Talk With a Preacher - IC Time: Jan 28, 2522 - 11:59:36


Redemption - Infirmary - A Deck =>Redemption<=
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The ship's Medical Ward is rather large. Two sickbeds have been placed at one side of the room and on a small table between them. Prepared instruments are still sealed in a sterile packets. The cabinets seem to hold a good bit of equipment and pharmaceuticals. Behind a screen is the Doctor's Desk, a comfortable chair before it.

On the other side of the room is a large self contained Medical Diagnostic Doctor Bed. While not quite on par with the full Imaging Suite that you'd fine in hospitals in the Core, this Doctor's Bed does allow three dimensional holo-imaging of the patient's bone structure, and computed axial tomography of the soft tissue as well. There is a dedicated high power computer attached to the bed that controls the holo imaging and maintains a constant readout of the patient's vitals.
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Delilah is sitting up in her medbed, as much as one can with a stomach wound, flipping through a magazine and muttering to herself. There are crumpled balls of paper littering all around her, and a near-empty notepad and pen abandoned by her side. Neither Syna, the doctor here, nor Deco can be seen, and Isabella is still out cold on her own bed. Delilah's focus is much better, and her face has lost that doped-up quality from earlier.

Matty comes into medbay with her rifle slung over her shoulder. She's apparently still not over being nervous about reavers dropping in at any time. "Hey, Del," she says, pausing at the entrance with a smile toward the woman, then makes an approach to her. "How ya doin' today?" She gives a look around and frowns a bit, having expected someone or something to be here. "Deco left?"

Ashlyn knocks softly on the doorway as she appears shortly behind Matty, not wanting to barge into the room without an invite. After all, Del might rmember that she's mad at her once the drugs wear off. She looks a little tired like maybe she didn't get as much sleep the night before as she acustomed to, but otherwise the Theory's captian seems none the worse for wear. "Mornin', Delilah," she says before checking her watch, holding up one finger for a moment before correcting herself. "I mean... two... one... Afternoon."

Grey pokes his head in from the Crew Commons, cigarette between his lips. "My crew knows not to level weapons on you, by the by," he says, jumping right into conversation without more than a curt nod in greetings. "Just 'cause it's been a problem in the past, with other crews. You let me know if my Guardians give you any crap." He glances to Delilah. "How you feelin'?"

Delilah looks up from her magazine, which appears to be entitled Ministry for a New Age, which she promptly tosses off to the side. "Hey," she offers warily, and her voice is much more clear than it has been in a few days. "Sorry 'bout how I was earlier. Meds made me too dopey, couldn't think straight, so I asked Deco ta give me less or somethin' different or somethin'." She makes eye contact with Grey when he walks in, but avoids Matty and Ashlyn's eyes. "Nah, I think Deco jus' went out fer a bit," she answers Matty, picking up one of the paper balls and fiddling with it nervously. "I'm fine, Cap'n Grey. Jus' fine."

Matty looks over her shoulder toward Grey and gives a shrug at him. "Better safe 'n sorry. 'n I ain't in the habit o' boardin' other people's ships without permission," she says and gives a slight grin at the Captain. "Sorry if I woke ya, by the way. Didn' think ya'd still be asleep this time o' day." She turns back to Delilah and takes another step closer to her, tilting her head a bit. "'s good to see yer doing well..." she begins and falls silent, suddenly unsure of what else to say. She notices the notes and paperballs around Delilah and gives a nod toward them. "What ya workin' on?"

Ashlyn looks Delialh up and down carefully, still hovering near the doorway. "Now a bad time fer a visit?" she asks. Her hands drop into her pockets, one of them drawing out something that fits in the palm of her hand which she looks at curiously. "Thought I lost this..." she mutters to herself as she turns the bright yellow yo-yo over in her hand. She begins unrolling the string and untangling it absently.

Grey shakes his head. "Nah, I weren't 'sleep or nothin'," he says to Matty. "But that's kinna the problem. I hain't slept since... What's it been, only 'bout two or four days, I think." He rubs his eyes a bit. "Good to hear you're doin' better, Miss Delilah. Yer gonna hafta excuse me, folks, if I'm kinna in an' out for a bit... Lots a stuff on this ship still need workin', an' I think the Chong Sheng is plannin' on makin' a drop for us."

