Pon Farr part 3

Posted on Mon Oct 11th, 2021 @ 12:54am by Commander Samantha Howard & Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Commander Callie Raven-Grayson & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis Dr

Mission: Breen in Paradise
Location: USS Washington
Timeline: Current

Shoniara continued her slow journey to her destination. She began to see shadows round every corner, it was getting hotter as she crawled and, for some reason the illumination in the Jeffries tubes had increased to the point that she had to shade her eyes. Then the whispering began, just out of sight deep in the moving shadows. She pushed her ba’tleth in front of her determined not to get caught. Dex was no longer on the ship but in a strange world of horror, violence and death. “You will not take me alive” she shouted. “Come and get your death at my hands!” She stopped for a minute to get her breath only to feel the heat of flames behind her. She screamed in rage. Climbing the ladder to the next level she left the flames behind. The whispering had become louder although she could not make out what they were saying. She started to shiver and then she vomited as the poison began to take effect. ‘Just let me die here’ she thought to herself and for a few moments exhaustion caught her up and she slept.

Having arrived at Dex’s Quarters Callie was shocked to find the security detail down. =/\= Raven-Grayson to bridge, Lieutenant Dex is loose aboard ship, we need to find her! be warned she...she isn’t herself and maybe dangerous! =/\= She tapped her badge again =/\= Callie to Sickbay! I need a medical team to Dex’s Quarters we have injured people. =/\=

Shran was on the bridge when the call came in. He was confused over what the call meant, but looked to Ayana, who immediately left the bridge to seek out Dex.

Making her way into Dax’s Quarters all she found was puss and a partially drunk cup of tea of some sort. =/\= Callie to Sickbay, there’s no sign of Dex, Puss is still here, and there’s a partial cup of some sort of tea I think. =/\=

"Crap" Sam swore as she tried to clear her increasingly muddled mind. She felt angry, rage and fear all at the same time but yet knew it wasn't her own. It put her on edge, causing her to slam her desk in frustration. " Perrim, take a team and sort out the wounded" She ordered, picking up a tricorder and shouldering her medkit " Computer, is Lt Dex on board the Washington?"

=/\= Lieutenant Dex is in her quarters =/\= came the reply.

"Yeah that's crap in a handbasket" Sam swore, giving cause for the medical team hustling out the door to raise their eyebrows in shock at her uncharacteristic behaviour. " Howard to Raven-Grayson. My gut tells me Dex has ditched her combadge. Can you beam here with the tea and we'll figure something out?" She asked, the inability to do something making her crankier. "Computer, scan the Washington for Lt Dex's biosignature, include all jefferies tubes and maintenence corridors in the scan"

Moments later Callie arrived in Sickbay cradling the tea she’d found in Dex’s Quarters. “Here’s the tea” she placed it carefully in-front of Sam.

=/\= Lieutenant Dex is in Jeffries tube 9 beta =/\=

Shoniara woke to a fire in her abdomen, she began to hit herself on the bulkhead at the corner of the Jeffries tube. She knew she could no longer get to the shuttle but a moment she had a vision of pure clarity. How could she have gotten it all so wrong. She took her ba’tleth and drew the razor sharp point across her wrist. ‘Soon I will be with Mark and my baby girl’ was her last thought and she smiled. Her breathing slowed and stopped and a moment later her heart stopped.

"Computer, lock on to that biosignature and beam her directly to sickbay, biobed 1." Sam swung into motion, slamming her fist on the aforementioned biobed hard enough to cause a sharp pain in the small bones of her hand. Her gut ached as though it were trying to turn itself inside out, her mind struggled to concentrate and her entire body buzzed with an energy not her own.
"Callie, pop that mug under the scanner, press the button on the left hand side, run the identification sequence" She ordered as the computer deposited an unresponsive Vulcan onto the biobed. Damnit - they were too late.

Callie did as she was asked looking up as she felt the pain from Sam’s hand. She also felt the jumble of emotions. Her attention was drawn to Dex as her lifeless body lay on the biobed.

" Damn you!" Sam swore as she activated the life support arch over the biobed, running a series of high level diagnostics to ascertain the worst of what was going on. The poison was wreaking havoc on Dex's system, causing a coronary episode, the slit wrists only added to that issue, there was a gastrointenstinal distress, respiratory distress.

