PHD 289: Smoke on the Water
Smoke on the Water
Summary: Dell speaks to Fiver and Mimieux discuss a series of dreams Dell is having.
Date: PHD 289
Related Logs: None.
Players:
Fiver..Dell..Mimieux..

Dell moves through sickbay looking for either the shrink or the padre and he looks utterly frantic. Word throughout the ship is that Dell was put on support because of fear that he would be a danger to other memebers of the ship. He has as of late been cleaning poop and serving slop in the mess and he has become more and more silent and withdrawn from others but there is something in his eyes that looks like he has something to say as he is frantic on talking to one of two people and the Padre ranks higher on the list.

As a small prayer is lifted over one of those still recuperating in the sickbay, Fiver seems to be lost in some form of his job, ritual and rite. As it stands he doesn't seem to notice someone else poking around. Not immediately anyway. A brush of hair back, before fingers barely trace over the bandaged face. And with that he moves from the bed, only to turn about, a look given towards the man moving about just a little beyond the hatch.

"Dell?" ONe thing can be said of the Parson. He doesn't forget a face.

Dell stops in front of Fiver and as he name is called and he looks over at Fiver as he says, "Padre, we need to talk. Something is going to happen…something bad." There is a wild look in his eye that could be either religious devotion genuinely happening or an utter case of the crazies and as recent events have pointed out it could be either one. "I need to talk to you because I don't know what it all means but something is going to happen. Something big, I think." This is the most he has spoken in a week to anyone on the entire ship and he seems utterly urgent with his words.

Fiver purses his lips for a moment, and one hand raises up as he reaches for the man's shoulder. "Calm down, schonn." Fulk responds in his muttled Gemenese accent. "And start from the beginning.." And with that it seems, he's moving to meet, and move Dell over to a quieter corner of the medbay, gods help if someone else listens in. "Something is going to happen…How, may I ask if you know this?"

Dell starts, "I had a dreans…" He then stops as he looks over at Fiver, "Plural." He the continues, "Padre, they are strange and terrifying." He slows his speech as he begins to speak, "And they seem real, I mean…vivid." He closes his eyes and he says, "I know I'm not dead in the dreams but I don't know how or why but I am on Charon's ferryboat across the river Styx." And this is how he starts explaining his dream and it has clearly left him disturbed but to him it is utterly real.

"A dream." The Chaplain replies as he folds his hands in front of him. Clutching the small leather bound book in his hands a little tighter. Eyes remain the marine or former marine for a moment as he tilts his head. "These dreams…they have you on the boat going across the styx ja?" making sure he is hearing this correctly, Fiver asks. "Go on."

Dell looks at the Chaplain and he says, "That is just the start of my dreams…then it gets weird." As if having a vison of crossing the river Styx isn't weird enough. "Everything around me is burning and the boat is moving so quickly and the fire is burning so much that my head is spinning as I try to remain concious." He says as he holds his hand to his forhead as if he remembers the experience so vividly that the memory is being relived. "Though that isn't the end of the dream." He says as his voice goes low and he is free with his speech which is odd enough given how quiet he has been recently. Still though he attends worship services like clockwork so the Padre has had a chance to see his slow decline.

'Well, I need to hear so I can figure out how weird it is." And with that the Chaplain falls silent for a moment as he looks back towards Dell, and then moves to go and drag a seat over. "Take a seat, please." And with that he folds arms over his lap, a tilt of his head. "Have you been in combat before you were in the Corps, or while on the Kharon?" he asks softly. Fiver does has some theories, but still he wants to know the more of the dreams. Worship attendance aside, the man is his concern and his priority, so for now Fulk is silent. "How does it end?"

"Screams, it turns into screams." Dell says as he puts his hands to his ears for a moment as if to cover them, "They are so loud they penetrate my skull and then…" He looks up at Fiver, "Padre there is this white light that is so blinding I can't see anything and then…nothing and I wake up at that moment." He shakes his head, "Something bad is going to happen Padre, I think the Lords are speaking to me telling me to warn people about something coming."