Delilah looks up sheepishly at Ash and sighs, tossing the crumpled paper she'd been messing around with towards a small trash can in the corner of the room, which has a decent sized mountain of such balls around it. Apparently, Delilah is as good at basketball as she is at writing. "No, Ash, it's fine. Jus'...guess it weren't the best idea, leavin', huh? Look where it got me. Worse'n when I started. Now y'all are parked on this rock an' fer what? Cuz I ran off an' got m'self inta more trouble again? Yeah, that's fair." Her bitter tone continues as she looks at Matty with a guilty expression, and back over to the paper mountain by the garbage. "Letter ta James," she mumbles reluctantly. Grey gets a silent nod, though she does mumble under her breath, "If he don't stop callin' me /Miss/ Delilah..."

Matty gives a slight smile as Ashlyn produces a yellow yo-yo and shifts on her feet a bit, looking over toward Grey with a bit of a nod. She smiles softly at Delilah and seems about to explain that there's nowhere she and probably the rest of the Chaos crew would want to be right now and that it's hardly Delilah's fault that Reavers attack. But then the chef mentions James and writing a letter to him and a look of concern replaces one of soft caring. "Um.." she mumbles and gives a glance to Ashlyn and then over to Grey and back to Ashlyn, lifting a brow at her.

Ashlyn looks sideways at Matty, her hands pausing on her yo-yo. Another bout of amnesia? She still seems reluctant to say anything on the matter still. "Don't worry `bout /us/," she says to Delilah, leaning back against the doorway. "We was quite lit'rally next door when we got the call. Ain't yer fault any a this, anyhow. An' ain't none a us feel inconvenienced bein' here." She swallows and asks a touch more quietly, "You talked ta Mister Smith yet?"

Grey returns Matty's look with a shrug of his bandaged and still blood-soaked shoulder, not knowing who this James is, or why Delilah would be writing letters to him. "I don't think she's had the chance," he says in answer to Ashlyn's question, even when it isn't directed at him. "Alabaster's been insanely busy."

Delilah slumps at Ashlyn's question, and shakes her head no. "I told him I wanted ta when I got on board, an' again after...after. But he's jus' got so much ta do, I guess..." Her voice trails off and she glares at the paper around her, scooping them all up quickly and hurling them at the trash can, which likely send them flying all over the room. "It jus' won't come out right!" she exclaims, burying her head in her hands. "I don't know what ta say ta James, an' Talon still ain't sent anythin' or showed up, an'..." She's not going to cry. She's not going to cry. She is, however, going to jam her palms against her temples and push in, /hard/.

Matty chews a bit on the inside of her cheek as neither Ashlyn, nor Grey comes to the rescue regarding James. "Del.. What exactly d'ya remember from.. Before?" she asks, giving a desperate kind of look around for anyone in a white coat. None to the rescue, alas. "I mean.. Ya know that James is.. Well, that James is dead, right?" There. Done and said. Now to clench one's teeth and hope we don't break Delilah's heart once more.

Ashlyn picks up one of the balls of paper the tumbles against her boot and drops it into the waste basket. "Ya gotta give Talon some time," she says. "I did just WAVE him last night. Through the address on that card he gave me." Ashlyn still doesn't comment on James, seeming entirely unsure on the topic. She leans down and picks up another wad of paper in the hand not otherwise engaged with the yo-yo. This follows it's fellow into the trash as well. She has the same reaction to Matty's words as Matty does. But at least she didn't have to possibly bestow that revelation a second time.

Ooookay. Grey edges out of the room slowly, giving Matty and Ashlyn a quick nod and a jerk of the head, as though to say, remember that 'stuff' I mentioned? Yeah, I'm gonna go take care of that. I'll be back. Writing letters to dead people... What does she want to see the Preacher for anyway, a convening of spirits? Thoroughly wierded out, Grey makes his hasty retreat.

The door to the infirmary slides open, and in comes Matrix. The man sniffs quietly, checking for the existance of the awful smell from yesterday, not just a faint reminder. Finding the atmosphere 'acceptable', not counting in the inter-personal tension, he closes the door, and makes a little wave in greeting. "Thought I'd... join the others." he says, mostly in Grey's direction, as an explanation.

