Post Op Pt. 2

Posted on Mon Oct 16th, 2023 @ 9:58pm by Commander Chalan Kendri
Edited on on Tue Oct 17th, 2023 @ 8:20am

2,629 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: Campor III - Resupply
Location: Klingon Settlement Federation Clinic
Timeline: CD 5 0630

When Commander Chalan told her that it was time, Feeva crossed the room. She’d been sitting with Keena in the so-called “Consolation room”. She was attempting to engage the child in play. She had decided that the truth-though in simpler terms-had been the best course of action. Fee didn’t believe in lying to children, even to spare their feelings. She had simply told Keena that her father had been injured in a fight for honor, was alive, would be ok, and would see her the next day. Both girls seemed to understand, and though Keena had been unusually quiet-which Fee had anticipated-she hadn’t given the Counselor too many problems the night before, for which she was thankful. She had even slept, which surprised Feeva-when she was upset, she was unable to sleep, and that had included when she was a child.

“Keena, it is time to see your father,” she said. “Now, he may look a little…well. Scary, with cuts and bruises, but don’t worry, he is fine,” she said. “Commander Chalan said the doctors said that, and she has never been untruthful to me, ok?” She said. She led the child across the corridor to the main Sickbay, and then the duo were led to Kas’s room. She paused at the doorway to let Keena go in. “I’ll wait out here,” she said. Until it was time for her to step in-she’d know. This wasn’t her first time doing this. HOPEFULLY it would be the last, but somehow? She doubted it.

"Papa?" Keena said timidly as she walked into the room. She spoke in Quathteen.

"I'm here 'My Little Star" Kas said softly.

The little girl ran to Kas bedside and climbed on a chair. She reached out and moved to wrap her arms around his neck. "Gently child." he smiled. The girl just held on to him for a few moments, the Hybrid chuckled at the thick frizzy mess that her red beautiful hair, 'so much like her mother' he mused.

"I’m going to be okay" Kas said making soothing purring noise.

"Why did you fight Papa!? You said fighting is bad?" Keena asked.

The scanner beeped as Kas took a deep breath to lower his heart rate, he took a moment to answer. 'How do you explain Klingon honor and politics to a child?' Kas thought.

“Fighting IS bad, but sometimes we must,” Feeva said from the doorway. Her eyes were on the man’s monitor. He had calmed. She stepped back again.

"Sometimes we have to fight to protect what is ours and defend our place." Kas began.

"You are a child, so the adults protect you until you are able to do so yourself."

"Gran told me Klingons fight when words will do." Keena said furrowing her brow.

"Klingons are warriors and protect honor through combat."Kas explained

"I don't want you to be a Klingon, Papa!" Keena's eyes became watery. "People think you’re scary!

"I don't have a choice," Kas sighed. "Don't worry about how others think of me, you know my heart and I know yours. "

"Grandma is Bajoran, why can't you be Bajoran?"

"I'm a child of two worlds and so are you." Kas said.

"What does that mean?

"You are part Klingon and Bajoran, both cultures are a part of you, Kas explained.
"You will find your own path. For now watch, listen and learn."

Keena looked at the floor, she thought she knew what he meant by ‘listen’, but also knew she'd been disobedient.

"I hear you were climbing trees without an adult helping you," Kas said in Federation standard, he'd seen Feeva outside when Keena had come in. He didn't know if she could hear them.

Keena gave him a sheepish look. "I didn't think Leena would fall,Papa. I tried to catch her, but we fell too fast… Am I in trouble?"

"Yes," Kas said, "but we'll talk about that later. I think Ms Feeva wants to talk to me…"

"Are you in trouble?" The child asked.

"Nothing you need to worry about My Little Star." Kas as the child went to get Lt. Drylo.

Feeva stepped inside, bending down a moment to address Keena. “Why don’t you go back to the room, and I’ll come get you in a minute when the adults are done talking?” She suggested. She turned around.

“Well, you didn’t die, so I suppose there’s that,” she said, propping herself against a wall. “I did my best to explain to Keena what happened. I don’t lie to children-I just told her you were challenged to a fight for honor, and took the challenge. We both thought it was stupid, but what could I do? The Commander suggested you wouldn’t hear it,” she said.

