A/N: I have to say, writing in Torin's perspective has been so much fun and a breath of fresh hair. Poor guy needs some character development.
Despite the fitful sleep he had, he was alert the next morning. Between Nia's harsh coughing fits and his own anxiety, he hardly slept.
He had just given Nia breakfast when the doctor called with his results. His cortical levels were slightly elevated, while serotonin was slightly lowered. It wasn't a definitive indication his time was coming, perhaps only a stress response, but the doctor seemed skeptical when Torin brought that up. All in all, he was back to where he was initially: wait and see and monitor symptoms. If they moved beyond normal range, then they would figure out a plan of action.
From the bedroom her coughing came again. He stood and paced the length of the apartment, feeling helpless as she continued coughing. It didn't help any that the medicine was slowly becoming less effective. He resisted the urge to call the doctor. The apartment was clean, he'd finished the book he started, and an electric storm was brewing outside, so he couldn't go to the balcony.
He found himself going to the bedroom on autopilot and checking her oxygen again. She'd stopped coughing, but each breath was a shallow, wheezy crackle.
She was down to 90. Below 85, she needed oxygen. He tossed the scanner back into the box and stood over her and carefully put his hand on her forehead while she slept fitfully, caressing her with his thumb. She felt hot. Fevers tended to trigger her nightmares and he could already sense a maelstrom of emotions brewing through their bond. His chest tightened knowing he couldn't give her more medicine. Instead, he did the only thing he could. He thought of the first time he kissed, the love he felt for her, and the happiness she brough him. He opened himself to her completely and pushed that feeling through to her, willing them to ease her discomfort, if only a little.
The wrinkle in her forehead smoothed as she began to relax and breath more slowly again. Alone with her, he was more freely affectionate and dropped down down to kiss her head before checking she was comfortably tucked under the covers.
In the other room, his tablet chimed. Before he reached it, it chimed again. Picking it up, he felt a light happiness at the show of support from Sevek.
'Hope all is well. Inform us if you need anything.' The message was followed by a request for a game of chess. It was a welcome distraction.
'Thank you,' he wrote back before accepting the game.
Torin was thankful for the distraction. In between games he checked on Nia and even managed to get her to eat while she watched him play. He gave her more medicine, too, and shortly after she fell asleep again. There were worse ways to spend the morning.
It wasn't until lunch was delivered that he realized he hadn't eaten anything since dinner yesterday. Food in hand, he checked on Nia. Her face was flushed and hair stuck to her face from the sweat. He noted the quick, shallow breathes that crackled with each exhale. She stirred, coughing miserably as she opened her eyes. Sensing her discomfort increase as she woke up, he grabbed the scanner to check her oxygen again.
88.
Anxiously he took it again to make sure it was accurate.
89.
"Torin," Nia mumbled. He put the scanner back on the table and gave her his full attention.
"Yes? How are you feeling?"
"Gross," she mumbled.
"Would you like to try and take a shower?" He raised the water to her lips and greedily gulped it down.
"Yes, please… but after I use the bathroom." She pushed the covers back, shivering a little when her feet touched the ground. He stayed close to her in case she became dizzy again. When she reached the toilet she gave him an exasperated look. Begrudgingly, he left and shut the door behind him.
"Ugh. I feel sick," she groaned as she walked out after. He gently guided her back to the bed to sit and rest for a moment.
"Do you feel dizzy?"
"A little. Standing too long makes me feel sick and dizzy." She was breathing harder than normal from the nominal physical exertion and he frowned.
"I feel so gross though. I want to shower." She coughed again, more of the same deep, barking cough that rattled congestion deep in her lungs.
"Try to eat first, then you can shower," he offered. Nia made a face, but agreed. Both of them only managed a few bites, but it was better than nothing.
"I need a shower." She set her lunch aside and a move to stand, but Torin gently stopped her.
"The warm steam may help too. I'll run the shower for you and get a chair so you can sit and bathe." Nia smiled gratefully at him as he stood to prepare the shower for her.
Once she was set up comfortably, and had assured him that she'd be fine, he stripped the bed and changed the sheets.
He could feel annoyance from Nia every time he cracked the door open to check on her, but he couldn't help himself. Nor could he help the way his lingered on her longer than probably necessary, though he always shoved that down when he checked on her.
