Triangles
Chapter 2
See Chapter 1 for disclaimers.
Triangles
Chapter 2
Captain Bridger strode through the bright, busy corridors of the Eleanor Rigby, mentally contrasting them to the SeaQuest's current darkened, silent passages. With the dsv's crew being quartered in the destroyer, the personnel of both vessels had to double up and hot-bunk it to make room. With an ironic smile, he admitted that at least it made duty on the crippled sub more attractive, just to get out of the crush.
Knocking on the hatch frame to Sick Bay, he peered around the edge, looking for Dr. Wendy Smith, the attractive, young physician in charge of SeaQuest's science and medical teams. Nathan had briefly dated her mother, before she'd met the doctor's father and married him, but that didn't make him feel at all paternal toward her, no matter what he would wish. Besides, he enjoyed the way she called his name. Spying his goal, he called quietly, "Wendy!"
"Nathan!" The welcoming smile that answered him warmed his spirit. "How are things on SeaQuest? Will we be moving back in anytime soon?" Regretfully, the captain shook his head.
"She's still limping in the water. We'll have to keep sick bay here until after we dock in Australia." He nodded his head toward the wards. "How are they doing?"
Her expression sobered. "The good news is that Lonnie is alert and out of danger. We had her air-lifted to the military hospital in Sydney just a little while ago." She paused.
"And Ari?"
"Still no response. I don't understand it. It's as if she's hiding behind some mental wall, afraid to come out." Nathan sighed unhappily.
"Isn't there anything you can do that you haven't already tried?"
Dr. Smith gave him a cool, considering look. "I could try calling her telepathically. But given her attitudes toward the psi factor, it seems unethical. As if I'm walking in uninvited."
"Even if it does bring her back?" She nodded sharply, conceding the point.
"Okay, give me a few minutes. I'll see what I can do." Moving rapidly, as if afraid she would change her mind if she delayed to long, the doctor disappeared down the corridor. After a few seconds, Bridger heard the sounds of muted conversation down the same hall.
Peering cautiously, he saw Lieutenant O'Neill and CPO Miguel Ortiz
arguing quietly outside a closed door. The muscular non-commissioned officer, his handsome, dark features betraying his Cuban ancestry, still appeared a trifle grey in the face. His left arm and shoulder were taped up, a souvenir of Dr. Siebas's insane attempt to murder Ens. Adler.
The door opened and a down-cast Dr. Smith stood there, regarding the two SeaQuest crewman.
"How is she, Doctor?" Tim asked eagerly, hoping for good news. Miguel stiffened, as if afraid of what she might say. Captain Bridger knew, though not many others did, that both young men had warm feelings for the injured junior officer. Wendy shrugged, shaking her head sadly.
Raising her voice slightly, so that Bridger could easily hear her, she reported, "I've tried everything, calling her both audibly and telepathically. She's just not listening."
Tentatively, with a quick, quelling look at his companion, Tim asked, "This is a little odd, Doctor, but it was suggested, well, that maybe, you know, ... like Sleeping Beauty?" Miguel turned on him, almost growling.
"Tim, that was just a silly idea. She was spouting off. It would never work!"
"I don't know about that, Miguel," Wendy contradicted him. "You both know that it does work, sometimes. That the presence of someone dear, with whom there are close ties, will bring a victim out of a self-induced coma."
The passionate latino flung his hands up angrily. "This isn't the same thing. This isn't self-induced. She didn't just wake up one morning and decide to not to wake up."
"No," the doctor replied agreeably, although she thought it was exactly a case of that. "But, on the other hand, why not try it. She's closest to you two, of anyone on the ship. Go on in, see if you can get her to answer you." Standing aside, she allowed Miguel to enter the room, but put out a hand to stop Tim from passing her by. Gently, she guided him toward the watching Captain.
"Prince Charming?" he asked, eyebrows raised ironically. Wendy laughed.
"If anyone has a chance to bring her out of the coma, he does," she admitted with a shrug. "I'm convinced that there's some telepathic bond there, given the way she reacted to him on the bridge ..."
Nathan laughed quietly, remembering something else that had occurred between the two of them on the bridge, which led him to suspect that the doctor was correct in her assessment. Tim just watched them both warily, worried that two of his friends were about to get into big trouble. "Relax, Tim. We aren't going to chew them up and spit them out. Come on, Doctor, let's see if it's working."
