The Bonds Of Friends And Family
Disclaimers: The characters don't belong to me, the story belongs tome and every else belongs to the movie company and the creator.
Warnings: For this Chapter it's showing the added side effects of the mission Wesley and Robin took on as they, Kurland and their friend create a new team. As they're going over things, as the truths of the added side effects of the games start coming forward. They see that the further they dig into and the more sinister that the Ktarians plan becomes as they're discussing things.
The true findings of the side effects make themselves clear to the senior staff crew. As things shift course, as they all realize just what causes their added problems were, while the added side effects make themselves known now as his diagnostics reveal the added damage to his body. And they take charge while the group gets a chance to deepen the bonds now.
As Wesley gets a chance to be with some new friends and having everything he wants now as an adult. As the episodes from here stay the same, Unification gets jumped, as they're dealing with the aftermath of this episode. So it jumps the cliffhanger and goes right to the next episode of the season, before it hits the next few episodes in the season, as things start picking up now for them.
As the situation from this episode starts foreshadowing the rest of the season as they decide to make changes to the next episode focused on him. Before he returns to the academy and they keep him home as he returns to on the job training as the term starts, as he's in recovery for three months and then in month four Sito Jaxa, Kate Higgens and Josh Alberts Joins the young crew as they start training now in that as she gets a glimpse of her possible future now.
Chapter 18: Parental Concerns And Bonded Truths
"Indeed, when it came to the areas on the holodeck and simulating them we never allowed him any further than ten to twelve feet in the jump. Because that would have been the result, but Etana just pushed him into trying a maneuver that could have blown his leg out in the fall and if he's sprained it, he's likely not going to let it rest for a while." Worf said in an undertone and the trio all nodded as Picard answered him quickly.
"Did you stop him in time to keep him from trying that again. That drop could have broken his ankle, he tries that again and the grates closed he's going to knock himself out in the landing, did you stop him in time?" he asked and he and Worf both nodded to him. "Yes Sir we did, though it took a few minutes for him to let go of the grate, but we prevented him from doing it, though if this gets any more serious at the moment."
"We might have to, again, if something else is wrong here, because he's looking like he's running on fumes here. Because the look of fear and paranoia was enough to have us worried, he wasn't giving up till we got him to let go of the grate bars and brought him to you. But that explains my reaction on the bridge, after realizing this, he just about gave me a heart attack at that." Will said to him and he nodded as she sighed as she said it.
"That's what you meant by that remark you gave him earlier?" Deanna asked for the three of them and he nodded as he explained it. "Like I said, though compromised, the parts of us that still acted parental with him. They always took hold when it comes to stunts like this that we'd never approve of, especially when he was still a kid and four years is a long time together." he said and Beverly answered that with a bemused look.
"Yes and that's an understatement, these things are controlled violence that wasn't often controlled and my son is not normally a daredevil like this. Though if that explains the strained, near sprained ankle it's from jumping over the railing, three flights down and not keeping your legs crouched while doing at the moment. What did he tell you, before this came up though, Jean Luc?" she asked and he sighed as he answered her.
"That the game was addictive, and it plants suggestions into the victim wearing it, though I doubt he's going to be able to relax around us, if there more to it than that now. As to why I'm saying this, it's because while we're back to normal, he's looking like he's driven himself into the ground now Beverly. Something else is wrong, he's the last to get hit by its suggestive views." he said and she nodded to him as she looked at Will.
Looking at the quintet he thought it over. "Did anyone hear the underlying remark when he told us that, 'a year apart and suddenly this happens, just extending the trip even longer would be worth it if there's an aftermath to this.'. The way he was looking at us, it's something else, but what did he tell you when he and Charlie went to a debrief?" Bates asked and he sighed as he said it to him, before Will did it for him.
"That those nightmares, reached whatever happened and he woke up just as the situation ended. And he was scared that he was about to see one of us in sickbay, that fear regarding losing someone he cared about just got worse. And after repeated dealings of seeing us through the captain's eyes and to the point that he was relieved to see we were fine. Though now with what she just did, that fear has just gotten worse."
"But right now, it's clear he needs to be home, because he's emotionally compromised." he said and they nodded as the sextet exchanged looks at that. " The way he's talking is saying he'd accept the side effects of what these things are doing to him, just so he doesn't have to leave now?" Greyson asked them and they all nodded to him. "Yeah we did, but if that tells us anything it's that he's beyond homesick right now."
"At the time he decided to wait till after my birthday, because he just wasn't ready to leave the ship now. Not after four years together, we're separated for 11 months and just short of a year and he's glad to see us again when he comes back. But he was in much better shape when he was with us than what one year gone is doing to him." Will said to him and he nodded and Geordi went into that as he looked at the quintet.
"Four months of nightmares about us, he's looking like he lost weight, and from his exhaustion hasn't had a good night's sleep in four months as well, possible sprained ankle and dizzy spells, pale skin. I'm not liking this at all Sir, she just caused us to miss all of this as a result of that piece of junk. But even though I'm not a medical doctor, my visor picked up everything the tricorder did at the moment and as a result now."
