Part 6
Vin and Chris made their way back to the bridge, both men heading to their stations as soon as they cleared the lift doors. Chris tapped Buck on the shoulder to announce his presence, then sat down to think about the conversation they had just had. Buck had gotten them positioned and they were already to go. Nodding at Buck, Chris gave his permission for him to engage the tractor beams. Absentmindedly, he ordered JD to send the visuals of the two boys to Admiral Travis as had been requested.
"Set course for Star Base 4 at Warp 6, Mr. Wilmington," Chris ordered, his mind still mulling over what had been said. Not able to put his finger on what was bothering him, he retrieved an earpiece. "Computer, replay conversation between Captain Chris Larabee, Lt. Commander Vin Tanner, and minor child Ezranok in Doctor Jackson's office approximately one hour ago," Chris ordered.
Vin looked over at the captain, a question obvious in his eyes. Chris caught the look, but just returned a shrug as he settled in to listen. It only took his a couple minutes to identify what had been nagging at him.
"Computer, stop replay and repeat last sentence from minor child Ezranok," Chris ordered.
"I recognized him as gudizaras." The last word certainly wasn't in English, and Chris didn't recognize it.
"Vin," Chris called. When the lanky man looked over, he waved at him to come closer. "Computer, replay last sentence from minor child Ezranok on bridge speakers."
Everyone on the bridge was interested as the soft, haunted voice was heard.
"I recognized him as gudizaras."
"Do you recognize that last word, Vin?" Chris asked. Vin had been able to identify the name the child had remembered, and he was hoping he might recognize this one too.
Vin furrowed his brow as he tried to place why the word sounded familiar. Chris knew the instant he found what he was looking for, for Vin's eyes went wide open.
"Vin?" Buck asked, beating Chris to it. Buck had only seen the two boys for a few moments, but he remembered how bad they had looked.
"A gudiezarras, or gudizaras, is the Vulcan name for a Sentinel's companion…a Guide, Chris," awe filled Vin's voice as he spoke. Even though Vin spoke softly, but everyone on the bridge heard him clearly resulting in total silence.
"Oh, dear God," Chris whispered. A three year old guide, on-line from the look of things. No wonder the boy had been overloading on that ship. Guides were some of the strongest empaths in the known galaxy. For him to be able to heal already at this age was extraordinary. "JD, contact Travis again. He'll need to be updated."
It only took a few minutes for JD to get through to the Star Base.
"Travis here, come in Wild Card."
"Larabee here, sir."
"I got the visuals you sent, Chris. We've already contacted the Vulcans and they are sending a group of representatives out. They should get here just about the same time you do." Travis informed him.
"Yes, sir. We've been able to talk to the boys some and found that the younger boy, Blair, was taken about six months ago, from a waystation near Gaerhinoss V. Ezranok still doesn't remember much from his time before the slavers. However, Ezranok was able to tell us about how Blair was taken. Without going into details, the boy's mother was killed by the slavers and no mention was made of other family. However, he did tell us that he believes Blair to be a guide." Chris watched as Travis straightened in his seat.
"You're telling me, that these men not only had an eleven year old Vulcan, but also a three year old human guide?" Travis grated out, anger in every syllable. Chris knew the anger wasn't directed at him, rather at the situation.
"Yes, sir. It appears so. We do not have the facilities onboard to confirm Ezranok's statement, but the younger boy is a particularly strong empath and was being used by the slavers as a healer just as Ezranok was," Chris confirmed.
Travis sighed, "Just get back here as fast as you can, Captain Larabee. Keep both boys as comfortable as you can. If Ezranok can start to remember, all well and good, but don't push him. The Vulcans have said that they will help him remember when they arrive if they believe it will do any good. Travis out." With that Travis broke the connection and the bridge of the Wild Card went silent.
