Our Truth Between Us - Part 1 (4)

Posted on Fri Jun 19th, 2026 @ 4:02pm by Lieutenant Jennifer Richardson M.D. & Commander Erris Sudis

1,876 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Preamble
Location: USS Venture: XOs Quarters

Jennifer stood at the window. Dressed in one of Sudis' shirts that she had found in an open bag. Her arms acrossed over her chest as she just watched the going on outside of their vessel. Ships and shuttles moved about in different dances as they approached loading docks and bays. Each had its own rhythm based on the distance to traverse and angle needed to connect to the station. In a way it helped to soothe her mind; the alcohol from the night before leaving her system.

Waking in the hour before and while Sudis had still slept, she had slipped out of his bed just needing time to herself to process the last twelve hours. Last night alochol had addled her brain but this morning the consequences of where things had gone became more apparent.

Jennifer had hidden her reaction last night when they came onboard the USS Venture; part in fear of him changing his mind once he realised that this wasn't the last time that they would see eachother, as she had suggested to him. The other part in fear that if left alone she would potentially fall to pieces; the rejection matching against having to process the new information on David.

It had been easy to sleep beside his warm body, cradled in his arms as his heart beat against her cheek. It had been easy to loose herself in his kisses and the comfort of just being held by somebody again. Being held not out of pity and worry; just being held because it was what he'd wanted for himself just as much. It was the first night in eighteen months that she hadn't woken in cold sweats, chased by the nightmares that had replaced her dreams.

But the seeking comfort, the running away from life; it was all going to have to come to an end at some point.

When she awoke before him; the memories of his words last night came back to her mind. The hint of a headache reminded her of the indulgence the night before but the pain was almost lost to the memory of what Sudis had said in finally telling her what had happened back on Betazoid; how David had given his life to save his.

Many might have expected fury, rath and vengeance in reaction; but Jennifer still couldn't process how she felt. She wasn't sure if it was a mixture of numbness and denial perhaps; but how could she blame Sudis for David's actions?

Rubbing her right hand along her left arm, Jennifer remembered that period after Sudis had been brought to the 'Gale, the numbness that had attached to her in those months after as she buried herself in work as a means of survival. She remembered the comfort Sudis had offered in that time, how he had been her float to stop her from drowning. A consistent contact with reality both in person initially and in messages after.

Now she wasn't sure...had Sudis done it out of duty or out of care. She wasn't foolish enough to believe that he would kiss her out of duty. While the first kiss had been initiated by her, the second had been his decision. But the feelings that bore the want to kiss her, where did they come from? How did this fit into the situation they now faced; stationed on the same ship together.

---

While Jennifer stood by the porthole with quiet contemplations about last night and the truth that Sudis Erris had shared about her lost husband, there was a shuffle underneath the comforter. Sudis grumbled lightly while he turned to face where Jennifer had occupied his bed the night before. His eyes slowly opened. It took him a moment to adjust to realize that Jennifer was no longer in bed with him.

He released a short yet deep yawn as he laid back down on his back, burying his head deep into his pillow. His eyes blinked several times while his eyes continued to adjust from sleep to awareness. He called her name, "Jennifer? ... Jenn? Jenni?" He didn't know his own preference. To him she was always Doctor Richardson. The woman who mended his broken body and now his heart.

There was no answer before he pushed himself upright into a sitting position and found her wearing one of his short-sleeve collared shirts that his mother and father had given him before he had left for his next assignment. He saw her and a smile came across his features, "Good morning."

Jennifer smiled a little as she heard Sudis' voice, but still she hesitated a beat before turning around to look over at him, staying by the window. "Good morning...I'm sorry if I woke you. You were so sound asleep, you seemed like you needed it."

"You didn't," Sudis shook his head in polite disagreement before continuing while he gestured to his shirt she was wearing, "I didn't realize I unpacked yesterday." He then pulled the comforter off of him and stood to his feet. His body was scattered with scarring for a veteran from the Betazed's surface. He moved towards her, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her softly on the cheek, "Do you want some coffee? I brought fresh beans back from Verath."

As she leaned into his body, resting her own arms around his waist; Jennifer rested her head against Sudis' shoulder. Closing her eyes as she yet let his warmth in and enjoyed the embrace in this moment for fear that what was going to happen next would upset this balance they'd created. "Sudis...can you tell me what happened? Explain it to me again?"