Delilah just blinks at Matty, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. "Yes, Matty," she drawls quietly. "I know he's dead. I was shot in the stomach. I still remember everythin'." The situation would likely have been hysterically funny, if Delilah wasn't on the brink of losing it. "I'm writin' him a letter ta take ta St. Albans. That's where ya said he's buried, right?" She glances at Matrix when he walks in, but doesn't really acknowledge him for the most part, going for Ashlyn instead. "Talon constantly checks the Cortex," she explains. "He likely got that WAVE the minute ya sent it. If he ain't gotten back ta anyone yet, he's either in trouble, or jus' don't care." The look on her face probably reveals which option she thinks is most likely.

Matty gives a look over at the door as Matrix comes in and her teeth clench just a degree more, but then Delilah starts talking and she turns her attention back on the chef. She winces visibly at the cynical kind of words coming from Delilah and gives a quiet nod. "Yeah.. We buried him at the new settlement," she says quietly and shifts her rifle from one shoulder to the other, just to have something to occupy her hands for a few moments. "Might be he jus' can't get transport, Del. Not many shuttles come out here.."

Ashlyn expels a relieved breath that Delilah hasn't just re-learned of James' death. "Hey Matrix. Dunno if the crew still needs tech-type help. I ain't managed ta stumble onta their engineer again yet. You?" She turns to Delilah, adding to what Matty had said. "But, um, the Theory will be headin' out ta Hera some time soon. I expected it might happen `fore ya got back, but seein' as..." she falters a little. "Ya know, it's where he lived, not where he died. Would ya... like ta come along? Mom an' Da want me ta go through some a his things."

Matrix glances down at his boots, shaking his head ever so slightly. 'Wounds are /almost/ fine, drama isn't' is what he's most likely thinking. "Sorry for not marrying a computer chip." he mutters quietly, mostly at Matty, moving closer to his crewmates, but still out of range of a melee attack. Ah yes, Ashlyn always tries to defuse the situation, mostly without long-term success. "Haven't seen her again. Or anybody else, in fact." he answers, tactfully shutting up the moment emotions come back into play.

You test your Listen against a 40 difficulty. The result is successful (20).

Delilah whips her head around quickly when Matrix mutters, and snaps at him. Holy shit, Delilah's snapping? Well. In more ways than one. "Trix, ya know what? I don't want ya here. Ya egg Matty on cuz ya know ya can get a rise outta her, an' ya mutter little things under yer breath ya think we can't all hear, but we can, an' it ain't right." She glares at him and adds, "I don't want ta sit here an' hafta watch you an' Matty trade evil looks cuz yer not carin' that people /died/ on this ship an' were tortured, an' what's yer little panty twist in comparison to that?" Rant over, she shifts her back towards him, as much as one can on a medbed, and goes back to speaking to Matty and Ash like nothing ever happened. "Yeah, ain't many shuttles, but he could still send somethin' on the Cortex," is directed to Matty, and "Are ya sure you'd want me there? That's awfully personal, ya know? Guess it would depend on what the Doc says...how soon were ya thinkin' a goin'?"

Matty gives a look over at Matrix and frowns at his muttering, but decides to just not rise to the bait in the current situation, but then Delilah snaps and she blinks. And blinks again. Whoa there, Delilah! She gives a glance over at Matrix, then back to Delilah, her eyes showing both shock and surprise. At the chef's last comment, she glances over toward Ashlyn, but remains silent, completely baffled at what to say to the new Delilah.

Ashlyn blinks at Delilah, her face going entirely blank. Seemingly not coming up with any reaction to that (well, it's really not her buisness, either, is it?), she too continues on as if the rant hadn't happened right along with Delilah. "Of course yer more'n welcome. The rest a the ship is comin'. An' you know me. I don't ever make plans. I was just gonna go when I went. Soonish, though, I s'pose."

Matrix blinks. Blinks again. What the hell? "Dela, ya know what? I don't want the whole damn crew on my fucking case just because I'm trying to show some human emotions and /not/ sit in the engine room or the bridge 24/7. And as far as trading evil looks is concerned, I'm willing to stop whenever Matty /won't/ get ready to chew me out whenever I come into the room." he says, trembling slightly afterwards, from the release of all the petty irritation, and goes back to being as quiet and unintrusive as possible. If it's even possible.

Delilah ignores Matrix completely, and continues talking to Matty and Ashlyn alone. "Well, I would want ta go, iffn' the Doc says it's alright. An' if I ever get word from the Preacher. Got some important stuff ta deal with him 'bout." She looks around the room with a concerned look on her face, muttering, "Speakin' a Doc, where's Deco? Said he was jus' runnin' out fer a little bit..."