Moving with a hunter's grace, the commanding officer of the SeaQuest slipped to the open doorway, arriving just in time to hear his sensor operator promise huskily, "Hey! I won't die on you. As long as you need me, I won't die on you. That's a promise." The chief kissed her hand lightly on the palm to seal the vow, before relinquishing his prize.
For a few moments, Wendy and the captain just stood there, watching as Miguel carried on a one sided conversation, interpreting Ari's expressions with uncanny precision. Not that either of them seemed to notice that she wasn't saying a word.
It wasn't until Miguel was explaining the oversight that had led to her injuries that Bridger felt the need to speak.
"And as far as Brody knew, Siebas had no reason to hiding there." Miguel was saying.
"Actually, he should have checked there, first off," The captain interrupted, a grin spreading across his face as the two on the bed jumped away from each other, as if denying they'd been close enough to kiss just a few seconds before. "As sorry as I am to interrupt this fascinating conversation, I think that's my cue." He was aware of Wendy, close by his shoulder, satisfaction radiating off her like a physical warmth. "Almost like listening to half an old-fashion telephone conversation," he commented to her in an aside.
The look of incomprehension on the three young faces struck him as funny, and he laughed, shaking his head, "You wouldn't understand, you're too young." He paused, the smile running away from his face. "But Lt. Brody should have had all the crew quarters checked and secured. The only excuse he has is that he thought it was being done." Which Bridger reflected was no excuse at all. Doctor Smith pressed past him to enter the room.
"I'd say that there was no question but that she has some telepathic ability, Nathan," she said, reaching out to take the ensign's pulse. "Especially if she could get Miguel to understand her so easily." Ensign Adler drew herself up sharply, her eyes flashing warning.
"No!" she barked. But the word caught in her throat, nearly finishing the job of throttling her. Miguel grabbed the glass of water, moving in to help her, but she waved him away, taking the glass and sipping carefully.
Getting herself back under control, Ari signed writing at the doctor, adding the imperative emphasis. After finding and handing a tablet of paper to the fierce young woman, Doctor Smith argued the point with her. In spite of the doctor's vehemence, the young ensign mulishly refused to consider her arguments valid.
Finally, considering that she'd produced a rock-solid case, Dr. Smith looked up in triumph. "It looks like a case of clairvoyance, to me. I want to take her to Chatton Parapsychology Institute for evaluation." Ari continued to shake her head sharply, ignoring the pain from her bruised throat. In large, capital letters, she wrote, "I must stay with SeaQuest!" underlining the words twice. Wendy turned to Bridger confidently expecting him to support her. But he just shrugged his shoulders. How could he order anyone to do what he himself refused to do?
"You can't force her to go, Wendy, not even for testing. If she does have the psi factor, it isn't interfering with her duties, and I won't order her to do something like that against her will. I have no right."
"But Nathan, she could do so much with this. What if she does have potential? If she can do this without any training whatsoever, what could she be able to do with the necessary control?"
"Not unless she agrees, Doctor." He put his hand on her shoulder, wordlessly urging her to accept the fiat. "We'll discuss this later. Right now, I've got something else I need to talk to you about." Watching the two woman arguing, seeing first-hand how stubborn his junior officer could be, he wanted to discuss the new arrival with Wendy before bringing the subject up with Ari. But as the doctor was rising to leave with him, Miguel halted them.
"Captain. Doctor, one moment, please." Ari handed the note she'd just written to the doctor, a look of pleading on her bruised, battered face. Dr. Siebas's motivations puzzled and worried her. Seeing that her strength was failing, the telepath quickly summarized the scientist's slide into insanity, explaining why he'd chose Ens. Adler as the focus for his deteriorating rationality.
She concluded, "But in consideration of the difference between your ages, Ari, we think that he saw you as his little sister. And since both of his sisters died ..." she shrugged.
Ari considered this possibility, closing her eyes and hidding her face in her hands. It was all too much for the moment. Too much, She sighed, and it turned into a yawn.
"I think that's enough for now," the doctor suggested, turning toward the captain. "We'd better go, Nathan. Don't stay too long, Miguel." Bridger recognized the look of longing on the face of the ardent Cuban and felt compelled to re-inforce the suggestion with a direct order. As they left the room, the doctor and captain passed an anxious Tim, hovering just outside.
"Ten minutes, Lieutenant," Nathan repeated for his benefit. From what he'd seen, the officer would need a lot more time than that to catch up with his friend. The sound of the three of them giggling behind him made him smile, although that was quickly replace with concern as the laughter was replaced with the ugly, breath-stealing cough.
