19
Healing
Nurse Lusanna Giles watched over the young empath, she studied the readouts on the medical board above her head and then made sure she was comfortable on the biobed. Doctor Boyce had quickly whisked Teelar away to the small operating theatre as soon as she'd been brought onboard. While the woman's readings had somehow medically been stabilized, the projectiles remained within her. The bullets hadn't taken long to find and extract using the technology they had onboard the ship and she'd been brought to the so-called ward a moment later.
In sickbay a controlled chaos ensued as the Circusian chancellor, his chief physician, Captain Pike, Number One and Spock all appeared at once; right after the CMO had rushed into the theatre with the empath. The orderlies and nurses on duty tried to make sense of the situation at hand while Doctor M'Benga took charge. He gently examined the captain the best he could but his confusion and frustration with the man's condition grew as he could make no sense of the readings. The chancellor and the doctor that had accompanied him tried to explain but failed miserably and M'Benga got even more confused. Number One finally suggested the chancellor should accompany her and tour the ship so that the doctors and nurses could have some peace and quiet.
Lieutenant Spock then offered to walk back to the transporter room and see if the other Circusian doctor, Ov'Da Bob Da, had been able to find the young empath's friend yet so they could be brought onboard.
Unfortunately, even given the respite, Doctor M'Benga had no answers for his CMO when the man finally emerged from the theatre and the young empath was brought into the small secluded area, called the ward, and Nurse Giles made her way over to take over. Captain Pike, while stable, seemed to have slipped into some sort of coma.
Doctor Boyce didn't look pleased to hear that but he didn't look alarmed either. He reacted to the situation like it had happened before. However, if it had, it certainly wasn't onboard the Enterprise.
When Spock reappeared in sickbay with the Circusian doctor and another young woman - another empath called Kelle - Boyce had motioned for Spock to join him in his office and closed the door behind them.
Taking his mind off the captain, Doctor M'Benga walked over to greet the newcomers and show them to where Teelar was resting.
OOOOOO
Two hours later, Una and the chancellor returned to sickbay – one of the weary while the other seemed overjoyed.
"Where is everybody?" she asked curiously as Phil walked up to meet them.
"Spock left to oversee some scientific readings which came back from Trehelios. Doctor Ov'Da Bob Da and Kelle went to 'get some air'. They're taking a tour around the deck."
Una sighed with relief. "Good. He found her," she replied.
Chancellor Ta'Bob Bobba Dus frowned as he glanced around the room. "Have you seen Doctor Tee'Pa Dus Do?" he asked.
"You can find him in one of the smaller study rooms further down the corridor," Doctor Boyce answered. "He wanted to read up on some general medical principles the Federation and Starfleet applies when treating injuries."
The chancellor nodded a thanks and glanced at the window. "I'll just stand by the window; if I am not in the way?"
Phil shook his head. "Of course not," he assured him.
Una took a step closer to Phil as Ta'Bob Bobba Dus moved away. "Chris?" she asked worriedly.
Phil motioned for her to join him while he shook his head. "He's unresponsive at the moment."
"Why doesn't he wake up?" Una asked. "Teelar healed me, just like that; without any trouble or side-effects. I saw that miracle man walk past us within a few hours. The Empath just healed him and moved on."
"Yes, literally," Phil stated. "If I understood the Circusian chief physician correctly. That particular empath died from the injuries."
Una closed her eyes and shook her head, her shoulders sagging.
Phil pursed his lips into a thin line of displeasure as he neared. "I don't know why he doesn't wake up, Una," he said seriously as he turned to study the pale face before him and then lifted his gaze to the medical board above the captain's head. "But I can tell you this much," he added and pointed at the readings. "This is not normal."
She looked him, confused. "What do you mean?" Una asked.
"This reduction in the activity of the visual cortex-," he trailed off with a sigh and shook his head. "It is like the Talos incident all over again. I don't know how many medical examinations he was subjected to after that or how many counseling sessions he was forced to undergo."
Una stiffened. "Don't you ever call it an incident, Phil," she cautioned, her voice low and cold as she remembered being transported to the underground facility on Talos IV. "It was a deliberate act from their side. I was there, I saw them and it was very real."
"Una," Phil threaded lightly. "There is no need to be upset about it."
"The fact that Starfleet tried to turn their best captain into a research object is disgusting. That they even considered that he had become mentally unstable is low at best," she replied.