Outside, the sky began to darken as the storm started to roll in, though it seemed to be taking it's sweet time. Distracted by the storm, he was caught off guard when he felt a sudden lack of awareness of Nia. His chest tightened as he reached out to her through the bond and rushed to the shower. Not bothering with niceties and knocking, he went straight to her.
Nia was slumped forward on the chair with her hands supporting her head as the steaming rivulets raced down her shoulders, over her knees, and rand down to the floor. He turned off the water and draped the towel he'd set aside over her shoulders and kneeled by her, oblivious to the water that soaked his pants immediately.
"Nia?"
No response, just deep breaths. He pushed her hair from her face and tried to angle her to look at him. She groaned and tried to weakly shake his hands away. He could hear the light wheeze as she breathed. Without a second thought, he scooped her up and carried her back to bed.
She shivered as he laid her in bed and dried her off to the best of his ability.
"Sorry…I…I don't feel well," she mumbled before another wracking coughing fit overcame her. He grabbed the first pajama set he found and quickly helped her dress as she shivered violently.
"Thank-" She was cut off by more coughing. He grabbed the scanner and felt his stomach drop when 86 flashed across the screen.
Running on anxiety and mild panic now, he considered the doctors words. His first instinct was to grab the oxygen now, but his warning on limited oxygen tanks made him hesitate. He rested his hand over his mouth as he considered the best course of action, trying to push down the feeling of helplessness.
He was not thinking logically.
An alarm went off on his tablet and he turned back to Nia and felt her head. Burning. The shower hadn't helped her cough like he thought it might and has worsened her fever. He gave her more fever reducer. She took it half awake and coughed again. He made sure she was propped up as she yawned and started to drift off to sleep again. She pulled the covers up and shivered.
"Can I have another blanket?" He knew it was risky to put too many blankets on her lest she overheat, but she sounded so pitiful that his heart couldn't bear to tell her no. So, he got her another blanket and tucked her in.
"Thank you," she yawned. It didn't take long for her to drift to sleep again. This time, Torin grabbed a sketchbook and sat in bed next to her as he halfheartedly sketched the afternoon away.
She didn't wake until nearly dinner. By this point, the storm was in full swing and intermittent flashes painted the darkened sky. He set their dinner on the table and went to check on Nia again, who began coughing again. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her. She was pale and looked so, so tired, despite how much she'd been sleeping. Sitting up seemed to have taken a lot of effort as she breathed in quick, shallow breaths.
Overhead, the lights flickered, making him pause for a moment.
"What was that," she asked.
"I'm not sure. Most likely a generator was struck." He resumed the task of getting more cough medicine for Nia. As she took it, the lights flickered again, making them both look out the sliding door to the balcony.
"Did-" She was cut off by a short gasp as the lights completely went out. Intermittent flashes outside were the only source of light now as the bursts created a stop-motion effect as Torin moved to the sliding door.
"What happened?"
"I'm not sure," Torin said as he turned from the door to find his tablet. There was a ringing silence in the air now as the quiet hum of electricity they hadn't been aware of was now gone. With some difficulty, he located his tablet and unlocked it. No connection. He sighed. He'd assumed that would be the case but had hoped otherwise. Another coughing fit took hold and he put the tablet down to sit next to her on the bed. The flashes outside allowed him to see her in brief glimpses, which only added to the anxious disquiet that had taken over. How had the backup generators failed too? He thought of the clinic now and his unease grew. Did they have power?
Once the fit finally passed Nia was left breathless and unable to speak as she leaned back to rest and catch her breath.
Again, he felt something shift in him that he couldn't quite place or control. A helpless and restless energy made him antsy as Nia's wellbeing was his primary focus. Unable to really help her, he couldn't channel it into anything productive. Nia must have sensed this shift because she gave him an odd look as he grabbed the scanner again, it being the only thing he could really do for her. The rational part of him that had momentarily been pushed to the background recognized what was happening, though he didn't acknowledge it.
84.
He grabbed the oxygen tank and mask and quickly put it on her without a second thought.
"Torin I-"
"No." His tone was final and left no room for argument. Caught off guard by his sudden brusqueness, she allowed him to give her oxygen without further comment or protest.
"What's going on," she asked once he was satisfied.
