Unexpected Call Backpost

Posted on Sat Nov 5th, 2022 @ 10:10pm by Commander Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels

Mission: Evacuation
Location: Security Office

"Sir." One of the enlisted men in security called Wagnor in his private office. "You have an incoming call from the Uss Kumari coming in. Do you want to take it?"

"Patch it through."Wagnor said

A familiar face appeared. Long red hair splaided with grey and a rakish earring in one ear, all very unmilitary. Only the man looked a lot worse since the last time he had seen him and he was in bed attached to tubes and monitors. "Hey bach, I am hearing all sorts or rumours, thought I had better see you are not getting yourself in too much trouble." The welsh accent very strong.

"We've got quite the shit storm brewing over here. I didn't start it, but I'm stuck in the middle of it." Soran sighed. "Moxley is up to his usual tomfuckery and some through bringing Frank Drew along was a good idea."

'Woah, slow it down boy." Wain smiled. "I think you had better start from the beginning. And first get yourself something to drink and a bite to eat with lotsof sugar in it." He could see how keyed up the younger man was, for not asking how he was feeling. And it was dangerous for Ren to be on this edge for too long.

"I am calm, but I don't need an excuse to partake in a drink," Soran nodded. He poured himself a drink and grabbed something from the replicator.

Wain watched him eat. He had raised enough boys to know what he was doing. "Now, what is wrong and why are you frazzled."

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Soran asked.

"Pwaw, I am fine." He waved the concern away. "You know I am tough as nails."

"I see," Soran said.Then he took a deep breath and then got Wain up to speed on everything.

He nodded a few times along the way. Nobody had filled him in yet on how the mission had gone or how badly wounded the boys were. "Did you get any information out of the prisoners? Are... can you talk to Tasin yet... he will be ok?"

"He's in the high spirits, but hes hurt pretty bad." he said.

Wain closed his eyes for a second. "How bad?"

"I shouldn't be the one answering these questions Wain," he sighed. "At the moment he can't walk."

"Oh god. They... they kept it from me. And the other two? I had no idea they took Nicky with them the idiots. I would have forbidden it."

"Physically Nick is going fine, emotionally." He shook his head. "I wonder if Denise could treat him, perhaps you could be part of Tasin's rehab program."

"Well..."

"Owain bloody London." Came another familiar voice and then a string of loud welch sentences and it did not sound very friendly.

"Hello Denise it's good to hear your voice" Soran laughed.

"Did they forgot to mention to me that my husband suffered a major heartattack and was in surgery for over 12 hours not a week ago and he is on absolute bed rest. Hello to you as well Ren."

Wain tried to look innocent.

"We were just talking about you," he smiled

"I bet you were." But she was cooling down, like her husband she had a soft spot for Wagnor. "How are you, Ren?"

I'm all right I'm trying to help Nick while dealing with Moxley's foolishness."

Denise sighed. "Ren, give the man a break. Moxley is really not as bad as you make him out to be. The poor man just retired and you know how hard that can be. Suddenly he is the boss of nobody and I think after a few months of sleeping in and finding hobbies he is not handling it well."

"Respect given is respect earned, this will not change." Soran said. "Besides he tried to order Tony to stop seeing me. Any man who tries to treat his family like a dictatorship, has serious issues."

"Love you just rub each other the wrong way. Always have. Keep in mind that Tony really does love him, hmm. Now how is Nicky?"

"Physically he going to mend, psychologically I'm very concerned. I don't think the marine corp is a good fit for him. He'll need to make that decision on his own so it'll be good if we can get him away from the Marines and that means Moxley."

Denis thought for a few seconds. "That is going to be hard. What you need is someone or somewhere to look after Nick that doesn't take bullshit from Mox the same way you don't."

Behind her back Wain was pointing at his wife.

Soran looked her in the eye, "Nick said he would to stay with you, he's worried that you'll blame him for what happened to Tasin. We both know that's nonsense, but the mind does strange things under stress."

"Oh that is nonsense. Tasin should have had enough sense not to take Nicky into danger. He knows the boy is no soldier. If he asked for me, yes I can do that." she had put enough nearly broken soldiers back together over the years. "You can tell him that."

