Brother of Mine...

Posted on Sat Aug 27th, 2022 @ 12:36am by Lieutenant Commander Andrei Petrov & Lieutenant Johnathan Anderson III
Edited on on Wed Oct 19th, 2022 @ 6:19am

Mission: In-Between (S1:E3-S1:E4)
Location: ISS Vengeance, Sickbay
Timeline: Mission Day 2 at 1700
1132 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

After receiving notice that Andrei was out of medical danger and could receive guests, Johnathan gave it time, to allow first his family, then his close friends, to visit. Two days later, he found himself outside sickbay, wondering how Andrei would take what he was about to offer.

After stepping inside, he made his way over to where the eldest Petrov child was resting. Quietly, Johnathan pulled up a stool and sat down.

Andrei's private room had been a revolving door. On the positive side, he seemed to be more popular than ever with well-wishers, friends, and pawns coming to visit him and tell him how very sorry they were. On the negative side, he hardly had any time to himself. When Johnathan Anderson walked in and took a seat, he decided to lock the door in the future.

He was sat in a blue hospital gown only. The bumps and bruises on his skin were on the mend due to dermal regeneration sessions, and he had his physical energy back, largely. He was notably less personally magnetic, however, and seemed a bit depressed. On top of all that, his new emerald green bionic eye made him look mismatched and strange as it was compared with his grey natural one.

"Johnathan." he said plainly, his voice low and even. He observed the man's thermal image in his new right eye, and tried to figure out what it all meant.

The young pilot nodded his head once. "I'm glad to see you're still with us. And, don't worry, I'm not here to pour my sorrows regarding your condition all over you. Besides, I have a feeling you've already had your fill of that."

"I have a well-known love of bowing and scraping." Andrei replied dryly. "If you're not here for that though, than what are you after?"

"I'm here to say that I'm angry. Angry that a less evolved species felt they had the right to treat their betters as they did you. I'm also here to say that, from this day forward, I will not stand by and watch a fellow Terran be abused by the scum of this quadrant." He unsheathed his dagger and displayed it in a neutral manner.

"What in hades are you doing?" Andrei asked, his eyes growing wide with curious surprise.

"If you are willing, I propose a blood oath between us. Going forward, whenever one of us needs another blade by our side, all we need do is call the other." He gave Andrei a grim grin. "One day, your father will give me his blessings to marry your sister, Kassandra. On that day, we will become brothers in family. Today, I want us to become brothers in blood. What say you?"

What an amusing turn of events. Just a to months ago, Johnathan was striking Andrei in the face for laughing at Callie. Now he stood before him, pledging his life to him.

"To be honest, I'm alarmed you'd trust me that much." Andrei said, raising an eyebrow. "Everyone was convinced I was the one who tried to kill you in the Jeffries tube before Gruber was discovered." he narrowed his eyes then, the green one telescoping. "It makes me suspicious."

Johnathan shrugged noncommittally. "Is there some spilled blood between us? Certainly. However, don't brothers tend to get in scrapes now and again? "As for who orchestrated my attempted murder, I don't know who it was. I certainly doubt that Gruber was where the scheme began. Perhaps, with your determination on my side, we might yet discover the coward responsible. For, as they've gotten away with it once, I seriously doubt they won't try on someone else later. They don't deserve the protection of the uniform."

“Well it’s not between us. I’ve never laid a hand on you.” Andrei said, standing up from the bed, the back of the gown billowing forward and then down. “But if you want peace and partnership as you say…how can I refuse?”

Johnathan nodded and stood as well. Keeping his eyes locked on Andrei's, he pulled the blade across his right palm, causing blood to drip to the deck. He then handed the blade over to Andrei.

Andrei took the blade and slid it across his own palm, not wincing at the pain. He had experienced much more on Lovarr. He also let the blood drip to the deck. He held the bloody knife, his eyes locked on Johnathan.

"So, we're brothers now then?" he asked, his face neutral.

"Not yet," the young pilot replied. He then reached out and grasped Andrei's hand, giving it a firm grip. "Now we are. From this day forth, you will stand by me and I will stand by you."

“Let it be as you have said.” Andrei said, smiling. He shook Johnathan’s hand firmly and looked into the man’s eyes. “So, what’s the catch?”

Johnathan grinned for the first time as he replied. "No catch, Andrei. Just a bond of support and friendship between two warriors. He released Andrei's hand and pulled out a dermal regenerator. He used it on Andrei first, as he joked, "What? You thought I'd ask you to sway your father in regards to me and Kass getting married?" He shook his head and chuckled.

"I'm going to earn that the right way, by proving to your father that I am worthy of marrying Kassandra."

"Yet you are the one who brought it up, aren't you." Andrei asked, smiling as well. "My father is easy in matters like this, as long as you're respectful. I wouldn't worry."

Andrei said, shaking his head. "I heard about his rules concerning Kassandra not staying over at night. Just in case you didn't know, its probably because he wants the two of you to stop having sex. So I'd really recommend not getting caught. My father is merciful...until he suddenly isn't."

Ordinarily, Andrei would feel some defensiveness at the man, but he had only just found out Kassandra was his sister a few months ago and, before that, he had been trying to bed her himself.

Johnathan nodded as he listened. "Thank you for the insight. It is appreciated." He finished healing Andrei's hand, then started working on his. "She and I are being careful, though. Neither of us want to get him angry at either of us."

“Well is there anything else…brother?” Andrei asked, sounding awkward as he tried it out.

Johnathan shook his head as he put the dermal regeneration back in his pocket. "No. Get some rest. We could use you out there against the lesser species."

“Oh believe me, I’m more dedicated to that mission than I have been in my entire life.” Andrei said with an ominous tone.