Disclaimer: Ok, I lied. I AM Gene Roddenberry and I own everything. And
if you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn on the market.
Part Eight
The storm had passed outside the cave and the sun was rising. Inside the cave, nothing had changed. Kate was still unconscious, bordering on sleep and death. Wesley was still sitting by, feeling utterly hopeless. He was starting to lose all and any hope, and began to feel that he too, was waiting for his own death.
Just as his energy was failing him completely, and he was about to close his eyes for what he thought might be the last time, Wesley heard a slight, quiet beeping and the soft rumble of a voice. It snapped up his attention, and before long, he realized it was his insignia. 'The Enterprise' he thought as he tapped his call.
"Wesley Crusher here," he said as loud as he could manage, which wasn't really very loud.
"Wesley?" the other voice said. The voice was Captain Picard's. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes, Sir," Wesley replied. "But only barely."
"All right." Picard was silent for a moment, and Wesley could imagine that he was asking Com. Data or Com. La Forge to boost power to the communicator. "Any better now?"
"Yes. Much better."
"Wesley," Picard started, "Is Kate with you?"
Wesley hesitated to answer. "She's here," he said reluctantly. "But just barely. She was badly injured, and I don't think she can hold out much longer." There was an ominous silence on the other end of the comn. Wesley knew that the crew was soberly reacting to the news. Then he heard the faint voice of Picard saying, "Get them out of there, now."
Wesley leaned over Kate's body and whispered, "We're leaving." He gently grasped her hand just as the Enterprise locked in on their signals and beamed them up.
They reappeared in Sick Bay. The first person Wesley saw was his mother. She was right there to take care of the both of them. Wesley lifted Kate up and placed her on a sick bed. Doctors and nurses suddenly surrounded her, and Beverly broke away to examine her son, through his weak protests.
"I'll be fine, Mom," he insisted. "Take care of Kate."
"She's being taken care of, Wes. Just let me be a mother for a minute." Wesley was too weak to protest any longer, so he sat down and let his mother do her job. She found no major problems other than the radiation poisoning. She gave him a shot of something to reverse the process, then let him go. She tired to convince him to go to their quarters and sleep, but it was obvious that Wesley wasn't going anywhere until he knew for sure that Kate was going to be okay.
Others appeared in Sick Bay before long. Picard showed up first, talked briefly with Beverly about Kate's condition, then sat down next to Wesley and comforted him in silence. Geordi arrived not long after to check up on the patients and to inform the Captain of their status in Engineering. Deanna was also making her way towards Sickbay when she found Worf, pacing indecisively at the door.
"Why don't you go in?" she asked him calmly.
"Out of respect," Worf said, as if he had just decided that himself. "A warrior would not want other warriors to see them injured."
Deanna accepted this answer and entered Sickbay by herself. Almost automatically, she was struck with overwhelming emotions coming from the dark figure hunched over in a chair in the corner of the room. It didn't take Deanna long to realize that the figure was Wesley. He raised his head and his eyes flickered right past Deanna, not even noticing her. They settled on the huddle of doctors that still surrounded Kate.
Deanna could sense many of Wesley's emotions. She felt guilt and sadness, but mostly fear. He feared for Kate, obviously. The emotion was so raw and strong that Deanna wouldn't have been surprised if everyone in the room could feel it, Betazoid or not.
Beverly broke away from the huddle and approached Picard. She knew Wesley was going to listen in anyway, so she spoke loud enough to where he wouldn't have to strain himself. "She'll be fine," she announced happily. "But it was a close call. Any longer and…" Beverly didn't continue her sentence. No one wanted to hear it. "She's asleep now," she said instead.
This news seemed to satisfy the crowd of worriers. Picard was the first to leave, because he had to return to the Bridge.
"Alert me when she wakes up," he said as he was leaving.
Geordi stayed a moment longer to say a word or two to Wesley. He soon realized that Wesley wasn't listening, and then he left as well. Deanna stepped outside the door to tell Worf that Kate would be okay, but then she returned. She wanted to be there is Wesley wanted to talk about anything. As it turned out, he didn't. He decided to follow his mother's advice and get some sleep. He would not, however, go back to their quarters. He instead picked a sick bed in an abandoned corner of Sick Bay and tired to sleep.
