Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you to T'Sara, snapeissexy and 09sasha for reviewing.
Dr. Phlox grinned widely at his Denobulan colleague at the news that he had found a second wife and they were to be married in two months. Dr. Zareel had been here a week before the conference started to help the Denobulans set up their section and organize everyone's schedules for lectures and meetings, and he had told Phlox about a little-used elevator in a corner of the first level; he and his companion had been using the elevator to avoid the general flow of traffic. It was a handy shortcut, and even more pleasant about the route Zareel took from the dining hall to the elevator was seeing the eager young human woman who was shadowing them at this conference. She usually studied her textbook in a little-used hallway in this quiet corner of the conference building, and he made an effort to stop and greet her when he saw her.
"I think you'll find Lucy Hardister a delightful young woman," Zareel assured his colleague. "You've worked with humans for several years now. Are they all so determined and eager?"
Phlox chuckled. "Most of the humans I have met are determined and eager to reach their goals. And although they are new to the interstellar community, I think they'll turn out to be quite an influence on the quadrant. They are a wonderful race," he agreed, smiling to himself at the thought of the Enterprise crew, moving forward with their mission despite every conceivable setback.
Zareel smiled as well and looked toward the hallway where he usually saw his little human shadow. But when he came to the mouth of the corridor and looked down the hall, the smile slipped from his face and was replaced by an expression of shock. Phlox came to his side when he noticed his expression change, and he saw a young woman slumped against the wall, her complexion pale, her eyes firmly closed.
"Lucy!" Zareel called, running forward to her side and taking her gently into his arms. "Ms. Hardister? Can you hear me?"
Phlox was with them in another moment, the doctor in him shoving aside all else, and he checked her pulse manually, not having found the need to bring any medical equipment down from Enterprise with him.
"Her pulse is steady," Phlox said to his colleague, "and her breathing is normal. You said her father is with the human contingent?"
Zareel nodded and checked the navy blue bracelet around Lucy's wrist. As she was considered a minor by the humans, she was required to wear the accessory to identify what contingent she was attached to and who was responsible for her. In this case, that was her father.
"Dr. Gabriel Hardister. Come, the human contingent is next door to ours."
He lifted the young woman and headed toward the elevator, Phlox matching his pace with ease. The Denobulans were glad this area of the center was practically deserted, as it enabled them to keep Lucy's condition private. Once the door to the elevator was closed, Phlox continued as best he could with his manual examination. He tried calling her name, but she did not move. With his long, clever fingers, he checked her pulse again, just to be sure, and he felt it beneath his fingers, steady as a beating drum. He gently laid his hand to her forehead and frowned at the cold, clammy feel of her pale flesh. Phlox was confused now and eager to get to the human section so they could solve this mystery. He took her hand in his and pinched her hard, and although the skin beneath his fingers turned red, she made no sign that the pain affected her.
The elevator glided to a smooth stop, and the two Denobulans hurried out, Zareel making sure Lucy's head didn't hit the entrance. Phlox almost wanted to run, but he forced himself to walk calmly to the door to the human section and hold it open for his colleague.
A middle-aged woman was seated in the well-lit, cheerful antechamber, but she leaped to her feet when she saw who Zareel was holding. She bid them to wait a moment and ran to fetch the doctors, and soon she returned, two male human doctors at her heels.
"Is either of you Gabriel Hardister?" Phlox said quickly. The men shook their heads.
"No, he left an hour ago to attend a lecture in auditorium five," the woman said quickly, checking a PADD that presumably displayed the master schedule.
"Shall I fetch him for you?" Phlox offered. "This is his daughter, after all."
"No, I'll go," said the woman, and she hurried out the door. The men introduced themselves as Dr. Steward and Dr. Morris, and they put Lucy into a spare office until her father arrived. Although this was a medical conference, the best medical facility they had in the building was the hospital wing on the ground floor, which was only equipped to deal with minor injuries and maladies. It certainly wasn't outfitted for a patient who was borderline comatose, and they discussed transferring Lucy to a hospital not too far from the conference center. It wasn't until Phlox suggested transferring the girl to Enterprise for the time being that the doctors seemed to relax. He assured them that he had been serving among humans for several years, and the doctors were relieved to know there was a well-equipped sickbay in orbit on a human vessel.
Her father arrived shortly afterward, practically jogging into the office to see his daughter. Unlike his child, the man had light sandy blonde hair and gray eyes, and he was stout and hardy while Lucy was lithe and thin. He knelt by Lucy's side and brushed her abundant curls out of her face.
"Lucy," he whispered, his voice cracking in his panic. Morris laid a hand on Hardister's shoulder. The man turned towards the Denobulans and set his jaw.
"Do you know what happened to her?" he asked, his voice higher than usual. The human doctors exchanged a glance, but the Denobulans shook their heads.
