Nothing to Return To
Posted on Sat Nov 15th, 2025 @ 3:58pm by Kerilia Dosivi & Teevs Dosivi
Mission:
MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Promenade/Deck 15
Timeline: S6E6: MD1, After Debrief and Orders (~2100h)
1566 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure
The staff briefing now over, it took everything in Teevs to not run back to the Promenade. The relief when he heard that Kerilia and Addison were alright was a brief hope in the gruesome aftermath of the attack. As he returned to the Promenade, he took in the damage he hadn't noticed before. The floor plating was shredded by claw marks, blood from the hounds and dead crew staining even the leaves of plants that grew in the communal space. By the daycare, a pool of blood was all that remained of Moses after he had been rushed to the infirmary. Civilians everywhere were confused and scared, and the officers were desperately trying to keep people calm.
Teevs focused his attention on the school. Rushing over, he asked for Kerilia, looking around the children present. He recognised a few of them from when he would pick up his daughter, and his heart ached to see them so frightened.
The teacher returned, and the second Kerilia saw Teevs, she let go of the teacher's hand and sprinted for him. "Dad!!" Practically tackling him, she hugged him tightly, her face buried in his chest as she trembled.
Relief washed over Teevs as he embraced his daughter, holding her tightly. "Thank the stars, you're alright," he muttered softly, a hand on the back of her head to soothe her. "It's ok, my love, it’s over." Looking up, he quietly thanked the teacher.
The teacher gave a polite nod in response. Despite the patient demeanour, it was clear that she was a bit stressed from handling so many scared kids.
The two stayed in their embrace for a few more seconds before they parted a little. Teevs gently touched his forehead to hers, feeling her shudder as she cried. The drive to protect her and the lingering adrenaline kept him alert, but her presence provided a comforting anchor.
"Dad... what do we do? The hounds... the hounds destroyed everything..." Kerilia said with a shaky breath.
That left a knot of dread in his stomach. That's right, Addison had found Kerilia in their quarters. He had yet to see the destruction left behind, but from what he recalled over comms, it was not good. Pulling back a little, he cupped her cheek. "It's ok, we'll get temporary quarters until the repair crews can get to it." When he felt her nod into his hand, he continued, "was Addison alright?"
Kerilia nodded again, sniffling as she tried to take deep breaths. She had been keeping it together for the younger kids, but being alone in the quarters had left her shaken. "Yeah, she was fine. She left to go help the others."
That helped ease some of the concerns Teevs had, and he made a note to check in with her later. He glanced toward the door, dreading going to their quarters but needing to see it for himself. Maybe some of Kerilia's personal items would help calm her, or at least offer a distraction. "Come on, Kerilia," he said softly, extending a hand to her, "let's see if we can get some things for the temporary quarters."
With a hesitant nod, Kerilia took his hand.
It took a few extra minutes, but eventually the Starfleet personnel deemed it safe enough to let the Dosivis get things from their quarters. Kerilia gripped Teevs' hand tightly, doing her best to remain calm but clearly uncomfortable with being back here.
Teevs gently rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand to help soothe her as an officer in yellow guided them through the damage. The background hum of the ship felt ominous now, like normalcy trying to pierce the chaos. They turned a corner, and Teevs' eyes widened at the hole torn through the door that led to their quarters.
"I'll, uh..." the engineer shifted, sympathetic to their struggle but also glad it wasn't him, "I'll wait out here if you need me."
Teevs turned his head slightly to acknowledge the officer, but his eyes never left the remains of the door. Taking in a steadying breath, he led Kerilia closer until he could poke his head inside.
The door itself looked like it had been ripped open, occasional sparks sputtering out of the exposed sides. Claw marks across the deck plating left jagged edges that forced them to watch their step. The couch was ripped apart, small pieces of fluff hovering in the air while larger pieces of the cushions littered the floor. His tools were scattered everywhere. A spanner somehow got lodged into the wall and pinned the leaf of a poor plant caught in the cross-fire. Both of the houseplants in their quarters were too shredded to recover, sharp pieces of their vases sticking out of the piles of dirt left behind.
The smell. Musty. Metallic. Wrong.
For a long moment, Teevs just... took it in. The rush to defend from the hounds was fading, exhaustion was settling in, and yet... there was nothing to return to. The day trudged on when it was supposed to be over. His free hand found his communicator, lips moving in a hushed request for temporary quarters. He didn't really hear the acknowledgement.
As Teevs took in the damage, Kerilia was trying not to cry again. The attack was over, yet it felt like it was still happening. Her heart raced, not quite understanding that the danger was gone. Spotting something under the debris, she knelt down to pick it up. It was holo-image emitter that held their photos. Cupping it in both hands, she used her thumb to activate it, and a picture of her and Teevs flickered, the emitter straining to maintain the image. Not wanting to damage it, she turned it off and stood, holding it close to her chest.
The officers wouldn't let them stay here for very long. Teevs shook his head to break free of the shock, then looked at Kerilia as she salvaged their photo album. "Pack some clothes and what you need for school," he quietly advised. A part of him hoped that his bedroom would be ok, but the half-open door didn't give him high expectations.
Swallowing her grief, Kerilia nodded, pausing to look around at the destruction before retreating to her bedroom. The longer she was here, the more she wanted to throw up, or cry, or maybe both. Grabbing a bag, she stuffed pajamas and a couple days of clothes into it, then started collecting the school PADDs. Looking around, she decided to grab some of her old toys, things she had been meaning to donate to the daycare but never got around to, and topped it off with her favourite stuffed animal, a purple creature that somewhat resembled an Earth wombat, but with an extra set of legs.
Meanwhile, Teevs pushed open the door to his room, finding it less damaged but still haphazard. He folded some clothes into a bag, things he thought would be useful when assisting with repairs, and topped it off with some personal items of his own, mostly trinkets that couldn't be replaced. The rings he stored on a necklace chain were on the floor after the nightstand had toppled over, and he picked them up. It felt weird holding onto these now that he was seeing Addison, but he was never able to let them go. There was too much history behind them. They were also valuable due to their material, so he put them in his bag and closed it up.
Kerilia met Teevs back in the living room. Her bag was more stuffed than his was, and she caught his confused look. "I figured now is as good a time as any to get rid of those old toys," she explained. "I think they would help the kids at the daycare."
That made Teevs smile affectionately. He put a hand on her shoulder, "I'm sure they will appreciate the gesture. Are you ready?" Instead of an answer, Teevs watched Kerilia become uncertain, and his smile faded. "What's wrong, pheya?"
Tears began to sting Kerilia's eyes again as she looked around the quarters. "I think... I think I want to stay at the school, until this is over," she whispered. "I don't want to be by myself again if there's another attack."
Guilt smacked Teevs across the face when he heard that. He understood where she was coming from, yet for a moment he wondered if he had failed to protect her. The school was the safest place on the ship for her, and he had to reframe his perception of what kept her safe. Plus, he knew enough about the Galtonians to know that they never attack just once. "I don't know if the teachers would allow it, but we can ask," he finally said.
Looking up at him, Kerilia felt a little relief in her chest. She mustered a faint smile, "thanks, Dad."
He could see how the attack had affected her. Teevs gently kissed her forehead, "you know that I'd never let anything happen to you, right?" He paused, then added, "if they won't let you sleep at the school, then I will walk with you so you aren't alone. Deal?"
Kerilia hugged him, feeling his hand on the back of her head. That gesture always comforted her because of how secure it felt. "Deal," she replied.
