, or lack thereof, taking time to work out what to say next. "Was it last night?" she asks, glancing up again to Zora as she responds. Her expression tightens and she bites the inside of her cheek, but she makes no other comment. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Wren says, "Was it last night?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Passe says, "They tell me my mind wasn't right, that I had a bout with amnesia and thought it was 10 years ago or so. I... think I thought it was around the 2510." <English>
[100.00 MHZ] Brian says, "Grey, this is Brian of Tienlong. Mind if I come up?" <English>
[100.00 MHZ] Grey says, "Please do, Captain. I'm sorry, I'm busy with something important at the moment, but when I'm free... I'd like to speak with you a moment as well, if possible." <English>
[100.00 MHZ] Brian says, "Certainly, and thank you." <English>
Listening carefully to Passe's response, Wren breathes out slowly, again glancing over to Zora for a moment. "Okay," she answers, and then puts the unit down, apparently done with the conversation. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Wren says, "Okay." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Passe says, "Wren, I... I'm sorry about yesterday. I don't know what came over me..." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "*strained* I think that's all she needed to hear, Passe. I'll talk to Syna later about a live video feed. Thank you." <English>
Wren glances over to the comm as it crackles and Passe's voice emits from it again, frowning at it without making any attempt to pick it up again. Brian's voice comes over a moment later, and she freezes in place briefly, something like guilt flashing across her face. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Passe says, "*soft, but with some emotion, mix of anger and resignation* Take this thing out of my ear." <English>
Zora picks up the iComm when Passe keeps talking and Wren sets it down, clearly done. "I think that's all she needed to hear, Passe. I'll talk to Syna later about a live video feed. Thank you." Her voice is strained, but she smiles at Wren softly and asks, "Does that make you feel better?" Brian's voice echoes in the room, and Zora frowns at Wren's reaction. "What's wrong, Wren? What is it?" <English>
Wren shifts uneasily on her feet, looking from the comm back to Zora. "Brian," she answers after a moment, worrying at her lower lip briefly. "I sent him a message. Nobody better hurt him," she declares, watching the woman across from her with grave concern. <English>
Zora nods and scoots a bit away from Wren on the bed, hoping to make the other woman more comfortable. "Well, I don't know who Brian is, but I know if Grey says that he's welcome, then no one will hurt him. You know everyone listens to Grey." She tries to give Wren a reassuring look. "Nothing you don't want to do, Wrenbird, and I meant that. You're fine, you're safe." <English>
Fidgeting restively, Wren watches Zora as she scoots a bit further away. "If Grey's still Grey. If he isn't, then it'll be bad," she asserts, looking down at her mangled hands and uncurling the other hand as well. Her fingers move stiffly, locked tightly into position for such a long time. Ruby red slowly fills in the crescents on her palms where the nails bit into skin. <English>
"Well, if you called Brian, that means they'll probably come see you," Zora reasons. "And if they come see you, then we can make sure Grey is still Grey. Would you like for me to stay with you? I'll leave you alone with them if you'd rather. But I hope I've shown you that I'm still me, and not a monster. I hope you'll trust me to stick around, and make sure nobody makes you do something you don't want." <English>
Wren's gaze drifts on the sudden sea of words, the first time she's allowed that to happen. "Brian'll know," she agrees with a nod, glancing toward the door when her gaze refocuses. "Just nobody better hurt him," she reiterates. It wouldn't be such a concern, except she's seen things go really wrong with visitors here even when there weren't monsters to be worried over. <English>
"So, I can stay, then?" Zora repeats, really wanting to make that matter clear. "When they get here, would you feel better if I stayed? I'll do which ever makes you more comfortable, Wrenbird." She opens her mouth to ask another quesiton, but since Wren has been doing better when the questions are doled out slowly, she shuts her mouth quickly and waits. <English>
"You can stay," Wren agrees with a nod, watching Zora in return. Her fingers absently trace a pattern across her palm, smearing crimson marginally along the path they take. <English>
"Oh, Wren," Zora breathes, finally noticing the gouges on Wren's palm. "Honey, you're bleeding. I'd like to take a look, if you'll let me. Would that be alright?" She glances quickly over at the sink, and back to the blood. "Can we wash your hand off, and then put some paper towels on where you're hurt for now?" <English>
Wren looks down at her hands, blinking at them as if she'd not really noticed them before, and then over at Zora. "Not until Brian's here," she shakes her head stubbornly. <English>
Zora nods, sighing. "Okay," she says simply. "If that's how you feel, then okay. I'll call Grey, and ask him to head on it, and then we'll make sure everyone is who they say they are." She reaches for her iComm and speaks into it quickly, taking a deep breath after doing so and offering a small smile to Wren. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "Grey, are you there? I know you have some visitors, but...Wren is hurt, and she says she won't let me help her until you and Brian come to the room." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Grey says, "Give me a moment." <English>
Stubborn. You have to give her that, Wren is absolutely stubborn about certain things. Nodding her head once, she watches Zora as she speaks into the comm. "Only scratches," she notes to the woman a moment later, grimacing slightly. <English>