"But it just takes one look at him, to know that that one run through the ship just drained him of 3/4's of his strength here in this, and if he's the victim and he's going to be in bed for six weeks." Geordi said and he nodded as she answered that as her tone went furious. "Well we did now and frankly I'm furious at the moment, were the god damn fools not realizing he's been working himself into a collapse the last ten months."
"Or do his god damn squadron and I don't mean Josh either, but do they have him up all night partying at the moment, I don't care what they say it's our decision now. At this age he needs to rest if he was an athlete, just to have his strength ready for the big competition and something is screwing with his sleep cycles right now at the moment." Beverly said in answer to that gently as Will nodded in agreement to that.
"Did the damn fools at the academy not have him checked over, before he came home, for us we always took it seriously where he was concerned, considering the year you were gone. I went into paternal mode more than once to make sure he got the rest and nutrition he needed, when I wasn't on duty. And now with us being separated for a year he's looking like he did when Jaan forced his knack on him and he over did it."
"I mean look at him: four months not getting enough rest, he's lost weight and is now suffering nightmares. It's like those movies based off that mental maniac and the reprieves give the victim enough time to recover, before it starts a second time and they suffer a relapse. Well if it takes a reprieve and time away from the academy for the next nine to ten months now, if this situation has any more plans for him now."
"And it's back to on the job training, yet again, he's going back looking like he started there now and not like he's recovering from a stay in the hospital. I don't care what they, his squadron, say here now. Because legally in the federation now I'm his godfather and Deanna is his godmother and the captain his third legal guardian, it's our choice and decision regarding his physical health, and he's still a member of the crew too."
"Though legally adult once you enter Starfleet academy, you're still, if you're under twenty one, a minor, and the legal guardians have rights to their children. We're his parents and legal guardians, it's our decision now regarding his physical health at the moment. The little monsters have no clue just what authority we have, because they're cadets, we're seasoned officers and he's our student as to that its our choice."
"Though if that theory is right, and her intention was infecting the academy with these things, we have to make sure it doesn't get off the ship. But look at him, the character was recovering from having his body screwed around with by the end of the last encounter. But if those pills are cut with anything else we have to finish what research they did and finish the job, and it's by making sure he fully recovers from this."
"Have they not been paying attention here to what goes on-on campus, if he just told us this and who in the medical department isn't exactly. Because if the nurse hasn't been paying attention she obviously can't see what we can and its physical an emotional right now. And if it keeps up, it's landing him in the emergency room here next?" Will growled and she nodded in agreement to his opinion as she answered him then.
"I don't know, but you're right on every count at the moment Will, but I don't care what the nurse says here, she's an ensign. I'm a commander, four ranks above her, if need be and if this isn't over yet, he's staying home so I can deal with his recovery. And with the fact I have back up now, that helps and making sure he does recover now. And making sure he's looking like he did when he left and not when he came home."
"It's pretty damn obvious now, he's homesick, if he reacted like this to Etana getting her hands on us. But now the puppet master notion is in reverse here, the kids were doing our research for us regarding that thing." she said and looked at the duo as she said it in concerned exasperation as she finished her remark then. "But now we have to finish it, I mean the kids are did give portions of the heavy science in order to do this."
"No the movie shifted direction, the trio were being chased down by a bunch of infected hosts, before they were safe at their headquarters and then arrested their infected team mate. Before they realized that the parasite jumped hosts, who's the secondary host now exactly, we're clean, so who's left exactly. Though with the fact we got a bunch of secondaries suffering the added side effects?" Bates asked and they exchanged looks.
As she answered that question. "I'm not sure, but whoever it is-is about to infect my son if this continues. Though if she turned him into a walking time bomb we have to find that detonator and fast." Beverly said to him and they exchanged looks at that remark. "The secondary host isn't infected with the programming, they're a plant, though whoever got hit and had their body temperature getting that jolt should tell us that."
"But they are meant to make sure he finishes whatever job she had you trying to do. If the Stargazer and Aldea, as well as the entity, are apart of the programming now. As is the game, the intention is to get the, later, newly infected host off the ship. And finish the job by getting it to either Starbase 67, the Endeavor or back to earth Doctor, Sirs." Data said in an undertone to her gently then and they nodded slowly to the news.
"Wait a minute, that theory could be speculation." Harry said to them and he shook his head. "It's not, Etana intended to infect the entire federation with these by us going to Starbase 67 and giving them to the ships there, and my going to the Creon system and passing it to the Endeavor. While in his case it's getting it to the academy, though that happens and it hits not just the academy, but HQ and the Capitol a second time."
"He risked putting himself in the hospital to prevent it from getting off the ship, but now he's drained 3/4's of his strength, and is looking like someone coming down with something. To me this means he needs a sabbatical from school and a chance to recover, because the fools at the academy can't see what we can. And its because they're dealing with 500 to 700 other students on the campus and they don't know him in that way."
"I spent four years with him and to me I can see that easily now, but here's the other problem she made him desperate enough to risk an injury, because of the elf and Tasha. That he was going to extremes to keep from losing us to, because he's been having frequent nightmares about the seven of us. But my cub needs a chance to heal from this, physically and emotionally, now." Will said and he nodded in shock to that news.
