D’vaid was still sore from the mission a few days prior it was hard to not be after all the things that had happened. He groaned realizing his shift started soon, in most cases he didn’t mind but after this last mission he thought the whole crew deserved R&R, but his thoughts were interrupted by a chime on his PADD. He pulled up the message asking for him to come to sickbay for his regular checkup. He chuckled at the thought of this being a ‘regular’ checkup. He quickly got dressed and brushed his hand over his Ensign pip he had been one for over a year. He had tried his best to make sure the Captain had everything he needed.

He brushed it off and headed for Sickbay, which was pretty calm when he arrived. After the checkup he was about to leave when he saw Oka was there. He stopped for a moment wondering if he should go talk to her or not. He debated it while it seemed she was having a conversation with the nurse.

At sickbay, it was relatively calm, and few patients were present. On one of the beds, Katsu was sitting getting her regular check-up on the latest mission, “Is there anything you can do about these nightmares?” With a sad tone in her voice, she looked at the Nurse, who continued the check.

“No, miss Oka, I can give you a therapy session with the counselor. But nightmares are not my department” She pokes a side of her back that made Katsu move a bit “That is my job….now hold still while I grab the scanner”  She spoke walking away. 

D’vaid decided once the nurse walked away to go talk to her. He smiled as he reached her “Hi Oka, everything ok I know you have had a tough time. Sorry I couldn’t do more I tried to get to you as soon as I could.” He concluded looking guilty.

Getting a jump scare from the sudden voice next to her, she saw D’vaid and relaxed again, “Well…. Hey no it is okay” She tried to answer his guilt “I was way over my head, and I didn’t do what I was supposed to deliver to the table in that action” She shrugs now feeling the guilt herself as Katsu looked at him “Thank you I mean to say”

D’vaid smiled and shook his head “You did just fine! Those spiders are not for the faint of heart and you took them on like a champion, though I know you had to be scared.” He said trying to calm her down. “No need to thank me…” He paused for a moment before continuing “I’d do it for you again in a heartbeat.” He finished trying not to turn red in the face.

“Mmm thanks” Katsu didn’t know how to react proper to that and just looked a bit away wondering how to respond to that. Her social skills were not the best, and she had difficulty getting in touch with it. It only took a second to realize what he was saying, “Wait what…” Katsu looked at him, “Is…mmm you know…not normal to do so for all your crew members?”

D’vaid shifted his feet “I mean it is, but for you I would do it on repeat for the rest of my life if I could save you.” He stated taking a chance and saying something that could go one of two ways.

No experience with what was happening right now in front of her, she looked confused at him, “Well…I …am honored you want to do that for me?” Katsu looked at him, and something did feel different for her as she snapped her stare away from him. “I mmm well hope it won’t happen again, I don’t want anyone not hurt, so yea” She scratched behind her head as the nurse walked back to her “Mister Maec are you here for miss Oka?”

He nodded without hesitation “I am here to help her back to her quarters.” He said with no wavering as he looked at her with a warm feeling in his heart. He hadn’t really ever been so blunt, but sometimes he was tired of hiding or being shy. 

The nurse narrows her eyes and winks at him, “Alright, miss Oka you got your personal escort. You are dismissed and go get an appointment with a counselor for those nightmares” She pointed out and walked away to resume her duties. Katsu jumped off the bed and looked at him, “Mmm, I don’t really need an escort. I mean, I know where my quarters are?” She looked confused at him. “Thought…I don’t mind?”

D’vaid looked at her and nodded “I know you don’t, but I figured given the fact that you have been having nightmares and the incident that happened if I could help I would…but if you would rather walk alone I can let you do that.” He said trying to make sure that whatever Oka wanted he obliged.

Touching her cheek with one hand, Katsu blinked “Is it just me, or is it warm her?” She was totally inexperienced by the feeling of blushing for the first time. She nodded a few times to Maec “Yea, sure I would be honored to have such company” She nodded again and just walked a bit puzzled to the exit “I will take the lead then?”

He nodded and smiled back at her looking into her eyes for a moment before looking back in front of him “So it looks like this injury has taken a bit of a toll on you. Is it anything you would want to talk about or would you rather not?”

Nodding to him as they exit the sickbay “Well yea, it was the first time being crawled and stabbed by a murder’s machine that wanted to eat off my flesh to reproduce itself” Katsu made a summary of her experience “Yea that made quite the impression on me, not for you?”

D’vaid shrugged slightly “This isn’t my first time dealing with them, though I can’t say I enjoyed the experience the biggest thing was making sure you was safe. I can see why your having nightmares it was a traumatic experience. I am not sure if there is, but if I can help in anyway I would be pleasured to do so.”

“Right” Not looking at him but feeling her cheeks warm again, she felt confused “Thank you, but it shouldn’t endanger your life for another if you can’t guarantee your safety. I mean …” Katsu tried to find the words in her head while entering the turbo lift and waiting for him. “Losing you would not be good for ship morale…and me” That last part she whispered and kinda just blurted out. 

D’vaid looked at her for a moment and a wave of joy came over him, though he tried to contain it. “Well if there is one thing I have learned it’s my life is never guaranteed, nor do I expect my own safety ever to be high. I am here to help other even if that means the risk of my own life. You deserve to live a long life and if I can make sure that happens I would even if I lost mine.” He stopped for a moment “I never want to die, but I would rather see you live a long life and if I can make that happen I would!”

“But, hypothetical speaking, if you are dead because of your behavior, which is commended by Starfleet. Do you think that joy would be brought to those that care for you or…like you?” Katsu caught herself looking at him and looking away as the door closed, “Oka quarters” the computers beeps, and the lift started to move.

D’vaid looked at her “Truthfully Oka, I don’t have many people in my life. As such I think that’s why I have never really thought about it the same as most. I am just the yeoman of the ship following the orders of the CO. A majority of people on the ship don’t hugely interact with me unless they have too.”

Looking at him, she thought for a moment “We do have a lot of enlisted personnel on the lower decks I believe” Katsu muttered to herself and then continued “I mean…I am talking to you right now, no?” She was not proving her point well “I mean, I am talking to you without having a reason to talk to you, or the reason to talk to you is that you wanted to escort me” Katsu blinked a few times getting confused herself. 

D’vaid smiled “I enjoy talking to you.” He said very bluntly.

“Right” She looked confused and just nodded as the door opened “Yea our …I mean my stop, the room is right around the corner” Katsu spoke “Thank you for, your help”  She spoke walking out of the turbolift and turned around “I hope we can have more of these …talks”

D’vaid nodded “Your welcome, have a good night! If you need me for…anything just call me. I hope we can as well.” He said as he watched her disappear into her room. He smiled it seemed somethings were finally going his way.