"Screams." And then silence for a moment as Fiver rubs a hand up over his brow. A look back towards Dell and he's reaching out to pat the marine on his leg for a moment. "Dell..What you are saying. I have had dreams like as well, though it was more or less signs of a PSTD, and as such…I think you should speak to the Psychiatrist as soon as possible." and with that Fulk keeps his hands up. "Now, that is not to say you could not have a dream from the Lords…I just." a pause "I am hesitant to say that right now…"

Dell looks at Fiver, "Padre, I'm telling you…I think something bad is going to happen." He raises an eyebrow, "Padre, I don't know much about PTSD but I know what I dreamed and this wasn't some crazy dream. It seemed real." He raises an eyebrow, "Something is going to happen and I don't know when and I know you think I am crazy since everyone thinks I am crazy but this wasn't just a dream…this was a big dream…a dream I have never had before." He looks at Fiver, "Just look for the signs please." He is practically pleading.

"What you are saying, is very crazy, Dell. I will admit to that. And from what behavior I have seen from you, I cannot say that I can whole heartedly believe this is just the gods voices in your head, and not some replaying of an event you have been through before." That being said, Fiver pauses and looks down. "But, I will look for the signs.." A pause "However you have to promise me, that you will see the Psyche as soon as possible."

Dell looks at Fiver, "I'll go see her right now if you want, Padre, but I am not crazy. I know what I dreamed." He says as he looks utterly honest but then again crazy or sane is a matter of perspective and religious visions and dreams will always look crazy from the outside. "Thanks for looking for the signs." He says as he stands, "Though something is going to happen."

Fiver is silent before he is standing as well. "I hope you are wrong, Dell. I really do." A beat and with that he's moving to head back to the Post Ops ward. "If you will excuse me, I do have a few more people to see." Concerned? Deeply.

Dell nods his head and he looks at the door and he keeps to his word, "I'll find the shrink but I am not wrong…these dreams…they are a message." He then makes his way toward the psyche offices, "Take care, Padre."

___

<Shortly after meeting Fiver>

It's quiet in the lounge tonight. There are only one or two couples enjoying the loveseats, and one single. Aly's seated up front to the viewport, as close as she can get, looking at the stars.

It was quiet but as the door to the obs deck opens Dell comes in and while in recent sessions he has become quieter and more and more withdrawn he for once looks alive and scared almost concerned beyond all reason and he is clearly looking for someone as the expression on his face is one of dogged determination. There is a mixture of fear, panic, and concern on his face.

Aly is, sadly, facing away from the door. She takes a sip from the cup, finishing it off, then rolls to her feet, heading toward, well, the hatch. Ahhh, Dell! "Good e…is everything alright?"

Dell looks at Ally, "No…the Padre thinks I'm crazy." He then looks at Aly with a shrug, "Well, you think I am crazy, too." A beat and not for comedic effect it is as if he is clarifying, "But he thinks I'm a different kind of crazy." Dell pauses as he collects his words since he hasn't been this talkative since the session with Aly has started, whatever this is with Dell it is new, "I have been having dreams over the past few days and I think something horrible is going to happen something bad and I warned the Padre and I asked him to look for the signs but I think the Lords are speaking to me and telling me something bad is coming."

She eyes him for a moment, then gestures to one of the loveseats. "Why don't we sit down and talk," she suggests softly, giving the man a small, concerned smile.

Dell looks at Aly for a moment and he takes a seat for the second time as he freaks out people around him and normally he would be quiet but today he is downright talkative as he looks concerned, "Sure, talk…" He says he sits, "I have had these dreams, Doc, not dreams but visions and they are powerful and they are scary." He lowers his head, "Doc, I lived them and I know that sounds crazy but then again you already think I'm crazy." Not once does he mention a desire to go back into combat service whatever this is has him spooked. "The dreams start with me on Charon's boat as we travel the river Styx but I'm not dead." He lowers his head, "But that is just the start of it all."

"Deep breaths," the woman says softly, taking one herself. "Take a few deep breaths then tell me what these dreams were, hmmm?" She keeps it light, tone soft.