"Cub, why call him that, you six got overly protectively with him after Beverly left, why exactly?" he asked and Deanna answered that. "That one year changed things for us, he came to depend on us for parental care and we took over guardianship with her on earth at the time. But seeing him come home we were all relieved to see him again, but now this latest escapade has turned him, emotionally, back into his fifteen year old self."
"When Radue kidnapped him, Harry and the quintet, she just caused a relapse emotionally from that situation. Watching him as he was clinging to Commander Riker that same thought shot through not only me, but the captain, Beverly and Geordi. And hears the other problem, but he's been having repeated nightmares about us, when we're in battle." she told him softly and he nodded as he looked at Will then to go into it.
"I take it just spending that much time together training him, after Aldea, changed things between you two, you're sounding like a concerned father regarding their child's health commander." Harry said and he nodded. "It did, in fact I'm his godfather, but making sure that the programming is neutralized in him to is also my primary concern. And if those pills he mentioned earlier are apart of it we have to have them analyzed as well."
"The captain's assessment to my reaction on the bridge is because I watched him grow into who he is, in fact I replaced his father. When we snapped out of it he latched on to me and was shaking from both exhaustion and relief he didn't lose us to and it's because of this, as he buried his head into my shoulder then I knew he was trying to hold it in. But not only am I his godfather, I'm also his mentor, he needs me." he told him and he nodded with a furious look at the news as Beverly looked at him with a sigh then.
"Robin was barely infected for 24 hours, my son turned the pills over to us and everyone of us is clean of the programming. So that just leaves someone in security who's the plant, or the secondary host, and whoever it is, obviously knows we're not leaving him alone anymore. Though we find out why they did this, nothing is saving their buts from ending up in jail when I get through with them if this nearly kills my son." she said with a dangerous maternal growl and Will and Deanna both nodded in agreement.
"Terrific, the damn secondary host is about to turn this situation into a chase down, just what the hell is going on around here. He stopped the invasion from getting to the rest of the fleet and the federation. But we got a secondary host on board this ship. And they're about to infect our youngest senior staff member. Alright whoever is acting strange keep an eye on them, and guys, if he's with you in the engine room, keep him surrounded."
"Jack, I want you and Derek on guard duty in the engine room." Will said with a sigh as he went further. "At this rate, it's making sure he heals, but at the moment the side effects have us recovering from inebriation from marijuana like symptoms right now. While for him, if it's what I'm thinking right now, and the those pills are the fuse for a ticking time bomb, just when the hell is the timer set for and when exactly right now."
"How long do we have and what's the side effect of it going to be?" he asked and he looked at her with a sigh. "I'm not sure, but what I do know is that the fact that they, whoever she's working with has him on the edge of ending up in the emergency room right now. But if this try didn't work she's going to stage two and it's by getting one the crew with the secondaries getting it on him or Charlie and if that doesn't work."
"She's going those seizures Jean Luc was having before the threw the thoughtmaker on full power. Leaving him stuck in a waking nightmare. But two traumas in the side of seven months and then to top it of for is a waking nightmare now and this situation. But Deanna's right, right now it could be one of three things and if it's the third, his training from this situation is going to go berserk." she said and he nodded as Greyson said it.
"You think draining him this far down physically was part of the plan though, Sir?" Greyson asked him and he nodded. "Yes, those jolts in her office were to weaken him, making him more pliable to whatever programming she had in mind for him. As was the chase through the ship, she just drained him3/4's of his strength, physically, both from four months lack of rest and malnutrition for this and the situation is just beginning."
"She gets one on him, but if the toxins from those pills are still in his system she turned him into walking timebomb waiting to go off. But depending on the trigger and time frame is the next question. Though if they got a hold of another thought making device, it's by reactivating his memory of Radue, though if that's what the plant is for. Than he's a dead man when I get through with him now as to that its depending on the time."
"Just so he could act on the added programming, if he's the host and his body is so drained it's going to take six to eight weeks to heal now. If he's the intended target, this is meant to make sure he finishes off her mission of getting that thing to either earth, Starbase 67 or to the Endeavor to continue with infecting the entire federation. Leaving him to self destruct out of exhaustion." he said and the two teams nodded slowly then.
"And if that portion of it keeps going in the direction I think, trying to arrest him is going to result in the exact same reaction with Roga later. Except that Roga was a fully grown adult man and Wesley is teenager, with four to five grown men coming at him from four different directions. Trying to escape custody is not an option, especially if he accidentally cripples himself." Greyson said and he nodded in agreement to that.
"Whatever's in these pills is the next question, but if the chemicals are refusing to leave, something is up and if they're on a timer, it's a deadman switch. By her forcing him into getting shot with a phaser on kill or getting him into the extension shaft and this time losing his grip on the bars through these seizures if that's what's coming next. So our one option is draining him all the way down, if he's taken any stimulates with it."
"But those stimulates, and the programming, can't hold up against extreme exhaustion, let alone a caffeine crash if that's what's coming. So once his body lays him out on the floor he's stuck, but if this turns into what we already talked about last year that's the next problem. Because if the switch gets activated get ready for the reaction, because if anything, it's going to be like what we already dealt with regarding Roga here."