Zora sighs when Grey replies, and leans back on the bed a bit. "Yes, you're right, they are only scratches," she agrees, which seems to be all Zora does lately. "But just to be sure, I want to wash your hands, and then put some cream on them. Then perhaps a bandage, if it's alright with you. I want to keep you safe and healthy." She smiles once more, and points to the seed trays. "Are these ones special?" <English>
Wren looks a bit dubious on the whole patching her up with cream and bandages idea, but really, it takes a huge back seat to the possibility of monsters. Her attention is directed to one of the seed trays and she peers at it a moment. "Those are eggplant," she informs her. "Supposed to stay small, and not be bitter." <English>
Zora nods, peering at them. "How long will they take to grow?" she asks, desperately trying to get Wren's attention away from matters at hand. "Why do you keep them here, and not up on the catwalks with the others?" She fidgets on the bed, shooting a nervous look at the door. <English>
Grey arrives from Redemption - Crew Quarters - A Deck. Grey has arrived. Brian arrives from Redemption - Crew Quarters - A Deck. Brian has arrived.
Zora is sitting on the bed, far away from where Wren stands in the room, looking worried in the directions of the door. Wren's hands are bleeding from her palms, though it's not a substantial amount of blood. Wren's iComm is laying out, as well as Zora's, which is sitting on the bed. <English>
Canting her head to the side, Wren peers at Zora. "Until they die?" she finally asks, frown creasing her forehead again. "Not enough space for everything. And it's nice. Havin' some in here with me," she admits after another moment. She's put a fairly good amount of space between her and the woman on the bed, standing on the opposite side of the room from her. <English>
Grey knocks at the door before coming in, two sharp raps of the knuckle before stepping in. "Wren?" he calls out in a soft voice. "Brian's here to see you... Answering to your call." He stays at the doorway, holding it open for the Captain of the Tienlong to step through. <English>
Brian comes in behind Grey, eyes doing a quick survey of the room, offering a polite nod to Zora, then looking over Wren, just a quick check-out. "Hey," he offers by way of greeting, offering her a smile. Though his words are carefully neutral, his features are open and honest, guarding nothing. "I hear you had a rough night." <English>
Zora lets out a relieved breath when the men walk in, and she stands up from the bed - though she does this slowly, and is mindful of her distance from Wren as she does so. "Captain," she calls lowly, "Would you mind coming to stand by me? I'd appreciate it." She nods back to Brian, but doesn't speak with him yet. "Wren," she murmurs, "Grey and I are going to stand over here while you and Brian talk, and when you're ready, you let me know, and we'll take care of that hand. Remember, nothing you don't want, and that's a promise." <English>
Wren's head whips up at the sound of the two short raps against her door, attention riveted to it as Grey steps through, followed by Brian. "There were monsters," she reports to the Captain of the Tienlong, and then bites her lip. "But they may've been monsters from before, not now," she admits. "Are you okay?" she queries, looking from him to Grey and then over to Zora. Wary still, even if somewhat reassured by her friend's presence. <English>
Grey nods to Zora and moves to stand beside her. He offers as consoling a smile as he can to Wren, but even he can feel that it's contrived at best. He stays silent. <English>
Brian spares another glance for Zora as she speaks, eyebrow raised just a hair in curiosity. Something she said, or perhaps the way she said it, registered on his 'Huh'-meter, but he files it away for later pondering. As Grey moves off by Zora, Brian steps more fully into the room, careful to avoid the seed trays and other obstacles. Attention back on Wren, he nods a bit. "So you said," he agrees, "Monsters are just monsters, though, right? Can't hurt you if you don't let them." Then grins a little at her question and answers, "I'm great, thanks for asking. How're you?" The million dollar question. <English>
Zora glances at Grey when he moves over by her, though for the most part, her attention is on Wren. "She gouged her palms with her nails," she explains to Grey in a hushed whisper. "She really, really needs to see Passe. I think that's the only thing that will calm her down right now. I doubt that Syna will be comfortable letting her in there, so I'd like to see if we can set up a live Cortex feed." She pauses for a moment, surveying the Captain slowly. "She also wants Brian to reassure her that you aren't a monster. She doesn't trust anything right now, though I think I managed to get through to her a bit." <English>
There's a long moment as Wren stares at Brian, studying him intently. Looks like Brian, check. Sounds like Brian, check. Moves like Brian, check. All the miniscule tells and details that make up a person are noted, compared present to past, and catalogued. At the end of which she draws in a deep shuddering breath, the rigid self-control she's been holding onto so tightly finally breaking as she darts across the room and practically runs into him. Safe. Or as close to the word as she ever gets in her world. Burying her head against him, she sobs, broken words completely incomprehensible. <English>
Grey nods to Zora, watching Wren more from the periphery of his vision than directly. He looks down and away when she more or less leaps to Brian. "At this moment, I'm less concerned with what Syna's comfortable with doing or not doing, and more comfortable with getting Wren into a place that's safe and comfortable for her. Syna can deal with Wren being in her Infirmary, if Wren wants to be there. Wren, on the other hand, is in a whole world of her own, due to what happened last night." <English>
