One week later
"According to Counselor McKenna, she settled in to her new quarters quite well - after a bit of redecorating."
Picard nodded absently to Riker's report. Somehow, the idea of Beverly's cabin being decks away rather than just down the corridor gave a sense of permanence to the situation he did not wish to contemplate.
"She's taken a shine to Geordi apparently so he's spent a good deal of his free time with her, and as you know, Rosemary turns out to have been an acceptable suggestion, so that's what everybody's calling her..."
New quarters, new name...
If Beverly adapted well enough to all the changes, would they ever be able to bring her back to herself?
"May I ask a question, Captain?"
Picard forced himself to focus on his first officer. "What is it, Number One?"
"Why 'Rosemary'?" He paused, hoping he wasn't intruding on something personal. "I mean, what made you suggest that particular name?"
"It's a line of Ophelia's in 'Hamlet'. 'There's rosemary, that's for remembrance.' It seemed... fitting."
Riker saw the unmistakable sadness in the Captain's face, which made his next question even harder. "Sir, the other day Deanna and I were talking, and she mentioned the possibility of a specialized facility..."
"No," Picard interrupted sharply. The grim set of his features was a clear indication that he would tolerate no argument - not that Riker had ever intended to give him one. "The counselor and I spoke with Wesley again last night. He feels, as I do, that she needs to be with her friends... with her family. Beverly stays here."
"I'm glad, sir. I didn't like the idea of sending her away either." The emphatic undertone in Will's voice got his attention, and Riker flushed slightly at the captain's scrutiny. "I owe her," he clarified, "for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that I'd have been dead more than once if it weren't for Beverly. And as you said, she needs to be with her family."
"We all owe her, Will," Picard murmured, and Riker was startled to see a glittering in his eyes that could only be tears. "I just hate the fact that this is the way we get to repay her."
x~x
With Judith McKenna handling Beverly's case, Deanna was able to concentrate on the senior officers and Beverly's staff.
Most of the reactions were typical for this sort of situation.
...Anger, of course, in all cases, even bordering on pure rage from the captain...
...hurt when Beverly failed to recognize them...
...guilt when the encounters elicited fear from her...
...frustration and inadequacy at not being able to help.
The vehement thirst for retaliation had also been expected - from Worf... and to a lesser extent Picard.
Deanna was stunned to find something similar in Alyssa Ogawa, of all people. The usually unflappable young nurse spent most of her sessions pacing the room in agitation; unconsciously mimicking her boss's habit of running a hand through her dark hair as her words came tumbling out.
"She's never done deliberate harm to anyone in her life! How could they hurt her, of all people?"
They were taxing sessions for the counselor, and she dreaded Alyssa's reaction when details of Beverly's trauma - whatever they may be - were brought to light.
Deanna wasn't looking forward to the revelations herself. Her own imaginings were bad enough... what could someone who did this sort of thing as a profession come up with?
-tbc-