Ley Lines (pt. 2)

By: Gargress

***

The security officers dressed in their traditional dark yellow and black stood motionless behind their senior officer, while Commander Chakotay slowly stepped closer to the crumpled figure on the holo-platform and kneeled beside it. Making sure her pulse was steady, he immediately tapped on his com badge.

"Chakotay to Sick Bay, two to transport."

In seconds both figures were gone, leaving the remaining two officers to their own thoughts.

***

She heard people talking but their voices were just meaningless sound. Wincing as her mind converted sounds into booming words, Noreen let out a shuddering sigh as her aching head seemed to throb. She felt something be released into her system from the side of her neck, and she would’ve called it an injection except it didn’t hurt. When her eyes slowly opened she was ready to panic, but the sight of a familiar face calmed her.

"Easy now," his voice was soothing to here, ridding Norie of most of her fear. The other man in a green version of Chakotay’s uniform peered at her curiously, raising some kind of small flashing device at her. Not knowing what to expect she sat up with a start, scooting back from the man in green and black but a strong hand encompassing her upper arm stopped her from fleeing. "Don’t worry, he won’t hurt you."

"I should hope not," said the man in green and black indignantly, slowly getting closer with that small device again but he paused when his patient began to edge away again. "I think you are aware that I can’t scan for any anomalies in your physiology if you don’t sit still," he said in an irritated yet haughty tone. He was so cultured sounding that it almost made Norie laugh.

She smiled weakly and uttered an apologetic, "Sorry." Noreen remained quiet, albeit a little nervous, while this person evenly passed his handheld scanner device inches away from her person. When he was done he smiled and said in an amused tone, "There now, that didn’t hurt too much I suppose?" That made her break out into a grin.

"Gonna give me a lollipop for being a good little girl?" she teased which made the Doctor pause a moment before she saw his lips quirk in a small smile.

"Well, it seems that our patient is well enough to engage in nonessential banter. I give her a clean bill of health," the doctor person said as he turned and walked away to the far side of the room looking at some handheld computer looking thing.

"So, fancy meeting you here," Chakotay smiled weakly as Noreen turned to face him.

She smiled back, "Yeah, fancy that." The Captain’s second could see that his friend, of sorts, was still shaken up but putting on a strong facade. Chakotay was about to say something else when his com badge was activated.

"Janeway to Chakotay. Any word on the Research Lab incident?" said the Captain’s voice. He smiled at Noreen’s surprised expression as he tapped on his com badge and replied.

"The incident just turned into Voyager’s newest guest Captain," Chakotay quipped, grinning at the sudden pause in communication.

"I’ll be down in Sick Bay in a moment Chakotay. Janeway out." Chakotay looked back at a now curious Noreen McAllen. Already expecting one of the questions circling in her mind, he said, "It’s a com badge. A handy little thing for instant communication between captain and crew."

"So we’re on a ship?" she promptly asked after his brief explanation. He paused, vaguely surprised that she caught on so quickly but mostly surprised at himself for not expecting astuteness from her. The Doctor went on about his duties, trying to look innocent while Chakotay knew he was listening in on every word spoken.

"Yes. Remember you said you thought I was in the Air Force or something?" he brought up casually and saw the light of recognition in her eyes, but before he could continue Captain Kathryn Janeway strode in with Lt. Commander Tuvok, her Chief of Security, not two steps behind her.

"Yeah," Noreen said with a wry twist, giving him an amused look. "Or something." All he could do is smile guiltily as he turned to his Captain and Tuvok.

"Captain," he acknowledged respectfully, which Janeway always appreciated. She smiled at her second-in-command, and her eyebrows raised when she regarded the dark-haired young woman on bio bed one with open curiosity.

"And who might this be Commander?" she said in an amused tone, eyes going back to Chakotay in front of her.

"Ms. Noreen McAllen, sir," he answered without hesitation, stepping aside as Janeway calmly approached this curious intruder on her starship.

"Well," began Janeway, extending a hand. "Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Starship Voyager. A pleasure to meet you Ms. McAllen." Noreen met the handshake with a firm grip, eyes never wavering from the Captain’s face. Honesty’s in her blood, Janeway decided as she lowered her hand to her side.

"Likewise Captain," she said, voice non-wavering. "I think you’re probably wondering what I’m wondering," McAllen said flippantly. The Captain smiled wryly.

"And what would that be?"