"We saw her in the corridor she likes to study in," Zareel offered. "She was unconscious when we found her."
Hardister blinked rapidly and turned back to his daughter. "Why was she alone?"
"She was always in that corridor alone," Zareel continued. "No one goes down there."
The man frowned and narrowed his eyes at the Denobulan. "Did she tell you no one goes down there?"
Zareel frowned at Hardister, but nodded. "I asked her why I didn't see her in the dining hall for the midday meal. She said she always goes down to an abandoned corridor to study the textbook you gave her."
Phlox shared an uneasy glance with Dr. Morris, but Hardister's expression hardened further. "Really?" he said coldly. "And have you seen my daughter every day?"
Dr. Steward squeezed the man's shoulder with a vice-like grip. "Gabriel," he said softly, his voice as cold as Hardister's, "are you thinking what I think you're thinking? If so, you can stop right now. The Denobulans would never hurt your daughter. I doubt they'd hurt a fly."
"Besides," Morris offered, "how would assault lead to a coma? She wasn't bleeding when Phlox and Zareel brought her in. We'd know if something like that happened."
Zareel and Phlox shared another glance, the former's eyes welling with pain. Phlox too was disturbed at the thought of anyone taking advantage of the young human, and although Morris quickly dismissed assault, Phlox wasn't ruling anything out at this point. Lucy, though young, was becoming a woman, and had mostly developed physically into the adult she would become. It sickened him to think of it, but he could understand her father's fear that Lucy had been attacked so barbarically. Other than her beautiful curls, her lithe figure was slightly rounded at the hips and bust, and he could see the lovely dip of her waist and the luscious thickness of her thighs. To the masculine mind, she was an arresting sight, and combined with the eagerness Zareel had described to him, he could see why the perverse would find her a tempting target.
Morris brought Phlox back to reality when he told Hardister their plan, and the doctor seemed agreeable to their arrangement. So Phlox led Lucy's father to the door and opened it for the human doctor.
"I'm coming with you to Enterprise," he said firmly, shifting his daughter's weight.
"I'll contact Captain Archer and inform him."
Zareel caught up with the pair and fell in step with Phlox. "Is there anything you needed to do on the surface?" he asked in Denobulan. Phlox sighed.
"Actually," he replied, echoing his colleague's language choice, "I had made an appointment with the Vulcans to discuss some medical data I was hoping to obtain. Unfortunately, due to this emergency, I cannot come to my appointment. If you could go to the Vulcans, explain the situation and offer my apologies..."
"Of course," Zareel said quietly, and he walked away toward one of the flyovers toward the elevators. Phlox and Hardister continued on toward the transport station, ignoring the obvious stares they were receiving. Phlox replied to all inquiries, assuring those who were concerned for Lucy that she would be fine and the situation was under control. When they reached his shuttle and set course for Enterprise, Phlox filled Hardister in on his brief examination of his daughter.
"I'll confirm her as comatose if she doesn't wake up in six hours," he said. Hardister paled slightly. "She was unresponsive to all stimuli, but I'll know more when she's in sickbay. I don't think the captain will mind you staying with your daughter."
"Thank you, doctor," the man said, running a hand over his daughter's forehead. "It looks like her color is coming back, though," he murmured, almost to himself.
"That's a good thing," Phlox said cheerfully, trying to be optimistic. Indeed, he was sure this incident would be over soon and Lucy would be back to normal within a few days. He wouldn't say anything to her father in case he was wrong, but humans were a hardy and determined species, and Lucy was a great example of those attributes. She would be fine.
Phlox landed the shuttle neatly in Enterprise's shuttle bay, then led Hardister to sickbay, where Captain Archer was waiting.
"What happened, doctor?" the captain asked the Denobulan. Phlox gestured to his examination table and let Hardister put his daughter down before answering.
"We, that is a colleague and I, found Ms. Hardister in a corridor down at the conference center. She was unconscious and is nearly comatose, and although Dekendi III has perfectly adequate medical facilities, I thought Enterprise would be a better choice. I've served among humans for several years, and I will admit, I want to take on this case for Dr. Zareel's sake. He's quite fond of your daughter, Dr. Hardister. He said she reminds him of his own daughter. He has one near that age, and I assure you, he would never dream of using your daughter in such a callous manner."
Hardister stared at the floor a moment. "I overreacted, doctor. It was wrong of me."
"Zareel understands that. Now, if you will hand me the medical tricorder, I'll start recording some data."
There was not much else Lucy's father could do while Phlox ran his scans but to wait. Though most of humanity had cast off their beliefs in an omnipotent being, Hardister found himself silently praying that his daughter, his little Lucy, would be all right.
