80615.16
Following And In This Corner
"What is that which I should turn to,
lighting upon days like these?
Every door is barr'd with gold,
and opens but to golden keys."
~Alfred, Lord Tennyson
-=Quarters of Keiran O'Sullivan=-
His conversation with TC Blane still fresh in his mind, Keiran struggled to hold onto his composure as he thought about the comments that the man had to offer.
How dare he even insinuate that Keiran could be some sort of threat to Liis, when all he had ever done all these years, in so many different ways, was try to protect her at any and all cost.
Struggling against the current of another flood of memories, Keiran drew several deep breaths and tried to focus. They were coming back to him so quickly now, he didn't know how he was going to endure if it continued on like this much longer.
Earlier today, it seemed all that he could recall was the pain of losing Liis and a feeling of shock, especially as the memories of the second timeline variation had invaded his consciousness by revealing themselves in the dream.
He had to keep constantly reminding himself that these were memories of a timeline which he had already corrected. These events were in the past, a past that never should have happened and could not repeat itself.
That was some small comfort, anyway.
What was killing him now was that the memories that were taking over were not the same sort.
In their way, they were far more cruel.
These were memories of the time between when he'd discovered she returned his feelings- and the time when history took her away.
His mind flashed with a series of still images. One after another, so quickly he could barely process them.
The look on Liis' face just before she'd kissed him the first time, that day in the meadow back home.
The smile on her face when he proposed to her later at the same location- and she saw the ring he'd selected. It was a wide band, with the O'Sullivan family crest emblazoned upon it. Inside, the family motto was etched into the white gold metal: "The steady hand to victory."
She loved that ring.
The way she looked as they said their vows, under the arbor behind their house with only a few close friends and Keiran's family present...
*Stop. Stop!* Keiran clenched his eyes closed. He couldn't take any more.
He went through the motions of showering and changing. He didn't know why. What was he going to do with himself? How was he going to get through this- especially if God forbid there were more memories waiting to unleash their torment on him?
"...a sorrow's crown of sorrow is remembering happier things." Keiran mumbled. He wondered where the line of poetry had come from, then he realized it.
It was a line from Locksley Hall.
By Tennyson.
Her favorite.
He couldn't stand this, not a moment longer. He stepped up to the mirror, staring at the shadow he'd become of what he once was.
As he stood motionless with his long leather belt in his hands and waiting to be put on, for a moment he considered the damage that the strap could do if he tightened it around his neck instead.
That was when he realized that if he stayed here, alone, in his current state that he wouldn't survive to see morning.
He pulled the belt through the loops and fastened it quickly, then purposely leaving his communicator and his sidearm behind, he headed for Illusions Lounge.
He intended to ask Trick to go under the bar to his private stock- and give him enough of it to help him forget, if only for a little while.
"I don't know, Jariel," Liis hesitated as they walked through the doors of the establishment. Jariel had been planning on getting together with Salvek and Kellyn for weeks for a social dinner, but tonight Liis felt anything but social.
Still she'd dressed for the event, in a simple black dress that she knew was one of Jariel's favorites. Somehow it felt several sizes too tight tonight- or maybe it was that the air in the room was so warm, it was too thick to breathe.
[[We can't cancel on Kellyn again,]] Jariel's eyes implored her gently. [[I've lost count of how many times we have. Besides, it's good for you to be out and relaxed. You won't sleep if you go back to quarters now, you'll just stare at the ceiling and you know it.]]
Sometimes Liis wished he knew her just a little bit less than he did.
They found the couple waiting at a table in the center of the dining room. It seemed that several on the senior staff had the same idea to eat out tonight.
Everyone was stressed and worn, and even if they had to head back for a second duty shift tonight -as most of the engineers were because of the glitches which continued to plague the ship's sensors and environmental control systems- they seemed to want company as they took in a quick meal and tried to catch their breath.
"Captain." Salvek rose as Liis and Jariel reached their table.
"No no, sit. Evening Salvek, Kellyn." The Captain nodded to Lair, who smiled at her nervously. Kellyn had been hearing all day around the ship that the Captain was in a foul mood, and she was not looking forward to spending one of her rare evenings out with Salvek with Zanh as well if the woman was just going to brood.
"Nice to see you both." Kellyn offered, and Jariel signed his thanks.
"Welcome to London's tropical bar," Trick said, approaching the foursome with a tray of water glasses in his hand. Condensation ran down the sides of the drinks as the coolness of the ice within fought against the heat of the surrounding atmosphere. "It's a trifle warm in here tonight, so might I suggest our lighter fare. Angus has been working on a chef's salad tonight with a balsamic vinaigrette that is beyond description.”