"You know what, Matt.. If you don't like how we do things on the Theory, maybe it's time ya find another ship to fly with?" Matty suggests quietly to Matrix, giving him a pointed look before she turns back to Delilah with a nod. "I'll see if I can't find Smith fer ya, Del. 'n I dunno where Deco's got off to.. Ya need him? I can give him a call fer ya?"

"That's enough," Ashlyn says levely. She points a finger at the mechanic. "Matrix, ya do seem ta pick things ta say that ya know will get under Matty's skin. An' ain't no one tryin' ta lock ya in the engineroom or cockpit an' you know it." She turns to look at Matty. "An' ya /did/ tense up when he walked in." Then she's back to Matrix, "But that ain't no reason ta pick a fight, yeah?" And now she's finally back to Delilah. "So, you think you'll be comin' back ta the Theory then? I wasn't sure... I mean... Yer welcome. We want ya back, just... you ain't obligated, ya know that right? Not if it ain't where ya wanna be."

"On second thought, some more time in the engine room doesn't sound all that bad." Matrix says in a quiet yet easily audible voice, seeing as Del ignores him, and there's little to none chance of someone taking his side, and turns around to leave. Matty doesn't get a verbal response, but she might spot the engineer's hands clench into fist, knuckles going white. When he reaches the door, he slides it open, and on already on the other side of the treshold, briefly turns around to repeat after Ash, "Yeah.", tone implying more agreement than anything else, and then he slides the door shut, walking off... somewhere.

Delilah continues to give Matrix the cold shoulder, answering Matty and Ashlyn in turn. "Don't /need/ him as of yet, I jus' know these meds are set ta wear off soon. An' the trade fer bein' able ta think clearly is the moment these meds wear off, it's instant pain everywhere." She sighs and finds a wayward paper ball on the bed, and begins tossing it back and forth between her hands. "Ain't that I don't want ta be there, Ash. I never wanted ta leave. But I jus' felt like I couldn't...breathe. An' I felt like y'all were mad at me fer wantin' ta change. I wanted...I don't know anymore. But it don't matter. I'll come back. Let me talk with Preacher Smith, an' when Doc Syna gives the okay, I'll move back, alright?" This admittance seems to take the wind out of Delilah's sails, and she begins chewing on her lower lip in a desperate attempt to keep the waterworks in.

Matty nods to Ashlyn and lets out a sigh, looking out the corner of her eye at Matrix. "Yeah. Yer right, Ash. Ain't the time or place to be arguin'," she says quietly and gives a glance across medbay to the comatose Isabella. She looks back to Delilah and gives a quiet nod, then picks the icomm off her belt and starts punching in the speed dial for Deco. "I'll get 'im o'er here, Del. Oughta be a doc here anyhow, keepin' an eye on you guys.." She moves a few steps away from Delilah and over toward a corner to speak quietly into the wireless earpiece after the call has gone through to the Theory's new doctor.
"I weren't never mad at ya, Delilah," Ashlyn says, a look of quiet sadness passing her features. "Who you are an' who ya wanna be ain't anyone's buisness but yours." She smiles faintly as she leans back against the door frame, finally working the last knot out of the yo-yo's string and letting it drop on it tether to the ground and spring back into her hand.

Delilah nods at Matty, willing to let the XO call Deco rather than take the chance of dealing with the reality of her painful wound due to mistimed meds. "You might not have been mad at me, Ash. But ya weren't anythin' ta me. Ya weren't talkin' ta me about it...ya weren't talkin' at all, less it were 'bout ship stuff. Didn't seem like ya...cared. 'Bout me hurtin', 'bout James bein' gone, 'bout Morris, none of it. An' I didn't know how ta handle that." She lowers her voice, giving Matty a quick side glance before muttering out of the side of her mouth, "An' Matty was mad. Mad that I wanted ta be other'n what I was."

Delilah is sitting on the medbed opposite Isabella, with her back angled to the entrance/exit. Matty is near her, but off to the side, speaking into her earpiece. Ashlyn is standing near Delilah, leaning up against the doorframe, playing with a yellow yo-yo. There is a large pile of paper balls laying on the floor near the trash can in the corner, and a magazine laying on Dela's bed entitled, Ministry for the New Age.