"Why'd we even bother letting him leave at the time, because he was already working as an ensign here on the ship, doing everything he would have learned there. On the job training works better, he knows what he's doing and as if that's not enough, he's not around bad influences like Locarno or anyone else in his squadron, aside from Josh. If they're pressuring him to relax and enjoy being away at college, than they finally did it."
"Because A) he's looking like he's been up all night in the dorm rec-room fooling around, B) he's not getting the real food his body needs right now and C) He's looking like he hasn't slept in three to five months, and his system is getting weaker every minute. If he'd been here he'd be keeping himself healthy and getting the rest he needs, and it's less likely being on drugs that I'd never let him get near when I found out."
"And he'd be in better condition than what he's looking like right now, my son is so exhausted that if this continues, his system is going to crash, he looks like he's coming down with something right now as well." Beverly added and Will nodded in agreement. "Yeah and that's what I'm looking at now, three days rest and recovery and then the next issue gets started and with what I'm looking at now, it keeps up like this."
"And it's going to put him in the hospital if she has anymore plans for him, he turned the pills over to us and reported it. Just what the hell is going on around here right now, because if it's about to get personal, she's going to get it by all of us for this." he said and Picard nodded in agreement to that. "Yes and look at the results now, four years together and our bonds have deepened so much, he doesn't want to let go now."
"He's been gone for just under a year and she made him desperate enough to risk landing himself in the emergency room just so he doesn't lose us next, after losing Tasha and Jaan. I mean we're what matter most to him, he's got a good repoire with my team, of fifty members that know him like this. He spends 90% of his time around the 15 of us when either on duty or on down time when his shifts ends, but with the trio afterwards."
"With Robin, Jake and Charlie now added to the list, it just resulted in a single thing, everything that matters to him, is right here on the Enterprise. His squadron are just that, we're his team, his family, and now he has kids his own age to hang around with. But either way, it's the fact that his squadron, at the academy, is just that they don't know him in the way we do and they're either not paying attention."
"Or they're too stupid to realize that he's homesick right now, that he's working himself into a collapse and he's having repeated nightmares about us. It was clear he was happier up here at the time, though he wanted his own team regarding being a single training Ensign. When we through Marks and his clique off the ship, before we had Robin and Charlie arrive, but it's clear, the trio were just like him, all the same type."
"While the trio at school are now trying to become a bad influence on him, he doesn't drink or take drugs. And he was sticking to whatever diet you had him on and suddenly four months prior to going on leave he starts having nightmares about us. Seeing the kids together, it just made it clear, he has everything he wants now and it's all in a single place now." O'Brien said to him and Geordi nodded in agreement to that remark.
"Yes and it's not connected to the squadron, because they just created their own, but whatever is in these pills we need to find out, and fast, and with it now. Is whoever prescribed these and now he's looking like someone who's been forced to keep himself awake just to protect himself right now." Geordi added and Picard nodded as he looked at them, Deanna, Data and Worf as he said his opinions regarding it.
"I'm not liking this at all, somethings very wrong here, when the Ferengi were messing with my head I was suffering dizzy spells and migraines till you destroyed the damn thing. Conspiracy with these headsets, forging medical orders. He's the latest patient and Anenzi is the latest medical doctor on the list to have his name on these pill bottles. And if he's not involved there's got to be a connction to this between these things now."
"But he's not dealing with the same thing and he looks like he's running on fumes right now, but if he's the primary target, we just switched roles here. And if it's what I'm thinking then they either got a hold of another or made one too small. And for us to see it and whatever these are cut with is the connection to it." Picard added and she nodded. "You were still suffering the guilt you lost Jack, Jean Luc, whatever's going on here."
"But you recovered from that, him not so much right now, but that's exactly the problem we got to watch, if there's another dizzy spell or the type of mind control. But they did to you what they possibly did to him and if he's suffering from a system crash. And then blacks out, and I'm looking at two flashbacks and a waking nightmare. And with his personal boogieman on the ship with the fact we have MacGregor here at the moment."
"We have to prevent it from getting off the Enterprise, if her plans for a war with Starfleet are now focused on my son." Beverly said to him and he nodded. "If it takes extending his trip here further and him in on the job training. And acting like a real Starfleet officer, and preventing her plans from ever coming true are abolished. Then we have to prevent it at all costs." he said to her and she nodded to him in agreement.
"Yes well it gets better, I heard his thoughts after he buried his head into Will's shoulder, the bonds between us are so strong that he doesn't want to let go now. In fact, he called Will dad, to me that says she did more than push his body past the breaking point to prevent this from getting off the ship. She just did enough damage to him emotionally it's going to take the exact same length of time, physically, to recover from this."
"First Tasha, than Jaan and now being put in a position he never should have been put in-in the first place. This continues, we're looking at his needing an extended length of time away from the academy, he needs to be with us just to recover from this, in both ways now Sir." Deanna told them and they both nodded. "Alright now I'm furious, in theory he's an ensign, in actuality he's a fourth level cadet, he's been in training now."