"Sounds wonderful, I'm starving." Kellyn responded quickly. "Long day today, everyone who knew how to turn a screwdriver was trying to help get things back up and running. Finally Rada told me to go, they were doing all they could and he knew I needed to eat."
"One MacDougal Special," Trick noted her choice and waited for the others. Salvek and Jariel watched as Liis stared at her menu, obviously not reading a single word on the page.
"Captain?" London asked at last. He had thought when she first walked in that he sensed something in her that seemed to be troubled, but the room was so full tonight, with so much energy coming from so many people, he wasn't sure anymore. "What can I get you tonight?"
"I'll have whatever Kellyn ordered." Liis decided, handing the menu back curtly.
[[Pan Asian Noodles, with chicken and shrimp,]] Jariel signed. He ordered this knowing it was one of Liis' favorites and hoping that he could encourage her to eat a little bit more than salad tonight. Sometimes, she could be coaxed to eat from his plate, even if not from her own.
"I will also have the noodles, only without meat. Vegetables only." Salvek concluded. Satisfied, London pulled away. He didn't ask them what they wanted to drink, he knew each well enough to bring their usual preferred beverages without need of an order.
Tonight, though, Kellyn surprised him.
"Hey, London, bring me a beer, will you?"
"One Pilsner, coming up." He grinned.
"In the bottle!" Kellyn called, anxious to get her first taste. Hopefully, it would calm her already frayed nerves.
Salvek was staring off into the distance, across the table and over Jariel's shoulder, toward the bar.
At first he was really hoping that he was not seeing what he thought he was seeing- but then he realized it was exactly what he feared he was seeing.
"Excuse me," He rose from the table, "I will be back in a moment."
*Don't you dare leave me here Salvek, * Lair thought, her eyes shooting daggers at the Vulcan as he moved toward the far end of the bar, and approached London. He beckoned the man near, and London leaned close to hear Salvek's hushed words.
"How much has he had to drink tonight?" His gaze wandered slowly to the other end of the bar, toward the hulking form of O'Sullivan, who was staring down at an empty glass.
"He's been here awhile," London admitted. "He said he was off duty."
"He is," Salvek replied, "Has he said anything else?"
"Nothing beyond, 'another'."
Salvek nodded. "Should he begin trying to talk to anyone, about anything, I wish for you to inform me immediately."
"By your leave, Commander." London replied, bowing gallantly.
"Do not serve him any more, either." Salvek added. "He has apparently had enough."
London lowered his eyes in understanding, and returned to gathering drinks for those at Salvek's table.
At the far end of the bar, Dane Cristiane sat with an empty synthale mug in his hand. He had a second shift to get to soon, so he couldn't indulge in the real thing.
He eyed Keiran warily- he had apparently already been indulging in the real thing for quite awhile by this point.
He had never seen O'Sullivan this way, in all the months he'd known him. He'd seen the man wounded, injured to the point of nearly bleeding to death, even. Still, he had never seen him in so much pain as he appeared to be in tonight.
"Sir," Dane tried, for once, to show his concern outwardly. He owed O'Sullivan a lot. If there was anything that he could do for the man, he was beholden to try.
"Hmm?" Keiran's red eyes slowly refocused on Dane- on both of him. "What you say?"
"I was just wondering, Sir, are you ready to go home?" Dane frowned. "As green as you were this morning, maybe you shouldn't push it."
"Green as the rolling hills of my Emerald Isle," Keiran waxed poetic as he lifted his glass to his lips and realized that it was empty. He scowled. "As green as the meadow upon which I found out just how much I had to lose."
"Sir?"
"LONDON!" Keiran raised his voice to call to Trick, drawing looks from everyone at the bar and several couples at nearby tables. "ANOTHER!"
Hearing Keiran's voice startled Liis, as she tried to pretend she was interested in the conversation that Kellyn and Jariel were carrying on about how much they were both enjoying the Bajoran services that were now being held aboard ship on a regular basis.
She stared down into her coffee cup, not touching the liquid. Salvek grew more concerned by the moment as she seemed to slip further and further into a highly uncharacteristic state of melancholy.
Anger would not have worried him in the least. Zanh Liis got angry often but it blew over quickly, like a summer storm.
What word would he choose to describe her current state of mind? Morose, he decided.
She rarely became morose but when she did, the mood tended to stick to her, and Salvek could not help but wonder and worry how long it would take to let go of her this time and what was behind it.