Though Zora's words register for Brian, he doesn't outwardly acknowledge that she's spoken, attention fully intent upon Wren. He's not nervous around her, uneasy, or even frightened. That said, that stare is just a little bit.. perhaps.. intense? When it's broken and she's crossed the room to him, Brian is just the slightest bit relieved - he expected pain or crying, and crying is by far the better option for both of them really. he wraps his arms around her and strokes her hair gently as she sobs, making quiet comforting sounds that might be words for her ears alone. After a moment he looks back over toward Zora and Grey and smiles faintly, then back down at Wren he says softly, "It's okay hon, you're safe." He really doesn't have any better idea than anyone else what to do other than simply reassure her. The answers and explanations and the figuring-outs will come when they come. <English>
Zora nods to Grey and murmurs back, "Well, you'll want to give Syna a heads up first, because Passe is currently restrained, and I think that's the last thing Wren needs to see right now. It will likely make her ideas of torture much worse." Her mouth drops when Wren hugs Brian and cries, and she lets out a strangled sound of frustration. "I...tried to get her to hug me, and she ran away," Zora mumbles, her voice hurt. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Syna... Don't let Passe out of the Infirmary..." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Syna says, "I'll make sure his unconcious form doesn't leave, sure.... <said dryly>" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Well. You will all get to meet Liz it seems. She's on her way. She's a friend... For the most part." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Syna says, "His CO Adams? Well, I'm not waking him up, she'll havea to wait." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "It will take time." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Grey says, "If she comes by... Direct her my way." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "WIll do." <English>
It takes a while for Wren's sobbing to slow, and when it does she winds up hiccupping, which would be funny if it weren't so damned pitiful. Pulling back, she wipes at her face with her hands, and looks up at Brian. "No monsters," she says shakily, and then looks over to where Zora and Grey stand, making a squeaking sound as she hiccups again. "I woulda shot," she says, and her own expression is completely horrified. As mistakes go, that's a rather permanent one. <English>
"Don' take it personal-like," Grey murmurs to Zora. He ducks his head for a moment, putting two fingers to his ear - apparently, his iComm is going off. He murmurs a few words in reply to whatever it was said, then looks a bit sheepishly to the others in the room. "A retired Alliance officer may be coming aboard ship," he says quietly. "If she does show up, I have to speak with her about... recent matters." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Liz is incoming in 30 minutes." <English>
Brian looks over to Zora again when her frustration registers, and offers a sympathetic, even apologetic look. He's got no more insight as to the way these things work than anyone else. When Wren withdraws he looks back to her and offers a reassuring smile. "Good," he answers in regard to monsters, voice still on the low side. The hiccups draw the ghost of humor across his features, but it fades almost before it's there. This is Very Serious - at least until Wren decides it isn't anymore. Shot? That word queues up a series of connections that snap together and provide a slightly broader sense of context for him. The smile fades slightly, signalling a more serious tone as he says, "You have to take care. You are always in charge of the monsters so long as you don't let them get you confused." But his tone isn't chiding, and in fact more resembles the repetition of an old lesson to refresh her memory. Having said that, he turns and offers a quick nod and a, "Thanks," to Grey. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Keep an eye out for Liz... She's comin in to talk to Passe and Grey." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Lucas says, "Who is Liz?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "A friend of Passe..." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "friend of mine..." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Lucas says, "Thanks, Chief of Vague." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Grey says, "I'm here. I can be there in a few minutes. Where is 'there', by the way?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Too much to say on the com, Lucas. I hope some of it may be worked out by her being there... Suffice to say, she's probably the only woman that Passe ever really loved. How is that?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Lucas says, "I'll mark the date." <English>
"I know you would have," Zora nods to Wren. "But you were doing what you thought was right, and that's okay." She sighs and nods to Grey when he says he'll have to leave, though there's definite annoyance on her face about it. "Can you at least let Syna know what's going on, please? And you'll need to go with Wren, or at least Brian will. She's not comfortable there, of all places, and she needs people she trusts, who ground her. You two are the best here for that." She offers Brian back much the same look he gave her, and leans over to whisper something to Grey. <English>
You whisper, "I don't know what's going on with this officer, but she told me that she needs to know that you are yourself, that you're normal and not a 'monster'. Please...she needs you right now. At least give her that much before you leave." to Grey.
