Title:
The Future Just Happened
Authors: Rising Sun (jagrslc@yahoo.com),
Pia (pp_writer@yahoo.com), Audrey (ScullysKid83@juno.com), Matt’s Girl (rorieb_usmc@yahoo.com), Angelpal (angelpalca@yahoo.com) and Melisma (melisma@intergate.ca)
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The FF of Melisma is archived at http://www.intergate.ca/personal/melisma/index.html
Rated: PG-13
Summary: The heroes of the moment receive a bump on the head
that leads to complications.
Spoilers: JAG: Seasons 2 – 7, Star Trek: The Next
Generation: Seasons 1 – 7 in other words all is fair game.
Classification:
Cross Over
Disclaimer: We
own none and never will. We are broke… don’t sue.
Feedback: Send it.
Permission to archive: Ask first we will say yes – we just
want to know where our baby is.
Story written – April to August 2002
Part One by Rising Sun
===========================
1300 LOCAL
OFFICE
OF THE JAG
“You
sent for me sir.” Commander Harmon Rabb USN senior legal officer at the Judge
Advocate General’s Corps entered the office of his commanding officer Admiral
AJ Chedwiggen.
“Have
a seat Commander.” AJ waived him into a chair as he stood at his desk dealing
with papers.
Harm
sat and watched as AJ worked the files on his desk. Finally the higher ranked officer stopped and faced his
junior. “Commander I am going on
vacation and you are acting JAG.” The announcement came with no preamble.
“Me
sir?” Harm almost squeaked.
“You
sir. There is the budget to review to be completed. Lieutenant Roberts knows
what is important to me.” He grabbed his cover and case and headed for the
door.
“Sir!”
Harm said.
The
Admiral stopped and glared.
“Enjoy.”
“I
intend to!” and with that he was gone.
Harm
was left standing in the empty office feeling like an orphan.
“Try
the chair sir.” Lieutenant Bud Roberts protégée to Harm advised as he entered
the office.
Harm
approached the chair half expecting to hear the Admiral’s voice emanate from
it. Finally he sat. Bud took the
opposing chair.
“You
were born to it sir.”
“You
think?”
Bud
only nodded “How does it feel?”
Harm’s
natural arrogance began to emerge. He
leaned back in the chair linked his hands at the back of his head and was about
to reply when…. He fell over!
Bud
sprang out of his seat, rounded the desk and was at his friend’s side in a
flash. “SIR! SIR! Can you hear me?!”
There
was no reply Harmon Rabb Jr. was out cold.
===========================
1335
LOCAL
JAG
BULLPEN
Lt.
Colonel Sarah Mackenzie USMC “Mac” to all and partner to Harm walked into a
deserted bullpen. She scanned around
and spotted that the entire staff seemed to be congregated at Petty Officer
Tiner’s desk. She headed to see what
was the attention getter.
As
she waded through she finally found herself looking down at an unconscious
Harm. “What happened?” She asked. Then stopped “No I don’t want to know. Has an ambulance been called?”
Everyone
looked blank. She snapped. With Admiral
not around and Harm out cold she was the ranking officer and she pulled rank.
“All
right people show OVER! Back to work!”
As
the crowd dispersed she turned to Tiner. “Tiner … an ambulance now!”
“Aye
ma’am.”
“Bud
how long ago did this happed?” She asked.
“Not
long ma’am.” He replied.
She
sighed she was not going to get more than that out of him. She finally took the
time to look at her partner prostrate on the floor. She’d laugh about it later even tease him about it till his dying
day but right now she was worried. It
took a hard blow to knock him out cold like this.
Finally
in the distance she could hear the sirens of the ambulance arriving.
“Bud
go make sure the EMTs know where to go.” She said softly. The young man looked
a wreck. He nodded and left.
“And
as for you Harmon Rabb. You’d better
not be playing possum.”
He
mumbled, “You should know sweet thing.” Then plummeted back into
unconsciousness.
===========================
Part Two by Pia
===========================
The
senior officers of the USS Enterprise were assembled for the Captain’s daily
briefing. Not all of them were paying attention to what Captain Picard was
saying though. First Officer Will Riker’s thoughts were anywhere but on the
mission at hand. He knew he ought to focus, but he was unusually preoccupied
this morning. Had someone asked, he could not have said why, so he was happy
that no one did. Even if they did wonder, and he knew that both the Captain and
Deanna Troi did.
The
Captain had shot him more than one side glance during the meeting, and Deanna …
well, Deanna knew him, perhaps better than he knew himself, and she was, after
all, the ship’s counselor. She picked up on even the slightest shifts in his
mood.
“That
would be all,” concluded Picard; and Will was on his way out along with the
rest of the officers, when he heard Picard continue. “Commander, would you stay
behind? I would like a word with you.”
“Swell,”
Will thought; sighing inwardly. But he turned to his Captain with a quick nod
and went to take his seat again.
“Are you feeling all right, Commander?” Picard looked him over seriously. Will only nodded, which prompted a questioning look from his superior.
“Yes,
sir. I’m fine. I guess it’s just one of those days.”
For
a minute Picard thought about pursuing the subject, but he decided against it.
Instead, he waved the Commander along, and Will left quickly, deciding to make
a quick trip to sickbay. He had the worst headache, and he was due for bridge
duty in a matter of minutes.
“Just
what I need,” he mumbled to himself, as he rounded a corner only steps away
from the turbo lift. He picked up the pace to catch it, before the doors closed
and was greeted by the Betazoid counselor when he edged inside.
“Hi.”
Her greeting was warm and friendly, and he smiled back at her. For a minute
none of them spoke, and when Will brought a hand up to his head, Troi eyed him
worryingly.
“Headache,”
he answered her unspoken question before the turbo lift began to move. One look
at her told him that she was not satisfied with that explanation.
“Is
that all, Will? You’re acting a little strange this morning.”
He
shrugged, smiling.
“Don’t
we all, once in a while? I’m fine.”
She
accepted his obvious desire not to continue the conversation, and they
continued the ride in silence.
Will
offered her a smile when they went their separate ways, and she put a hand on
his arm, reassuringly.
“If
you want to talk ---“
“I
know where to find you,” he promised, before stepping into Sickbay.
Deanna
Troi stayed for a minute to watch him disappear before going about her own
business.
Moments
later, Will was on the turbo lift heading for the bridge, when he was jerked
out of his thoughts when the ship’s ‘red alert’ went off, and it came to a full
stop. It took Will by surprise, and he lost his balance, hitting his head hard
against the wall …
The
situation was soon back in control, but when Troi stepped into the turbo lift
to go and begin her shift, she found the First Officer unconscious on the
floor.
“Will?”
she called out to him. He didn’t react; she tried again and again, before her
increasing worry prompted her to take him to Sickbay.
Something
was very wrong here.
“It
will be all right, Will,” she whispered before being pushed away gently by Dr.
Beverly Crusher, who was ready to begin an examination.
Troi
nodded and complied with the doctor’s request that she step back. With a last
look at Will’s unmoving form, she let go of his hand to let Crusher get room to
do her job.