Alabaster Smith makes his way in, apparently still getting used to finding where everything is on this behemoth the crew has adopted as their own. He looks around, and offers a bright smile at everyone. "Ladies," he greets. "Ah hope everyone is okay... or at least mending?"

Matty frowns at the icomm as the connection has gone through, but no one talks. "Deco? You there?" she says, in a half-demanding half-concerned kind of tone. She gives alook over toward Delilah and Ashlyn, not really listening to their conversation, but of course, she can't help overhearing. Finally, at least thirty seconds into the call, a chitter in her earpiece announces that someone is on the other end. "Yeah, what the hell took ya so long?" She blinks as Alabaster comes in, as if having been summoned by the word 'hell' and then tilts her head to listen to the answer. "Oh.. Right. Well, get yer butt back o'er here, will ya? Del reckons she's gonna need some o' those meds ya gave her." She waits a moment, then nods to herself and gives a look over at the others. "A'right. O'er 'n out."

Ashlyn shakes her head slightly, smile takeing a wry turn for a moment before fading. "Was there really anythin' at all i could a said ta make it better?" she asks as the yo-yo continues it's swinging loop to and from her hand. "I cared plenty. But nothin' I could think ta say wouldn't a just made ya feel worse. An' it ain't as I was gonna drag it our fer a public spectical. By the time I thought I could catch ya alone, you was gone." Her smile returns somewhat at Alabaster's entrance. "`Lo, Mr. Smith," she says. "Everone's alive an' the ship's still runnin. Can't complain."

Delilah starts to respond with, "Yeah, it woulda been better to hear /somethin'/ from ya than ta think ya didn't care at all, 'bout me or yer - " but Alabaster walks in, and Delilah nearly passes out. The wave of relief that flashes across her face looks nearly painful. "Preacher!" she squeals, shifting on her bed to make room for him, and patting the mattress. "I'm so glad ya could make time fer me!" She beams at him, all traces of anything wrong gone entirely, and throws the last paper ball into the trash can, or at least onto the buliding mountain around it. "Is this time? Can we talk?"

Alabaster Smith smiles at Delilah, and nods. "Ah reckon Ah've got some free time," he says wryly, walking over to gently sit on the edge of the bed next to her. "How're you feeling? You're certainly looking better than when Ah saw you last." He briefly turns and gives the others a nod and smile also. "Ah agree, no reasons to complain. Lovely to see you both. Ah just wish you were visiting under better circumstances."

"Deco'll be right o'er. He was meditatin'," Matty says as she rejoins the group, her comm-unit finding its place on her belt again. She gives a look to Delilah, then Alabaster and Ashlyn. "Well, I suppose we'd better get outta yer hair then, Del? I got some stuff I can tend to back on the Theory, anyways."

Ashlyn grins at Alabaster, tucking her yo-yo back into her pocket. "Ain't had much occasion ta visit," she says apologetically. She turns to Delilah, offering up an appologetic smile to go with her tone. "Sorry fer that," she says simply. Looking between Delilah and Alabaster, she asks, "S'pose I should be gettin' outta yer hair then, too."

Delilah scoots over to be closer to Alabaster, though it's meant as a cute gesture, not one of 'come hither'. "Yeah, 'pose I didn't look so great laying in a bunch'a blood," she replies, still beaming. "Meditatin'?" she asks Matty with an odd tone, half-laughing. "Well, I didn't mean ta interrupt him doin' somethin' 'portant." She returns Ashlyn's apologetic look and remarks, "I don't mean ta make ya guys leave, Ash. I love seein' ya. But Preacher's short on time, an' the things I got ta talk ta him 'bout, they're...rather personal." She blushes a little bit, and glances over to the paper mountain.
Alabaster Smith glances apologetically to the others, and nods. "Ah reckon it's her choice... she must all kinds of interesting sins on her conscience," he says with amusement. "But Ah reckon we'll meet up again later," he tells Ashlyn and Matty. "Assuming you aren't rushing off-planet."

Matty gives a slight shrug to Delilah and smiles a bit. "'s okay. Deco don't mind when it's medical stuff interrupting him, 'm sure," she says and moves close enough to the chef to give her a pat on the leg. "'n we don' mind none lettin' you guys have some time alone. We can talk later, Del." She gives a look over to Alabaster and gives a shrug and a shake of her head. "S'long 's Delilah's here, we ain't goin' nowhere. Anyways.. I'm gonna go see 'bout.. Stuff." She gives Delilah's leg a final pat, then starts toward the door, shifting her rifle from one shoulder to the other.

