Facing up to a hard truth

Posted on Wed Feb 13th, 2019 @ 12:55pm by Brigadier General Kaden Ross

2,054 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 97 - Cultural Exchange
Location: USS Sarek - Enroute to Cardassia
Timeline: Current

Freya smiled as she stood looking at herself in the mirror as she brushed her hair, she was enjoying the downtime she and Kaden were getting and it wasn't going to last much longer with the Sarek fast approaching Cardassia, where they would rendezvous with the Starbase 400 crew. "How's about we do some sparring?" She looked towards Kaden. "I need to make sure my skills are up to being out in the field with the marines if I'm needed as Medic at any point."

Kaden fixed the waistband on his silk pajamas before sitting down on the couch next to his cat Artemis who was stretched out while sleeping. “Of course, I will be glad to help keep your unarmed combat skills sharp, sweetheart, but try to not jab me in the ribs very hard like you did last time...” He pointed to the bruise on the right side of his bare chiseled torso.

"It's called taking advantage of your enemies weak spots my dear" Freya smiled as she petted Artemis on the head. "Use any and all methods to bring down your opponent, before they bring you down. Being a woman I have to use all the tools at my disposal and if I remember correctly you were busy enjoying the view down my top."

Kaden couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Frey, you know I love you cause you are wise, caring, smart, and a magician as a nurse but I can’t help it that you have a nice...big...firm...round set of...bosoms on you.” He raised his finger. “But you are correct, you must use all methods to take out your opponent.” Kaden held his side still sore from their last spar. “Just, not your husband...” He added in teasing tone.

"I do whatever I have to do to defend myself my love" She smiled. "Do you want me to take a look at your side? the bruising isn't getting any worse is it? Saying that you didn't complain during all our lovemaking over our honeymoon." She grinned a wry grin.

Kaden laid down on the couch so Freya could get a better look at him using his right arm as a pillow while petting Artemis with his left hand. “I thought that ointment you put on it would have worked by now but I guess not it wasn’t giving me too many problems during our honeymoon but seems it has healed a bit but sore as hell a little.”

Freya gently ran her hand over his side where she’d picked on the same spot several times last time they’d sparred. “I’m sorry to say but I think the reason it’s so sore is because you could have a fractured rib there. It’s possible there was a hairline fracture and my continual picking on you while we were sparring, plus our...” She grinned. “Extra curricular activity has lead to a break instead.” She grabbed her medkit from amongst their things and pulled out a hypospray. “I’ll give you something for the pain but there’s not a lot else I can do for it here, you’ll need to go to Sickbay for that.”

Kaden sat up and rubbed his side. “It doesn’t feel broken you sure it might be?” He asked curiously.

"I could be wrong. Probably best to just go easy on that side for a little while. I promise I won't jab you there next time."

Kaden smiled as he ran his hand thru Freya’s hair. “Okay, I will go stop by sickbay and have my ribs looked at, Nurse Ross.” He replied with a grin.

“That’s all I ask” She smiled warmly. “So given our last sparring session what do you think I need to improve on for if I’m out in the field?” She looked at Kaden curiously. “If I’m to properly fulfill my role as a medic for the marines I need to be able to hold my own in the face of whatever happens. I can’t rely on having someone to watch my back all the time, that just takes up manpower that could be used elsewhere.”

Kaden blinked a few times as he sat up on the couch with a sigh he didn’t want to say it then but she wasn’t going to learn and try to overcome it as it would possibly get her killed in the field. “Frey, I think we need to have a serious talk,” Kaden paused to find the right words to say. “I feel you are not suited to be a field medic...”

“What!?” Freya looked at Kaden in surprise a frown on her face. “There is nothing wrong with my skills as a field medic, why would you say that?”

Kaden shook his head at his wife and rubbed his palms together nervously. “It’s...it’s not your skills as a healer that is the problem it’s your fighting skills,” He got to his feet hating himself. “More specifically overcoming a foe who takes you from behind.” Kaden walked over to their bedroom to put on some civilian attire to wear for sickbay but paused to rest his hands on top of the dresser. “I noticed it for a long time but I was too afraid to say anything and I had to throw you off on my other problems when you sensed I was hiding something.” He hung his head in shame clearly upset at himself for keeping secrets from Freya he hated keeping things from her as they were always honest with each other.

