Zeral - Gone, But Not Forgotten
Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:36 pm
<<Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, Earth, 2378>>
“All right, Doreit, give me all your…threes.”
“Nice try, Riley. Go fish.”
Biting off an angry oath, Riley reached for the deck of cards, adding one to his hand. Talia was next, leaning back in her chair with her feet propped up and perusing her hand with near-humorous intensity. “Nora,” she stated boldly, quirking a brow as she regarded the too-innocent-by-far-looking Betazoid. “Give me your fives.”
“Blast!” Nora exclaimed and tossed two of the flimsy cards Talia’s way. “I had high hopes for those.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Talia grinned unrepentantly. “I’ll take good care of them, though.” Laying down her newly finished set of fives, she turned her sharp gaze to Laaris. “Laaris, I don’t suppose you have any aces hiding in that hand of yours?”
“I’m afraid not,” Laaris responded calmly, setting her cards on the table with a placid look on her face.
On the other side of the table, it was clear by the way that Riley’s frown was deepening that he had had enough. “Would someone please remind me why we’re playing go fish, of all things? This is supposed to be poker night, for God’s sake.”
“Because you cheat, of course,” Doreit grinned.
“And because Nora always loses too much money,” Talia was quick to add, cutting off whatever angry retort Riley was about to make. “Too bad you can’t use that telepathy-empathy thing of yours for personal gain, Nor. You’d be a master poker player.”
Rolling her eyes, Nora sarcastically murmured, “Woe is me.” About to begin her turn, she suddenly stilled, eyes going wide as she slowly touched a hand to her forehead. Talia was the first to react. Of all Nora’s friends at the Academy, feisty Talia knew her best, and she knew almost immediately that something was definitely up. “Nora?”
Standing up so quickly she nearly toppled her chair over, Nora rushed across the room and headed straight for the door. “It’s Bron,” she called over her shoulder. “I think--no, I'm sure that he’s here!”
“Your brother? What do you mean, here?” Talia demanded, following quickly on her friend’s heels while the rest of the group watched dumbfounded before also leaping to their feet. “I thought he wasn’t due to visit for another two weeks!”
But Nora was already out the door, running now as she set a course for her own room. Her telepathic connection with all of her family members was very strong, and the feeling that Bron was suddenly and unexpectedly nearby had struck her like a slap to the face. Something was wrong, so very, very wrong, and she couldn’t shake the sickening weight of dread that was settling deep in her stomach. She found him, as she supposed she would, just outside her quarters.
He was crying.
Crying. Her brother, the perpetually smiling mischief-maker himself, was crying.
She could hear Talia and the others approaching behind her, but she could hardly spare a thought for them now. Without a moment's hesitation Nora threw herself into her brother’s arms, stunned by the shattering grief that seemed to emanate from the very depths of his soul.
“Oh, Nora,” he rasped, accepting her into his arms and embracing her tightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was coming ahead of time, sweetheart. Something…something’s happened.”
What? she demanded telepathically, her own dark eyes welling with tears. Is it Soren? Father’s heart? It's his heart, isn't it? Tal Zeral was a strong and healthy man, but his physician had warned him more than once to take care with his heart. A man of his age could never be too careful, and he certainly had his fair share of things to worry about. Maybe he'd had an attack of some sort...
Bron shook his head slowly, unable to hold back a choked sob. It’s Mother and Father, Nora. He tightened his arms around her and rested his chin on her head, but Nora could barely feel him at all. Her heart seemed to stop, and even before Bron could continue, she knew.
They’re gone, Nora. They’re gone.
TBC
“All right, Doreit, give me all your…threes.”
“Nice try, Riley. Go fish.”
Biting off an angry oath, Riley reached for the deck of cards, adding one to his hand. Talia was next, leaning back in her chair with her feet propped up and perusing her hand with near-humorous intensity. “Nora,” she stated boldly, quirking a brow as she regarded the too-innocent-by-far-looking Betazoid. “Give me your fives.”
“Blast!” Nora exclaimed and tossed two of the flimsy cards Talia’s way. “I had high hopes for those.”
“Yeah, sorry about that,” Talia grinned unrepentantly. “I’ll take good care of them, though.” Laying down her newly finished set of fives, she turned her sharp gaze to Laaris. “Laaris, I don’t suppose you have any aces hiding in that hand of yours?”
“I’m afraid not,” Laaris responded calmly, setting her cards on the table with a placid look on her face.
On the other side of the table, it was clear by the way that Riley’s frown was deepening that he had had enough. “Would someone please remind me why we’re playing go fish, of all things? This is supposed to be poker night, for God’s sake.”
“Because you cheat, of course,” Doreit grinned.
“And because Nora always loses too much money,” Talia was quick to add, cutting off whatever angry retort Riley was about to make. “Too bad you can’t use that telepathy-empathy thing of yours for personal gain, Nor. You’d be a master poker player.”
Rolling her eyes, Nora sarcastically murmured, “Woe is me.” About to begin her turn, she suddenly stilled, eyes going wide as she slowly touched a hand to her forehead. Talia was the first to react. Of all Nora’s friends at the Academy, feisty Talia knew her best, and she knew almost immediately that something was definitely up. “Nora?”
Standing up so quickly she nearly toppled her chair over, Nora rushed across the room and headed straight for the door. “It’s Bron,” she called over her shoulder. “I think--no, I'm sure that he’s here!”
“Your brother? What do you mean, here?” Talia demanded, following quickly on her friend’s heels while the rest of the group watched dumbfounded before also leaping to their feet. “I thought he wasn’t due to visit for another two weeks!”
But Nora was already out the door, running now as she set a course for her own room. Her telepathic connection with all of her family members was very strong, and the feeling that Bron was suddenly and unexpectedly nearby had struck her like a slap to the face. Something was wrong, so very, very wrong, and she couldn’t shake the sickening weight of dread that was settling deep in her stomach. She found him, as she supposed she would, just outside her quarters.
He was crying.
Crying. Her brother, the perpetually smiling mischief-maker himself, was crying.
She could hear Talia and the others approaching behind her, but she could hardly spare a thought for them now. Without a moment's hesitation Nora threw herself into her brother’s arms, stunned by the shattering grief that seemed to emanate from the very depths of his soul.
“Oh, Nora,” he rasped, accepting her into his arms and embracing her tightly. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you know I was coming ahead of time, sweetheart. Something…something’s happened.”
What? she demanded telepathically, her own dark eyes welling with tears. Is it Soren? Father’s heart? It's his heart, isn't it? Tal Zeral was a strong and healthy man, but his physician had warned him more than once to take care with his heart. A man of his age could never be too careful, and he certainly had his fair share of things to worry about. Maybe he'd had an attack of some sort...
Bron shook his head slowly, unable to hold back a choked sob. It’s Mother and Father, Nora. He tightened his arms around her and rested his chin on her head, but Nora could barely feel him at all. Her heart seemed to stop, and even before Bron could continue, she knew.
They’re gone, Nora. They’re gone.
TBC