"Come on, you know he was under powerful influence by those Talosian people. Such things make HQ a little nervous and itchy. Now, considering what happened to Captain Gabriel Lorca and his pseudonym character - the way he managed to infiltrate Starfleet - I have a better understanding of their reasoning. Then add the creepy AI merging with Section 31's Captain Leland; coordinating efforts to kill us all-,"
"So, you're saying that, after all this time – several years – the Talosians suddenly connects with Chris again?" she wondered aloud. "Let me enlighten you that he wasn't unconscious the last time they communicated."
"You two are close," Phil said seriously as he studied her carefully. "Did he ever tell you that Vina showed up on Discovery?"
She looked at Chris with a sad expression. "He said that they saved Spock from losing his mind," Una remembered. "That Burnham took him there – to Talos IV."
Phil pursed his lips into a thin line as a dark look manifested itself on his face. "They sensed Spock's confusion, they – for lack of better words – probed the galaxy to find him."
"That's impossible," Una mused.
Phil shook his head. "Not for them. Their capabilities scare me – a lot. I can still see that haunted look in Chris' eyes at times."
"There is a but coming," Una pointed out.
He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. "The mission Discovery embarked on, the one that took them to the Araxians-," Phil began.
To the good doctor's surprise, Una nodded. "I was immensely angry with them – no, furious might be a better word for it – but Chris told me how afraid they'd been when the probe had landed on the surface of the planet; how the Guardian had summoned them and called to arms."
Phil shook his head. "He forgave them," he mused. "That's just typical of Chris."
Una crinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes as she looked from Phil to Chris. "No, no," she murmured. "As usual, it's much more complicated than a simple forgiveness. They thought he'd come for retribution. They used the link the Talosians had created - they wanted to kill him."
"What is it with Chris that attracts the most vicious types of people around the galaxy?" Phil asked curiously.
"He was anxious about it," Una explained sadly, ignoring the doctor's question. "He worked so hard to separate illusions from reality after Talos IV and after Arax VI it started all over again. He said he wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't and that it scared him," she paused to take the captain's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.
"But they didn't kill him, they healed him," Phil reasoned, "The Discovery crew ended up helping the Araxians wake up from their eight-thousand years of slumber and repaired the monument that displayed their history to anyone who travelled there."
"In some twisted way, they believed Chris to be part of a prophecy," Una explained.
Phil sighed. "Well, I don't know about you, but I am too old to believe in coincidences. And you know what else I have learned during the years of service?"
Una turned to look at him curiously.
"That the universe is much smaller than you think," he finished.
OOOOOO
The three Klingons silently navigated the space away from Circusia; had been for almost ten hours. It had been surprisingly tedious since there appeared to be a lot of different debris in their path. Karash was a trained navigator so the trip would still be safe but the ship proved a challenge to guide back toward the Gargantian region because of its interface and language barriers.
Katoth, who had some knowledge in scientific matters, stared intently at the data he'd just obtained from the ship's sensor array. The data was several weeks old and the numbers and letters next to the 3D models displayed were unreadable to him but the shape and form of the Klingon Bird-of-Prey was unmistakable. He suddenly slammed his fist against the glass-coated data display and roared with grief and rage as the surface of the work-station before him shattered and broke into a million pieces, making the terminal unreadable to anyone.
Mesh'ba stood up from the chair he'd occupied at the center of the small bridge. "What-," he hissed coldly. "-are you doing?"
"They destroyed our ship!" he shouted heatedly as he reached out for Mesh'ba's throat, locking it in a steady grip. "I should have killed all of them – feeble creatures, cowards-,"
With a swift motion he elbowed his warrior, kicked out at his knee from under him and had him kneeling next to him in the next minute. "Don't…ever…attack me unless you seek to challenge me," Mesh'ba seethed.
Katoth swallowed, his eyes downcast, as he nodded slowly.
"There are readings here that confirm the destruction of a vessel of unknown origin," Karash reported. "I can't tell who's the guilty party."
"The Circusians don't have ships," Mesh'ba reasoned. "The Garagantians are said to be strong and cunning but they are not one single species. The Gargantian region is a mess. I had hoped to get acquainted with the roughnecks and offer them something in return – for making the Circusian bend to the will of the Empire."
Katoth and Karash shared a glance. This was the first time Mesh'ba had ever spoke of the tactics behind the captain's decision to put a landing party on Circusia. Not only that, but what had really been discussed behind closed doors lately.