"Stabilise, diagnose, treat" The words were a mantra that tumbled from her lips, despite how bad Sam's body was feeling. With the lifesupport arch activated she had some time, now to work on the rest of it. Using the arch she activated an fluidic flush through Dex's veins, taking a moment to run a dermal regenerator over the wrist wound to stop any more blood loss. Sam's own heart beat wildly in her chest as though not sure it wanted to remain there. Just. Keep. Going.

Callie walked over to Sam, “What can I do to help?”

" What did the scanner say the tea was?" Sam asked as she continued to flush Dex's system of whatever the hell she had decided to ingest.

Callie walked back over to the scanner checking the readout. “Ohh no...it’s a poison!” She shot Sam an extremely worried look.

" Makes sense, damnit I knew she would try something like this!" Sam grumped as Dex's lifesigns continued to fluctuate wildly. For everything the Vulcan experienced, there was an echo in Sam, a phantom feeling that make it hard to focus. As her synaptic pathways began to degrade, Sam had some moments of clear headed thinking, but only briefly as she raced against the clock to save her new friend.

" Callie... sounds stupid but can you get Puss here? They have some kind of weird ass bond that we may be able to utelise" IT was a wild idea but Sam had nothing to lose at this point.

Callie nodded. “You bet I can!” She hit her comm badge and requested a transport, moments later she was outside Dex’s Quarters. Walking in she was glad to see puss sitting waiting. “Hey puss, Dex needs you.” She gently coaxed puss to her, once she had a hold she moved as fast as she could getting puss back to Dex.

Meanwhile Sam fought between the effects of the poison and the effects of Pon Farr, adjusting the medical equipment to save Dex's life as though a second set of hands were operating. It was almost surreal. A stabbing in her brain told her she had Dex's synaptics back where they were supposed to be. One win.

Callie arrived in Sickbay, letting go of puss she watched as puss made its own way to Dex’s side. “Puss seems to know exactly what we need him to do” Callie smiled as she moved to Sam’s side. “How is Dex?”


"She's trying very hard to part company with corporeal ways and join her ancestors, but NOT.ON.MY.WATCH!" Sam reacted as another wellbeing marker dropped into the red, causing a chain reaction of others to follow. Puss rubbed against Sam's leg, somehow muffling the torment of echoed symptoms that the Doctor was experiencing. She continued to flush the poison from Dex's veins, bolstering her system in every way she could to get her through this.

Callie was surprised by Sam’s outburst, she had to wonder if the meld between the doctor and Sam had become more than a simple meld. Looking back at Dex lying on the biobed Callie frowned, somewhere in the recesses of her mind was a troubling memory one that she couldn’t quite recall. It was giving her a feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn’t explain.”

Sam looked as though she were finally making some headway, Dex was beginning to stabilise and hadn't crashed in the last few minutes. Most of her vitals were in the amber zone, which was the best Sam could hope for at this point in time. Now for the next miracle, trying to find a real antidote to the tea. The flush had removed most of the toxins from Dex's body, but Sam still wanted to know exactly what was in that cup. She took a shaky step back from the biobed, allowing herself to breathe for a moment.

Callie shook off her feeling and looked at Sam. “Are you alright? You don’t seem entirely yourself.”

"I can't say I am entirely myself either. I have this deep seated pain and confusion, which I know is coming from Dex but I can't do anything about it." Sam shook her head trying to clear her thoughts. "How are you doing?"

“Me?” Callie gave Sam a smile. “I’m fine, my nervousness at being in Sickbay doesn’t apply when I’m not the patient” she grinned hoping Sam hadn’t seen her moment of disturbed thought.

Sam had an inkling that something else was up but didn't have the time to persue it further.

"How'd you go with the analysis of the tea?" She asked.

“Erm...I’ll check” Callie went to get the analysis. “This isn’t good” She walked over showing the results to Sam. “This is total poison to a Vulcan, I’m surprised Dex is still alive!”

"Hrmmm, let me have a look" Sam rounded the scanner and peered into the eyepieces. The molecular construct was complex, but if she worked each component she would eventually be able to synthesise something that could work. She kept an eye on Dex's biosigns, making sure the markers didn't decrease while she was working. "Argh, my brain hurts" she grumbled as she focused on the first ingredient.