Dell looks at Aly and the looks is one of panic, "I don't know…I think the Lords are giving me a warning." He says as he looks down at his hands, "As the dream continues I have no idea why I am on Charon's ferry and I know I am not dead but then there everything around me is aflame and burning and the ferry starts to move so quickly and the fire is so hot and it all causes my head to spin so quickly that I can barely stay conscious." His hands move to his ears as he is reliving this for the second time in the retelling and he closes his eyes for the second time, "And the dream isn't over yet." His voice is one of fear and confusion though he doesn't look like he is about to flip out and do something stupid as he is composed for the most part but these dreams have him spooked the way a horse responds to thunder.

"Deep breaths," Aly murmurs quietly. "In through your nose, out through your mouth. Dell, look at me," she orders, voice soft and quiet. "Breathe and calm down, then start again."

Dell takes his series of breaths and he looks over at Aly to let her know he is listening and not having a melt down as much as he is sharing information, "Doc, the last part of the dream is the worse part." His voice is steady now but he is reliving the dream as he explains it, "There were screams." He looks at Aly, "They were ear splitting and then there was a bright light." And he looks at Aly and he makes direct eye contact, "And then nothing." He looks down at the floor, "And that is where a wake up each time."

"There you go," Aly croons softly, quietly. "Alright, there we go. Let's start at the beginning again, slow and easy. Tell me everything you remember."

Dell looks over at Aly, "Okay, I'm on Charon's ferry and I don't know how I got there and I know I'm not dead." He says as he looks down at the floor his speech is slower, "And then everything catches on fire and I mean everything is burning and it is so hot and the boat begins to travel very quickly across the Styx and it goes so quickly and the heat of the flame make my head spin and I'm fighting myself so I don't pass out. Then there are these screams these scary ear splitting screams. Then comes a bright light and then there is nothing." He stops there for a moment to let it sink in before he adds, "And I always wake up at that moment."

Aly's quiet for a moment, dipping her head. "Alright, how about we look at the imagery here," she says with a soft smile. Oddly, she's not telling him he's nuts or looking at him like he's crazy. "The first of all is Charon's ferry. What does the ferry represent to you? What does it mean?"

Dell looks at Aly, "He is the undying ferryman who takes the dead to Hades. He is a symbol of death." He says this as calmly as if he were picking up a few eggs from chickens back on the farm.

"Alright," she says, nodding. "Good. The next symbol?"

Dell looks at Aly, "Fire. It is a symbol of destruction." He says again equally calm, "It is the symbol of destruction as fire consumes all things around it." He folds his hands together, "At least in these dreams that is what I think it means."

Aly considers him for a moment, then nods slowly. "What other meanings do those things have?"

"When I would go hunting a fire was a symbol of protection since I would set up camp and start a fire. The fire would keep animals away and it would keep me warm. Though in this dream it was destruction pure and simple there is no doubt in my mind." Dell responds still calm as he explains himself.

"Do you think it may have something to do with death and rebirth," Aly asks him quietly, keeping her voice low and quiet, the tone even, gentle. Clearly she doesn't think he's crazy.

Dell pauses and thinks about it, "Possibly?" He doesn't seem sure one way or the other but he does say, "But the ferry was moving quickly and the flames were heavy." He stops and he looks down at the floor again as he studies part of it all. "Either way it means something dies and that is never good."

"Well, death isn't always a bad thing," Aly explains quietly. "There's such a thing as death and rebirth. In order for something to be reborn, like the phoenix, it has to die first. What about the rest of the symbols? What about the light?"

Dell shakes his head, "What about the screams?" He asks, "They were so loud and there were so many of them. Maybe it means rebirth but maybe it means everyone is going to die." He then looks up at Aly as he says this, "The screams sound like pain. The only time a person would scream and something good would come out of it would be childbirth and I didn't see any babies." He says as he looks over at his hands, "The light, I'm not sure maybe an ending or maybe everything is consumed because after that comes nothing and what symbol could their be in nothing?"

