Commander LeBeau purposely strode onto the bridge. "Lieutenant, how long is the lag for subspace between us and the Trident and how long to get there?"
"Not knowing exactly where they are in their patrol, it could be anywhere between five minutes and a half hour. As for getting there, at warp 9 is could be between five days and a week."
"Damn. Helm set a course for sector 221 G, warp 9.3. Heath you still have the bridge, I have a message to send."
"Aye sir." Karen watched as the First Officer left the bridge and enter the ready room. "Anyone know what that was about, and has anyone got an update from sickbay about the Captain?"
Sitting at the Captain's desk Tina tried to figure out how to word the message, without sounding like a kid around a campfire telling a ghost story. It was one thing to tell Will something strange, he would definitely believe it after so many years of dealing with Deanna and dreams. But how would Shelby handle something like this? She doubted that she had dealt with events in this vein. Besides how would they react knowing that she really did not have any other information and wouldn't for almost another day? She did not allow herself long to ponder before figuring that since truth was often stranger than fiction most like Shelby would at least listen and take caution until she knew more. She recorded all that she knew and sent the message, addressed to both Shelby and Comdr. Riker. Now she had to inform her senior staff everything that had happened, and check on Jules.
There was a small bundle curled up on a chair in the corner of sickbay. Julie had been comforted by the changes in her parents and had fallen back to sleep in the oversized chair. No one had the heart to wake her, even enough to move her. Alyssa had taken care to ask one of her nurses to go to the Captain's quarters and retrieve Julie's bear and blanket for her. While waiting she updated the charts of her two patients. Will would definitely recover completely. He would not even bear a scar from the third degree burns on his stomach and hands. Deanna would physically recover although Alyssa worried about her mental health. She had suffered a near death experience from the depletion of the neurotransmitter responsible for both her telepathy and empathy. The stress of what she had suffered and her pregnancy must weigh on her heavily. With luck she would come out of this with much the same resilience that she had in times past. But for now all Alyssa could do was see to her physical health, and that of her baby. The boy was remarkable in his recovery. It had been touch and go for a while but now he appeared to not only be out of danger but was thriving and showing no sign that he had ever been in danger.
The nurse returned with Julianna's blanket. Alyssa placed it over her, tucked the bear under her arm and kissed her on the forehead. She left the family to sleep and then called LeBeau with the update.
Julie walked through the storm. White blankets of snow covered the ground, with new fall covering her footsteps as soon as she made them. Wind howled as she walked. She did not feel the cold as she traversed the desolate area. Around her the storm raged and she knew there was something she needed to find. A stone wall loomed in front of her, barely visible in the raging storm. She neared the wall and found it to be more of an open ring than a solid stone. Swirling colors began to form in the hole as she watched. A woman and man stumbled out of the hole, collapsing almost immediately. The woman was blonde and the man showed a prominent scar on his cheek. Both were wearing Starfleet uniforms. The woman closed her eyes, in what appeared to be her final moments. The man held her for a moment before he too closed his eyes. Julie knew they were both dying when they disappeared in a transporter effect.
Then she saw it again, the phoenix. This time the bird appeared younger, smaller. The man and the woman she had just seen were watching next to her. It was as if she were watching a vision of the past. They never noticed her as she watched. The scene changed again and now Julie was on the bridge of a starship, not much different for her home. The man was there with the rest of the bridge crew. Julie did not see the woman from earlier. A woman who looked a lot like her grandmother was at the helm. She looked as focused as her grandmother and as in control of the situation. Fire was licking up over some of the consoles and people were running trying to accomplish the orders given by the man she had been dreaming about. Julie watched as they lost the battle yet again to keep their ship from being engulfed in the flame of the phoenix. Julie was not sure how many times she had witnessed this part from different angles. Closing her eyes she braced herself for the onslaught of emotions and death knells that were sure to follow.
