Chapter 5

Heather thought later that she must've broken a speed record getting to sickbay that day. She skidded into sickbay and slid to a halt before she lost her balance. But looking around quieted the nervous frenzy that was growing in the pit of her stomach. Instead, the frenzy was replaced by a rock. A cold, hard, dark, rock.

There, on the biobeds around her, were all the people who understood her, who loved her for who she was…who loved her. She couldn't bear the thought of losing at least one of them. But she knew she might lose Kathleen.

Heather plopped onto the empty biobed next to her best friend's bed. Kathleen's face was shining with sweat, and her breathing was shallow. Her beautiful blond hair was matted with blood. The power wheelchair that she used to get around stood, empty and desolate, next to the bed.

Heather kissed the top of her best friend's head. "Hey, Kat." She whispered, using her childhood nickname for Kathleen. Kathleen's eyelids fluttered, and she smiled weakly. "Hey, Heather." Heather was so happy to see Kathleen still determinedly clinging onto life that she hugged her gently. "I'm gonna go around and see some of the old gang, OK? I'll be right back."

The next biobed over was Commander Tucker Solara, her very first boyfriend. He had given her her first kiss when she was thirteen. He had cerebral palsy too, though more severe than hers, and even a little more severe than Kathleen's. He had minor injuries, but was being kept in sickbay for observation.

His large brown eyes that peeked out of his twisted face looked worried, He cared about Kathleen, and all their childhood friends, as much as he did about Heather. For the first few minutes the childhood couple stared at each other in desperation and desolation. Then finally, softly, he said. "I don't want to lose her." Heather blinked back tears. "Neither do I." she said, almost too softly to be audible. She was afraid if she spoke any louder, than she would cry.

The next bed she approached was Ensign Bridget McLane. Heather had known Bridget since she was five, when they were in the same handicapped dance class together. Bridget couldn't use one side of her body, but Heather thought that that just made her stronger, both physically and emotionally. However, now Bridget was crying softly, whether from her own, physical pain, or from the pain at possibly losing Kathleen, Heather couldn't tell.

She recalled, with a pang of reminiscence, the old days, the days when they were kids, her, Kathleen, Bridget, and her other childhood friend, Maureen. They were on the same baseball team together, and the coaches called them the Giggle Girls. They were like sisters back then…and they still were.

"It's gonna be OK." Heather whispered in Bridget's ear. I hope, she added silently to herself.

The last friend she visited was the other member of the Giggle Girls: Lt. Maureen Lamore. The forearm crutches she used lay on a heap on the floor, as if they had been thrown there haphazardly in the midst of an emergency, which, Heather thought grimly, they probably were.

Maureen was very quiet, and Heather knew from experience she was thinking. In childhood, Maureen's catch phrase was always "I'm going to go…think." Finally, Maureen looked seriously into Heather's eyes. "Remember, Heather." She said quietly. "Remember to breathe." Whenever one of the Giggle Girls had laughed or cried really hard, Maureen would always remind them to breathe. Now she was reminding her best friend of that when she knew Heather needed it the most.

Heather returned to Kathleen's bedside, feeling the heaviness in the room. She knew, they all knew in their hearts that Kathleen wasn't going to make it. Heather just hoped her feeling in her heart was wrong.

Then Heather took both of Kat's spastic hands in hers.

"Kat, I want you to promise me you'll never leave me, that we'll grow old together, in our rocking chairs…just like we used to fantasize about when we were kids. Promise me! Promise me!" then, more softly. "…I need you." She started shaking and tears started rolling down her face. Kathleen reached up with one crooked and disfigured hand to wipe her childhood friend's tears away.

"I will always be with you…in spirit." She whispered with the last of her strength. The eyelids of those beautiful blue eyes slowly closed…like the lid of a casket. The various machines hooked up to Kat's body started to whine. Dr. Bishir rushed over and leaned over the bed. Then he straightened up and shook his head slowly.

"Lieutenant…I am so sorry." Heather started shaking a little harder. It was true. Her nightmare had come true. Her best friend in the world…the bravest and strongest person she ever knew…was dead.

Heather didn't know whether to scream or to cry at first. Finally she let out a low, shuddering sob. She felt an arm around her shoulders, and realized that Maureen, who was the only one of her close friends able to get up on her own, had come over to comfort her. There was a thunk that went unnoticed, as Maureen lowered herself onto the bed and let her crutches fall to the floor.

Heather was crying too hard to speak. "Curse you, Cardassians!" she managed to choke out. "You killed my best friend!" A few beds over, Tucker looked over at his friends, and turned his head angrily to stare into the abyss. "You…will…pay." He said, in a low, thunderous, voice.

A/N: Wow, that was a long chapter! All the crew members of the Ability mentioned are based on real people in my life (and yes, the Giggle Girls is based on me and three of my friends, Kathleen, Maureen, and Bridget!) lol. Anyway, that had a lot of sorrow in it…I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do for the next chapter so it may be awhile before I update again. Maybe it'll be Kathleen's funeral…anyway hope you all liked the chapter.