===========================
===========================
0400
LOCAL
BEDROOM
Harmon
Rabb, Jr. grunted, stirring into wakefulness. His head ached slightly, and the
last thing he remembered was seeing a slightly blurry vision of Mac hovering
above him before the darkness had claimed him again.
Wait
- had he called her "sweet thing&qquot;? The words had definitely been
thought, but had they been spoken? Harm groaned again, hoping that his fantasies
had remained safely sealed away inside his own head, and that the words hadn't
actually slipped out.
He
opened his eyes slowly, thinking the harsh office lights would do a number on
his already aching head, but the room was dark. In fact, he was in bed, and the
warmth of the thick comforter and the soft pillow beneath him seemed to call
him back to sleep. He idly wondered how he had ended up back in bed, but the
call to sleep was too powerful to resist.
Sighing
peacefully, and hoping that sleep would ease the headache, Harm rolled onto his
side, burrowing into the pillow...and came face to face with Mac.
Startled,
Harm sat up quickly, causing his head to pound. He cursed, squeezing his eyes
shut and holding his head with one hand. His bedmate was likewise startled out
of her peaceful dreams and she sat up, eyeing him through tired eyes.
"Harm?"
"Mac?!"
Harm managed to open one eye, trying to study her in the darkness. "What
are you doing?"
"I
was sleeping." Mac replied dryly. "What happened? You look like
you've seen a ghost?"
Sleeping?
She was - sleeping? - Harm could only gape at her. "In my bed?"
Perhaps if it had known about it, he wouldn't have minded. Heaven knew Mac was
a beautiful, desirable woman; but to wake up suddenly with her right there?
Mac
frowned, gazing at him in the darkness. "Harm? Are you alright?"
All
right? Harm could only stare at her, blinking, trying to get his sleep fogged
brain to think. Mac mistook his shocked silence for weariness and yawned,
patting his arm gently. "Get some sleep, squid."
That
said; she burrowed back under the covers, sighing softly. After a moment, she
spoke up again. "Hey, Bud and Harriet's anniversary is today. I bet
they're loving Hawaii." She didn't wait for a reply - Harm didn't think he
could have replied if he had wanted to - and went on. "We should go to
Hawaii for our anniversary. I've always wanted to go."
"An...
Anniversary?" Harm managed to say.
"Yeah,
you know, the celebration of the day we got married?" Came her dry reply.
"You know Harm, I'm beginning to think you're going senile already."
Married?!
The implications of his situation finally began to sink in. He was in the
future. And he was married to Mac! Harm rested his elbows on his knees,
pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. How did falling out of a
chair get him into the future?
"Harm?"
Mac had rolled over again and was studying him with a careful eye. "Are
you sure you're okay?"
<You
mean besides the fact that I've just jumped into a future where I'm married to
the one woman I've never really expressed my true feelings for?> A voice in
Harm's head replied silently. <Yeah, sure. Just dandy.> Aloud, he
grunted. "Fine. Just.... got a headache."
"There's
a new bottle of Advil in the medicine cabinet." Mac yawned. "You
should take it so you can get some sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."
Harm
lay back onto his pillow, staring at the ceiling. "Big day?"
Her
warm body snuggled against his, her head pillowed on his chest.
"Mm-hmm." She replied sleepily. She was asleep before he could speak
again.
Harm
blinked. What did she mean "big day?" He yawned, the warmth of Mac's
body next to his and the soft pillow and blankets called sleep to him. Big day?
Then, the darkness overtook him.
===========================
Part Four by Rorie =========================== Riker blinked at the bright light that assailed his eyes as he tried to open them. "Will, you're awake." Dr. Crusher said softly. "Finally!" "Wha-what happened?" Will asked in a whisper. "You collapsed in a turbo-lift. After your head connected rather harshly against the bulkhead." Beverly answered, also
in a whisper. Riker's eyes snapped open at that, he did remember getting into the 'lift. The 'red alert' had been sounding, the ship was
tossing wildly. "I was on my way to the bridge. Red alert." Will said. Beverly frowned, "Red alert?" Will nodded then instantly regretted that action. He carefully turned his head to look at the doctor. His eyes went wide. "Oh, no, not again." He muttered. "What?" Beverly asked in confusion. He pointed at her hair, too stunned to talk. She swiped the offending strand away from her face, still not knowing what
he was referring to. "It's silver." He managed to gasp out. Beverly laughed, "Yes, Captain. That does happen when we get older. I know I could color it, but I think the one silver
strand does look interesting." <Jean-Luc likes it, too.> "Captain? Wha--?" Beverly grinned, "Let me get Deanna." She stepped away from the biobed and tapped her communicator, "Crusher
to Troi." Meanwhile, Will was attempting to sit up. He was confused. The last time he'd woken up like this-Beverly's hair
silver and her calling him 'Captain'-it had been a trick of a lonely alien child. "Nurse." He called to a passing woman. She stopped and turned. "What's the stardate?" "Captain?" she asked in confusion. "The stardate? What is it?" "50025.05, Sir." She answered. "Is there anything else?" "No, you can go." Will said, thinking about what she said. <Sixteen years. I've lost sixteen years again.> "Deanna's on her way." Beverly said, heading back to where Will waited. "She's been worried about you. She's the one
that found you.." Will took a deep breath, "Can I be honest with you, Doctor?" "Of course, Will." "The last thing I remember is getting into the 'lift after seeing you in Sickbay. I had a terrible headache; you gave me an
analgesic injection. Capt. Picard had just given his daily briefing, and then the 'red alert' sounded. The ship was shaking,
I hit my head...” He knew his thoughts were jumbled, but how could he explain to her that he didn't remember the last
sixteen years? "Will!" Deanna exclaimed, rushing into Sickbay. He forced a smile as she reached him. "Imzadi, you really worried us.
Jaden cried himself to sleep last night. He was so scared that you would die. Janessa, thank God, she's too young to
know what was going on." "Jaden? Janessa?" Will asked in confusion. Deanna stopped what she was saying and looked at Beverly who motioned her to the office. "Will is experiencing some amnesia, Deanna. I'm not sure to what extent yet. The last scans did indicate some swelling
in the memory centers of his brain. But not to the extent that would normally cause memory loss." "Is-is it permanent?" "I'm not sure. Perhaps seeing some familiar things, people, places, will help jog his memories." Deanna put on her clinical mask, that's exactly what she would prescribe, "I agree." She paused, "Can I take him home?
The kids are asking about their father." Beverly smiled, "Let me run one last scan, then you can take your husband home." The two women walked back into the main room. "Will, let me run another scan then you're free to go." Will nodded, this time a lot less painfully. Beverly ran her tricorder around Will's body, focusing especially on his head.
"All done. I'm sending a hypo with analgesic with you. It will help the pain. The swelling in your brain should subside
soon." Beverly handed two hypos to Deanna. "I'm also sending an anti-inflammatory to hurry up the process." "Ready, Imzadi?" Deanna asked. Will just nodded and slid off of the bed. "Take it easy, Captain." Beverly ordered, "Data can handle the bridge for another day." She turned to Deanna, "If you
need me to take Janessa for you, I will. Lily has been begging to have her spend the night." "Thanks, Beverly; I'll keep that in mind." Deanna led a confused Will towards the nearest 'lift. "Deck Ten." The 'lift started towards its destination with a hum.
