Friends, Pizza, & Drama

Posted on Thu Sep 3rd, 2026 @ 12:22am by Lieutenant JG Aiden Poe & Lieutenant Commander Elyse White & Lieutenant Tholos Th'Keal

1,462 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Blade of Deceit
Location: Various | USS Arcadia

ON:

Thol stood outside medical his hands shook a little. He'd finished his shift and now he was about to go in and find out how bad the Chief was hurt. He looked up at the sound of footsteps. "Elyse?"

Elyse was focused and barely heard Tholos. To be fair, unless it was professionally, she didn't particularly wish to speak with him since he ran out on her a few mornings prior. "Yes?" She simply said, unable to get past him to go into medical.

"Here to see about Sabastian?"

Elyse raised a brow. It took everything in her not to make a sarcastic reply. Instead she simply replied, "amongst other updates from medical."

He gave a nod and then absently rubbed the back of his neck his antennae twitching. He sighed and then motioned her to precede him.

As they entered Thol froze as he saw Ella, the cold, hard and emotionless...well sometimes angry, Ella with tears in her eyes. He rubbed his chest. "Ella?"

She looked over and shook her head as if taking a moment. "He's alive...out of surgery but in a coma. The doctor doesn't know if he'll make it...says the next few days are critical. Either he will or wont. The Klingons...they really messed him up."

"He'll make it," Elyse encouraged firmly, "or I'll find a way to bring him back just to kill him myself. Go get yourself cleaned up Ella and take a few breaths."

"I can't. Poe's in there. The kid took it pretty hard and when he saw him he just...sobbed. Shit." She wiped her eyes.

Thol sighed. "Go. She's right you need a break. I'll take care of Poe."

Ella still looked skeptical but gave a nod. "Thanks."

Elyse shook her head, "I'll get Poe." Elyse waved them both off, "Ella, out. Take a break. XO's orders if it helps. Thol, stay with Walker."

Thol gave a nod. "You got it."

Ella sighed. "Well good luck getting Poe out of the room but he needs a break." She sighed again and looked at Elyse. "Thanks."

Elyse nodded and waited for Ella to leave. She looked at Tholos, and lowered her voice, "you alright?" She may have not particularly liked him further to feeling run out on the other morning, but she still cared about him, not just as a crew member.

"Ask me that after I see Walker." He let out a shuddered breath. "Ella doesn't cry...that woman is the strongest person I know." He squared his shoulders. "Let's go." He headed down the hall and stopped just outside the room where there was a window to see inside. His eyes widened as he looked in there and he turned bracing himself on the wall.

Inside Sabastian was on the bed broken and bruised. Wires and machines all over, big screens with read outs and there didn't look to be a place on him that wasn't bruised swollen or covered in dried blood. What broke his heart more was Poe who was in the corner on the floor knees drawn up. It was moments like this that he thanked the stars he wasn't as empathic as some of Andorian population.

Elyse swallowed hard when she initially saw Sabastian. Her intel training kicked in and she paused. She looked at Tholos, "it looks bad, Tholos. But he is alive. We're told at the academy that in situations like this, you pretend it's an act, and a costume. You don't let it get to you as easy. I advise you find a way to see past the exterior and see him as a survivor of all of this."

She paused, "give me a minute."

Elyse let herself in. She looked a Sabastian briefly and took a breath, focusing. She then walked over to Poe and crouched down in front of him. She silently reached out and put a hand on his shoulder.

Poe looked up silent tears streaming down his face and then he sobbed again.

"He's alive, Aiden," Elyse whispered. Gawd, now she wished she was a hug kind of person. But she wasn't. "Come on. You need a break. Come back here after. Let's go to mine and I'll grab us pizza and some beers."

Thol jumped in. "The chief is safe with me. I'll stay here until you come back."

Poe wiped his eyes trying to get himself under control. He looked between the two and then gave a nod.

Tholos didn't know if that was a good sign or not seeing that Poe had fought everyone on everything.

Elyse stood up and offered her hand to Poe, encouraging him gently, "come on."

Poe took her hand and slowly stood. He case another glace at Sabastian's medical bed and then followed Elyse out.

=/\= Elyse's Quarters =/\=

Poe sat down on the sofa, a beer on the table in front of him. Every now and then a tear slid down his face and he wiped it away. "What if he doesn't make it." The question that had been on his mind slipped out of his mouth in a broken and quiet voice.

"I do not know Walker well," Elyse admitted, bringing pizza over, "but I did speak to Baciami, my predecessor. She said that Walker was stubborn and one hell of a fighter. She is a very blunt person and doesn't believe he'll die. I trust her opinion. The man will pull through. We cannot think negatively."

He was quiet a long time. "Why did the Klingons do that to him?"

Elyse didn't particularly have an answer that was helpful, so simply replied, "we can only speculate, unfortunately."

He shook his head. "He's a good man. He didn't deserve this." He sniffed. "I'm sorry I know I just met him but..." He couldn't put into words why he had so many feelings but he did.

Elyse nodded, sitting down next to him, putting the pizza between them, "no one would have deserved it. But, at least he is surrounded by the best, and he'll have the support he needs to get back on his feet. I'm sure you'd be willing to volunteer to help."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... until he figures out the secret people around me figure out."

"Oh, and what's that?" She asked.

"That I'm not worth any effort."

Elyse blinked. Where did that come from? She paused for a moment and then told a sip of her drink, "you have very low self esteem for someone who has a world of people going out of their way to ensure that you are alright. You know that, right? And either way, that isn't for you to decide for someone else."

He smiled. "I know it's just they always do. From when I was a kid I wasn't worth and people don't stick around. It's just the truth. But somehow ...."

"Listen," Elyse sighed, "I know what it is to not be wanted. I think you're being hard on yourself. You shouldn't judge people without knowing them. From what I know of Walker from my predecessor, he is fiercely loyal, even when he shouldn't be. So, I encourage you to just give it a chance. At the least, you're not losing me. Gawd knows I need a friend and someone who gets why K-dramas are the best."

He turned to her and smiled a little. "I've never really had friends so I could be bad at it." He shrugged. "I'm used to hoping and then people say I'm too weird or they think I'm dumb...so I hope but usually that gets crushed but I've always wanted a friend. Again I'm not sure I will be good at it."

Elyse shrugged, "the only way that you could be a bad friend to me, is by not even trying."

He thought about it. "Okay." He took a deep breath. "I will try but if I do something wrong please tell me."

"I expect the same honesty back," she nodded in agreement, "now, how about, we eat this pizza, whilst watching some K-drama nonsense?"

He smiled. "Does it have Romance in it?"

"Actually, no," Elyse chuckled, "I found a comedy. No romance. Just friends getting into trouble."

"That sounds fun. We could both use a laugh." He paused. "As for Commander Walker he's really nice. Like you said he is loyal a good person. I think I like him more then I should."

"No such thing unless he's a bad guy," Elyse commented as she scrolled down to find the drama, "and gawd yes, I need the laughs. Gawd knows I need something this week."

OFF:

Lieutenant Tholos Th'Keal
Engineering Officer

&

Lieutenant Commander Elyse White
Chief Communications Officer

&

Lieutenant JG Aiden Poe
Alien Archaeologist/Anthropologist

 

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