No Rest For The Recently Traumatised

Posted on Wed Oct 13th, 2021 @ 11:07pm by Commander Liala Ziyal

Mission: Calm Before the Storm
Location: Liala's Quarters
Timeline: Before 'Clearing The Air'
577 words - 1.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Their final trip, the one that was meant to bring a new member into the Federation family ended in fire, both literal and weapons grade. There were injuries but fortunately none were life threatening and they did eventually make it off the planet. They had lost their own shuttlecraft, their commandeered vehicle and eventually found another to get them off world to safety.

Liala was happy to be ‘home’, her quarters were a welcomed sight after being through that ordeal below. They had already begun to move away from their world and set course for somewhere new. The report to Starfleet would be colourful, but still respectful enough to be read by the higher ups.

She had been taken to sickbay on her arrival back on the Arcadia, she had felt faint and breathless. The blast on to the wall had seemingly punctured a lung through breaking some of her ribs. The Doctors had healed her, told her she would be tender for a day or two and there may be some psychological effects as well. Liala knew enough about post effects from injury, from fallout of ‘warzone’ on anyone, just not herself.

Her uniform was dirty, ragged looking and pretty much summed up how the mission had gone. Started off pristine, with purpose and ended up being full of holes and not what you’d expect.

Liala removed her rank pips, two gold and one blacked out, and sat them on her desk. She removed her jacket, her back cracking slightly like she hadn’t moved those muscles in years and looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair had seen better days, looked like she’d been dragged through a hedge backwards, and her face was dirty. A mixture of dirt and blood it seemed but she wasn’t sure if the blood was all hers… she did witness the death of her capturers before she was broken free from that stale, windowless room.

Her first time being held prisoner, she did not approve.

She had decided long before making back to her quarters she was in need of a good shower, and she made sure an old-fashioned water one had been installed. There was something more therapeutic in her eyes about warm water hitting you, like it felt as if it truly washed away the dirt… plus it looked sexier coming out if she had company. Although, she rarely ever did anymore.

As her position and rank grew, she got more wrapped up in duties, in other people’s problems (counsellor after all) and in making sure she was doing the Ziyal name proud. Her family meant a lot to her, her father and brothers wouldn’t have it any other way.

Liala got herself dried and dressed back into cleaner, sharper uniform and wiped her rank pips a little before placing them back onto herself. She knew Captain Hawkins would no doubt want to call a briefing on what had happened, and she was also interested in how the Arcadia and her friend Dr Svidi had gotten on with their mission. She had hoped it was a little less ‘explosive’ than hers, but she was sure even the juicy bits could be coaxed out of her over a bite to eat, or a drink, in The Brass Falcon.

She had literally just placed her backside on the sofa when the call to the briefing room rang through.

No rest for the recently traumatised.