Make it better if you can [Sickbay]

[genius_level]

Their progress to Sickbay was slow, but Jim kept Paula tucked close at his side as they navigated the corridors, his head up and watchful. They didn't encounter too many people; he skirted the busier areas, taking a couple of shortcuts to avoid too much notice. He didn't think either of them wanted a show right now

Comments

[flying_katana]

Private message to Hikaru Sulu

There's been an incident. Paula's in the infirmary and she's asked for you. Come find me when you get here so I can explain.

Christine

Hikaru had been getting ready for bed when he got the message. Sickbay? There was something strange about this entire situation. He'd known she and Christine were going out tonight, a girls night out, but what could have happened for them to end up in sickbay?

And why hadn't Paula contacted him herself? Christine didn't say it was serious, so it couldn't have been that. So many strange things had been happening lately, he hadn't any idea what it was, but as he sped out the door and toward the lift, he couldn't help but worry.

When he got there, the look on Christine's face didn't make him feel any better. "What happened?" he asked, looking around. "Where is she?"

[trek_npc]

"She's in the back, in one of the private rooms." Christine had been going over this in her head, how to tell him about this. Talking to patients was something they all had experience with, but this sort of attack, especially against a friend - the words were difficult in coming.

At that moment, Lt Vidal came up to the front, nodded at Christine, and said, "We're all done," before heading out of the doors.

Christine knew that Paula was alone now, and probably needed Hikaru right now, more than ever. "I need you to understand, first, that she's okay. Shaken up, but okay. I'll let you take her back to her room when we're all done. But after that, I need you to promise me that you won't do anything rash after that. You let Security take care of it."

[flying_katana]

All of a sudden his skin went cold. Security was leaving, and Christine didn't want him to do something rash. "What happened to her?" he asked, his voice low and worried. "Why is Security here?"

[trek_npc]

Christine took Hikaru aside, where no one could hear them. Her voice dropped as she spoke, her stomach still tight as she thought about it. "Paula was assaulted tonight. She was trying to help the other Leonard McCoy to his room, he was drunk and needed assistance."

She paused, seeing his face freeze with anger. "When they got to Leonard's room, he... he tried to rape her." When Hikaru started to move, she stopped him, her arm on his. "Paula managed to get someone's attention, that something was wrong, and the captain got there before-"

Before what? She couldn't say 'before anything bad happened', because Paula would remember this, someone's unwanted hands and mouth on her, for the rest of her life. It made her skin crawl. "They're both here now, and he's in the brig, locked up."

[flying_katana]

Hikaru's first instinct was to go find this so-called man and run him through with his katana for even thinking to lay a hand on his Paula.

But even more than that, he needed to make sure that Paula was okay. He knew what sort of trusting soul she was, and this had to have been terrible for her.

"Where is she?" he asked quietly, his eyes darting all over the infirmary.

[trek_npc]

Christine turned in the direction of the private areas. "Over here." Leading Hikaru, she wished there were something she could tell him, something she could do for both of them.

But in the end, she simply pulled the curtain aside, her eyes finding Paula's. "Look who's here to take you home."

[lt_paula]

She was exhausted. Talking with Lieutenant Vidal had been harder than she'd expected, but Paula had managed to hold herself together until they were done. When that was over, she lay curled on her side on the biobed, trying not to think. But it was impossible; she kept reliving the past few hours in her mind.

Paula looked up when Christine returned and saw Hikaru standing just behind her, looking worried and angry. She reached out her hand and wished she could just tell him she was okay, but Hikaru would see through the lie. Her chin wobbled as she watched him move closer, fresh tears spilling over.

[flying_katana]

All thoughts of anger and revenge and what Hikaru wanted to do to that asshole fled his mind when he looked at her. Right now, Paula needed him here, for her. Part of him was afraid to approach her, to touch her. Would she want anyone near her right now?

But then she held out her hand and he moved to her side, his arms around her. "Shhhh," he murmured, kissing the top of her head. Close like this, he could see the bruises and cuts, and he bit his lip to keep from saying anything else. "Everything's okay now, I've got you."

[lt_paula]

She pressed her face against Hikaru's chest, feeling truly safe for the first time since Jim had left her side. She'd known he wouldn't let anything happen to her, not without a fight, the same way she knew Hikaru would take care of her. The first shock over, she was feeling the effects of the evening now and relieved that she didn't have to be strong any more, not all by herself.

