The Rescue - Part II

Posted on Fri 5th Feb, 2021 @ 9:24am by Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena & Lieutenant Elliot Jericho
Edited on on Thu 11th Feb, 2021 @ 9:39am

1,351 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Business Not At All As Usual

[PREVIOUSLY]

Dallas had wanted to go on the rescue, so much so that the Doctor insisted on sedating him so he could rest. He was completely healed on the outside. It was the inside that need healing and rest. He would be on light duty for a week when he returned to SB109 and for the next 3 days he was restricted to bed. The light in his room was shut off to help him sleep in case the sedative wasn't enough to keep him under, he was a big man. The light from the other room poured in waking him. He looked up at the figure that stood in the door unable to see any features. "Nurse, can you find out the approximate arrive time, I want to go down with the team." Dallas had no idea how long it had been since they put him under.

Kiara grinned at the sound of his voice. "You're a little late for that, I'm afraid."

[CONTINUED]


Dallas sat up quickly, "Kiara, is that you?" He asked the question knowing perfectly well who that voice belonged to. "Lights!" he called to the computer and the room brightness grew some. The Klingons weren't known to have bright lighting on their ships. They preferred to have it a bit darker compared to Starfleet vessels.

Dallas hopped to his feet and scooped up Kiara in his arms. "Are you okay?"

"I am now." She was both laughing and crying as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him. It was true enough, now that she was here and she didn't want to worry him right now. She leaned back. "And you? What happened?"

Dallas chuckled softly, "Well, it’s a long story and should be told over dinner after you have had a chance to clean up and rest." He pulled back and looked her in the eyes, "Are you sure that you are okay?" He couldn't put his finger on it, but she seemed a little...maybe it was nothing, but he had to ask anyway.

She stepped back. In her concern that he was in sickbay and her joy at seeing him again, she'd forgotten that he was still in love with his wife and just wanted to be friends. He'd distanced himself over the weeks before her departure. But then, why had he wanted to hear from her every day? She was confused. Maybe she did need to clean up and get some sleep. "I'm fine," she said automatically. "But you..." She waved at the room. "They don't keep people in sickbay unless they're seriously injured."

Dallas chuckled almost nervously, "I was injured and I'm healing up, I'll be fine." He paused for a moment. "I would have done anything to find you, I can't lose you." Dallas still hadn't said the words that he was feeling, the words that he would tell her if he found her, if they were....together, alive. "Kiara, I was trying to hold on to something that I couldn't and I didn't realize what I had right in front of me until it was taken away for me, you were taken away from me." Dallas took a deep breath and just said it, "I love you, Kiara Lena. I always have and just didn't know it."

She stared at him for several seconds. Had she just heard him say that he loved her or did she just want to hear him say it so much she was imagining it? "You love me?" she asked hopefully. And then she began to cry. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face against his shoulder. "I love you, too," she mumbled into his shirt.

He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, "You do?" He sounded hopeful, "Good." He said softly. I'm going to hold you to that." He smiled even though Kiara couldn't see it. A great pressure had been lifted from his chest and felt so relieved. Relieved that Kiara was found and relieved that he confessed his love for her, finally.

"I've loved you for a long time, and then you just wanted to be friends..." She shook her head. It didn't matter now. All that mattered was that he was here, and they were both safe, and he was holding her.

"I just needed time and now that's in the past. You are my future." Dallas pulled back and kissed her.

The kiss was better than the one in her quarters. She melted against him showing him without words how she felt. It removed any lingering doubts she might have that Dallas really loved her.

The nurse cleared her throat in the doorway. "Commander Briggs has not been cleared to resume...normal activities," she said primly. "He needs his rest, and you need to bathe and change."

Kiara broke the kiss and pressed her face against Dallas' chest, not quite ready to let go. "I'm sure I do. These aren't even my clothes. I stole them from a pirate."

"Now, that sounds like an interesting story that I would like to hear." Dallas glanced over at the nurse that was giving him a pretty stern look. "I guess I need to rest and you probably need to get checked out and cleaned up."

"She's been checked out," the nurse said. "But she does need a bath--and you both need sleep in your own beds." She stood back for Kiara to leave.

Kiara wasn't going to leave quite yet. She kissed Dallas again. "I'll be back tomorrow. Let me know if the doctor releases you before then."

She smiled at the nurse as she walked past her.

Dallas watched Kiara leave. Now that he had her back, being separated by walls was torture. He wanted to be with her like never before. He fell back on the bed with a sigh and closed his eyes, but he wouldn't be able to sleep, not without a sedative.

In the main sickbay, Kiara paused by Elliot, still smiling. "How are you doing?"

Elliot noticed the smile even while the doctor worked on him, "Not as good as you, evidently, but I'm doing okay. The Doctor here is putting me back together and has given me a wonderful pain med." Elliot couldn't help, but smile. "I guess things went well with Commander Briggs?"

"Better than I hoped," she said. "The nurse chased me out." Which was probably a good thing, but she didn't want to leave Dallas, even if she could only sit by his side. "I've been ordered to bathe and sleep, but I'll be back." She had a promise to keep, too. She planned on sending an encrypted message to Starbase 109 and enquire about Elliot's wife. She owed him that much.

"Sounds like you two have something developing then. I'm happy for you." There was a hint of sadness in his voice, but he was happy for Kiara. Speaking of baths, as soon as this Doctor is done with me, I should get one and a change of clothes. I'm smelling a bit ripe."

"Yes." Kiara looked back at the door where Dallas was, then turned back to Elliot. "I'm looking forward to bathing in something other than a cold river," Kiara admitted. "You should also check in with the starbase, just in case."

"I'm pretty sure that they have already been informed of our rescue the state of our health. Now we can look forward to getting off this ship and back on the Starbase. I hope the Klingons bathe. If not, it will be a long trip home." Elliot chuckled at his own comment.

"I look forward to that," she said. The nurse was glaring at Kiara again. "I should let them finish taking care of you," she added. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Smiling at the nurse, Kiara walked out to find where her quarters were.

"Tomorrow then." Elliot said to Kiara's retreating back. He leaned back on the bio bed and closed his eyes, willing for some sleep.. For the first time in nearly two weeks he felt alone.

 

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