Nick’s Interview

Posted on Fri Nov 4th, 2022 @ 3:56pm by Lieutenant Commander Diane Doctrine & Captain Xavier Carey & Commander Antonia 'Tony" Stoffels & Lieutenant Commander Aalis Rinne & Lieutenant Sky Jansen-Carey & Lieutenant Commander Rutherford (RJ) Milton

Mission: Traitor amongst us?
Location: Sickbay

Diane, Soran, and Aalis were in the CMO’s office observing Nick on a video monitor.

“I hope he’s not as much trouble as Sergeant Drew,” Diane mentioned.

"He'll be a different kind of trouble," Soran said. "I'll intervene if I need to but I think you'll have a better chance of getting the information you need without me."

Nick sat shivering in his chair. He still felt pretty weak after his ordeal and very uncertain about what he would be facing now. Would this be the moment they would kick him out of the marines for being a coward?

Entering the room Sky offered Nick a warm smile. “Hello Nick” She noticed him shivering. “Are you cold? Would you like a blanket?”

He shook his head. "I am just a little scared, miss."

Sky nodded. “You know me by now Nick, call me Sky. There’s no need to be afraid, I’ll be right here to support you.”

He nodded his head looking at his shoes.

"Situations like these, you'll always find a level of nerves," Aalis commented. When one didn't have nerves in situations like these, Aalis knew that they had been trained to handle it or were so sure of themselves that they knew what was going on. Those that showed emotions like she had noticed over the years either had no idea what was going to happen or they were guilty of something. Sometimes it was a various degree of the both of them. "It's common and nothing to be afraid of," she reassured. "We can walk you through it, if you like?" she asked looking over to Diane and Sky for concurrence.

Sky nodded and smiled. “That’s right, it’s normal to be nervous. Just answer the questions honestly, to the best of your ability.”

Diane added, "We just need some information." She took note of his body language and demeanor and softened her approach accordingly, "You've done nothing wrong. This is not an interrogation. We just need a few questions answered. Is that all right?"

He nodded liking this lady. "Thank you, ma'am. I will do my best." He gave her a shy smile.

“Great,” Diane consulted a PADD she held and asked, “If you don’t mind, tell me about your recent…” now she looked Nick in the eyes and tilted her head just to the right, “…ordeal.”

"I betrayed Tasin. I told them all I knew." Tears streamed down his face. "It hurt so much, they hurt me for hours. I... I am such a coward. I could not handle it."

Diane’s brow furrowed. Nick was obviously having some post traumatic stress. He’d likely need counseling for a long time. She spoke in a low, quiet manner, “They tortured you? Can you tell me who did this and why?”

"The Klingons. And I think there was a human there but he stayed in the shadows, he just gave orders to the others. I don't speak Klingon very well. But it seemed he was in charge." He sniffed. "They wanted to know why we were on the mission and they wanted...." He started to cry even louder now.

“Nick..” Sky moved forward crouching beside Nick. Given his emotional state she didn’t reach out to touch him, she didn’t want a repeat of what had happened when she touched Soran during a high emotion moment. “I want you to take a deep breath, try and calm yourself.” She offered a nearby box of tissues.

He nodded and grabbed a handful of tissues and blew his nose. He tried to breath deeply but tears were still streaming from his eyes although he did seem a little calmer.

Sky smiled. “That’s it.” She nodded to Diane as she moved aside again.

“I am in agreement." Milton commented as Pix had stood on his shoulder, not her normal relax seated observation position.

Milton had been watching the exchange; letting Sky and her heritage of empathy take the lead in the questioning. Having a hypo at the ready; a bit of a saline solution and chlordiazepoxide; a drug administered mainly for high anxiety and withdraw, not a large dose but enough that it should allow the patient to relax but still remain relatively lucid. Looking to Pix on his shoulder he did not have to say anything as she flitted away.

Pix flew over and landed on Nick's shoulder, adding her own hug to his neck and trying hard to weather the waves of emotion hitting her empathic nature. Like Sky she had Gifts of Empathy but with a stronger degree of intensity, Pix bonded with those around her and she seemed to live off the happy nature but in times like this she felt the pain of others and sought to dissipate the hurt feelings and just project what she could of a serene emotional place; the vivid image of a meadow near her place at 'Home' where a light breeze moved the swaying grass and the scent of trees, grass and the water from a morning sprinkle. The scene was lace with a peaceful vibration Pix used her Telepathy to project and aid in Sky ministrations and her own attempt to help calm the man.

If Pix let him know, Milton had the hypo but Doctors; no matter how kind, at times like this might not be taken as well as being Helpful so much as trying to 'Druge or sedate the patient so he held back to see what Sky and Pix could do.

