Posted by Lieutenant Duncan Rhodes (Chief Science Officer) in Infirmary: Rhodes’ Return

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Jessica Teller (XO) in Infirmary: Rhodes’ Return

Three hours had passed since Duncan and Toveka had been brought into the Infirmary of Outpost 42 by the medical team off of the Khazad’hea. Three hours of constant medical treatment and operations to stabilize and begin the task of repairing the damage done by whatever had happened to Lt Rhodes and Lt j.g. Brine, taken to a different area of the facility. Duncan was the only patient in the room here, and the nurses and doctors had mumbled more than once that it was a miracle that he was alive at all considering the injuries and clear lack of medical treatment available on the small Klingon warship other than the most rudimentary.

The console beside Duncan monitored his vital functions and showed a readout and display of his injuries to those that could decipher the medical system. The bandages he had been covered in when he arrived were gone and Duncan now lay in the standard Starfleet issue medical garment all patients had to wear when they were at the mercy of Doctors. Much of the work that had been done after his internal injuries were stabilized was that of regenerating his skin to avoid infection but it was clear that there was much still to be done.

Duncans breathing was shallow, the impaled pieces of metal in his chest having punctured his lungs, the injuries of being thrown across the cabin and the moments the interior of the runabout were exposed to vacuum having done the expected damage. His blood loss was substantial although the synthesized Federation replacement would support his weakened body through recovery. The large area of burns from the exploding consoles and following fire had done damage, but modern Federation technology would heal that without a mark, eventually, but the process would not be slow as layers had to be repaired over time. Despite the many wounds and burns Duncan had survived, and he had survived in his entirety without missing parts. He had been conscious when he had been taken from the Khazad’hea, but an army of hypo wielding medical staff had ensured that he wasn’t going to be awake for what they were about to do to him. Before he had fallen into sleep, Duncans eyes had turned to the crowd. His vision blurred and stinging from the bright light on the station, he had been looking for only one person in his half conscious state. His hand had begun to reach out to a random figure in the crowd before a nurse had clasped it and pushed it back under the covers, hiding the burns and charred state of it. Her touch was different, he thought. It wasn’t the touch of the woman in his mind that he had been looking for.

Lt Rhodes, CSO

Lily inhaled deeply as she emerged from the unconscious state of a deep sleep to the the hazy fog of reality. Stretching she glanced over at Duncan lying in the medical bed. She wasn’t sure if it was his rank or the fact he and the executive officer were close but Duncan was in a private room. This allowed Lily far more leeway in being at his side. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she stood moving to the small window that looked out among the stars. The only blackness had always been beautiful to her before two days ago. Now all she could see was death. What once held so much wonder and awe seemed like a cold graveyard that could have been Duncan’s final resting place.

Strange thoughts always entered people’s mind in moments like this. Duncan was fine. The doctors said he would make a full yet slow recovery. The what if’s however flooded her mind every time she looked at Rhodes. What if he had died? How did he want to be buried. What if he was more severely hurt than the medics predicted? Where would they take him to rehabilitate? How would she ever be allowed to go with him? The questions didn’t stop coming in the silence with no one to answer them.

Wrapping her arms around her body she hugged herself tightly with the small hospital blanket they had provided for her. She was still in the clothes from two days ago. Jessica had brought her something to change into but Lily hadn’t wanted to leave the room to even shower before Duncan woke up. He looked far worse than her and she doubted he would comment she didn’t look the best if he saw her before she changed her clothes.

Moving over to the bed, Lily pulled over a chair and sat down next to the bed. Taking Duncan’s hand she spoke softly. “The coffee is terrible here. Evie came by and brought me some yesterday. Actually, she packed me a picnic lunch,” Lily gave out a weak laugh. “Let me show you,” she pulled the basked up and set in in her lap as she began to pull out the remaining items. “I ate breakfast but she dropped off lunch when I was sleeping I guess. We have a roast beef sandwich and some kind of soup,” Lily felt her throat start to choke up and she sinuses start to swell. Dropping everything back into the basket she set it next to the chair.

