Waking Up

Posted on Tue Jan 9th, 2024 @ 5:05am by Petty Officer, 3rd Class Lottie Daglish & Ziu'Liherasefra
Edited on on Sun Jan 14th, 2024 @ 7:01pm

Mission: Contagion
Timeline: Day 366 Afternoon
Tags: MONTHLY CHALLENGE
2855 words - 5.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Waking up in the morning was hard but waking up in the middle of the day after a night shift was harder for Lottie than a lot of things. Her bed was empty and she was due back on duty in just a few hours as everyone was heading over to the base leaving her and Hughes to man the fort. She cuddled back down into the covers and wiggled a little to get more comfortable in the small space when the chime of the door went. She frowned knowing she would need to get up as the door was locked. Slowly she tugged on a vest top and pair of shorts and staggered over to the door tugging the release off and opened the door blinking in the light from the corridor confused.

"Oh no, did I wake you up?"

The slightly crestfallen expression that greeted the head nurse belonged to the alien features of the ship's resident local expert. Lihera, who had been doing her best to adjust to what a military duty schedule looked like, had thus-far struggled a little to understand how Lottie's daily routine worked. Some of this was down to the nurse's tendency to work more than she needed to, a preference for keeping busy and occupied that was now impacting significantly on her availability for recreation. It was an early teething issue and nothing that couldn't be dealt with over time but currently it involved a lot more failed attempts at seeking her out than Hera wanted to keep track of. The Ziu'ni had been so certain this time too. Hesitancy replaced the initial beaming excitement and, suddenly lilac-haired, the alien deflated visibly in genuine remorse. "I'm so sorry."

Lottie smiled sleepily and took both of her hands and tugged her into her darkened quarters. She closed and locked the door again before hugging the woman close breathing in the familiarity of her. “Do not be sorry. I was in the process of waking up.” She assured quickly refusing to let go just yet.

"I didn't mean to interrupt," Hera assured, still worried at the unintentional intrusion. It was challenging, she had found, to not only find her place amongst the crew but to navigate her relationship with the human when confined space and limited opportunities threatened to apply haste and over-familiarity where the alien was worried they would be perceived as too much. The Captain hadn't wanted her to access her ship as personal living space, and Hera had been trying to honour that and stick to the small quarters she'd been assigned, but it wasn't easy. There were only so many places she could be that didn't constitute getting in the way.

Lottie smiled still and squeezed her hands. “You are the only person I will never be mad at waking me up but I was awake, just lazily daydreaming. Did you need me? Have I missed something?” She wondered thinking through everything that had been discussed recently trying to work out if they had made plans.

"Oh no, nothing like that." Hera shook her head in an attempt to settle any concern immediately. "Things had just got a little..." She wrinkled her nose delicately, arms finally relaxing enough to settle around the other woman's waist. "I don't know how you all manage this incessant waiting." Sheepish laughter at her own expense accompanied a faint tinge of colour across the Ziu'ni's cheeks. "Your people haven't made contact again and I'm churned up inside wondering if I've given them poor advice."

“Patience is a virtue we do not all have but I have in abundance.” Lottie assured quietly as she caught up in what the woman was worrying about. It was bound to happen eventually that something was not going to be the way Hera thought it was. It was just how the universe was something times things always shift. “How can I help you relax?” She wondered thinking that everyone on the bridge was likely feeling just the same.

"I need something to do," Hera confessed. "In an ongoing capacity, at least, since my worth as an interpreter or consultant is limited to us becoming involved in a situation that warrants it. Is there something I can do in Sickbay perhaps?" The alien's expression was plaintively hopeful. "I know you're a few people down and I can at least do something useful to lighten the load, even if its wiping down benches and cleaning floors."

That feeling of needing something to do had been a feeling she had known so well until she had met the woman. She had been an over worker until the woman had come into her life. “We can go talk to Hughes if you can give me twenty minutes to shower and dress?” Lottie wondering instantly stepping in to offer something to help the other woman. She had not had someone but she was learning and could help her.

"Only if it isn't a bother." It was difficult to keep the hopefulness from her tone but Hera legitimately didn't want to encroach on Lottie's professional space if it was going to cause issues. Reaching up to tuck a strand of vaguely-rose-coloured hair behind her ear, the Ziu'ni looked sheepishly pleased as she admitted, "I think I'm just trying to adjust to not being able to go out dancing every time I feel the need to move."