Glancing almost casually about the people his gaze stopped for that extra second to Diane, his slight nod he hoped let her know he understood that she was doing her duty and not step in unless she crossed a line as the Captain had once. The information is vital in Nick's explanation and if they kept his mental state in mind Milton would remain only an Observer.

"Let Pix and Sky do their best and we shall see how it goes." He held up the tricorder in his other hand. "Due diligence on my part."

Sky offered Milton a warm smile as she moved back out of the way a little, just staying where she could observe, and be there for Nick. Keeping her mental barriers up was a natural part of things for her, but Nick being in such a state meant keeping her barriers up that bit higher. She was going to need to chill out, and grab a few minutes rest afterwards.

Diane's brow furrowed. Questioning someone in this state was almost worse than dealing with Drew. Sure, she was trained for this but it's one of those situations you never expect to be in. She spoke softly, almost like she was trying to lull her son to sleep. "It's okay Nick. You've been through a tough, traumatic time. I don't think you're a coward. You understand? Just take your time and tell me what you were doing there. Can you do that?"

Pix remain hugging Nick as best she could to help ease him enough to be able to relay what he needed.

Offering a smile from where she stood, Aalis was documenting in her shorthand everything that was going on and had been said so far. She remained quiet, allowing Nick to feel comfortable, even if his nerves was now getting the better of him.

Nick tried to hug Pix back as gently as he could. It always made him feel so good to have her close to him as if she somehow calmed him down. But he also gave her a sad look. He did not really want her to see him like this for the sniveling coward he was. The young man tried to pull himself together as best as he could. 'I am okay to go on." He murmured.

“Great,” Diane sounded relieved, “Just tell me what happened. What was your mission? Who sent you? Do you know why you were sent? Take your time, all right?”

"Uncle Wain... I mean Admiral London sent us. But I don't know all the details. I was stationed on the same base as Tasin and Melor and I overheard them talking about going on a mission together and I kind of badgered them until they promised to take me along." He blushed. "I wanted to prove that I was a real officer. I guess I was wrong."

“Okay, you’re doing great, keep going,” Diane listened intently while not wanting to over burden the fragile seeming Nick.

"At first it was great being out with them. They treated me like one of the guys." He finally smiled. “And it was all cool. It took us a few days to get to this planet to meet some guy. Tasin and Melor had me take care of security while they talked to him. It was in a bar and I did not see anybody suspicious. They promised to tell me later what it was all about. But when we walked to our flyer we were attacked.” He drew in breath at the memory.

“And this is where the difficult part starts, right?” Diane asked. She took a quick glance to Doctor Milton to make sure things were all right to go on.

Sky nodded to Milton to say that she agreed with Diane proceeding. Nick was doing well so far.

Glancing up from his tricorder he gave a nod, things are still in safe area.

“Can you tell me what happened after the attack? We know you were taken prisoner and you were treated very badly.” Terrific understatement there. “Did you gain any information on what the Klingons were up to or why you were captured?”

"We were all kept separately." Nick's breathing became more rapid. "Without clothes...in the dark... it was cold...I don't know how long I was in there without food or water when... when they came..."

*********

Soran watched Nick on the monitor, he'd experienced a similar hell. For the first time he regretted killing the Klingons that have been holding Nick, he wished they had got the story from them instead.

*********

“You’re doing well Nick” Sky offered a warm smile. “Keep going...”

"I was so tired then. But I wanted to be brave. They... they beat me all over. And I was still naked." Tears leaked again. "I hurt so much, so much."

This was not helping. Diane looked Sky and Doctor Milton, “Perhaps I should come back later?”

Sky looked towards Rutherford, then back at Diane. “Give me a couple of minutes, I’ll see what I can do.” She moved across to Nick once again. “Nick, I need you to close your eyes, and take a deep breath.”

He nodded and tried to do as she asked. He wanted this over with as soon as possible and his shame out there in the open.

“That’s it,” Sky smiled. “Now I want you to think of somewhere that makes you feel safe and relaxed. Picture it in your mind. Now when you’re answering the questions, just remember that safe place. No one can hurt you, okay?”

Pix took her cue and made her way over to Nick and while hovering touched his head and once again tried to project that place from her home as she ahd with him before, the flowing grass; the breeze the smells of nature that was her home in hopes that it would help center him a bit and augment that which Sky sought to do.

"Yeah, I can picture it." He said. "I can go on." it was half true.

Milton was going to give this about another half heartbeat, if these vitals did not calm a bit he would call this session as closed. The anxiety medicine he had in hand might be of...