“You know, if you’d like, I can have Keena and Leena spend more time together-they’re both mixed race. I am not really mad that she took Leena up a tree. I am just upset that she didn’t ask the teacher first,” she said. “Leena is fine. I need to learn to relax a little bit. I just…since my husband died, I’ve been overprotective because she’s all I have left. My father is old, he won’t be alive much longer,” she said. “Maybe you should think about that before you challenge another Klingon, though, hmm?” She asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.


Kas looked her in the eye for a moment, "Thank you for tending my daughter, I'm happy Keena has made a friend. It's comforting to know they have so much in common. I've told Keena that she needs an adult to climb trees, I will deal with that when this is done."

Feeva shrugged, but nodded. “I am not sure that is necessary, but I don’t like to tell other parents what to do with their children,” she said.

He took a breath through his nose and out his mouth to calm himself. He needed to keep that damn scanner from going off, he didn't need medical staff fusing over him. He respected the woman's candor. So he'd be just as frank as her.

"There was no way to refuse the challenge without losing face. In the current environment that would have endangered the mission and crew. If I am seen as weak my family could be harmed, I fought to protect Keena." Kas looked at the scanner and saw that his vitals were rising again. He took another deep breath. "Keena doesn't know what it is to be Klingon, so I will teach her. She will have to find her own path as I have."

Feeva could feel something bubbling under the surface of her normally-calm demeanor. “That is nonsense. Even the Klingons know better than to take on the Fleet these days,” she said. “We’re allies now,” she said. She began to pace the room, as she did when she was upset.

Kas could feel his heart rate rising; he could see the scanners as Feeva spoke he tried to focus on his breathing. As she spoke Kas found himself thinking of the shaky half truths the Klingon Empire had built their alliance with the Federation… This wasn't the time to talk politics, so he listened.

“I am a diplomat,” she said. “I could have settled it with the Commander and the Captain. What if you hadn’t been so lucky as to survive? What about your daughter? What was I supposed to say then, hmm?” She shook her head. “You talk about honor and for what?! What’s honorable about leaving your CHILD alone? You know what? I was six years old when my mother left…it SUCKS. And when my father dies, I’ll be all alone. We have honor rituals, too, as do some Earth religions. You know what is MORE honorable? Staying alive for your family. It’s respected. And I believe, from all of my years of work, that this other….man would’ve thought so, too. You’re half-Bajoran, I remember you telling me. Tap into THAT side. They’re a far more peaceful people, all things considered.” She stopped pacing for a moment. “And what are you going to tell the Captain? What about your career? Can you raise a child when you’re in the brig for acting the fool?” She stopped speaking finally, needing to catch her breath.
“You don’t need to teach children how to BE anything. They figure it out on their own. I’ve discovered that through my work-and my own experiences. I want Leena to be one thing, but she wants something different. And that’s ok. So long as she’s safe and well and happy, that’s all that matters.”

Kas' mind flashed to the day he realized the Klingon Father Toq wasn't coming back, he'd been younger Keena… Brok'tan had filled some of the void and his Bajoran stepfather had done his best, but that pain has never left him… He heard the scanner beep and took a deep breath…

"Please sit down Feeva, I don't like talking to those who are standing when I'm prone." Kas said.

She sighed, but sat down. She couldn’t sit when she was annoyed or excited. She found that it was harder to focus. Still, she obliged.

"You've made some good points," Kas said as he looked at the scanner and saw that his vitals were nearing the red. "My lineage is more complicated than choosing Klingon or Bajoran. Neither have ever fully accepted me. I haven't spoken to my Klingon relatives since I was Keena's age. I've had strained relationships with my Bajoran mates and relatives since I left their faith. That's what caused me to leave Keena's mother. That's probably why Rahl didn't tell me she was with child."

Kas looked up at the ceiling trying to hold back tears. The scanner began to beep, but Kas didn't even try to calm himself. It was finally sinking in that he could have left Keena's fatherless.

