*Chapter triggers: psychological aftermath of the triggers in previous chapters.
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Nyran woke up on a biobed next to a familiar rocky wall. She groggily reached out to touch it, just to make sure it was real. What was she doing here anyway?
The brief sweet bliss was attacked by the inflow of memories. A jolt moved through her body as she remembered the last thing she saw. The movement attracted doctor Idra.
"Welcome back," she said in a soothing tone. Nyran gave her a bewildered look.
"Doctor," she exhaled in panic. "What am I doing back here? What happened?"
She just smiled at her and nudged someone sleeping in a chair beside her bed, hidden in shadows. Her heart fluttered with anticipation -- but then Arem's face blinked at her sleepily. She silently cursed at the sting of disappointment that was not supposed to be there. She was glad to see him, her traitorous heart just wished for someone else's presence.
"Arem," she forced out a wide smile to cover up the initial confusion.
"He can tell you all about the heroics," doctor Idra promised and gave them privacy.
"What happened, Arem?" Nyran exhaled. "Did anyone get hurt? Did anyone get killed because of me?"
"No, no, everything's fine," he soothed. "It was a quick and successful mission and we all survived it, don't worry. You look so much better," he examined her face with the gentlest gaze, softly touching the edges of her face with his fingertips.
"How did I look before?" she wondered, feeling relieved that no one paid for her mistakes.
"Like hell," he answered and that elicited an amused chuckle from her.
"Yeah, I guess I can imagine. Yadasi'kush broke my nose, I remember blood everywhere. Could not have been a pleasant sight."
"He also broke your cheekbone," Arem informed her gingerly and lightly touched said bone. Nyran's hand flew up to check if everything was back in place and shuddered at the image of how it must feel to have such an injury. She was lucky to have been unconscious.
"Feels fine now," she smiled again, but something dark tugged at her guts, asking for attention. She shook her head to get rid of it.
"Why were they beating you anyway?"
"Actually, I attacked him," Nyran confessed. "He was about to release the Cardassian guards I managed to lock up. But then the rest of the Jem'Hadar came, posing as audience for our fight. I was barely able to make a dent in him, while he... well, you saw."
"Wow, fist-fighting Jem'Hadar... I'm actually proud of you. But it was one of the most terrifying moments of my life. If Legate Damar hadn't ordered the rescue, I swear I would've stolen a fighter and attempted it on my own."
Just the mention of Damar gave her butterflies in the stomach. He had come to save her... Could it get more romantic than this? And here she thought he would not be so rash and reckless, that he would not risk it all just for her.
But why was she so emotional about him now? It could be her near-death experience. Or maybe it was the drugs. Was she on any drugs, anyway?
Arem, focus on Arem, she scolded herself. He was there too, he had just said so. He was being a hero for her as well, and all she could think of was the other man? Shame on you, woman. She did not deserve this kind of devotion from him. It was wrong to keep stringing him along, she should just break it off, stop lying to everyone, let him go...
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The Casualty «Dukat/Damar & OFC» 🔞 ✔️
Fanfiction= 'You're my guardian angel, you know that?' He weaved his fingers in her hair and leaned down to kiss her. Despite the heavy smell of stale kanar on his breath, all she wanted right now was to press her lips to his, let his mouth devour her, have h...