Ashlyn nods. "I'll see ya both `round, then. We'll be here long as we're needed. Ain't in no hurry," she says and quietly slips out the door after Matty without another word.

Delilah looks down at her hands, which are twisting the blankets, when Alabaster mentions her interesting sins, and doesn't comment. She gives both Matty and Ashlyn a grateful look as they go, and turns her full attention to the Shepherd. "I think that I'm dying," she explains, her voice revealing a note of panic. "Because everythin' I care 'bout is either gone or has somethin' wrong with it. Nothin' makes sense. An' things were like that before, but I always had m'faith ta fall back on, but now I ain't so sure I even have that, an' it jus' feels like dyin', not ta have the grace of God's hand on m'life." She reaches for Alabaster's hand and squeezes it, if he lets her. "I jus' don't know where ta turn, but I feel like I'm goin' crazy," she mourns.

Alabaster Smith squeezes Delilah's hand in return, comfortingly. "The Lord tests us in strange ways," he says. "He puts us on difficult roads, and throws curves at us when we least expect. It's frustrating not knowing why, or what He has planned for us, or what could ever justify some of the trials and tribulations we go through, but Ah assure you, His plan exists, and He loves us all. When things go wrong, it's our duty to try and fix them. When we lose things we care about, it's to make us stronger inside... less reliant on external sources, and more reliant upon our own resources. The Lord is teaching us that we must turn inwards, and take the strength from His presence in our hearts, because ultimately, that's all we have when we come into the world, and all we have when we go out again. You're not dying, Mah dear. You're just growing."

Delilah nods as Alabaster speaks, taking in his words. "That's what I thought, too, when this began to happen," she explains slowly. "But then I thought, what if I'm jus' kiddin' myself? What if everythin' I'm goin' through jus' proves that," she drops her voice and whispers for this, "/there ain't no God?/ An' I'm jus' clingin' ta what I was taught all m'life cuz it's all I knowed, an' livin' m'life fer somethin' that ain't doin' no one a bit of good?"
She leans back, clearly scandalized by what she's just said. "I don't mean no disrespect, Preacher," she says apologetically. "I jus' watched my Ma, my pregnant cousin at her weddin', an' countless townsfolk get killed by Reavers. Then I watched my uncle, the Preacher, shoot hisself in the mouth. An' then I got attacked by Reavers here. An' I found somebody I thought I could marry an' be a godly wife to, only ta find out he's a widow, an' then find out he'd lain with other women after his wife died, an' now there's someone else who was there all along that I want ta marry, but I can't tell iffn' he ants ta marry me or iffn' he jus' wants ta try an' lay with me, an' /I ain't even sure he's a virgin/!? She whispers this last part again, and buries her head in her hands, as though the weight of the burdens she just threw out there are too much for her pride.

Alabaster Smith says softly, "Reavers are not part of the Lord's plan, mah dear. They are the forces of the Great Betrayer, the one who moves against the Lord and His works. They're the ones who cast the Lord from their hearts and accepted the Beast instead. Ah am truly sorry for your loss, and Ah know the pain you must feel. There's no explanation Ah can give you that won't hurt at least a little, but sometimes... when there's a war fought, as between the Lord and the Beast, innocent people suffer. And those who hold the Lord within them are the Beast's favorite targets. But Ah can assure you that they're in the Lord's Presence now, as a reward for their service to Him." He sighs, shaking his head. "As for the other matter, mah dear. If you find love, grasp it with both hands and hold it close. The Lord doesn't care if someone's a widow or widower, He doesn't care if you've slept with someone else, and He doesn't care about virginity. What He cares about is love, and faith, and togetherness." He smiles brightly at Delilah. "Men - ordinary, mortal, fallible men - made most of the rules we take for granted. The Lord only set a few down in stone. Think of it this way... if you married the man you loved, and died soon after, would you honestly want your husband to go the rest of his days alone, without love or companionship or joy? Would he want the same of you if he died? No. Stop fussing about such strict rules, and open yourself up. If you've found someone who you love and want to be with... be with him and drink in the Lord's gifts. Be happy."