"I will investigate. I'm certain the generators-"
"No," she interrupted, "I mean with you. You're acting… off." He paused at this and finally took a moment to reflect. He furrowed his brows realizing he'd been having difficulty staying in control. Thinking logically was starting to become a little more difficult as he felt off balance emotionally, mood swings starting to become more difficult to manage. A certain degree of protectiveness was understandable given the circumstances, but to this extent? He wasn't eating or sleeping well at all, consumed by making sure she was okay. He pursed his lips and considered what to say. He recognized his embarrassed reluctance to talk about it was illogical, but for now he was relieved she couldn't see his face very well in the mostly darkened room. It was a natural biological function that he couldn't control. She would understand.
However, and this was primarily where his concern lay, he also knew she had experience with it because of Avarok. He recalled that day with perfect clarity and anger, surprising himself by the reaction he still elicited. He'd never truly forgiven him and let go of what he'd tried to do — of what he did manage to do before Torin had ripped him off Nia on the trail. Now, he worried that experience would change how she saw him if he admitted that his time was coming.
He took a breath. It was literally life or death once he was in the throes of it — once he progressed to the point of no return.
He had to tell her.
A knock on the door, once again, interrupted him, and for a brief moment he believed the law of probability would just perpetually be against him. He gave Nia an apologetic glance and hoped she sensed his sincerity as he stood to go answer the door while using his tablet as a flashlight.
Sevek stood with Sekev and Avarik. He was surprised to see Sekev given their less than cordial relationship with his wife. He cast a questioning look at Sevek, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back and in his guard uniform. Avarik was also dressed in work clothes, a jumpsuit and boots, as he read something on his tablet.
"We require your assistance," Sevek spoke up.
"What do you need?"
"Several generators has been badly damaged." Avarik looked up from his table. The poor man looked more tense than normal if the way his eyes continued to glance back at his screen with every message notification were any indication. Torin briefly wondered how the man had a signal at all.
"From the storm, I assume?" Torin shifted his weight and leaned against the doorframe. When Avarik didn't respond, looking again at his tablet, Sevek spoke on his behalf.
"Partially. The machines also show signs of blunt force damage. "
"You believe someone destroyed them on purpose?" Torin couldn't fathom the logic or reasoning behind doing such a thing besides spite and a desire to see the colony fail, all of which pointed to an outside force; someone not from the colony.
"I am not a guard. I'm not certain how I can be of assistance." Torin hoped he wouldn't have to leave Nia. The thought alone made him tighten his hands into fists anxiously. Aware, for a change, of his body language, he consciously relaxed his hands and crossed his arms instead.
The scientists are working on finding a treatment for the illness spreading. We also have technicians and mechanics working fixing the generators, engineers working on a solution to protect them, and a select group has volunteered to assist the doctor in whatever he needs. With that in mind, there is a small pool of healthy and able-bodied people to select to assist in this matter." Sevek paused and let his words sink in.
"Are there really so many ill," Torin asked. Surely there were more qualified individuals that could go.
"Unfortunately, yes. Available backup generators have been used to power the lab and clinic in an attempt to keep research on the illness moving."
Admittedly, it made sense and was the logical choice, as much as he disliked to admit it in that moment. Accepting that he wouldn't get out of it, he at least wanted to know what they would be doing and voiced as much.
"We need to the check the lightning rods and energy storage units along the trail near the desalination plant and make sure the area is secure. Other groups will check other areas." Sevek noticed his hesitation. "You will be armed and in groups. There are more volunteers downstairs," he added.
"I am not comfortable leaving Nia alone while she is so ill."
"I have considered this. T'Laan has said she will stay and watch over her in your absence." Torin was a little surprised to hear that. Coming from anxious, germophobe T'Laan, it was a true testament to their already close friendship that she was willing to expose herself to illness to keep an eye on Nia. He was certain Nia would enjoy the company as well. His mind mostly at ease now, he agreed.
"Allow me to explain the situation to Nia and change my clothes." He was thankful she was still in bed and awake when he returned.
"Is everything okay?" Her voice was muffled slightly by the oxygen mask. He relayed the conversation as he changed. Once dressed, he scanned her.
