Follow up with Nick

Posted on Sat Oct 15th, 2022 @ 12:42pm by Lieutenant Sky Jansen-Carey & Commander Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels & Lieutenant Commander Rutherford (RJ) Milton

Mission: The Lost Brother
Location: sickbay
Timeline: after patient discussion

Nick had slept a lot better since his talk with Ren and when he woke up in the morning he felt a lot stronger. There was still a guard in his room and he gave them a friendly smile when he woke up.

"Man I slept for ages." He yawned. "If it's ok with you I am going to the bathroom and freshen up a bit. Hell, I don't know what came over me yesterday. That was pretty embarrassing."

"That's fine, I'll escort you." The officer said. He looked at a nurse, "Inform Commander Wagnor the patient is awake."

The guard led Nick to a bathroom, "I'm sorry I can't leave you alone."

"Aw come on man, you don't want to watch me take a dump do you?" Nick said laughing.

Wagner approached the two young men, " You're dismissed Haorn, I'll take it from here."

"Ah good, Ren." He said smiling. "Thanks for last night, I needed that man. I feel so much better right now. If you would just give me a minute I will be right out."

"One moment," Soran said.

He quickly checked the bathroom for anything dangerous. Then looked Nick over to make so he didn't have anything he could hurt himself with.

"Sorry boy but when you talk the way you did last night we have to take precautions," he nodded. "Go ahead."

"Thanks Ren he said and went into the bathroom.

___________

Arriving to see Nick, Sky was surprised to see his bed empty. “Where is Nick?”

He needed to use the restroom, "I'm sure commander Wagner will bring him back in a moment." Haorn Informed her on his way out the door.

“Thank you” Sky smiled warmly finding herself a seat to wait for Nick and Soran to return.

___________

A minute later they heard a crash in the bathroom.

Sky heard the crash and quickly came running. “What in the hell was that!?”

Soran rushing to the bathroom to see Nick on the floor, He bent down to check on him.

Appearing in the doorway Sky looked around. “The floor looks wet over there, is it possible he slipped?”

"No, I've seen this before." Soran had a mix of anger and disappointment on his face. "This is a deliberate attempt at self harm, fortunately the Stoffels have hard heads."

"What the fuck! You dumb-ass," Soran shouted at the boy.

“Ren...” Sky placed her hand on Soran’s shoulder. “Let’s just get Nick some medical attention, we can talk about this afterwards.”

"Fine," Soran said.

With a summons from Sky, it wasn’t long before medical help arrived. Once Nick was back in his room and tended to with another guard at his side Sky looked towards Soran. “Let’s talk somewhere private.”

"Why?" Soran challenged.

“Because it’s unprofessional to speak in-front of a patient.” Sky gave Soran a look that said she meant business.

"Your office is closer than mine the Lieutenant." Soran said quietly.

Sky nodded and headed towards her office, when they got there she waited for Soran to enter and the door to close. “What in the hell Ren!? You can’t just fly off the handle at a patient like that!” She took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I know you’re angry with Nick, but shouting at him will only make things worse.”

"I'm not his doctor, I'm his friend." Soran said calmly. "My friends play stupid games with me, they win stupid prizes. I should have known better than to trust that selfish idiot. He asked me to kill him last night. I thought I'd talked him out of it. I'm fucking idiot. Do you have any idea how many times I wanted to die?"

Soran turned his face away from her hide his tears. "I should have seen though that, Tony can put him on whatever drugs she wants."

“Hey” Sky moved around to look at Soran handing him a tissue. “There’s something in your eye Ren” She offered the phrase knowing how much it meant to him.

He took the tissue, "my experience is so different from the Stoffels' and the Londons. When Wain brought me to one of their family gatherings I'd never felt love like that before. I have trouble being gentle in some situations and part of me really does want to kick that boy's ass. I'll try to help, I make no promises."

“Fair enough” Sky nodded. “I’m here for you too if you need it.”

=^=Sickbay to Commander Wagner, Nick is asking for you Sir.”

He looked at Sky and nodded.

***

"I guess I slipped." Nick told the nurses tending him. Maybe they would believe him. "Where is Ren?" He had not been knocked out completely when he fell and he remembered Ren shouting at him. Somehow that made him feel bad.

“We’ll let him know you’re asking for him” the young nurse attending smiled as she tapped the comms. “Sickbay to Commander Wagner, Nick is asking for you Sir.”

=^= I'll be right there Wagnor out

Soran walked into the room he'd asked Sky to wait outside, the Angosian nodded to the nurse and motioned her to go. He sat down next to him.

"How are feeling?"