Delilah's eyes squeeze out a few tears at Alabaster's words regarding the Reavers and her loved ones, but her face turns to despair when he speaks of the Lord's opinion on virginity and widowhood. "But that's how it is with my Pa. He ain't never gonna look at another woman now that my Ma's gone. An' part of me...yeah. I want that. I want a man that loves me so devotedly that if I were suddenly gone, he'd be true ta me fer the rest of his days, because the love he had fer me could never compare ta anyone else. But...as far as that is concerned. His name was James. An' he lied ta me 'bout havin' slept with other women after his wife, an' I went away angry, an' then he...died." She swallows hard and attempts to wipe her tears off her cheeks, looking around for tissues as she does so. "An' I jus' can't stop wonderin' iffn' I coulda made it work with him or not. An' so now James is gone, an' there's a man named Talon, an' I have loved him since the first moment I met him. I jus' don't..." She gives up on trying to locate tissues, and turns a bit red as she gazes up at Smith.
"I know this probably seems like silly girl stuff, who do I like an' whatnot. But I want ta get married. I've been ready ta be a helpmate fer years now. An' I want a man what loves the Lord like I did - do. Everytime I find that, though, it turns out that it ain't really the case. I think I found a man to live with, an' he lies ta me. Or tries ta lay with me. All I want is ta be a Goodwife, an' raise children ta be servants for the Lord. But the more I search for that, the more I begin ta question my faith that it really is my purpose."

Alabaster Smith smiles comfortingly at Delilah. "It's not a bad thing to rediscover your purpose later in life, mah child. Ah thought Ah was meant to be a soldier... but then the Lord called to me. Ah reckon he let me have some defining life experiences before He called me to His service. Perhaps you're the same... just because you followed one road this far doesn't mean you might not be destined for something else. You have to follow your heart, and it will lead you to what you're meant to do, and who you're meant to be with." He looks at her, and adds, "It's better by far to love someone and lose them, than to marry the wrong man and be with him for the rest of your life. Whatever you do, don't rush into marriage... take the time to get to know your man and make sure he's right for you, and you're right for him. And don't despair. According to some traditions, it took Adam three tries to find the right woman for him."

Kat Wellington arrives from Redemption - Crew Commons - A Deck.
Kat Wellington has arrived.

Delilah narrows her eyes in confusion, asking, "Three tries? But I thought that Adam an' Eve were the only ones in the world at the time? So who could he have gotten her confused with?" She sighs, and slumps her head against his shoulder in defeat. "Well, I jus' don't understand it. My heart says I'm meant ta be a wife. An' raise a family. But things jus' don't seem ta be workin' out that way, which makes me wonder if it's God's plan. My heart says ta cleave ta Talon, but..." She exhales, and is quiet for a few seconds. "Do ya think I was meant ta be with James, an' I messed that up, an' now he's dead an' I'll be alone forever?" She add in a tiny voice, "Cause iffn' that's meant ta be my penance...I'll accept it..." Ah ha! She's discovered a box of tissues to the left of the Preacher, and points timidly. "Would ya mind handin' that ta me?"
As she waits to blow her nose, she runs her hands through her hair and muses out loud, "Maybe I'm acursed? Like Job? Maybe the Lord's testin' me? An' my faith?"

Kat Wellington traipses up to the doorway, a wide smile on her face, her arms full of apples. As she walks, she drops one or two here and there. She pauses in the doorway and visibly flinches, making no move to enter. She calls, "Miss Syna?" Fidgetting, she leans in just enough to peek around, but does not step foot inside. "Miss Syna?"

Alabaster Smith hands over the tissues, and shakes his head to Delilah. "It's a long story, the one of Adam's wives, and Ah'll tell it to you someday. Let's just say that while man is easy, even the Lord needed a few tries before He got woman right. And no, Ah don't believe you're meant to be alone, not in the least. The Lord's not about to condemn someone to a lifetime of loneliness just for not getting things right on the first try. Ah do think you're under a great deal of stress, and you might be tested, so Ah urge you to hold fast, mah dear. It would be a terrible shame to give in to despair now." He glances over and blinks. "Ah, hello, Kat. What brings you here today?" he asks dryly.