Deep breath in, deep bre-hic-ath out, Wren's working on getting herself under some semblance of control. "Did you see Passe?" she asks, looking back to Brian. "He was really scared," she adds, a faint tremble still running through her. He wasn't the only one terrified. "It's not good," hic "for him to be in there a long time," she adds, looking back to Zora and Grey again as a little trip is mentioned. <English>
Grey frowns slightly. "I tol' ya before, Miss Zora... no whispering in front of Wren." He sounds firm on this matter. "I can speak with Syna on the comms," he says to her, in a low voice. "I didn't think it was going to happen /now/. And I don't know that she..." He casts a sad glance toward Wren. "I don't know that she trusts me right now." Still, he walks over to Wren, his body language open and plain. He bends down slightly to kiss her on the brow, as he had before - was it days or weeks ago? Everything is so hard to focus on nowadays. "Brian's here now, he's safe... And I'll let you make up your own mind on whether or not I am. But I'm here, and I'm lookin' out for you." With that said, he turns for the door, pausing a moment to look over his shoulder before exiting. <English>
"I think it needs to happen now, sir," Zora responds to Grey, emphasizing the 'sir'. "It's the only thing that will make her feel better, beyond Brian being here. But Brian isn't the root of the problem for her, Passe is." Finished speaking, Zora just kind of tracks Grey leaving the room, without saying anything in response to his admonishment to not whisper. "Wren," she calls out, staying exactly where she is. "Grey is going to go talk to Syna, and see if we can go visit Passe altogether. You've just got to wait a little bit more, okay?" <English>
Wren watches as Grey approaches her, only a flicker of wariness passing through her eyes as she leans against Brian. His lips brush against her forehead and she blinks once, reaching up to touch the spot with one hand, little rust colored crescents on her palm briefly visible. Turning her attention back to her Captain as he walks toward the door she regards him solemnly, hazel green eyes meeting his briefly. "Soft, but rough," she murmurs with a little nod. Her attention shifts back to the Tienlong's Captain however, something in his words making her frown at him. "It IS a bad place. Good people shouldn't stay there," she asserts, shaking her head at him. Studying his expression, she looks back to Grey, marking the reactions of both before she shifts her gaze to Zora. "Needta see him," she confirms for everyone with a nod. <English>
Grey walks right back in two seconds after he leaves. "Y'know what? Call me inhospitable, but the woman can wait," he says, standing in the doorway. "I can live with bad form. But crew comes first." He nods to Zora. "Fine. Make it happen. Set up the live Cortex feed for now, until I can have a talk with Syna. There's no reason why we can't start with one and then move to the other if possible. Shiny?" <English>
Brian looks between Zora and Wren, just listening for now. This is the first real, easily-understandable information he's gotten as to the why of things, so he's absorbing it and considering it a moment, now that it's been corroborated. Also, he's watching Wren, specifically her reaction to Grey, and her perhaps expected rebuttal to his suggestion brings the faint smile back. "Then you must be aware." Simple, vague, but despite that there's some meaning in there too. The bad things/places can't hurt you so long as you're aware. When Grey comes back in Brian chuckles just a little but nods at his decision - amused but in complete agreement. "I'm easy," he offers in response to Redemption's captain. <English>
Zora looks immensely relieved when Grey walks back in, and she flashes him a smile, dimples and all. "Well, first before we do anything," she announces, "I'd like to take a look at Wren's hands. Would that be okay with you, Wren?" She smiles reassuringly for Wren, and gestures to the sink. "We can do it here, we don't even have to leave. I'll run to the medbay and grab the supplies, alright?" Something clicks in her mind suddenly, and she turns to Brian with a frown. "You're the Captain of the Tienlong, is that right?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Yvandra says, "Folks? Anyone who wanted to meet Liz... she's in the infirmary now." <English>
Blinking rapidly, Wren watches as Grey turns back around and re-enters the room, her gaze turning vague as he speaks but tracking his motion. "He was knocked out," she explains to Brian a moment later, missing the faint smile at her argument. "No awareness," she points out the obvious flaw and problem with the situation. Zora draws her attention and she blinks at her owlishly as she gestures to the sink. "Just scratches," she argues, eyeing her a tad dubiously. "Soap an' water is better," she tries, looking from her over to Brian and Grey, her expression pleading. <English>
