Chapter 1

She had no idea it was going to happen, and neither did they. But their advantage was that they knew what was going on, and what had happened; she had a vague idea, but it wasn't her main concern. Her concern was getting home.

In effect, they saved her. Or maybe he had? But no, he was a brutal monster and her drop off point was meant to be just another aspect of her unending torture.

But Dr. Crusher wasn't concerned with any of that right now; she was just concerned with keeping her patient alive.

"Damn it! What did he do to her?" She demanded. Of course no one in Sick Bay was going to answer the question, although they all knew what had been done. He'd tortured her, mercilessly. But then again, the idea of any Cardassian being merciful was laughable in many respects.

"Why would anyone do this?" She continued, hardly managing to contain her seething rage and indignation. "She's a child!"

That question no one could answer.

The girl that lay before them looked to be in her adolescent years and near death, wearing ripped and bloodied clothing akin to something that might be found in a child's history book. "Coward," Beverly muttered.

"Don't worry Doctor," Commander Riker's voice drifted towards her from the doorway, " we'll track him down."

"And do what to him?" She snorted. Then, realizing who had just spoken, her head snapped up and she spun around. "Will! What the hell are you doing here? Get out!"

Taken somewhat aback, as he was only present to get a report and check personally on their unfortunate captive, Will did as ordered and slunk meekly out of the room.

"He knows better than that!" Crusher snapped, dumping her anger for the Cardassian out on Will, as well as her frustration over her patients' medical condition.

Despite the medical advances of the past century, the past decade, and Crusher's formidable medical knowledge and expertise, the patient that lay before the medical crew was beyond help. They had all made their best efforts in repairing as much damage as was possible, but only time would tell if their patient would survive the night.

The only real mercy was that the girl that lay before them, "thanks" to a blow to the head, was unconscious. Her injuries were incredibly severe, and the medical crew had used her unconscious state to their advantage, especially after learning that the girl had so many chemicals in her body, any conventional painkillers, anything on hand, would be useless, and perhaps fatal. They'd managed to repair internal hemorrhaging and broken bones, actions that would have been agonizing for the girl if she were conscious; but there was no guarantee that she would be free from pain when she awoke. In fact, despite their best effort, she'd probably be in agony.

If she wakes up, Crusher corrected herself as she stood staring at the girl. And I'll have to stand here and watch it.

"Doctor Crusher?"

Beverly turned at the familiar sound of Doctor Selar's voice.

"The child won't wake anytime soon," the soft calm Vulcan voice muttered. "Possibly hours. What is the point in staying?. You have exhausted yourself." She took a breath and continued, " And I fear that you are already becoming too attached to her. That is not good, Doctor. You must rest now. I will not allow you to work under such conditions."

Crusher fought back the urge to laugh. The fact that Selar was giving she, the ship's Chief medical officer an order, even with the best of intentions, was more than amusing. Still, under Selar's stern gaze and posture, Crusher wondered just what might happen if she decided to utilize her superior powers and "disobey." However, she really didn't have the guts or the energy to do so. So, secretly very much relieved, Crusher left the room.

As she walked out, she saw Will waiting patiently on the nearest bio-bed.

"Would you like to discuss the situation here, Commander?" She questioned seriously. "In which case, I'd probably have to give you an examination of some sort," she explained. "However, if you'd like, we could go to my office."

"No medical examination required?" He asked, smiling.

Crusher sighed, and it was obvious that she was exhausted both mentally and physically. "Not unless you really want one."

"It's a date." Riker grinned saucily, jumped off of the bed, and extended his arm to Crusher. Laughing she shook her head and walked past him in dismissal.

Once inside, Beverly sank into her chair and wearily closed her eyes. " What's the report?" She asked

" Our sensors were able to identify the ship, as well as extract files and personal information. The ship obviously has technology that we weren't aware of. As you already know, not only were we unable to attach a tractor beam, or contact the perpitrator, but after transporting the girl here, the ship just vanished. We haven't been able to trace it at all. "

Crusher's eyebrows shot up. "How much personal information?"

Riker tried to ignore that Beverly just glossed over (if she'd heard at all) the other information he'd just given.
"Mostly on the girl. But we've got some on the name is-"

Crusher waved the last comment away with her hand. " I don't care about him, tell me about the girl."

"Her name's Shondra Howard. She was abducted from Earth around the late 20th century."

"But that's insane!" Crushed objected. "You don't just go into the past like it's some sort of shore leave!" She exclaimed. " And if you're somehow face to face with it, in it, you do not disturb it!" Looking incredulously at Riker she asked, " And he just transported her up? Just like that? What if people saw? How could he do that? And why her?"

Riker shrugged. " I don't know."

Crusher buried her head in her hands. " So what now? What do we do with her now that we've got her? There's no way to take her back."

"No," he agreed, "there's not. And even if there was a way, we'd be-"

"Altering the present and history as we know it," Crusher finished. " We might not even be here, et cetera et cetera et cetera."

