Title: Forgiven
Author: Keridwen
Disclaimer: this chapter should be easier. It took a lot of thought.
Poetic license at the end was inspired from the Bible and the basis for my
story comes from Michael Jan Friedman's book "Shadows on the Sun" and Star
Trek belongs to Paramount, ARUGH, So what does that leave me!? A LOT OF
FUN!
Chapter Twelve: Prayers
The morning was drawing near, and Leonard knew he didn't have much time. He still lay as he has fallen, in the corner of the dirty Nilian prison cell, as the first rays of morning light came in through the bars of the window. Since his last encounter with the very unpleasant interrogator he had drifted in and out of unconsciousness. His head pounded with pain and blood from a cut on his forehead ran into his eyes. His breathing was labored, and the rest of his body was going numb.
"Shit."
He had not been the greatest person. He wasn't even in very good with the Almighty One if past sins counted for anything. Yet aside from his well- acknowledged imperfect human nature, he had always fought death. He had wanted to take pain and suffering away and he had fought all his life to make that happen. Each step took him a little bit further until finally he had started to think of himself first and foremost as a Doctor, not a whatever. Not a human being who just stood by and watched others suffer.
What had he sacrificed for that power?
He was a Doctor, not a father.
He could see his daughter's eyes as he put her to bed that last night he saw her. She smiled at him and asked for a prayer before bed.
. . . . . . . . . .
Bedtime...
"Well, you know Daddy is not very good at praying, Joanna."
"You should ask Mommy, then, she does it pretty good!"
"Well, why don't you tell me what Mommy does."
"OK! Daddy."
She had crawled up on her knees and taken his hands and had folded them together. He had sat there while she tried to remember what came next.
"First, you say, hello."
"Does it matter what language? Do I have to say it out loud?"
Joanna puckered her brow with concentration.
"No, Daddy, God is kinda like a Vulcan. He knows what is in our heads. I suppose it is like knowing how a machine works because you put it together. That is how God knows us."
"Ok, I suppose that makes sense."
"Now close your eyes Daddy, and don't peek!"
"Ok."
"Now say hello."
"Um, hello God. Now what?"
"Now you gotta spill your heart. All of it, because God likes to listen. Mommy says we have to tell him everything that is bad and good."
"Well, what do you know that is good?"
"I picked up all my things and I remembered to turn my room computer off."
"Well, tell him that."
"I just did, silly!"
"Well then, tell him about the bad."
"Well. Um, Daddy, you don't know this, but don't get to mad because I am explaining myself now and God is listin'n."
"Tell him, Joanna, I promise."
"God, I was mouthy to Mommy today, an I made her cry cus I'm a frusteratin little one and I often don't know much better, but I promise to know better really soon."
Joanna peeked one eye to make sure her daddy wasn't getting to mad.
"And I broke a plate because I wanted a snack and I didn't wait and I tried to use the replicator all by myself and I am sorry,. cause I could have been fried to little bits if Mommy hadn't caught me, and . and I was soo Baad."
Joanna broke into sobs and fell into her father's arms. Leonard was aware of the replicator incident. I was the whole reason Jos had gone to bed early, leaving him to put Joanna to sleep. He kissed the top of her head softly.
"It's ok, honey. You confessed yourself now. Don't you feel just a little bit better?"
"Yesss, Daddy!" the four year old hiccupped.
"Now how do we end a prayer, Joanna?"
"We ask for protection, cause there are things that happen that we can't explain, not even a Vulcan nor even the Federation President, and we need to know that we are safe."
"Very good."
Joanna moves back toward her pillow and allowed her father to pull up the blankets around her.
"Daddy?"
"Yes."
"Can you fix anybody?"
"No, sweety. There are some things not even a Doctor can fix."
"Then how come you try to fix everybody?"
"Because I don't like to see people hurt."
"But if some peoples are going to die anyway, how come you try to fix them."
"Because I hope that someday we might know something that we do not know now. Then, with hope, we try to fix the unfixable with new technology and scientific knowledge"
"Oh. Daddy?"
"Yes, Joanna, Last question."
"Ok, where does hope come from."
Leonard didn't have a good answer for that one. Hope surly didn't come from humans, or any known sentient life. If it did, the laws of nature would have taken over and hope would have died.
So, against his strictly scientific nature, he gave her the only answer he could give.
"Hope comes from God."
(Back in the cell)
There was the sound of keys in the door.
"I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From whence does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth."
Psalm 121: 1,2
"My eyes search the hills.
And far beyond to the stars.
As far as I see, Man someday may be.
The shimmering stars, a pleasure to see.
The wonders of the universe are for us to explore.
These wonders are a gift I adore.
My help comes from the Lord.
Whose word my ears are yet to young to understand.
The oldest man is but the youngest dew drop fallen on the sand.
He made this all for me to see,
For us to just sit here and be,
And only asks one thing from me,
How can I sit here and not believe?"