"I already have," Soran smiled. "Moxley won't like it, but he won't be able to stop it either."

"Good." Denise said. "We will have to figure something out though. My husband here won't be able to travel back to earth any time soon. Regardless of what he told you he is a very sick man and he very nearly died."

"Well luckily he has you to take care of them and keep him in line. " Soran smiled, he found himself thinking of his relationship with Tony and wondered if they would make it that far.

"He needs that."

"Dennie I am right here!" Wain grumbled.

"I know dear, how can I forget." She gave him an indulgent smile. "We have to find a way I can look after both Wain and Nick."

"Why don't we send him with Tasin? I'm sure you can think of some sort of therapy that would justify that action." He shrugged, "and Moxley will have a tough time arguing against it. He will suspect my involvement, but at this point I honestly don't care. If he wasn't Tony's grandfather I'd have knocked his teeth out be now."

"Ren! Behave!" Denise said mock sternly. That is not going to help your career. "Tasin is going to need a long rehab as well from what I have been told." She said. "I will tell you later, love." She said to Wain."

Her husband nodded. "What have I been hearing about you and Tony?"

"We're dating," he smiled. ""Moxley ordered her to dump me, that old bastard really believes he's the family's dictator."

Both Londons groaned at that.

"You certainly took your time." Denise finally said. "It's been obvious for years."

"Yeah, Richard and I had a bet going?"

It was clear from the look on his wife's face that she had not known that little bit of information.

"What? Somebody has to kind of adopt the boy. And it would be a bit awkward if it was Richard." He explained to his wife. "We will stand in for your parents at the wedding."

Denise could only groan.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now I don't have the best track record in that regard"

"You and Tony belong together." Wain said smugly.

"That's what everyone keeps saying, I tried to talk her out of it." He chuckled.

"You met your match in stubbornness there." Denise said and then cast a worried glance at her husband who was getting tired.

"We have spirited debates on that point," he smiled.

"That is not a bad thing, Wain and I have them all the time. But on that subject he really does need to rest now. Is there more you need from me Ren? We can talk outside."

More grumbling from Wain.

"Will he be okay?" Soran asked. "I've never seen him so pale."

Denise stepped outside. "Probably. The doctors operated for nearly 24 hours. And it is now up to the healing. They want to keep him on a ship. Believe it or not his stress levels are down when he is on ship duty so they think that will help his recovery. And it can take months, he very nearly died this time. It is not just his heart, it is the damage to his whole system playing up again." She let Ren see how worried and tired she was.

"That man's so stubborn, Death in the self will think twice before the confrontation."

"I hope so. I honestly don't know what to do without him. People always think I am the strong one, but it's him. And now I will have to chose if I will be with my husband or my son during their recovery."

Soran paused for a moment, "You have good support group. Ask for help you need."

"I will, I do. But I can't be in two places at once." She waved it away. "But enough about us. How are you settling in?"

"I have a lot of things to adjust to," Soran said.

"Such as?" She asked.

"Transitioning Tony from friend to partner is a little awkward sometimes and I don't know how I'll handle another war."

"I can imagine." Denise smiled. "Is she trying to be your therapist? She can't do that but you should continue to talk to someone, Ren. It is really important."

"I am," He sighed.

"I know you don't want to hear it. But with what you have been through during your life you have to stay on top of it before it becomes a problem."

"I'm working on it, I'm in good hands."

"Ok. And don't let Tony work on you. She needs to be your girlfriend not your therapist."

Soran shook his head, "It's a fine line. We're doing are best."

"I know you both are but you let her know if she makes you feel uncomfortable, you hear? I know all about that. Wain had to do it with me when we started dating. You know I was his first therapist."

"I'm aware, Wain and I have a lot in common." Soran said. "I think I reminded myself as a young man and that's why he reached out to me."

"I am sure that was the initial reason. You know he loves looking after strays." She smiled. "But he soon saw the potential you held on your own. He loves you like one of his sons, Ren."

"It's good to be loved,"

"Yes it is." She smiled. "it really is. You and I are both lucky."