Delilah simply leans against Alabaster's shoulder and sighs, mashing tissues under her eyes to catch the falling tears. She's laying on a medbed which Alabaster is perched on a piece of, and from the look of her teary eyes and sorrowful expression, she's having an existential breakdown. "What yer sayin' makes sense," she mumbles, attempting to straighten up when someone enters the room. "An' I'll try, I surely will. I don't know how I'll lift my heart outta this dark hole, but if the Lord wills it fer me, then that's what I'll hafta do." She tries to smile at Kat, which probably comes out like a grimace, and greets her as best she can, holding tears in. "Are ya lookin' fer Doc Syna? She's not here right now. My crew's Doc is supposed ta be headin' here soon, maybe he can help ya?"

"The Invictus hatched, and man...this is a BIG baby," Kat answers gesturing to the ship as a whole with her elbows. "That, and Ana installed a tracker on the 'Vic, didn't you know? I'm looking for Miss Syna. She's got red hair and is about... well, I'd show you but I brought apples for the salad." Another one hits the ground and rolls toward Delilah. "She's taller than me, though." Eyeing Delilah, she asks, "Are you Miss Syna? I'm supposed to help, but..." She glances around the interior. "Um. I can't come in here."

Alabaster Smith says dryly, "Ah reckon that tracker went up in a ball of nuclear armageddon, along with Passe's wardrobe, Wren's plants, and Mah silk pajamas." He pats Delilah's shoulder, "Hold strong, mah dear. Ah have faith in you, and you must have faith in the Lord."

Delilah nods sadly at Alabaster, and shakes her head at Kat. "No, sorry. Not the Doc, jus' a sickie. Not sure where she is, actually, ain't seen her for a good while now." At the mention of apples, Delilah peers closer at the woman, and asks, "Apples in the salad? Are ya a cook, by chance? Cuz...iffn' ya bring me stuff, I can help ya. I'm a cook."

Kat Wellington giggles and shakes her head at the redheaded woman, "No, ma'am, I'm.." She pauses and frowns, not really sure what her occupation is. "I'm...just...broken." She nods her head twice and eyes the place where the doorway ends and the room begins. "But...you can have the apples? I can't come in, so you'll have to come over here and get them."

Alabaster Smith smiles to the ladies. "Ah must check on some of the cleanup work in the kitchen," he says. "Ah'll be back to check on you later, Delilah. Just think on what Ah said." He nods to Kat. "Ah'm sure we'll get a chance to talk later as well." And he slips out, quietly.

Alabaster Smith heads through the exit labeled Crew Commons.
Alabaster Smith has left.

Delilah peers at Kat, her brow wrinkling as she asks, "Yer broken? Like, ya need some help? I can get Deco in here real quick-like iffn' ya want." She starts fumbling for her iComm, nodding as the Preacher leaves, but too distracted by this apparently hurt woman to respond to him. "What is it, what hurts? Didja get shot, too? Were ya on the ship when the Reavers hit? Why can't ya come in here?" She offers a sympathetic look and inquires, "Did Grey ban ya from the bay? I'm sure he wouldn't tell ya not ta come in iffn' ya were hurt!"

Kat Wellington giggles softly and shakes her head, "I'm not hurt." She juggles the fruit enough to free one arm and taps her temple, "I'm just broken. Men with needles and lasers went where men shouldn't go and left me behind." She shrugs, as if it's not a huge deal, "I was fourteen for two whole years." Carefully redistributing the fruit, she squats down and begins setting them to one side of the doorway in a neat little pyramid. "There isn't a doctor on the planet who can help us now."

Delilah begins to look rather uncomfortable as Kat speaks, glancing around the empty room at the comatose Inara and back at the slightly creepy woman. Dealing with Wren on a good day is one thing. Admitting to a Preacher that you think you might not believe in God and telling him you think you're dying, and /then/ dealing with a Kat? Possibly a bit much for Delilah. "Fourteen fer two years?" she asks uncertainly. "That's...odd. Folk hurt ya? An' now ya can't come in the bay?" Looking around for her iComm and not finding it, she aquires a strained look as she asks, "What did ya need Syna for, then?"

"Was going to help," answers Kat, straightening up. "Since Charlie died, I really have no reason to stay home anymore, so I've just been out, flying around. Captain Grey and the Preacher saved all the little girls and Wren SHOT a man!" She smiles winningly. "I can doctor some, that's all. I haven't really got a purpose, so I just tag along when they let me. Ana's outside waiting." She toes the line of the doorway uncertainly, "I can't go in there; people die in there. People bleed in there. I..." She wrinkles her nose, "Well. I've bled too much."

Scene ended here due to RL. : /