Long Night

Posted on Mon Jun 22nd, 2020 @ 6:10am by Lieutenant Eiri Ashshy Ph.D & Eva Griffin
Edited on on Fri Jul 10th, 2020 @ 4:57pm

Mission: Divided We Fall
Location: Pandora's corridors/The Box

A Mission Post by Aoife Brennan & Lieutenant Eiri Ashshy Dr.
Mission: Divided We Fall
Location: Pandora's corridors/The Box
Timeline:

ON:

Rebekah Davies rubbed a hand over her face as she made her way to the Rec Deck in search of a drink. Draped tenderly against her shoulder was the even more tired Aoife, rubbing at her sleepy eyes and whimpering as she fought off sleep. Rebekah had been doing laps around the darkened deck 3 in the hopes that the movement would lull Aoife to sleep, but the little fox-child wasn't taking the bait; Aoife knew something was wrong, her mother and Cailus had failed to return home at the end of the day, and now she was quickly on her way to becoming inconsolable. And just when it looked like that last lap was going to be the lucky one that helped her get to sleep, Aoife jerked back to alertness just as the door opened to her quarters and Rebekah finally resigned herself to the first of what was likely going to be a lot of sleepless nights, so she headed for the lift to go to the Box for a pick-me-up.

"Can I get a latte, please, double strong," Rebekah said with a heavy yawn to a passing service-woman as she took a seat at the bar near one of the Observation windows; it looked like the Pandora had gone back to the strange phenomenon that had taken their Bridge crew away, but with that reminder it suddenly didn't look so pretty anymore. "And juice for the little one, white grape and peach please," Rebekah added as the civilian dining employee came around to the back of the bar to make the order.

Aoife wasn't the only one having a sleepless night. Dr. Eiri Ashshy was also wide awake and couldn't sleep, regardless of how tired his body and mind were. His husband Ayan had fallen asleep hours ago, but Eiri tossed and turned until even Ayan's softly sleeping breaths were annoying. He had gotten up and dressed and was now in search of something. He wasn't really sure what. He had been wandering the decks quietly, for awhile now. When he arrived at the Recreation Deck he was surprised to find that things were still open, even at this hour. Although, it did make sense. Delta shift had to eat too.

Some of the shops were closed, but several of the restaurants and bars were wide open. Most of them were a little too bright and a little too noisy, but The Box was open. Everyone in there seemed content and quiet. He thought that maybe it would do him some good to drink something hot and just sit, so he went inside and sat at the table closest to the bar and the Observation window. He frowned as he looked out at the storm. You've caused a lot of trouble... he said silently to it. "May I have a mug of hot chocolate?" he asked, when prompted for an order. "Thank you."

A mug of rich espresso goodness was placed before Rebekah, and in the foamy steamed milk was a heart blooming from cheery little plant; seeing the little design in her drink made Rebekah smile if only for a moment, but that smile quickly faded when she tried to offer a lidded tumbler of juice to Aoife. Aoife would not be plied with sweet juice, she was tired and she wanted her mother, and books with her voice were no substitute, she WANTED HER MOTHER!

"Oh, come now, Aoife-kit," Rebekah said softly as Aoife began crying, rocking gently with Aoife cuddled in her lap. "I know you want your mum, kiddo, but we don't know where she is." In hindsight, this was probably the wrong thing to say, but there was still some debate about how much Aoife could even understand, and Rebekah was so tired it just slipped out without meaning to say it. Of course, Aoife could understand much more than Rebekah gave her credit for, so she immediately started crying harder.

The crying child was an immediate downfall to the Box. Eiri furrowed his eyebrows and looked over to Rebekah and Aoife. "Where is the child's mother?" he asked. He could hear, very clearly, Aoife's thoughts. The child wanted its mother, so he was fairly certain that the woman with the child was not her mother, she also seemed completely exhausted. Eiri got up and moved to the bar to sit next to Rebekah. Can you hear me, child? Eiri asked the fawn-child in his mind. He thought he would try at least. He wasn't familiar with the little girl's species so he wasn't sure what she was capable of psionically.

"She was on the Bridge when... you know," Rebekah said uneasily as she continued to soothe Aoife with her gentle rocking, but the rocking suddenly ceased when Aoife stopped crying. "Oh no, don't shut down on me, little one, please don't do this," Rebekah said with a hint of panic. But Aoife was far from shutting down emotionally! suddenly aware of this voice in her head, Aoife's eyes were wide as she looked at the strange silver-haired man who had come to sit with them.

Mama... Eiri would hear in her mind as Aoife's thoughts swelled on her mother, everything from the way they cuddled, to the comforting smell of her, the softness of her hair, the gentleness of her touch, but 'Mama' was not alone because Cailus was also in her thoughts, especially how they would all cuddle in bed together sometimes, and this poor child was trying her best to hold on to that warm sensation of belonging the memory evoked, but she felt so lonely without her mother, or the man she loved like a father.