“Wake up Duncan,” she said in a firmer tone than she ever had used before. “I need you. I…I can’t do this. Sit here and just wait for you so wake up and talk to me,” she felt her voice taking on a whining quality. Pausing for a moment she picked up his hand and kissed it. “I love you. Please don’t leave me here alone. We were going to go to England. You were taking me for a ride on the Thames and I was going to take you back home to Risa and show you people could make a living on beach glass jewelry,” she stopped talking as she held his hand against her face.

When she had heard about the accident, Lily rushed down to where they were unloading the wounded. No one would let her near him. She didn’t have his name and so few people knew they were together. Watching from behind the lines as his face seemed to scan the crowd broke her. It should have been her hand holding his as they rushed his stretcher to sickbay and not some stranger tucking it back under the blankets. Stone had been dealing with the injuries so Lily was left with the medical staff that was too busy to help her find him. She had had no idea what was happening until Jessica showed up. Teller had found out everything that was needed and gotten Lily to his side. For that, Lily would always be eternally grateful to Duncan’s boss.

She had hoped that Duncan would regain consciousness a few hours after the surgery but the hours came and went, along with the doctors. Lily slept, waited, and ate at his side never leaving for an instance. When he woke she would be the first person he saw. If that took a week or another month, Locksley would not move from this room. The well-wishers came and went. Jessica along with Aedan had shown up twice. Jessica and Evie showed at least three times a day to check-in and spend a few minutes with their friend. So many others tried to come that the medical staff had placed a no visitors sign on his door. This meant the gifts, cards, and flowers were left outside the door for Lily to bring into the room. She did not mind it. It gave her something to do. Arranging the flowers and cards on every surface gave the room a more homey feel and less of a sterile medical one.

Sighing deeply she pressed his palm to her mouth and kissed it gently before placing his palm on her cheek. She liked the feel of the heat from his hand on her face. When Lily closed her eyes, she imagined he was cupping her cheek and she was not just holding it there. “Duncan I need you to wake up so that I can tell you my day and you can tell me yours. I need to hear that tone in your voice when you tell me, no but I know you are going to say yes because you love me. The tone you used the entire time we took the kids on the field trip and when I convinced you that ambrosia was salad and not a pudding. I need you,” she leaned into his palm. “So wake up and tell me you love me. That you will love me until we are too old to hear it and then have to repeat it a hundred times,” Lily said softly. “Until you do I am not leaving your side.”

“Except to take a shower,” Evie said in a gentle tone holding out a bag of clothes. Lily had no idea when she had shown up but Lily was sure she heard most of what was said. “Now go. You will feel better. The bathroom is in the room and I promise if he starts to wake up I will throw a towel over his face so that you are the first person he sees,” Evie shook the bag slightly. Knowing this McGarrett was not going to take a no just like the other McGarrett, Lily got up and disappeared into the bathroom.

“You have no idea how much she loves you,” Evie said taking the seat Lily just vacated. “That girl is fully assuming to be Mrs. Rhodes so don’t disappoint her. She has not left your side and never will. I did bring you a gift though,” Evie said pulling a book from her purse. “I figured it would be something to pass the time.”

Lily’s shower was the fastest on record Evie had ever seen. It felt like the woman hadn’t even left the room but the near dripping hair and clothes half stuck to her damp body told Evie it was time for her to leave. After kissing Duncan’s forehead and sweeping the hair off his brow in a motherly fashion, Evie disappeared for the night.

Once Evie left, Lily moved back to her position in her chair picking up the coffee that was always on the small bedside stand. That was where she found the book Evie had left. Not caring about rules, Lily tried something different for the night. Lifting Duncan’s hand she curled up in bed with him and placed her head on his chest careful to avoid the injured areas.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Well if that isn’t a sign I don’t know what is,” she laughed reading the first page of the book. “It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us,” Lily’s voice filled the room. She read for at least an hour and eventually until she fell asleep.