When Wesley woke, Sick Bay was all but abandoned. A few doctors and nurses flitted around but it was definitely a thin shift. His mother wasn't even there; it was her Bridge shift. Wesley looked across the room and saw Kate, still sleeping peacefully, unattended. Whatever his mother had given him, it had boosted his energy greatly. Wesley had no problem getting up, and was no longer pestered by the enduring headache he'd had for too long. He crossed the room and pulled up a seat next to Kate's bed. He sat there for a long time, just watching her sleep. Later, he dared to touch her, taking her hand, and he moved closer. He started to talk in a quiet, low voice that he himself could barely hear.
"How is it that you're always right Kate? How come you get to have all the answers?" Wesley asked, not really expecting to come up with an answer.
"Because some people have to know the answers, or everyone would be lost."
The voice frightened Wesley and he jumped up and spun around on his heels. He was relieved to see Guinan standing quite regally behind him.
"I came to check on the patients," she said, gesturing for Wesley to resume his seat as she herself pulled over a chair. "So, how are you?"
"I'll be alright," Wesley admitted. "Some vacation, huh?"
Guinan looked down at the sleeping patient and asked, "What was she right about?"
"Everything, as usual." Wesley had look on his face that Guinan knew very well. With her usual tact, Guinan let it slide. "She just knew. I wonder how long she's known?" Wesley was muttering to himself now.
Guinan laid her hand on Wesley's shoulder and said, "If you need me, you know where I roam."
Wesley nodded, but did not reply. Guinan, of course, forgave that. She knew what was going on and didn't blame him for being distracted. Still, being the listener that she was Guinan stopped at the door of Sickbay and quietly observed the tender moment.
Kate stirred slightly in her sleep and turned her head towards Wesley. Color had returned to her face, and the deathly pale that had shadowed her eyes had disappeared. Wesley started to talk in a soft, almost apologetic tone.
"Some way to spend a vacation, isn't it? I promise next time will be a little better." Wesley heard a door on the other side of Sick Bay whoosh open. He leaned over and kissed Kate's forehead, then leaned back in his seat. Guinan smiled the smile of a satisfied person from her hiding place.
"It's about time," she said to herself.
Part Eight
The storm had passed outside the cave and the sun was rising. Inside the cave, nothing had changed. Kate was still unconscious, bordering on sleep and death. Wesley was still sitting by, feeling utterly hopeless. He was starting to lose all and any hope, and began to feel that he too, was waiting for his own death.
Just as his energy was failing him completely, and he was about to close his eyes for what he thought might be the last time, Wesley heard a slight, quiet beeping and the soft rumble of a voice. It snapped up his attention, and before long, he realized it was his insignia. 'The Enterprise' he thought as he tapped his call.
"Wesley Crusher here," he said as loud as he could manage, which wasn't really very loud.
"Wesley?" the other voice said. The voice was Captain Picard's. "Can you hear me?"
"Yes, Sir," Wesley replied. "But only barely."
"All right." Picard was silent for a moment, and Wesley could imagine that he was asking Com. Data or Com. La Forge to boost power to the communicator. "Any better now?"
"Yes. Much better."
"Wesley," Picard started, "Is Kate with you?"
Wesley hesitated to answer. "She's here," he said reluctantly. "But just barely. She was badly injured, and I don't think she can hold out much longer." There was an ominous silence on the other end of the comn. Wesley knew that the crew was soberly reacting to the news. Then he heard the faint voice of Picard saying, "Get them out of there, now."
Wesley leaned over Kate's body and whispered, "We're leaving." He gently grasped her hand just as the Enterprise locked in on their signals and beamed them up.
They reappeared in Sick Bay. The first person Wesley saw was his mother. She was right there to take care of the both of them. Wesley lifted Kate up and placed her on a sick bed. Doctors and nurses suddenly surrounded her, and Beverly broke away to examine her son, through his weak protests.
"I'll be fine, Mom," he insisted. "Take care of Kate."
"She's being taken care of, Wes. Just let me be a mother for a minute." Wesley was too weak to protest any longer, so he sat down and let his mother do her job. She found no major problems other than the radiation poisoning. She gave him a shot of something to reverse the process, then let him go. She tired to convince him to go to their quarters and sleep, but it was obvious that Wesley wasn't going anywhere until he knew for sure that Kate was going to be okay.
