That's What Family Is For

Posted on 29 Dec 2025 @ 7:56pm by Lieutenant Commander Joey Geisler & Lieutenant JG Daniella Blake & Master Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin

3,512 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: History
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: July 8, 2390 || 1530 hours

After parting with the Chief of Security, Mila headed directly to Sickbay with Chow still perched on her shoulder. The Yeoman looked deeply troubled that she had detected nothing from a clone of the woman that she had been calling seestra for nearly three years. Not one clue. Not in their chats off duty, not any indication when on duty. Nothing. She tried to put it out of her mind as she walked into Sickbay and up to a nurse.

"Excuse me, but I am looking for Lieutenant Commander Joelle Geisler, please."

Dani looked toward Mila with a smile. "I can take you to see her if you would like," the petite woman offered. "We're trying to limit her visitors, but I know she's made mention of wishing to see you."

"Thank you," Mila told the petite blonde woman. "I am hoping this is not outside of visiting hours. If she is needing rest, I can be coming back."

"We have made some exceptions given Commander Geisler's circumstances," Dani said as she made her way toward Mila. "Without intruding on her rights, I feel I should warn you that she might appear differently than when you last saw her."

Mila swallowed and nodded. "Should I be leaving Chow out here? He is knowing her, too." She said, but wondered how much if even the little capuchin had been fooled by the clone. The thought made her shudder that clones had been present on the ship that could even fool the instincts of animals.

Dani looked toward the capuchin, then back to Mila before she gestured for them to follow her. "He should be okay as long as he doesn't jump around or climb all over her," she answered, knowing that most of the animals on board the ship were well trained.

"He is being good boy," Mila assured her and turned her head to look at Chow. "Do not jump on Joey. You are to stay here." She tapped her shoulder by his paw and waited until he hooted and gave a nod of understanding.

"He certainly appears to be," the nurse said as she came to a halt outside of a door. "She's just inside here."

The Security person looked at Mila, Chow and Dani. "Are you on the visiting list?" he asked.

"I am her sister," Mila said. "I also introduced her to her husband, who you are calling Commodore."

The guard pulled a PADD out of his side holder and held it out. "Sign in here."

Mila pressed her thumb to it and gave a smile. "Thank you." She looked at Dani.

Dani didn't need to be on the list as she was one of the few medical personnel assigned to care for the Chief of Intelligence. She offered the Security officer a smile. "Thank you," she said, then hit the sensor that opened the door. "Try to see to it that she stays as calm as possible."

"I will, thank you," Mila said before she took a breath and entered.

Joey lay quietly in the sickbay bed, her frail frame propped against the pillows. The hollows beneath her eyes were deep, dark circles etched into her pale face, and the sharpness of her cheekbones betrayed the weight she had lost. Despite her sickly appearance, a faint softness lingered in her gaze as she turned toward the twins nestled beside her. They were curled against her sides, sharing the warmth of her presence while their attention remained fixed on the padd in front of them, where one of their favorite movies played in hushed tones. The flickering light from the screen danced across their faces, a small pocket of normalcy amid the sterile hum of sickbay.

On the floor nearby, Rico and Pequeno lay curled together, their breathing slow and steady as they dozed lightly, the occasional twitch of a paw betraying dreams of play. The quiet companionship of her children and the loyal animals filled the room with a fragile peace, a reminder that even in her weakened state, Joey was surrounded by love and life.

Mila paused in the doorway, her breath catching in her chest and her heart threatened to stop beating. The sight of the woman laying in the biobed and the woman that she had thought she had known were two different women. She looked at Joey for a long moment, seeing her with the twins filled her lungs and started her heart again and she swallowed.

"Joey?"

Joey’s head turned slowly toward the sound of the voice, her sunken eyes widening as recognition struck. The faint glow of the padd reflected off the tears beginning to gather, shimmering at the corners of her eyes. Her lips trembled as she whispered, "Mila…"

The name carried a fragile weight, breaking through the quiet hum of her room. Her voice cracked, the emotion raw, as the tears spilled over, tracing down her gaunt cheeks. For a moment, the restraints of weakness and illness seemed to fade, replaced by the overwhelming surge of happiness. The twins glanced up from their movie, sensing the shift, while Rico and Pequeno stirred faintly on the floor, their ears twitching at the change in tone.