After a few minutes the bridge got back to business, Buck checked to make sure everything was in order for their trip back to base and found everything as it should be. JD went back to monitoring the communications equipment, and Vin went back to sensors and monitors. After another hour, close to the end of his shift, Chris noticed Vin shifting around and fidgeting.
"Vin, Why don't you check on the boys before heading to your quarters," Chris offered his friend. Vin's only response was a grateful smile, as he called his replacement and headed for the lift.
"Vin," Chris called before the doors opened. When Vin turned to look at him, Chris told him, "Call me if there's been any change and be careful."
Vin cast a confused look at his captain, but nodded as he headed off the bridge.
Chris gazed after him long after he was out of sight, then sighed as he brought his attention forward.
"It's a mite to late for that, don't you think, Chris?" Buck asked his old friend.
Unfortunately, Chris had to admit that Buck was right. It was much too late for Vin to be careful, as he was already well and truly emotionally involved with the young Vulcan boy, in whom he saw so much of himself.
Vin didn't waste anytime as he strode through the corridors of the ship headed for Sick Bay. When he got there he found Nathan in his office reading.
"Hey, Vin," Nathan greeted him as he walked in. "I thought I'd refresh my memory a bit about Vulcans. It's been a while since I've had to treat one," he explained waving to the monitor he had been intently reading from.
"I've got another one for ya'." Vin warned as he walked farther into the office. "According to Ezranok, Bair is a Guide." Vin watched as Nathan's eyes widened. Nathan jerked open a drawer full of data cards and swiftly found the ones he wanted.
"Shit!" Nathan swore as he jammed the first one in the reader slot. Guides were rare and their medical treatment very specialized. It explained through why Ezranok had been so sure Nathan's touch would hurt the other boy when he was in overload. It would have, badly! The first thing Nathan wanted to make sure of was that the medications he had used would not cause deleterious side effects for the boy. After a few tense minutes, he slumped back in his chair in relief.
Looking up he saw Vin still standing there, a look of concern on his face. "It's okay, everything I used is approved for guides," Nathan assured him, a smile gracing his face when Vin relaxed. Taking a good look at he way Vin was half turned toward the door to the treatment bay, he snickered. When Vin looked at him with a half indignant, half embarrassed expression, he waved him on in. "Go on and look in on them. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get rid of you until you do."
Grinning, Vin didn't bother denying it as he tried not to hurry to go see the boys.
What he found when he stepped through the door wasn't exactly what he had expected.
Ezranok and Blair were sitting on the same bed, Blair in the older boys lap. The two of them reading from one of the Sick Bays movable library monitors. Both boys looked up at him as he entered then turned their attention back to what was on the screen in front of them.
"Hi, guys, what're you reading?" Vin asked.
Ezranok remained silent as Blair took off in a rambling explanation.
"Ezrwanok found thesthe and we wasth reading about some people called the Bulcanths. Did you know they…" Blair happily told Vin all about what they had been reading. Vin smiled at the small boy's enthusiasm, as well as the way his childish lisp was mangling his pronunciation. This also answered his concern as to whether Ezranok could read.
As Blair paused to take another big breath to continue his explanation, Vin broke in, "I'm glad you like it, but you don't have to read it all today. It getting close to time for you to be asleep isn't?"
The boys blinked at him a couple of times, before turning to look at each other. Even though their backs were to him, Vin could make out what they were saying.
"Mr. Tanner is right, Blair."
"But, Ezranok, we justh woke up!"
"Maybe so, but one should sleep in proper cycles and that time approaches," Ezra's tone was firm but not harsh or unkind.
"Okay," Blair finally agreed. The two boys looked back a Vin to tell him, but he beat them to it.
"He's right you know, Blair. How about I go get you something for dinner, and them you guys can get to bed, hmm?" When the two boys nodded their acquiescence, Vin headed off, not noticing the suddenly wide-eyed expression on Ezranok's face.
It might have worried him if he had, but for now the only one that would worry about it was Ezranok since Blair was not old enough yet to realize what had just happened.