[USS Tempest] Profanity and Prayer
- From: Anna <tkilyle@xxxxxxx>
- To: usstempest@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 05 Jun 2011 09:30:14 -0400
_Profanity and Prayer
_by Taev tr'Sercehte., JT Swiftwind, and Caerwyn apCynddelw
/Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate
circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer.--Mark
Twain
/
***this takes place a looooong time ago, during the rescue of the POWs
Taev did not know how long he slept but sleep he did.He only realized
that he'd slept when muttered curses in Rihannsu reached his ears,
waking him instantly from a deep and dreamless oblivion.He sat bolt
upright and stared, looking about, blue green eyes staring wildly.He'd
seen nothing but Hevam and other Lloannan'na races. There had to be
another Romulan aboard. None but one of his own would use words as he'd
just heard, so viciously and harshly, yet he saw no one nearby who
looked even remotely Vulcanoid.There was just a young Hevam in the
uniform of their Marines peering down at him, concern etching a frown on
his face.
"I'm sorry, sir," the young Marine said softly, his voice having yet
another odd Hevam accent."I didn't mean to disturb you."
"You...did not," Taev said, his voice rusty with disuse."I heard someone
swearing in Rihan."
The sergeant chuckled then crouched so that he was at Taev's eye
level."That was /me/ swearing but it was Welsh, not Romulan.Must sound
alike.I'm still sorry for disturbing you."
Dizzy from sitting up so quickly, Taev settled back in the cot. "You did
not," he said again. "I have not heard another Rihanha in years." Since
they executed the last of the others.Since I swore the blood oath.
"Huh, now that I can't help with but anything else you need, I can get,"
the sergeant told him with an easy shrug."I'm not Delta Company but I
thought I'd lend a hand where it's needed."
"You swear like..." Taev coughed and, without a word, the sergeant
reached for the pitcher of water the medics gave each man, poured a cup,
then held it out to him."No."
"C'mon, man, I'm not gonna try and poison /you/," the sergeant said with
a slight snort."Now that cachu mes? /Him/ I might."
Taev almost smiled then. The blunt honesty was actually almost
amusing.He accepted the proffered cup, sipping carefully."Hann'yyo."
"If that's 'thank you' then you're very welcome." The sergeant stood up
then, straightening with an ease and grace that Taev envied."I've got to
see what it is I'm supposed to be doing," he said, eyes reflecting not
pity nor consolation but simple friendliness and respect, "but I'll stop
by again later if you're awake. God knows that haliwr mawr tew will piss
me off again."
-----------
Taev was awake, sitting up and doing what he'd done most of his life,
which was simply observing,when the sergeant came by again. He saw him
enter the cavernous bay, wearing a scowl which slowly disappeared as he
greeted a few of Taev's fellow freed prisoners.By the time he reached
Taev, the scowl had been replaced with an easy smile.The sergeant
dropped to the deck next to Taev in an easy manner then offered a nod."I
came by before but you were asleep.It's actually almost lights out but I
thought I'd at least say good night."
Taev was staring then, blue green eyes locked on the young man's neck,
unable to believe what he was seeing.
"What? I get dinner on my uniform?Swiftwind'll have a fit though better
him than the cachu mes," he grumbled.
"You did that on purpose?" Taev asked, frowning as one almost skeletal
finger pointed.
"The dragon? Sure I did it on purpose," came the almost indignant
reply."This dragon's the symbol of my people.Hurt like a son of a bitch
but he's a beauty.Might get another ink on my hand one day."
Taev shook his head.Crazy Hevam.Foolish to mark oneself to blatantly.I
am Rihannsu but there is no way in all the hells that I would have the
twin worlds...he felt his eyes closing and was, again, ashamed that he
was letting his guard down.Then he supposed it was safe enough, with the
obviously mad but very kind young sergeant sitting there, a fierce and
companionable guardian. He slipped into sleep but he would have sworn he
heard his years dead hru'dinanov singing.
-----------
Observant Marine that he was, JT missed nothing, not Petty Officer
Dashman taking a shine to the big Klingon fusion, not how many of the
men were almost in awe of that psycho Calhoun, and certainly not how one
Sergeant Caerwyn apCynddelw was making himself rather useful. The man
was one of Ash's or Harak's, he was fairly certain of that, and he
didn't know him all that well other than he knew he was usually loud,
gung ho, and occasionally obnoxious. He wasn't seeing any of those as
of late, at least not while the man was down in the MASH. Instead, he
was seeing compassion without condescension, strength without bullying,
and plain old respect for another man's trials. apCynndelw might have
made a fine nurse he told himself. It'd be nice if this attitude change
is permanent but I'll swear it won't be. He'll probably mouth off at
somebody again soon.
--
"...and I had done nothing...but shoot an unarmed Cardassian in his
underwear."-Li Nalas
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