"Last night?" Sudis asked when he began to recollect on the events of yesterday. He squinted while his headache and muscles were sore along with dryness in his mouth. It took him a moment to get through, "Well. We met outside the shrine on the promenade aboard DS9, then we went to a Klingon restaurant because someone... not you... had the idea about eating gagh and consuming bloodwine... you kissed me... I didn't pull away... then you decided you wanted to get ice cream... Hey!" He winced at his own shout before he continued with the events from last night, "We didn't get ice cream... I'm sorry that we didn't get dessert."

The dryness in his mouth became slightly unbearable before he tried to swirl is tongue inside of his mouth to create saliva.

Jennifer laughed softly as she pressed a kiss against the side of his neck, pulling him in a little closer. His recollection reminded her of the first attraction. Still though, the misunderstanding was her fault; she knew that maybe she needed to be a little more direct but...she was scared to still. This easy flow of conversation would be so easy to be lost in, to continue to hide; but she also knew if they didn't tackle this now there could be bigger problems.

Pressing a light kiss to Sudis' lips, she pulled away with a smile before moving towards his seating area, noting from the size of the space that it was more than likely Sudis was a senior officer of the ship. The soft material of his shirt skimmed her body as she missed his touch but still was surrounded by his scent. "It's ok...you can make me some of that coffee that you mentioned instead. I'm guessing your a guy who doesn't operate on full cylinders in the morning without caffeine?"

"Not normally but I'm not sure if coffee is wise giving my current predicament," Sudis continued as his arms wrapped around her body bringing her in closer against him. He kissed her in return and placed his forehead against her's, "Then I told you that David saved me on Betazed." His arms dropped to his sides after being wrapped around her in case if she needed an out, a return to her own space.

Jennifer laughed as she felt herself pulled back by Sudis, returning the kiss as she looked into the depth of his dark blue eyes; realising that she'd broken a guard at some point as she could see the swirl of vulnerability and emotion reflecting back on her. She began to realise that all of this may not just be effecting her.

As he said his words and dropped his arms; she felt a chill move through her spine at the loss of his body heat. Running her right hand along her left arm again, Jennifer kept the distance that Sudis established, showing him trust in that moment. Glancing back up at the man again, catching his eyes and keeping the contact. "What happened on Betazoid?"

Sudis placed both of his hands faceup between them for her to hold onto if she needed touch, "Our unit was pinned down during an engagement with joint Dominion and Cardassian forces, they outnumbered us ten to one." The memory of this day had been replayed every day since. He held back tears as they filled their ducts while he continued to push forward, "I didn't see it but David saw something inbound on our position. Without any hesitation, he pushed me out of the way behind partial cover. David took total impact. He was gone."

Jennifer hesitated, only taking Sudis' hands as she realised how this was as hard for him to recall and it was for her to hear. Squeezing them in a communication of reassurance, she saught to provide comfort while continuing to take comfort from him. "And after?"

"There was nothing left of him only a few pieces of his personal belongings that I brought back from Betazed to give to you," Sudis continued, "we looked everywhere from him even after the rest of unit told me that the weapon wiped his existence off of the map. I searched and searched to find nothing."

Both his head and heart felt heavy as the effects of the hangover had doubled its hold over him. He looked her into her eyes, "I am so sorry. I keep replaying that day, that very minute in my mind on repeat."

Jennifer's breath caught as the implication of his words hit her. David's body had essentially been vaporised. Her hands squeezed Sudis' tighter but this time, she recognized it was for herself she was doing this; to ground herself and prevent a spiral that she could feel herself standing on the edge of.

As the moments passed, her eyes never left his but in that time she'd used every semblance of control not to cry. Still it wasn't enough as a tear escaped her eyelid and moved to escape down her cheek. "He didn't feel any pain?"

"None at all," Sudis reaffirmed her question. "He saved my life to save both of us."

Relief flooded Jennifer's heart now she had an answer. Her medical mind told her with vaporisation the mind wouldn't have had the time to process the hit before everything would be gone. The woman in her hurt realising that this meant there was no grave to visit. Her husband was dispersed to the air, not even offered dignity in death.

 

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