“I was just procrastinating on getting up so this is the kick I needed to get myself ready to return to duty.” It was not a proper rest period but it was better that what she had gotten pre Hughes being onboard and Cusack joining the team. “Nothing stopping you creating an activity or something to get others dancing.” The woman suggested biting her lip to stop herself from leaning out to touch the woman.

The suggestion seemed to stop the other woman in her tracks. Hera's expression of thoughtful curiosity was a familiar one by now, having proven herself easily struck by inspiration and certainly more prone to seeking an optimistic solution than wallowing in her uncertainty. "You think they'd be interested in that?"

“I am. I miss dancing with you.” Lottie used the opportunity of dancing as a chance to spin the woman around to music only the nurse could hear. “But speak to O’Connery she is looking for anything and everything to help the ship's morale.”

The frippery of the spin provoked easy laughter, which was a good sign that, despite her despondency, Hera had left herself room the climb back out of it. Using the momentum, she twirled behind the nurse and, wrapping her arms around Lottie's waist, pulled the woman back into a tumble onto the bed. "Then you're silly, you only have to ask."

“Ooof.” The nurse exclaimed as she landed on the woman and smiled down at her. The woman inclined her head and shook it. “It has been just too busy to dance recently.” Lottie sighed. “But I will. I will demand everything.”

The final statement earned a raised eyebrow, though Hera's expression was immediately gleeful at the prospect. "Is that right? And what might this everything look like?"

“Join me in the shower?” She whispered in her ear. “It’s responsible in saving water.” She added seeing the gleeful look on the woman’s face. She wanted to lift the woman’s spirits if possible and remind her that she was very much wanted in her life.

"Environmental conservation is definitely a key concern of my people," Hera responded with over-stated gravitas. Her attempt at a serious frown, accompanied by the slow nodding of her head, was immediately brought undone by a rush of energetic mirth. Legs wrapped around the nurse's waist as a pair of pale eyebrows waggled in challenge. "Of course, you might have to convince me that this isn't more important."

“Oh this isn’t more important. This and then shower.” The older woman laughed not at all disinterested in the challenge. “Though I am intrigued by what other key concerns are important to your people.” Lottie ducked her head to the woman’s neck.

The other woman screwed up her nose. "A good many things would be utterly contrary to anything involving showers with exotic alien women." Though her eyes still danced with merriment, there was still the same old lingering hesitancy around Hera's willingness to speak about her upbringing, and the circumstances that had lead to her exile. It had taken a good while for her to even confirm that as a permanency that wouldn't interfere with her staying on board.

Lottie burst out laughing. Every time Hera said that about her it brought up giggles from the woman. She did not think of herself as exotic at all but Hera very much seemed to see her as that “Everytime you say that it makes me laugh. I do not see myself as that.” She assured softly caressing a hand down the pale woman’s arm to see the contrasts of skin tones.

"And yet, you are the rarest jewel." As much as Hera's tone was playful, there was sincerity to her poetic side, a lust for expression that provoked her natural eloquence. It was a cultural inheritance, and though she may have been deemed lacking by her own people, even a portion of their oratory skills stood out amongst mixed company. The pale alien admired her lover's dark eyes with open admiration. "What's it going to take me to convince you that you are beautifully unique?"

Lottie laughed and looked away trying not to blush but it still was visible in her skin as she looked back at the woman. “Time.” She shrugged not at all sure what would take for her to be convinced that she was beautifully unique.

"If that's the case," Hera reasoned, squirming until she could flip the pair of them and pin the human beneath her, "then you must be at least a little closer to believing it than you were yesterday. And the day before that." She grinned. "And the day before that." Leaning comfortably against Lottie's chest, the Ziu'ni added, "I'm patient and persistent, you know."

The nurse let out a noise as she was flipped onto her back and giggled relieved her neighbour would be on shift there and then and would be unable to hear the giggling and noises. “I do know. I am fully aware of how patient and persistent you are, Hera.” She soothed. “You are beautiful and every second you want to spend with me makes me a lucky person.”

A playful finger tapped her on the nose. "Uh-uh, no flipping this. You don't escape my esteem by trying to distract me with flattery." With a giggle, the alien burrowed her face into her lover's neck and stayed there, exhaling in contentment as the silliness faded into an opportunity to snuggle. The nights they spent alone were difficult and, if Hera was honest, she tended not to sleep very well during them. But it had been too much, she'd decided, to expect the human to surrender her independence entirely, especially on a ship where time alone was so preciously difficult to secure.

