Sickbay, a short while later...
Laine Rael turned from where Myah Wolfrom's limp form lay on a biobed, the biomonitors blinking steadily on the wall above her.
She shook her head as she approached Capt Bridges and next to him Kamiana, who looked to be biting her lip her eyes red from weeping--though she wasn't crying right now, she did seem to be struggling to hold tears back.
"How is she?" the Captain asked.
Rael sighed. "Well, she's alive. I'll say that much. There doesn't seem to be damage to the autonomic systems. Breathing, heartbeat, all that--she could go on for years, at least physically. The problem is--" she took a deep breath. "Her voluntary nervous system is totally fried. She can't move or speak...and the readings indicate her...sensory connections--may be damaged too. I mean, her eyes and ears themselves are functioning normally, but the messages aren't getting through to her brain."
Kamiana shook her head as the impact of the doctor's words sank in. "No." she whispered."*No*, not Myah, too." The tears she'd been fighting to hold back since arriving in Sickbay welled up again. "Not her, too--my parents--Michael--Mak--and now--and now Myah everyone I touch gets hurt why does this keep happening oh god please---"
Rael reached for a hypospray to calm Tyrrel, but before she could use it Kamiana had run from the room.
Laine and Bridges exchanged looks.
"Is she going to be all right?" Bridges asked, meaning Tyrrel. "And is there *anything* you can do for Myah?"
Laine shook her head. "Kamiana--I'm not sure, but I think she's still having problems from everything that's happened. I haven't seen her with Mak much lately either. " She tapped her commbadge. "Laine to Paulos--Counsellor, Kamiana Tyrrel just ran out of here, do you think she'd talk to you or should I call Kalina?"
Paulos shook his head, forgetting for a moment that she couldn't see him. "Kalina is off duty. I can be at sickbay in about five minutes. Could you explain the circumstances when I get there.?"
"Of course. Sickbay out." Laine signed off and turned back to Bridges. "As for Myah--I don't know. I'll do everything I can, of course, but this type of damage..." she broke off. "I'd heard there was an experimental technique being developed on Vulcan, but that was before the nanites attacked. I'll have to try and find out if either of the doctors who were working on it survived, or their records can be located."
Bridges nodded. "I'll make sure the request gets top priority."
In the corridor outside Sickbay...
Middy Renee was walking down the corridor towards sickbay and saw her new friend Kamiana come running out of sickbay crying. (every time I see her she's crying,) Renee thought, (what a hell her life must be right now.) She went up to Kamiana and put her arms around her. "Kami, what's wrong, let me help."
Kami could only stare at her for a moment, wild eyed. "No. No! Just stay away from me--stay away before I hurt you, too!" she wailed, tearing herself loose from Renee's hug and racing off down the corridor.
Moments later the door slid open and in walked Midshipman Renee with a worried look on her face from her encounter just now in the hall with Lt. Tyrrel. She saw the person lying on the bed and the two others standing there looking worried and talking among themselves so she quietly said: "Middy Renee reporting for evaluation." Renee moved quietly out of the way and stood there while the others talked amongst themselves as if she were not there. She found herself getting more worried when she saw the door slide open and Paulos entering.
Laine nodded a silent thank you to Bridges, then turned to Paulos, watching as he took in the scene, the worried looks on Bridges' and Rael's faces and beyond them on the biobed, where Lcdr Wolfrom lay, apparently unconscious. A few feet away, another woman, a Midshipman, stood quietly by.
"What has happened?"
"During the alert, there was a malfunction--apparently Lcdr Wolfrom and Lt Tyrrel were in the holodeck, and a short circuit injured Myah." Bridges began. "The malfunction prevented the holodeck from shutting down and apparently kept them from hearing the alert, too." he shook his head.
"The condition Myah's in now, physically it's not life threatening--but she can't move, speak, or perceive us. There's no way without that to be really sure she's still--aware--in there. Unless a telepath linked to her." Laine paused to collect herself, then continued. "Tyrrel...was almost hysterical, she screamed something about Mak and her parents and someone named Michael and ran out of here."