"Hey Ren. I just slipped, you know." The boy said softly. "No need for you to get angry."

"Really?" He said. "Well congratulations you've just lost the privilege to do anything without observation for the next forty-eight hours. I believe you slipped. I don't believe you did anything to catch yourself… you need help Nick."

"That is so unfair, Ren! You said you believed in me." Nick slightly raised his voice. He could not lose his one ally. "Come on man, you are like a brother to me, I need you on my side."

Outside Sky could feel the emotion in the room creeping up. She’d promised Ren she’d wait outside so she waited to see what the outcome would be.

"I am on your side," Soran said. "I will help you get the help you need. Because I love you too much to let you do this on your own. I know what it's like to want to end it all, I stuck it out. You can too, your mother and sister love you and want what's best for you."

"What's best for me is to let me die! If you really loved me you would help me but you are not a true brother are you!"

"Wow you really are a selfish little prick aren't you?!" Soran histed. "You can't think of anyone, but yourself. You want to put your blood on my hands?! You want your family to suffer your loss?! Can't you see the pain you are causing?! If being a good brother means causing pain to your entire family fuck that!"

"Why do you think dad and granddad kept you around. Because you are their trained pet killer." Nick hissed. "That's all you are good for, killing. So do it, kill me! Kill me!" he screamed.

"I'm not anyones pet! You aren't worth the effort you pathetic coward!" He shouted, "I am done do not ever speak to me again!"

He stormed out of the room past Sky and out of sickbay.

“What in the hell?” Sky didn’t know whether to go after Soran, or look in on Nick. She was sure Soran wouldn’t leave Nick without a security detail.

A young officer in security uniform came in to sickbay and moved to Nick’s room. He handed Sky a PADD with a message from Soran; 'I've washed my hands of him, do whatever you think is best.'

Sky sighed, she needed to talk to Rutherford before any further progress could be made with Nick’s recovery. She made her excuses leaving Nick in the safe hands of security whilst she went to find Rutherford. “Rutherford...we need to talk.”

"I see a patinet where I will be following a lead I presume?" Milton said as he ushed them to his office. "Want to fill me in here?"

Pix hovered in the sick Bay looking at the person hurting, it sent pain through her , he needed something and Pix was wondering if she should get close, it would be painful to her, it might even be harmful to progress? Healing is painful, both sides feel it, but when the desire for life is in question, it is a cliff that sometimes drags others over the edge as well. She wanted to help, felt the need to help but feared what could happen is she could not be of help.

A tear ran down her cheek for this one called Nick.

Sky took a seat giving Rutherford a resigned look. “I don’t know what to do with Nick, he had a slip in the bathroom but made no attempt to save himself from injury. Soran had washed his hands of Nick, and I’m seriously considering sedating him. I know that’s not what you want, hence why I’m here asking for your help. I need to speak with Nick’s mother to see if she can help. Problem is Nick is refusing to see his mother, or Tony.”

Milton glance back and noted Pix hovering.

"I know you can only use what is ambient in the surroundings for you r impressions." Milton noted. "Tell me what you sense and there has to be a stepping stone from there. Think of what is behind the emotion, is it hurt, shame , fear or isolation and loneliness. As a counselor you have experience with discerning the root of emotion without necessarily probing." He pointed over her shoulder. "Pix is hesitant, she does not contemplate things often and without seeing her face I can tell she is holding back; a feeling im my gut tells me she is at a crossroads." He took a breath to think for a second. "I have not the heritage you do nor the ability but I know he is hurting and wants help but feels he is either beyond or not worthy of that help?"

Nick believes he’s a coward and a failure, his said his grandfather used to drum it into him that honour is all important. He feels he’s not worthy of being alive, that he should have died. He’s hell bent on dying!” She pausedjust a matter of severity. “I’ve never had a patient with this high a level of trauma, to be honest I’m afraid of failing him.”

"There is a common problem; the beliefs of the Older Generation being forced onto the younger one." Milton remarked. "Nothing that you have not seen, just a question of severity." He look her in the eye. "You need to get him to at least be willing to try a better future than the dreary present and gloomy future he seems to have in mind."

Sky nodded. “Thank you Rutherford, for giving me other ways to look at this.” She smiled. “Right now he’s under guard, and not in a good frame of mind. Would you recommend a sedative to calm him down?”

"Normally, but in his condition I would recommend minimal; that way you have something or any break-downs along the way." Milton explained. "Heavy doses leave him little room to emote and heal and nothing for you to really have to aid him when needed."

Sky nodded. “Understood. Let’s just hope he’ll let us help him.”

{OFF}