"You're awfully quiet." He didn't answer, so she continued, "Beverly told me about the memory loss. How long?" Will glanced up at her, she looked worried, and he didn't want to answer that question. "A while." he evaded. Deanna sighed, "Will." she began in exasperation but stopped at the frustrated look on his face. It was obviously hard
on him, too. The 'lift stopped at their deck. The pair exited and headed down the corridor. Pausing in front of the Captain's quarters,
Deanna put a hand on his arm. "It will be okay, I promise, Imzadi." With that she walked through the door. Will had
no choice but to follow. ===========================
===========================
1340LOCAL
JAG
HQ
“You
should know sweet thing.”
Twenty
minutes later and Harm’s words were still repeating themselves in her mind,
intruding on the worry she felt for her still unconscious partner.
The
paramedics were there; they’d lifted him on to a stretcher and were wheeling
him towards the elevator.
She
moved to follow but then halted in mid stride, her sense of duty warring with
the responsibility she felt for her partner, her best friend. Duty won out, for the time being.
Walking
over to a still somewhat dazed Bud she requested that he follow her in to the
Admiral’s office.
Once
inside she went about straightening the still tipped over chair. A little wound up herself she simply rested
her hip against the big oak desk and focused on Bud.
He
looked bedraggled. She began to question whether sending him in her stead was
the best for all concerned but the guilt she saw in the young officer’s eyes
made her resolute.
“Bud,
I need you to do me a favor.” She
watched as the slight slouch disappeared and a sense of determination replaced
the guilt that had had a hold of him just seconds before.
“I
need you to accompany the Commander to the hospital. I’d go myself but as the highest ranking officer I’ve got to
first get things settled here and as one of his closest friend’s and trusted
co-workers I wouldn’t trust his care with anyone but you.” She’d added the last bit hoping to some how
reassure him that this wasn’t his fault and that she wasn’t upset with him for
his delayed reaction in regards to getting help for Harm.
The
smile that was tugging on his lips indicated she’d been successful.
“Thank
you ma’am for your trust in me. I’ll
gladly accompany the Commander to the hospital and I’ll keep you posted as to
his status too.”
“Thank
you Lt. Dismissed. Oh and Bud, send
Tiner in on your way out.”
Turning
she went to settle herself in the big leather chair but one look at it and she
decided against it.
Afraid
Marine? The Marine in her taunted. No,
just weary. The woman in her answered.
Choosing
to instead head towards the window she grabbed a folder on the desk and read
through it while waiting for Tiner.
A
knock and then “Colonel, you wanted to see me?”
When
she lifted her head to answer she happened to glance out the window and catch
Harm being hoisted in to the back of the ambulance. She watched as the paramedics were getting ready to close the
door and saw as Bud ran up to them, in one hand his coat- half of it still
dragging behind him- and fumbling with his cover in the other. A few words were exchanged and the paramedic
looked up to see Mac staring. She simply nodded not knowing what else to do, he
gave a return nod and indicated Bud to get in.
Not
wanting to watch them leave-the reasoning behind ‘why’ beyond her- she finally
turned and acknowledged Tiner’s presence.
“Sorry
Jason I was a little distracted there.”
Looking down at the file she held in her hands she indicated for the
Petty Officer to take a seat.
“According
to the Admiral’s itinerary the Commander had a few meetings scheduled this
afternoon along with a couple of reports due?”
At Tiner’s nod of confirmation, she continued.
”What I need you to do is cancel them all, for the time being. We don’t know the Commander’s situation at
the moment and until I’ve spoken to the Admiral I don’t want to be rescheduling
anything that I may just end up needing you to cancel later on. As for my meetings with my clients, could
you go ahead and reschedule them for later on in the week, actually scratch that,
wait to hear from me once I’ve been to the hospital and seen the
Commander. I may have to postpone them
all to as late as the end of the following week.”
She
glanced at Tiner to make sure he was following her. What a silly thought, he deals with the Admiral on a regular
basis of course he’d be able to keep up with you. She chastised herself as
she dismissed him with one last request, “Please find the Admiral for me, if I
can’t get a hold of him personally at least a place where he’d check in for
messages because I know he said something about leaving his cell phone and
pager behind.”
“I’ll
get right on it Colonel.” He replied
as he stood then turned and exited the office, closing the door behind
him.
Sighing
she slouched in to the chair Harm usually occupies when called in to the
Admiral’s office, hoping to gather some comfort from it.
Letting
her mind wander she couldn’t help but latch on to the words Harm had last
uttered. Did he mistake me for
Renee? The woman in her shuddered
at the thought and protested vehemently while the lawyer in her deduced that
that indeed must have been the case. After
all it did look like a nasty fall, he’d probably hit his head to the degree
that he was confused as to where he was.
Probably thought he was still at home and in bed and when he heard a
woman’s voice he’d just automatically assumed it to be Renee. Yes that’s right.
The
lawyer in her having won the argument for the time being the marine in her took
over.
Pushing
herself up and out of her seat she walked around the looming desk. Standing there staring at the chair that had
tipped her partner over she felt the giggles creep upon her. The longer she stood there staring the
harder it was to hold in her mirth, until … a giggle escaped. And like a dam breaking she broke in to huge
guffaws causing her to fall into the chair in stitches. The idea of the Great Harmon Rabb being
defeated by a chair and the same chair intimidating a Marine Colonel were just
too funny a notion to her.
Tears
running down her cheek she almost missed the blinking light on her phone. Tiner
was buzzing her.
“Yes
Tiner, what can I do for you?” She said
having finally managed to control her chuckles.
“I’ve
got the hotel where the Admiral said he’d check in with on line one ma’am. When you’re ready …”
“I’ll
take the call now.” Preferring to keep
it on speakerphone she connected with the hotel concierge and left the
necessary message: Harm hurt, out of
commission for an unknown period of time, how should I proceed with scheduled
meetings? Colonel Mackenzie.
She
went through the rest of the afternoon pretty much the same way; doing damage
control, finishing up her briefs, signing off on cases, and looking through the
budget review amongst other things the Admiral had left for Harm to do.
By
1700 she had everything squared away and was ready to head out to check on
Harm. So far Bud hadn’t been able to
say much.
Cleaning
up she stacked a couple of files on the desk, placed a few in her brief case
and carried the remaining ones with her.
Stepping
out of the Admiral’s office for the first time in the last couple of hours she
took in the change in the atmosphere.
Everyone, with the exception of Singer, of course, was subdued. Hoping that she’d be able to change that
with news of Harm on the mend she searched for the Petty Officer who was not at
his desk. Spotting him coming out of
the break room she headed towards him.
“I’m
heading out Tiner and since neither Imes nor Mattoni are around I’m leaving Gunny
in charge. Please behave …” Out of the
corner of her eye she spotted Gunny approaching and directed her plea at him as
well, “…both of you.”
“Yes
ma’am.” They both shot off, almost standing at attention.