Paulos nodded, "Then I think I might understand...I don't know if it would be such a good idea for another telepath to link with her; they would have to be extremely stable." He paused, "Has anyone asked D.A.R.Y.L where Lt. Tyrrel is at the present? It is very, very important that we find her immediately--I can't stress that enough."
Renee stood quietly by and listened to the exchange between Bridges and Rael's and this one called Paulos. Midshipman Renee could not believe meeting Kamiana twice now when she was in tears, no wonder they were worried about her so much. Renee stayed quiet and thought about her encounter in the hall with Tyrrel as she ran from Sickbay as Renee was coming to report in for her arrival evaluation.
Bridges nodded. "DARYL, location of Lt Tyrrel?"
"Lt Tyrrel is on deck 29, proceeding along corridor six." came the reply.
Bridges and Rael exchanged looks. "That leads directly into the shuttle bay--why would she be heading there?"
Rael shook her head. "I don't know." she looked at Paulos, worriedly. "Counsellor, about linking--I meant with Myah." she nodded in the injured officer's direction.
"Excuse me..." said the midshipman standing nearby. "But is there any way I can help her--she was so upset outside, and last night too..."
Paulos nodded, trying to clear his mind by rubbing at his temples. "There may be something...being willing to help is something good in itself." He looked up at Rael, standing so close. "Sorry Doctor. I haven't been thinking to clearly lately. Too many things to considered...too many peole who need help." He sighed; his spirit a little worn around the edges.
"If you want to help Lt. Tyrrel, please come with me...if Dr. Laine doesn't object? We have to get to her before she can do anything--like take a shuttlecraft."
The Captain nodded, "I was thinking that she might. We'll contact Lt. Marinus in the shuttle bay. I don't want to call Security out on her if we don't have to, it isn't as if she's done anything wrong."
Laine glanced at the Midshipman. "Renee, isn't it--you were supposed to be coming in for your physical...but if you think you can help Kamiana, we can do that when you get back."
"Midshipman, would you join me? We should get down to the shuttle bay as quick as we can." Paulos started for the door,Renee following closely behind him. He stopped suddenly and looked back over his shoulder. "Doctor, perhaps Kalina could be of assistance to LCDR Wolfrom. She would probably be a better choice of the two of us at this time." He waited for the confirming nod before walking out of sickbay with the young officer in tow.
* * *
Meanwhile, belowdecks...
Kamiana ran and ran, she didn't know how far she only knew she had to get away from everyone before anything else happened, anyone else was hurt, because of her...
Over and over again the names the memories played through her mind. The years with her parents came first, the always feeling like she was letting them down. Then there had been Michael and the anguish of the time after his death. She'd thought she'd finally put that behind her when she'd come aboard Defiant and found the imzadi bond with Mak. Then that, too, had turned to ashes after her capture by the Imperials. Now Myah was lying in sickbay little better than a vegetable. So much pain, and all of it her fault.
* * *
Meanwhile..
Myah came awake and saw--nothing. Blackness.
Darkness.
And a silence so total she wanted to scream just to hear something, but for some reason the scream wouldn't come.
The feeling of being trapped flowed over her, but there were no visible bonds keeping her in the deepness of non-sensation. NO touch, no sight; she couldn't smell or hear anything. Panicing, she tried to move, but it was as if her arms and legs were not under her control any longer. She could remember nothing of who she was but strange flashings of rememberance..
A dark curly haired woman, short in stature with sharply pointed ears..."I never meant to lie....Your father..." Didn't she have pointed ears too? And curly hair?
A tall grey-haired man.."Congratulations...graduated Star Fleet, class of..."
A handsome man, pointed ears covered by long brown hair, " I pledge myself to you..."
Meeting the Captain (who was he again?) and being directed to a laboratory...humans and humanoids everywhere...
Dancing in a skimpy red jumpsuit..telling jokes...drinking something..
Meeting another Betazoid..."My name is Kamiana.."
Working..being interrupted..
