"I am Detecting A Pattern Here"
[Previous post: "Problem", written by our supreme ruler Sabrina Jones]
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Setting: SURIAL III, Underground Compound, Somewhere
Stardate: 60325.1420
Why? Even while unconscious Lea wondered why this had happened to her. *AGAIN!*
Since her joining the world of Intel, Lea had been captured more times than she cared to say. Granted the CMO had been rescued each and every time, but sooner or later her luck would run out. Maybe a change of profession would be in order. If she survived this latest trip into who-knows where by who-knows who for who-knows what dark purpose.
Lea's mind instinctively tried to bring up memories that would keep her morale up. As 'up' as it could be given that the CMO was unconscious and the prisoner of some unknown madman. No Lea did not know who had abducted her, but she figured that they had to be mad to grab a starfleet officer. Then again Lea had not been all that sane to follow Prav and the rest of the marines into the prison. What had she been thinking? She was a starship Doctor, not a field medic.
Images of a more peaceful setting and even of a brave knightly rescue flashed in Lea's mind. The problem was that they did not last. It had taken no time before those pleasant images had been replaced by others. Lea remembers how she had been tied to a chair back on the TANGIERS ORBITAL and rendered completely powerless. How had a simple Intel gathering mission turned out as it had? At least here, in the midst of a prison breakout it made sense for something like this to happen.
The next images that came to Lea's mind were not memories although they could very well become that. Lea imagined herself speaking to her fellow shipmates once this had passed and she was back on the ANUBIS. Maybe it was her way to hope for another rescue, but the cure seemed worse than the illness at the moment.
Lea could just picture how the rest of the crew would react to her having been captured *again*. That the CMO had required another rescue and another period of rest and readjustment.
Sabrina would be disappointed but as the ship's CO she would probably be openly supportive. The CO would also likely plan to never send Lea on another away mission regardless of how *safe* it might seem to be.
Serenna on the other hand, being the ship's ExO, would come down hard on Lea finding a way to blame the CMO for what had happened. As a starflleet officer Lea needed to be attentive to everything around her. The ExO would rightfully claim that she had not been since she had been captured yet again.
The faces of the rest of the members of the crew flashed through Lea's mind, some appearing supportive, others appearing disappointed. The one face that stuck in the CMO's mind though had been that of her friend Susan. What would she think of this latest repeat performance?
Lea could imagine Susan sitting behind her desk while the CMO laid on the 'couch' recalling the events of the last mission.
"So you were captured and knocked unconscious."
"Yes," Lea could hear herself reply in a weak voice. Although she thought of the "I'm sorry" that should have followed, Lea had not said it.
"How did you know you had been captured?" Lea imagined Susan asking.
The question had been so unexpected that Lea actually took a while to reply. "I didn't know. I mean I didn't know for sure, I just figured that this was what had happened. I lost consciousness and could feel at the back of my mind that I was being carried away."
"Maybe you had just fainted and the feeling of being carried away was Pravat or someone else bringing you to safety."
"You are right," Lea said picturing herself bouncing off the couch. "Why did I think I had been captured?"
"That is why you are here talking with me," Susan said through an evil grin. "Maybe there is something more subconscious about this desire of yours to be a prisoner."
"If you think that I *want* to be a prisoner, then you need more counselling than I do. The last thing I want is to be tied-up and helpless at the mercy of some weirdo."
"No need to get defensive Lea," the imaginary Susan said. "I am just a figment of your imagination, remember? When you wake up you'll find out who is right and who is imagining stuff."
This made Lea think for a moment just as the CMO began to feel her returning to consciousness. As Lea slowly regained her senses she felt that her arms could not move. Maybe she had been knocked out by some nerve agent with paralyzing properties? Yes that had to be the reason why Lea could not move her arms and legs.
When Lea finally managed to open her eyes the reality of the situation settled in like a tone of bricks. The grinning face of her captor looking back at her made it absolutely clear. Lea was a prisoner again, that she liked it or wanted it or not.
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Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Ensign Lea Summers 2005 post #358
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