Grey nods to Wren. "Soap and water is better," he affirms. "You okay with Miss Zora bandaging it up with some clean strips of cloth, so's to keep it clean after you wash it? Or - I can bandage you up. Or Brian." He smiles faintly, seeing some kind of progress being made here. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Grey says, "If you'll send my regrets, but... I'm engaged in something extremely delicate and important right now, and can't greet her to the ship." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Yvandra says, "Will do, Cap'n." <English>
Brian had somehow missed noticing the cuts on Wren's hands until Zora mentions it, at which point he takes a quick glance, but doesn't make a fuss about it. In fact oddly enough, he chuckles a bit. "Every time I've come to see you lately you've cut yourself on something," he says to Wren. "We probably ought to look into changing that." Then at her question, Brian's looking back up to Zora and nodding. "Yep," he answers. "Brian." He decides hand-shaking and anything else beyond informal introductions should probably wait until later, though. Then back to Wren, "Oh." He's still short on details there too, but that one's close enough to the realm of prying that he'll let them come to him as they do. Noticing Wren's reluctance toward supplies that might come from medbay, Brian is about to lend his support to her side until Grey speaks up. At which point he falls silent, nodding to Wren, content to let her decide how it'll go. <English>
Sighing, Zora nods to Wren and Grey. "Just soap and water then, Wren. And if you'd rather one of the boys wrap your hands, then they can do that too." If she realizes she just called the two Captains boys, she doesn't show it, as she appears to be preoccupied with the fact that every attempt she's made with Wren for the last two hours or so has gotten her exactly nowhere in the realm of WrenTrust. When Brian affirms that he is in fact, the Tienlong's Captain, Zora narrows her eyes at him and murmurs, "Then I think you and I should have a private talk later, if you wouldn't mind." She doesn't seem angry, just...very, very serious. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Yvandra says, "Cap'n, if you're still there. Miss Liz says she appreciates you wanting to be here. She just wants to sit in the infirmary. Okay to let her be alone, or should one of us stay? And... if you need any help anywhere else, just say the word." <English>
"Should look into changing that," Wren agrees, nodding at Brian once before looking to Grey and offering him a small smile. "Clean cloth is okay," she decides, looking to see how Zora takes this idea. Canting her head to the side, she considers the woman for a moment, frowning a little. "You can wrap'em," she tells her, something in her expression a mite confused about the importance of the matter, but understanding that it seems to be for some reason. Of course, this all involves moving from where she's standing over to the sink. There's a slight hesitation, walking away from Brian, and she keeps an eye out just to be sure he isn't going anywhere as she moves toward Zora. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "She has my vote for staying... Iffin you want my two cents." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "She'd be fine with him." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Grey says, "I'd like her accompanied. You can task Glenn Wise or Kristoph to the task. Not standin' over her shoulder, mind, but nearby to hand if she needs help, or anythin'." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Yvandra says, "not worried about Passe here... just protocol. Got it, thanks." <English>
Grey chuckles lightly to himself and leans back against the wall, taking an observer's role for now. "Maybe even on another day," he says to Zora and Brian. "Let's not complicate matters further with side discussions an' the like. Keep to the focus for now, an' the other stuff will fall into place soon enough." This, from the man who had just walked out the door to greet a retired Alliance officer. <English>
Brian doesn't seem to object to being referred to as one of the boys - he's generally the agreeable sort as most things go. As indicated by his answer to her invitation to talk privately: "Sure," he agrees. No point in worrying about said seriousness now, he's content to wait and see how it unfolds. When Wren repeats his phrase he smiles and nods with her. As she starts to turn toward the sink, Brian says, "I'll be here when you get back," a bit light-heartedly. A half-joke, but.. not. Grey's statement gets another simple nod from Brian. Agreement, with a hint of a question maybe in his eyes, but.. not complicating matters. <English>
Zora looks extremely relieved when Wren says that she can be the one to wrap her hands, and even maybe a bit touched. She steps forward when Wren does, trying to measure her steps along with the other girl's, attempting to avoid alarm. Once they reach the sink Zora twists the knobs, getting the water to an acceptable temperature, and then nodding to Wren. "Go ahead and rinse them, Wrenbird. Wash with soap, and let me know when you're done." She looks over and grabs a nearby towel, inspecting it for cleanliness. "Then, when you're ready, you can put this towel on your palms till they're dry and not bleeding. I'll grab stuff later that will be better." She breathes in deep, watching Wren to see if she'll comply. <English>
