The Other Side of Silence (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on 15 Nov 2017 @ 4:47pm by Petty Officer 3rd Class Constantin Vansen & Verity Thorne
Edited on on 19 Nov 2017 @ 12:30pm

736 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 15 - Emanation
Location: Earth - Starfleet Medical
Timeline: MD 35, 2300

[ON]

Constantin smiled as he knocked on the door, hands in the pocket of his coat. And in those pockets...two bottles of alcohol. The proper stuff too. He glanced around and knocked again, smiling to himself. He was excited to stay the night. Maybe he'd get some actual sleep? It was nice though. Very nice.

It took a few moments before Verity opened the door, wearing a pair of black trousers and a black shirt. He didn't have many things with him. He hadn't expected to have to stay so long, but it was nice to actually wear normal clothes with a real visitor. "Come on in. I wish I could say it's a great place, but..."

"It's a good room," Constantin said with a smile. He wore grey soft trousers and a dark red jumper, soft and warm. And a leather jacket over it. Comfortable clothes. And almost slipper like shoes. He reached into the pockets once inside and pulled out the bottles. "Want a drink?"

Verity watched with surprise before grinning, sitting on the bed and taking out two glasses from the bedside cabinet. "Are you a Betazoid deep down?"

He smiled and shook his head, taking a seat. "No, but I needed a drink and they are best shared. It's dark rum."

"Shall we make pirate sounds too?" Verity teased as he held the glasses out so he could pour. "Let's keep it to ourselves. I doubt the doctors would be impressed. It probably means it's very good for us..."

"It is very good for us," he said and smiled as he poured, watching him. "Good for our mental health. They need to take that into consideration after all. Oh...should we put on some music? I like music...hadn't heard it before I came to Earth."

Verity watched him with utter shock for a moment, his breath held in his chest. "You...you never heard music? For all those years?"

He smiled weakly as he met his eyes, holding them. "My...parents did not pack much with them. The computer was basic, replicator was...old and supplies limited. Fiction, toys and music weren't on the packing list. They didn't plan on having a child out there. They were...going to become revolutionaries. On their own little independent ship, with no transponder or anything of that sort."

Verity searched his eyes for a long moment, trying to imagine the kind of childhood that would make. He reached out, covering his hand to squeeze. "You must have felt...so isolated," he said quietly.

He met his eyes, holding them before he smiled and squeezed his hand in return. "I didn't know it," he admitted quietly. "I was used to...just the three of us."

"It must have been....a revelation," he said softly, watching him with uncontained curiosity. "When you heard real music, fully, for the first time."

He nodded as he leant closer, his voice soft. "It was...as if I had seen everything in black and white and suddenly I could see colours. I cried."

Verity smiled softly at that, nodding as he leant into him, able to understand that all too well. "I think I would have as well. It's...so much. Such a big part of our lives. We...feel joy from it...praise with it...energise with it...we even mourn with it."

"I am still...learning all of that," he confessed as he held Verity's eyes. "There's...gaps in my knowledge. History. Literature. All those things, basic...things you learn as children."

"You can learn them at any time," Verity said firmly, but with a gentle smile as he shook his head. "Not just childhood. You'll probably appreciate them more now anyway."

"Maybe," Constantin laughed softly, looking down as he thought about it. "Still. A lot to learn. A lot to...make sure I understand."

"Perhaps....but it means you've learnt a lot from your own path that is unique to you," Verity pointed out, motioning to him with his glass. "Things that other people don't have the key to. But you do."

He smiled as he held his eyes before he raised his glass. "A toast then? To...unique things and different points of view?"

Verity nodded, tapping his glass to his as he let out a soft breath. "Sounds just about perfect, Constantin."

[OFF]

--

Verity Thorne
Chaplain
[PNPC Blake]

PO3 Constantin Vansen
Operations Officer

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