Posted March 16, 2021, 10:28 a.m. by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) (Jennifer Ward)
Posted by Lieutenant River Styxx (OIC Marine) in Rivers quarters - ghosts of the past (Tag CNS)
(snip)
River shook her head “No I’ll do it” she said as her shaking hand reaching for latches. with a click the chest unlocked and the lid creaked open. The chest was full of what you would expect mostly clothes including a silk wedding dress, a few Padds and few interesting items. There were two picture frames, a child’s drawing, dog tags, a few trinkets but the item River took first was a small box. She opened it and inside sat a Dimond incrusted dolphin ring.
River looked at the ring and smiled sadly “She had a thing for dolphins so I had this engagement ring specially made for her. I wasn’t sure is she’d say yes but to my joy she did. I thought I was the luckiest girl in the galaxy. I Remer my CO and the CO of the Starfleet officers had a falling out over who would get to walk her down the isle” She said as he handed the ring to Revna
Revna took the box and examined the ring. The work was of excellent craftmanship. “It’s beautiful.” It was a shame the doctors wouldn’t let Abigail keep it. She understood why, but something like this could act as a very strong reminder, trigger a sense or person and happy memories.
“You know she doesn’t remember me. Last time I tried to talk to her she didn’t even register I was there.” she added after a small pause
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
Renva touched her arm gently. “She remembers you. I promise. She may not be able to tell you or show you, but she does. She’s in there, somewhere. Sometimes it just takes the doctors awhile to find her and lead her back. She’s not gone or broken, just lost, River. She’ll find her way back.” Revna believed it, she’d seen it, she’d helped people with it. And sometimes the path seemed endless but it wasn’t. She closed the box and set it down between them and nodded at a picture frame inside the trunk.
Lt Edman, Counselor“Maybe, one day” River said simply as she reached for the albums “Her fate is the same as so many others, can that many lost people truly be found again?” she asked as she picked up one of the frames.
“Yes they can be, with enough help, with enough doctors, and if they have the will to be found.” Some times, Revna knew, the person wanted to stay lost, and they were the hardest to save.
The picture was of River she looked younger, her eyes where warm and a joyful smile was on her face. She had her arm round another women with long black hair, beautiful blue eyes sand ivory skin. then in the middle was a small child about 11 she had long blond hair in two long pony tails, grey eyes and light skin. the adult wore marine uniforms and the little girl had a blue dress on. They where outside some kind of restaurant, the sigh behind them said Bolwart’s Bolian banquet.
River smiled again more fondly this time she had forgotten how happy she had once been. She remembered the restaurant the owner was a very kind and cheerful man, always there to listen and always there to make you laugh. “We look so happy.” she said a hint f warmth on her voice “This was our favourite restaurant. the owner Bolwart was one of the nicest people I had ever met. If you where down he would cheer you up, he always listened to your problems and never judged. almost everyone felt that way. we used to joke that he was better then the counsellors star fleet had sent us.” she said.
Revna smiled, but didn’t comment. She’d met a lot of people like this Bolwart. She’d even sent patients to some on occasion. She was not to proud to go ‘off book’ of someone else could help.
“I’ve forgotten the exact days we went but we where there a lot. Bolwart used to say we might as well be part of the furniture” she added after a pause handing the picture to Revna.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
Revna took the picture and looked over it; taking in the happy family. A frozen moment of a happier time. Instead of putting it down Revna set it in her lab and placed the box with the ring on top. If River was willing later, she thought she should put some of these things up, to remember, to honor the memory. Revna knew something about that. She looked back at the box and waited.
Lt Edman, CounselorRiver took the next frame and paused, the image was hand drawn it was a women at piano. A closer look and the women was clearly River “I’ve never seen this before. I mean Abi was always drawing she was an amazing artist. I mean it wasn’t uncommon for her to be drawing while listening to me play the piano. But why would this ne be framed?” River asked then she noticed something underneath it in the chest it was a birthday card. the handwriting in the card was very elegant ” To River, all my love Abi” She said reading the writing. In that moment River froze her hand started to shake again and tears where in her eyes. she just sat there not sure what to say or do.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
Revna set the things in her lap down and very quietly, but quickly, moved to the replicator and came back with a glass of cold water. She set it near River, where she could reach it but not knock it over, and then sat back down next to her. She took the picture and the card and set them gently aside. This was one of those moments were words were not needed. River was at a loss for how she should act, thinking about it, trying to analyze (everyone did that at some point or another) but what she needed right now was to let herself feel the emotions the card and drawing had created. River didn’t need the words of an outsider to dispel the moment. So instead, Revna put an arm around the other woman’s shoulders and let her cry. Let her cry it out for however long or short she needed, and then they could decide what to do next. Abigail was still alive but lost, and her little girl was gone. River needed to mourn them, and Revna would let her.