Wren watches Zora as she matches her pace, the pair of them moving over to the sink. Her gaze shifts back to Brian as the water runs, just a quick check to find him still there, and then she nods at the instructions given. Really, they are just crescent shaped punctures that only go through a few layers of skin-- painful, but not of any grave concern. Painful was the whole idea. A few moments under the water and sudsing and her hands are clean, the small smudges of blood wiped away. Patting her hands dry, the small marks ooze a little and then stop, sealing the injury now that they're not being constantly reopened. Again she looks over toward Brian and this time to Grey as well. "Passe?" One track mind, she is. <English>
Grey looks to Zora, then to Brian, then finally to Wren, and gives a single nod. "Passe," he affirms. This is important; this will not wait. Still lingering by the doorway, he glances out into the Commons, in the direction of the Infirmary. "Miss Zora, you got this live Cortex feed thing figgered out?" he asks. "Don' seem to be much activity comin' from the Infirmary, but who knows. Maybe he's awake." <English>
Brian observes the hand-washing with curiosity, though it seems that curiosity is more for Zora's approach with Wren. It's a poeple-skills thing, something he's developed an eye for. Both times Wren looks back over to him he just nods a bit, simple reassurance of his continued presence. Her one-word question and its answer draws a slight quirk of an eyebrow from him, still not entirely sure what's going on there, but he'll wait and see. <English>
Zora watches Wren wash quietly, oblivious to Brian's focus on her. "Sure, Grey, Sam's down in the medbay, I believe. I'll ask her to set it up right now." Reaching over to fiddle with her iComm while Wren dries off, she speaks into it quickly. "Sam? Can you do Grey and I a big favor here in a second?" She sets the iComm down and gestures over to Wren's Cortex screen. "I'm not really familiar with how to do this," she admits. "Would someone mind?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "Sam? Can you do Grey and I a big favor here in a second?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "What? Yeah... What is it?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "Can you run down to the medbay and hook up a live Cortex feed so that Wren can see Passe?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Yeah..." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "I'm here already... The man is fine. Can't we just let him go?" <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "You don't have to disturb him, or wake him up. She just needs to be allowed to get a look at him for now." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Okay... be just a bit." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "Thanks, Sam. I really appreciate it." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Welcome... Tell Grey that Adila is at the Helios... She just quit. I have her comm." <English>
Glance to the towel she's holding in her hands, glance to the terminal, and then over to Grey and Brian. Wren frowns a little uncertainly. If she holds the towel, she can't really set it up. Zora's words draw a deeper frown as she listens, hearing one half of the conversation and not the other. "Shouldn't stay in there," she mutters, worrying at her lip as she waits for the feed to be set up and shifting on her feet with uneasy anxiety. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] You transmit, "She /what/? Uhh...I'll tell him...thanks for letting me know." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Grey says, "It's a funny kind of ship where a person can quit without telling her Captain." <English>
Grey moves over to the Cortex terminal to fidget with some menus. "Jus' a quick... Yep," he says, and in a moment, the thing is set up and ready to go, a 'LINKING...' message up and flashing along with a slowly revolving icon. "Once Sam's got her end up and runnin', this should be automatically good to go in real-time." He takes a few steps back and pays attention to his iComm for a moment, tilting his head slightly; he murmurs back into it, appearing agitated. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "She wants to talk to you... The Helios." <English>
"I can fiddle with it and figure it out," Brian offers, but then when Grey steps up he continues, "But I bow to the knowledge a captain has of his own ship." Wren's concern draws a look in her direction from Brian, but he's already seen how adamant she is on that particular point, debating it won't help. He turns his attention to the screen expectantly, waiting for it to come to life. <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Grey says, "You're her officer, not her carrier pigeon. She can't even send me a WAVE if she can't stand to talk to me face-to-face or on the comms? Well, either way, I'm here right now with Captain Brian of the Tienlong and our own lovable Wren. And Zora. So it'll wait." <English>
[XXX.XX MHZ] Sam says, "Should be workin... I'm waving." <English>