Feeva sighed again. “I am sorry. Without telling too much, there’s a few other mixed-race folks on board. If you’d like, I can connect you to them. At least one has Bajoran ancestry,” she said. “And your lineage doesn’t really matter right now-your actions do. All of that? It’s in the past. Things are going to be fine in the Fleet. Your racial makeup is less of a problem than your ability to do your job,” she said. “And right now, some people are questioning that. That’s the other reason I am here…they sent me to make sure you were still fit for duty.” She paused for the moment. “I know that there are things that I-none of us-don’t understand about your heritage, and the nuances of that. We can only help you in the ways that we know how,” she said. “But you have to meet us halfway. You can’t just unilaterally make a decision.” She took a breath. “You know, I told one of the Klingon warriors when I was helping out at the Infirmary that it took a Warrior to accept things that may not be how we liked them, but as they should be. Try to keep it in mind. I am willing to speak to the Captain and Commander and tell them you’re fit for duty IF you’re willing to talk to me again. A few times. It doesn’t have to be anything formal, even.” She had pulled her feet to her knees, cross legged in the chair. Her tiny frame was nearly swallowed up by it.

Kas smiled at the small woman 'courage comes in all sizes' he thought. "I know how to be a Warrior and an officer, among my people I am a Seeker. I don't know how to be a father," The Hybrid looked Feeva in the eye. "I made a good choice as a Warrior and a justifiable choice as an Officer, but as Father… I can't leave my child… I don't want be Toq!!!"

As he said his father's name the scanner began to beep again. Kas reached to remove the sensor, but stopped at the expression on Feeva's face.

“Try to calm down,” Feeva said, moving into “Mom” mode. She stood up, crossing to his bedside. She placed a hand on his arm. “You can’t raise your blood pressure too high!!” She said. “Shhh…” she said.

Kas sighed, he knew she was right.

Lissa walked in and read the vital signs on the biobed and took out a medical tricorder and double checked them. They were dropping a little but not enough. “Dr. T’Lura said that you need to be on your feet tonight for an important celebration, and that it’s imperative that you rest so that your body has time to heal today.” Lissa pocketed the tricorder and gave him a stern look.

“I can give you something to help you relax. If you stay worked up like this, it’s going to basically counteract the regenerative process. You’ll be in the same place you are right now, and not cleared to leave this bed,” Lissa warned.

Kas wanted to refuse, but he also knew between two women giving him that look that he'd best behave. "Let's compromise- give me a half dose. I don't want to be drowsy and I can stay calm."

Lissa nodded, adjusting the dose on the hypospray. She pressed the instrument to his neck, giving him the medicine. “I do recommend a nap. If you can’t sleep: deep breathing, think of something relaxing. Maybe listen to some music,” she suggested. “Do you need anything?” she asked.

"Please ask Commander Chalan to assign security to my door. I don't want my Klingon relatives to know about Keena." Kas explained. "She hasn't been exposed to Klingon culture and this is not the time to learn."

“Commander Chalan is just out in the waiting area. I’ll let her know.” Lissa said, nodding before she left the room.

“I will sit here, too. I can bring Keena back until he falls asleep. Then I’ll take her back to the Columbia to stay with me and Leena again,” she said. She looked to Kas. “Will that be ok?” She said. She left the room to get the child.

Kas gave Feeva a grateful smile, "Yes that would be good. I believe my daughter will be safe with you."

Fee nodded, and left to find the girl.

Kendri walked back toward Kas’s room followed by Lieutenants J.G. Ligan and Neil, who stopped in the doorway. Kendri took just a few steps in. “Kas, Lt. Zeke Ligan and Lt. Kelson Neil will be right outside your door if you need anything.”

The two officers nodded at the Commander, and then took their places on either side of the doorframe, out of sight from Kas.

“Do you need anything else?” Kendri asked.

"No that will do," Kas found that his eyelids were a little heavy. He'd sing to Keena and let her tell him about what she's been up to while he's been away.

Feeva returned with the girl after the men left. She excused herself to the restroom for the moment so they could chat, and then she’d take Keena back to the ship with her.

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