[Back Post] Recovery and Reunion

Posted on 28 Oct 2022 @ 3:29pm by Ensign C'Tirr K'Ruuras & 2nd Lieutenant Cassandra Mathews
Edited on on 01 Nov 2022 @ 3:47pm

1,678 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: General Sim Postings
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Following - Of Happenstance

[ON]


C'Tirr sat in a chair next to Cassie's bed, gently petting her hair. His mind was a swirling cornucopia of thoughts, images and emotions as he waited for Cassandra to awaken. The thought that kept rearing its ugly head was the memory from about 14 months ago.


C'Tirr and Cassandra had just walked into their childhood home after the funerals of their parents. They had been interred into the family crypts and C'Tirr had his arm comfortingly around Cassandra's shoulders as he guided her still trembling body through the parlour. She had been crying almost nonstop throughout the procession and interment. His shoulder and part of his chest were wet from her tears but he didn't care. He was the only family Cassandra had left.

He had refrained from the mourning yowls at the funeral as he had been on alert. The way they had died wasn't natural. The broken limbs and the precise cuts suggest foul play. He didn't see anyone there that had raised his fur but that didn't mean they weren't in danger.

He guided Cassandra to a chair and eased her into it. "Sit here Kitten, I'll get you a drink." He said with a smile, his tail gave her a flick to the nose as he turned towards the kitchen.

Cassandra nodded. It was all she could seem to manage.

C'Tirr had entered the kitchen and gone to the cold box to get a cold drink for Cassie when a large, heavy metal net fell from the ceiling. The weight of the net forced his large frame to the floor. He pressed his feet and hands against the floor, tensing to try to lift himself up when his body is jolted with 10,000 volts of electricity. He lets out a loud yowl as his body convulsed and jerked under the net. The convulsions stopped after about fifteen seconds but felt like hours to his main-wracked body. Every muscle in his body felt like it had been pulled like taffy.

He heard Cassandra call out to him. Altered to his cries she made it to the opening of the kitchen. Then an unfamiliar voice. A young male voice full of amusement and excitement. "Welcome home friends."

Followed by the soft 'thwooop, thwoop, thwoop' Cassandra stumbled backwards caught off guard by the sudden attack. The tranq darts hit her in the chest, an arm and her hip. She swayed as the chemicals flooded her system. Then she swayed and landed on C'Tirr and the net that held him to the floor. Her weight re-triggered the trap sending volts of electricity dancing through them both now. Her screams mingled with his as the current rolled through them.

Meanwhile...

Cassandra lay in her med bed. She had passed out at some point. Whatever medicine they had given her still seemed to linger as she fought her way back from the black. She recalled how her last thought had been that she wanted to live. And she knew now that she had meant it. As she shifted her body, sore from the beating she had subjected it to. Still. It was hard to wake up when someone was stroking her hair the way her foster mama had used to do. The way her brother use to do. As a matter of fact... The hand, the familiar caress... She struggled to open her eyes. What she saw was impossible. Her heart sank. Was she dead? Had she died? She felt a stab of guilt for her doctor. Cassandra remembered that look on Sinclair's face as the petite blue-haired woman had patched her back together.

No. She couldn't be dead. She hurt too much to be dead. So how could she be seeing, feeling, and smelling her brother then? Her head hurt and was muddled too much to try and figure it out. She was just glad to see him. Maybe he was a ghost? Maybe for once, the universe had decided to answer one of her desperate prayers. It didn't matter. He was here for now and despite the lingering pain, she was happy. He seemed lost in thought. She reached out to touch his arm. He felt real. Then again many of her dreams felt very real at times.

C'Tirr started from his thoughts at her touch, the memory shattered as he was thrown back into the present.

"Hey." Cassandra wheezed out when she could finally find what was left of her voice. Her vocal cords still felt inflamed. So it came out barely more than a soft whisper. "I miss you."

C'Tirr's ears swivelled at the weak voice of his sister. He turned to give her a relieved smile. "Hey yourself Kitten. I missed you too." He turned his chair to face her and leaned down, touching his forehead to hers. "I'm proud of you. You handled yourself admirably." He said as he head-cuddled her.

"You not disappointed with me?" Cassi asked closing her eyes to enjoy his presence. It had been such a long time since she had felt so safe. Felt such joy. "I killed him. Now he will never be held accountable for what he has done." Though talking was difficult she couldn't bring herself to miss this chance to talk with her brother. If he was a ghost. She reached up her arms feeling heavy, she wrapped them around his neck. "Are you really here?" She finally asked.

"Of course Kitten, you should know I'm made of tougher stuff than that but now and that I will always be here for you," C'Tirr said with a chuckle, his mouth spread wide in a grin. He reached out and gently nudged her arm in a playful punch. "He got what he deserved though my only regret is that he never learned that he failed to kill me and that I wasn't the one to relieve him of his life's blood." His tail twitched aggressively to accompany the deep growl in his voice.

Cassi watched him as he moved, as he spoke. He was trying to comfort her. Coddle her even. She'd be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she wanted him to. She wanted her big brother to make the boogyman go away, for him to ease her fears. He was alive. Her mind was still trying to process how. But then in truth, she didn't care how. Just that he was. His playful antics made her smile. Reminding her of gentler happier times. Like when Cassandra needed her appendix removed. He had come to see her every day to keep her caught up with her schoolwork. Always he tolerated her human moodiness and often violent temper. He kept her out of trouble where he could. The universe might have screwed her out of her parents, but it had in her opinion given her the best older brother a girl could ask for. "When will I be arrested? You know, for killing him? Are they going to discharge me from.. from Star fleet?" She asked.

"I have no idea but should they remove you from Starfleet then they won't lose one good person but two as I will resign myself," C'Tirr said grim-faced. He laid his hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "Though from what I heard, you had acted in self-defence and therefore should not have any negative repercussions due to this FUBARed situation."

"No, don't do that. You already have lost so much because of me. Ever since we were little you always had to miss out on things. Because I was such a handful. I could never live with myself if I took this from you too. I am responsible for my actions, not you. What's important is that Rhys Antako will never hurt anyone else again. It's not justice. But it's something." Cassandra managed to say. Her voice was soft and coarse. Still healing up. But he needed to hear this. "I'm very proud of you too. I really thought he had killed you When I saw him stalking that man, that engineer. I got so angry. Then he got the jump on him. Was killing him, I couldn't just let that happen. It was so fast. I was so afraid that I was too late." Her tone was more strained as she asked, " Is he okay? Did he live?" Cassandra asked worry plain on her face. "That engineer, he saved my life too. Rhys had me pinned down. He was." Her hand went to her neck where the bruising was starting to clear up with the help of the doctor and nurse staff. She smiled though, and couldn't help it. " The look on Rhys face when that hydro spanner hit him. Right before he went out cold. I'll never forget it. I owe that man my life. He could have run and left to get help. He didn't have to fight, I'm really glad that he did though."

"I am in his debt as this man saved my little sister just before I arrived. I tried coming straight to you when I found out but I was denied entry as you were in surgery." C'Tirr said as he placed his hand on hers. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "You should rest, I'll be here when you awaken again as proof that I'm truly alive." He purred.

Cassandra nodded. It hurt a bit. Still, she was glad for the reprieve from talking. The doctor was not joking about taking it easy. She turned her hand over so she could hold the one he had covering hers. "Don't go too far okay." She said letting her eyes drift down. She took a few deep breaths feeling her body relax into the bed. She began to drift back off into restful sleep.

[OFF]




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