Eiri smiled sadly and reached out to pet Aoife gently. It will be alright, little one. We will find your mother and father. You just have to be patient with us for a little while longer. We are trying our best.. Eiri didn't just convey the words, but the feelings that went along with them. He tried to comfort her with feelings of home and safety. Trying to convey to her that they were aware that she missed her mother, but that they were doing their best to try and reunite them. "Dr. Brennan... and... the security chief? Is... is this Aoife?" Shae had spoken briefly of her child, but Eiri had only just now put two and two together, since they had never met.

Rebekah watched with fascination at this silent exchange between the two; she was no telepath, but she could definitely tell there was something going on between Aoife and Dr. Ashshy as he gently stroked her hair. Aoife seemed to calm slightly, though she was still quite tense.

"I'm sorry?" Rebekah said with surprise when Eiri spoke once again, but then realized what he'd asked her. "Oh, yes, this is Aoife, Dr. Brennan's daughter," she confirmed with a weak laugh, all the while Aoife kept staring at this interesting fellow who could talk in her head; if nothing else, he was a distraction from her loneliness, and her mind whirred, trying to work out with keenly intelligent wonder just how she was able to hear him in her head!

Eiri chuckled, something he rarely did. "Excellent. I know your mother. I work with her," he explained to Aoife, as well as Rebekah. He smiled warmly. My people can speak to each other like this. I was hoping that maybe you could too. It was, of course, an oversimplification, but she was a child. It was a difficult concept for most adults to grasp. Your mother will be home soon.

Rebekah smiled in relief at the interaction, and even laughed when Aoife's ears perked up and she tilted her head with a chirp, no doubt looking exactly as her mother did when she was fascinated by something in the lab.

"Goodness, you have no idea how much of a relief it is to see her like this," Rebekah remarked as Aoife began to chirp and gesticulate with her hands as though she expected Eiri to be able to understand her completely. "Aoife is terrified of being abandoned... again; it's Dr. Brennan's story to tell if you're keen to know what that means, but it's sad and it's brought them both no shortage of nightmares. I've been trying to get her to sleep, but at least she isn't crying now," she explained as she watched Aoife continue to chatter aimlessly.

Although Aoife was far from 'aimless', and though she didn't speak in a traditional sense, she was still quite the chatterbox once she got going! In her mind, she quite cheerfully rambled on about her 'parents', sharing with Eiri all the reasons her parents were the bestest-est, but not in words, at least not exactly; some words were involved, indicating she had a developed vocabulary and knew how to use it, but it was more like a pure stream of thought, and there was no mistaking how much this little girl loved her mother and 'father' (and she was quite aware that he was not her father, but she still loved Cailus anyway), or how much she missed them. Then she began to 'regale' Eiri with the excitement from the day and how some nice man gave her a whistle, which she proudly showed off was still hanging from her little wrist, and she was so excited for her mother to come back because she could play too and Aoife wanted to be able to play with her mother!

Eiri smiled a little at Rebekah. It was an awkward smile, as if he wasn't used to doing so. He chuckled again at Aoife. "Oh! Oh, I love your whistle!" He nodded. He listened intently to the child's chatter. It was actually quite refreshing to be flooded with the child's raw emotion and her love for her parents. Aoife's conversation was lovely. He enjoyed her tale and there was no more crying, but when he looked up at Rebekah he could see how exhausted she was. "Do you have any other sitters for her?" he asked, as he examined her flute closely as it rocked back and forth on its cord attached to Aoife's wrist. It is lovely, I imagine you are a great musician. Can you play for me?

"Normally I'm tasked with watching her during the day, even when she's in class or the playroom with Mrs. Temple, and of course I'm on call during emergencies, and so far we've been able to manage without needing another sitter," Rebekah tried to explain as Aoife picked up her little whistle and blew on it, showing off to Eiri all the different sounds she had learned to make with it in no particular order. "She has special needs, you see; unlike other children her age, she can't see to most of her own needs."

They want me to poop in the funny water bowl! Aoife chimed in, having understood most everything Rebekah said, then she giggled at the thought of how weird it felt trying to do her business on the funny water bowl; it just felt unnatural!

Eiri snorted at Aoife, although it might have seemed like he was snorting at Rebekah. Where... where do you think you should poop? he asked her in return. It was very hard for him for a moment to keep a straight face. He finally managed to look at Rebekah and keep from laughing out loud. "I think that perhaps she would get along well with my husband..." he said softly. "Perhaps we can help you while her mother is away. Would you like to meet my family? He shared with her images of Ayan and his affection for the other man and how much he meant to Eiri. Unfortunately, we do not have any children.