85
He felt nearly lightheaded with relief that she hadn't continued to decline. He was surprised, however, when he sensed her walls were up, though her anxiety and fear he could still sense. Not that he had room to judge, he'd been keeping his up more around her due to his irrationality.
"Our conversation isn't over," she said quietly. He walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. Knowing she was upset with him was something he couldn't handle right now. If she knew, if she understood why…
"I worry about you," she confessed. He leaned in and pressed his forehead to hers, resting one hand on the back of her head, thumb running over her cheek until she relaxed again.
"I know. We will continue our conversation when I return. I promise." He pulled back and stood. Before he left, he turned and leaned over to kiss her head.
"Be safe, or else," she warned with a tense smile.
"I will." He joined the others in the hallway where a few battery powered lights lit it enough to not trip down the stairs. T'Laan, wearing a mask, nodded to him in greeting. He held the door open for her, silently thanking her.
It had been a while since he'd shot a fire arm, but he remembered enough he felt comfortable holding the phaser. Glancing outside, the flashes had finally stopped and full evening blanketed the sky as the sun dipped below the horizon. Sevek offered him a ration bar, which he shoved in his pocket. He had no appetite this evening, something he made a mental note of to tell the doctor.
"There is a possibility the carnivorous creatures from the mountains will be out, so be cautious," Averik addressed them. "Keep your earpiece in, it's synced to your scanner and will alert you to their presence. Once the creature is close enough, the notification will cease. Now, we will be splitting into 4 groups of 3. Do not go anywhere alone and stay alert." Averik began grouping the men. Unsurprisingly, Torin and Sevek were grouped together. The surprise, and irriation, came when Sekev was added to their group.
Averik approached each group to give them directions and a location to check. Their group, as Sevek had said earlier, was to investigate the trail near the desalination plant since they were familiar with the trail. Torin couldn't shake his unease as he recalled the cave with the opening leading further into the belly of the mountain, hosuing who knows how many creatures just waiting for a hapless creature to stumble into the gaping maw. He held his hands tightly behind his back and took a deep breath. He loathed violence and was not a natural fighter. He could count on one hand how many times he'd been in a physical altercation since childhood. While he didn't like to fight, it didn't mean he didn't know how. All Vulcan were trained to defend themselves well from childhood, especially the boys who would likely have a kahs-wan. It was a necessity on Vulcan. He idly wondered what traditions would fall to the wayside now that Vulcan was gone.
"Now," Torin's hand twitched as Averik addressed them all again, pulling him from his thoughts, "remember the procedures. Radio for assistance if needed, stay together, and do not enter any caves. You will be debriefed, so make sure you are thorough."
Torin, Sevek, and Sekev walked quietly. He felt too tightly wound. He considered saying something to Averik, but the words died in his throat as the blissfully cool night air greeted them. He hadn't realized how warm and stuffy the building had been until now. It was deeply refreshing. He took a deep breath while the others zipped their jackets as they made their way along the trail. He made a note to check his own temperature at the next available opportunity.
Torin was again lost in thought and nearly ran into Sevek when he stopped and turned to Torin.
"I apologize Sevek, could you repeat yourself," he asked when Sevek looked at him expectantly. His face flushed having been caught so inattentive.
"Have your phasers ready. We'll turn on our light now, before we get to the trail." Had they already made it to the plant? He truly looked around realizing they were, in fact, at the desalination plant. Anxiety nearly shook his hands and made him go straight to the clinic at the realization he was getting worse. He shook away the though and turned on the light he'd attached to his jumpsuit's shoulder. They needed him. He missed the look the other two men exchanged, but not the look Sevek gave him; A silent "are you okay?"
"I… worry for Nia's health," he confessed quietly as a means to explain away his behavior. Sevek inclined his head in understanding, but didn't seem wholly convinced. Sevek was older than him by a decade, while Sekev was two or three decades older, Torin wasn't sure how much, really. He'd never been inclined to ask, nor was their relationship good enough for any type of personal question. While Sevek had only gone through his time twice, he was keenly aware of the symptoms. Being in charge of a group of guards back on Vulcan for many years, and his own firsthand experience, had given him plenty of experience in identifying the symptoms in others. Sekev had also been through his time multiple times. A silent agreement to watch Torin closely had been communicated with that exchanged look, all differences set aside in silent camaraderie knowing what was coming.