“Good. Now Gunny I need you to do some research for
me on a couple of these, I’ve marked off which ones the others are meant for
Lt. Roberts to look at once I’ve sent him back here.” She said handing over the files she’d been holding.
“Now
I expect to return to work tomorrow to find JAG HQ still in one piece, got
it.”
This
time they both did stand at attention, ram rod straight, and belted out a loud,
“Yes ma’am!”
Nodding
her head in approval she walked over to the elevator shouting over her shoulder
that if anyone needed to get a hold of her she’d have her cell on her.
===========================
1730
LOCAL
BETHESDA
NAVAL HOSPITAL
Mac
rushed through the hospital corridors in search of the room where her partner
lay. The ride over had given her time
to conjure up the worst possible scenarios and now she was more than a little
anxious to see Harm in person and rid herself of the images she’d managed to
form in her minds eye.
Sure
that she’d lost her way she turned to retrace her steps back to the nurses
station when she spotted summer whites (was it in the summer?). The stocky figure and chubby face of her
friend and colleague were a relief to see.
Walking over to him she noticed that the dazed look he’d had at the
office had yet to leave him. If
anything it seemed to have intensified and morphed in to abject fear.
Her
heart constricted. He’s all right,
he’s all right, he’s all right! She kept chanting in an attempt to quell
the fear that began to build inside her.
Standing
in front of Bud she reached out and laid a hand on his left arm, still in his
own world he had yet to take in her presence.
Jumping
at her touch he stood there awhile startled and confused as to how and when
she’d arrived. Not being able to come up with an answer he shook his head to
clear it and focused on the matter at hand.
Commander Harmon Rabb Jr. His
eyes searched hers, questioning how this could happen to Harm, his mentor, his
friend, the invincible one?
Some
how she couldn’t find any of the humor she’d felt earlier on. Instead she found herself wondering the same
things, how could a fall from a chair result in this?
Having
no answer for Bud or her, she offered what little she could, a weak smile of
assurance that despite the ‘how’ this happened Harm would be all right in the
end. It worked some. She felt-through the hand still resting on
his arm- some of the tension leave his body.
Hearing
commotion from inside Harm’s room she turned to Bud with an inquisitive raise
of the eyebrow.
“They
haven’t been able to calm him down much.
Not since they settled him in his own room. He was fine on the ride over, well still unconscious, but no
seizure or convulsing or anything like that, even through the examinations and
tests he remained still. Then a couple
of minutes ago after settling him in there,” pointing to the room they stood in
front of, “he began to get agitated.
Keeps moving around and tugging at his IVs, but the thing is he’s still
unconscious. It all happened so fast, I
tried calling you at JAG but you were already gone and I was so afraid I couldn’t
even remember your cell number, I wanted to call Harriett at home and have her
call you but I couldn’t even manage to do that…”
Bud
deflated at that. The last couple of minutes weighing him down further than the
day’s events all ready had. Sharing his
worries helped some but the retelling of it took the little strength he had
left. However, one look at Mac’s
troubled eyes and he instantly regretted divulging all that he had.
Seeing
his concern for her she gave him a pat on the arm and a soft smile before
heading in to the room. What else could
she do, her heart was in a vise as it was. How could she possibly offer him any
more reassurance then she all ready had after all he’d said when she could
barely muster up enough to maintain her own sanity?
She
felt the whoosh of the door closing behind her and stood in the entryway of the
room unnoticed by the medical personnel, taking in all that was being done to
her partner. He was still moving around
agitatedly but not so much that he was hindering the aid being provided. Like a busy bee hive the nurses and doctor
kept buzzing around him, filling syringes, taking measurements, monitoring all
the machines hooked up to him, and so forth.
So wrapped up was she in the action that she almost, almost failed to
hear the softly whispered words.
“Mac
… Sarah …” Her given name sounded foreign coming from his lips but at the same
time seemed so very right. Taking a
couple of tentative steps towards him she nearly stilled when he began to
thrash wildly, no more was he murmuring her names. Now he was just lost in his pain. Unable to stand by and watch she walked up to the head of his bed
and laid one hand on his forehead while the other grasped one of his, tightly,
as though holding on for dear life, for his life.
The
doctor and nurses there were about to protest her presence when unexpectedly
their patient stilled.
Bending
down Mac began whispering in his ear words of comfort and unbeknownst to her,
her hand that lay on his forehead began to brush away the stray hairs that lay
there and continued to run her fingers through his locks in a soothing manner.
The
wailing stopped, reduced to a worried frown until even that disappeared, as did
his dangerous thrashing. All was still
and quiet in the room except for the beeping of the gizmos and gadgets
surrounding him. Fearing that even the
slightest movement would unsettle him the staff held their collective breaths
only to let it out when they saw the smile break out on his still unconscious
face.
The
seconds ticked away with the doctor watching the readings, the nurses watching
Mac, and Mac watching Harm.
===========================
Part Six by Matt’s Girl
===========================
Deanna watched closely as Beverly examined Will. She felt guilty that she hadn't pressed him to go to Sickbay earlier
when he said he had a headache. Maybe if he'd been feeling better, he wouldn't have hit his head during the
incident. No one was quite sure what happened. Data said that there was a "ghost" on sensors, but that was it. They'd
been scanning for a while now, and the ghost hadn't reappeared. Deanna's attention turned back to the doctor and Will. Beverly turned around. "There's definitely some swelling in the
area where he hit his head... but nothing that would keep him unconscious." Beverly looked puzzled. She then walked
over to the wall and pushed some buttons on the panel. "This is the blood chemistry scan that I took from Will two
weeks ago at his annual physical." She pushed another button and another scan came up next to the first. "This is the
one that I just did." Beverly pointed at an object floating in Will's bloodstream. "This is new. There are literally
thousands of them coursing through his blood." "What are they?" Deanna asked. Beverly closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and then reopened them. "I have absolutely no idea." She
paused, "But I have a hunch they are what caused the headache you said that he had earlier. And I suspect they're
the reason for his unconsciousness."
Deanna looked at the screen then over at Will. Shutting her eyes, she tried to reach him. //Can you hear me, Imzadi?//
She heard nothing back. In fact, she sensed nothing from him. It was a new and frightening feeling. In all of the years
since they'd met, even at the lowest points in their relationship, there'd still been that connection. Now... nothing. Deanna took a deep breath and opened her eyes and looked at Will. He was so still... she couldn't take it anymore.
"I--I've got to go..." she said with a gasp. "Let me know if there's any change." She fled the Sickbay. Troi wandered aimlessly through the corridors, finally finding herself outside Holodeck Two. "Computer, load program
Troi32 and begin." "Program loaded, enter when ready." the comforting female voice of the computer responded, the holodeck
doors whooshing open. Deanna entered the room, the door closing behind her and disappearing. She smiled and took a deep breath. She was now standing on a deserted beach at sunset. The gulls called back and forth to each other, the waves crashed
against the shore, and the air was tangy with the scent of salt. She dropped to the sand and stared out at the hypnotic
water. She remembered the first time that Will had taken her to this same beach... in Southern California. Of course,
it wasn't deserted then. She sighed and dropped her head into her hands and let the tears she'd been fighting overtake her....