Lily Locksley.

Paige came in and looked at the two “What is going on?” She asked one of the doctors that was on duty and waited for some response as to why she had the CSO and her receiptionist both on beds.

CMO

OOC: Heya Mouse, with Duncans injuries etc and the story I am running for him, I didn’t want to get bogged down with medical surgery posts so we moved it along to his recovery. I believe that for something significant like this, the CMO would have been the one doing the surgery so I am playing it was Stone that saved his life. Feel free to adjust your post if you like, Stone would know why Duncan is here in a private room and Lily staying by his side.

IC: “He is still asleep,” the orderly said, handing Duncans medical file to Stone for review. “His vitals are good, but he took a beating. He hasn’t regained consciousness yet but that woman hasn’t left his side.”

------------- The next morning -----------------

Slowly, the lights in the medical ward came up brighter as the ‘day’ dawned on the Outpost. For most, the day was just another in the long and never ending tasks and duties that befell those on a Starbase. Outside the station the Klingon warship was still docked, and in Duncan’s quarters Jessica gave Trico a naughty sliver of bacon and reassured the small creature that Duncan was alright and that she would be allowed to visit him today.

To one person however, that day was something special. It was something that he had never expected to see again let alone feel the softness of a bed, the comfort of a blanket or the warmth of a woman’s body pressed next to his. That moment when he had opened his eyes had been a shock, a moment of wonder at the bright lights and white walls before his eyes travelled down to the weight on his chest.

There lay a book and a hand. That hand belonged to an arm that he followed to a shoulder and on that shoulder was the most beautiful sight that he had ever seen. It was what his grandmother had described as an angel, but to Duncan it was everything his life had needed right in front of him, the last thing that he had seen in his mind as his world had gone black and he had felt the pain of metal and the cold vacuum of space. That last thing he had seen was now the first thing he had seen when he opened his eyes. It was a sign, perhaps, and it was the most beautiful thing that he had ever known.

His hand moved to the book and he moved the cover, and smiled. He could smile still. That was unexpected. The fact he had breathed in and opened his eyes was unexpected but the smile, let a flood of relief wash through him. “It was the winter of despair, we had everything before us,” he recited the words from the book, but winced at how weak he sounded and felt.

Letting the book lay down again, his arm rose and followed the curve of her arm and shoulder to her face. Again realizing how weak he felt, he grit his teeth and made himself move the lock of hair from Lily’s brow and tuck it behind her ear, smiling as she stirred lightly and pressed into him tighter. “It is the Spring of hope, and we have everything before us,” he adjusted the words as he watched her move against him, he let his thumb brush against her cheek but it was heavier than he intended in his weakened and tired state.

“Duncan you are awake,” Lily bounced for a second like a small child eager to have someone they adored visit. The movement was all about getting her in the correct position to see him and not mindful of his injuries for that split second. The relief on her face fought for control of the smile trying to take over. “Oh my god I prayed. I actually prayed and to a real deity and not a river goddess-like on Oceania Six or the Polovian Earth Mother on Belsartan Three. You broke me to sit down and focus. Before the book Evie brought me the only thing I had was this Bible from a patient called Gideon. He musta left it but…you’re awake,” she finally stopped rambling.

“Good morning sunshine,” he said to Lily, “I love you. I never told you that before. I need to tell you now though, every chance I get. I was a fool to never tell you that before. I love you, Lily.” Duncan let his head rest more to the side, tired from trying to hold it in one place to look at her. His eyes were heavy and everything seemed to hurt now, but all of that was background emotion to how he felt looking at Lily waking up beside him.