Zora continues to speak into the iComms back and forth with Sam, her eyes eventually going wide in shock. She starts to turn to Grey, muttering, "She /what/? Uhh...I'll tell him...thanks for letting me know." But Grey, it seems, has heard this nes already, and doesn't look very happy about it himself. Before anything can be talked about, the screen blinks and suddenly there's Sam, waving in the med bay. Passe can be seen behind her, laying on the med bed. He looks to be asleep, covered by a blanket or two. "Well, Wren, there you go," Zora whispers softly. <English>
The conversation on the comm continues and Wren's gaze bounces between Grey and the terminal, concern lining her expression as she listens to the one sided conversation. Gravitating back to Brian naturally, she drifts back over to stand beside him as they wait for the link to connect. And there it is, and there's the man of the hour. Her eyes sweep across his form, noting what little detail she can see. "He's covered," she says unhappily, checking what she can see on the monitors around him as well as the pilot himself. <English>
Grey nods and steps back toward the doorway again, murmuring into his iComm once more. His attention remains on Wren and the Cortex feed - he, too, is interested in Passe's state as well, after all, since he hasn't seen the man more than five minutes since their last big conversation. He stays silent and removed. <English>
When the screen comes to life Brian takes in the view it offers, what little of it there is, before looking to Wren curious as to her reaction. As she drifts back over he puts an idle arm around her shoulders and hugs lightly, looking down at her. Grey's retreat draws a brief glance from Brian, but the one-sided conversation is beyond him, and so he returns his attention to the screen as if expecting Passe to move or get up or do something. <English>
"It's very cold in there," Zora explains, trying to choose her words very carefully. "So Syna probably covered him up so he would stay warm." She glances to Brian, as though asking for help wordlessly. <English>
Leaning forward a little, Wren continues to scan the screen carefully, obviously searching for something. It takes some time, whatever she was looking for wasn't easy to find, but once she has it she settles back a bit, nestled under Brian's arm. At least she can see that nothing-- rather literally-- is happening to him right now, and that does help ease a little tension from her shoulders. <English>
Brian's nodding emphatic agreement with Zora even before she looks over to him, and pipes up, "Med bays are notoriously cold, especially when they get you in those damned drafty gowns." Obviously he's trying to lighten the mood a bit in the process. When Wren settles back, Brian looks down and asks, "Kosher?" <English>
"Gowns suck," Wren volunteers, shifting a little to glance at Brian when he speaks. Only a brief look, and then she's back to tracking the room again, making certain nothing's changed in that short period of time. "He hit his head. Shouldn't need a gown," she determines, a quick sideways flicker of her eyes taking in both Zora and then Grey. <English>
"Oh, some doctors..." Brian chuckles just a bit. "Stub your toe and they'll put you in one." He, too, keeps an eye on the screen watching for any sort of changes, more out of curiosity than any actual concern though. "That's why we got us a mean doctor on the Tienlong - he's more the verbal abuse type, rather than physical humiliation. Hell of a good doctor though." Tienlong's chief surgeon is somewhat legendary in the mean category, on the occasion that he deigns to interact with people. <English>
"That's true, Wren," Zora desperately tries to reassure once more. "We can't always tell what's wrong with someone just by looking at them, so we put them in a gown. It also gives us a chance to see their bodies while they change and look for other symptoms." Moving away from the sink, she plops down into the desk chair farthest from Wren, and watches her reaction, chewing on her bottom lip. <English>
Wren scowls a little, keeping her eyes on the monitor. "It makes'em mean," she states, nodding her head a bit at the screen. Interestingly enough, she doesn't seem to be paying all that much attention to Passe himself. Her gaze sticks to one small corner of the screen, on a monitor there, trusting to her peripheral vision to keep track of any large changes that might happen to the pilot. Her hands fidget with the towel, absently twisting it as if wringing something's neck, and then loosening it again before repeating the process. Something that Zora says catches her attention because her hands pause momentarily before she voices a single, questioning word. "Us?" <English>
"You know," Brian muses at Zora's explanation, "That kind of makes sense." He had just been talking, and had apparently developed the standard resistance to anything that's inconveniencing that one does not understand. Having an explanation isn't likely to change it, but it makes acceptance a little easier. Even as he speaks, he makes repeatedly glances between Wren and Zora, just checking, watching reactions and such, between glances at the monitor. To him it's all very sedate, but something there has captured Wren's imagination for good or ill, and so he's interested. <English>
You test your Spot against a 100 difficulty. The result is successful (6).
