Shot Through the Lung, and You're to Blame... (part 2)

Posted on Fri Jan 20th, 2017 @ 11:36am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Helga (Hel) Lowe & Lieutenant Arnon Barak MD, PsyD & Lieutenant JG Victoria Drani M.D. & Lieutenant Verdeath Newmark & Lieutenant Rhiannon O'Connor Barak

1,576 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Shadow Dance
Location: Sickbay

[CONTINUED]

[OLD]

Rhiannon looked at her father. She'd seen him in this state before, when Mother Rachel, Carlos' birth mother, was ill. He didn't let Rachel see him this way. He wanted to keep her spirits up. But Rhiannon would catch him in this worried state when he thought no one was looking. She whispered in a corpsman's ear. The corpsman left for a moment and came back with a chair for Arnon. It was tall enough for him to sit and still be close to Victoria.

"Someone...someone should notify her sister..." Arnon said. "She'd want to be here..."

[NEW]

"Sit down, Dad," Rhiannon said. "I'll have someone find her sister. Sit with Victoria. She's an empath. On some level she should be able to feel your presence. You can support her...make her feel safe. That will go a long way towards helping her fight for her life."

Arnon took the offered seat. He leaned in and kissed Victoria on the forehead. He brushed a lock of hair out of her face, then left his hand on her head, caressing her forehead and face from time to time.

Still surrounded by the white fog, she continued to stare in disbelief that her mother was standing before her. "Mother...am...am I dead?" Drani had never really believed in an afterlife having been educated in science and medicine.

"No, you are not dead...yet," replied her mother.

Another of the shadowy figures stepped out of the thick fog, revealed to be her sister, Jae. "She does not believe in herself. How can she believe in us?"

"Jae? Wh..What's going on? Believe in myself? You?"

Another figure now emerged in the form of Arnon. "You are of Bajor, are you not?"

"Yes..." Drani began.

"She is," Victoria's mother interrupted.

"But she does not associate with Bajor," Jae continued.

"She associates with Betazed--with the thought readers," Arnon spoke up.

"I am both Bajoran and Betazoid. But what does that have to do with anything?" Drani questioned.

"Everything. You even forgot a part of Betazed," Jae spoke.

"Forgot a part of Betazed? What are you talking about?" Victoria asked.

Outside of Victoria's inner struggle, the actual Arnon Barak could feel his lover's turmoil. He wasn't a telepath, so he couldn't see exactly what was going on in Victoria's mind, but he could sense...confusion?

Fight, Victoria my love! You have your whole life ahead of you! So much yet to do, so many people yet to help...and me. You have me. There is so much of our journey together that we've yet to experience, so many adventures in our future. Fight, my love. Fight.

"During the war," Drani's mother spoke. "You were taken, and you forgot."

"I remember everything about my life on Betazed. I haven't forgotten anything," Drani protested.

"No, you were taken," Jae said. "And changed."

"Changed? I...I have no idea what you're talking about. I don't even know who you are," Drani's confusion was turning to anger. "You could be nothing more than a figment of my imagination."

"We are much more than that," her mother responded. "We are referred to Prophets by those of Bajor."

"The Prophets? But how..." Drani then recalled her visit to the Vanadwan Monastery on Bajor shortly after her graduation from Starfleet Medical. There, she was allowed to consult the Orb of Peace.

"You have your answer," replied the image of Arnon.

"When we speak to those who seek us, an...impression is left," explained her mother.

"But what did you mean that I had forgotten Bajor?" Drani questioned.

Another figure emerged from the fog of a Cardassian in a Cardassian Medical Uniform. Fear immediately filled her. The image of Dr. Crell Moset moved close to Drani as her fear intensified. She knew of the man as did many in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Many considered him a stain on the very title of doctor. Yet, she couldn't understand the fear she was feeling. She then found herself in a medical patient gown, strapped down to a metal surgical table. She looked down and saw that she looked much younger, much like it looked when she was 15.

Drani then saw the image of Moset approach her. "Don't worry my dear. The procedure will not take long...but I must unfortunately inform you that it will hurt." Drani struggled against the restraints as Moset placed a device near her head, moving two bars on either side of her head near her temples. "Please, stop!"