…
Zareel hurried over the flyover and entered the next available elevator headed for the third level of the conference center. Phlox didn't quite understand how much of a favor he was doing for the young Denobulan by taking care of Lucy; he had grown quite fond of the small human during the last few days. He hardly got to see his children, what with the Inter-Species Medical assignments (he had spent three years already on Coridan), and although Denobulans were renowned for their patience, the absence of his children was burdensome. And then had come this eager little human with her long curly hair (like his dear little Haxel's, only black) and the most endearing giggle. She laughed often and it cheered him, though in the back of his mind he knew she would have to take some things seriously. Perhaps she was a bit immature and naïve, but from what he could tell, her childhood had been pleasant yet sheltered. Lucy was obviously the apple of her father's eye, and it saddened Zareel that her father thought so ill of him to accuse him of raping his daughter. The thought of doing such a thing to poor little Lucy was horrendous, disgusting! He hurried to the Vulcans' section.
Before entering, or even approaching the door, Zareel stopped and controlled his emotions. He was worried about Lucy, but he knew enough about Vulcans that showing too much emotion would offend them, and he felt it best to keep a cordial relationship with those who had initiated this conference, this exchange. It wasn't as if this conference rested on his behavior, but who didn't want to make a good impression?
He was greeted by a young, dark-haired aide wearing the same clean suits that the Vulcan contingent were known for, and the Denobulan bowed his head curtly before approaching the young Vulcan.
"I have a message for your head physicians," Zareel said quietly. The aide nodded, encouraging him to continue. "Dr. Phlox had a meeting with them scheduled sometime today. Unfortunately, an emergency has arisen and he won't be able to make it."
The aide nodded. "I will pass along the message. Though, I don't mean to pry, but what is the nature of this emergency?"
Zareel frowned, but reasoned that the Vulcans were working with the Dekendi to provide most of the security for the conference. If Lucy had been attacked...
"One of the human doctors brought along his daughter. The young lady has an interest in xenobiology and was shadowing members of my contingent, but we found her unconscious in an empty corridor this afternoon."
This caught the aide's attention, and he stood straighter. "Where is the young lady now?"
"On Enterprise," Zareel replied. "Phlox took on her case, and is therefore unable to attend his appointment."
The aide bid him wait a moment and walked away down a hall, then returned shortly with a PADD in hand. "Our communications records report that he requested some medical data. Would you like me to fetch the doctors and have them review his request?"
The Denobulan raised his eyebrows. "I'm sure Phlox would appreciate that."
The young Vulcan nodded and retreated down a hallway, and Zareel clasped his hands behind his back and breathed in and out, trying to calm down. His thoughts kept drifting to Lucy, to her pale face and her clammy skin, the dead weight of her in his arms. He sighed and gazed at one of the many lit candles around the antechamber, brainstorming possible causes for Lucy's coma. The minute he was done here, he would contact Enterprise and ask Phlox for an update on her condition, then he would have to get some work done. Yes, a few good hours of hard work would ease his worries.
The aide returned with three Vulcans at his heels, and Zareel straightened and offered them a tiny smile. They all nodded to him in greeting, and the eldest, a tall, sober man with gray hair, spoke.
"Are you going to be in contact with Doctor Phlox today, doctor?"
Zareel nodded. "As soon as I finish here."
The man nodded. "You may tell him that we will contact him aboard his ship. We wish to discuss his request."
Again, the Denobulan nodded. "Is there anything else?"
The elder Vulcan flared his nostrils slightly. "Please tell us about this young lady you spoke of. How is she?"
Zareel couldn't suppress a sigh. "I don't know, but Phlox is treating her now."
"Veral told us as much. We would like to visit Phlox aboard Enterprise to discuss the medical data with him, if that is agreeable. Perhaps, while we are there, we could assist him with this young woman."
"Phlox is more than capable of handling this case-"
"Doctor Oratt meant no insult to Phlox's talents, doctor," another doctor said, a older man, younger than Oratt, but with dark gray hair. "We are simply curious. This is, after all, a conference that encourages the study of xenobiology and interstellar camaraderie in the medical sciences."
Zareel allowed himself a small smile. "I'll pass on the message. If there's nothing else, I am eager to contact Phlox for an update on her."
"May I come with you?" asked the youngest doctor, a tall man with dark brown hair and almost golden-brown eyes.
The Denobulan looked to the older Vulcans, who nodded their consent. With the Vulcan at his heels, Zareel strode quickly out of the room and toward the elevators. He did not turn to the young Vulcan until they were alone in the lift and moving down toward the second floor.
"I'm sorry," Zareel muttered. "I'm so eager to hear this update that I'm forgetting my manners. I'm Doctor Zareel."
The young doctor nodded. "Doctor Yuris. What do you know about this young woman's condition?"
Zareel sighed. "I've told you most of what I know. Phlox will be able to determine more than I can right now."
Yuris was silent for a moment. "You are worried about her."
Zareel swallowed. "She reminds me of my daughter, Haxel...do you have children, doctor?"
