A Medi-Skull Investigation

Posted on Tue Sep 23rd, 2025 @ 2:26pm by Tessa di'Orion & Ensign Henry Taylor

Mission: A Princess Of Tial
Location: Henry's Quarters
Timeline: Concurrent with A Tour Into Medical

After being released from the brig, Henry had walked into his quarters and, as the doors closed behind him, just stood there, looking around. There wasn’t much to look at; his quarters weren’t that big. However, until that moment, they’d never felt so empty.

He'd taken his dress uniform off slowly, carefully folding it up and putting it back in the replicator to be recycled. He was tempted to replicate himself something to eat, but he had no appetite. He took a sonic shower and dressed in an old tshirt and boxers, then looked around his room again.

He saw his guitar sitting in his closet, sitting where he’d left it after she’d begged him to play for her. He’d picked some sappy love song Mary had asked him to play at her wedding. "Your voice has a wonderful melody…” she’d said to him, the same thing she’d said the first time they read their book together. He picked it up and started to sit down on his chair, but sighed and stood back up, placing his guitar against his nightstand.

He looked at the holos on his nightstand again. His family, his sister and his niece…and one they’d taken as a group in Sickbay. She was standing with him, a bit closer than protocol should have allowed her, but Kally kept telling everyone to squeeze in, until they were practically in each other’s arms. She’d given him a copy with them centered in it. He closed his eyes and turned away from it.

Instead, he looked at his dresser and despite knowing it was a bad idea, opened the third drawer down. Her drawer, containing a few sets of pajamas she had kept around for when they’d take a quick power nap during lunch, one of her favorite things to do; some cosmetics Kally had given her; a hair brush; and a toothbrush. Henry never thought he’d be the “she has a drawer at my place” kind of guy but…there it was. He knew he would have to clean it out, recycle everything, put his things back in. He closed the drawer; he’d do it later.

He turned to lie down and stared at the bed. Saw the impression of her body on the sheets from their last time together. He hadn’t really slept since then, just sitting at his desk and trying to avoid his thoughts spinning out of control while he tried to figure out how to make it all work out.

He rubbed his hand over his face and slapped himself slightly. “Get a grip,” he said to himself. “You’re sounding like one of Mary’s romance novels.”

“From the documentaries and ‘movies’ that I have seen of your culture, ladies my age are, quite frankly, idiots,” Tessa’s voice echoed in his brain.

“Yeah, well, the guys aren’t much better, evidently,” Henry mumbled to himself. He dropped onto his bed and immediately curled up on one side, his side, staring across the room. The scent of her still on his bed, however, made him turn over and face the wall, trying to give time for the ghosts to disappear.

The Next Day

He didn’t know how long he’d been in bed, and he didn’t rightly care. He’d drifted in and out of sleep, dragged himself to the bathroom a time or two, and vaguely remembered at one point eaten something tasteless.

He spent his time in bed, dreaming of Tessa. There, in the deep recesses of REM sleep, she was his, and they were happy. He could see her smiling face looking down at him, feel her playfully nudge him in bed, laughing as they came together, her hand coming down from his cheek and--

Henry let out a scream, his eyes opening wide and the fog of sleep fleeing from him as he felt a hand strike his left buttcheek with the force of a quantum torpedo.

He rolled over, dazed and confused, then looked up, blinking at a blonde form in front of him. The wrong blonde. “Kally?”

“Up!” Kally hissed. “Good God, when did you last shower?” She yanked his boxers off, leaving him naked in bed, eliciting a cry of shock. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled, hauling him to his feet and shoving him stumbling into his bathroom, setting the pitch a bit high and ignoring his protest. She quickly ran over and made his bed, then pulled some clothes out of his dresser, pausing, seeing a drawer with what was most definitely not his things.

When he came out looking significantly better, she snapped her fingers. “Get dressed! Someone’s coming!” she said.

He quickly scrambled to put on fresh boxers, socks, pants and a shirt. As he tucked his shirt in, he looked at Kally, confused. “Who’s coming?” he said.

The chime rang and Kally tapped her combadge, whispering, “Computer, transport me to Sickbay, medical emergency.” The transporter immediately claimed her, leaving Henry alone to answer the door.

For a moment, he hoped. Could they have really pulled off a miracle? “Enter,” he said, his voice catching a bit.

The woman who entered was regal in a way difficult to describe. The steps in were languid but showed no discomfort at entering a place they had never been before. The gown, which left the right arm and leg almost completely bare but for many, intricately detailed tattoos circling them, was ethereal in nature, clearly of a very delicate fabric. Dark blue eyes flashed around and the golden necklace at her throat held a crest exactly like the one Tessa had flaunted in her own outfits. “Henry Taylor, is it?” the smooth contralto asked him.

