The Blues Backpost

Posted on Sun Oct 16th, 2022 @ 7:36am by Commander Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels

Mission: The Lost Brother
Location: Tony's quarters
Timeline: after the follow up with nick

Tony had just logged on the computer that she needed a few hours alone time and would not be available. In truth the captain had given her the leeway to be there for her family just now and skip work when she needed.

She threw herself on her bed and just let the tears come. The last days had been such a rollercoaster of fear. Fear of not finding Nick and Tasin alive. And then the terror of the state they were both in. They nearly lost Tasin because he was so severely wounded. And Nick...

It brought back so many memories. Of William Stern, the patient who had killed herself when she believed him that he was fine. She had been a starting therapist then and it nearly destroyed her. It was William really who had made her go into trauma treatment and work with the worst cases. If she was honest it probably went back so much further. When she was growing up her family and the London's had always lived next to each other and basically grew up as one happy family. When one set of parents was off on a mission the other parents would take care of the whole lot.

One of the earliest memories had was of the bomb attack when she was just four years old. It had targeted the London house and her best friend Kay's twin had been killed in the attack. She had watched the London adults come apart. Denise badly coping and Owain losing it completely. The bomb had been aimed at him. And for a while he became so self destructive that he tried to kill himself. It had been a dark period.

But most of the tears now were because Sky and Ren did not trust her judgement. This was what she did. She knew that it was not Nick's fault. Trauma attacked the brain, and could make the nicest kindest person into a liar who only thought of one thing. Ending the pain by any means they could. This was the hardest phase, keeping them alive and recalibrating their brains again until they were able to listen again. But she could not put her relationship with Sky and Ren at risk to push through what she knew was needed. She loved Ren too much to do that. She could only pray it would not cost her her brother. So she lay there and sobbed in the dark room alone.

Soran walked up to the door and pressed the chime.

She thought about ignoring it. Then wiped her eyes and hoped they did not look to red and walked to the door. "Come."

"Tony?" Soran said, walking into the dark room. "Computer lights 10%."

"What?" She asked wiping the last tears away. "I was just taking a break."

"I'm afraid I can't help Nick, apparently I'm just your family pet killer and I'm of no use to Nick because I don't want to end his life." Soran was still fuming from his conversation in Sickbay. "I left him with a security officer and lieutenant Jensen."

"Oh Ren." She put her arms around him. "You know he doesn't mean that. He's sick, love. He can't help himself. Trauma makes his brain not work like it should. We can get him past this. You don't want to know all the names I have been called by patients at this stage."

"Well he's triggering my trauma, so I'll leave his care to the professionals." Soran said. "I've told them never to speak to me again and at the moment I mean it."

"It really isn't personal. You know he adores you like a big brother. You have always looked out for him. Don't let his ruin the friendship. He is sick. It's a sickness you can't see but he is sick never the less." Her own troubles seemed forgotten now she could help someone else.

"Sick or not the things he said will have to be addressed ." Soran said as he held Tony.

"Have you never said anything you did not mean when you were sick or hurting?" She said softly. "Nick loves you."

"We'll talk about this later"

"But you are hurting, hon." Tony said. "I don't want you to walk out of here like that."

"Think of this as Psychological triage," Soran kissed her neck. "Consider me to be walking wounded and your brothers in critical condition. I will heal, but it will take time. "

"What can I do for you without it sounding like I am your therapist." She said. "I know you hate that but sometimes it is hard for me what to do and what not to do. Nick won't talk to me right now and I need to feel like I am doing something."

"At the moment I'm wondering how he got that idea in his head," Soran said quietly. What the fuck has your grandfather been saying?!"

Soren had never cared for Tony's grandfather, but had rarely said anything to keep the peace. Right now he was so angry with that stubborn old man that it was a good thing they were light years apart.

"Granddad?" Tony said. "You think he did this?" She thought for a few seconds. "Well he didn't try when I was present. He knew I would not stand for it. But maybe he did talk to Nick when I was not around. Nick loves him very much, you know that."

Soran looked eye, "yes that's why I haven't said anything. Your grandfather is a prideful the manipulative...."

He stopped short of insulting the man. "He tried to change my duty assignment right out of the Academy to a Black Ops team after I told him and his cronies to kick rocks! Admiral London your parents put a stop to it, but I haven't trusted him since. I seem to have earned his respect, but the feeling is not mutual.

"No!" Tony said. "Nobody ever told me that." She was silent for a bit. "Well he did rate you then. But that would have been so wrong. I love my granddad, Ren, you know that. He is a brilliant man, but you are right he can be ruthless. I never thought he would do it to family."

Soran shook his head, "I wonder what he's been saying to Nick."

"I think we have to ask him." Tony said softly.

"You'll need to handle that, I think I'm to angry" he sighed.

"I will never get it out of him, you know that."

"I really don't think it's a good idea." He hung his head.

"Mum and I ... we were raised a certain way. I can't stand up to him. I think only you can Ren. Dad can to a certain degree, but not all the way."

"Alright," he said. "This will be ugly."

'I know but it is for Nick. and you are the only one who can pull it off."

"I do it for Nick," he nodded.

She embraced him. "Thank you love. I know how much this is costing you."

"Get him on subspace, I'll talk to him."

"Ok. Give me five minutes." Tony said.

OOC want to do that in a new post? ≈yep



Tag

ooc getting timeline straight so they were friends before he was her patient? So they must have really bonded at the academy for some reason. And then she was his therapist but he would still have been a family friend and they would have all helped to aid in his recovery. Stoffels and Londons. Is that right? ≈Yes

The London's sponsored his admission into the Starfleet Academy, that's how Stoffels met him. Soran agreed to keep an eye on Tony when she joined the Academy the after he started, he had a PTSD relapse while serving on Starbase 114. That's when Tony started treating him.

Ah yes he met Owain first. So he knows those boys even better :)