“I wish I was more up-to-date on my medical training, I could help you if I was” Callie looked across at Dex, only this time it was herself she could see lying on the biobed. She shook her head and looked away before looking back, seeing Dex this time.

For the last half hour Puss had been sitting patiently and quietly at the head of the biobed. For a moment he looked at Dex as though he had heard something. Then he began to purr and walk backwards and forwards between Sam and Dex. He nudged Sams hand with his nose walked back to the biobed and sat down again. He repeated it again but this time he was growling.

This time he went to Callie, growling and sat down in front of her.

Callie looked at Puss, “There’s something wrong” She looked at Sam. “There’s something wrong!”

Puss growled again and then he took Callie's hand very gently into his mouth and pulled.

Callie understood, rising from her seat she followed Puss to where he wanted her to go.

He padded over to where she lay and stood at her head. Raising himself up until he was head height with her he pawed her scalp taking care not to injure her. He then went back and pulled Callie’s hand towards where he had had his paw, he looked at her expectantly.

“What do you want me to do?” Callie looked at Puss watching the movements. “Wait...you want me to link with her?” She looked towards Sam. “I think Puss is trying to tell me to get inside Dex’s head.”

Sam had at least half a dozen reasons why she didn't think it was a good idea but something about Puss gave her reason to trust.

"If you think it will help, I advise caution though" she advised as she worked on an antidote to the poison.

Puss began to purr, he took her hand again and pulled gently towards Dex.

Callie didn’t wait a moment longer, placing her fingers gently on Dex’s forehead she closed her eyes and focussed hard. She needed to concentrate to avoid harming Dex any further, a telepathic link could do great damage if not done correctly. Dex? Dex are you here?

You are wrong………let me go

I most certainly will not! Callie looked around the mindscape she was in. If you die while I’m in your mind, you’ll most likely kill me too. Is that what you want Dex?”

your meld……..it was wrong the whisper Dex sent out was supposed to warn Callie. please goodbye my friend I am meant to be with Mark … but your meld was wrong you need help

Callie froze something in what Dex said awoke a memory, visions of Callie and a Vulcan, of her mind being invaded. She gasped breaking free of her connection with Dex, backing away from Dex’s bed she turned and rushed out into the corridor sliding down a wall just trying to catch her breath.

"Callie! Wait!" Sam called, cursing herself allowing a meld with a dying Vulcan in the first place. "Perrin,go after her and make sure she's ok" she ordered the other doctor and she continued to make headway on her work. Dex's vitals began to fluctuate again causing Sam to head back to the biobed and play the life and death game of cat n mouse.

Somewhere in Shoniara’s mind she hoped she had helped her friend. She had wanted to let Sam know she also needed help to learn to control the effects of their meld. She tried to shut her mind down, to leave the existence she was in. She tried to slow her heart rate and the biobed alarmed. If only she could communicate with Sam, make her see she had to let her go.

"Damnit Dex, I'm so close, I have the serum for the Holo program, I promise you if anything will work it will. You just need to stop trying to die damnit!" She continued to work with her eyes on the monitor and her hands on the arch control panel, trying to keep ahead of whatever body system was going to crash next.

Out the corridor Callie was getting a grip on herself, she offered Perrin no resistance as the doctor escorted her back into Sickbay. Walking over to Sam she offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I just...” She wasn’t ready to explain what she’d seen so she said nothing about it. “I couldn’t handle it. How’s Dex?”

Pus padded over to Sam and touched her again with his paw providing her with some clarity of thought.

"Thanks Puss" Sam scratched the cat under the chin as her mind cleared. Again Dex began to stabilise, giving the doctor some breathing room.
" She's stable-ish" Sam replied tiredly.