===========================
Part Seven by Rising Sun
===========================
0700 LOCAL
RABB RESIDENCE
Harm sat at the breakfast table and had not felt that
uncomfortable since Mac announced her engagement to Brumby. Now here he was with Mac and a teenaged
boy. One look at him and no questions
were needed. The child was a product of him and Mac. He groaned.
“You ok?” The boy asked.
Harm only nodded.
“He’s nervous.” Mac revealed.
“About a little interview?” The boy said. Harm still had
not got his name and dared not ask!
Mac was moving about the kitchen as she prepared breakfast.
That was another thing … Mac cook? Harm
felt a headache coming on.
“Dad you look green.”
“Mathew Rabb leave your father alone he needs to physic
himself up for the SECNAV.” Mac placed a plate of pancakes before him. She tuned to Harm and whispered “fourteen
year olds.”
Information at last! So his son was called Matthew – he
took a guess and figured that he was called Matt after Mac’s uncle and the boy
was fourteen. Then he did a mental double take. SECNAV!
“I’m meeting SECNAV?” then he covered the mistake “… at
what time?”
“Really Harm will you never master time?” Mac teased. “1100
at his office.”
“Ah of course. So you’re feeding me or what?”
Mac’s look asked him if she hadn’t done enough the night
before, but she said nothing. As she placed the plate before him her gaze
hardened. He froze until he realized
that she was not looking at him. “Lyn Rabb!” Mac had slipped into Marine Mode
with the child.
Without a word the child turned on her heel and fled the
room. Mac was not a happy woman and began mumbling in Russian.
Matt stood up. “Well I’m done. Good luck with SECNAV pop!” The boy flashed the Rabb grin at his
father.
“Thanks Matt.” He replied.
With Matt gone and Lisa not back yet Harm took a deep breath. “Er Mac.
What interview do I have with SECNAV?”
Her face instantly registered worry. “I thought that you acted funny earlier in
bed but I thought I’d imagined it. You ok?” By this time she’d moved across the
room and was standing between his opened legs.
The smell of her was great and he lost focus for a moment.
“I don’t know.” How do you tell someone that your timeline is out of
joint? “But it’ll pass I’m sure.”
She was a lawyer and she was not put off that easily. “What will pass?” She placed her right palm
on his forehead, checking for a fever. There was none.
They stared at each other for a moment then he hugged her.
She reciprocated and held him close.
Matt chose that moment to return he’d left his bag. He
collected the item and left. He was used to the displays of love. His parents fought as much as his friend’s
parents but the difference between his folks and others was that they loved in
front of he and Lyn too. So when they
fought it was no big deal to him cause he knew they would literally kiss and
make up regardless of who was around.
He skipped out and passed his sister, who had returned in a
change of clothes. “They’re at it
again.”
“What do you mean “again” – do they ever stop?” She entered
the kitchen.
Mac spotted her daughter. “Better young lady.” She planted
a quick kiss on Harm’s lips and moved to feed her daughter. “You are only
twelve years old and you will act and dress as such. We clear?”
“Yes.” The child whispered.
“Good.” She softened. “Now eat up. The bus will be here
soon.” Then to Harm. “Shift yourself squid.”
“But it’s not till 1100 for the SECNAV!”
“…and the mean time?” She prompted.
He caught her drift. “… I go to work?”
She grinned. “Lyn dump your stuff in the sink when you’re
done. I need to get ready for work.”
“OK mom.”
Harm followed Mac.
“Good luck pop!” Lyn shouted after him.
+ + +
“I am really worried about you.”
Harm was standing in shock, his **wife** had emerged from
their bathroom in full Marine green … nothing strange there but ... Mac was a
General! He was lost for words and so
he just stared. The blood drained from
his face when he saw the Admiral Uniform. He wasn’t that dumb he figured it was
his.
Mac had had enough she took charge. “That’s it! I’m calling
SECNAV to tell him that the interview for the Judge Advocate will have to be
postponed.”
“NO!” He insisted.
“I’ll be fine. I’ll just stay in
this morning so as to collect my thoughts as I prepare for the interview then
go in for it.” He moved in on her. “Feed a sailor after?”
“It’s the least the Inspector General can do.” She smiled.
“OK. I’ll back off… for now.”
“Great. So see you later then.”
“Bet on it. Knock ‘em dead Sailor.” She stopped at the
bedroom door. “I still don’t understand why they have to interview you for a
job you’ve done before. All they need do is transfer you back in.” With that
cryptic remark she was gone.
Harm waited ten minutes to make sure there were no other
Rabbs luring around then decided to investigate this house he found himself in.
He needed to get a grip on this Harm if he was to survive. Mac’s instincts were
already up and running.
He began in the study…
===========================
Part Eight by Pia
===========================
Will was
standing behind Deanna, taking in the surroundings. He knew they were supposed
to be familiar. He was supposed to remember every little thing in here … this
was his quarters, after all. His and Deanna’s. But he didn’t recognize anything
at all. Will swallowed hard as he stole a look at the woman in front of him.
She was as beautiful as she had always been, and apparently she was now his
wife. Riker shook his head lightly as if to clear his mind. It didn’t
help.
Deanna
turned and put a hand lightly on his shoulder, reassuringly.
“It’s okay,”
she assured him. “Don’t rush it. All your memories will come back, in time. We
have to believe that.”
“But what if
they don’t, Deanna?” He saw her react and managed a small smile. She had called
him Imzadi several times back in Sickbay. It had to mean that they called each
other that now, and she had expected him to say it. It wasn’t that he didn’t
want to. It just felt a little strange, even if they were married now … here,
sixteen years in the future from what he last remembered … and even if the one
thing he didn’t question right now was that he loved her more than life.
“Imzadi,” he whispered, sincerely. “I haven’t
said that in a long time, Deanna. This morning when I woke up we were best
friends, now we’re married, we’re parents.” His smile grew a little wider, and
she returned it. “We’re actually parents?”
“Yes,” she
nodded. “I know it is a lot to take in, Will. But you will get through it.” She
let a hand caress his face. Will felt the sensation course through his body. It
was incredible. “Are you okay? I didn’t mean to ---” She stepped back a little.
“No,” he
said. “It’s just that I … never mind.” He looked away from her shortly, letting
his eyes wander over the hologram photographs on the shelves. It was wedding
photos, family photos … a family he obviously loved, and yet had no memory of
whatsoever.
“The
children?” He stepped forward, holding up one of the holograms. Deanna nodded,
her heart breaking at the pain she sensed from him. “She looks like you.” His
voice was soft, and she smiled when he turned to face her again. “This is …
surreal, Deanna. I have no idea what to do, or think.”
“Good thing
you married a Counselor, then,” she whispered. He was taken back by her
slightly teasing tone, but then he nodded, and Deanna was relieved to see his
blue eyes sparkling.
“You may
have a point there.” He fell down on the couch. She sat down beside him, her
hand resting on his thigh. “What would I do without you?”
“I don’t
know, Captain,” she answered, noticing the smile playing his lips. Sixteen
years. He didn’t remember anything of their life together, didn’t remember
taking on his own command, or the birth of their children … nothing. Deanna
sighed. It would have been hard enough to counsel one of the crewmembers in a
similar situation, but the fact that she had to help Will through it was
frankly overwhelming. It hurt that he didn’t remember her.