They began ascending the trail and Torin's thoughts turned inward again. His youthful lack of experience made him feel even more irritated and off balance. He pushed away the thought and focused on the trail, looking for any signs of tampering. They worked quietly, staying near each other as they slowly combed the trail. As they neared the cave just off the trail where they'd sheltered, minus Sekev, the hairs on the back of Torin's neck rose as he dared not turn his back to the gaping darkness within. The others felt similarly and they worked quickly past it. So far, there had been nothing on the comm channel.
They neared the lightning rod and storage container settled in a small clearing where the trail widened. Sevek kneeled beside it and investigated it while Sekev kept watch and Torin looked around the clearing.
"It seems the abse of the lightning rod has also been destroyed. It's disconnected from the storage container." Sekev commented. Torin was on high alert as he held his phaser and looked around the edge of the clearing for any more clues.
"Likely one of the creatures in the mountains," Torin commented.
"Perhaps…Though the cut seems too clean." Sevek stood and swept the immediate area. He sensed Sekev's approached and turned, his guard up.
"Torin, may I speak with you for a moment," he asked.
"Now is not the best time, we need to be alert," Torin countered.
"Sevek is watching and we have our sensors. It will only take a moment." His sincerity was genuine and Torin relaxed a little, surprised the man was actually being open with him.
"What is it?" Torin, however, wouldn't let his guard down.
"I want to apologize on behalf of my wife," he said quietly. Now, Torin was caught off guard and uncertain what to say.
"I do not expect you to forgive her. Just know that things are…" he hesitated and lowered his voice. "Things are complicated. Just know that you and Nia are merely an outlet. I am… attempting to rectify this." Sekev looked distinctly uncomfortable, which made him feel somewhat better. He could sense the truth of his words and politeness outweighed his curiosity to ask about it, but only barely.
"Your apology is appreciated and I will consider your words," He replied neutrally. It seemed to be a better response than Sekev expected because he relaxed immediately.
"If you don't mind, would you look for any tracks? Animal or otherwise?" Sevek called out to them. It was enough of a chastisement that neither said anything else as they looked around.
As Sevek turned to call it quiet, their earpieces began to beep slowly. Straightening, Torin immediately hled his phaser ready and looked around. The three held their ground, back to each other in a loose circle.
"We have warnings of a creature approaching, over." Sevek spoke through the earpiece.
"Do you require assistance? Over," the other side asked.
"Uncertain at this time. I will keep you posted. Over,"
"Noted. Backup will be ready to send to your location if needed. Over." The beeping didn't slowly increase, but jumped in a sudden spike in speed as Torin felt adrenaline kick in.
A loud screech echoed through the air, like nails on a chalkboard, and made Torin jump involuntarily. Irritated at himself, he turned to his right, towards the trail they'd come up through, and watched. The incessant beeping grew deeply irritating the longer they waited for the creature to show. His patience began waning rapidly and he was seconds from tearing it out of his ear when it stopped. To his continued annoyance, the silence did nothing but set him further on edge. He turned slightly again and froze when, in the brush just off the trail, two shining eyes glowered at him just beyond the reach of his light. There was a rattling noise, he was reminded of the rattlesnakes back in Texas, as the eyes disappeared. He could hear the crunch and rustle as it moved in the brush beyond his light. Then silence.
He was frozen in place, uncertain what to do now. He wasn't a guard or a fighter and, once again, his own unpreparedness — his youth — put him at an irritating disadvantage.
"Move slowly and be on alert. Don't talk unless you see it and shoot if it comes near you," Sevek whispered. Torin knew he was speaking to him primarily and he bit back the urge to comment. His moodiness only ate away at his nerves as he forced himself to focus on the trail instead. An angry, anxious energy kept his muscles taut and ready to swing at a moments notice. The more rational part, the part pushed down at the moment in favor of survival, acknowledged it was a result of his worsening condition.
A scrabbling sound, claws on rock, drew all their attention. The rattling came again, this time higher up on the rocky face of the mountain. Sevek took a few steps towards it, Torin close behind with Sekev beside him.
In his heightened alert, Torin felt his hairs raise as he sensed the threat before it came charging out of the darkness behind them.
It had been a trap.