"For close to fide years and has suffered two traumas in the side of four years and now suffered another and is suffering, emotionally. And from his first true trauma and it's because he never wanted to be forced into a position. And where he had to shoot to kill this time, and the people that were the ones he was supposed to had to be us now." Beverly said with a furious look and Greyson crossed his arms at that remark.
"His exact message when Jerry and I found the phaser like that was enough to tell me that he didn't want to hurt anyone. But don't make him do this, he didn't want to hurt anyone, and that it was killing him to make that choice now. Although I knew he was in hearing range when we commed you, regarding the way he had it positioned." Roberts told him and Greyson nodded as h answered him at that remark firmly then.
"And just before Anthony and I arrived as I know him better then you do, to know that he was trying to see which of us would figure it out first. And it had to be me as I was here and helping the Lieurenant and commander in training him. And with us was Jack and Tom as a result right now and with that in mind now. It's knowing I got to get him to calm down, because with MacGregor running around in the ship it's serious now."
"As I'm trying to talk him down from making that decision, I tried to get him to show himself, but from there the tactics switched courses. And from wargames and straight to going on stealth and turning into a game of chess. But the phaser on maximum, that's enough to knock someone out, but not kill. I hope that's the last time he has to deal with it, but it's enough we're going to have to keep him home anyway, he's exhausted."
"The little brats at the academy have no clue just what this situation has done and is doing to him emotionally. They can't understand, because none of them lived aboard a ship for several years facing multiple traumas these last few years before they started at the academy. Let alone been pushed into a decision where they had to sacrifice their loved ones for the safetyBand security of the federation now at the moment here too."
"But this crossed a line when our students get put into a situation they never should have been in, in the first place. That's why he laid into Derek, he doesn't get it as he just activated, Wes has been active since he was 15. He knows better then Derek does what this does to you." he said and she nodded in agreement as she looked at him. "That's an understatement, as he's exhausted, physically, mentally and emotionally here."
"And he's probably trying to hide the pain he's in from possibly straining or even spraining his ankle. The landing was enough to do some damage if you caught that Will. Though I doubt this is the end of it, Data, keep an eye on him, if he's running on fumes, let alone you see him limping, I want to know about it. And with it, if takes doing the latest medical exam tell me, because if I have to guess its going to be right now."
"Or in the next week that its going to happen, and I mean, as he reported into as you're his other best friend. But of the technical team in the senior crew staff, it's you and Geordi and you're the second officer, so I need some help in studying the pills later." She said to Data and he nodded to the orders. "I don't quite understand what they meant by chapter one or act one and what movie is this, what are they talking about if you."
"And by that I mean you and 70% of the security and senior staff crew: Doctor Crusher, the Captain, Commander La Forge, Data, and Doctor Bernard. As you mentioned a Lieurenant Heinlein, who is that. If you understand what he and Ensign Lefler are saying and understand it, but we don't?" Ro asked, indicating herself, Worf and Deanna as she walked up to them and Will explained that to her as he looked at her gently.
"The storyline and scenario he mentioned was from a book by an enlisted officer on our home planet of earth 400 years, the man became an author. But this book had the narrator, his wife, his father, his best friend and a scientist friend of theirs going up against a race of parasitical slug like aliens. But the aliens were like leeches that took control of their hosts by latching on to their backs directly over the spinal cord."
"And connecting to their nervous systems, by putting a probe into their brain, interlocking into our central nervous system. And the story got created into a movie in the mid to late 90's of the 20th century. Our planet loves science fiction and this story was a factory component of the last conspiracy we had in Starfleet a few years back, same situation, but just short of three and a half years apart now in time difference."
"That first part of the storyline was they discovered a down spacecraft and then realized that they'd been invaded by these slugs, killed the news station leader, took the parasite back with them and the results are every person in the station and town starts chasing them around. A cop jumped on the side of the speeder that his wife was sitting on, and he got him off the car by slamming him against the side of radio terminal booth."
"But by the time they got out of town and were inflight to their headquarters, and he was waiting for his best friend to return from his mission. They were all beyond exhausted, Wesley's uneasiness at MacGregor hovering around us is because of his instincts. They are he's thinking he's possibly the infected member of the team. And he's keeping himself surrounded by us or the members of Commander's La Forge's team to relax."
"The parasite is in containment, but the infected host is about to expose himself by some sort of indicator. And they realized he had computer chip loaded with every emergency plan that their company had created since the early 1950's in their government network. Upon realizing that the parasite jumped hosts right off this man they did an upper body strip search and his father's secretary turned out to be the secondary host."
"Which is what we're looking at, I'm clean, and the parasite jumped hosts and we're now searching for the person this programming is about to infect next and they're trying to see where the damn thing is while getting as much research done on it as possible. My son and his girlfriend did as much research as possible, but knowing who's infected and who's not is the trick now at the moment and with that in mind now."
"The programming on these headsets are the parasite, he and Robin are playing the narrator himself, his wife. Data just took the role of the lead scientist on the movie and the captain and I, both sides of his father. But now trying to find the damn secondary host, before they infect my son is the next problem, because it took them a week to find him and get him back." He said and she nodded as he looked at Picard as he said it.
