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Emma lie on her back in bed trying as hard as she could to relax but finding it much harder than expected. Her nausea was coming and going and now to accompany it was a throbbing headache. This definitely wasn't the best day for her though it was difficult for her to remember too many better or too many at all for that matter but even if she could she was sure this was one of the worst.
Lying beside the psionic Shalimar stoked the red strands flowing onto the bed in the small space between them letting the silk play between her fingers.
"How ya feelin', sweetie?"
"Like hell," Emma answered, her words practically an understatement, but she had to admit just the sight of the feral did a little to improve her feelings. A little, that is, not nearly enough to demolish all the pain and her frowning face remained frozen on her soft face breaking the feral's heart more with every second.
Shalimar frowned sadly and lifted her hand to Emma's stomach to rub her gently hoping to take away her pain. She knew if she had to option she'd take on all of Emma's pain to free her from it and at that moment wished she had that power instead of being a feral.
The sweet sensation of Shalimar's rubbing on her stomach seemed to ease her discomfort at first but all too quickly her nausea was turning her insides upside down again. Lifting her arm she gently took Shalimar's hand and removed it from her body, the action only adding to Shalimar's sadness.
Sighing, Shalimar sat herself up and stood from the bed.
"I'll go get you some pills ok and tell Adam to take a look at you."
"No, I'll be fine. It's just a little nausea," Emma insisted, a little too quickly Shalimar thought. The last thing Emma needed right now was another session of lab rat which she highly doubted would make her feel any better. She was sure a little rest and relaxation would do a wonder even Adam's med scans couldn't produce her with.
"I'll be right back," Shalimar informed and left the room closing the door behind her.
As much as Emma appreciated Shalimar watching out for her she couldn't help but feel like a child under her watch and guard and all she wanted to do was break free, with Shalimar at her side of course. One movie, one lunch together, one hour shopping at the mall was that really too much to ask? She didn't think so. There was a whole world out there she felt more than ignorant to and as much as she didn't like the fact it still continued to bug her.
She lie flat on her back against the soft comforter trying to move herself into the most comfortable position she could find. She knew it would be much more comfortable if Shalimar was there but for now the quilt itself would just have to do.
Closing her eyes she smiled at allowing herself a moments peace. She breathed in deeply the silence and serenity around her. Closed eyes starred at the blank backs of eyelids until an image began to form. Emma thought it merely her imagination at first but it came again, and then another, and another, until an entire room was before her. She looked around the unknown place and couldn't recognize it but she knew she must've been there at some point.
The room was empty, cold, and she could hear distant echoes of an indistinguishable nature coming from somewhere around her. She looked over everything her eyes fell upon wanting to memorize every detail so she could describe it to Shalimar later. It was so real, she marveled. She felt like she could reach out and touch the tables and the sky blue walls if she tried. She could feel her presence connected to this place and her curiosity was greatly getting the best of her as she only wanted to uncover the hidden moments in her unknown past.
Continuing to make her way down through the room a familiar sound caught her attention and she approached the door across the way. Thankful it was open as she wasn't sure if she could in fact reach out and turn it, she stepped through the open passageway and began to inspect the new laboratory type room she'd entered. Feelings hit her suddenly and she tried to fight them off and continue walking but pain quickly accompanied the frightened waves rushing through her body. She trembled, almost tumbling over at the pain splitting her sides, and then she heard it. Screaming, a woman was screaming in the distance. Emma knew the pain she was going through was that no one deserved and she rushed to the end of the room eyeing another door and wanting to see what was happening to the woman she felt such a strong connection to that she couldn't ignore it even for her own safety.
Before she could reach the door in her sights Emma fell to the ground as the pain was much more intense now. She cried out in union with the stranger and watched as small cuts and bruises appeared on her own arms, blood accompanying the pain building up by the second. Her whole body felt numb now. She wanted to run to the woman, to end her pain, both of their pain, but she couldn't pull herself up from her position on the cold floor. She breathed heavier and felt her heart weighting at least twice its normal weight, too much for her to carry, and she knew this woman's pain was not only physical but emotionally paralyzing as well. Paralyzing to say the least that is.
Shalimar strode past the lab on her way to the kitchen hoping Adam would leave her alone but soon finding her hopes in no such luck as he called out to her figure as it rushed by the doorway.
"What?" she asked flatly, placing herself in the door frame.
"How is she?"
"How do you think she is?"
"Shalimar, I want you to keep a close eye on her."
"I am," she assured.
"Good. I'm gonna run these tests and I'll get back to you with the results as soon as I can, Adam informed. He really wanted to take her in the room and have a good long talk with her about all the reasons he felt she needed help but knew although he considered her a close friend this was not his home, not his Sanctuary, and he was already finding himself falling back into old habits and thus far the team was going along with it for the most past but he certainly didn't want to push the thin fabric of trust at the moment.
"Thanks."
She offered him a smile knowing he was only trying to help and the truth of the matter was she was more than grateful for that which she seemed to remember every time she spoke with him recently.
Showing herself away she heading into the kitchen and rounded up a few pain killers for her friend, pulling a water bottle from the fridge for her to wash it down with. As she looked over the white container in her hand she passed on it, sliding it back into the cold box and reached up into the cabinet overhead to remove an interesting looking multi colored one instead and filled it with the water from a large container in the fridge.
Shalimar smiled in content and began to head back to her room hoping her remedy would cure what ailed her friend.
