EXETERRPG: (3 - 0501) FO Cmdr Ailynn Bracken and CSO Lt(jg) Erin Cortez

[Mark Howard]

Mission: Murder on the Exeter Express

Day:03

Stardate: 2445.12.03



(USS Exeter –Sickbay - FO Cmdr Ailynn Bracken and CSO Lt(jg) Erin Cortez  –
0501)



Ailynn stepped out of the lift, and back into sickbay. The day had been
quite long, but thankfully now was coming close to an end, and with the
prospect of date night ahead, snuggled under a blanket with a bottle of
something, a bowl of snacks and a movie, there was only one more thing to
do.



Stepping across the floor, she nodded a greeting to a couple of the nurses
at the nurses station and motioned toward bay 1, where Erin was lying. She
reached Erin’s bedside, and sat down carefully, noticing that Erin was
sleeping, she tapped a couple of buttons to look at the last load of obs.



Breathing deeply,  Erin’s eyes opened and saw Ailynn looking at her chart.
Taking a deep lungful of air, she croaked, "Private…. That…"



Ailynn smiled, and stood up, leaning over and giving her friend a gentle
kiss on the forehead. “Welcome back sweetie, I was so worried about you.”
she brushed a few strands of hair out of Erin’s eyes. “As to the chart,
well, Medical privilege. I’m still certified as a medic on the ship you
know.”



"Any… excuse…" she replied, as she tried to sit up a little. Failing, she
dropped back onto the pillow and coughed. "Water?"



Ailynn nodded, and turned round slightly, picking up a container with a
straw and with practiced ease, gently slipped her arm under Erin’s
shoulders and helped tilt her head slightly, moving the straw into her
mouth. The water inside was chilled. “Not too much, you’ll choke.”



Taking a little sip, Erin nodded her thanks and lay back. Looking at her
friend, she blinked a couple of times, "A…. What… happened…. After…?"



Ailynn sat down, reaching out and held Erin’s hand. “Of the hostages, we
lost 2, Clarke, and Nesha. Beyond that...I don’t want to really expand on
things until you’re well enough to be discharged, and then we’ll get a
statement from you.” she sighed deeply. “This was a bad one E. We’re all
shaken by it all.”



She nodded, sighed and closed her eyes briefly. A flash passed before her
eyes, 'Maxine' pointing at her. Opening her eyes, she knew that there was
an explanation due, one that she needed someone to hear.



"A…. Did I…. go?"



Ailynn tilted her head back, deep in thought, before looking back at her
friend. “Medically...no. But, and this is a big but. That was only because
of the skill of the Doctors attending, it wouldn’t have taken much to lose
you. I was first on scene with you.”



She sighed again, thinking again about how Erin had been. “It took every
atom of my considerable skill to detect a pulse.”



"I… I'm sorry…" she replied, a tear welling up in her eyes. "A…. I….."



Ailynn stood up, and perched next to her on the bed. “Erin...you have
nothing to apologise for. As much as we all want to blame ourselves, and
wallow, myself included, This was not our doing.”



"No…. Not that.. I… caused Nesha…" Erin took several shallow breaths,
"...she died because of me…" Turning her head, she lifted her hand slowly
and wiped her eyes.



Feeling herself tear up too, Ailynn took a breath, and dabbed Erin’s eyes
with her cuff. “Erin…” she began. “I’ve seen all the statements made, and
believe me, there is nothing that you could have done. You’ve done more
courses about sociopathy and psychopathy than I have; emotion aside, what
would your assessment be? The position that Maxine had you in, was there
ever a way out where no one was going to get hurt?”



"No…. "



“No, and we know that because what was her first move? She killed Clarke
for no reason. This wasn’t just kings pawn to kings pawn 3...this was
taking an axe to the board just to say @#!$ you.”



Erin closed her eyes, seeing Clarke fall and hearing herself scream again,
she trembled a little. "I… shouted… refused to play…. She killed nesha
because of that."



Ailynn nodded. “Honey. She played all of you; each of you at your weakness.
The trap was designed for each of you to fail. The fact that you didn’t
says a lot. Nesha died, and we will always grieve her loss, but your hands
are clean, no fault can be laid at your feet, and no accusation can be
levelled toward your actions.”



