Repercussions

Posted on Fri Mar 27th, 2015 @ 9:37am by Lieutenant Commander Ethan Chaparral MD & Lieutenant Dylan Santiago

Mission: Temporal Kickback
Location: Chaparral Home
Timeline: 14 Years ago, after Botched Rescue

Ethan had been crying for most of the morning. The antics of his brother, his sisters continual coming into the room to console him, his father's attempts to offer counsel and solace, nor his mother's promise to find who had taken his beloved Kyle, had left him inconsolable. He had finally locked himself in his room and refused to come out.

Everything had happened so fast. First, there was the joy of being rescued, his mother's arms wrapped around him, being beamed to his home, being bombarded with questions before he had even gotten a chance to clothe himself, the ones from his younger brother about his nudity,being embarrassing and funny at the same time. But when Kyle was not found, that joy was quickly crushed.

The Crosses were of course even more devastated than Ethan was. When they discovered that Ethan's transponder had shorted out when he had been shot, and had taken time to repair itself and reboot. Time that could have been used to track them down earlier, they placed the blame squarely on Ethan's shoulders. Blaming him for Kyle's presumed death. Him and his parents, for their reassurances that a rescue could be effected.

They had even filed suit against the family, charges which were quickly dismissed. In addition, they had placed ads and written letters to the editor of every on-line publication in and around San Francisco. But the worst thing, the absolute worse thing in Ethan's mind was they had held a funeral for Kyle and barred Ethan and his family.

Ethan had taken the blame for Kyle's death, accepted the responsibility, he knew it was his fault. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, thinking dark thoughts. Thoughts perhaps of even taking his own life.

"Hey sweetie." Ulani said softly as she let herself into Ethan's bedroom, "How are you doing?"

"How do you think?" he replied dully, "the boy I loved, that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with is gone and its my fault. If I hadn't tried to play the hero, he'd be here with me and we'd be... we'd be together. His parents hate me and I don't blame them. And our family's name is being drug through the mud."

"I don't care about the way we're being treated." Ulani replied, "But I do care about you." she added as she sat down on the bed beside him, "And it's killing me to see you so upset."

"But its my fault he's dead. Mine. I can't go... I can't just go on as if nothing had happened. It hurts so much."

Pulling him into her arms, Ulani said "It wasn't your fault, you can't blame yourself for the act of a few evil men."

He snuggled against her as he had when he was just a little boy and felt some comfort. "But, but if I hadn't tried to do something, I wouldn't have been shot and then my transponder wouldn't have gone off line and you would have gotten there sooner. And, and he'd still be alive." The tears were flowing freely down his face as he leaned against her.

"My beautiful son, you have to stop playing the 'what if' game. It'll eat you alive. I know it's hard but you've got to move on with life. You'll probably always love him but in time the pain will subside, I promise."

********************************************************************

Ted laid a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder, "Those people and their damned Starfleet did this to our son. From the very beginning, I knew they were bad news. Allowing that sick, twisted, kid near our boy, corrupted him. If they hadn't been, been, well you know, then he wouldn't have been taken and then we allowed that, Ulani bitch to convince us to try it her way. And look where it got us. It is all their fault. We need to ruin their lives like they ruined ours."

Looking at him, with empty, dead eyes, Delia replied "Whatever you think is best dear." The woman had been virtually mute since she had been given the news. The thought of what had happened to their precious boy was eating away at her from the inside. Her dreams were full of nightmares of what could have happened to him and upon hearing the news that he was lost to them it was if a light went off inside of her, extinguishing everything she was except for the hatred she felt for whoever had killed her son.

He turned to her, "You know, I did love him. I mean I thought he needed therapy, but I still loved him. And they took him from us. Yes we really do need to ruin them." He really hadn't noticed his wife's expression, he was too preoccupied with his own pain and grief. Though to be honest, he'd pretty much been consumed with his own needs for a long time.

"Whatever you decide, I'll support you, you know that." Delia replied, her voice like an automaton.

"Good, we will see them pay if it is the last thing i. we do."

********************************************************************

"But mom, I don't see how its going to get better, I just don't know what to do."

"Give it time. Allow yourself to heal." Ulani replied, "And as for what to do, you get on with life. Study hard and follow your dreams. In time you'll find love again." she added soothingly.

Ethan wasn't sure his mother was right. All he felt now was pain. All the could think about was Kyle.

A joint post by

a young Ethan Chaparral

Dylan Santiago TEMPORARILY playing an ageless Ulani Chaparral