Brian tests his Spot against a 100 difficulty. The result is unsuccessful (-46).
Grey tests his Spot against a 100 difficulty. The result is unsuccessful (-2).
One small corner of the screen is where her gaze focuses, on one of the monitors that's captured within the frame. Nothing much is obviously showing on it, but on one corner is displayed a time code. She's watching the time as it ticks by.
Brian tests his Spot against a 60 difficulty. The result is successful (28).
Grey tests his Spot against a 60 difficulty. The result is successful (15).
"Us, as in people who take care of other people who have been hurt?" Zora responds nervously, trying to anticipate where Wren is going with this. "I wasn't there when he was taken care of, Wrenbird, if that's what you're asking." Zora leans forward and peers at the screen where Wren is staring, nodding slowly to herself and grinning a bit. <English>
Wren shifts her gaze to Zora for a long moment, longer than she's taken her eyes off the screen up until this point. Searching again, but this time studying her face, her expression, intently. "What are you?" she asks finally, her attention again moving to the screen. <English>
The conversation between Wren and Zora passes unheeded by Brian as he watches the monitor, searching.. The occasional glance back to Wren verifies she's still watching it too, but watching what? In the corner.. Then it clicks. The time, of course. She's mentioned several times concern about him being in there too long. Wren's question snaps him out of his reverie, and he setles his attention on Zora. The question is distinctly non-standard, the answer might be interesting too. <English>
"I'm...I'm a nurse, Wren. I used to help mothers bring their babies into the world. Now, I work here, making sure people are comfortable and safe." Zora looks over to Grey for support, licking her lips nervously and running her hands through her hair. It hasn't actually occurred to her that Wren didn't know why she was hired, and now that she realizes this, watching all the effort she made to get Wren to trust her blow away to dust isn't exactly giving her warm and fuzzy feelings. <English>
The shift in Wren's stance isn't obvious, except possibly to Brian with his arm still looped around her shoulder. Her gaze doesn't flicker back to Zora, but her jaw tightens slightly with the confirmation of a suspicion. "When's he gonna wake up?" she queries eventually, her hands twisting the towel a little more rapidly than they were before. <English>
Grey casts a glance to Brian, and jerks his head slightly to the door, indicating that he's going to give him some privacy with Wren. He kneels down beside Wren slowly. "Gonna leave ya 'lone with Brian for a li'l bit now, Wren. He's the one ya asked for, an' maybe there's things ya wanna talk to him about without me 'round, okay?" He smiles an affected, bittersweet smile. "Passe'll get better. He'll be up an' about soon, you'll see. Don' ya worry." With that, he straightens up, his knees cracking loudly with the motion, and moves over to the doorway. "Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything," he says to both of them. "Even a glass of water. I mean it." He nods, then makes his way out of the room, taking Zora with him with a simple gesture. <English>
Zora's answer, and more than that her reaction, draws a sympathetic look from Brian, and he offers to Wren, "She's good people." It's only token support, but he's hoping perhaps his rapport with Wren will lend some weight to it, ease tensions between them a bit. Wren's shift in stance brings his hand to pat gently, hopefully calming. But in reality there's not much he can do at this point to repair that gulf opening between them. To Grey, Brian nods his head and says, "Thanks." Once more the sympathetic look to Zora as she follows Grey out, a sort of 'don't take it so hard', but he remains silent on that subject for now. Back to Wren, "You okay?" <English>
Wren watches Grey gravely as he kneels before her, for once shifting her attention completely away from the timecode on the screen. "It needs to be soon," she tells him softly, even if it's the same thing she's been saying since the beginning. It apparently bears repeating, but at least she sounds less angry about it now. Tentative fingers sweep across the Captain's forehead briefly before returning to the towel she's slowly strangling to death. "I worry," she adds in a rather small voice, gaze flickering over to Zora as she's collected and the room empties. Just her and the Captain of the Tienlong now, and she sighs. "No," she answers frankly, shaking her head. "Not okay." <English>