As she neared the hallway leading to her bed chambers Shalimar caught glimpse of Lexa heading her way and sighed sure she wasn't up for anything the brunette would have to say at the moment.
"Hey," the molecular greeted unexpectedly and Shalimar forced a smile in return. "What are ya doin'?"
"Just getting some water for Emma."
"Oh. Look, Shal, I was hoping we could talk about-"
"Lexa, could we just not do this now?" Shalimar asked in a sigh turning her head to show how much she wasn't in the mood for it. Couldn't she take a hint? Sometimes the feral was sure she could she just didn't care enough to pay attention to all the signs, something she'd always disliked about the molecular yet oddly enough on a different note did enjoy.
"Shalimar, I just wanna help," Lexa answered in her best sympathetic voice but her words were somehow less than convincing and Shalimar brushed them off in favor of better things to do.
"Help who?" she quizzed.
"Help you. What has been going on with you lately? You hardly ever come on missions with us, you stay in your room from morning to dusk sometimes, the only person you talk to is a clone, and you don't seem the least bit interested in work anymore."
"Ok you wanna lay off me here? I don't attack you with your faults so why don't you leave mine alone alright."
Shalimar rolled her eyes in frustration at the woman and pushed herself past her to continue on down the hall. Somewhere deep inside she was upset with herself for keeping her friends at arms length recently but even deeper than that she knew she couldn't pour out everything she was feeling just yet and hoped when the time was right they'd understand. At least she was almost sure Emma would and that was all that really mattered most to her anyway.
She smiled as her bedroom door came into sight, but the smile quickly faded when Emma's screaming came to her ears and she ran across the ten feet separating her from the door and burst into the room, the copper scent of blood filling her nose and worrying her heart. Instantly she was by the psionic's side as she shook and twitched in bed the actions seemingly out of her control.
"Emma, wake up!" she yelled placing the bottle on the floor and bringing her hand up to Emma's forehead. Her other free hand lifted itself to Emma's arms which were jumping around and she reached across the woman's torso in an attempt to hold her still. Blood and sweat ran down Emma's shapely arms and Shalimar had to tighten her grip to keep Emma in place.
"Emma!" she called
again trying to snap the woman out of whatever nightmare she was
entangled in.
"Emma! Emma, wake up!"
Shalimar shook the psionic harder as she screamed, icy blue eyes shooting open in shock and pain, breaking the feral's heart at the mere sight.
"Emma, calm down, it's ok," the feral informed loosening her hold on her friend. "You're ok. It was just a nightmare."
Emma took a few deep breaths to get her breathing straight and sat herself up.
Shalimar lifted the water bottle and handed it to the dehydrated looking red head who gratefully sipped the much needed H2O. Shalimar handed the psionic the painkillers and Emma happily took them praying they would do their job.
Shalimar helped herself onto the bed to sit beside the psionic and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders and began to dab the towel on the nightstand against Emma's fresh wounds gently as to reduce the pain of pressure on her fragile skin.
"What happened?" she asked curious how Emma could have gotten cuts and bruises so quickly in her absence. It would appear she'd spent the last five minutes in a boxing arena instead of in the comfort of her bed.
"It wasn't a dream," Emma informed turning those sad eyes to Shalimar's beside her. "It was real. I thought it might've been a memory but…I don't know. It didn't seem to feel like it was in the past."
"What do you mean?"
"It felt like it was now. Like I was experiencing it all now. Shalimar, it was awful. A woman was being tortured. There were others too. I don't know how I know but I do. I think this was a place I've been before."
"What did it look like?"
"Here, I'll show you," Emma answered sending a small psi blast to Shalimar's forehead showing her the setting of her recent "mind attack".
Shalimar thought for a moment but didn't have any better luck then Emma had at identifying the scenery.
"I don't know. I've never seen that place before."
"So it's not a memory from you?"
"No. I don't know what that is," Shalimar replied as dumbfounded as the psionic herself.
"So if it's not a memory then where'd it come from?"
"Did you fall asleep while I was gone?" Shalimar asked puzzled herself as to the mysterious events.
"No. I wasn't sleeping I was awake. It wasn't a dream it was like…like someone planted the image inside my mind or something. I was here in your bed and then suddenly I was there and I could feel everything. I think there are some people who need our help," Emma informed lifting her eyes to the ferals, her bright gems revealing how deeply concerned with the pain of the situation she'd mysteriously been introduced to. She'd always enjoyed helping people but somehow this felt different to her, more like a duty than just a desire, and one she couldn't ignore at that.
"Well, right now I'm more concerned about you. I think I'm gonna have Adam take another look at you," Shalimar said not wanting to take any chances with Emma, something she'd mistakenly done a little too much in the past in her opinion. She caught the questioning look on Emma's face and concluded, "It's for the best, Emma. I mean how do you get all cut up just lying in bed alone for five minutes?"
"I don't know," Emma responded softly.
"Well, let's get you in the lab and fix you up properly ok," Shalimar suggested and stood from the comfort of her mattress.
Taking the feral's outstretched hand Emma was pulled to her feet and escorted to the door.
Shalimar could pick up on the confusion swirling around inside the psionic and could only imagine how she must possibly be feeling. She'd been through more than her share for one day and one lifetime and that was something they had in common.
"Everything will be ok, sweetie," Shalimar convinced as she lead the psionic out the door and down the hall.