Moset gave her an apologetic look. "I am sorry my dear but you will be helping the Jem H'dar and our understanding of how to develop Betazed telepathy." He then pressed a button on the console as Drani screamed out.

The real Arnon gasped.

"She's in pain and...terrified!" he said. "Curse the Prime Number if I was a telepath, I could see what is going on in her head, instead of just feeling her reactions!"

Arnon leaned in and kissed Victoria on the forehead. Her temperature was elevated. There was sweat on her brow. Arnon held her hand firmly, hoping that at least she knew he was there, that she didn't have to go through this alone.

Helga hurried over with a hypospray. "This will ease her pain," she said. "Now I must go back and help the doctor with the antidote."

Newmark had the test sample in the computer centrifuge; the system doing a manual breakdown of the items as well as the tricorder and spectrum analyzer. Newmark was more of a neurologist as he was very aware of the humanoid Nervous system. Tghe Toxicology was an aspect of it but he had to allow for the computer to do a majority of the work and he could hope the anti-toxin would not be hard to make?

In a flash, Drani was now standing up and the medical laboratory was gone as was Dr. Crell with her eyes closed and hands clenched into tight fists as the pain subsided. She remembered now. She had been captured by Dominion forces and experimented on by Dr. Moset Crell. A week later, she and others were rescued by Betazoid resistance and Starfleet Special Forces. But why did she forget?

Drani felt a hand on her shoulder. Opening her eyes, she saw the image of her mother standing before her. "Yes, the tragedy of that experience caused you to forget to find peace. But you are not at peace. You are stronger because of what happened."

Newmark came along with the breakdown and anti-toxin serum; he put a hypo to her neck and gave her the recommened; best guess by him and teh computer, dose in hopes she would come around.

The images of Jae, Arnon, and her mother disappeared as blackness once again surrounded her before a light blinded her. Blinking several times, she saw Arnon, Nurse Lowe, Nurse O'Connor, and Dr. Newmark standing over her. For some reason she felt better emotionally. "What did I miss?" she joked with a slight grin.

A tear rolled down Arnon's face. He touched Victoria's cheek gently.

"You, my dear, scared me half to death," Arnon said. "How about we make a deal. From now on neither of us is allowed to have sharp pointy things inserted into our vital organs unless absolutely necessary."

Victoria nodded. "Deal." Her mind was still thinking about the experience she had. Was it real? Had she been dreaming or really speaking with the Prophets and what did they mean by she was stronger than she knew? Did Jae know she had been captured and experimented on? If so, why didn't she ever say anything?

"You seemed to be going through something while you were unconcious," Arnon said. "I sensed fear and pain, which makes sense but..."

Arnon smiled and kissed Victoria on the forehead.

"Whenever you are ready to talk with me about it," he said. "I'll be ready to listen."

Helga passed by and saw the two talking. She paused long enough to see that Doctor Drani was awake and smiled before moving on to inform Doctor Newmark.

Newmark had stepped back a little and within ear shot but not to really interfere with the emotional moment. It was not long ago that his own wife lay dying on a biobed and he had to work frantically to save her. He would let the Counselor have his moment then check on his patent. The Anti-toxin had worked so things were all good in that department.

"Now we have the worst kind of a patient." He remarked to Helga. "A doctor who is confined to a biobed for recovery."

"Of course," Helga replied. "Doctors are the worst patients. But with Doctor Barak around, she might behave herself."

"Not a case of too many doctors in the sick bay then?" Newmark joked. "You know I am not competitive so he would win the game til he treats any other patients outside counselor?"

Helga looked at Rhiannon and shook her head, then turned back to Newmark. "No, Doctor. She needs him to help her recover. Come, Doctor, we should let the family have some time together before you check on her again. You will be notified if there are any problems."

____
OFF

Lieutenant Rhiannon O'Connor Barak
Head Nurse

Lieutenant Arnon Barak
Chief Counselor

Lieutenant JG Victoria Drani
Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant Verdeath Newmark
Surgeon

Senior Chief Petty Officer Helga Lowe
Nurse

 

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