"A Friend In Need"
[Previous post: "Why Are Things Never As Easy As They Ought To Be?", written by the quiet Jessica Solarik]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, CMO's Quarters
Lea sat on the floor, her back against the only available corner of her living room. Susan had taken position on the couch next to the troubled CMO. The Cns had wanted to help her friend, but Lea had shutout all of the universe. The best Susan could do for the time being had been to wait.
When the door chime rang out Susan jumped off the couch startled by the unexpected sound. The Cns had asked Uxtar to erase the program Lea had used from the computer but still Susan feared. It had not been a stretch of the imagination to think that Enaii had known about what had taken place. Maybe hoping that she had not had been foolish but Susan still held to her wish. For her friend's sake more than anyone else's.
Susan approached the door expecting to find Uxtar on the other side.
The Cns had reasoned to herself that the Sec/Tac officer had not wanted
to use the comm system to confirm that the deed had been done. There had
been no need to advertise this to anyone. Susan smiled as she thanked
Uxtar's thoughtfulness. That was until the Cns opened the door and found
the ILO standing there instead of the Sec/Tac.
"Commander Enaii?" Susan nervously said as she felt a large lump form
in her throat. "How may I help you?"
"Where is Doctor Summers?" the ILO asked, her voice as cold as space itself.
Susan was made to instantly recall an ancient legend about a
mythological woman able to turn people to stone by simply looking into their
eyes. Strangely enough the look on Enaii's face had made the Cns think of
that particular legend. That Susan had felt her own blood freeze in her
veins had not helped.
"She is indisposed at the moment," Susan replied knowing that lying to
Enaii would have been a waste of time. Had the Cns tried to hide Lea's
actual location, Susan feared that she might call the anger of the ILO
upon herself.
"Give her this," the ILO coldly added as Enaii handed over a PADD to
the almost trembling Cns. The Commander could rattle the strongest of
person by her presence near them, and the ILO knew it. Susan could not
tell if Enaii had known about the holodeck incident by reading her
posture. In all fairness the ILO appeared the exact same regardless if she was
enjoying the epitome of pleasure or was fit to be tied with rage.
"I will," Susan said as she carefully took possession of the PADD, half
expecting it to blow in her hand. Out of simple curiosity and desire to
protect her friend Susan tried to read the PADD. What the Cns found was
that it had been encoded to CMO's DNA pattern. So only Lea could access
the information contained in the small device. When Susan raised her
eyes again she found that Enaii had vanished.
A cold chill crawled down Susan's back as she wondered if this had been
nothing more than a distraction to gain access to the room. As the Cns
turned to look at Lea, her heart stopped when she saw that Lea no
longer had been where the CMO had last been seen.
"LEA?" Susan pleaded as she scrambled back into the room. The Cns'
imagination had gone into overdrive and Susan feared to find a similar
scene as the one she had discovered in the holodeck. The difference this
time though would have been that Enaii would be the attacker and that Lea
would not be a holodeck recreation.
Susan's heart was permitted to restart when the Cns found her friend
hiding on the other side of her bed, clenching her legs to her chest. Lea
had likely sought to protect herself when she had heard the ILO's voice
and had retreated to her bedroom in search of sanctuary.
"It's alright Lea," Susan said as she fell to her knees in front of her
friend. "Enaii is gone," the Cns added not entirely certain of the
accuracy of her words. The ILO was proficient in the ways of Intel, and
Susan knew that Enaii could have been hiding right next to them without
either knowing.
"Susan," Lea said as she looked up and into her friend's eyes. "What did I do? I was angry. I was hurt. I needed to let it out, but why that way?"
The Cns said nothing, instead Susan leaned in closer and embraced her
friend in a comforting hug. The PADD in Susan's hand would have to be
delivered, but not right now. This had been the first time Lea had opened
up and the Cns had no intention of doing anything that might set her
friend back.
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Lt. J.G. Lea Summers 2006 post #225
Stardate: 61016.1445
Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