Pix snapped a look to Milton and softly expressional and shook her head in a manner that Milton understood, he just kept the hypo in his hand for now.

"If this does not radically work I am calling it Commander." He told Diane in the professional tone that is his medical mainstay, his patient's care always came first.

Diane only nodded in Rutherford's direction. She understood the interview would have to continue later.

"I do appreciate that you work with me on this; others have not been so." He told her honestly. "Professional. I respect your methods so far."

"I want to go on!" Nick said. he swallowed. "They came and they beat me... on all the places... all the places that hurt most. And ... when..." He was breathing rapidly and tears slit down his face. "I told them everything they wanted to know."

Pix felt the emotional reactions escalating and she flew to Milton and taking the hypo she went to Nick and gently as she could administered the hypo with the mild solution to aid his anxiety attack them dropped the hypo and used her own inner strength to pass what he could from herself into Nick, her glow flaring a bit then dimming as she sough to transfer the hurtful as much as she could to keep his mind a bit calmer and thus the body might follow, she gave all she had and it was like holding back a Dam ready to break emotionally. Pushing on her as her glw pulsed for a bit then her eyes began to roll back as she fell away.

Milton's gut had urged him closer before Pix took the hypo and he knew to catch her when she was too weak to stand. Cradling her he checked Nick to see the reaction.

"Is Pix okay?" Nick asked worried but for her. But at the same time the anxiety seemed to drain out of him a little.

"She is just exhausted." Milton replied as he checked alertness of Nick and satisfied the worst was over he moved to a near by Biobed and gently placed Pix upon it and took out his tricorder. "Given some rest she will be okay." He nodded to Nick. "Trust me if were anything else I would feel it, she lets me know how she is." He gave a relieved breath. "Good being connected with her and all. Now back to what you were saying."

"They kept asking if I knew details about the mission which I did not. And finally they seemed to believe me." He smiled. "Then they started to ask personal questions."

“If you can go on, Nick,” Diane took a glance to the Doctor to check, “Tell me what they asked you and what did you tell them.”

"They kept on and on about the routine at home. About mum and dad, their daily routine and what I knew about aunt Denise and uncle Wain, their daily routine. They kept on asking and I kept on telling me anything for that pain to stop."

Diane winced inwardly. It sounded like whoever torture this poor kid gained enough information for an assassination attempt. She would have to tell the General about this. “All right Nick,” Diane said softly, “Did they ever ask you about anything else? Anything that didn’t have to do with home or your relatives?”

He shook his head but then remembered something. "They thought I did not understand Klingon at all. The guy who stayed in the shadows, the human, he said something about destabilizing Starfleet command. But I could not understand it all. I don't speak it very well." He sighed. "And now you know it all, the horrible coward I am."

Diane sighed, “Well, I’m telling you, you are not a coward Nick. Perhaps inexperienced, but not a coward. Don’t let anyone tell you that. If you remember anything else, anything at all, let me know, all right?” She allowed a small smile onto her lips, “Thank you for all you’ve told me. It was helpful.”

"That should do it for a bit." Milton suggested. 'Give Nick a chance to rest." Milton glanced over to Sky and nod. "If there are no objections I would like to give my patient a chance to rest a bit." He noticed Pix had not moved and his gut told him she was spent. "I should see to Pix."

Diane moved out of the way to the edge of the room and quietly slipped out the door.

Milton gave an acknowledgement to Diane as he passed to get Pix.

"Can I help?" Nick asked wiping his tears away. "With Pix. I don't want her hurt because of me."

Milton hesitate for a second as he look at Pix; almost as though they had a conversation when his face showed a resolve. "You could at that." He gave a smile as he moved to Nick. "Pix is a social creature and the warmth of another tends to give her more of a recharge than her own little rest area. " He offered to lay Pix down on Nick. "I did not want to disturb you but since you offered." Placing her down upon his chest. "I usually cradle her for a bit, I think you could do a bit of good for her. She needs people to care for her, kind of the Believing in the Fairies, she will pulse a bit as she sleeps, don't be alarmed that is normal for her." Letting her cuddle in her sleep Milton backed away. "Sleep well." He pat Pix gently before totally stepping back.

Nick smiled down on her in awe, totally ingulfed in Pix and watching her sleep and heal. And probably this was the best for him to heal at the moment as well.

Smiling at Nick and Pix, Sky headed on her way. At least now questions were questions were answered Nick could finally get some peace.

Having taken all the notes and information down that she could, Aalis followed the other officers out after bowing her head to Nick knowing what pain that he went through and everything that he was going through. It was going to be an uphill battle to get everything situated for him, especially with the lot of information out there that upheaved everything.

OFF