"How the hell did I get here?" came the blunt answer taking Janeway by surprise, so much so that she laughed shortly. Turning her head briefly to her second she commented, "I like her." Back to McAllen, "Frankly, I was wondering the same thing. Maybe the Doctor can shed a little light on a few things. Doctor?"

The man Noreen came to know as "that guy in the green and black uniform" stood near her, measuring some kind of liquid into a clear tube that showed the substance to be a light pinkish color. "Well she has the physiology of a human and certainly looks the part, so I’m betting that’s all she is." Noreen gave him an irritated look at the degrading tone in which he said that. He ignored and dutifully continued. "Although I did find some anomalies in her brain patterns and brain activity where there shouldn’t be any, primarily in her right frontal lobe. I’ll be prepping her for a cerebro-cortical scan that’ll supply a more detailed analysis of her condition--"

"Hey wait. You said I was fine a minute ago, what’s with the sudden condition here?" Noreen confronted the Doctor, demanding nothing less than an explanation. The Doctor merely spared her an irritated look that one would give a child as he continued his explanation.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, it isn’t anything remotely serious but I am suspecting a few abnormalities, should I say."

"What kind of abnormalities Doctor?" Janeway inquired, her question echoed by Ms. McAllen.

"Yeah, what kind of abnormalities Doc?" she said, crossing her arms while awaiting an answer.

The Doctor raised an eyebrow at her, but returned his gaze to the Captain. "She has latent telepathic abilities, much like Kes in her final stages of degradation," the hologram said gravely, not missing the look of vague curiosity and surprise on Tuvok’s Vulcan features. Chakotay sported a more open expression of surprise as his gaze went back to Ms. McAllen.

Janeway hid her surprise behind an expression of patience wearing thin. "Then where did she come from and why?" Seeing that the Doctor was at a lack for words the Captain turned to her second. "Wasn’t she found in the Holographic Research Lab Chakotay?"

"Aye sir," he answered quickly.

"And you mentioned you had left a program running when that anomaly started destabilizing..." Janeway pressed. By now Chakotay didn’t know what to say, but merely looked back at an aptly listening Noreen sitting on bio bed 1.

"Holographic Research Lab?" were the first words out of Noreen’s mouth, a deep frown of worry forming on her face. She turned from captain to Chakotay, asking a question of which she feared the answer to. "What are you saying?"

The Doctor stood near bio bed 1, observing the situation while trying to keep his curiosity from his face. "That through some side affect of the anomaly we encountered, somehow you were made flesh and bone from photons and force fields." The Doctor found it hard to hide his fascination. His patient was... a hologram?

Chakotay didn’t know how to gauge Noreen’s reaction. He braced himself for an angry eruption, but was somewhat surprised. "What?" she gasped in a voice filled with skepticism.

"I know it might be hard for you to underst--"

"--hard? Just hard? Look Captain, I am a real person. I have always been a real person. I think I’d know if I wasn’t."

"As a hologram Chakotay probably programmed you with a personality all your own, even along with what you’re wearing. Of course you’d believe you were always human, but the truth is, you weren’t," the Captain finished with a finality that no crewmember dared to question. Of course Noreen McAllen had to insist.

"A hologram?" she said flatly, apparently not believing a word of this. Who would believe strange people telling them that they were a hologram? "Before we even breech that bit of fantasy, let’s attend to a much more important question. Are you people insane?"

"I am asking you to please calm yourself or I will ask the Doctor to sedate you Ms. McAllen," the Captain said, in an "I mean business" tone that could intimidate anyone, but it apparently it had no affect on Noreen.

"Calm?! YOU-TELL-ME-I’M-NOT-REAL-AND-HAVE-THE-GULL-TO-ASK-ME-TO-STAY-CALM?! This is some serious trash from the Twilight Zone lady--!!" Noreen collapsed backwards, the Doctor catching her before she hit the bio bed. The hypo he’d given her had the desired affect. As he carefully laid her down on the bio bed the Captain sighed deeply.

"Keep her quarantined to Sick Bay Doctor, and keep a close eye on her too. I’ll have two security officers posted outside as a precaution."

"Aye sir."

To Chakotay, "And I would like to see you in my Ready Room Commander." With that the Voyager’s Captain strode out of Sick Bay, Tuvok hesitating just to glance in Ms. McAllen’s direction just before leaving himself.

