Behind the Curtain

[Kheinsa Maec 0]

Behind the Curtain

Kheinsa tr'Aieme (Daise'Erei'Riov)

(Kheinsa means counselor - Maenak means Doctor for all you non-Rihan types out there)

 

 

If playing with your food was a sport, the Maenak would be top tier in her category. From across the room, the Kheinsa watched her pushed individual rice grains around her plate with a fork while awaiting his return from the replicator with steaming cups of herbal tea. A curtain of lank brown hair hid her grim expression from both the Khiensa and the rest of the curious officer staff as they streamed past her corner of the mess hall. When a few overly curious junior staff intruded on t’Ksa’s introspection, she waved off the congratulatory welcome with a tight smile that did na quite reach her eyes, a few murmured words and the flick of her wrist. They left seemingly satisfied, completely missing the faltering expression on t’Ksa’s face before it disappeared behind the curtain again.

 

With worried expression of his own, Maec sat opposite Morgana, gently setting a mug before her before settling into his own chair. He considered it progress that she did na jump this time, although she physically withdrew when he attempted to reach out for her free hand. He struggled with his own desire to comfort her as her mate (official ceremony not withstanding) and the desire to counsel her as a Galae Kheinsa. The Khiensa side won out.

 

“Tell me what happened.”

 

The curtain swayed for a moment with the shake of her head. He watched the rise and fall of her shoulders as she sighed. Then, just as he was going to press her again for answers, she weaved her fingers through her scalp and pushed the hair away from her face as she looked up. “They wanted the nanogenes.”

 

With her fingers still tangled within the confines of the silken strands held at her shoulders, she emotionlessly recounted (or ‘filed a report’) on what she knew of why she was taken, where she was being taken to, and who was responsible. Any mention of her treatment at the hands of her captor was brief, lacking detail and sentiment. But unlike their discussions about the nanogene saga, this time the maenak seemed to lacked the energy to argue the sheer stupidity of those who’d question her findings on the matter.

 

“It’s ironic, isn’t it. Known to be io of the most honest Galae maenkenn, and yet na io will believe me,” was all that t’Ksa commented on the matter before disappearing briefly behind the curtain again.

 

“How did au find me?” Morgana asked as wiped her eyes and lifted her head.

 

“Au necklace. The intermittent signal au sent.” Maec smiled only briefly as he watched t’Ksa become confused. “What is it?”

 

“Couldn’t be. I-I lost it.” She said softly, pensively staring at the bottom of her tea cup. Io hand reached up to brush against her throat where the tracking device should have been. “I-I remember it around my neck for a few days after I was taken. Then one day it was gone.”

 

“Perhaps au dropped it?”

 

“No,” She gave a short shake of her head, but didn’t elaborate further.

 

“Did someone take it from au?”

 

The maenak did na answer. Instead she continued to rub her neck, lost in her own thoughts until she finally asked. “What about the children?”

 

“What children?”

 

“The ios on the Tal Shiar ship,” She looked up. “Are they menkha? Where they rescued too?”

 

“Children on the ship?” Now it was Maec’s turn to look confused. This served only to alarm the maenak so he put his hand up to warn her off. “I do na know, but I have na fully read the away team’s mission summary. I have been, well, preoccupied.” He motioned to her. “I’ll find out, do na worry, Morgana.” tr’Aieme tried to reassure her.

 

She nodded, seemingly resigned to something he was na aware of, before disappearing once again behind that curtain of hair. She remained there a few more moments before pushing her plate away. “I am tired. I’m going to my quarters now.”

 

“Uh, perhaps it would be bett—“ the Khiensa tried to challenge her, to remind her that she had yet to be cleared by medical. But the expression on her face surprised him, the io of absolute authority of Daise’Maenak, the io which demonstrated that the original Morgana was yet somewhere still lurking backstage behind the curtain, so much so that he relented. “—er, nevermind. Au go. Rest. I will come by and see au later.”

When it looked like she would protest the intrusion, he too asserted his authority as temporary Daise’Maenak and remind her of his own duty. “Au have na been cleared yet by medical and therefore still my responsibility. I will come by to check on au’s welfare or au will return to medical until clearance granted. I will na have my reputation sullied or accused of neglectful care just because au do na wish to return to medical. Maenakenn make the worst patients.”

 

Instead of finding the humor in his teasing admonishment (and he did try to tease her out of the funk both by tone and by word), she merely nodded reluctantly then shuffled out, leaving her meal untouched. Maec frowned at her obvious detachment as he watched her go. Whether or na her current display of apathy was a temporary sign of exhaustion and critical incident stress or symptoms of a long lasting post traumatic stress state, he would na know until he could find a way to fully lift the curtain once and for all.

Edited August 23, 2012 by Kheinsa Maec