Family Reunions

Posted on Tue Nov 30th, 2021 @ 8:35pm by Commander Samantha Howard & Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T’ghann-Travis Dr

Mission: Sinister Intentions
Location: USS Washington

Shran entered sickbay with the Vulcan and Andorian representatives. While Dex remained under medical care, the Andorian child was being looked over by Samantha.

"Doctor, I believe I have some people here that are interested in your patients."

Valev T’ghrek Vulcan Ambassador to Risa was a handsome Vulcan and he knew it without being arrogant, a trait many Vulcans were known for. Six foot three with clear skin black hair and upswept eyebrows that showed his aristocratic heritage. He waited for Doctor Howard to introduce herself and show him to Shoniara as there was little time to waste. He presumed she was the handsome, blond human talking to the Andorians who had come for their child.

"Good Morning" Sam looked up as the the Captain spoke, looking behind him to the small congregation. They were were a conglomeration of Vulcans and Andorians. The Vulcan had his eyes trained on Dex who still lay prone on the biobed under heavy sedation, her life signs being constantly monitored out of the corner of Sam's eye. The Andorians only had eyes for the small child that Sam was finishing treatment on.

The child Lissan dh'Tarrekallsi nearly leapt up from the examination area she was resting on when she caught sight of her parents. Her parents, Tholos and Talla rushing to her side, opposite Dr. Howard as soon as they caught sight of the child. Shran did his best to simply allow this moment to happen. "Everything I assume is fine with the child now Samantha?"

" Yes Captain, all readings are showing normal, I'm assuming these are her parents or guardians?" She asked as the child all but leapt into the parent's arms.

The parents smiled and her mother quickly picked the child up and embraced her. Tholos looked to Samantha and then to Shran, "I thank you for finding my child. You have brought back joy to my family, and given us hope once more."

"You are quite welcome. I understand what it means to be separated from your children. I was only too happy to have this reunion, and to make those pay for separating you to begin with."

Sam cast an eye towards Shran as he spoke, wondering if' make them pay' would come to effect or if it were more for the benefit of the parents.

"Counselor Jortho can escort you to quarters so that you might have time together before your departure" Shran said simply as he signaled for Jortho to take the Andorian family. As they exited Shran looked to Samantha once more, "I also have a Vulcan guest for you doctor. I believe I will leave you to work with him to fix up Dex."

“Commander Howard, I am Valev T’ghrek Shoniara’s bond brother. Please tell me what happened to her?”

" Do you want the abbreviated version, or the long version?" Sam quipped as she set the tricorder down on the small trolley. "How much do you know so far?"

He looked at her thinking that it was an attempt at humour. “I am sorry but it will have to be the long version. All I was aware of was that she needed help, that was what she told me.”
He raised a perfect eyebrow. “Have you worked with a Vulcan mind before Doctor?”

" I've been on the receiving end of one during Pon Farr if that's what you're talking about" Sam replied, the memory of it causing a chill to run through her body. "Alright... the long version. Recently Dex experienced Pon Farr, in order to assist her through it she melded with me so I could better understand what she was going through. She then attempted to suicide before I had perfected a new serum that would lower the logical centre of her brain in order for a holodeck simulation to work and fulfill the Pon Farr. We stablised her enough to administer the serum, and for the holo program to work. However she then was treating the ship's counsellor - Callie, who became aware of an unwanted meld from several years ago. Whilst all this was going on they went on an away mission and rescued the children you saw earlier - triggering something deep within her mind. I found her unconscious yesterday and have been attempting to keep her stable." There - it was out.. the abridged but still long version.

“Thank you for that information. It seems like you have had a lot to do with her Commander. During the meld she initiated with you did it leave you with any effects?”

" You might say that" The Doctor replied, forcing herself to be calm and not get caught up in that she had endured previously. " Let's just say it wasn't a walk in the park, Dex can fill you in on the details when she recovers, but I can give you the medical report. I must admit I was unconscious for most of it" She continued, a little ashamed.

“Doctor what symptoms was she having prior to her unconscious state and how did you treat her?”

Sam blushed with embarrassment " I was only aware that she was having trouble sleeping and suggested a sleeping supplement, then I got a call and she was unconscious" She admitted.

