After the Mountain
Posted on Wed Mar 4th, 2026 @ 11:48pm by Commander Marisa Sandoval & Lieutenant Addison Talbert & Major Hastios Eilfaren
Edited on on Thu Mar 5th, 2026 @ 12:53am
1,645 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
In The Nick Of Time
Location: Sick Bay - Deck 4 - USS Herodotus
Timeline: MD005 0430 hrs
Marisa woke with a pounding headache. The steady beep of the heartbeat monitor and the distinctively sterile smell of sickbay told her she was back on the Herodotus, but she couldn't remember how she got there--or why. She slowly opened her eyes...then quickly closed them. Too bright. The throbbing in her head began pounding a counter beat to that of the monitor.
She focused her mind beyond the pain, mentally checking that the rest of her was relatively unharmed. She was banged up and sore, but except for the pain in her head--which should ease with a hypospray--she considered herself fit enough.
Then memory returned. Of Kroat. Of the mountain. Of a weapon being fired. Of Hastios. Did he bring her back? Was he okay? And Juli? Marisa was here, so someone brought her. The doctor would know. She listened for movement, for breathing. For anything but the sounds of the biobed.
She wasn't going to lie here without answers, so she tried to sit up, keeping her eyes closed.
Turning from her desk, Addison noticed the monitors had given her the alert of Marisa waking up. Noting the wincing of the XO Addison quietly gave out the order, "Computer turn the lights down by 30 percent." moving towards the bio bed where Marisa was coming to a seated position. "Careful now." Addison moving to help her, having the back of the biobed rise up.
She cast her eyes towards where Hastios was.
Marisa opened her eyes a crack, then closed them again. The light was still too bright. "How long have I been here?" She would wait for Hastios to tell her what happened.
The doors to Sickbay parted with their usual quiet sigh just as Marisa’s question hung in the air.
Hastios stepped through, having paused only briefly outside when he’d seen the change in her vitals on the corridor display. He didn’t rush in, but there was nothing casual about his timing either. He moved toward the biobed with measured steps, stopping just short of it, hands clasped loosely behind his back as if he were on the bridge rather than in a medical ward.
“About 6 hours,” he answered before Addison could. His voice was steady, low.
His eyes lingered on her face for a moment, checking what the monitors already confirmed.
“The weapon she used was not standard civilian issue,” he added. “Modified. Heavy stun. It overloaded your nervous system.” A faint tightening of his jaw betrayed the memory.
He shifted slightly, the tension that had been sitting in his shoulders for days easing by a fraction.
“You were brought back from Kroat.” he said. “Lieutenant Juli is recovering. Minor injuries. The threat was neutralised.”
A pause. Not long. Just enough.
“And yes,” he added quietly, “I brought you back.”
"I knew you would," she responded softly, turning her head in his direction. Hearing his voice, feeling his presence, released the last of her tension. She opened her eyes again to look him over and reassure herself that he was okay. The lights didn't cause as much discomfort this time. Even if it did, she needed to see him. "And you? How are you doing?"
Quietly Addison took another reading of Marisa, hiding a smile as to the interaction between Hastios and the XO. She faded away to her desk, making notes as to Marisa's recovery. She felt herself relaxing, tension drifting away. Marisa was awake.
In her mind a song started to play, once more from the King and I
Hello young lovers,
Whoever you are,
I hope your troubles are few.
All my good wishes go with you tonight,
I've been in love like you.
Addison did her best to just fade into the background.
Hastios hadn’t realised how much tension he’d been carrying until she spoke.
The faint smile that touched his mouth was not the one he wore on duty. It was smaller. Quieter. Earned.
“I’m fine,” he said gently, the edge gone from his voice. “A few bruises. Nothing worth reporting.” He shifted his weight slightly, as if dismissing the idea of himself as a concern. “You absorbed the worst of it.”
He held her gaze steadily now, letting her see that he was whole, uninjured, present. The lines at the corners of his eyes softened in a way they rarely did on the bridge.
“You had us worried,” he admitted, not dramatically, just plainly. “Three days is a long time to wait.”
