HEPCHOO!
Kyra Shepard groaned and rubbed the bridge of her nose, her eyes closed in an attempt to banish the all too bright lights. With all the advancements humanity had accomplished, one would think that they could have found the cure for the common cold by now but no, and they weren't likely to with everything else going on. She shook her head and stood back from the sink, looking at herself in the mirror. She looked somewhat presentable, so continued with her original plan to visit Thane to be sure his injuries from the last mission had healed properly, which was obviously a ruse since it was well known that Dr. Chakwas was the best doctor they could have on board. She smoothed her shirt and exited the ladies' room, going to the Life Support room. She sniffed as the doors slid open, putting on a smile and going in to see the enigmatic Drell.
Thane made no move to acknowledge her presence, his hands remaining folded from his meditations. "Do you need something?" His voice struck the same chord it always did, the Kepral's Syndrome making his voice even more gravelly than it already was from his sub harmonics.
Kyra looked down at her would-be lover. "Have a few minutes to talk?"
"You needn't ask," Thane turned to face her for the first time, "Time for me is short, Siha, but any I have is yours to take."
Kyra sat down across the table from Thane, their hands meeting and folding over one another. "You took a few good hits back there. How are you feeling?"
Thane smiled softly, looking into Kyra's lavender eyes. "No worse than ever, thanks to Dr. Chakwas. You needn't worry." He leaned forward slightly, studying the human he'd come to care for. "And you? You are well?"
Kyra gave a slight, hopefully convincing nod. "No need to worry about me. How are you holding up with all this?"
Thane seemed unconvinced but didn't pry, hearing the subtle difference in Kyra's voice and seeing the flush to her cheeks. "I am looking forward to the end of the mission. It has been many years since I felt I could relax."
Kyra found herself zoning out partially as he told her he wished to see a desert, only coming back to reality when she realized he'd stopped talking and was looking at her inquisitively. "Sorry, I was just thinking. This mission, the war no one seems to admit...how is it that I'm the one who's expected to pull off a miracle?"
Thane caressed her hand gently. "You are a true siha, a warrior angel who is fierce in wrath and a tenacious protector. Great things are expected of great people."
Kyra nodded her understanding, suppressing a cough. She stood from the table, Thane rising to see her off. She went to the elevator and went straight to her cabin rather than visiting with her other friends. Once inside, she quickly pulled the barrettes out of her dark brown hair and changed into something more comfortable and less formal, namely her sweats. She sat on the couch and picked up a datapad, reading it for a bit before dozing off and slumping into a fetal position on the couch cushions, the datapad balancing on the floor in her fingertips.
How long she was in that position he didn't know, but Thane entered Kyra's cabin after considering it for a time and deciding to see his siha again to verify what had been bothering her. He knew something was wrong when the doors slid open and he didn't hear or see her. When he stepped in, he saw a bit of grey fabric that looked like her shirt, something she'd called a hoodie. Upon closer inspection, he saw that she was laying on the couch, asleep. Thane watched her for a moment, noticing the redness of her nose in stark contrast to how pale she seemed, even compared to her fair skin. Confirming what he'd figured out, Kyra coughed in her sleep. The harsh sound pulled at him deep inside, and he impulsively laid a hand on her forehead. Kyra stirred slightly, sniffing and moving her hand just enough so the datapad slipped from her fingers, landing fully on the floor. The sound would normally have woken her, but didn't. Thane gently slid his arms underneath her body and lifted her from the couch, carrying her to the bed and tucking her underneath the covers.