“I do
remember you, Deanna,” he said. “I also remember how much I love you, because
those feelings were the same all those years ago.” He moved closer and cupped
her face in his hands. Deanna held her breath when his lips touched hers,
gently.
“You look
tired,” she said, when they parted. “You should rest, Imzadi. We will talk more
later.”
“No,” he
objected. “I’m fine.” A faint sound of baby crying caught his attention. “I
would like to meet my children.” Deanna looked at him seriously, uncertain.
“Please, Dee. I just want to see them. How can that be rushing things? They’re
our children.”
Deanna still
wasn’t convinced, but she understood Will’s desire to remember, to reclaim his
life, so she accepted silently and went to get the children who had been in
their room with one of ensigns, who acted as their nanny.
+ + +
They were
beautiful. Will smiled at the boy, who approached him with caution, and Deanna
watched from the distance holding their baby girl in her arms, praying that
seeing their son would jog her husband’s memory.
“Daddy, Mommy says you don’t remember us.”
Riker’s felt his heart cringe at the pain and confusion in the little boy’s
voice. “Why?”
“I don’t
know, “ Will answered feeling incredibly inadequate. How was he supposed to
explain to a four year old that he had no memory of anything they had ever
shared? It wasn’t fair. Here he was, finally, where he had always wanted to be,
and he felt like a stranger, standing on the outside looking in. Will reached
out to the child, and the boy came closer. “But I will find out. I
promise.”
Jaden looked to his mother, and when she
nodded, he turned to Will again, climbing onto the couch. Riker caught Deanna’s
eye, and she felt the chaos of emotion within him when their son rested against
him. Will might not remember the children, but deep down his love for them
still existed, and it was that love, which caused him to draw Jaden closer to
him, letting the child rest against his chest.
“I love you,
Daddy.” Will stiffened slightly. It was too much, too soon. But he could not
push the child away, and suddenly he heard Deanna’s voice in his mind, calming
and musical as always.
<<~*~Give
it time, Imzadi. We will get through it. ~*~ >>
He looked at her, with the baby in her arms, and hoped that she would be right.
===========================
===========================
NEW MEXICO
AJ CHEDWIGGEN’S HOTEL ROOM
It had been one hell of a day. He’d caught more fish than ever except of course when he dynamited them in his younger days. WHAT had possessed him to tell that particular tale to Valerie Galindez he’d never know.
He spotted the flashing light on his telephone. He had a message. Now who would be calling him here?
“Sorry to bother you sir. Reporting in: Harm hurt, out of commission for an unknown period of time, how should I proceed with scheduled meetings? Colonel Mackenzie.”
“Damn it!” He cursed “I turn my back for two seconds and all hell breaks loose up there!” Then he calmed down. Mac was in charge it would be all right. But why didn’t they call on his cell? For the first time that day he noticed that the battery was dead.
He grinned Valerie was right may be he should leave the damn thing behind.
He picked up the regular phone. AJ needed to call JAG.
===========================
JAG HQ
“JAG Headquarters, Gunnery Sergeant Galandez speaking.”
“Gunny? This is the Admiral – what the hell happened up there?”
“Sir! Yes sir. Well Commander Rabb fell off your chair and hit his head. He’s been taken to Bethesda. They have him under observation.”
“I see. The Colonel around?”
“She’s at Bethesda sir!” The Gunny reported.
“Of course she is. I’ll call her on her cell.”
“Aye sir!”
===========================
NEW MEXICO
AJ CHEDWIGGEN’S ROOM
AJ hung up. He had just spoken to Mac. Not only was he not happy with what he heard about Rabb but Mac sounded like she was at breaking point.
Her report ricocheted in his head.
“They haven’t been able to calm him down much. Not since they settled him in his own room. He was fine on the ride over, well still unconscious, but no seizure or convulsing or anything like that; even through the examinations and tests he remained still. Then a couple of minutes after settling him in his room he began to get agitated. Kept moving around and tugging at his IVs, but the thing is he’s still unconscious. It all happened so fast…”
Again his words floated back at him. <<Don't get too close. You'll be working together.>> He was an old sea dog he knew but he was not dead yet and the chemistry between those two could be cut with a knife!
He grabbed his duffel bag and began to pack. This fishing trip was OVER!!!
===========================
0000 HRS EST
BETHESDA HOSPITAL
A slight shaking woke her. “Colonel … Mac, wake up.” The voice was soothing, familiar, its baritone quite comforting but something was wrong … she shouldn’t be hearing that voice, not here.
Sitting up in bed she rubbed her eyes and her ears for good measure, to ensure she wasn’t hearing nor seeing things. Nope, her senses had not deceived her. There before her stood Admiral Albert Jethro Chegwidden in … a hideously out dated pea colored fishing suit with a flannel over coat thrown over and knee high boots to finish the ensemble. This was not the JAG who inspired fear amongst grown men; this was a monstrosity of fashion.
Some of her shock at his appearance must have come across loud and clear because the Admiral arched an eyebrow and asked, “What Colonel, do I not rate up to your approval?”
Mac could feel the heat rising up her neck. She was conscious only a few minutes, one minute and forty-six seconds, and already she’d managed to insult her superior.
Chuckling at the distraught look on his officer’s face he relented. Bending his head in an apparent attempt to look himself over he explained his appearance.
“I know, I know. Not something one would walk out in public in but I wasn’t planning on socializing, simply inundating myself in a little cabin, somewhere in the New Mexico with the prospects of sleeping in, days spent out fishing, and the nights cooking the game I’d caught.”
“No need for explanations Sir.” She was quick to insert.
Shaking his head AJ got serious, nodding towards Harm, he asked. “So you want to update me on what happened?”
Mac took a deep breath and went over the day’s events, from walking in to the bullpen that morning and being greeted by Harm’s prone body to rushing in to the hospital and dealing with Harm flat lining.
“How Sir, how could a fall from your chair develop in to this?” She asked pleadingly with a sweep of her arm, encompassing all the machines hooked up to Harm.
Shaking his head in disbelief and frustration at being unable to answer Mac he simply laid a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
“We don’t know how Mac but we will find out.” He said determinedly.
Going on as if she didn’t hear him she whispered, “The first paramedic on sight said that it looked to be nothing more than a minor concussion, that the force of his fall had knocked him out cold, but that was it. How could he go from being fine to fighting for his life?”
Realizing how futile it was demanding answers from a superior who wasn’t even present to view the day’s events, she shut up.
Things were not going well and the only person who she’d turn to in a time like this was the one who needed her help. The one who was the source of her misery, her doubt. Had she missed something, or someone? Was Harm falling out of a chair REALLY an accident or was there more than met the eye. How could a young, healthy, naval officer, who’d ejected out of a tomcat and a MIG, have his life in peril due to a small bump on the head?
Suddenly “Mac … Sarah …” Not quite understanding why Harm’d call out her name let alone use her given one, she merely stepped over to the head of the bed.
