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Side-sim: Musically bereft

Posted Feb. 1, 2023, 6:53 p.m. by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Scientist) (Matt Evans)

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side-sim: Musically bereft

Posted by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Scientist) in Side-sim: Musically bereft

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side-sim: Musically bereft
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Inside the holodeck was an auditorium lit by a single spot light. The rest of the room was shrouded in deep black. In the center of the lit stage sat a man with a cello gripped tightly with one hand while in the other was a bow. The bow moved towards the cello string but did not slide along them. Instead the hand gripping it would tremble for a few seconds before moving away. This cycle continued for a several minutes before the man exhaled in exasperation.

“Just play the damn thing!” Achilleas shouted at himself. His hesitancy transformed into anger which then morphed into rage. He roughly put bow to cello and played a cello and piano sonata, with a hologram playing the piano part off in the shadow. The sonata was by Schnittke(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mB-DcIgoiQ).

Sci Petrakos

Solal had been on medical leave for a week. He looked pale and unwell, thinner than he used to, with dark bags under his eyes. Besides the feeling terrible all the time, there was just nothing to do. And while he was exhausted, he could only sleep so much. Today was one of those increasingly rare days where he had the energy to do something besides mope about in his quarters.

He had forgotten to check the holodeck schedule, but he knew around this time the deck was usually unused. He had his instrument with him. Rather than slung across his back like normal, he carried the case in his hand.

It was quite the surprise when the holodeck doors opened and not only was the deck in use, but by whom it was used. The surprise and shock on his face was apparent as he paused in the doorway, his normal vulcan cover nowhere to be seen. “Achilleas?”

~ Lt Solal

Achilleas stopped playing abruptly as his name was called out, though the holographic pianist continued on for a beat before likewise stopping. He looked towards the doorway and was shocked to see someone. Had he not scheduled his visit? Of course he didn’t lock the door but he wasn’t expecting someone either. He squinted as he tried to see who it was in the shadows as being in the light made it fairly difficult. They did seem to know him though but he was familiar with a fair amount of the crew.

“Computer, bring up the lights.” He called out. The shadows melted away as the lights came on and Achilleas recognized his friend. His very brief moment of joy was washed away in a deluge of dread. Why did they have to meet now?! He wasn’t ready for this! Meeting the Captain earlier was hard enough and they weren’t even close friends. But this…

Achilleas dropped his cello and bow as he moved his hands to cover his face. He was beginning to hyperventilate and his skin became pale.

Sci Petrakos

Solal moved further into the room. Dropping the cello was a crime against the instrument, though that at this moment was unimportant. There was something wrong with his old friend. He knelt by the chair Achilleas sat in. “Are you okay? Should I call medical for you?” Normally, Solal would be medical, but his thoughts weren’t clear. His mind felt foggy. He was in no shape to practice medicine. The tone in his voice conveyed far more emotion than was typical for him.

~ Solal

Achilleas jerked his head in a quick shake to indicate not to contact medical. Whether that was conveyed correctly was another matter altogether. “Just…” He gasped out between his quickened breaths. “Just, a moment.” He remembered the techniques Dr Fukazawa taught him whenever a panic attack struck. Regulate the breathing, slow down but deeper inhalations, exhale while imagining the negative emotions are leaving your body with the CO2, and repeat to yourself that you are in control with each breath taken. It took three minutes or so but finally the panic attack eased enough that his breathing was under control and his complexion wasn’t as pale.

He spread his hand just enough to peek between his fingers and softly said, “Hi.”

Sci Petrakos

Solal waited patiently next to him while he breathed through his panic attack. It took Solal several moments to realize that was what was happening, and that was what he was doing. “Hello.” He turned his head away to cough and then looked back to Achilleas. He looked… concerned. “You transferred back.” The statement was more like Solal’s usual self. Matter-of-fact, with little emotion to it.

~ Solal

“I did, yes.” Achilleas answered back with a voice still soft. This was okay. This wasn’t overwhelming. Just keep it simple and in the moment. He blinked as the dissonance of Solal’s actions finally hit his conscious mind. His eyes narrowed as he pulled his hands from his face and really looked at Solal.

“What’s wrong?” He asked in a way that brooked no argument, a glimmer of his former self.

Sci Petrakos

“I was going to ask the same question.” Solal coughed and then sighed and shrugged. “I am unwell.” That was an understatement. Rather than kneeling he finally gave in and sat on the floor. “Did something happen?” He asked. Achilleas was not exactly the person he remembered. His foggy, tired mind was searching for a reason why that would be.

~ Solal

Achilleas was startled by the shift in topics. He wanted to desperately stay focused on Solal and not redirect back to his own… unwellness, but in the end he looked away with a sigh. “Shortly after the shared hallucination by everyone who was affected by that fungal infection, when we were dealing with the film crew and that annoying man, well I relapsed. Despite the previous treatment it wasn’t fully removed from my system. The stress and anxiety of dealing with someone like that brought back a similar state, but one that amplified all of the negative things I was feeling.”

He took a shuddering breath before he looked back at Solal. “I apparently got violent under the effect of the relapse. I was medicated then quietly sent to Star Fleet Medical to recover. I don’t think news of my departure was publicized in consideration of whatever may be left for my career.”

Sci Petrakos


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