Kaden turned to Freya who was sitting on the couch still. “Every time we sparred and I come at you from behind you freeze up for a few seconds, Frey, those few seconds is all it takes to get you killed.” He could feel his legs getting weak as if all Kaden was doing was plunging a dagger in Freya’s heart causing him to sit on the bed. “I know you keep asking me why I never spice things up when we make love by taking you from behind or even why I don’t come at you from behind to show any affection anymore it is cause you tense up and freeze up as if expecting something terrible to happen.” Kaden looked at Freya his eyes tearing up. “It’s them, isn’t it? Those betazoid boys that attacked you that night cause you are in love with a Human they got to you didn’t they?”

Freya took a seat on the edge of the bed, she couldn't argue it with him because she knew he was right. "Kaden I...." She nodded as she hung her head and looked at the floor. "I still wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night, not all the time just sometimes but I know that I can't let it effect me if I'm to do my job. I'm the marine medic I have to do my job or somebody could die!"

She remembered the night she came home to her parents house, with her parents away the house was in darkness but she soon realised she wasn't alone. Attacked from behind by two boys she'd been terrified what was going to happen, fortunately for her Kaden hadn't been far behind. Since then she'd done her best to hide her fear but obviously wasn't doing a good job.

She looked up at him. "I need your help with this Kaden, I have to overcome my fear! I'll speak with Ariana once we get to the starbase but for now....will you help me? Please?"

Kaden sighed as he lowered his head. “I feel...in a way you are punishing me for what they did even if you don’t realize it part of you just...some reason is punishing me.” He pointed to the bruise on his ribs. “I want to help but how can I if what ever is bothering you in here,” Kaden tapped his head with his index finger. “Won’t allow me to cause it keeps me at a distance.”

“I haven’t been keeping you at a distance!” Freya looked at Kaden in surprise. “Since when have I kept you at a distance? We’ve spent our honeymoon making love every chance we’ve had, I’ve never pushed you away!!” She looked puzzled. “I’d certainly never hurt you, not intentionally anyway.”

She stood up and walked across to the window of their temporary quarters and looked out at the stars. “Why did you marry me if I hurt you the way you say I do? Maybe I should have just requested an assignment elsewhere.”

Kaden tried to think of how explain it but couldn’t find the words instead he walked over to Freya from behind and tried to lovingly wrap his arms around her. He could hear her breathing intensify as if something bad was about to happen her body tensing up then just like that she pulled away trembling as if she was scared. Kaden felt a tear run down his cheek as he sat down on the bed. “See? you say you trust me but your actions say otherwise...” He lowered his head then sniffled a few times.

Freya’s eyes widened in horror, she didn’t realize it herself until now. She turned to look at him moving across to where he sat. “I....I’m sorry!” She sat down on the bed before turning her back to him. “Do it again...hold me....like you did then and don’t let go!”

Kaden again wrapped his arms around her lovingly he feel her tense up again but she didn’t pull away. “Frey, I married you cause I love you...you are the thing that fills the void in my heart and I can’t be apart from you ever again I want you at my side.” He rested his chin in her shoulder. “I need you to be strong again be that woman I fell in love with on the beach and show those betazoid punks that you can overcome this.”

Freya could feel herself tensing up, she gently lay her head against his and slowly started to relax letting the tension go. She knew Kaden would never hurt her. “I want to be strong Imzadi, I want you to do this more from now on. Don’t be put off if I tense up, I need you to help me through this. Just hold me like this for a while, then we’ll go to Sickbay together.”

Kaden didn’t say anything but her pulled up to him a little tighter enjoying the feel of her pressed against him but he couldn’t help but smile. After a few quiet moments he kissed her on the cheek. “You will get thru this cause you are strong and you are always the strong one between us this will pass and you will be that woman again I just know it.”

"I do trust you, I trust you with my life!" She turned her head to give him a loving kiss. "I am sorry I didn't mean to make you think I didn't trust you. She leant back against him she was starting to enjoy how it felt cuddling up to him this way. "What's say we go to Sickbay and have you checked out then we can come back and do this some more?"

Kaden let her go as he stood up from the bed. “Sounds good, then we can talk about how to improve your fighting skills if you feel up to it still.”

“Of course I do” She smiled warmly. “Let’s go and get your side checked by the medical staff and then we can spar but only if they say it’s okay!”

Kaden smiled as he rubbed her shoulder. “Okay, but do me a small favor,” He placed his hand over his bruised ribs. “Try not to jab me so hard this time will you?”

Freya grinned her biggest grin yet as they headed for the door. "I make no promises!" With that they headed to Sickbay.

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