Rock Climbing...
"MYAH NO!!!"
The darkness swarmed over her again...and she silently screamed, reaching out for anyone...
* * *
The shuttle bay...
Kamiana ran in, looking wildly around. Reaching the first shuttle in the row, she began tapping the access code at the hatch.
"They're locked out." Marinus called to her, walking slowly but not wanting to get too close. "I can't let you do this, the Captain called me to seal all of them."
"No." she wailed, trying to work the controls again, which still refused to respond.
Counselor Danorium and Midshipman Renee entered the shuttlebay quietly, trying not to be noticed immediately. Paulos watched Kamiana for a moment, feeling her frustration; sensing that she was hovering at the breaking point.
"Kamiana, please...come out of the shuttle. Please. Taking a shuttle won't help anything; some with us to sickbay. We can talk..." He stepped forward and she flinched.
"Don't try to stop me!" Kamiana cried. "Just let me go! Please! Before I hurt anyone else!"
"No. I can't do that. We need you here; we care for you Kamiana and no one on this ship wants to see you hurt, no matter what it may seem like. Please, come with us to sickbay. Myah needs you...she needs our help; yours and mine." He stepped closer, gesturing for Renee to follow him up to the shuttlecraft.
Renee followed slowly, opening her mind as she went trying to feel the instinct she sometimes had where others were concerned who were in pain, but she was drawing a blank with Kamiana. All the talk last night and earlier and still she could not ease Kamiana's pain and hurt. A new friend and here she was almost so hysterical that Renee could only be there and help pick up the pieces when she fell. Always a caretaker at heart, Renee followed Paulos.
Kamiana stared incredulously at him for a moment, through the tears running down her face, shaking her head, then.."You're *wrong* she's dead MYAH'S DEAD!!" she screamed "I talked her into it...and now she's dead...." she pounded her fists against the deactivated panel..."no more oh please no more just let me go..." she sobbed...
Paulos looked back at Marinus and nodded, telling the Betazoid to call sickbay as they had briefly discussed moments before. "No Kamiana. Myah is very much alive. She needs our help, but she is alive." He paused as they reached the doors to the craft. "No one blames you for what happened; Rael explained it to me. It was not your fault; you can help her recover but you did not cause the injury. Please, come with us." He reached out to her, hoping that she would take his hand and come with them to sickbay.
Kamiana was crying so hard the tears were blinding her...though every instinct was telling her to pull away, that it'd be better for them all if she got as far from them as she could, something in her resisted and that something forced her hand slowly up...."please..." despite herself she did hold out her hand to Paulos..."I...I can't stand it anymore...."
Renee just stood near and followed, wishing good will and healing for her new friend. All Renee could do was be there and let Kamiana know someone really did care for her and all the pain she was feeling over so many people in her life.
Paulos took Kamiana's hand gently, leading her across the bay and into the hall. He wanted to hold her in his arms and tell her that everything would be fine; that all would return to normal and that nothing would ever hurt her again, but he couldn't. The knowledge he held inside, not allowing anyone to see, of his failing hurt sharply. He was failing Kamiana just as he was failing Emil; and he didn't know what he could do to help either of them. He tried pushing the thoughts out of his mind, and they moved aside a little so he could concentrate on what was at hand.
The burst of energy that had brought her to the shuttle bay had evaporated. She didn't resist as he led her through the corridors. Although she couldn't bring herself to look at the crewmembers they passed, she knew they were all looking at her. How could anyone want her around? was all she could think.
They reached a junction of two corridors, and as they turned, they came face to face with Liss, who'd been scrubbing the walls in this area.
Liss looked up from her work to see the three walking towards her, and bit her lip, trying not to run, on seeing who it was. They'd explained to her that it wasn't the same person as the one who'd tried to hurt her, but it was so hard to remember. She picked up her supplies and moved on, hoping the group wouldn't notice her.
"Even a Pakled's afraid of me..." Kamiana murmured, but without energy, as Paulos led her along.
