Chapter 6

Beverly Crusher had vigorously massaged her biceps and shoulders and had even bounced up and down on the rocky ground for a full minute, but she could do nothing to get warm in this sopping uniform. Her muscles were stiff and sore. And now that they were about to venture into a dank dark cave she couldn't expect to be dry anytime soon.

So now she sat and hugged her knees to her chest, and watched as the Captain continued to crouch down a few feet away, looking out into the waterfall with a somewhat mesmerized expression. He hadn't seemed to notice her calisthenics, which frankly was fine with her. But whether he was deliberately avoiding conversation with her she couldn't tell.

She honestly hoped that he wasn't going to decide to give her the silent treatment because she had held his hand for a few seconds on that ledge. She'd been trying to keep her balance that was all. She studied his very straight posture even while crouching and was wondering if he was attempting to impress her by keeping completely still for so long. He didn't even appear to be cold. Show off, she thought.

"I am freezing," she eventually declared. "Aren't you cold?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Hmm? Yes," he admitted. He was cold, and frankly just looking at her huddled there made him begin to shiver again. But he also felt somewhat distracted by the plight of the missing away team. He had been thinking things through, and given the communication difficulties, perhaps it would be better if Will and his team worked their way to Beverly and him instead of the other way around. But there was still the problem of the injured away team member. It then occurred to him that perhaps LaForge could attempt a beam out since the storm was now passing. He tapped his communicator but to his frustration it merely sputtered ineffectively. "Damn," he said under his breath.

"Well it's going to be even colder in there," she said nodding into the cave. He made some kind of grumbling noise. These one way conversations are getting downright painful, she thought. I'm sure he's worried about Will Riker although he'll never admit it.

She reached into her med kit and filled a hypo while her teeth chattered noisily. "Hold out your arm," she said as he knelt down beside her and stretched out his arm. "This stimulant will have to do until we can get out of these clothes."

Picard glanced sideways over at her wet uniform, very careful not to stare. It was an interesting choice of words, but he had no intention of saying something inappropriate in response. He heard the spray hiss into his arm and immediately felt warmth spread through his limbs.

"Thank you," he said as the drug swiftly kicked in. "I feel better already."

And thank you for saying more than three words. "Good," she said aloud, getting to her feet. "We should find Riker now that we've had a moment's rest. I'm worried about Dr. Francis."

He simply nodded and then walked to the back of the cave looking for an opening. He almost swore out loud when it became clear that the opening was very low to the ground, which would mean they would have to crawl.

Crusher saw what he was looking at immediately and she hooked her thumb back at the treacherous ledge they had just crossed. "I'm not going back that way."

Picard sighed and lay down looking into the cave opening. There is no goddamn way that Riker got through this tiny passageway with that giant body of his, was the first thought that came to his mind. "It's quite narrow. I would guess that Riker and his team took another route in," he called back to her in the most optimistic voice he could manage.

Beverly held her tricorder up. "After about ten meters it opens into a larger passageway," she said looking at the readout. "We just have to make it through the first part."

Thank you, Doctor, for stating the obvious. Picard turned to look up at her from his prone position, and then faced the opening again. "I'll go first," he said, and began to shove his upper body into the opening. It sloped downward a few feet and then leveled off, but once he was inside there was no way to even crouch, and he had to remain on his belly.

"Can't you move forward any further than that?" Her voice sounded far away.

Not without losing most of my skin. Picard sighed and grumbled to himself as he dragged himself forward holding a flashlight in his leading hand. He heard Beverly enter the cave behind him, and soon enough she was grumbling as well.

"Lieutenant," Riker whispered loudly. "Get away from that area. There's someone over there."

Yar waved her phaser in the direction their hidden observer had scurried away. "But sir, someone needs to stand guard," she insisted.

Riker glared at her. She was fiercely protective, and very capable, but right now she was a total pain in his ass. He crooked his finger at her. "Help me lift the doctor up this slope, so we can get back to where we came from. Do not interact with anyone, and do not fire your phaser inside this damn cave."

Yar swept her short bangs out of her eyes and walked back toward him, holstering her phaser without a word.