Hide and Seek
Posted on Tue Jan 8th, 2019 @ 10:20pm by Lieutenant JG Siobahn Fallon & Chief Petty Officer Eries Capillon
Mission: https://wellington.pegasusfleet.site/index.php/sim/missions/id/5
Having left Hailey's quarters, Siobahn was on her way back to sickbay, well aware that she was going to have to answer to both Janice for disappearing in the middle of a duty shift, and if she got caught in the corridors, likely security as well for being out and about while the ship was at yellow alert, even more so when the crew had been told, repeatedly, that they were supposed to be either at duty stations or in their quarters.
It was as she was nearing the junction she heard it, what sounded like whimpering. Siobahn hesitated, glancing along the long corridor ahead of her that would take her back to the turbolift so she could go back down to sickbay, but the sound drew her attention again. With a sigh she moved closer to the junction. "Hello?" she called softly.
Almost instantly the whimpering stopped, leaving Siobahn staring at the access panel to the junction. Taking a deep breath, she crouched down, pulling away the access hatch and leaning into the junction, gasping with surprise as she recognized the tear stained little face of Aurore Capillon.
"Aurore!" She exclaimed suddenly, pulling up and hitting the back of her head against the top of the junction access hatch, cursing at the sudden pain. "What on earth are you doin' in here darlin'?" she asked, reaching a hand toward the little girl. "Come on, let's get you to your sitter, she's probably worried sick!"
Aurore shook her head quickly, her blonde curls bouncing around her tiny face. "She got hurt Madame Siobahn," the child sobbed suddenly, crawling out and throwing herself into Siobahn's arms. "She told me to run and hide so I did. I hid here."
Kneeling on the floor, Siobahn brushed the tears from Aurore's eyes, before pulling her in for a tight hug. "Okay, you were a very good girl to do what you were told, but do you think you can take me to Ms Margo now?" Siobahn asked gently. "If she's been hurt, maybe we can help her."
The eyes of the little girl opened wide and she shook her head emphatically, "No, Madame Siobahn," She squeezed harder, "I cannot, I.. I.. I heard her, her scream, zen it stopped. Can you take me to Mamon?"
Siobahn crouched down so she was eye level with Aurore, holding both the little girls hands firmly in her own. "Aurore, I promise you that I will not let anything bad happen to you at all. I don't just promise, I super pinky promise," she said letting go of one hand to hold up her pinky in a pinky swear. "I need you to be super brave for me and show me where Ms Margo is. If she's hurt, I need to find her so we can try to help her and right now you're the only person who can help her. Can you be a brave girl for me, just for a little bit longer? Then I promise you we'll go find Mamon."
Aurore hesitated for a long second, then slowly reached up with her own pinky, "Oui, Madame Siobahn." Her voice quavered, but it was important to be brave for Madame Siobahn, "C-come with me, Madame." She gently tugged on Siobahn's hand, slowly leading her back to where her sitter had been watching her.
Squeezing the little girls hand reassuringly, Siobahn allowed her to lead the way. "When Ms Margo was hurt, was there anyone else there? Do you know what happened?" Siobahn questioned gently, not entirely sure what could have happened that would have terrorized the child enough to be hiding in the access junction like that. She had already seen first hand exactly how brave Aurore could be when the time called for it.
"Zer was no one else there, Madame Siobahn." Aurore said quietly, but she didn't hesitate any longer as she led the doctor, the brave girl, "Madame Margo had taken me to her room and something moved in the shadows and was making a clicking sound. Zere was also a high sound, higher zan I can scream."
Siobahn's face paled with realization as they turned the corner into the corridor where Ms Margo's quarters were located. Stopping walking, she squeezed Aurore's hand tightly and crouched down so she was face to face with the little girl again. "Hey, Aurore, you know what?" she said softly, watching over the girls shoulder in the distance. "I think maybe it's best if we just go find Mamon instead, and then maybe we can get a nice hot chocolate and some cookies, how does that sound?"
Aurore looked into Siobahn's face and nodded quickly, "Oui, Madame Siobahn, I would like zat much better." Relief was on the small face, "Whipped cream on ze hot chocolate?" She asked hopefully.
A movement at the end of the corridor caught her eye and as a door started to open. Shifting her gaze back to Aurore's face, she tried to force a smile. "I'll race you to the turbolift, winner gets extra whipped cream on their hot chocolate!"
That brought excitement to the girl's face, "Oui!"
"Ready, set, Go!" Making sure she stayed directly behind the little girl, Siobahn set off after her, casting one quick glance back over her shoulder as they rounded the corner, just in time to see the creature exiting the quarters. Looking up, Siobahn made a mental note of their location so she could report it to Security as soon as she knew that Aurore was safe.
Aurore's hand stretched out and flattened against the turbolift door, then turned around and jumped in excitement, "I win! Madame Siobahn, I won!"
"You sure did darlin', you beat me fair and square. Come on, let's go find Mamon." Siobahn murmured softly.
=/\=
As they entered sickbay, Siobahn let go of Aurore's hand, suddenly aware that she must have been squeezing the child's hand awfully tightly, yet she never made a sound. "There you go, how about you go give Mamon a big hug and tell her you're here and I'll get you that hot chocolate in just a moment okay?"
=/\=
Ensign Siobahn Fallon
Medical Officer
USS Wellington
Aurore Capillon
Civilian
USS Wellington