Will grinned. "Well, you might not be."

Beverly stared at him. She was far too tired for games. "What, Will? What is it?"

"She's related to you."

Crusher just stared at him. "That's impossible!"

Will raised an eyebrow. "You don't trust your staff to be able to competantly perform a DNA test?" When Beverly opened her mouth to respond, he waved his hand to stop her as he continued, "They ran one while you were tending to the more pressing matter of her physical condition. Trying to figure out who she was. The computer was pretty quick to point out that, when looking for a kin relative, well, it was you."

Beverly closed her eyes and put a hand heavily over her lids. "So, what I'm her grandma?"

Due to the late hour, and Beverly's long shift, Will decided to let his joke about her lack of retiscence slide. "She's your great great great aunt or something or other. Not sure how many greats, but I do remember aunt. Your mother's side of the family, I believe."

"Well, isn't that just wonderful?" Beverly scoffed. Too tired to feel much of anything besides tired, and unhappy.

Riker put his hand softly to her shoulder. "Doctor, it gets worse."

Beverly braced herself for the impact and waited.

"We've also, from the computer scans, obtained entries, detailed entries on many of the "experiments" that were performed on Shondra. I thought they might be helpful to you-"

Looking up at him, feeling nauseated, Beverly interrupted in a whisper, "Have Data do it. I don't think I could stomach it. Not after what I've already seen. I've had enough."

"He already looked at them."

Beverly nodded. "Then have him compare that knowledge with all the known medical information available to Star Fleet, and see if we can do anything for her."

Will stood up. It was obvious that from her tone Beverly knew that it was useless. She just didn't have the heart to admit it. For a doctor to know that compared to the situation their skills are nil, he considered, and that all the medical skill at hand are essentially worthless, must be an incredibly heart wrenching realization. And for Beverly, whom he knew from personal experience to take every patient's case to heart, it must be even more so.

"Doctor Crusher?" Nurse Ogawa called.

"Yes?"

Riker paused, and waited.

"I think you'd better take a look at this."

"Where's Selar?"

"She's looking up files. She said you'd want to see this, Doctor."

Concerned Beverly rose to her feet, one hand shoving back a mound of her red hair and headed quickly to the other section of sickbay that had been blocked off specifically for the girl. Shondra, she reminded herself. She stopped in front of Will who was only slightly blocking her path.

"Like some company?"

She looked relieved, but shook her head. " It'd probably be best if you stayed here." She hurried past him, then stopped, seemed to reconsider, and turned around. "Yes, please do accompany me. It might be important and you can keep the other officers more up to date."

Riker knew that was a lie, if anyone were to update the senior officers on a patient's condition, it would be Beverly. Come hell or high water, it would be Beverly. But, he went with her excuse and followed her.

Crusher stepped into the room and hurried to the bio bed. " What's wrong?" She demanded.

Selar moved up to a sensor unit and focused its sensitivity over Shondra. "Look at this please," she instructed.

Beverly gazed at it casually at first, then stared at it in shocked disbelief. Her jaw dropped as she stared at Selar.

"My god!" She exclaimed weakly. " She's pregnant!"

Will's eyes widened in shock, and his mouth would have been gaping, but at the last moment he remembered his rank, and that it wouldn't look good if he showed any degree of surprise. But he certainly felt it.

"As if she didn't have enough problems," Nurse Ogawa mumbled.

Crusher sighed and leaned against the bio bed where the girl lay. "What are we going to do with her? She's near death, her entire way of life has been taken away from her, and now this."

" Doctor;" Selar pointed out, "after all she could die. That would take care of all problems, would it not?"

Riker and Beverly simply stared at her.

"It is a logical solution," she asserted.

Beverly clamped her mouth shut determined not to allow the thoughts in her mind to come spilling out of her mouth. After all, she reminded herself dryly, she is only being logical.

She stared at the bio read out more carefully, refocusing the screen intently on Shondra's reproductive anatomy. "Something's not right," she muttered. She scanned the data and analyzed it and quickly came to the realization, "It's not alive. It's an artificial life form, a mimic, like a micro probe only more so." She stared in disbelief at the screen. "She isn't pregnant at all," she whispered.

"She is Doctor," Selar corrected. "Her body is currently going through all the changes that would normally occur in a pregnant humanoid. The embryo is a very good fake. Her body believes in every sense that it is real, so in that sense it is a real pregnancy."

"Beverly," Will pulled her aside sensing that she was near implosion from the stress, "there is a briefing later to help figure all this out, offer options." He was reaching for straws, and he knew it. Selar was right; the girl could very easily be dead by that time. And most likely, considering the life she'd have to live, it would be merciful. But still, he had to admit that he didn't want her to die.

Beverly nodded numbly. "I'll be there." She glanced back at Selar. " You can handle her for a while?"

"Of course, Doctor."

Crusher nodded. "Good. I'm going to bed."