Reunited

Posted on Fri Jan 6th, 2023 @ 7:18pm by Lieutenant Adora (Addie) Hart & Lieutenant Commander Henry Castle

Mission: Cost of Survival
Location: USS Pennsylvania

The away teams had started filtering back to the ship. Small groups transporting back, long gaps between arrivals to give medical time to assess each person who had been on the surface. Sickbay had become a hive of activity with all hands on deck, which was why Addie found herself there, medical tricorder in hand, helping to assess the crew as they returned.

Each time the doors parted to signify new arrivals, Addie had found herself turning expectantly, watching, waiting. Each time the look of disappointment and concern etched a little deeper on her face.

It was only once word filtered down from Command that everyone had returned and the Pennsylvania was preparing for departure that the look of concern broke into one of sheer pain.

He hadn't returned.

Henry hadn't returned.

Silently she turned, uneven aware that she was moving, medical tricorder in hand as she started toward the door. It was only as the doors parted in front of her that she saw him, walking toward her in the corridor. Bruised, weary but alive. The tricorder fell from her hand, clattering to the deck, the sound of Addie's gasp clearly heard above the background noise of the crowded sickbay.

Closing the few steps between them, Addie threw herself against him, her arms closing around his neck tightly, body shaking with a sob that she tried to choke back. "I thought you were dead."

Henry used all seven inches of height difference to lift her from the ground as they hugged. He placed a soft kiss on her neck when her feet were on the ground again. "I am so sorry." He whispered into her ear. "I thought I had killed you... all of you up here."

She shook her head quickly, her hand moving to rest against his cheek as she looked up at him, blonde curls bouncing emphatically around her face. "It was the Koldaran ship," she replied, her voice still barely above a whisper, completely oblivious to anyone else that may have been around them. "We lost comms after that... I thought.... I..." her voice trailed off as she found herself unable to even speak the words again.

His hand came under her chin, a forefinger lightly resting there as he held her gaze. All the emotions welled up in him. All the thoughts and feelings he had pushed aside, to continue the mission. Henry leaned down, his lips brushing hers. Damned to whoever saw them. She was worth it. She was worth coming home to. He vowed, there and then, to always make sure he got back to her, somehow, someway.

Though the kiss caught her by surprise, it was by no means unwelcome. It was only after he pulled away that her gaze returned to his face, eyes widening slightly as she took in the bruising darkening his skin. "You're hurt," she said softly, fingertips brushing lightly over the worst of the marks.

Henry nodded. "Yeah." He agreed, and nodded towards Sickbay. "Care to escort me in? I'm not built for a warzone, it seems."

For the longest of moments Addie stayed silent, watching him before she nodded slightly. She bent down, picking up the tricorder she had dropped earlier before taking his hand and walking quietly into sickbay with him, leading him toward one of the empty biobeds.

Henry eased himself onto the bed, every muscle in his body feeling sore, and stiff. He had survived the conflict on the surface, though his body was seemingly still trying to argue the point. "You know what kept me going, in the end?" He asked. "When I thought you had..."

Addie lapsed into silence again, her eyes fixed with his. The thought didn't need to be finished, he didn't need to say the words that hung in limbo. She smiled, a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Tell me?" she asked softly, her hand moving to cover his.

"I wanted to hurt them." He admitted. "I wanted to hurt them, as they had hurt me by taking you from me. The memory of you kept me going. Even if I thought I would never see you again, Every breath taken was to avenge you."

It wasn't very Starfleet of him, and he wondered how she would respond, being a counsellor, yet he was too weary, too run out to be anything other than openly truthful.

Addie took a step forward, standing between his knees, leaning into him, her arms slipping around his shoulders. "I am just glad you came back to me," she whispered softly, her voice barely above a whisper, before she brushed her lips lightly over his again. "The thought of losing you..." she sighed softly and shook her head, her blonde curls bouncing around her face with the movement. "It looks like most of your injuries are pretty superficial, let me get a dermal regenerator. You need a shower though, and rest."

Henry's arms moved around her, holding her close, and just letting himself experience her presence. "You give me something to come back to. A reason to go on. With you here, I'll always come back."

"Then I'll always be here," she replied softly, her words resounding with emotion. "Always."

Henry kissed her, letting it linger. He didn't care that they were in Sickbay, that people were around. He was still running on the pure adrenaline of coming through the conflict, "I could do with some sleep." He agreed with her. "Been running on empty for... I don't know how long."

Pulling away from his kiss, there was a smile that played on Addie's lips again. "Let me get a med kit," she said quietly. "I can walk you back to your quarters and after you've had a shower I'll give you something mild to help you sleep." Without waiting for a response, she disappeared from view for a few moments before returning, med kit in one hand, the other held out toward him.

Henry's hand reached out to hers, fingers intertwining as he eased off the biobed. Every muscle felt like it had been beaten. The constant stress of being in a warzone, and now... if not full peace, then at least the chance to relax. The adrenaline had kept him going, and now he felt just so exhausted. Allowing himself to be led out of the room.