Joint Log - aCapt Mark Rhodes, LtCmdr Tierney Rinehart - "Wild Horses Couldn't Drag Me Away"

Posted on 241407.30 @ 10:52pm by Commander Tierney Rinehart & Acting Captain Mark Rhodes

Death.

It seemed such an unlikely thing, a far away apparition based on nothing more than fragmented truths to become a figment of the mortal imagination. Everyone knew it lurked in shadows, saw the end result of one of its bittersweet caresses, but never believed it would come for them.

As if we're all immune. Immortal. Safe.

Tierney had stared death in the face on multiple occasions during various battles, but never so close or so personal. It had come for her in the shape of a man, battle scarred and hateful. Scarlet had paid the piper for her short comings, unknowingly stepping in to take a bullet and nearly dying for it.

The Star-child he was laying on the bio bed Karim had placed her in, recovering from what they'd ruled as severe dehydration and exhaustion, when she heard the calamity of the Captain and a nurse. Her eyes closed and her stomach knotted with dread. In truth she'd done nothing wrong, other than be alive... And serve the Enterprise.

"Captain," said a nurse about half as tall as Mark. "I said our patient needs her rest-"

"I need information," said Mark barging into the room. "I will have 5 min and not a second more nurse," said Mark turning and looking the nurse in the eyes.

"Not a second more. I insist," said the nurse turning and leave, closing the door behind her. Mark turned to Rineheart laying in the bed.

"'The hell happened over there?" said Mark walking up to the edge of the bed.

Tierney rolled over onto her side and slowly pushed herself up. It was amazing how badly the electric discharge had drained her energy to near empty. Even her own heart had skipped a few beats before finding its proverbial footing and racing off again. "I..." She swallowed the knot in her throat, her mouth still so very dry. "Someone tried to kill me. I have a bounty on my head, Mark, Scarlet was shot on accident and I'm so sorry. I'd trade places with her if I could!" She babbled, nervously wringing her hands and not daring to meet his eyes.

"A bounty? How the hell did they track us so quickly?" said Mark coming over to Tierney's bed. He put his hand out and put her hand into his. "So this hunter came out of no where? Explain what happened as detailed as possible please," said Mark.

"I don't know, Mark." She shook her head, "He said a little birdy told him." She answered, watching as his feet and legs came into view, gingerly accepting his touch as he invaded her space and took her by the hand. It forced her to look up at him, forced her to meet his eyes with the large blue of her own, "I told Karim when he was here, I saw Scarlet alone and she and I started talking, I couldn't let her be alone." Her voice was soft, mournful as she spoke and studied his expression and face, "Then she collapsed in my arms and was bleeding and we wound up on the floor. The crowd parted and there he was in a hood all wild eyed and talking crazy nonsense about how I was going to buy him a life." Her fingers tightened around his hand as she spoke, reliving the seconds of insanity that seemed to take hours, "Enterprise wasn't responding, I must have called half a dozen times. I did what I was trained to do, I got him to drop the gun, shoved him down, and kicked the gun away when he dropped it. Karim saw everything -- he just couldn't get there."

"What do you mean Doctor Rogers was alone?" asked Mark with a fire starting in his belly.

"She was alone. On the promenade." She replied, "I don't know where the Security officer was, I didn't see her."

"I assigned Lieutenant Lucas to be her personal security detail," said Mark. "We have security personal to take care of situations exactly like this. I am going to have to speak with both of them," Mark paused a moment. "How are you? How are you feeling?"

The Star-child's lips pursed as she nodded and lowered her eyes once again. She knew that Scarlet and Lucas had screwed up, but the point, unspoken, remained that she had caused the incident simply by being alive, by being there. "It doesn't matter how I'm feeling." Tierney shrugged, "Can I make a suggestion?" She asked, closing her eyes as her slumped shoulders tried to lift and square along with the rest of her resolve. "Cut me loose right here and now, take the Enterprise and run as far away as you can. Once they have me? They'll stop looking long enough for you to get away. No more oracle, no more scary secrets being whispered in your ears. They'll be lulled into a false sense of security."

Mark was silent a moment then leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I would never leave you," said Mark. "How do you feel?" he asked again.

"But--" She started to protest, once again looking up at the Captain, and allowed the argument to die on the tip of her tongue. "Tired. I rested a little after Commander Dhej left." His concern softened her, the fact he wouldn't leave her behind for the wolves to close in on spoke volumes. It handed her temperance in a silver platter and sought to cast away the niggling doubts that still lingered concerning his motives.

Still so very worn thin, her fingers knotted in the fabric of his tunic at his belly, using it as leverage to guide him closer to her. It allowed her to rest her cheek where her hand had been mere seconds before and gave her the freedom to wrap her arms around his narrow waist in a shaky embrace. The stalwart nature of the man pried away at the barriers she'd constructed to keep just such an effort at bay, picking them apart brick by brick with each encounter and left her unable to do anything other than return the affections he'd shown her. Her act dog eared a new chapter in life, the first pivotal moment where she openly accepted and invited him into her life, her first unprovoked display of endearment -- while he was conscious, anyway. "I'm sorry, Mark." She whispered against the strength of his abs.

"You are fine," said Mark firmly. "This situation could have been a whole lot worse, I could have ended up with two dead officers. I'll speak with station staff and see if they can figure out who the assailant was. They should have the ability to track hopefully, but that's nothing you have to worry about, what I want you to do now is rest. When you're cleared, you can head to my quarters and rest of a bit more... If you want. It would make it easier for me to check on you," he said trying to provide a justification for her going to his quarters and not her own as he smiled, looking down at her, taking her hands.

"It wouldn't have happened if I wasn't here." She replied, tilting her head back to look up at him. He was kind, gentle, but so very strong. Considering his offer, she chewed her lower lip and nodded. It was unconventional, dangerous even, for the Captain to take on the task of babysitting someone who had a bounty for a crown -- but then again she wasn't just anyone and that's what they were; unconventional. "I'll let myself in?" She conceded to him, shooing away the blaring alarms that went off in her mind, warning her against such actions.

"We both know you know how to get in," said Mark kissing her on the head again. "Back to Captain-y things. Stay safe, I will come check on you later." He gave her a strong smile and broke the hand holding turning back towards the door.

She nodded gently, closing her eyes for as he dropped the kiss to her forehead. "I'll be good." Was all she said before the nurse came flying in like a flustered hen only to pause when she saw the Captain was leaving the scene. Tierney swung her legs back onto the bed and quietly curled back up into a ball.

---

acting Captain Mark Rhodes
Commanding Officer
USS ENTERPRISE

Lieutenant Commander Tierney Rinehart
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS ENTERPRISE