Renee wondered why the Pakled was afraid of Kamiana. The times they had met last night and today, Kamiana had been only in pain, not giving pain to others.
A few minutes later, they arrived in Sickbay, and Kamiana saw that while Rael was there, apparently the Captain had left. Which was just as well, she couldn't have faced him now anyway.
Rael came over as they entered. "Good, you found her." she said.
Kamiana shook her head. "I heard what you said about Myah. It's just her body lying there."
"We don't know that." Rael cut her off. "There doesn't *seem* to be damage to the higher brain functions, but the only way to be sure is to establish a mindlink."
Kamiana shook her head. "I can't. Even if what you're saying is true, she wouldn't want anything to do with me. Not after this."
"I don't believe that. Myah is your friend and I am sure that she would not blame you for this accident." Paulos sighed, looking up at Rael. "I would try to establish a mind-link with Commander Wolfrom, but I don't think it would be a good idea; the link needs to be more stable that I am able to create at the moment. I don't think that Kamiana would be the right one to establish such a link either; not that Myah would blame her for anything, but..." He looked into Kamiana's eyes, "You blame yourself too much."
Rael nodded, seeing the fatigue in both telepaths. "Who else?"
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door to sickbay opening. Another new member of the Defiant's crew, Midshipman T'pril, walked in. She turned to Rael. "Am I interrupting something, Doctor?"
Laine let out a weary sigh. "There has been an accident. Commander Wolfrom has been seriously injured."
"How unfortunate. Will she recover?"
"We're not sure," Paulos put in. "We were hoping to establish a mind link with her to find out the extent of damage to her higher brain functions. Unfortunately, none of us seems particuarly fit to do so." Suddenly, Rael's face lit up. "T'pril, are you telepathic?"
"All Vulcans are, Doctor. Even those who are half Romulan. Actually, I have a considerably high psi rating," T'pril answered.
Kamiana looked up, the pain and desperation showing clearly in her eyes. "Please, if you can help. She's got to know I didn't mean this."
Rael nodded to T'pril. "If you're certain you're up to it, then the sooner the better. If Myah is aware in there then she's experiencing total sensory deprivation. That in itself is dangerous, if it goes on too long her sanity could be threatened."
Not to mention Kamiana's, Rael thought, with a glance at the Betazoid and then over to Paulos. She stepped over to the Counsellor and in a low voice asked, "Do you think it's all right if she stays here during this, or would it be better if I sent her to quarters?"
* * *
Myah fought against the invisible boundaries holding her. She screamed to herself again and again, yearning for just the sound to come through. Nothing. Was this the human Hell she had heard about? She wanted to thrash, to kick; she couldn't even switch to her vulcan identity to calm herself and to look at the situation logically. Nothing worked...she wasn't in control... With all she could, she screamed out with her mind, begging to be released.
* * *
Paulos looked from Kamiana to the still form of Myah, "I think it would be best for Lt. Tyrrel to be present, within sickbay. Perhaps if she could rest in one of the private rooms until we know more?"
Laine nodded. "That'll be fine." she glanced at Kamiana again, then turned back to Paulos. "If you think that's best. I'm just getting the feeling that this is more than just what happened to Myah...I thought she was finally getting over what happened with the Imperials, and then this happens." She shook her head and indicated a row of doors at the far end of the ward. "That first one there isn't being used right now."
Paulos touched Kamiana's arm softly. "If you'll lay down and rest a bit, perhaps we could talk about this? They will let us know what is happening out here, " He looked up at the Doctor. Rael nodded quickly. "And we can talk again like we were earlier. Would that be okay?"
Kamiana nodded, too worn out from the maelstrom of emotions to do more than that. "All right." she murmured softly. She walked slowly towards the room Laine had indicated, though sleeping wasn't something she was sure she could face right now. Sleeping brought the dreams back.
Renee followed Kamiana and stood and watched as Kamiana entered the room and Renee watched her though the window and hoped she got better and someone could help her as they were trying to help Kamiana's friend. Renee watched as Kamiana lay down on the bed.
