How NOT to Fight a Cold

Posted on Thu Nov 14th, 2019 @ 8:29pm by Lieutenant JG Shaille Levine & Warrant Officer Koh Ottasu

Mission: Sounds of Silence
Location: Koh and Shaille's quarters

"Easy.... easy...." Koh chided himself as he lowered his head. At the moment, he was resting on the big bed in his quarters. A bucket of icy water on the floor, and his lengthy ears about to make contact with the surface of the water. Lower and lower he lowered his head, until the ear tips broke the surface of the water and more and more of his lengthy listeners were lowered into the soak.

A few sharp breaths, and then the sigh of something resembling relief. Just pure bliss. Though, it left him in a vastly compromised posture, and he heard the door to his shared quarters swish open. Was it an intruder? Was it Shaille? He wasn't certain, but as the figure came closer and closer, before the figure even rounded around the corner of the doorstop, Koh summoned what all he had of his voice. "I can explain..."

Shaille couldn't help but smile, albeit weakly, at the sight in front of her as she walked into their bedroom. As he started speaking, she shook her head slightly and pointed to her throat before she closed the distance between them, lowering herself gracefully onto the floor next to the bucket and unzipped her jacket, tossing it somewhere in the general direction of the bathroom. It was clear he was feeling just as miserable as she felt herself.

Leaning forward, she brushed a soft kiss across his nose before she dipped her hand into the icy water, shivering almost involuntarily at the sudden cold against her warm skin. Scooping up some of the water, she trickled it slowly along the length of his ears, her other hand resting softly on his shoulder, fingertips splayed over his soft fur.

His ears were warm to the touch, warmer than his body. Maybe that's how they ran a fever, or maybe that's just how they regulated their body heat. Though, her attention to his ears was a welcome feeling, and it made him smile. "Mom used to do this. Helped with aches." he managed with a scratchy voice. Though after a while, he just leaned into her contact on his shoulder. "If I brought this with me... I'm so sorry."

The very thought that he brought this sickness with him didn't sit well with him.

Shaille shook her head, the movement making her head ache. She scooped up more water, letting it trickle along his ears again before brushing her damp fingers across his forehead. After a moment, she stood up, holding one finger up to him as a sign to wait and walked back into the living area, picking up the PaDD she had left on the entry table. Clearing out her last series of messages, she typed out one single word and handed the PaDD aross to him. "ALIENS."

Dropping back to the floor, she dipped her hands into the cold water again, returning to his ears.

"Well yes, I a.." It took Koh a moment longer than he wanted to admit to get the meaning of her word. She didn't mean HE was an alien. Because he was. Her meaning was deeper. More sinister.

"Invaders?" he whispered. Not because just because talking was a bit of a chore at the moment, but now their dialogue had entered the realm of conspiracy. Any plague that could jump from the children of Ts'usu to the children of Terra wasn't natural. Especially if it kept the same symptoms.

He was ready to speak again, but stopped himself, and tapped out a message on the PaDD he was holding. Terran Standard was a funny language to learn given weeks. He wondered if these theoretical invaders learned it yet.

"Does rest of Security know?" was his single inquiry.

Shaille nodded slightly, again her movements punctuated with a grimace. Reaching across him, her arm resting lightly on his chest, her fingers tapping at the PaDD again. "Investigating. Trying to find them."

Koh gave a nod, and rather than typing out, he actually spoke. For all the good it would do, mind you.

"I think it's time to dry off." he offered, and gave her a smirk. Talking was a mistake, but he was tired of being silent. He returned to tapping away at the PaDD. "Get some sleep, I'll stay awake and watch. For intruders, I mean."

Drying her hands on her uniform, Shaille shook her head slightly, offering a faint smile. She picked up the PaDD and typed out a message quickly. "I can keep you company. I don't feel much like sleep anyway."