"While I'm playing his best friend, but that sums it up now, but he drained 3/4's of his strength during this situation. And if that was on purpose the parasite is about to switch hosts and land on him, depending on the time we have, before the trigger is pulled. And it's trying to get him to take a break in these situations that is almost next to impossible especially if he becomes the target." Geordi added and she nodded to that explanation.
"At these stages, if I was him, I wouldn't stop till I was sure I wasn't the infected host or about to be turned into one at this rate, but then I'm not suffering six months worth of exhaustion, nor did I drain 3/4's of my strength, but that's ridiculous. Is that why you guys were so aggravated when you realized why he was looking like this. That he didn't tell you guys sooner he wasn't up to this?" she asked and the sextet all nodded firmly.
"Yes it is ensign as I'm the one the game had no effect and he told me and after realizing this, I was gannoyed, and then beyond put out. And when I got a better look at him as I realized this at the time andwhen I realized it. That question shot through me once I got a look at him after he fixed me and I reprimanded him after he filled me in. As I've seen him like this before, and once too often that was when we had an elf on board the ship."
"And as he pushed himself past the limit his system could take right now and that was enough to put me out and he was recuperating for a week. This time he ignored his own health so he could prevent it from getting off the ship, but I'm irked. And at the fact he did this and didn't telling us he was ill and I went to the next question. And after I went over this with him as his surrogate parent." Data told her and she nodded, bemused.
"Yes and I know what that question was, but have they lost their minds right now, I mean seriously. I knew these kids were stubborn, but they just figure it out, he's coming down with something and they choose now to pull these stunts. But just what the heck are they thinking right now here exactly, because that's not just reckless. But completely irresponsible right now?" she said in exasperation and he nodded to her gently.
"You just said everything we thought and were thinking when he broke us out of it. But like Data said, he was the first to let him have it after he saw him like this. My first question was why didn't he tell us he was possibly coming down with something when he came home. But this is getting ridiculous at the moment. I removed them from active duty for the night, so they could rest." Beverly said and she nodded to her gently.
"I swear these kids are going to be the death of me if they keep pulling stunts like this. But he's looking like he's coming down with something, jumping from station to station, he's getting into the bowels of the ship. Then a sixty foot jump down the Jeffries tube extension shaft, he keeps this up I'm not going to make fifty at this rate." Deanna said in undertone to her and she nodded in agreement to that remark.
"You're not the only Deanna, neither am I, but I hate it when he does that, at this age, it's more getting reckless with the stunts and he's a hotshot pilot, but he needs to rein it in or he's going to give us all a heart attack by the time he reaches twenty one." Geordi said and she nodded as Ro looked at him at that remark. "Yes and I just had surgery done 18 months before he left, but he keeps it up and I really am going to have one."
"I'm getting way too old for these stunts he keeps pulling and if he doesn't quit, I'm not going to make it to see him graduate at this rate." Picard said in answer to that. "Are you guys always like this with him?" Ro asked and they all nodded. "Yes, and it comes from watching him grow up after four years together, the eight of us were together since day one and we'd been through a lot together." Data said to her and she nodded gently.
As Will switched subjects with a bemused look on his face at the conversation. As he said it with a sigh as he catalogued what he saw with his young charge and adoptive son. As he looked at Picard and said it gently then. "In truth the matter that he looks like this only underlines the fact he was in no condition for this right now. But looking at him now when he's drained 2/5's the amount from his body, I don't know right now, Beverly."
"But I doubt that this is the end of it though Captain, he's not looking so good, I mean right after we get freed. And we see everything that the workers at the academy aren't at the moment, and as if that's not enough at the moment. He just barely puts himself in here, it's been a week and she's screwing with his physical health. And now just as it ends we hear the rest of of it now, but being homesick, loss of weight, exhaustion."
"It's pretty obvious now, that though he may have said four days, and he stopped taking the pills, since he got himself ready to go for leave this past month. Those pills are carrying lingering side effects now, he stopped taking them, but the effects are still in his system, but if the idiot nurse at the academy is not paying attention. She can't see this whatsoever, and whoever is the host is only making his symptoms worse."
"She can't see what we can right now and it's sleep deprivation, detox from that bottle of pills, malnutrition and being homesick at the moment if he was that determined to get us back to normal. Those pills may have been stopped three months ago, but the side effects are still hitting him if he told us that. But the stupid idiots are not having enough time to deal with this, 500 students running loose at the academy, we have to do it."
"He stopped taking them over a month ago, but what if these pills are part of her programming in his case, what if there's something we can't see. I mean you said he doesn't get migraine headaches Beverly. But something doesn't add up here: why choose now to try and seize control of our ship, the timing is too perfect, what's the connection here." Will said and Geordi nodded in agreement to that as he pressed it further.
"I mean he said he wasn't taking the refills on those things, but we have to see what this crap is cut with right now, before it puts him in here for a severe detox or worse. As if that's not enough, I'm looking at several indications of physical and emotional malnutrition here and the catalyst has to do with these nightmares he just told us about. Those dreams, these pills and the game are connected, but how I don't know yet."