The nurses and doctor there
were about to protest her presence when unexpectedly their patient
stilled.
Mac laid a hand upon his forehead, brushing away the stray hairs that lay there her other hand grasped one o his.
The worried frown and murmurings stopped, as did his flailing. All was still and quiet in the room except for the beeping of the machines hooked up to him, fearing that even the slightest movement would unsettle him
A couple of minutes went by
with the doctor watching the readings, the nurses and AJ watching Mac, and Mac
watching Harm.
===========================
===========================
SICK BAY Beverly stretched up onto her toes in an effort to work out the kinks. Will still hadn't regained consciousness and she
was no closer to figuring out what the mysterious "bugs" in his bloodstream were… let alone how to counteract
them. She'd sent the scans to Data, and so far he hadn’t come up with a theory either. She glanced back at her patient and scanned the biobed readings… there had been no change. Beverly was startled by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see the worried face of the Captain. "Jean-Luc?" "How is he, Doctor?" the captain asked, his use of her title betraying how worried he really was.
"No change," she answered quietly. She blew an errant piece of hair off of her face. "It's so frustrating…" She spun in
a circle. "…all of this technology and I can't figure out what's wrong with him." She paused and glanced towards the
door, "I'm worried about Deanna…" Picard waited patiently for her to go on. Finally, she continued, "We've seen how it affects her when Will's been injured
or sick before." She paused to take a deep breath. "I can't even begin to understand their connection… this has got to
be killing her." + + + HOLODECK 2 Deanna's shoulders heaved with her sobs, her throat ached, and her eyes itched. Finally, she looked up from her hands
to see the last inch of the sun disappear beneath the waves of the holographic horizon. Looking up, she could see the
millions of familiar stars of Earth's northern hemisphere twinkling above her. She leaned back against the sand, still warm from the sun, and stared. Picking out the North Star, she made a wish. She
knew it was silly, but when she was small, her father had told her that this particular star was magic… that anything you
wished on it had to come true. She'd believed him then, despite her mother's insistence to the contrary. She'd told him
that Earth was lucky to have its very own magic star. As an adult, she knew, of course, that the North Star held no magic. However, the faith she'd had as a child buoyed
her up now. A peace settled over her and she smiled. "Thank you, Daddy," she whispered. "Watch out for him." //Imzadi,// she reached out to Will. //I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here.// + + + SICKBAY Beverly looked up from her computer screen as Deanna walked into her office.The doctor shook her head. Deanna sat down opposite her friend and reached across the desk. "It's okay, Beverly," she said quietly. Beverly frowned, "No, it's not. Will is unconscious with God knows what coursing through his body. I can't fix what I
don't know about." Deanna smiled and repeated her statement. "It's okay… you'll figure it out eventually." With that she stood back up
and headed into the ward.
Pulling a chair next to Will's bed, she took his hand.
===========================
===========================
1100 LOCAL
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
OF THE NAVY
“Bobbie?” Harm addressed
the SECNAV.
“Harm! Long time no see.
I was gratified to see that you were on the short list to make JAG. How’s the family?”
“Fine… fine.” He
replied. He was getting to dislike this time line. Why didn’t Mac warn him? Why should she?
“Harm.”
“Yes?”
“Are you going to remain
standing there for the whole interview?” Bobbie teased. “The rest of the panel will be here soon.”
He gave her a sheepish
grin and sat on one of the chairs.
“NO! Not that one!” She
warned.
Too late – the chair
tipped over and dumped him unceremoniously onto the floor.
“Roberta!” Bobbie barked
into the intercom. As the
long-suffering aide entered Bobbie ranted. “Didn’t I tell maintenance to get
rid of that chair?”
“Is he hurt?” Roberta
ignored the angry outburst as she kneeled next to Harm. “Ma’am dial 9-1-1 and then General Mackenzie
at the Office of the Inspector General.
This man needs to be taken to a hospital.”
+ + +
BETHESDA NAVAL HOSPITAL
“He’s waking up.” The
Doctor announced.
Mac’s relief was
tangible. “Thank God.”
“Sweet thing.” He
mumbled as he emerged.
“Did he just mumble
sweet thing?” A nurse asked.
Mac blushed deep to her
hair roots.
Harm opened his eyes and
the first person he spotted was Mac.
“Mac.” He croaked. “What
happened?”
She fought the giggles
“You fell off a chair and hit your head.”
Then added “You called me sweet thing.”
“I did?”
“And what is it exactly
I should know?” Now he blushed.
“What year is it?”
Horror registered on
Mac’s face. In panic she turned to the Doctor.
Dr. Voos stepped
forward. “It’s all right Commander. Just relax and we’ll have you out of here
by this time tomorrow.”
COMMANDER! He was
back!!! He was back!!! His eyes bore into Mac.
He needed to say something before anything else happened to him. “I love
you.”
AJ returned with Rene in
tow – they both heard.
Seeing Harm’s girlfriend
reminded Mac of the reality of her relationship with him. She stepped back or
tried to. He had gripped her hand. She tried to pull away but he tightened the
grip. “Didn’t you hear me? I said…”
“Yes Harm we all heard
you!” Rene snapped and walked out.
AJ sighed “Doesn’t
ANYONE listen to me anymore? Did I not say <<Don't get too
close. You'll be working together!>>”
===========================
===========================
Will lay awake beside
Deanna. He didn’t know how late it was or how long he had spent trying to make
sense of the mess his thoughts had become. It didn’t really matter.
Instinctually, he knew that he would never be able to understand why this had
happened to him. Maybe he wasn’t meant to, but that was something that Will had
trouble accepting. He had spent his life, exploring, discovering, and
understanding. It was what he did, who he was …
Deanna kept her eyes
closed when Will rose and got out of bed. He was restless and anxious, and she
understood. Of course she did, but the woman in her was screaming in
frustration even so. She loved him, and even though she knew he felt the same
way, it was still hard to appear unaffected when he shun away from her touch.
She needed him, wanted her husband with her. But Troi realized she would have
to be patient and find the strength she had to help him find his way back to
her and their family.
Deanna shifted in bed
and watched in silence as Will disappeared into the nursery. She could feel a
smile curl her lips upwards. It was going to be all right. She had to believe
that.
~~**~~
Riker tucked the sheet around his son as he bend down to let his lips brush across the boy’s forehead. Jaden’s soft breathing had a calming effect on him, and he stayed by the bed for untold minutes before he went back into the bedroom. Will stopped as he passed by the crib, in which his baby daughter was sleeping peacefully. She was a remarkably beautiful little girl, and Will felt a twinge in his chest. He looked around the room, his eyes settling at last at the woman in the bed.
“Dee?”
He called to her softly as she climbed back into bed. Deanna opened her eyes
and smiled at him. Will felt his heartbeat pick up. She was so beautiful.
“You
feel better.” She didn’t have to ask; she knew. Their union had strengthened
their bond to the extent that they shared every thought. She could help the
sigh that escaped her lips. At least that was how it had been until now.
“Yes,”
he answered. “I don’t know what to say. I just …” He trailed off, realizing
that there were no words to describe how he felt. Instead, he reached out to
her. Suddenly, it was impossible for him to keep from touching her. He needed
to feel the softness of her skin.