Lt Edman, CounselorHow much time had passed was hard to tell. But eventually River stopped crying and took a sip of the water “I’m sorry. I’m supposed to be a tough marine and a peace of paper made me cry” she said drying her eyes “The truth is I didn’t have a chance to morn either of them. When Lilly died there was an attack the same day. the battle raged I tired to give myself a moment but that was so rare. The Abi was taken during the height of the fighting, then the relief fleet arrived. Then after that a soon as Acheron was declared safe I was arrested and thrown in a federation prison.” River scoffed and shook her head.
“Even siting in that brig I didn’t have much time to think, getting ready for my trial, having my trial then waiting for the result. If it wasn’t for the Klingons and the Romulans I would of been found guilty and left to rot.” she added after a short pause.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
Revna had read River’s file of course and knew about the trial and everything that had happened. River had comported herself well and don’t what she’d needed to do. Revna wasn’t in a place to decide if the brass had been correct in investigating and then the trial or not. But she was glad for River’s sake that the Klingons and Romulans had spoken up. “You need to mourn, you lost a lot, and there are lots of ways to do that.” She looked in the trunk and back to River. “Let’s put these somewhere.” She handed the photo and ring box to River and stood up.
Lt Edman, Counselor“I’m not entirely sure that’s a good idea, i mean its not like there isn’t space” River said gesturing around her quarters. they really where bare aside form the orate sword and Cain there was nothing on the walls or shelves “Maybe they should be kept in the boxes you know in case of damage and umm” River paused trying to think of a good excuse but she didn’t have any. the truth was he didn’t want to face that pain everyday, she knew she had to but she didn’t want to.
She sighed and shook her head “Maybe it would be appropriate to put them over there” she said gesturing to the empty shelf below the sword and cane.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
Revna put a hand on her arm, “When you are ready. Though the memories hurt these things evoke happier memories than the memory of when you last saw them. Though their loss will always hurt, having these things out can help you remember the better memories. But only when you are ready.” Revna did place them on the shelf indicated, but flat, so they were there, but River could decide when she wanted them on display, when she wanted to see them. Then she resumed her seat and nodded to the trunk again. “What other treasures does this hold? And they are treasures, even if it’s hard to look.”
Lt Edman, Counselor“harder then you know” River said as she sat back down her eyes lingering on the downed picture on the shelf. River picked up the Padds and turned them on. On one of them was Abi’s personnel log rive played it
Revna was simply quiet. She knew that in times of intense grief that the psyche had a need to set its own grief apart. That to acknowledge that others had experienced the same intense loss and heart ache seemed to deminish the importance of the person lost. Or that’s how it seemed and it didn’t bother Revna. Oh she understood far too well what River was going through, but she didn’t mind sitting quietly and letting River have that time to be the only one. It was part of the grief and healing process.
“Lance Corporal Abigail Harkins personnel log” the voice was gruff yet warm, the voice of someone who cared deeply but who also wasn’t afraid to be stern if they had to be. They also had a slight southern American accent which only got stronger the more the got excited “I can’t believe it. me and River where having a picnic by the azure lake and she asked me to marry her. Me, I mean I had hoped she had wanted to take our relationship further but I figured I’d be the one asking. I never expected this and now looking at the ring i can’t help but feel fate has stepped in, i never believed in that sort of thing. But it is odd i was thinking about asking then she goes and asks. Something must be pulling the strings for me to catch someone like River. Soon I’ll be Mrs Styxx.” Abi laughed joyfully “Mrs Styxx I like the sound of that. I know people think she’s cold but they just don’t know her. I know her and i love ever aspect of her. I know that as long as we are together nothing bad will happen, we’ll always be together. She could never lead me astray and I can’t help but feel like the rest of my life will be fantastic.”
The log ended and River just held the padd, that was the first time she had heard Abi’s voice in over a year and a half. She had forgotten how good it sounded, how so much like a song it was to River. She had forgotten her fiancés voice. what did that say about her and who she had become. She closed her eyes and replayed the log. A smile on her face, a happier smile while there was sadness there but it was gone for now, It was like River had just met up with and old friend.
The words made Revna smile as she watched River listen and the listen again. Sounds was the first memory sense to fade. Once heard again the sound would be recognized immediately but recall was hard.
“I’d forgotten how beautiful her voice was. How beautiful she was in general. the first time I saw her and she decked me in combat training, I knew she was the one.” River opened her eyes and for a moment they where not cold but warm. all of the bad memories where washed away and all the good came to the surface. In that moment a shred of who River used to be, the joking, quick witted in love with life person she was, was visible for a split second.
Lieut Styxx (Marine OIC)
“I bet she has an amazing singing voice.” Something like that didn’t change. Abigail might not sing anymore, Revna didn’t know, but the quality didn’t change unless there had been some physical trauma to the voice box. Revna sat with her while she remembered and drifted in the happier memories, after a time she finally spoke. Abigail was the most important person in River’s life and Revna simply wanted to know more about her. “Did she ever sing while you played?”
Lt Edman, Counselor
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