Despite yelling at Commodore's and facing down angry Grahamhole's, the tears that came from Joey's eyes started to overflow from Mila's eyes as well. She immediately went to her seestra and leaned down to carefully lay an arm over her and placed a hand on her back. It was a very faint hug and Mila held her breath even though she wanted to sob, but didn't want to disturb her. "Oh, Joey..."

Chow hopped to the edge of the biobed frame and gave a tentative creel as he looked at Joey, seeing and sensing that something was very wrong with her.

Joey sniffled softly, her breath catching as she lifted her free arm with effort, the motion weak but deliberate. She reached toward Mila, her fingers trembling as she gestured for her to come closer, to close the distance that words alone could never bridge. Her voice cracked, raw with emotion, as she whispered, "I’m so sorry, Mila."

"You are having nothing to be sorry about," Mila said as she leaned in carefully to let Joey touch her. "I should have been knowing." She managed through a sob and more tears.

Joey’s trembling hand rose, the restraints of weakness evident in the way her fingers shook, but she managed to press her palm gently against Mila’s cheek. Her touch lingered there, a fragile anchor, and she sniffled again, tears spilling freely as she whispered, voice raw but tender. "You’ve always been here for me… I don’t know what I’d do without you."

Her gaze shifted then, catching sight of Chow perched at the edge of the biobed. The faintest smile tugged at her lips despite her sickly state. "I’m happy to see you too, little one," she murmured softly, her tone carrying warmth even through exhaustion.

As if on cue, Jameson sat up a bit more, and with a toothy smile, held out a small handful of his fruit puffs towards Chow. Joey smiled as she watched her son. The simple exchange brought a fragile sense of normalcy to the room, a reminder of the bonds—human and animal—that still held them all together.

Chow accepted the fruit puff and popped it in his mouth with a happy squeak and cautiously reached out a paw towards Joey.

"I love you, seestra," Mila said as the tears flowed. "We are family and I will never leave you again."

Joey reached out to take Chow's paw and smiled. "I love you, too, Mila. And, I love you as well, Chow."

"Is there anything you are needing?" Mila asked softly as she watched the interaction between Joey and Chow, her heart filling with warmth to fight the sadness.

Joey shook her head slowly, her hand rising to wipe beneath her tear-streaked eyes. The gesture was weary, but it carried a fragile strength as she turned her gaze back to Mila. "I don’t need anything right now," she whispered, her voice hoarse but sincere. "I’m just… grateful you’re here with me."

Her fingers lingered against her cheek for a moment before falling back to the bed, and she let out a shaky breath. Inside, her thoughts stirred uneasily—would Mila ask her what had happened? Would she want to know the truth of everything Joey had endured? The question pressed at the edges of her mind, heavy and unresolved, but for now she held onto the comfort of Mila’s presence, letting it soothe the ache that words could not.

Mila gently stroked her hair lightly and tried to soothe the pain that she saw in Joey's every expression. The lines etched around her eyes and mouth spoke volumes and she felt her heart break for her seestra. "I am not going anywhere, Joey," she promised. "I will be here as long as you are wishing me to be."

She reached to take Joey's hand in her other and gave a gentle squeeze. "I am promising you that." The Yeoman vowed and as for any hard questions, they were for hard people. She would not ask until Joey indicated she was ready to talk about it.

Joey let out a shaky breath, her body easing just a little beneath Mila’s gentle touch. The stroking of her hair was something she might have recoiled from under other hands, but Mila’s presence was different—safe, familiar, and trusted. Physical closeness would be a struggle for her for some time to come, but with Mila and those closest to her, it felt like a balm against the ache that lingered in her heart.

She settled back into the biobed, mirroring the way her twins nestled down beside her, their eyes returning to the soft glow of the padd as their movie played on. Alison shifted slightly, catching sight of Chow perched nearby, and with a small, encouraging gesture, invited the capuchin to curl in with them.

Watching them, Joey’s lips curved into a fragile smile, her voice breaking with emotion as she turned her gaze back to Mila. "I’ve missed you all so much," she whispered, the words carrying both sorrow and relief. It was a confession born of pain, but also of gratitude—an acknowledgment of the family she had nearly lost and the bond that had endured despite everything.