Voyager’s First officer turned to bio bed 1 and gazed down at the young woman lying there. "I’ve been having dreams about her Doctor. Ever since Fair Haven made its ‘closing act’ on Voyager. At first I thought they were nothing worth a second thought, but when they kept reoccurring I needed to try something."

"So you took it upon yourself to create a holographic copy of her in the Research Lab?" the Doctor said in a monotone sort of voice, expression unreadable.

At the underlying harsh note in the Doctor’s voice Chakotay met the hologram’s steady gaze. "I thought that if I did I could better understand why the dreams were happening so vividly. Later on I thought to recreate one of my dreams on a holo-deck--"

"--Commander, this person, this... Noreen McAllen is her own. I firmly believe that she wasn’t just another hologram. If you would come to accept that yourself maybe you’re chat with the Captain will go a lot smoother." The hologram merely walked off towards his office leaving Chakotay to mull over that little food for thought. The Commander sighed and reported to the Ready Room, bracing himself for a good interrogation.

***

"Chakotay, I’ve asked B’ellanna to be here for her input on this situation." B’ellanna nodded towards Chakotay, her expression neutral. She was becoming good at that lately, especially with Tuvok’s assistance.

The Captain had a PADD in her hand; no doubt she was reading over the log for the Lab. "You know the first thing I had done was have someone hand me a copy of all your activities in Research Lab. Your security clearance does tend to catch one’s eye. Now, down to the point." She put the PADD down on her desk. "What exactly has been happening in the Research Lab Commander?"

Glancing at B’ellanna, Chakotay spoke. "I… was attempting to make heads or tails out of a reoccurring dream or a reoccurring character should I say."

"Noreen McAllen," the Captain said shortly.

"In a nutshell," Chakotay said with a weak smile.

Janeway raised an eyebrow as she turned to her Head Engineer. "Insight Lt.?"

"It seems like hologram malfunctions are becoming an everyday activity these days," the half Klingon woman said sardonically, briefly glancing in Chakotay’s direction before directing her attention back to the Captain. "I’m pretty sure it’s nothing but an easily fixed powergrid malfunction Captain. Other than that my guess is as good as yours."

"Do you think it has anything to do with Tom’s open door policy gone awry?"

"As much as I’d like to say so, no Captain. That’s totally unrelated to this. Though I can stake my replicator rations that the anomaly we encountered recently has something to do with all this."

"Thank you B’ellanna, that’ll be all." Dismissed, Lt. Commander B’ellanna Torres nodded to both her commanding officers before leaving the room. Janeway once again turned her sights on her second-in-command.

"Anything else you’d like to add to this Commander?"

"Off the record," he paused, waiting for the Captain to nod in agreement before continuing. "I’d like to mention that this young woman, Noreen McAllen, is her own person." Chakotay smiled to himself, imagining the Doctor’s face if he ever heard Commander Chakotay quoting his advice. "She isn’t just someone programmed with subroutines made to act a certain way, as much as I’d like to say she is because that’d be a much easier answer to this mystery than whatever’s really happened."

"Off the record I have to say I completely agree. Ever since Fair Haven’s holo-characters had an inkling of who we really were, things haven’t been quite the same since. With the Doctor as well as… others who have gained a more human perspective of things, I’m inclined to believe that our Ms. McAllen is no different," she finished softly, a hint of a fond smile upon her face.

"Thank you Captain," Chakotay intoned before adding one final thought. "I would like request permission for Ms. McAllen to leave Sick Bay, with the Doctor’s consent of course."

Janeway nodded once in agreement, "Of course. That’ll be all Commander."

Chakotay smiled and quit the room leaving Katherine to her own thoughts. Maybe I’ll stop by Sullivan’s for a good game of Rings later on, she thought with a reminiscent smile unconsciously spreading on her face.

***

Waking with a major case of disorientation it took the Doctor’s best reflexes to catch Noreen before she tumbled off the bio bed. Startled, she panicked for a second.

"It’s all right Ms. McAllen. You’re all right. Everything’s fine," he spoke, his slightly accented voice having the desired affect of calming her down. She blinked away any residual affects of the tranquilizers he injected into her system earlier, and immediately sat up on the bio bed with a hand to her spinning head.

"Okay, so I take it this wasn’t just a bad dream I could wake up from huh?" she muttered, looking up at the Doctor whose tone and expression remained nonchalant.