"I… thought I was …. Gone… and I welcomed it… because of what…. " Erin
paused, took a breath,  ".... I know… I know it would have happened
anyway…. But, I…. For my sins, I welcomed it…" she looked away, not wanting
to see the look of concern that would undoubtedly be on her friend’s face.



Ailynn looked sadly to her friend. “I told you about what happened back in
the badlands? Did I tell you all of it? I told you that one of the prophets
took Dad’s shape, and I spoke to him, as he would have been?”



Erin nodded slightly, her gaze still away. She knew what she had said and
she knew that Ailynn, of all people, would understand.



“I didn’t tell you something...I didn’t tell you that I was literally at
death's door, and that I didn’t want to come back. I wanted to stay with
him. So it’s okay. It speaks of your strength, at a time when no one would
blame you for just turning over, that you would make that choice to say
no...and come back.”



"I thought … about it. Where I was… I was offered the choice… I wanted to
stay… wanted not to come back and face him… but I couldn't. He deserves to
know…. Why she died…" Erin spoke, looking back at her friend, she took her
hand and gripped it tight,



"That and … you… kick my ass if I didn't come back…" she smiled, laughed a
little and coughed heavily.



Ailynn smiled, and passed her the water once more.



Taking a sip, Erin lay back on the bed again.



“Hey, don’t look at me, it’s only because Caity seems fond of you for some
reason. I’m just keeping my girlfriend on side.” She winked to tell her
that she was only teasing.



"Good…. Woman… Clever… " Pausing, Erin looked at her and smiled, "A, I
can't… face him. He's going to hate me…. For what happened."



Ailynn gripped Erin’s hand, looking gently at her. “Erin...I don’t pretend
to know Ravok as well as you, or even as well as I’d like to, but I rather
think that given the circumstances, that he’ll understand that the blame
lies elsewhere.You can’t run again E but only you though can come to that
realisation.”



"I know…. Can't run right now anyway…. Would fall over." She replied,
smiling softly.



Ailynn laughed gently. “You dippy mare. You gave us a scare you know. All
of us.”



"Next time… will just say BOO." Erin replied, "less painful that way."



Sighing as she held Erin’s hand, Ailynn spoke gently. “You said that you
were offered the choice?”



"Yes…. Two doors. One forward, move on…. One back here… sounds crazy…. I
know."



Ailynn looked at her friend, but said nothing. If she’d have been asked
about the ‘beyond’ even only a few months ago, Ailynn would freely admit
that she’d have...raised doubts.



Now though, she sat in complete silence, and simply nodded, understanding
her closest friend completely.



"But… it happened. Well, something… did… I… chose…." Erin looked at her
friend and sighed, "Don't…. Tell Trip…. Thinks I'm crazy …. As it is.."



Ailynn shook her head gently. “Doctor Patient privilege, besides, I told
you my crazy post death story.” She reached up, and ran her fingers gently
through her friends hair. “What you feel and believe happened, is entirely
up to you, no one else has a right to question it, any more than they have
to question me about my conviction that I spoke to Dad, or rather a prophet
manifesting as him.”



Erin nodded and sighed, her eyes felt heavy as she looked at Ailynn. "I
scared you…. "



Ailynn looked at Erin, regarding her as she lay on the biobed. “Yeah you
did. I don’t have so many friends that I can lose one that easy you
goofball. Apart from that, For some reason, and I have no idea why, but
Caity seems fond of you. If you died, she’d be crying and she hasn’t the
complexion to look dainty when she does it.” Ailynn winked gently.



Erin’s eyes closed slowly as she spoke, her voice getting softer, "Good
woman… be kind to her… " she took a deep breath and yawned a little.



Ailynn watched as her friend's eyes grew heavier once more. Smiling gently
to herself, she pulled up the blanket that was covering Erin, and tucked it
up over her shoulders in almost a maternal gesture. Then making sure her
face and chin were free to breathe, she smiled once more, and on a whim,
leant forward and kissed Erin gently on the top of the head. “Sleep well
crazy chick.” She whispered as she moved away from the bed, and nodded once
more to the nurses.



As Erin drifted off to sleep,  the knowledge that she had made the right
choice flew into her brain and she smiled, softly as her breathing became
that little bit easier with the weight of her choice lifting from her.



(Reply none)

(Posted by Jackie and Mark)
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