As she began to lose the battle to keep her wits about her the scene changed again. This time she saw the woman, and Tom. He was seated to the woman's left, just as her mother sat beside her father. Both of them looked ready to scream at the rest of the bridge crew to come up with an idea to save the other ship. No one had an answer. Julie watched as the Captain ordered them to retreat. But it was too late. The flaming creature began to engulf them as well, and Julie felt Tom die, again.
Will awoke in stages. First he took in the sounds. Deanna's breathing came to his notice first. Then he heard Julie's. From there he heard the rest of the sounds of sickbay. Finally he tried to touch his wife's mind. She was sleeping peacefully. Now sure he was in one piece, he opened his eyes. As he had figured out he was in sickbay. Sitting slowly he found his little girl curled up in a chair, with the blanket Beverly had made for her and the bear she had insisted on when they were in Lebarre a few months ago when he was named godfather for Beverly's daughter. No one else was in the room so he stood on his own and took his pumpkin in his arms and wept for joy.
"Captain, how are you feeling?" Ogawa stood in the doorway of the room.
"Much better now." Julie stirred and snuggled closer to her father's chest. "What happened? I remember being woke up by Deanna's nightmare and then trying to call you." Will still held his daughter tightly. The memories started to stir.
"Apparently you were sucked into Deanna's dream state. Do you remember anything other than waking up?"
"Bits. I usually don't remember much of my dreams. I seem to remember something terrible happening to Julie and Deanna." He lost his composure for a moment. "How's the baby?"
"Your son is fine. He was in distress for a little while, but he has recovered so completely you could never tell he was in any danger."
The sigh from Will seemed louder in the quiet room. "I also remember a lot of fire and burning."
"Well when you were brought in here you had burns on your hands. After they were treated you developed burns on you abdomen. Both have been treated and you won't even scar, but your mind produced a physical reaction to something that happened in the dream state. Before you ask, Deanna did not suffer any physical injury. She did have a large drop in her neurotransmitter level, but she is recovering. She will be fine in a few hours." She tousled Julie's hair. "You need to thank her and Tina. The two of them went in and found out what was happening to you and then we were able to get you out of it. That girl keeps surprising me, and I don't know why. I should expect things like this from your kid, she's just like the two of you. Stubborn as a mule and as smart as a tack. Which brings me to the next point. Here is where I say I outrank you. NO duty for at least another 48 hours. I won't stop you from getting reports and any updates, but don't step one foot on the bridge. You may be physically fine, but I suspect you are going to drop off to sleep at a moments notice for the next day or so. Besides, Julie has had quite a scare so I claim family leave. I will give you the choice of staying here until Deanna wakes up or you can go back to your quarters. I will let you talk to LeBeau and get updates from the bridge. But don't even think about stepping up there. Is that clear?"
Will could not resist teasing the woman. Every time Alyssa had told him he was off duty for any length of time, she sounded just like Beverly. It always made him think that she gave the woman a verbatim speech to memorize. "How many variants of that speech did Beverly teach you? And am I the only one you use this on?"
Alyssa now ruffled his hair in the same way that she just had Julie's. It was a rare moment when they were alone and they could show the friendship that had developed over the years. "No you aren't the only one I use it on, I use it on Deanna more than I do you. Beverly would leave Medical and find a way to kill me if I let anything happen to the two of you. And I think at last count I had over 150 versions of the don't go to work speech, and about five more in my mail from Beverly about how to bribe you and Deanna to take time off for the health of your children. Now are you staying or going?"
"I think I should put this one to bed. I will come by in the morning as soon as Julie wakes up. Would you call me if Deanna wakes up sooner?"
"I'll even beam you in here in your underwear if you want."
"Thanks Lyss." Will shifted Julie a bit, grabbed her things and went to his quarters. Alyssa knew he wouldn't just lie around so she had given him a compromise which would give him the physical rest, and keep him mostly out from underfoot. The first thing he did after tucking the Pumpkin in was contact Tina.