"More Questions, Not Enough Answers"
(Previous post: Talented Tiffany's, 'From One Pain...')
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Stardate: 60301.0700
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 1, Bridge, Observation Lounge
Captain James Simmons, commanding officer of the Federation starship ANUBIS paced back and forth like a caged tiger. Anger wasn't a good word to describe the captain's feelings as his bethroded shook her head.
"James, you're going to wear a hole in the deck plates. And David *won't* be a happy camper."
"Harumph" James mumbled and stopped pacing. David jumped into the COs mind and he chuckled as to his pacing reminded him of his CEO. Whenever David was angered or thinking, he paced... uncontrollably... which sometimes irritated the captain.
"You're right" James sighed, "but this is *beyond* asinine. A transfer. One of my crew. Off *my* ship. Without *me* being informed..."
"Maybe Admiral Koneki has his reasons..."
James cut a glare at Sul.
"Then again..." she replied with a smile and James threw his hands up.
"It makes no damned sense. And I'm having a hard time believing that heart attack David had."
"James Simmons" Sul said, "you are not a doctor nor a CMO. So how would you know?"
James was about to respond when he realized something... he didn't have one. He sighed when the doors opened and entered Lieutenant Maya.
"Captain, I..." and she stopped, "I'm sorry. I thought you were alone..."
"Its OK Maya" James said, "you look like there's something on your mind."
"There is" the CSciO replied, "its David sir."
"Looks like our resident CEO is the topic of everyone's thoughts today" the CNS said.
"Its not so much that... but what has transpired in the past 12 hours."
"Talk to me" James said.
"Well for one... the way Doctor Wallin just took David off life support. Who authorized him to do so? I've spent a couple hours researching medical cases and files and the only person that can authorize a CMO to disconnect a person..."
"Is their next of kin" Clora said and Maya nodded.
"Captain Dawson, Commander Dawson, and 1st Lieutenant Dawson are David's only living relatives... and they *don't* know we're here."
"That's why its a secret base" Clora replied placing a finger to her lips in a hush hush manner.
"I understand that" the Shillian scientist said, "but in saying that, *how* did Doctor Wallin get permission to take him off life support?"
"Well... that being said, I heard David's breathing on his own, so whatever you did help saved his life." James said.
"That's why I'm here too Captain" Maya said and for the first time since he's known her, her eyes darkened, "I didn't do anything."
"I read the doctor's inital report Lieutenant. He said you injected nanites into his system before he disconnected him from the life support..."
"WRONG!" Maya snapped, "I injected the nanites into David *after* he turned it off!" and Maya took 3 deep breaths, "I'm sorry Captain. I didn't mean to burst out like that."
"This is a stressful time Lieutenant." James replied.
After re-gaining her composure, she smiled, "That felt good. Maybe that's why David does that."
"Well... let's not make that habit forming" James said, "dealing with the sometimes uncontrollable temper of one my senior staff is enough."
"Acknowledged sir" Maya said producing a padd, "but the reason I'm here is just that. When Doctor Wallin disconnected David, I took a scan of his body...
(excerpt from Serena's post)
"...at one point David's conscious mind had flat-lined while his subconscious mind was hyperactive."
Clora shrugged. "Isn't that what normally happens when someone is in a state of deep sleep?" "Normally, yes" Maya replied, "but look deeper. When sleeping the activity level of the subconscious mind will usually surpass that of the conscious mind, but the activity of the conscious part never drop below a certain level. In David's case that part of his mind did not only drop below what is considered to be safe, but became completely inactive. Even a patient in a coma registers *some* level of brain activity from the conscious mind, David's read nil.
(end excerpt)
James' brow knitted, "So let me get this straight. You're saying that technically, David's supposed to be dead?"
"Yes sir. With no higher function brain activity, the brain ceases to perform. In *all* cases we should be preparing for a funeral."
And Maya's head drooped. "I didn't mean..."
"Its understood Lieutenant. But this openes a new can of worms." James said as he tapped his badge, "Simmons to ANUBIS senior staff, report to the observation lounge in one hour. Simmons out." he said and closed the connection, "There's something here that's *not* being said and I want to know just what in the hell is going on."
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Stardate: 60301.0725
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section C-2, Level 1, Infirmary
Lieutenant Serrena, Chief of Operations and second officer of the ANUBIS sat by the sleeping form of her friend and former ACT classmate. She had both her hands clasped around David's as his breathing was steady.
"You *never* cease to amaze me David Dawson" the Romulan/Human hybrid said, "you get yourself into more trouble than you're worth sometimes." she said and sighed and thought back to the conversation they had a few days ago...
===========flashback, 2 days hence=============
"Its not pity David. Its concern. As... difficult for me to admit sometimes, if something were to happen to you... it would be a loss to me..."
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Serrena shook her head. "Dammit David... I swear, if you make it out of this, I will *personally* throttle you..." and her commbadge bleeped.
=/\=Simmons to ANUBIS senior staff, report to the observation lounge in one hour. Simmons out=/\=
Serrena stood and looked at the chronometer on the monitor above David's head. She had a little time, but it was a good stretch to cross the base to get to the ANUBIS' umbiblical. She slowly placed his hand on his chest and patted it.
"Get well David." she said as she slipped out of his recovery room.
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Stardate: 60301.0800
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Deck 1, Bridge, Observation Lounge
As the senior staff took their places, James stood behind his chair. They sat mostly in silence as the captain's eyes were focused on the chair to Serrena's right, across from Sabrina, and to Lea's left... the chair normally occupied by the ANUBIS' CEO.