“Do you know why she became unconscious or what she was doing prior to that state…it is important?”

" No I don't know exactly - but from the readings I took just afterwards it appeared that the two centres of her mind, logic and emotion, were at conflict with one another. It's only a theory, but it's the best I have. Callie however was with her when it happened, she may be able to provide a better explanation" Sam explained, hating that she didn't have all the definitive answers in order to help Dex.

“Thank you Doctor, I would like to speak to Callie, but for the moment could you take me to my sister?”

"Of course" Sam motioned towards one of the biobeds where Dex lay under a silver sheet, her bodily functions regulated by the biobed and her biomarkers displayed on the nearby monitor.

He walked up to her and wiped a stray hair from her face. “How are her vital signs and has there been any neural degradation?”

Sam gestured to the nearby wall panel " As you can see most of her vitals are in the amber zone but they are currently stable. As for any neural degradation - I haven't been able to detect any, but from what I can see we are on borrowed time and need to develop a treatment regime before any degradation starts."

“I will see what I can do Doctor Howard, I will have to initiate a mind meld but until it is over it would be very dangerous for me and disastrous for my sister if it were broken by any outside intervention?” It was a question as well as a statement.

" I will do my best to see that you are both not disturbed" Sam nodded, making the preparations to move Dex to the private room off to one side of sickbay. "Is there anything you need, or any way I can assist you?"

“I will need you to monitor her neural activity if it goes above 75 microns I need you to give her 7cc’s of Elavail. I presume you have some to treat Vulcan physiology?”

" We do indeed" Sam affirmed as she moved Dex to the private room and activated the monitoring systems of the biobed to display the ACMO's neural activity. " Ready when you are"

“Doctor I need to meditate for a short while prior to the meld. Could you give me a few minutes?”

" Of course" Sam smiled "I'll be in my office when you're ready, I an monitor Dex from there" Sam retreated from the room and gave the pair the privacy they needed.

T’ghrek stood behind her and closed his eyes, his hands open but finger tips together. He cleared his mind of all thoughts in preparation for entering Shoniara’s mind. He had entered it before and it was a complex mind to navigate. The last time he had melded with her was a few years ago when he was trying to relieve her of her addiction to the Klingon drug J’heek. He cleared his mind again and walked over to Sam in her office.

“We are ready now Doctor. If this does not work I will take her back to Vulcan where we can look after her with a fractured mind. Please” he indicated for her to go before him.

" Let's hope it doesn't come to that" Sam headed to the private room and ran her tricorder along Dex's form to convince herself nothing had changed for the worse. She pulled up a chair next to the ACMO and prepared to monitor her closely during the meld.

T’ghrek stood behind the biobed and placed his hands on either side of her head and face, his thumbs on her forehead, his index finger on her temple and his smallest finger on her chin. He said nothing but felt a push as he entered her mind. As he had Imagined it was crowded with one thing. He followed the pictures in her mind. He shivered from the cold she had felt on the planet. Felt the fear she had for the safety of the other members of her team, felt the disgust and sadness at the abuse of the children and the cold fury she had felt on finding the broth filled vats of children’s tissue. Tears slipped from his eyes as he realised the nature of the experiments on the children and the body of the small Ciatan child. He felt the heat of their escaping of the explosion that rocked the base and felt the fire and rocks heading towards him.

Then there was….confusion, hands around another’s neck squeezing trying to end the life of someone..he reeled back and broke the connection opening his eyes.

“Is everything stable Doctor?” He asked Sam.

" At this point, she's within acceptable ranges" The Doctor acknowledged as she checked her tricorder again. The Half Vulcan was skirting a dangerous level of neural activity but so far hadn't toed over the line.

“Doctor I believe there is someone she attempted to strangle, I take it this was Callie? If so I need to look into her mind also. I am unable to find my sister and I may be able to obtain a direction by looking into her mind. My sister is on the edge of insanity if I am unable to find her.”

Sam's blood ran cold at the mention of insanity " I'll page her to come down here right away, I can give you insight into her Pon Farr, but Callie was more present where the children were concerned" She explained, paging for the counsellor to immediately report to sickbay.

TBC