Inside the room, Paulos followed Kamiana closely, trying not to be too much in the way. "If you don't want to sleep...perhaps we can talk about Michael a bit more?" More than anything he wanted to go with the Deltan counseling traditions, it was what he was most familiar with, but she would never allow that...and in this case she would be right. He sat to one side of the bio-bed, not too close and not too far away, and asked DARYL to soften the lights.
Kamiana looked up at him, rubbing at her tear streaked face with a tissue. "What did you want to know?" she asked, her voice ragged from weeping. "There's a holocube of him in my quarters, but--wait a minute." She turned to the computer terminal, "DARYL, access Starfleet Diplomatic records from six years ago. Display image Michael Landry."
"Of course, Lt." DARYL responded. A moment later on the screen an image appeared of a Human male, thirtyish in features but with grey hair and pale blue eyes.
Kamiana waved a hand at the screen. "That was Michael. I wish you could have known him." She bit her lip as the flicker of guilt showed in her eyes again. "He loved teaching so much." the pain stabbed through her again as she remembered that last day, how she'd taken it all away from him.
"Would you tell me about him? He was an instructor at Starfleet Academy and he was one of your teachers... You told me before that you enjoyed his classes in diplomacy and that you did very well in them. What was Michael like though; what made his such a wonderful teacher?" Paulos sat back, watching her expressions a little more closely.
"He was an ambassador, first--I told you that, right...?" Kamiana began, slowly. "I'd met other ambassadors--but he stood out. Of course they all work for peace, but he seemed to even more than any other. He dreamed of a world that had ended all war, put violence in any form behind it forever. He did his best to work for that. The reason he went to teaching was he believed in his dream so much, he wanted to inspire others." She sighed. "He'd still be doing that, now, if I hadn't come along." she finished, bitterly.
* * *
In the main part of sickbay, Laine was looking at T'pril expectantly.
"Should I begin?" she asked, unaffected.
Concern flashed across Laine's eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this? If Myah has brain damage, it could be dangerous...."
"Commander Wolfrom is the chief science officer on this vessel; her recovery is essential. This is the most logical course of action," T'pril said, almost seeming surprised that someone could think otherwise.
Laine nodded. "I will moniter both of you carefully. If you feel that there is danger to either one of you, pull out, okay?"
"Of course," T'pril agreed. "I will proceed." She placed her fingertips on Myah's face in the position of a Vulcan mind meld and said softly, "Your mind to my mind."
Those around were silent as T'pril began to speak. "I can't find her..."
There was a collective inhale as the others silently hoped for a miracle.
T'pril shifted her fingers slightly and closed her eyes, concentrating deeply. "Confusion....so much confusion. No sight, no hearing, no understanding... Lost, searching for a way out..." Suddenly, her face contorted in agony. "Pain....Pain!"
Laine stepped forward, but T'pril held out her free hand and gritted her teeth. "Not....physical pain. Emotional, mental pain. Confusion...bewilderment, trying to find a way out, ins..insanity."
She struggled to get the last word out. She then pulled her hand off Myah. Nearly collapsing, she placed both hands on the table to steady herself.
Laine rushed towards her, scanning with her tricorder. "T'pril, sit down. Your heartbeat is too high, even for a Vulcan."
T'pril shook her head. "I am physically well, just taxed. I have never encountered anything quite like that."
"Sit." Laine ordered her.
T'pril looked at the doctor and complied, taking a seat next to the table where Myah lay.
"What did you find?" Laine asked, anxiously.
T'pril looked up. "Commander Wolfrom is still with us, but barely."
"And the pain you encountered?" Laine's eyes held the Vulcan's, filled with worry and concern.
"She is unaware of the circumstances and is approaching the brink of insanity. She can not comprehend what is going on around her. She is searching desperately for a way out."
Rael swallowed hard. "Is there any hope for her?"
"Though she is fighting very hard, we must act quickly," T'pril said. "I would like to help, if I can."
Rael nodded, then turned. "Someone better tell Kamiana and Paulos."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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