"Getting to the heart of the matter, this unscheduled meeting is about David" James said, "normally I'd leave the medical care to our staff here on the ship and the base, but Maya brought something to my attention. Lieutenant?"
Maya nodded, "Lea, have you heard anything else other than Doctor Wallin's inital report?"
The aCMO shook her head. She looked like she hadn't slept in days, even thought its only been overnight.
"No... other than the fact that what I read I found hard to believe."
"Well... for us who are clueless..." Pravat said and Rawyvin nodded.
"Please" the ANUBIS' security chief said.
"From the report, David suffered massive synaptic failure at 1000 yesterday morning. His alpha wave brain patterns were *completely* gone" she said wiping a tear from her eye, But somehow... he's going to make a complete recovery..."
"Wait" Prav said, "how can a man who's brain dead recover?"
"That's just it" Lea said, "I guess it were the nanites that saved him."
"I beg to differ" Maya said as she rose, "Commander" she said looking to Sabrina, "do you remember assisting Doctor Ennis and myself with David's transplant surgery?"
Sabrina's mind drifted back to the AVALON... back to when it was the dagger in her hand that almost killed her then lover... the dreamstate that had the entire crew in its clutches, "well... when I wasn't crying my eyes out I do" she said with a slight smile.
"Do you remember Doctor Ennis' orders to David when he recovered after...
"Maya" Serena said, "to the point?"
Maya activated the wall monitor that showed David's last physical and a 3 dimensional image of the CEOs repaired heart floated above the table.
"David's heart as it is. Now I know that this has nothing to do with his brain activity, but bear with me... I'll get to the point shortly."
Prav sat back and leaned close to Rawyvin, "which means we're going to be here a while" as the captain glared at the MCO.
"Continue Lieutenant."
Maya zeroed in on a group of nanites. "This is are the front runners of the nanites I injected into David's body after Doctor Wallin turned off the lift support. As you can see, they are 68% complete with the repair to the BORG implant of his heart."
"Maya" Serrena hissed.
The CSciO pressed on, "Here are the nanites in David's brain. Same nanites as the ones I injected..." and she let it hang in the air. They all looked from the wall to the 3D image of David's heart... and it hit Sabrina like a ton of bricks.
"Something's wrong" the ExO said standing and going to the wall unit looking over David's chart. The CMO in her coming back to life and her head snapped around to Maya, "he should be dead."
"Exactly" Maya said.
"OK... fill in your captain" James said.
"If I'm understanding Maya correctly" Sabrina said, "the nanites she injected..."
And Lea caught it as well, "weren't enough to save him."
Serrena exchanged glances between the three ladies. "I don't follow."
Maya tossed her hands in the air, "Come on Serrena. The Laws of Nature... for what I injected into David's body would continue to work to repair his *heart*... so how does a man who suffers a complete collapse of brain activity still be alive?"
"Um... not trying to rain on the Chief's parade because I do hope the big guy recovers" Rawyvin said, "but what are you getting at? He should be dead, but he isn't. So why are we here?"
"Support for a friend" Maya said, "*and* a mystery."
"More questions... never enough answers" James said... remembering David saying that to him back on the AVALON and he looked up, "gentlemen" he said looking to the MCO and CSecO, "you might felt it unnecessary to be here, but David's a part of this family. I for one thank you for being here. But there's some question *I* need answered. So here's what we're going to do: Lea, Maya... I want a complete work up on David's metal capacity. Check his file, past physicals, etc. Access Starfleet medical files and reports if you have to. Having a mother who used to head up Starfleet medical there should be something. Also, see if you can discreetly contact Beth Ennis... I want to see *her* notes on David's transplant and her notes on his metal stability after the surgery."
"Captain" Sabrina said, "we have all that here on the ANUBIS she said with a slight grin.
James nodded, "Once again, the ExO saves her captain from making an ass of himself, but for what isn't here I want yesterday. Number one, you're with me."
Sabrina's brow knitted. "And where are *we* going?"
"To see Koneki. I believe that the answers to some of the questions I have he'll have. Serrena, you have the bridge... and one more thing... make sure we place T'Reni as acting CEO in the duty logs."
Serrena nodded. "Aye sir."
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Stardate: 60301.0815
Setting: Dreamscape
David rolled over and looked into the sky. It was blood red and the clouds were rolling fast. He slowly sat up and his body was racked with pain. He tried to get a bearing as to where he was, but there wasn't anything he reconized. He got to his feet and he looked around. He was near the ocean... a ocean?... rocks... jagged rocks and he for one was glad that he didn't land on any... he remembered falling... being pushed? ...kicked? ...thrown? ...his mind was too clouded to have a coherent thought. He struggled to climb the cliff and once he made it to the top, he saw...
...him.
**Well, well, well... I have failed again to give you credit David. The more I try to get rid of you the more persistantly you choose to remain. But no bother, you won't *ever* escape here.**
"Where..." the CEO started to say as the pain shot through his head. He clutched both sides of his head and dropped to his knees and rolled onto his back. The dark towering figure knelt beside him.
**Don't fight me David... you've already lost.** he said with a grin and a evil laugh.
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Stardate: 60301.0815
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section C-2, Level 1, Infirmary
A nurse entered the recovery room of Lieutenant David Dawson. She checked his vitals and they all looked good. She stood over the CEOs body and his lips were moving.
"Must be hell fighting back from what you've been through Lieutenant" she said as she exited.
David's eyes shot open. They moved left. They moved right. And he smiled.
"A few more days and I'll be up and running. I'll be free and there's nothing David can do about it" he said as he closed his eyes and returned to sleep.
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Julian Knight {d_dawson_1@yahoo.com}
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer...that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #074
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