"When do you have to go to work?" Hera eventually murmured. A shower had been ordered but planning everything down to the last minute would allow her to make the most of the time.

Lottie relaxed at the comfortable weight on her and let out a contented noise. "Whenever I want to in the next few hours. I was going back to help Hughes just in case but if you do not want to go talk to him now we can stay here." Lottie explained wishing she could have gone across to the base even on very limited sleep to help. "I was getting up to not waste my day any longer asleep."

"This is nice." The sentiment was muffled, the Ziu'ni's capacity to burrow in leaving some concern for her continued ability to breathe and yet it never seemed to thwart her. "Sleeping isn't a waste anyway," Hera added, finally turning her head somewhat. "Not when you can fill it full of delicious dreams." Having shared quite a few of hers recently, it was no wonder the woman enjoyed being curled up under the covers. Hera was apparently just as creative in her sleep as she was wont to attempt to be when awake.

Lottie smiled and shook her head at the woman’s statement. “I think we have discovered after the last month that you have dreams that are a lot more vivid than human dreams allow.” She said moving her hand to the woman’s pale hair.

"You keep saying that but all you will say about your own is that they are dull and boring." Wriggling around, Hera found a more sustainable position on her back next to the nurse, both of them staring up at the ceiling. "Describe one to me." The woman had a voracious appetite for stories, and an equally as profound capacity to see value in even the simplest one. It wasn't unusual to find her in the messhall simply tuning into the conversations around her, which was technically considered eavesdropping but that seemed the lesser of the two evils where the other option was to interrupt.

“I do not really remember dreams.” Lottie admitted before she remembered one that she had, had a week or two ago. “The last one I remember was a couple of weeks ago. I was working in sickbay and a Vrav came in and I suddenly had a fire suppression unit and I sprayed him.” It had been an odd dream but one of the very few that she remembered.

There was a rare moment of silence as Hera processed that explanation. "You sprayed him...with fire?" There were times when the translation upgrade didn't always navigate their distinct linguistic differences, and interpreting dreams was probably a prime time for it to struggle.

Lottie took her own moment of silence before she descended into laughter. “No. It’s a fire suppression system. It’s meant to fight the fire. I think it was foam or powder.” She could not remember all the details perfectly but she knew that the Vrav looked ridiculous.

The clarification only partially informed Hera's emerging mental picture, which was possibly still woefully inaccurate but amusing enough that the result was the same. "And did it work?" She had expectations that exceeded the human capacity for linear, narrative-based dreams perhaps but what Lottie couldn't remember, Hera was more than willing to invent.

"I do not know i woke up moments after." The woman shrugged. Human dreams in her opinion were nowhere near as deep or thoughtful but it was one that she remembered. It was likely due to the fact they did not enter REM sleep as much as other species but who knew what Hera's species were like in their biological make up.

"I choose to believe that you saved the day." With a sudden burst of energy that was entirely easy to anticipate at this point, Lihera scrambled suddenly to her feet, stretched to full height whilst balancing on the mattress to strike a pose. "Lottie Daglish, Vrav-buster!" The past few weeks had been a crash-course in Earth popular culture, from the music to whatever movies the crew had access to. Hera had taken a fondness to nearly all of it, though her current favourite was Ghostbusters.

The nurse could not help but laugh loudly and shook her head. “I am very glad I no longer have a bunk in that space and it’s being used to make the bed bigger. You would have injured yourself then.” She shook her head and rolled on her side watching her intently.

Logic would have attempted to dictate that the alien woman wouldn't have attempted the feat in such restricted environs, but Lottie had likely known Hera long enough now to recognise when her impulses were getting the better of her. She had certainly been a little more erratic of late, prone to escalations of inspiration and enthusiasm that resulted in the kind of energy a caged animal put into smashing against their prison. Hera wouldn't have made the analogy herself but there was some aptness to it.

Right now, she was content to bounce herself off the bed, onto the floor and then hold out both hands to pull Lottie up. "Let's shower," she returned to the previous arrangement. "And then you can show me around Sickbay. Maybe I can be put in charge of making sure the fire suppression systems are ready for your heroics." In this kind of mood, it was nearly impossible to avoid her natural-born influence, being exactly the right mixture of optimism and impatience to trigger associated reactions in those close enough to be affected.

“Sounds perfect.” Lottie declared simply shaking her head at the silliness but finding it exactly what she needed to wake up and get moving. “To the bathroom!