The hall of Kolinar on Vulcan was completely white, the people and priests also dressed in white robes. Dex sat with Mark, their daughter on his knee. The high priestess rose and indicated Dex. “You have completed Kolinar and are satisfactory to us. Stand forth Shoniara T’ghann Dex and receive your reward. She stood and let go of Mark’s hand. Dressed in black she made a stark contrast amongst the assembled. Beginning to walk she felt a pain in her side. She put her hand to it and brought it back covered in green. She seemed to be bleeding, she looked up. The priestess held up her hand. “You have failed in your final Kolinar, you cannot stay here.” “Why?” She shouted feeling even more pain. Mark stood and looked at her. “You must go back Shon” he said. “It is not your time to be with us.” He smiled. “We will be waiting.” She screamed out but the scene had already faded. For a moment she did not know where she was and then realised she was back in her own brain. At last she slept.

Somewhere in Shoniara’s brain a single receptor, one of billions fired and became a single neurotransmitter, several, Ionotropic receptors formed channels for ions to move through whilst the glutamate bound to them. Acetylcholine flooded her cholinergic neurons stimulated by the processes of life.

The amber indicators held for a while, every so slowly moving towards the Green zone. Sam had had the time to put the final touches on her antidote and had administered it, combined with the flush she had performed earlier it looked to have achieved the desired result. She sagged against the biobed, exhausted beyond comprehension from the last 24 hours.

Doctor Perrim looked at her and put his hand on her shoulder. “You have done all you can, she looks to be stable now so why don’t you try to get some sleep.?” Puss padded from Shoniara and put his paw on her leg as if to validate Perrim’s request.

Callie looked at Sam. “I agree with Doctor Perrim, you’ve worked your backside off, you should get some rest.”

As soon as he saw Callie Puss once again padded over to her and repeated his drag back to Shoniara as he had done before.

Callie shook her head moving away from Puss, “No puss, not now!” She looked at Sam. “Excuse me, I need to go. I’ll check back later.” Puss followed Callie as she left seemingly anxious that she return.

Sam watched her go and knew something else was going on, still Callie was her own person and even as CMO she couldn't drag someone back to sickbay without a valid reason. She looked back at the now stable Dex and gave Puss a scratch under the chin. " Are you gonna stay here or come with me?" She asked the creature.

Puss looked towards Dex as if questioning her as to whether he should go. He looked at Sam, licked her hand and went with her.

The exhausted doctor left Dex in the hands of Dr Perrin and headed back to her quarters, Puss padding along next to her. It was a disturbed but somewhat restful sleep.

Shoniara woke inside her mind. It felt so clear like a morning on the hills of Falabella on Riasa after a thunderstorm. She tried to think where she was, even more who she was within so much peace. Who was she? She wondered. She remembered someone called Mark with a child…..yes, her child, a little girl Shasta with blonde corkscrew curls, Mark’s curls. She reached out and felt his warm brown skin, heavy on hers, his smile wide and laughing as his lips met hers. The love she felt was never ending but, yet somehow she knew it had an ending. She knew this man, every inch of him, every thought, every deed during their life together. How had she let him go?

Shasta had brought her a fistful of meadow flowers already wilting in the sun. She took them from her and then took her into their arms and cuddled her. Yes, the three of them had been there on that day, that perfect day. Even though the day would end and their lives together would be gone this yes THIS was the day to remember. This peaceful sunny day full of love on this beautiful mountainside. Shoniara smiled as she slept.

It seemed years since that dream had woken in her mind. She knew the Vulcan part of her was stronger and that she wanted to embrace Kohlinar one day. The Vulcan finality of purging all emotions that was to be desired. Would that make her a better doctor though? YES she was a doctor, she remembered now. She slept.

The Riasan part of her was drunk, the shame was that the Vulcan side of her would be sober. She hung her head over the table.The small hole that called itself a bar on the mining colony of Arcybite was empty apart from her. She wondered how long it would be until she could have her next fix of J’heek, it had cost damn near a months pay but it would be worth it to forget. A tall man stood at her table looking at her. “Go away” she said thickly. “The place you are looking for is upstairs, you mistake me for a whore.”

He stayed where he was so she looked up. He spoke, “You are Vulcan.” It was not a question, rather a statement. “So damn what! J’anK-nath! She swore at him. He spoke again, “My name is T’ghrek of the House of Okann and I am going to help you.” She sneered “the only help you can give me is money for J’heek or good ale!” He pulled out a chair and sat. “You need to forget Shoniara Dex…the problem is that to be able to do that one must remember.”

She slept on healing.