"The Source"
(Previous post: Serena's 'Welcoming Hand')
=========================
Stardate: 60301.1700
Setting: NEW ALEXANDRIA, Section C-2, Level 1, Infirmary
After looking over the captain of the ANUBIS, Lea smiled and closed the tricorder.
"There you are sir. Good as new."
James rolled his head and shook it slightly. "Still feels stiff. But thank you again Lea."
"Well... those *are* some big hands sir... and with David's strength..."
"Let's just hope that we won't have that episode again" James said as a security officer and a marine entered the infirmary.
"Captain, Ensign Tom Brady and 2nd Lieutenant Mark Jenkins reporting for duty sir."
James nodded, "Ensign, Lieutenant. We don't want to crowd the good doctor here so let's keep out of sight. If any one asks as to why you're here, refer them to me. Understood?"
Both men nodded their understanding as James went to his first and second officer.
"Thoughts ladies?"
"On?" Serrena replied.
"This situation?"
Sabrina sighed. "Well... we know David's history of... injury to himself..."
"Sure its not that the CEO has become accident prone?" Serrena said dryly as that brought a smile to Sabrina's face.
"With those ears of yours I hope David's hearing isn't that good, but no. Another heart attack is still hard to accept."
James stroked his chin, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Didn't Beth say that there was a possibility that David might sustain one if he over worked himself?"
"If it was consistent" the ExO countered, "but from what I've seen he hasn't been that busy."
"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but he has been Commander" Serrena replied, "he's picked up extra shifts when we returned to NEW ALEXANDRIA..."
"Only because I asked him to" James added, "with the damage we sustained from that last battle..."
Sabrina grinned, "Trying to force David to like the ANUBIS Captain?"
James grinned slightly, "It would be nice to hear my chief engineer say something positive about the ship he repairs."
"I hate to say it... but you have that twinkle in your eye Commander." Serrena said.
"Twinkle?" Sabrina asked, "what twinkle?"
"Same one you had when David had his replacement surgery..."
"Because it was my fault" Sabrina said.
"And when he dented the door to the holodeck, and all the ruckus he cause when we arrive here."
Sabrina smirked and James nodded.
"History has a way of repeating itself number one."
"But that history is dead" and Sabrina swallowed hard because she didn't like the sound of that. She really cherished her friendship with David and it seemed that they were making headway into her new life since she recovered her memories. But it would pain her if she lost him. Not only for his skill of fixing whatever she needed fixed, but for who he was and what he meant to her life.
"Excuse me" Sabrina said and quickly left the infirmary.
On the other side of the ward, Susan sat at a terminal getting herself familiar with what could be her first patient, Lieutenant David Dawson. As she read his bio she was impressed.
"Moved throught the Academy like a rocket... got a good posting, a well respect and known engineer throughout the fleet... but hardly nothing on his physchological background."
"Its going to take some time" Maya said from the station next to her, "we've requested information from Starfleet medical, but seeing where we are..."
"I understand" Ensign Mei replied as David's eyes opened and Lea nearly dropped the tricorder.
"David... can you hear me?" she said as Maya rushed to the other side of the bed scanning David's head."
"I... will... be... if Maya gets that damed thing away from me" the CEO said and tried to move, "where am I?"
James and Serrena slowly approached as did the security officers. Serrena looked at them and shook her head and they re took their positions.
"What was the last thing you remember David?" Lea asked.
David's eyes moved back and forth in his head, then back to Lea. But she noticed something. Those honey golden hazel eyes of his... were darker.
**Was I just lost in the moment or has his eyes always been like this?** she asked herself as David frowned.
"Was it... Paris?" the CEO said, "and can I please sit up?!"
"Easy David" Lea said, "what's the next thing you remember?"
David's head thumped the pillow. "I don't know. Now, tell me why I'm here."
"Do you know where you are?" Susan asked.
David looked at the yong Ensign. "Who the hell are you?"
"Ensign Susan Mei, the ANUBIS' new co..."
"She's my new assistant" Lea said looking to James and Serrena and Susan looked at her quizzedly.
"So... when did they issue assistants to assistants?" David asked.
"When I have a patient as big as you are" she said taking his hand into hers, "now... answer my question."
"Well... it isn't the ANIBIS" David said.
"How do you know?" Lea asked next.
"What the hell is this? 20 questions?! And why and I pinned to this bed?!"
"David... calm down" Lea said as the bio meter above his biobed started bleeping faster than it was. Maya continued scanning David's head as James slowly made his way to her side.
"Captain, can you tell me what the hell's going on?"
"That's why we're here David. You had..." and Lea decided it was best to tell him...but not everything.
"You had a heart attack David."
David rolled his eyes and smirked at her, "A 28 year old man in the prime of his life?! Lea... you're a horrible liar."
"What she speaks is the truth David" Maya said, "your BORG implant shut down and closed off the lower ventricles of your heart..."
David's eyes widened, "How is that possible? I give myself timely diagnostics... I have my regular check ups..." and the chart bleep faster as Lea applied a hypo to his neck.
"Damn you Lea... I know... what... you'r..." as the CEOs head lulled from side to side as he tried to fight off sleep, but lost.
"What do you have?" James asked.
"Same thing Captain" the CSciO replied, "two different brain wave patterns..but one is getting stronger while the other is getting weaker."
"We *seriously* need his file from Starfleet medical Captain" Lea and Susan said in unison.
"Ensign" James said looking at the aCMO, "why did you tell David that Susan was your assistant?"
"You heard Commander Rikar... David doesn't trust counselors." and she looked at Susan, "I hope I didn't mess things up for you down the road if you do start counseling him."
"Sometimes miscommunication is the best communication. if I can gain his trust then I'll work the counseling angle on him later."
"Sounds solid" James said, "I just don't want him flying off the handle when he finds out." ahd he turned his attention to the ANUBIS' science chief who was bard at work back at the medical station.
"Best guess Maya. What are we seeing?"
Maya shrugged, "Could be he's coming back into his own, could be a lot of things Captain. But as Lea and Susan have said, we *need* his file. We won't know what we're up against until we have a better understanding of the who, what, where, when, and whys to David's behavior."
"Captain" Susan said from David's biobed, "he wants you" she said pointing to David's prone body.
James looked at Lea, "Didn't you..."
"I did" she said as they al went to the bed. David was glaring at Susan, then to James...then he smiled.
"Jimmy boy... good to see you again."
James arced a brow. "Good to see you too David. But where..."
"Don't reconize me do ya Jimmy boy? Don't worry... we'll get re accquainted *real* soon" he said and closed his eyes.
"OK... what the hell was that?" James demanded as Maya gasped from the med station.
"Captain... we have a problem" she said
James went back to the station, "And that is..." and he lollowed Maya's line of sight to the monitor. The two different brainwaves they were looking at earlier, were now similar.
"OK... they're the same. What's the problem?"
Maya keyed a few buttons and another pattern appeared.
"David's brainwave pattern before his surgery, and after" and she keyed another button, "and now."
James shook his head. "I'm a starship captain, not a medical officer Lieutenant" he said as Lea came over, quickly scanned and gasped.
"Long story short Captain... whatever or *whomever* this pattern belongs to his over there on that biobed" she said pointing to David, then to the first pattern, "*this* is the David we know"
James eyes narrowed, then went to David, then back.
"So, you're saying that whoever that was....was not David?"
Both Lea and Maya nodded. "It is David sir, but what he is now..." Maya's voice trailed off.
"Is what we have to find out... and *fast*" Lea added.
=======================================================
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 #082
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