Lt Rhodes, CSO

“Of course you do,” she kissed him softly. What is there not to love. I am loyal and ravishingly beautiful and crazy in love with you,” Lily ended the sentence softly. Until Duncan, Lily had never truly loved a man, never thought about spending next week let alone the rest of her life with someone. The thought though of not having Duncan was something she la lived with for a week while he was in a coma. That was something she never wanted to live through again. “We should get married,” she said matter of factly. The comment was a spur of the moment and highly spontaneous and completely undoable in Duncan’s current state however if he was going to throw the love card out as a confession, she was going to throw out marriage.

For Duncan, despite how tired he was and how he ached the sound of Lily’s voice was a moment of pure happiness, proof that he was not dreaming or stuck in some eternal facsimile of life as some kind of subspace energy. How he got here, he had no idea but at that moment he didn’t care. Lily was beside him, she loved him, he heard the words and they were the only other thing in his universe that mattered besides her.

“Sunshine,” he said softly and caressed her cheek with his thumb. The touch of her skin was electric, or maybe that was just the nerves in his body that had slept for a week waking up, but it didn’t matter to him, her touch was what he needed. “I think that is the most serendipitous and copasetic thing I have heard you say yet, and the fact that right now I even know what those words mean, is a sign from the almighty that he heard your prayers. We should get married, I can’t lose you.” He let his head rest further on the pillow, he could feel the exhaustion returning but he fought it. He couldn’t lose her.

It was not like being married would change anything but her last name. They spent hours together already and she hadn’t seen the inside of her quarters since their first date. It only made sense to get married especially because was the type who liked things orderly. Maybe that is why he loved her so. Lily was anything but orderly. Their relationship might resemble a beautiful serene beach after Hurricane Lily struck but among the scattered palm fronds and washed up seaweed, was just two people still sitting on a blanket watching the waves and planning a life together.

Lily

Paige arrived for her duty shift and was reading through the overnight notes. She glanced over at Lily and Duncan and gave them a moment or two before she walked over “Good morning, How are you feeling Lt?” She asked as she looked at the bio bed readings and the notes “How would you feel about going to your quarters today?” Paige asked as she looked over the notes.

CMO

“I would say that would be long overdue,” Duncan replied, giving Paige a smile in greeting, “and much appreciated. I think getting back to my own quarters would be fantastic. Thank you, Doctor.”

Lt Rhodes, CSO

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CSO Quarters
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Lily reclined in the large oversized chair with her feet lazily hanging over the opposite arm her back was propped up against. In her hands was a large cup of coffee with steam curling from the top of it. The lights were dimmed enough to remove the harsh glare from the room. Along the wall under the large PaDD mounted for watching holo programs, the news, and whatever else you wanted was a crackling fire. It wasn’t a real fire of course. Open flames were always discouraged in space. This was something Lily had found tucked away in one of Duncan’s closet. She had heard of portable, personal replicators but due to the cost and limited function of such devices, Lily had never experienced it until now. Since she had discovered it, Rhodes quarters had displayed a waterfall, open fish tank, roaring fire, and window to a mountain vista. The gentle summer rain proved disastrous and required several fans to dry out his carpets. That was something she wasn’t going to replicate again. The warmth from a fire was relaxing. Warm summer rains only got your feet wet whether it was real or not. Four large red stockings with white trim hung above the flames on the mantle with the names Daddy Lily Those in Need and Trico

Looking at Duncan sleeping on the couch, Lily took a long sip of her coffee thinking about how she got here. The path was convoluted and at times even she wasn’t sure how her job at the coffee shop led her to living in his quarters. Well, the quarters was a new twist. She had been residing in that lovely old observation deck he turned into a charming bachelor flat but with his near-death experience, Duncan needed her at his side and not several floors away. The trip from the infirmary to here had not been as smooth as she would have liked. Duncan hid it well enough to make it to his quarters and stave off the medical staff but he had slept for hours since. Lily didn’t mind though. It had given her time to finish up some touches to the room.