Keridwen-copyright 2002 Please ask to use. Feel free to believe
And to review of course! (HeHe!)
Chapter Twelve: Prayers
The morning was drawing near, and Leonard knew he didn't have much time. He still lay as he has fallen, in the corner of the dirty Nilian prison cell, as the first rays of morning light came in through the bars of the window. Since his last encounter with the very unpleasant interrogator he had drifted in and out of unconsciousness. His head pounded with pain and blood from a cut on his forehead ran into his eyes. His breathing was labored, and the rest of his body was going numb.
"Shit."
He had not been the greatest person. He wasn't even in very good with the Almighty One if past sins counted for anything. Yet aside from his well- acknowledged imperfect human nature, he had always fought death. He had wanted to take pain and suffering away and he had fought all his life to make that happen. Each step took him a little bit further until finally he had started to think of himself first and foremost as a Doctor, not a whatever. Not a human being who just stood by and watched others suffer.
What had he sacrificed for that power?
He was a Doctor, not a father.
He could see his daughter's eyes as he put her to bed that last night he saw her. She smiled at him and asked for a prayer before bed.
. . . . . . . . . .
Bedtime...
"Well, you know Daddy is not very good at praying, Joanna."
"You should ask Mommy, then, she does it pretty good!"
"Well, why don't you tell me what Mommy does."
"OK! Daddy."
She had crawled up on her knees and taken his hands and had folded them together. He had sat there while she tried to remember what came next.
"First, you say, hello."
"Does it matter what language? Do I have to say it out loud?"
Joanna puckered her brow with concentration.
"No, Daddy, God is kinda like a Vulcan. He knows what is in our heads. I suppose it is like knowing how a machine works because you put it together. That is how God knows us."
"Ok, I suppose that makes sense."
"Now close your eyes Daddy, and don't peek!"
"Ok."
"Now say hello."
"Um, hello God. Now what?"
"Now you gotta spill your heart. All of it, because God likes to listen. Mommy says we have to tell him everything that is bad and good."
"Well, what do you know that is good?"
"I picked up all my things and I remembered to turn my room computer off."
"Well, tell him that."
"I just did, silly!"
"Well then, tell him about the bad."
"Well. Um, Daddy, you don't know this, but don't get to mad because I am explaining myself now and God is listin'n."
"Tell him, Joanna, I promise."
"God, I was mouthy to Mommy today, an I made her cry cus I'm a frusteratin little one and I often don't know much better, but I promise to know better really soon."
Joanna peeked one eye to make sure her daddy wasn't getting to mad.
"And I broke a plate because I wanted a snack and I didn't wait and I tried to use the replicator all by myself and I am sorry,. cause I could have been fried to little bits if Mommy hadn't caught me, and . and I was soo Baad."
Joanna broke into sobs and fell into her father's arms. Leonard was aware of the replicator incident. I was the whole reason Jos had gone to bed early, leaving him to put Joanna to sleep. He kissed the top of her head softly.
"It's ok, honey. You confessed yourself now. Don't you feel just a little bit better?"
"Yesss, Daddy!" the four year old hiccupped.
"Now how do we end a prayer, Joanna?"
"We ask for protection, cause there are things that happen that we can't explain, not even a Vulcan nor even the Federation President, and we need to know that we are safe."
"Very good."
Joanna moves back toward her pillow and allowed her father to pull up the blankets around her.
"Daddy?"
"Yes."
"Can you fix anybody?"
"No, sweety. There are some things not even a Doctor can fix."
"Then how come you try to fix everybody?"
"Because I don't like to see people hurt."
"But if some peoples are going to die anyway, how come you try to fix them."
"Because I hope that someday we might know something that we do not know now. Then, with hope, we try to fix the unfixable with new technology and scientific knowledge"
"Oh. Daddy?"
"Yes, Joanna, Last question."
"Ok, where does hope come from."
Leonard didn't have a good answer for that one. Hope surly didn't come from humans, or any known sentient life. If it did, the laws of nature would have taken over and hope would have died.
So, against his strictly scientific nature, he gave her the only answer he could give.
"Hope comes from God."
(Back in the cell)
There was the sound of keys in the door.
"I lift up my eyes to the hills.
From whence does my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth."
Psalm 121: 1,2
"My eyes search the hills.
And far beyond to the stars.
As far as I see, Man someday may be.
The shimmering stars, a pleasure to see.
The wonders of the universe are for us to explore.
These wonders are a gift I adore.
My help comes from the Lord.
Whose word my ears are yet to young to understand.
The oldest man is but the youngest dew drop fallen on the sand.
He made this all for me to see,
For us to just sit here and be,
And only asks one thing from me,
How can I sit here and not believe?"
Keridwen-copyright 2002 Please ask to use. Feel free to believe
And to review of course! (HeHe!)