Homesick (by Byblos & Ethan)

[Ethan Neufeld 0]

Once scanned for traces of Black Goo, which thankfully the Nausicaan was pretty certain he did not come in contact with; he immediately hit the showers as Pher would be debriefing the Boss and Nickles. He also needed to see Alex, for she was the first Human he had ever heard take hit for a Nausicaan.

 

There were no medical gowns large enough for Byblos, so he went through the extra cleaning needed to see a patient, his hair tied back not to cause any problems with the Capricorn/Vestibul medical staff. He was told to keep his visit short since the medical ward was packed and the patient needed rest. Well, Byblos would honor that but he demanded to see Alex and his overt tone perhaps got him in.

 

Byblos approached the biobed where Alex lay, looking upon her and immediately asked a question.

 

"Why did you take the bolt for me?" The Nausicaan asked rather gently to the wounded woman lying in front of him.

 

Alex stared into an unseen distance for a quiet, uneasy span, unresponsive to Byblos’s presence before she faintly droned: “I dunno.”

 

Byblos contemplated a response. She probably was on painkillers from the medics. “I guess I am visiting too early, I’m not exactly certain where you were hit. I guess I had to say, thanks. But, I would advise against doing it again for anyone. I think you only get lucky once maybe twice. Get well” He began to exit..

 

"Don't go," came the quiet plea nearly mistaken for ambiance.

 

The Nausicaan turned and looked at Alex, not many human women would usually like him to stick around. Byblos was curious. “Something I can do?, Uh just a reminder I am probably not going to return to Vestibul. I spilt blood there when things were confusing. I know I killed somebody’s friend over their in the shuttlebay. So I’ll be either here on or the Qob. Probably going to get fired by the boss for excessive bloodshed! Hah!” The Nausicaan tried a laugh.

 

Despite good intentions, the Nausicaan’s mirth had an immediately counterproductive effect and burying her face into her sheets, Alex began to sob. “I'm so dumb,” she said, muffled.

 

“Dumb? I don’t understand?”

 

Alex pulled her head from the sheets, though she shied from making eye-contact and stared at her drawn up feet. “I--” she sniffled, choking back her sobs as she stumbled through false-starts. “I thought--I wanted-- I--” She squeezed her eyes shut and her tears subsided with a steadying breath. When she spoke again, her manner of speech was markedly changed. Alex, the Alex everyone thought they knew, was gone and this girl who sat in her place almost sounded bright, friendly.

 

“You know, I always dreamed of being like you: strong, brave, awesome-- strong;” and she laughed slightly, absently rubbing her shins.

 

“Beside being cool, that’s why I like you, Byblos. You’re not frightened of anything.” She waved her hand, acquiescing to the old cliche. “I know, I know: ‘it’s not a lack of fear, but how you use it’. I get it. But for my entire life, I dreamed about--” She faltered and then tossing her arms open in frustration. “About being the one who used that fear to come out on top; about doing this!”

 

She tossed her head back as the tears began to brim and emitted a shaky laugh. “I thought I’d be some kind of -- I don’t know -- maverick, I guess. Stupid really; I see that now. I wanted that ‘high-speed, low-drag’ lifestyle you see in the movies. I’d save the whole galaxy; carry it on my shoulders, you know? I knew I could handle it. I said all the things tough girls did; did all the things tough girls did. I didn’t just act like all those actresses; I was tough! I tried to join so many teams, but no one would take me and I was angry. I just wanted to be one of them; they didn’t understand.And then, when it finally hit the fan, when I finally had my chance to prove it I could do it, I--”

 

She smiled and everything spilled over her cheeks. “Ugh,” she angrily wiped the tears away. “I failed, I fell apart! I’m still falling apart and crying like a little kid. Why am I crying?! I--I can’t stop and I’m frightened and I can’t look in the mirror. Every time I close my eyes, I see it all over again and I’m frightened that it’ll happen again and humiliated to know I’m not brave!

 

“I’m not brave,” she repeated, quieter. Biting her lip, she managed to look Byblos in the eyes and the words came tumbling out as she lost the last of her composure. “And I want to go home!”

 

Byblos tried to process what Alex just did. She opened up to him some feelings most people care not to share. Especially to his kind, yet it seemed she was embracing his demeanor?