Rebekah gave Eiri a strange look at his snort, not realizing that he was reacting to something Aoife had 'said'. "I'm sorry, I fail to see what is so funny about a child with special needs," Rebekah said in a somewhat strained tone; she knew that special children like Aoife were somewhat of a rarity in this day and age of medical technology, but it did still happen, which was why she had dedicated her life to helping children in need. It was then that Aoife stopped playing to put a hand over Rebekah's mouth, and the glare she sent her was clear: no, just no.

Of course, Aoife didn't SAY anything, like usual, so the intent was probably missed, causing Rebekah like so many others, to severely underestimate the child's level of intelligence.

I poop in the diaper, that's what it's there for! Aoife finally replied to Eiri as she resumed playing her whistle, then considered the offer to meet Ayan while Rebekah looked on utterly dumbfounded. Will your mate make me poop in the water bowl?

Eiri shook his head. "It is not you, Rebekah. She has some very interesting stories." Well, see... I do not wear a diaper. Mostly because it is dirty. It is much cleaner to poop in the water. Then you can just make it go away. I think that maybe your parents would like to not have to change diapers. You should be a big girl and show them that you can do what they ask. He tried as much as he could to not just talk at her, but emote as well, so she could feel his concern and understand the time and strain it cost her parents.

"Stories? Are the two of your talking somehow?" Rebekah asked. "In all the months I've been doing her therapy with her, she's never once shown any indication that she's capable of speaking; I've been able to establish a varied vocabulary, but we don't know what's preventing her from speaking," she explained with exasperation. Again, Aoife stopped playing to look up at Rebekah.

Does this mean I have to start talking AND use the water bowl? Aoife didn't understand why she needed to learn to talk like everyone else did, her mother could understand her just fine when she made the chirping noises.

Eiri lifted one Vulcan eyebrow and stared at Rebekah, his face expressionless. "There is nothing wrong with this child. She is very smart and very willful." Eiri's gaze shifted to Aoife. Someday, you might want to talk to someone other than your mother. He didn't scold her, but he did try to imagine what it might like to be Cailus, who might not be communicating with her as clearly as her mother, and how rewarding it would be for him if she spoke.

At that thought, Aoife's ears drooped as she issued a little canine-sounding whine; she hadn't thought about it that way! And then another thought occurred to her that made her little lip quiver: would Cailus think that she didn't love him because she didn't talk to him?!

"We've always known she was smart and willful, but we never thought-" Rebekah stopped talking when she heard Aoife sniffling. "Oh no, what's wrong now?" she said with a sigh, her happy mood deflating a bit.

Eiri smiled a little, again awkwardly. "She is having a moment of realization. It's alright. It will pass." Eiri felt soothing thoughts at the child. He is your father. Regardless of blood. He loves you no matter what, but speaking to him might make him feel special. Like he can be part of your world too. He was confident that he could make those statements about Cailus. No child loved a parent as much as this child loved Cailus without reciprocation on the parent's part, even more so because he wasn't her natural father. He turned his gaze to Rebekah again. "I am... telepathic, empathic, you name it. I have both a Vulcan and a Betazoid heritage. I think that perhaps it has just been simpler for her not to speak. She has perfect understanding."

'Perfect' might have been overstating it a bit; there were times when Aoife listened to people talk and they would say words she didn't know or they talked too fast or simply too many people talking at once got her all confused, but for the moment she was understanding Eiri quite perfectly indeed!

"Oh, I see," Rebekah replied with a nod. She held Aoife close, smoothing a hand over her hair to help calm her while the child worked through this 'realization'.

I'm sleepy Aoife finally admitted, feeling quite small after all this heavy thinking, not to mention that the stress of the day was really taking its toll on her. Do you think Rebekah would let me sleep in Mama's bed tonight?

Eiri nodded. He leaned forward a little, smiling. "I think if you take her home, she will sleep now for you, but she does have a request. She would like to sleep in her mother's bed." He pet Aoife again. "I think we could all use some sleep. I will send you the location of my quarters. You are welcome to bring her by so that she may meet Ayan. If they get along then you can have a break. He loves children. I am certain that it will not be a problem."

"Your mother's bed? All you had to do was ask, little one, even in your own special way if you're not ready to talk," Rebekah replied to Aoife with a smile. This response caused Aoife to smile slightly in relief, then she nodded as if agreeing to her terms. "And I will definitely take you up on your offer to use your husband as an extra sitter; I would normally ask Mrs. Temple to help, but with the Captain missing and now there's a rumor going around that she's pregnant, I didn't think she needed the extra stress," Rebekah said to Eiri, then she took her half empty mug and finished off her latte.

Eiri had to cover his mouth with one hand to stifle a yawn that followed. "Well... I think I will return to my quarters and sleep as well. It was nice to meet you, both of you. Sleep well." He rose from his seat. Goodnight, little one. Do not worry and mind Rebekah. Your parents will return to you soon.

As Rebekah lifted her to leave, Aoife was so comforted by Eiri's words that she was already starting to fall asleep, but she managed to keep her eyes open just long enough to look at Eiri so she could wave goodbye.

:END