[flying_katana]

Hikaru felt the emotions rolling off of her now, and he just held her even tighter. A protective feeling, unlike anything he'd ever known filled him and he wanted to make this all go away.

At the very least, he wanted to get her away from this place, overly bright and full of people. There were a hundred questions he wanted to ask, but this wasn't the time, nor the place. "They said I could take you to your room," he murmured into her hair. "You ready?"

[lt_paula]

"Yes," she told him with a brief nod. Paula clung to him a moment longer, then sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She smoothed her hair back as best she could and rose, ready to go have a shower and start putting all of this behind her. Her shirts had been ruined, and Paula hesitated for a moment before noticing Christine must have whisked them away out of sight. One less thing for Paula to deal with, for which she was grateful. "Let's go."

Her body ached and her nerves were still strung tight as they made their way slowly out of the private exam room. Paula looked straight ahead the whole time, ignoring the way conversation paused when she approached. She wanted to be in her own familiar room with Hikaru's arms wrapped around her, shutting all of this out. Everything until then was just something else she had to get through.

[flying_katana]

It was clear from the way the medics were watching them, politely avoiding his eyes - it told Hikaru that most people knew that something had happened to Paula. To be fair, anyone who knew Paula could have guessed that something was wrong, simply from her demeanor. That smile, the light in her eyes was gone and Hikaru wanted to hurt the man that took it away from her.

But not right now. Right now, he led her out of the infirmary, and down the hall toward the lift. They were both quiet as they approached her room, and all of a sudden Hikaru was very aware of what had happened to her, and that she might not want company right now. "Can I come inside?" he asked, wishing this wan't like walking on eggshells.

[lt_paula]

She looked over at him, startled out of her thoughts by the question. "Please," she told him, and then opened the door and stepped inside. It was a relief to be home at last. Paula took a long, slow breath, then sat down on the edge of the bed to pull her boots off.

"I want a shower," she murmured. "And clean clothes." Her fingers were healed but still tender where the nails were broken off short. Paula looked down at them, her head bowed, and then brought her hands up to cover her face as it twisted, a harsh sob tearing from her throat.

[flying_katana]

He reached her just as her tears began falling, his arms wrapping tight around her. He kissed the top of her head, and tried to quiet her, rocking her slowly in his arms. I've got you, baby. I'm so sorry, baby, I wish I could have done something." It had been a long time since he'd felt this helpless, and even now, there was nothing he could do to make things better for her. "Why don't you shower, and I'll get you something warm to put on."

Touching under her chin with one finger, he lifted it, his heart breaking to see so much grief in those eyes. Would she want to talk about it? Was it better to pretend it never happened, or to make her get those words out?

But not right now. Now she needed warm water, cleaning her, washing away his hands on her body. "I'll get us some soup, too. Then we can just climb in bed."

[lt_paula]

Paula nestled against Hikaru, her arms going around him as she sobbed. Part of her was bewildered by her behavior. Why should she react like this, when she'd been through so much worse before? But as she hiccuped and tried to breathe, to calm down, she knew that it wasn't the small cuts and scrapes that were the problem. The worst part was in her mind, the trust that had been shattered. She'd fended off unwanted advances before, but never had she dealt with anyone who simply wouldn't take no for an answer in the end. And they'd never had the face and voice of one of her best friends

[flying_katana]

"Don't you dare worry about me," he murmured, his mouth in her hair. His hand covered her small one, then moved over to her face, his thumb wiping off as many of those tears he could find. Hikaru wished he could make them all go away, to never see those drops in her eyes again.

But if he couldn't, then at least he wanted to be the one she went to when she needed a shoulder to cry on.

Once she got to the bathroom, he began moving nervously around her room. First he found some clothes, her favorite pajamas, soft and comfy. Then he played with the replicator, until he found some soup that he was pretty sure she liked, and some crackers. He found himself fiddling with the utensils, moving them around to keep his mind off the fact that someone, some animal had attacked his girlfriend. The woman he loved.

Tomorrow, tomorrow he'd go down there and look at the man. But tonight, he was going to be here for Paula. She mattered more than anything.