Chow gave a little creel and crept down the biobed to lay with the twins.

Mila continued to stroke her hair gently. You are here now and you are safe," she said softly. "Nothing is going to be changing that, seestra."

Joey gave a faint shake of her head, her sunken eyes closing briefly as she drew in a shallow breath. Logically, she knew Mila was right—she was in sickbay, surrounded by those she trusted most, and for the moment she was safe. But the weight of everything that had happened pressed too heavily against her chest to let her believe it fully.

"I know," she whispered, her voice fragile but steady enough to carry. "But I’ll only feel truly safe once D’rimo is stopped… and the clones are gone from this ship."

Her hand twitched faintly against the blanket, as though trying to grasp the thought of freedom from the shadow that lingered over them. Chow’s soft creel and the sight of him curling in with the twins brought a flicker of comfort, but Joey’s gaze remained on Mila, her expression a mixture of exhaustion and determination. Even in her weakened state, the truth of her fear—and her hope—was laid bare.

Mila's heart broke to see Joey like that, but the glimmer of hope in her eyes gave her hope as well. She gave Joey's hand another soft squeeze and looked at her. "I was not finding out about them until just recently and am sure that Admiral O'Connell will be having them in his custody soon. We are making repairs now, though."

Joey blinked slowly, her brows knitting together as Mila’s words sank in. The mention of repairs stirred a fog of confusion in her mind, reminding her just how long she had been absent from everything happening around her. She sniffled softly, her voice hoarse but carrying the weight of her need to understand. "I’ve been out of the loop for weeks, Mila," she admitted, her sunken eyes searching her Mila’s face. "What… what happened while I was gone? What did I miss?"

Her fingers tightened faintly around Mila’s hand, the question laced with both fear and longing. Joey’s gaze flicked briefly toward the twins and Chow, then back to Mila, bracing herself for whatever truth her closest friend might share.

"Weeks?" Mila swallowed and thought back through what the ship and crew had been through. "Are you remembering Razmena?" She asked to get a starting point for how far back she had to go.

Joey’s eyes clouded over as if a storm was brewing. She gave a slow nod, her voice hoarse but certain.
"Three weeks," she confirmed quietly. "I was switched out just before we left Razmena."

The words spoken aloud made her breath catch as the memory surged back. She felt the sharp crack against her head, then the world went black. Her body tensed faintly as she recalled waking in the dimly lit room, arms bound above her, the restraints biting into her wrists. The helplessness of that moment washed over her again, and she shivered despite the warmth of the room.

Three weeks echoed through Mila's mind but she shoved it aside when she felt Joey tense. She brushed her fingers through her hair gently and waited for a moment.

"The USS Gaittithe was attacked after that, then Starbase Unity was destroyed after we are receiving distress signal from them. Harvey was made Commodore of task force to hunt G90B and orders a buoy net put out in nebula. However, we are only finding shuttle and Harvey is being switched with clone during that time. Camila went on undercover mission and learned that D'Rimo and his allies are from The Confederation."

"A task force was formed to attempt to take out G90B, but we were set up by your clone sabotaging the tricobalts and ship. D'Rimo managed to get away and we lost more ships in that fight. That is when your clone and clone of Harvey attempted to get off of the ship with the twins and boys." She indicated Rico and Pequeno.

Joey’s breath caught. She swallowed hard, her voice trembling but steady enough to carry the weight of what she had seen. "I saw the Gaittithe. I thought it was the Black Hawk," she whispered, her gaze distant as if reliving the moment. "D’rimo used it… he tried to reopen the rift to his universe. He wanted to tear it open again, to bring more of his Confederation through. It failed, but he wants to try again."

Her hand tightened faintly around Mila’s, needing the anchor as she forced herself to continue. "And Harvey… I was reunited with him on Unity. Or… what little was left of it." Her voice cracked, the image of the body they'd seen still fresh in her mind. "We tried to escape from there, but were caught."