His eyes flicked briefly to the monitors, then back to her face, reassuring himself in his own quiet way that the readings matched what he was seeing.
“You don’t have to prove anything today,” he added, the warmth in his tone unmistakable. “The mountain is still there. The timeline is still complicated. All of it can wait.”
For now, she was awake. And that was enough.
She watched him as he spoke, noting his smile, his posture, and the expression in his eyes that did more to help her feel better than anything else. Marisa hadn't realized how much she needed to see him, to reassure herself that he was well and the mission hadn't been compromised. "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow," she said, quoting Shakespeare. "Although I would rather be up doing something than lying here."
"Perhaps," she began, a gentle smile lighting her eyes, "I will have time to finish a book or two." Not too long, she hoped. She didn't like the idea of staying in sickbay any longer than she had to.
Hastios caught the reference immediately.
The faint smile on his face deepened by a fraction, recognition flickering across his expression as she quoted the line. For a moment he simply watched her, quietly reassured by the fact that she was already reaching for wit and literature instead of the fog that often followed injuries like hers.
“Macbeth,” he said softly, the word offered as acknowledgement.
His eyes lingered on her for a moment longer, then shifted slightly across Sickbay toward where Addison had retreated to her desk.
“Doctor,” he called, not loudly, but with the calm authority that carried easily across the room. “The commander is already planning her reading list.”
He glanced back at Marisa, the warmth still present in his expression before returning his attention to the physician.
“Provided the headache she’s carrying doesn’t object,” he added evenly. “Would that be advisable, or are we encouraging her to stare at bulkheads for a little longer?”
Her bright blue eyes rose from the piece of paper Addison had been writing on, studying Hastios, then Marisa then back to Hastios. A smile appeared as to what the Chief of Security had stated.
Rising she made her way back over to where Marisa was at, running her scanner over the XO confirming what the other scans had recorded. "Audio books as well as physical books area approved." Addison giving a nod.
The doctor's eyes had a knowing gaze, a smile playing in her lips. Her attention drifted from one to the other. "I suggest that the Commander will be able to recover better inside her own quarters."
Her gaze became even more pointed towards Hastios with a teasing twinkle. "And I can trust that you'll make certain that Marisa will arrive safely to her quarters." Addison giving an approval to her medical notes, releasing the XO to the care of Hastios.
That was more than Marisa had hoped for. She looked at Hastios, one eyebrow raised and a soft, humorous twinkle in her eye.
Hastios inclined his head slightly toward Addison, the ghost of a smile still resting on his expression.
“Of course, Doctor,” he replied easily, accepting the assignment without hesitation. There was no hint of reluctance in his voice; if anything, the responsibility seemed to settle on him as naturally as any duty he carried on the bridge.
He stepped closer to the biobed then, his attention returning fully to Marisa. The humour in her raised eyebrow didn’t escape him, and for a moment the formality of Sickbay felt lighter than it had a few minutes earlier.
“Careful,” he said quietly, offering his hand to help her sit forward and swing her legs toward the deck. His grip was steady and supportive without being overbearing, the sort of practiced assist that suggested both caution and familiarity.
Once she was upright, he remained beside her rather than stepping away, giving her a moment to find her balance. His other hand hovered briefly near her elbow, ready in case the headache or lingering dizziness tried to make a point of itself.
“No heroic sprints down the corridor,” he added mildly, the warmth in his voice carrying the faintest hint of dry humour. “Doctor’s orders.”
She smiled at his comment. "Tomorrow, then."
He waited until she was fully steady before guiding her gently toward the Sickbay doors.
“Your quarters?” he asked, though the answer was obvious.
"For now. I believe the doctor is afraid I will go directly to the bridge." Seeing Hastios and being reassured he was unhurt did a lot to aid her recovery.
His solid support as they walked out of sickbay was both comforting and welcome. She smiled softly at her companion. "If you have the time, a cup of tea would not go amiss."
A Joint Post By:
Major Hastios Eilfaren
Chief Security & Tactical Officer
Second Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Commander Marisa Sandoval
Executive Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
Lieutenant Addison Talbert
Chief Medical Officer
USS Herodotus DTI-30656
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