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Sorry, this took longer than I had intended…Easter weekend being the spoiler L

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Chapt. 26

In Sickbay he found Crusher working on her reports "she's asleep again" he acknowledged her warning with a nod and continued his way to Deanna's private room. The corners of his lips turned slightly upward as he admired her beauty. "Don't ever scare me like that again." He whispered in her ear, and then placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. She stirred a little, but fortunately didn't wake.

On his way back to the Bridge he was stopped by Beverly before he had a chance to leave Sickbay. She drew him into her office and crossed her arms, regarding him with a cold glaze. "Just when are you two getting yourselves out of your misery?"

"Hey, don't look at me" Riker defended himself "I tried."

"But did you try hard enough? She's scared Will, scared for what she's feeling and scared that it won't work out. And perhaps there's even a little part of her that hopes that Worf is still alive somewhere and will return."

Her words were bullets through his heart, never had he come to fully accept her marriage with the Klingon. "Was that all?" The Doctor's expression remained unchanged and yet she managed to convey her disdain. Unwilling to stay, he simply left trying not to feel her eyes boring holes into his back.

Why did it have to be so complicated?

"Because she's worth it." He answered his own question, softly banging his head against the wall of the Turbolift. He just wanted to grab her, tell how much he loved her and never, ever let her escape from his arms again, but something held him back and he was beginning to wonder if that something wasn't Deanna herself. Maybe he should just leave her alone for a while.

An increasing pressure on her left shoulder roused Deanna from her peaceful sleep. Instinctively she reached out to Will Riker with her mind, but she found only a white wall; he was blocking her. Why would he do that? He never blocked her, unless...unless he didn't want her to know what was going on inside him and he didn't want her to know what when he was mad, at her.

A sole tear trickled down her face and disappeared into her hairline. "Dea? Are you all right?" Beverly's quiet intrusion into her thoughts brought her attention back to the redhead next to her bed.

"Yes, I'm fine. A little hungry though." She added when her stomach growled demandingly. Crusher smiled and helped her sit up, then handed her a plate with crackers with cheese and a glass of orange juice. Deanna decided not to tell the Doctor she preferred something Betazoid and instead munched eagerly on the too salty crackers.

"I made an appointment for you with the physical therapist at twelve hundred hours." Just then a nurse pushed a grey anti-grav chair into the room, triggering a surprised look of Deanna. "You cannot walk for at least a week and a half; the tissue needs to heal."

Being as intuitive as she was, Crusher easily recognized Troi's anxiety and anger at being forced to give up her independence, but there really wasn't any choice. Deanna suddenly lifted up her --now empty-- plate and held it out to Beverly, who accepted it, not sure what her patient was planning on.

With a slightly trembling hand the Counselor pulled the sheet of her legs, fearing how they might look and yet airing a sigh of disappointment when she saw the clinical white bondages covering her legs from ankles to knees. "I'd forgotten about those" she admitted.

"You wouldn't want to see it." Beverly confessed. In her friend's eyes she could see she didn't agree. "Com'on, let's get you a shower and some clothes otherwise you'll be late." Judging by Deanna's facial expression she didn't really care and although it must have hurt when --with the help of Beverly and the nurse-- she pushed herself into the chair, she didn't twitch a muscle.