"O'Sullivan," London hurried back to the bar. "Keep your voice down, man. We're running a class establishment here, not some rowdy corner pub."
"Another." Keiran repeated, lowering the tone of his voice only slightly.
"You've had enough for one night. Go home, sleep it off." London said, sweeping O'Sullivan's glass off of the bar, and Keiran growled.
"My tab is paid current," O'Sullivan reminded him sternly. "Your job is to keep filling my glass. Mind that."
"Sir," Dane cringed. O'Sullivan was completed wasted, and he didn't want to see him do or say anything that he'd regret in the morning, especially not with most of the senior staff in the bar as well.
"Is there a problem, gentlemen?" TC Blane had only arrived a moment before and approached.
"Nothing to see here, Blane." O'Sullivan drawled. "Thank you very much."
Blane and Cristiane shared a glance. Blane thrust his chest forward and shoulders back.
"I think, Chief, it's time for you to retire for the night. Ensign, perhaps you could see the good Officer O'Sullivan back to his,"
Before Blane could finish, Jariel approached the bar. Liis had suddenly remarked that she felt very unwell, and with apologies to Kellyn and Salvek had bolted for the door.
Jariel apologized to them as well, and planned to ask London now to pack their food up so he could take it back to quarters, perhaps she could still be persuaded to eat something.
[[Can we get the food to go, please?]] Jariel signed. He stifled the urge to glare at O'Sullivan.
The man grated on every single one of his nerves- and no matter how he tried, he had a very un-Camen like reaction to him. He just couldn't stand him.
"Watch what you're doing there, eh?" O'Sullivan's eyes bored into the Vedek, and he reached out and held one of Jariel's hands still in the mid-air as he tried to thank Trick for going to the extra trouble in USL.
Instead of simply allowing the man to hold his arm until he was content to let it go as would have been Jariel's normal, instinctively gentle response, he forcefully ripped his arm back.
[[You're the one who should watch what they do,]] Jariel signed. The moment the words were conveyed, both Blane and Dane changed posture.
*This is bad.* Dane thought. He immediately noticed Blane take up position beside Jariel- and felt obliged to stand beside Keiran, just to keep things fair and even.
O'Sullivan had enough troubles tonight, Dane thought, he didn't need to add any more.
"Vedek, I'm sure that Mr. London can send someone with your food. You go ahead, see to the Captain and make sure she's all right." Blane's voice was authoritative, directive. He wanted Jariel to back up and step off. Now.
"That's right, you go and take care of Zanh Liis. You know how to do it so much better than anyone else," Keiran slurred. "You're the sun and the moon in Universe Liis, and you'd better damned well get on your knees every night and beg the Prophets to make you worthy of the honor."
[[What did you just say to me?]] Jariel stepped closer to O'Sullivan, and Trick began to try to grab everything made of glass from the counter and shelves near by and shove them under the bar as quickly as he could.
He had seen this before, he knew what was coming.
Surreptitiously he reached beneath the bar and hit his com badge. "Security to the lounge," he whispered, "bring back-up."
“I said,” Keiran towered over Jariel as he rose to his full height. He teetered a little on his feet, but he could still see clearly enough to know where he intended to land his first punch upon the Vedek’s perfectly sculpted, obnoxiously symmetrical face.
“That you’d better beg your gods to make you worthy of her,” Keiran leaned closer and whispered, alcohol soaked breath invading Jariel’s senses and adding insult to injury. “You’ve got a bloody long way to go.”
“Gentlemen,” Blane tugged on Jariel’s sleeve, and Dane reached out and put a hand on each of O’Sullivan’s arms, but there was no stopping the inevitable.
What shocked everyone in the room beyond belief was the fact that the mild-mannered, paragon of self-control and discipline was the one who threw the first punch.
*****
As Liis made her way slowly through the corridors toward the lift, literally feeling her way against the wall for support as her mind spun her to the point of dizziness, she was shocked when two armed security details came running down the hall and headed past her in the direction of the lounge.
Seeing her as a blur in a dress and not as the Captain, they did not offer an explanation.
“Hey!” Zanh called. “Report!”
Recognizing her voice, one of the ensigns called back to her as he ran by. “Sorry, Sir. Trouble in the lounge.”
*Shit.*
She turned and suddenly found the strength to run behind them at top speed, back toward Illusions.
Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw upon pushing through the lovely, elegantly etched-glass doors. . .
Chief of Security
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
and
-=/\=-Captain Zanh
Ready for anything. . .
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
NRPG: It's ON.