Trico hopped over to Duncan on the couch and attempted to nudge his hand that had fallen off the edge of the couch. It had been so long since she had seen him, Trico thought he had disappeared. While he was not a free with the snacks an food as the women that came into his office and home, he was still Dad. He was the one that at times only side glanced when Trico hopped into the bathtub to play in the water after a shower. He was the one that only sighed deeply when Trico pulled all the blankets, which since this Lily had arrived seemed to multiply as if breeding, into a pile to make a nest. He was the one that stopped working at his console to talk softly alone in the still of the night when Trico needed some love and hopped into his chair. Wherever her Dad had been, Trico was just happy to have him back home.

“Hey give him just a little more time to nap okay,” Lily said softly. “Maybe you can fire up that flame thrower for me and light the tree, Lily asked happily. Trico immediately forgot the hand an ran over to Lily. For all the things her Dad let her do, he did not let her light the tree like Lily did. Picking up the little creature, Lily pointed to the tree and began to count. “One,” she said making Trico shake out her body like a runner taking a spot on the starting line. “Two,” Lily said slowly as Trico narrowed her eyes at her target. Lily and her had practiced a lot and took faith in “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” Her Dad said this to his workers all the time and it had been what got she and Lily through the not so successful attempts at the previous tree lightings. “Three,” Lily said slipping a piece of pepperoni in Trico’s mouth.

Duncan might have been aroused by the length of time he had already slept or it might have been the wrooshing sound like a flame thrower igniting. Only he would know but what he would see was his tiny pet in the arms of his girlfriend turning the power and might of fire onto a decorated tree.

“Duncan you are awake,” Lily spun turning the fire spouting pet towards the couch. For a second the scene might remind him of a shock trooper with a flame thrower clearing the brush away from a jungle but just as quickly as it started it ended. Trico no longer cared about her nightly job and wriggled down to be by Duncan’s side. A small puff of smoke exited her lips as she jumped up on the couch, stood on Duncan’s chest and peered into his eyes.

Sauntering over to Duncan, Lily dropped to the floor by the couch he was resting on. “Well, what do you think? There are Christmas miracles.” The room had been transformed into an artist’s interpretation of an English Christmas. Holly and pine boughs littered every surface in the room. Wreaths hung on every window. Christmas bobbles of Santa, snowmen, elves, and nutcrackers adorned almost every flat surface. While the intent might have been aristocratic English, the effect could possibly be more Christmas curio shop packed with gifts. “When I realized you were coming home I tried to make it festive. Since you are English I guessed you are into the Dicken’s christmas thing only I could not find a single decoration so I had to improvise. Well translated that means I borrowed your credit voucher and went out with Jessica shopping. We can worry about the bills after Christmas. I think that is why I love Jessica. She kept saying when you are married it is for better or for worse a Christmas bills are worse for men but better to have a great holiday.”

The star of the room was the Christmas tree. On it were not twinkling lights but individual candles clipped to each branch that now had a rosy flame thanks to Trico. “So what do you think about the tree,” she asked. “Personally I think we need more than the popcorn, red ornaments, bows, and small packages on the branches but I could not find the family ornaments you made as a kid so it will be a surprise for next year and before you say anything…the candles are fake,” she whispered in his ear.

“Trico and I learned the hard way it can not be historically accurate to have open flames on a tree. Several attempts at giving it are all involved Captain Mathais asking if I was trying to burn down his station and half a dozen fire suppression crews in your quarters but it did clean up rather nicely. You only lost that horrible painting to the third attempt. Either way, I came up with a different plan where Trico can still do her job lighting the tree,” Lily smiled softly at the animal curled on his chest. “It’s all holographic,” she whispered in Duncan’s ear. “We found however you do need to be standing on the tape when you point her to it. It was the cause of the loss of tree five but....what do you think,” she asked gently running her fingers through his hair softly as they talked.

Lily Locksley.