"Ghosts In The Shadows"
[Previous post: 'Operational Awakening', written by the never tiring Serena Switt]
=-=
Stardate: 60318.0450
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Lea Summers, Assistant CMO of the USS ANUBIS had returned to her place
of work. For all intents and purposes she was the one responsible for
the ship's Sickbay, but that had not been the reason. Lea's inability
to sleep had kept her up all night, and looking at the same quarters
for hours had eventually driven her out. So Lea had traded her shadow
filled rooms for the emptiness of the ship's Sickbay which had lost its
only patient.
When Maya had been under her care, Lea had been unable to stop thinking
of the Shillian. The woman's unique metabolism had nearly undone the
cosmetic surgery that the Assistant CMO had done for the upcoming
mission. That regenerative ability combined with the unknown variables that
accompanied Maya's physiology had made for a very interesting time.
Now that it had been solved, no thanks to anything that she had done, Lea
actually missed having Maya in the room. Sickbay felt so empty, which
by it self was a sort of mix blessings. What it did mean for Lea though
was that there had been nothing to occupy her thoughts. Well almost
nothing.
"Why do I seem to always be a few steps behind?" Lea asked of herself,
sitting down on one of the beds. "When I was with David and all I
could think about was Maya. Now all I can think of is the way David left
while we were having lunch. Now he's locked away in his quarters and
refuses to answer my calls. Not that I blame him, I could have been
better company."
Unaware of the news that David had received, Lea continued to blame
herself for the way the CEO had been behaving as of late. As far as the
Assistant CMO had been concerned, she had been the only possible cause
for his reaction.
Lea began to feel as if the shadows present in the room were watching
her. Her misplaced guilt amplifying the sensation to the point where it
seemed as if the darkness was passing judgement on her actions. With
the thought that being here was not going to make her feel any better,
Lea left Sickbay. Had it not been so early in the morning, the
Assistant CMO might have tried once again to speak to David.
=-=
Lea had come to a full stop right outside Sickbay, debating where she
would go next. Her quarters were out of the question for the time
being, and Sickbay had not worked out as planned. Even with access to the
facilities of an entire base the Assistant CMO could not pick a single
place. The idea of going to one of the holodecks formed in Lea's mind,
but it carried with it the same problem. What program would she run?
"Maybe I'm overanalysing this," Lea said, leaning back against the
wall. "David might just be too busy with his preparations for the mission.
It is not like I have seen all that much of the other members of the
senior staff. Everyone is up to their eyeballs in reading, studying and
rehearsing." Lea smiled as she remembered her and her parents running
into a travelling theatrical group when she was much younger. All that
they seemed interested in was to practice their act because they all
wanted to be perfect in what they did. That feeling seemed to fit David,
and made the Assistant CMO think that maybe this had been the real
cause of the CEO's closing himself off from others.
Just as Lea was ready to leave, she noticed Serenna leaving Susan's
office. Seeing the COO exiting from the officer of the Cns had been
strange enough, but that it had happened at such an early hour had made it
truly weird. Curious, Lea waited for the hybrid to leave before she
moved in on the closed door and rang the chime.
=/\= Enter, =/\= Lea heard Susan's voice reply. Given the hour, the
Assistant CMO had not actually expected the Cns to be in her office.
There could have been a reason why Serenna had needed to go into the
vacant office, but now it seemed that the COO had been in a session with
Susan.
=-=
"What are you doing up at this hour?" Lea asked as soon as she stepped
into Susan's office. Three days ago Lea would have jumped back upon
seeing a Bajoran sitting where Susan was. Today though, the sight had
almost become a normal one.
"I could ask you the same question," Susan replied with, giving the
Assistant CMO a somewhat annoyed look.
"I couldn't sleep. Too many things running in my head," Lea said,
plumping down on the couch without having been invited.
**Seems to be the theme for the day,** Susan thought never having
expected that her job as a ship's Cns would have her be so busy at such an
ungodly hour of the day. "What's on your mind?"
"I'm not here for a session," Lea said in a half defensive, half
humorous tone, "You have enough dealing with David and Serenna."
"I always have room for one more," Susan grinned, neither confirming or
denying that Serenna had been here to see her.
"I'm just worried about David," the Assistant CMO said after a short
pause. "I haven't seen him in three days."
"I have," Susan said in a way that hinted to Lea that David was in the
middle of some sort of crisis.
"He's made at me isn't he? Because of the way I ignored him when we
had lunch. I was just too preoccupied by Maya's condition. I know I
should have paid more attention to him, but I just couldn't stop thinking
about my patient," Lea said shaking her head.
"Lea, relax," Susan said trying not to laugh. "David is not mad at
you, and being concerned for a patient is a sign of a good CMO. Go back
to your quarters, get some rest and don't worry so much. If you really
need something to keep you occupied, why don't you practice being
Brendil Nanuska. That is pretty much what everyone else is doing." The
suggestion had been meant as a way to get Lea out so that Susan could
return to getting some sleep. To the Cns' glee, the Assistant CMO seemed
to agree with the suggestion.
"All right Niema, I'll see you later," Lea said before standing off the
couch and heading out of the office.
=-=
Ensign Lea Summers 2005 post #145
Stardate: 60318.0515
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Corridor
Stardate: 60318.0520
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Counsellor's Office
Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