Henry saw blonde hair, beauty and grace and he almost felt joy, then he realized that the woman in front of him was almost as beautiful as Tessa, looked like Tessa, but was, in fact, older.

Sera…you’re looking at her mother….you’re staring at her mother. You’re staring at a queen. Kneel, idiot! his mind said, trying to kick his body into motion. He awkwardly and painfully dropped to one knee, bending his head. “Your Grace,” he said.

The woman looked at him, a slight smile of amusement on her face as she gestured. “Please, Milord, rise; this isn’t a formal occasion and we are at your home, not mine. I would like to apologize for interrupting your day, but I wished to meet you and was given guidance here.”

Henry stood up awkwardly, his legs a bit shaky. He quickly moved to pull out a chair for her and stepped back. She knows my name and came to find me...I'm dead. This is it, I'm dead. Oh God....Tessa.... He tried not to panic over what might be happening to her, and held his hands behind his back. "How can I help you, Ma'am--Your Grace?" he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“I came here to thank you for taking good care of my daughter, Tessa, while she was here on board your ship. She has spoken very highly of Lady Kellerman, yourself, and several other medical experts who taught her many new techniques and helped her to acclimatize to a new situation after everything she had been through.” The smile on her face was professional and warm. “Cass’e’Indira told me that you provided her with friendship, which is not something that Tessa has had a significant amount of experience with. Light’s End owes you a debt of gratitude for taking your own time to extend such hospitality.”

Henry felt blood returning to his extremities as her words penetrated his panic. She wasn't angry, and she was thanking him. He was wary of a 'but' coming, given Cass had been talking about him, but nodded. "It was my honor, Ma'am. She is..." He struggled for an appropriate word. "She is wonderful." He tried to keep the emotion out of his voice, but was having trouble. "May I ask..." he paused.

“Of course, Milord, you may ask anything you desire,” Sera said gently.

"I was just wondering how she is faring, now that she is home. Hopefully safe and....happy," he said.

“Tessa is safe, yes, well within the protections of Light’s End. No harm will come to her, you have my guarantee on that. As for the other...” Sera paused a moment. “I’ve seen her happier in the past. She has been through much, perhaps it is finally catching up to her now that she’s home.”

Henry nodded and frowned. "I hope she finds happiness in her life there," he said. "She deserves every happiness there is." He caught himself, stopping before he sounded too invested in the topic. He knew he was tapdancing on a line and this was everything Cass had warned him about. Tessa had said her mother was a bit more progressive than most, but he wasn't about to cross lines that Tessa had gone out of her way to keep them safe from.

“She does,” Sera agreed. “That reminds me, she did send me with a gift for you, for a kindness you did for her.” From somewhere in the side of her dress, of which the folds revealed the hilt of a sword of some sort, Sera produced a book in green and white. The script on it was foreign, clearly native Tialan, and well worn from a lot of use. “It’s a book of our own stories that Tessa used to have read to her, and then read on her own as she grew into herself. She took it from her own library and said that you’d understand why she wished it to go to you.”

Henry couldn't hold it back this time. The tears leaked out of his eyes despite his efforts and ran down his face as he stared at the book. He knew exactly what it meant to her and why she gave it to him. He'd have to learn her language to read it, but he'd practice every day until he could. "Please...give her my thanks," he finally said.

He wiped his eyes and took a breath to steady himself before looking back up at Sera. "My lady," he said. "You said I may ask you anything. Truly, anything?"

Sera observed him, something she’d seen before locking into place in her mind, “Of course.”

"On my world, we tend to see our future through the lens of our parents. So, if I may ask...are you happy?" he said.

“Yes, I am,” Sera answered without hesitation. “I have children that I am proud of, a purpose in my life that will only help my people grow within my own lifetime and a legacy to pass on to both Tessa and my son Temer. It took me a while to understand myself and what my own mother left to me and why, but I can state unequivocally that I am happy and satisfied in what I have accomplished in my life.”

For the first time in two days, Henry smiled, sad as it was. "Thank you, my lady. That is a great comfort to me. Thank you again for delivering this gift, and please, tell Her Grace..." he paused and smiled again, "that I will never forget her kindness."

“I will, Milord, I promise,” Sera answered and inclined her head as she gave her word to him. “I must bid you farewell, Milord. Your Captain has me scheduled to tour your engineering section shortly.

"Goodbye, My Lady," Henry said, nodding. As the doors closed behind her, he held Tessa's book tightly and laid back in bed, closing his eyes and, after some time, sleeping a bit more soundly.