Lure the prey in, draw their attention, then another attacks from behind. Frankly, it was stupid of them to leave their backs exposed. His matriarch would've been severely disappointed in him.
Torin spun around and fired as sharp claws and bared fangs just missed his thigh. It rattled as it scuttled back into the dark brush off the trail. The reptillian creature was a mottled gray and sandy brown. It had stood on its back legs it had tried to attack him, running on it's back two legs. It had a dark gray leathery shell covering it's back, beck, and head, while sharp spike, nearly like horns, decorated it's back and bulbous tail. It had four legs with three sharp talons on each foot and stood nearly 3 feet tall on all fours. It's eyes were red and as it charged it opened its mouth wide in a snarl, exposing sharp teeth and a flared red frill as it did.
A firm hand on his shoulder stopped him and he realized he'd been ready to chase after it. He wanted to go after it and eliminate the threat.
"We may need backup. We have at least two reptiles attacking. Over." Sevek looked around, ready to fire.
"Copy. Sending backup to your location. Over."
"We should head down the trail and wait for backup," Sekev looked at the face of the mountain, waiting for another one to drop down at any moment.
"No. The trail is narrow and they would have an advantage. Here we have an open space and cane see them coming. We should wait here." As much as Torin wanted to go back, he knew Sevek was correct. Tactically, this was the best location.
"We should stay here and wait," Torin agreed. Although unhappy about it, Sekev did not protest.
A rustling made Torin turn quickly, though the men were not so foolish as to leave their backs exposed again. A rattling sounded off the trail where they'd come and two more answered it and varying spots in the darkness. Another sounded above them on the face of the cliff. There was a palpable tension and Torin could practically hear the "I told you so" from Sevek as clearly as he sensed Sekev's irritation.
The attack was sudden as one of the lizards seemingly fell from the sky and landed with a hard thud of Sevek, knocking the wind out of him as he fell to the ground. He was forced to drop his phaser in favor of grabbing the lizard's maw to keep it from ripping at his face. Torin fired at the creature as it's tail rattled. He nearly overheated his phaser as he attempted to pierce the thick, leathery hide on it's back. Sevek finally managed to throw the creature off him and Torin fired at the soft, exposed underbelly. Beside him, he heard Sekev firing as well. A few well-placed shots finally killed it.
As he helped Sevek up, he heard a thud and grunt as more rattling filled the air. One lizard had latched onto Sekev's leg while a third rose on it's hind legs and ran towards them. Without thinking, Torin holstered his phaser and grabbed the jaws of the lizard, prying them open so Sekev could free his leg. Green blood immediately poured from the deep gouges and saturated his pants. He limped backwards focused on the one running towards them.
These creatures were fast and it snapped at Torin as it right itself and twisted out of his grasp. He pulled out his phaser again to shoot. It was enough time for the lizard to rear back and grab hold of his arm. The pain was immediate, but temporary as something in him snapped.
He yelled out in anger and used his phaser to bludgeon the lizard in the eye. He hit it over and over as hard as he could, at some point there was a popping sound followed by blue liquid running down the lizards face from the socket. The creature wailed and let go of his arm as it tried to retreat. Torin wouldn't allow it. He put away his phaser and rush it, grabbing at it's legs in an attempt to flip it and expose the soft skin beneath. It nipped at him, catching his good arm as it flailed. But Torin was stronger in that moment and flipped it. In a swift motion he pulled out his phaser and fired shot after shot into it, not stopping until his phaser overheated and stopped working. Then, there was silence.
He stood there breathing heavily for a minute.
"We need to get you to a healer," Sevek said. Whether he was referring to his arm or the blatant lack of control he just displayed, Torin wasn't sure. He looked down at his arm, finally seeing the damage, though he didn't really feel it still. It was then he realized he felt more calm than he had in the last two days. More clear and in control. Shame washed over him then. He had lost control in front of others. In front of his friend. Mortified, he took a breath and nodded.
"Let's go. I doubt we will encounter more." Sevek helped Sekev limp towards the trail.
At the bottom of the trail 3 men jogged towards them. Mild irritation washed over him briefly, but was gone just as quickly.
As they made their way to the clinic, Sevek relayed the story to the others, glossing over his loss of control, thankfully. At least his pride was partially spared.
Torin remained quiet.