Joey’s eyes shimmered with tears, the fragile smile that touched her lips betraying both sorrow and relief. "That’s part of what I lived through. The easier parts, and I'm quite glad my clone failed in taking my children and boys. They saw things they shouldn't have, but they're safe and will be okay now."

"I am not knowing all details, but they are not being important right now. You are and I am going to make you the biggest Medovik you have ever seen and tasted," Mila promised her, as she planned to make one of the famous Russian honey cakes.

Joey let out a faint, breathy laugh, her eyes drifting down to her frail frame beneath the blanket. The sharpness of her collarbones and the way her gown hung loosely on her made the truth undeniable. She sniffled softly and gave a small nod. "Yeah… I could stand to put on a few pounds," she admitted, her voice fragile but tinged with a flicker of humor. The thought of Mila’s promised Medovik brought the faintest smile to her lips, fragile though it was. "That cake might be exactly what I need."

Her gaze lifted back to Mila, gratitude shining through the exhaustion in her eyes. "Thank you… for wanting to take care of me. It means more than I can say."

"You are being my seestra, Joey," the shorter brunette woman said with a smile. "It is what family does. Do you wish some tea with jam or anything else?"

"Tea might be nice," Joey answered.

"Be giving me just a moment," Mila said as she got up to go to the replicator. She requested a hot black tea with a ramekin of currant jam and a spoon, then brought it back once it materialized on a saucer., She sat down by the side of the bed again and looked at her. "One spoon or two?"

"Two, please," Joey said, giving Mila a smile.

The Yeoman spooned in two generous spoonful's of the currant jam and stirred it. "Is being very high in calories and sugar. You are needing it," she told Joey as she carefully raised the biobed a little so Joey wouldn't spill the cup trying to drink as she offered it and the saucer to her.

Joey reached out carefully, accepting the cup and saucer with a grateful nod. “Thank you, Mila,” she said softly, her voice carrying both appreciation and weariness. Bringing the cup to her lips, she took a slow sip, letting the warmth and sweetness settle over her.

A gentle sigh escaped her as she leaned back against the raised biobed, a smile tugging at her lips. “That’s… really good,” she admitted, her tone lighter now, the comfort of the drink easing some of the tension from her shoulders.

Mila smiled and continued to stroke her hair and back gently. "I am being happy to seeing you smile, Joey," she said. "I am hoping to see more of it."

"I hope to be able to do that more now that I'm home, but all of this is going to take some time for me to readjust," the taller woman said.

"You are and I will be here for you," Mila promised her.

"Thank you," was all Joey said as she hoped that she would overcome the nightmares.

Mila gave her a gentle smile. "If ever you need me for anything, I am being here."

Joey closed her eyes and tried to relax. She was safe now. Home. Something that didn't seem possible just hours before. But, through determination and adrenaline, she and Harvey were both safe. "I don't ever plan to go anywhere again."

Mila knew that life in Starfleet often made plans for others, but she felt no compulsion to tell Joey that. "And I will not, either." She assured her seestra.

"I'm so tired, but I'm more afraid to go to sleep. I keep having nightmares," the taller woman said softly as she opened her eyes. "I'm even afraid to close my eyes for more than a few seconds."

"Would you like me to be asking doctor for something to suppress neural activity?" Mila asked as she continued to stroke Joey's hair comfortingly.

Joey’s eyes drifted shut for a moment as she considered the offer, the idea of quieting the memories—of silencing the flashes of fear and pain—tempting in a way she hated to admit. Her breath trembled, and for a heartbeat she imagined what it might feel like not to relive the darkness every time she closed her eyes.

But then she shook her head slowly, opening her eyes to meet Mila’s with a fragile resolve. "As awful as it is… I need to remember," she murmured, her voice soft but certain as she leaned faintly into Mila’s hand, drawing comfort from the familiar touch even as her body remained tense beneath it. "If I forget… it feels like letting D'rimo win. That I'm not strong enough to overcome this. And I don’t want that."

Her fingers curled weakly into the blanket, grounding herself as she exhaled shakily. "Just… stay with me for a while. That’s what helps."

"I am not going anywhere, Joey," Mila assured her gently. She gave her dear friend a warm smile as she stroked her hair. "I will be right here for you every step of the way."

And that was all she needed to hear to relax a bit more.

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