Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Part 15 - Consequences

"Ian?"

"Yes, Lili?"

"I haven't seen you in a while. Why is that?"

"Partly it's because you've mostly been better. But it's also, can I tell you something?"

"Sure."

"It's that I get a great deal of pleasure out of being with you. And I suppose it's more than is permitted."

"Permitted? Huh, what's the Head Honcho like?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You know ... God."

"I have no idea. Or if there even is one, or two, or any, for that matter."

"You're in the afterlife and you don't know?" she laughed a little at that.

"This plane is somewhat independent, it seems. We call it the afterworld. I suppose that's why we have houses and the like. We all, we take care of one another."

"Even the wicked?"

There was silence for a while. "Yes. Even me."

She groped in the darkness and put a hand on his chin. She remembered – he didn't want her to touch the upper part of his face at all. "You're redeemable."

"Yes. And if I am, then I suppose almost everyone is."

"That's very comforting. You're doing a very good job with all this comforting business, yanno."

"All I want to do is to, to take care of you a bit. I have never wanted to take care of anyone before. I never wanted to see anyone comforted or happy. This is a very new experience for me. You will let me know if I'm doing it wrong, yes?"

"Yes. Oh, and Ian?"

"Hmm?

She put her arms around his neck and they awkwardly embraced again. "This is good."

"I'm relieved," he whispered softly, touching her hair with his lips very, very slightly, terrified that she would feel it or that it would, again, be going too far, and he would be temporarily kept from her again.

=/\=

"T'Pol! T'Pol!" Tripp called. The Vulcan turned. "Wait up a sec, please." He rushed to her side. The eyebrow was raised. "I wanted to know, see, uh, whaddaya say 'bout giving this another chance." She stopped. "You 'n me, that is."

"Commander," she stated, "This is neither the time, nor is it the place."

It was early, and they were walking on B deck, which was otherwise deserted. There were three empty single cabins – Jay's, Malcolm's and Will's. Aidan was a Lieutenant Commander, and could have had a cabin on that deck, but he was married and so he and Jennifer were on E deck, even though she was not yet pregnant.

As for Lili, she, too, could have claimed a cabin in prime real estate, but she had said that she felt funny about the whole thing, so she stayed on C deck, and Patti Socorro was still her roommate. Another reason for Lili's staying put was the fact that her moving in would have meant commandeering Malcolm's or Jay's cabin, and she wasn't ready to do that just yet.

As for the other denizens of B deck, they just weren't there.

"It is never the time," Tripp complained, a little sharply, "'cause you never let me see ya! As for the place," they were standing just outside of Jay's old quarters, "I don't think the ghosts are talkin'."