“Okay, listen I am not the guy in the universe. I have done terrible things. But believe it or not you and I do have something in common. It’s called survival. This mission was a complete, bust in my opinion. Scientists were supposed to be happily digging for buried treasure, and everything imaginable happened. Pirates, Insane Robots..and if it is true about those freaks with Ethan being Rainmakers.”

 

‘“You survived a bust of a mission, and I could say the same thing. We are survivors and heck..we deserve some time off. Uh..well I can’t go home. You see I am wanted both in the Federation and Cluster, but yourself..I bet you can get some time off...and visit home. Uh,” the Nausicaan scratched his forehead briefly” Where are you from Alex?”

 

Alex had quieted as Byblos spoke, wiping the tears from her face, among other things. “Tranquility,” she replied, staring at the sheets. “I should have listened to my dad.”

 

“Your Father, Tranquility. Well what did he say that, could upset an independent person like yourself?”

 

Alex was pensively quiet, then began, “He said,” and paused for a moment. “That I didn’t really understand what I said I wanted was,” she finished and smiled morosely. “He was right.”

 

“Wait, your Father was correct about you not understanding what you wanted to do with your life?” The Nausicaan rubbed his chin momentarily. “Uh..what did your father want you to do in that city..be a Guardian or something?”

 

Alex smirked a bit. “No, he wanted me to go to college and learn business,” she said, her voice trailing off near the end with, “take over the company for him someday.”

 

“Well, Alex I did not go to school. Once I was thrown out of the house on Nausica which is customary for males of my race at 13 years old. I was on my own, that is until my father sent word from afar he needed me on his ship. And, I learned some things. Not the kind your father would of wanted. So..what kind of business did your father run?”

 

Alex made a derisive laugh; not directed at the Naussican from the sound, but her father. “What is he not into? Brokers commodities, real estate, you name it; he owns a chain of resorts that spans Bull’s Head to Cardassia. He’s good at being a businessman and made a good life for us. I never wanted to be that good.”

 

Byblos pressed with more humor. “Your Dad is Ferengi?” Byblos moves his right index finger infront of Alex’s face, the did a circle over her exposed ear. “You do not have lobes like a Ferengi, and you certainly are taller than one. You adopted or something?...no wait..You were not purchased by you dad! Heard Ferengi did that with kids..eh...yah Hah!”

 

Alex balked a bit at Byblos’s gesture and made a face. “With the family I’ve got, my great-grandmother could say she’s Ferengi and I’d believe her.”

 

“Listen, I think you are old enough to make your own decisions. Clearly you have skills with security issues. Not all your fellow mates survived this. You also stayed away from the corrupt on Vestibul. Alex, just because you are part of her security team, uh..you cannot take full responsibility for the jykin’ crap hitting the fan. It’s not your fault. Now, if you want to go back to Tranquility and start again. Well, that’s something I didn’t have the option of doing. You have a choice, and you are old enough to make it on your own, and if your father is willing I would take him up on the offer only if you wanted too. The other hand,” “Byblos looked at his other hand rather oafishly. “As much as I am disgusted saying this, you probably would make a good Guardian Cop.”

 

Alex huffed subtly. “You’re just saying that to make me feel better,” she said and frowned, tucking her face away again. “I can’t be a cop...”

 

“On second thought you are right, you aren’t dirty like the rest of them on Tranquility. Listen you’ve been shot, you got some time to heal up. Things between three ships have to get sorted out and that will take time. Who knows when it will be when we get back to Xorax. Just don’t kill a nurse okay..no hurry. You have time..Use it okay?”

 

Byblos stood noting a Nurse was eyeballing him as if she had phasers in her skull. “Heh, take care of this one. Alex..we got weeks to Xorax. I’ll be around.” Byblos shined his tusks at the nurse who instantly backed off a bit allowing the Nausicaan to wave a farewell.

 

Alex didn’t have much to say in reply -- it was obvious by the morose expression on her face that she was still fighting an intense battle with her confidence and self-image -- but she managed a smile.

 

Byblos looked and saw the smile he tried his best to smile back with his tusks, suddenly he hit his head on the doorway out. “Ouch!!! Jykin’ Federation Pe`taQs!!!!” and stormed down the hallway making everyone move out of his way.

Edited January 19, 2012 by Ethan Neufeld