"No," the young Vulcan said quietly. "Though I understand your concern."
The elevator stopped at the second level, and Zareel and Yuris beat a hasty path toward the Denobulan section. Though before they took five steps away from the flyover, Dr. Morris came out of the human section called out for Zareel to stop. The Denobulan turned and waited for the human to approach; the man looked uncomfortable.
"Look," he said quietly, "I'm sure Doctor Hardister didn't mean anything he said. He's distraught, I mean, this is his daughter, and he wasn't there to help her..."
He trailed off, but Zareel offered him a sympathetic smile. "I understand, and for all I know, I might have been liable to react the same way. Forgive me, Yuris, but this is Doctor Morris. And this, doctor, is Doctor Yuris, with the Vulcan contingent. He wanted to come with me to get an update on Lucy's condition."
Morris' face crinkled in a wan smile. "Mind if I tag along?"
Zareel nodded and led the two doctors to the Denobulan section, then down the hallway to his personal office. He sank into his chair and gestured to the two chairs opposite his desk. The communication device was behind him, and he swiveled around and contacted Enterprise, eventually reaching Phlox in sickbay.
The older Denobulan's blue eyes brightened when he saw his colleague, and they flicked up to find Zareel's companions and further brightened with curiosity.
"I know what you're going to ask, but I don't know much yet. But if I may inquire, who is our Vulcan visitor?"
"This is Doctor Yuris," Zareel explained. "The Vulcans have expressed interest in Lucy's case, and I guess we have no choice but to divulge the details. They'll be visiting you at some point to discuss that medical data you requested."
Phlox frowned, and Zareel raised his eyebrows at Morris' irritated tone. "No offense, doctor, but it's none of the Vulcans' business. This patient is human," Morris nearly growled.
"My superiors simply wish to help her in any way they can, and to inspire inter-species camaraderie," Yuris replied, though Zareel thought he could hear a note of apology in his voice.
Phlox sighed and glared at his monitor for a moment. "I've ruled out sexual assault, but then, that was highly unlikely in the first place."
"Did her father insist on you checking that?" Morris asked incredulously. Phlox shook his head.
"No, I did. I'd rather not rule anything out, but I must admit, I was relieved to see a negative on that test."
Zareel heard Morris sigh behind him, almost with relief, and his heart was a tad lighter at that news. "Anything else you can tell us?"
Phlox paused before answering. "From what I can determine, she's exhibiting all the signs of neurological trauma, but it's nothing like I've seen. I'll have to run some more detailed scans, but her coma may have been due to an interruption of neuro-electric signals somewhere in her cortex. I can't determine where at the moment, but I'm setting up my equipment now. Zareel, did the Vulcans say anything more?"
He shook his head. "No, you've heard everything. I believe they want to come on board Enterprise," he paused and turned to Yuris for confirmation, who nodded, "though when, I'm not sure. They'll be in contact with you, Phlox."
The Denobulan acknowledged him and was about to sign off when they heard a voice from Phlox's end.
"Wait," Dr. Hardister said, coming into the frame. "Doctor Zareel?" he asked, focusing on the younger Denobulan, the human's expression contrite. Zareel nodded.
"Yes, doctor, is there something you wanted to know?"
Hardister shook his head. "I wanted to apologize for my behavior. It was...wrong of me to accuse you like that. Thank you for taking care of my daughter."
Zareel couldn't help but smile, and he bowed his head in acceptance. "Apology accepted, doctor. Now, if there's nothing else, I fear I have work to do."
Morris murmured in agreement, and the connection was terminated. The human doctor and the Denobulan frowned at each other, but Zareel saw out of the corner of his eye that Yuris was staring at the ground, looking pensive.
"What is it, doctor?" the Denobulan asked. Yuris looked up.
"I'm not entirely certain at the moment. I'll do some research into what Phlox found."
Morris smiled. "We'd appreciate it. Now, doctors, if you'll excuse me..."
He nodded to them both and exited Zareel's office, but Yuris stayed a moment.
"When you found her...did she react to your touch in any way?"
Zareel frowned. "She was completely unconscious when we found her."
Yuris nodded, and the young Denobulan could have sworn that he heard a quiet sigh from the Vulcan.
"Very well," Yuris said, almost dejectedly. "It was foolish to suspect it..."
Zareel furrowed his brow. "What do you suspect, doctor?"
Yuris shook his head. "As I said, it was an illogical assumption. Will you be coming aboard Enterprise?"
"I hope so," Zareel said quietly. "She's been shadowing us for three days now. Dr. Hardister arrived two days before the conference started. She's such a delightful young woman..."
He swallowed thickly again and sighed. "With any luck, she'll be fine in no time. Phlox has incredible talent and resourcefulness."
Yuris nodded and took his leave, but Zareel sat in his chair a few minutes more, pondering this sad situation.