"No, I’m afraid not," answered the Doc, his expression now changing from nonchalant to detached amusement.

"So I really mouthed off at a Captain?" The Doctor nodded in the affirmative, smile barely contained now.

"And you were enjoying the whole thing with a bucket of butter popcorn weren’t you?"

"I do admit it was… interesting to see how someone would adapt to an Intrepid Class Starship with no warning beforehand."

"Well I’m glad you enjoyed the show—um, Mr….?"

"Oh, I haven’t really decided on a name yet," he said as if something like not having decided on a name yet wasn’t a big deal. Noreen judged that by his age his mommy would’ve at least narrowed the list down to Bob or Fred.

"So you went through medical school with people getting your attention by saying ‘hey you’?" she said wryly, eyebrow raised as she awaited an answer. He gave her a look that smothered her amusement with embarrassment, as if she were a child that didn’t know any better.

"I didn’t go through medical school," he said promptly, earning a skeptical look from Noreen. He was going to savor this part. "I am a hologram, so you see all the medical information from the best minds known to the Federation was just integrated into my program." Expecting a look of shock or a gasp of dismay he waited with his smug little grin only to be disappointed.

"Then I think you’re even more deranged than that Captain Janeway thinks I am," she snorted with a smirk, crossing her arms in a way that reeked of skepticism.

Just when he was about to rub the facts into her skeptical little way of thinking Commander Chakotay walked in and smiled at Noreen. "So, the patient is awake. Anything we should worry about Doctor?" he asked the EMH.

"Nothing you should watch out for except for verbal whiplash from her ‘witty’ remarks," the Doc deadpanned, glancing Noreen’s way before walking off to tend to some experiments at the far side of the room.

"Charmed him over to your side huh?" Chakotay grinned, finding it hard not to. The Doctor seemed as charmed of Noreen as he was of Tom.

"Yeah, just like I did with the Captain." Chakotay winced in sympathy. Noreen’s first impression on the Captain wasn’t exactly the best in the galaxy. "That bad?"

"No, not really. Let’s just be thankful she’s a very understanding person," Chakotay commented, expression pleasant. "So much so that she’s given you leave from quarantine, with the Doctor’s permission of course."

Noreen rolled her eyes, then called over to the Doc. "But he’d be simply heartbroken. Isn’t that right Doctor?" she asked loud enough for him to hear. He walked over to the computer console near bio bed one, and looked up briefly to convey his input on the subject with just his expression before returning back to work. "You see? He’s so very fond of me he can’t bare to lose one of his most agreeable patients."

The EMH snorted, not looking up from the console. Noreen merely grinned as Chakotay smiled at the Doctor. "Well I suppose I could leave you here but you’d miss out on a tour of the ship."

"Ah well, as much fun as tormenting the Doctor here is I’m afraid I must take my own brand of fun elsewhere," she said melodramatically, grinning all the while. She hopped off the bio bed, Chakotay there to steady her when the Doctor spoke.

"Have fun you two, and please feel free to visit the ship’s warp core up close and personal. I heard it does wonders for the skin," the EMH said pleasantly, walking off into his office.

"Is he always this fun-loving?" Noreen gestured towards the Doctor in his office.

"More than you know," the Commander replied, beginning to walk towards Sick Bay’s door and giving a ‘you go first’ motion. Noreen smiled as she walked forward, pausing briefly when the doors slid open on their own.

"This is going to be one interesting tour," she muttered, walking out of Sick Bay with a smiling Chakotay steps behind her.

***

It was like something out of some sci-fi future flick, only all the technology wasn’t just special effects. Noreen walked alongside Chakotay as they made their way through the many corridors of this ‘starship.’ He explained the history of the Federation and about the prime directive. Her friend also explained the importance of the Federation itself, and even how many races the human race had come to live with peacefully.

"...Oh, and humans from earth are called terrains not earthlings," he commented with a small smile.

"Gee, fun facts everywhere I turn," Noreen said half-heartedly, her smile somewhat hollow. Chakotay noticed her change in demeanor and also sobered, suspecting something was amiss. She noticed he stopped talking and looked up to see what was wrong. His attention was aptly on her, as if he was trying to read her thoughts. "What’s wrong?" she asked, stopping in the middle of the deserted corridor.