"But he's also looking like he's lost a bit of weight and has been working over time at the academy. If his squadron is not bothering to pay attention here and neither is the nurse, it's enough, we could have to keep him home if something else is wrong or goes wrong." Geordi said in an undertone and he nodded. "His remark regarding why he bothered to leave now also makes sense, if it wasn't for him stopping it, her plan would have worked, but he did and we arrested her, but this is too easy right now Sir."
"Though if this is what I'm thinking now, it just added another reason to keep an eye on this, he's a cadet, don't get it right today, try again tomorrow. But too tired to focus and you make a mistake, it's that simple, he's nineteen years old and his skills set him apart from everyone else his age. Whoever's screwing with his sleep cycles is triggering a walking time bomb here and one that could go off if we don't keep an eye on this."
"But he's been working on a real ship and engine room since the middle of our first year together and he's over doing it so we can get out of the messes we get ourselves into here Sir. This keeps up and if there's more to the added programming, best to extend the leave and he's doing his training from up here for a while. Because if this means what I think the stupid idiots at the academy that are not paying attention never bothered to give him an examination before he left the academy to see what we can here."
"And it's sleep deprivation, looking like he lost twenty pounds from not eating enough and the right foods and separation anxiety times twenty at the moment. If it continues I'm looking at caffeine detox and a possible time bomb waiting to go off if that's her plan right now for him. But of fifty, only the fifteen of us are the ones he socializes with the most, but the six of you, Keiko, me, Guinan, Jack, Derek, and their teams, David, Jenny and Harry." O'Brian added to him and he nodded to that as he came to a decision then.
"Alright to repeat Beverly's order, keep an eye on him, you notice any kind strange behavior, or he has another collapse in the engine room, report it to us, immediately. Data, you're in charge of running the added analysis regarding his test results you find anything regarding the connection between the pills and the headsets, tell us, and we're going to a medical and senior staff meeting to end this."
"But whatever she has in mind for us, let alone him, is being shut down for good, because if this causes a repeat of the aftermath of the knack." he said to the duo and they nodded to the orders. "If the added refills haven't been used yet we have to have a look at them. But whatever he's doing once we reach day three or however long it takes is getting the plug pulled if he starts suffering something worse then dizzy spells."
"But if those nightmares get any worse, I think she caused a case P.T.S.D. now here. At the moment I'm ready to kill her for this. But last time it was Remmick, this time its Etana and it nearly puts him in the E.R., for another near fatal injury. That's the comparision, the kids were playing us in this latest scenario. He was acting as you. Charlie like me, and Robin like you, Beverly and with that the situation took a new turn."
"Though this gets any worse, I'm looking at scenarios comprised to, before and after, he left and the last seven months prior to him coming home. We have Remmick, the virus and Danar, but whatever's coming next is the next question we have to figure out. But until they choose to start this, best to just enjoy the chance to really rest tonight Sir. But with him in recovery from that right now, I think our only option to prevent this."
"Let alone prevent the trio from destroying our relationship is by us extending the time and he's around us again. As to that, my recommendation is telling Brand that we're extending his leave for 6 months as an added safety precaution. And if the switch gets yanked on the sabotaging maneuever, extending long till after he's fully recovered from this." Will said to him and he nodded in agreement to the suggestion.
"What's the suggestion Will, restart his training up here as he does what he did before now?" he asked and Will nodded. "Yes Sir, if her plans are screwing with his training, than we continue with training him up here. As he did everything they're doing, for real, that they only did in simulation and I can act as his training instructor during this when I'm not on duty on the bridge, it just depends on how long it takes now."
"But all in all, to keep him caught up, it's best if we restart his training up here, if she lands him back in the E.R. for real if this gets any worse. We find the person forging those medical orders and arrest the conspirators involved in this, all at once, and he's back home, and training for the duration it takes. And with what he just told us about Locarno, his team mates, aside from Alberts, are pressuring him into breaking rules."
"He didn't just go to the academy to start screwing around, he went there, so he could later rejoin the crew as a full acting member of it once he graduated. That's his wish, rejoin us as a member of the crew later on once he graduated now, and they're screwing with that dream by trying to get him to change who he is right now. Those kids don't have a thing on us when it comes to being a team at the moment."
"Aside from that, and I don't have to hear it outloud either right now, but it's clear, Wes and Charlie are two sides of the same coin. He's found his equal in abilities and training, he's found his new girlfriend, he's got Jake and that's it. He's found his new pack, his squadron, and to insure they can't destroy our bonds, it's by extending this trip. To him, being a team meant family and that's what he misses most right now, us, his family."
"And so with that in mind, get him out of range of his squadron and back up here, he's part of a real team and he's with family. But it's clear our lessons to him paid off when the kids met, the trio made a great team. But best to get him out of range of his squadron, if they're trying to be a bad influence on him." he said and they nodded to him gently as Picard looked at Beverly and Deanna and they both nodded in agreement.
"After four days like this, I think we all need a night off, because it's just like that fever he mentioned. I don't believe this, while the entire ship gets hit, he's the last one standing and now it's about to result in a new scenario that has him looking like I did and it's taking us to prevent that this time." he added and she sighed. "With him spending most of his time around the four of you, somebody has to keep an eye on him."