"So, you think they changed their minds and attacked us instead?" Katoth asked.
Mesh'ba turned to him, his eyes cold. "Everywhere we went we had a shadow, a reflection. We tried to shake it off."
"Why?" Karash growled. "You can't shake off echoes and sensor glitches. Unless, of course, you never believed it was a glitch."
"Shadows don't bear the name of our enemies," he replied.
"Starfleet," Katoth spat.
"No," Mesh'ba shouted angrily, his temper rising. "The house of Kor. The Imperial family whose members seek to prevent us from rising to our rightful place within the Empire."
"No!" Karash reacted heftily. "They embraced Chancellor L'Rell's leadership – we are the house of L'Rell."
"She chose T'Kuvma's house above ours. You called her a traitor yourself not long ago," Mesh'ba reminded him.
"I shall have her dethroned and dishonored for sending her lackeys to kill her own people!" Karash shouted, his face only mere centimeters from Mesh'ba's.
OOOOOO
Ta'Bob Bobba Dus gazed through the window, mesmerized by what he was seeing. Down below, beautiful and lush, with green coated areas and splashes of blue was his home planet; Circusia.
He felt a little overwhelmed at watching it from above and realized, not for the first time, what a magnificent and powerful vessel that lay in orbit. He saw other ships as well but they seemed smaller in comparison, clumsier and of outdated design compared to the sleek starship. There were so many things he'd learned during the last couple of hours that he had a hard time remembering everything.
First officer aka Number One had taken him on a tour around the Enterprise. She had showed him state of the art laboratories, parts of engineering and weapon systems, the hydro ponds, the garden where they grew fresh vegetables and fruits. He learned of the basic specifications of the Constitution class vessel and he'd triumphantly smiled as he'd gotten his guide to admit that, even though, the Enterprise was mainly a science vessel she was classified as a heavy battlecruiser. Number One had kindly pointed out that one could travel in smaller, less advanced ships and still be able to start a war; it all depended of the actions of the crew and commander.
He had to agree with her on that one and he realized that this crew and commanding officer were his allies if he wanted them to be – and he found that he wanted that very much. The price was named; the freedom of the empaths. While it stung, he understood there needed to be changes but it had surprised him to know that they probably would be most welcomed even amongst several staff members of the Circusian main hospital. Doctor Ov'Da Bob Da had been one of the first to show his relief and gratitude. He had also been very enthusiastic about exchanging medical information between Circusia and Starfleet and/or the Federation.
His chief physician had further surprised him by wanting to agree with the terms and conditions presented by the officers of the ship. Ta'Bob Bobba Dus was brought out of his musings by said man who approached him slowly from behind.
"Chancellor," the chief physician called as he came to stand next to him, following his gaze.
"Look at our home Tee'Pa Dus Do," he said as he beamed with pride. "I still can't believe I am watching it from above."
The doctor turned to look at him. "I might not always have been trusting and eager to share things with aliens but it's not below me to admit that I was wrong in my assumptions," he said seriously. "I have always prided myself on having the best medical care available and I have always believed we'd gotten far when it came to advanced technology in the region."
"We have," Ta'Bob Bobba Dus replied with a frown.
"Yes, but we can do much more, strive to be better and aim to accomplish grander things," the doctor reasoned passionately. "For example, like you said, the beaming technology would revolutionize our society."
"They can hardly give away Federation technology," the chancellor reminded him.
"No, but we can offer things in return," the doctor reasoned. "We should reawaken the council and start making some decisions about our future."
The chancellor did a doubletake at his most trusted physician. "If I remember correctly you were very skeptical as to the intent of the visit from these people," he pointed out.
"Because I didn't know," Tee'Pa Dus Da replied. "Because I'd never encountered a species – or a mixed species – onboard an exploration vessel from such a faraway origin before."
"You've met a variety of races on our planet, treated their injuries," the chancellor reasoned.
"We're nothing but a giant vacation planet to them. Have they ever offered anything in return? Except money?" Tee'Pa Dus Da pressed.
"The Gargantians wants to double the price for their trade services," he replied.
A Starfleet officer suddenly appeared next to them. The ensign bowed politely. "Chancellor, doctor," he acknowledged. "We are ready to beam you back to Circusia."
Tee'Pa Dus Do hesitated. "Would it be all right if I stayed a little longer?" he asked.
OOOOOO
19/24