"I was going to ask you the same question," he replied. Chakotay knew that Noreen’s miraculously smooth adaptation to the future and Voyager was too good to be true. "I know there’s something wrong, but I don’t know what it is. I can’t read minds so you’re going to have to trust me enough to tell me," he said calmly in an even tone.

"I do trust you. You’re my friend," she immediately replied, no hesitation in her voice and her eyes are sincere. But then those eyes averted from his and stared at the floor before she looked up at him again. "Chakotay, this whole future thing is not something that happens everyday. I feel--I--dunno what I feel," she looked away again, crossing her arms as she began to shut out any voice but her own.

"Confused..." Chakotay offered suddenly, surprised at himself for even thinking he would know what she was feeling. Noreen suddenly looked up, questions in her eyes. "A sense of loss..." he continued haltingly, somehow feeling what he was describing himself.

Then there was silence as Noreen stared disbelievingly at her friend, wondering how the heck he could even begin to describe exactly what she was experiencing. It was almost as if... no. Aunt Edilea was just a nice old woman with even older superstitions. Maybe Chakotay had gone through some type of major adjustment sometime his life. What was she feeling now?

Confusion... disbelief ... and overwhelming curiosity...? Why were these feelings so strong? Were they even hers? Of course they were... weren’t they? Noreen set out a shuddering sigh as she spoke. "Well one thing’s for sure, I doubt life on Voyager is very boring," she smiled weakly.

"Of course, at the very least," he agreed with a falter. He’d ask Tuvok for a favor later on because something with Ms. McAllen didn’t seem quite right. "Are you hungry?"

They began walking again as if that little interlude had never happened. "Starved. Any ideas Commander?" she grinned.

"As a matter of fact let’s stop by Neelix’s for some Talaxian stew."

"Talaxian stew?"

***

They entered what looked to be some kind of futuristic cafeteria. It was certainly different but somehow reminded Noreen of a pub in Glenndale. Different people just sitting down for a nice chat over something to eat or drink, it was a sappy thought but it warmed her just the same.

A strange looking man with hair resembling a mohawk walked on over. Noreen couldn’t help but grin. He had a kind face, however strange it might’ve looked. "Hi," she said quietly. The man smiled warmly, extending a hand in greeting and she offered hers in return.

"A pleasure to finally meet the subject of almost every conversation on Voyager," he said, enthusiastically shaking her hand.

"Very tactful Neelix," Chakotay said conversationally, beginning to introduce the ship’s cook to the ship’s newest guest.

"Well Ms. McAllen is very popular, that’s all." To Noreen, "Are you really a hologram like The Doctor?"

Noreen looked uncomfortable at the question so Chakotay cleared his throat. "I thought our guest could try some of your stew Neelix."

"Of course, but--erm, I took the liberty to make something from Old Earth. A 20th century delicacy I think. You may know it as… pizza?" Neelix said hesitantly, watching for Noreen’s reaction. She smiled brilliantly.

"Pizza? Really?" she asked, her mouth watering at the thought.

"Yup. Cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, green bell peppers, hamburger meat, ham, bacon, pineapple, chicken, halapeños, onions--"

"No anchovies right?"

"Oh, no. I draw the line at using salty little fish as edible garnish," he said making a face that made Noreen laugh.

"Perfect! Neelix, you’re a doll." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then went off to sit down at a table with Chakotay. The Commander smiled briefly at Neelix in thanks as he walked off to join Noreen at a table next one of the windows, which offered a great view of the stars.

Neelix watched Chakotay sit across from Noreen McAllen with a small knowing smile. He watched Noreen begin an animated conversation with the Commander, Chakotay himself smiling more than Neelix had seen the Commander smile in a long time. Ms. McAllen was a pleasant change to Voyager’s crew, all things considered.

The Talaxian walked off into the galley. At that moment Tom Paris and Harry Kim walked in, Ensign Kim having a rather preoccupied expression of worry on his face.

"What should I tell her Tom? ‘Gee Maggie I’m going on an away mission for about a week. I’ll see you after reporting to Astrometrics to tell Seven what I found?’"

Tom grinned his carefree grin and clapped his best friend on the back. "You’ll think of something buddy. Don’t worry about Maggie. She’s been turned into a cow with no side-effects, I’m sure she can live without you for a few--" Tom trailed off, gaze seeming to lock on something else. Harry looked to his friend, ready to ask what was the matter, but then followed Tom’s gaze and found what his friend was looking at. Or more like what he’s burning a hole into, Harry thought irritably when what, or rather who, Tom was staring at wasn’t at all familiar.