Deanna
relaxed into him as he brought her to rest against his chest. For a minute she
let go of everything but the feel of him and focused on the emotion she sensed
from him. Even if he remembering nothing else, she needed no further evidence
that he did love her, and right now there was no where she would rather be than
right where she was. Even so, she resisted the pull to give in completely. It
wasn’t right.
“Will,
maybe we shouldn’t do this …” She didn’t really mean it, he knew, because he
could see the longing in her eyes, just as he was positive she could feel it in
him. But Riker stopped anyway.
“You’re
right,” he managed, and she hated the look of guilt that replaced the love in
his bright eyes. “I shouldn’t have ---“
“I
love you,” she said, pressing her lips to his, and Will wrapped his arms around
her slender frame, holding her tight to him.
>>
~*~ I love you, too, ~*~<< he tried, using every ounce of his
concentration to do so. To hear her was hard enough, but sending to her … it
had been so long since he had attempted that. Will watched her face for an
reaction and was rewarded with a smile unlike any other he remembered seeing
from her. It was worth it all.
“I
know,” she whispered, and when she settled into his arms, drifting off to sleep
again the smile still played her lips. Will kissed her softly and drew back
with a sigh.
“Of
course you do,” he said right before he fell asleep, finally able to push his
confusion out of his mind and find some rest.
They
would work it all out soon.
~~**~~
Deanna
had benefited from her trip to the holodeck, Beverly noted silently as the
Counselor stepped back into Sickbay, moving directly towards Will’s sleeping
form. Crusher sighed inwardly. She was at her wit’s end. They had tried just
about everything to bring Riker out of the coma, and it had all been in vain.
“No
change?” Deanna asked, letting her hand rest on Will’s forehead. Beverly shook
her head and saw the pain flash over the Betazoid’s delicate features. Crusher
reached out to her friend and placed a comforting hand on Troi’s shoulder. At
least she hoped it would be comforting, because right now it seemed it was all
she was able to do.
“I’ll
leave you alone with him for a minute. But I’ll be right out here. Call me if
there’s any change.”
“I
will,” Deanna answered, offering a pale smile to the Doctor. “Thank you.”
Beverly
left with one last look over her shoulder, wondering if something good wasn’t
going to come out of this, after all. Maybe when Will woke up, he and Deanna
would realize that what had previously kept them apart was no longer important.
“Beverly.”
The Captain’s voice startled her, bringing her back, and she nodded, stopping
him with a hand on his arm as he attempted to walk past her. Picard gave her a
confused and serious look.
“Will’s
condition is unchanged,” she informed him as she guided him a little to the
side. Picard waited for Crusher, but then he noticed the figure at Riker’s
bedside and understood.
“Very
well, Doctor,” he said, heading out. “If there are any changes ---“
“I’ll
let you know,” she promised, and as he left, she found herself looking back at
Deanna, who was sitting down, her hand in Will’s. There was something both
comforting and heartbreaking about the sight.
Deanna,
unaware of Beverly’s thoughts, rose silently, dropping a kiss on Will’s cheek
as she leaned in and whispered the same words to him that she remembered that
he had said to her, when she had been the one lying there.
“I
miss you, Will. Please, don’t stay away too long.”
~~**~~
“Are
you sure?” Deanna did not like this. “Will, I think it’s too soon,” she tried,
again. But he had obviously made up his mind, and she followed him silently
into his Ready Room. He stood there for a moment before turning to her.
“I
have to do this, Deanna,” he said, moving towards his chair. “I have to try and
recapture the memories I’ve lost, and I can’t do that just sitting around in
our cabin.” He looked at her, wanting her understanding. “It only makes it
harder. I need to be here. I need to be on the Bridge.”
She
knew that there was no way she could change his mind, not even if she played
the counselor card. So she only nodded.
“We
will work it out, Imzadi,” he smiled and sat down in the chair behind his desk.
Before
any of them had time to react the chair had tipped backwards, and Deanna heard
both Will surprised gasp and her own scream as she saw her husband fall to the
ground and stay still.
It
only took Troi a fraction of a second to alert Sickbay, and then she was by
Will’s side, promising him that it would all be all right.
‘Maybe
if I say it enough times I’ll even believe it,’ she thought as she watched
Riker be rushed to Sickbay. She was right behind him.
~~**~~
Deanna
watched anxiously as Beverly ran yet another round of tests. She was still
holding Will’s hand, finding that she couldn’t let go – she no longer wanted
to.
Suddenly,
Will moved slightly on the biobed. Deanna jerked her head up and looked at
Crusher. So did Picard who had been standing in the doorway since before the
doctor had begun this latest examination.
“Imzadi
…”
The
word was faint, but Deanna heard, and both Crusher and Picard noticed the array
of emotion on the Counselor’s face at the sound of it. Beverly decided to step
back a little as Will begun to emerge. When he opened his eyes, Deanna let go
of his hand, and he turned his head to look at her.
“We
---“ he begun. He wanted to finish whatt he had been saying. But then he
stopped, realizing that even if it was Deanna sitting by his side, it was not
the Deanna he had last seen. She was younger now. He took his eyes off her and
noticed both Beverly and the Captain standing there. That could only mean one
thing.
“What
did you want to say?” Deanna asked, and he returned his attention to her. She
looked startled. Will smiled a little. Maybe she was surprised at the strength
of the emotions, which he was sure she could feel from him. He couldn’t blame
her. He looked closer. She looked startled, but not uncomfortably so.
“I
have to know something,” he asked, directing his question to the Doctor. He had
to be absolutely sure before he said anything else. “What happened? How did I
end up here?”
“There
was a red alert.” It was Deanna who answered. “You had a fall in the turbolift.
I brought you here.” She looked at him, those dark eyes locked with his blue
ones. “You’ve been out for a while.” He saw her swallow and reached for her
hand. The Captain and Chief Medical Officer watched in silence.
“I’m
fine,” he whispered, now certain that he was back were he was supposed to be.
“I am.”
“What
did you want to say?” she asked again, reeling slightly from the powerful
emotions radiating from him. They were unlike any she had felt from him in
years, and they were all directed at her.
“Something
I should have said years ago,” he answered. She listened closely. He spoke in a
low voice. “Deanna, I love you.”
“Will
…” she breathed. She was overwhelmed. “I don’t want you to say it just because
---“
“I
mean it,” Riker maintained. “Imzadi …”
She
responded by leaning in and kissing him softly. She didn’t care that Beverly
and the Captain were there to witness it, and neither did Will.
Crusher
and Picard left the room unnoticed, and even though the Captain knew that what
he had just seen were bound to bring about some changes on the ship, he was happy
for Riker and Troi.
After
all he was the one who had once said that he preferred that his officers be
aware of each other’s abilities … this was just a little more than he had
bargained for.
“’Care
to join me for dinner, Jean-Luc?” Beverly asked. “I think these two could use
some time alone.” She gestured towards Will and Deanna and smiled. He nodded
and extended an arm to her as they left the First Officer and Counselor alone
to rediscover their feelings for each other.
~*~ FINITO ~*~