Others appeared in Sick Bay before long. Picard showed up first, talked briefly with Beverly about Kate's condition, then sat down next to Wesley and comforted him in silence. Geordi arrived not long after to check up on the patients and to inform the Captain of their status in Engineering. Deanna was also making her way towards Sickbay when she found Worf, pacing indecisively at the door.
"Why don't you go in?" she asked him calmly.
"Out of respect," Worf said, as if he had just decided that himself. "A warrior would not want other warriors to see them injured."
Deanna accepted this answer and entered Sickbay by herself. Almost automatically, she was struck with overwhelming emotions coming from the dark figure hunched over in a chair in the corner of the room. It didn't take Deanna long to realize that the figure was Wesley. He raised his head and his eyes flickered right past Deanna, not even noticing her. They settled on the huddle of doctors that still surrounded Kate.
Deanna could sense many of Wesley's emotions. She felt guilt and sadness, but mostly fear. He feared for Kate, obviously. The emotion was so raw and strong that Deanna wouldn't have been surprised if everyone in the room could feel it, Betazoid or not.
Beverly broke away from the huddle and approached Picard. She knew Wesley was going to listen in anyway, so she spoke loud enough to where he wouldn't have to strain himself. "She'll be fine," she announced happily. "But it was a close call. Any longer and…" Beverly didn't continue her sentence. No one wanted to hear it. "She's asleep now," she said instead.
This news seemed to satisfy the crowd of worriers. Picard was the first to leave, because he had to return to the Bridge.
"Alert me when she wakes up," he said as he was leaving.
Geordi stayed a moment longer to say a word or two to Wesley. He soon realized that Wesley wasn't listening, and then he left as well. Deanna stepped outside the door to tell Worf that Kate would be okay, but then she returned. She wanted to be there is Wesley wanted to talk about anything. As it turned out, he didn't. He decided to follow his mother's advice and get some sleep. He would not, however, go back to their quarters. He instead picked a sick bed in an abandoned corner of Sick Bay and tired to sleep.
When Wesley woke, Sick Bay was all but abandoned. A few doctors and nurses flitted around but it was definitely a thin shift. His mother wasn't even there; it was her Bridge shift. Wesley looked across the room and saw Kate, still sleeping peacefully, unattended. Whatever his mother had given him, it had boosted his energy greatly. Wesley had no problem getting up, and was no longer pestered by the enduring headache he'd had for too long. He crossed the room and pulled up a seat next to Kate's bed. He sat there for a long time, just watching her sleep. Later, he dared to touch her, taking her hand, and he moved closer. He started to talk in a quiet, low voice that he himself could barely hear.
"How is it that you're always right Kate? How come you get to have all the answers?" Wesley asked, not really expecting to come up with an answer.
"Because some people have to know the answers, or everyone would be lost."
The voice frightened Wesley and he jumped up and spun around on his heels. He was relieved to see Guinan standing quite regally behind him.
"I came to check on the patients," she said, gesturing for Wesley to resume his seat as she herself pulled over a chair. "So, how are you?"
"I'll be alright," Wesley admitted. "Some vacation, huh?"
Guinan looked down at the sleeping patient and asked, "What was she right about?"
"Everything, as usual." Wesley had look on his face that Guinan knew very well. With her usual tact, Guinan let it slide. "She just knew. I wonder how long she's known?" Wesley was muttering to himself now.
Guinan laid her hand on Wesley's shoulder and said, "If you need me, you know where I roam."
Wesley nodded, but did not reply. Guinan, of course, forgave that. She knew what was going on and didn't blame him for being distracted. Still, being the listener that she was Guinan stopped at the door of Sickbay and quietly observed the tender moment.
Kate stirred slightly in her sleep and turned her head towards Wesley. Color had returned to her face, and the deathly pale that had shadowed her eyes had disappeared. Wesley started to talk in a soft, almost apologetic tone.
"Some way to spend a vacation, isn't it? I promise next time will be a little better." Wesley heard a door on the other side of Sick Bay whoosh open. He leaned over and kissed Kate's forehead, then leaned back in his seat. Guinan smiled the smile of a satisfied person from her hiding place.
"It's about time," she said to herself.