The woman couldn’t have been older than himself, if not younger. With her dark, almost black, red hair tied back in a neat ponytail and dressed in Old Earth clothing she looked like something off the holo-decks.

***

Chakotay chuckled at Noreen’s fresh perspective on the ship. Despite the odd looks she received when she tried looking over B’ellanna’s shoulder in Engineering and the curious expressions on passing ensigns when she asked what a Yellow Alert was in the corridor, everything was going quite well.

The Commander began to talk about the fundamentals of not getting on B’ellanna’s bad side when a curious Tom and reluctant Harry walked up. Chakotay stood as did Noreen while the Commander did the introductions. "Noreen McAllen this is Lt. Commander Tom Paris and Ensign Harry Kim. Tom and Harry, meet Ms. Noreen McAllen."

The shaking of hands over a done with everyone sat down at the now full table, Tom with an expression on his face showing he was intent on asking questions. "So, I haven’t seen you on the ship before or duty roster so you’re not apart of the crew. Either you’re a mysterious crewman with a liking for Old Earth, or a visitor from the Alfa Quadrant a few centuries back," Tom grinned but Chakotay diverted his cold glare from the Lt. to turn a watchful eye to Noreen.

The person in question smiled uncomfortably, averting her gaze to the table without answering. An uncomfortable and awkward silence followed. "Um, I think the answer you’re looking for is more towards the latter Mr. Paris," Noreen met Tom’s curious gaze with uncertainty. Harry looked over to Chakotay for answers but the Commander offered none.

"All right, the on-tray you’ve all been waiting for!" Neelix set the large round tray he held up with on hand in the middle of the table with a flourish, his exaggerated version of a chef’s hat and apron adding a comical twist. But no one was laughing.

Suddenly claxons sounded and red lights flashed making Noreen jump while biting back a startled shriek. While she concentrated on breathing calmly the Captain’s voice sounded over the com.

"Everyone to their posts. Harry Kim, Tom Paris and Commander Chakotay report to the Bridge. Captain out."

As everyone filed out of the Mess Hall, and Chakotay along with Tom and Harry began to stand. Noreen stood up and hurried out of the Hall through the entrance opposite to where she came in.

Lamenting he couldn’t follow Chakotay turned to Neelix. "Go after her and make sure she’s all right and stays out of trouble," he confided before hurrying off after Tom and Harry.

The Talaxian sadly looked down at the steaming pizza pie on the table, reaching up with both hands to remove the tall chef’s hat from atop his head. Poor girl, so lost and so far from her home too.

***

Noreen excuse herself for the billionth time after bumping into the billionth crewman while hurrying down one of the many corridors she hadn’t seen on her tour. The Red Alert, as Chakotay had explained to her, meant something was way wrong on the final frontier. Tears began running down her cheeks as she quickened her pace down corridors beyond corridors. She was running from something that she knew she couldn’t outrun… her own fears.

~~~

~~~

Neelix, devoid of hat or apron, hurriedly walked out the entrance to the Mess Hall that Ms. Noreen had chosen as her escape route. He couldn’t help but be worried for the poor girl. If he suddenly found himself on such a strange ship and surrounded by strangers when he was younger he would’ve been terrified. The Talaxian tried to hurry along before Ms. Noreen might have a nervous breakdown in the middle of trouble’s way.

***

Noreen slowed her pace, wiping her tears from her cheeks with both hands. She swallowed them along with her fears and stopped in the middle of a corridor intersection to see where she was. Something about this place looked as if she’d seen it before. Hopeful she might’ve found somewhere vaguely familiar, Noreen walked down the corridor to her right and felt better about her choice every step she took.

The newest addition to Voyager’s populous cracked a smile, feeling her tears resurfacing but she took hold and pushed them down. She neared Sick Bay and entered only to be disappointed at not seeing anyone was in. There was no one to talk to, not anyone capable of an objective point of view in the whole Sick Bay.

"Doctor? Doctor where are you?" she called, emotions rising again. Becoming frantic for reasons she couldn’t begin to explain, Noreen continued calling while nearing bio bed one. "Doctor!" Noreen stopped her aimless walking in the alcove of bio bed one and leaned back on the wall. She slid down to the floor as she cursed herself for crying like a baby. Man, everything was going wrong these days.

~~~

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