"Perhaps it's a new beginning," Aly suggests softly. "The light can be new light, a new day. But it's not my interpretation that matters, Dell. It's yours."

Dell says, "I think it is a sign from the Lords and I think something bad is going to happen and I'm not going to be the cause of it." The last part is meant to reassure Aly, she may think he is crazy, but he doesn't want her thinking he is dangerous, "And maybe it is a rebirth but Doc, something bad is going to happen."

Aly studies his face for a time, considering him. "Have you ever had any other dreams," she asks, voice going more quiet now.

Dell shakes his head, "No. Not like this." He says, "Which is why I am so spooked. They keep waking me up at night." He says, "They feel real, Doc. I feel the heat and I hear the screams." This time his voice goes low as he is distrubed by these dreams. "And it is the same dream each time."

After a time she dips her head. To say that she's disturbed is putting it mildly, but she nods. "I can order something to help you sleep, if you think that might do for a little while, until we figure out what these dreams are, and why."

Dell pauses, "This isn't an optional sort of thing is it?" He says as he looks up to study Aly since this is the most talkative he has been since before everything happened. He doesn't look angry or upset but he does look disappointed that Aly doesn't seem to believe him.

"Actually Dell," she says with a little smile. "It is. If you can't sleep with the medicine, it means that there's likely something else going on that we need to address. I don't know what these dreams mean, what they are. With everything going on…" One hand waves delicately. "I want to make sure I'm giving you the best care I can."

Dell dips his head as he looks over at the floor again, "I figured as much." He says softly as he looks down at the floor, "I will stop by to pick up the drugs later on from medical but I'm telling you Doc I just have this feeling and it isn't a good one. Something is going to happen and I don't know what it is or when but I'm really freaking out about this." He stops and he looks at Aly, "Are you religious, Doc?"

Aly shakes her head slightly. "I'm not," she says after a moment. He can see on her face that there's a reason, but she doesn't elaborate.

"Well, I am and sometimes the Lords speak to us in dreams." He frowns, "The Padre thinks I'm crazy and you think I'm crazy but I'm telling you I think the Lords are talking to us." Dell says, "And for that reason I really think this is more than a dream. The padre told me to come and find you and I did what I promised but maybe there is something to this and I hope I'm wrong I really do." He stops as he takes a breath and then he continues, "Though I think this is the work of the Lords." On the plus side he is talking but on the downside he is talking about things which don't make a lot of sense.

Aly dips her head, once. "I don't think you're crazy, Dell. I never have. I think that your subconscious is trying to get a message to you, but we're both having trouble interpreting it."

"But what if it isn't? You really think this is all just in my head?" Dell says as he looks down at the floor again, "The Lords are out there and they have saved us and maybe I am being given a warning?" He then stops, "Or maybe a message?" He says, "You don't think that is a possibility?"

She takes a breath, considering her words. "It is certainly a possibility. But I don't want to rule out something physical mimicing a message from the Lords."

Dell nods his head, "Alright, we need to figure out what it means this is something I agree with but I still have a bad feeling about this." He stops and he asks, "Doc, what if the medicine doesn't work and I still wake up with the same dream? What would that mean?"

"Then we'll work from there, Dell," Aly says softly, rolling to her feet. "Let's just focus on one thing at a time. We'll rule the obvious out before trying the exotic."

Dell looks down at the floor for a moment, "Alright Doc, but, there are forces greater than ourselves at work here and that is my opinion." He then says, "Though I still think it meas something bad is coming and then maybe you are right then maybe rebirth."

One hand goes to his shoulder, squeezing gently. "I'll have the medicine ready for you in about thirty minutes. I want you to take one tonight."

Dell looks at Aly and he nods his head, "Sure thing, Doc." He says since his life has become a series of things he is required to do and it has taken him in the opposite direction for now he is calm but there is still a slightly spooked look in his eye.

"Try to get some rest," she says softly, stopping just shy of ordering him to the sickbay.

Dell nods his head, "Yes, sir." He says as he stands and he looks down at the floor as a hand comes to his temple for a moment to massage it.

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