"In case he suffers an attack like the one that the captain did." she said and the quintet exchanged looks as Will said it. "Well he's on sabbatical as of now, I'm not having those kids wreck his career, because he's too exhausted to think straight right now. I'm looking at ten months to a year, because two months to recover from this physically and ten more to train, but one year in total, now." he said and she nodded in agreement to that.
"Check that, going by what he told us, we let him go back too soon and something else is going to happen, so best to go with the boys idea and keeping it at 18 months. But six months in recovery, another year in training and that should do it right now. Whatever that episode showed at the moment, I'm not risking it right now, so 18 months right now." Geordi said to him and he nodded as she gave a nod of agreement to his thoughts.
"18 months it is, he gets hurts, and it's six months recovering and eating the right foods and 12 more training here on the ship. But at least this way he's surrounded by us and out of his academy squadron's influence now as he's able to act like we know him, instead of how they want him to act." she said and he nodded in agreement as Picard answered her then gently as he said it, feeling the relief and pride at his student then.
"With the fact he considers me his captain still, best to go the added commanding officer route and legal guardian touch, because he wants to stay under my command. Although in your case Will, we've been together for five years and sooner or later they're going to give you command of your own ship here." Picard said and he sighed. "Maybe, but at the moment I prefer acting as your second in command still Sir, as to that now."
"Until that time comes, best to just to enjoy what time we have left together as a senior staff crew now." he said and the sextet nodded in agreement to that remark. "I'd hate to be the poor idiot that crosses you now Captain, if you get that overly protective of Wesley." Ro said and Will hid a chuckle. "Where he's concerned, and I'm giving an example to this now if there's trouble once he returns to the academy."
"But something happens and I will go to any lengths to learning what caused the infraction. And if it kills a student and nearly kills him while doing it, because his squadron leader got to cocky. And it was trying a maneuever that's beyond reckles, but completely dangerous. To me, I will stop at nothing to learn the truth, since I was determined to get him back after the Aldeans kidnapped him and the sextet."
"So they want to mess with me, they're playing with fire and they will get burned if they cross me regarding my crew. Let alone my senior staff members, because the safety of my crew comes first." Picard said and Will smiled dangerously at the memory as Geordi finished that. "And trust me, he will too, to us younger members of his latest crew, once we heard we'd been assigned to him as our new captain as our latest duty station."
"It was enough we were all beyond thrilled, because we got to serve under the best captain in the fleet and the one with the best record of all. Just short of a month together after our crew was completely assembled and our records together went from slightly unethical. And straight to expecting trouble every other week once our senior staff was assembled completely." Geordi said laughing and the quintet smiled at the memory.
"Are you guys always like this with each other, I've never seen the senior staff and added crew act like this around each other before on any other ship?" she asked smiling and they nodded. "Yeah we are, by the end of the first year it resulted in being able to act like normal co-workers instead. You'll get used to it, it's just the initiation stage you got to get used to and you passed that part after you arrived." Bates said to her gently.
"Yeah and with that the first few missions after we were and you were working two positions at once which resulted in unexpected happening in the works, let alone transporter malfunctions after our first encounter with the Ferengi. I mean though that situation was tense we didn't need repeated jokes falling into it. And Data I think you ticked them off by that Yankee trader remark when we had the radio on."
"Because you should have lowered your tone, because he over heard your remark, and talking like that with the radio on. That's a good way to annoy these people when in the middle of a serious situation right now." Deanna said to him with a chuckle and he smiled slightly. "She's right, you want to make remarks like that, then wait till we have the radios off, or you're going to tick off the opposition, but that was ridiculous."
"Along with dragging up our cultural references and our countries colors at the time of 400 years was going a little too far too, Data." Picard said smiling as Geordi started laughing as Will chuckled at the memory then. "For crying out loud that first encounter was enough to make an impression on all of us, but you're right Sir, that was ridiculous. I mean I knew I was going for slight technical malfunctions in our equipment that day."
"But your remark regarding getting us back up here was one too far and one I didn't need at the time and with it. We were just beginning to get used to being a team and you start getting mouthy followed by the human slang jokes falling into it next. When we were looking for you guys and then I nearly have my heart stop beating, and it's because I still remember how the transporter landed you in the tree that day Geordi."
"And you just barely gave me a heart attack when we got to you, I mean I know these memories are one thing. But having our first true away mission together winding up with repeated jokes, slang remarks and trouble, is enough already at the time guys. But your issue of making sure we have things working or you don't destroy your visor by accident when on duty either was something else, and another worry we had too."
"Without it you're helpless here and with that, the probe we found was one thing that second year, but the Ferengi. After the turbolift threw you out of if it that hard and we found you in the tree at the time." Will said smiling and Geordi looked at him at that, bemused at that. "Are you ever going to let me live that down Sir?" he asked him at that gently and Will shook his head as he answered him as the duo exchanged looks.
"No, and it's because you scared the heck out of me that day, I mean, I land on the planet to see you four aren't with me and are missing. And I have to track you guys down, find Data first as he's inspecting those crystals at the time. And then I find you hanging from a tree like some animal or some other character had knocked you unconscious at the time, and I wasn't sure if they knocked you unconscious or not."
"And just before we get attacked for real by those guys too." he said and Beverly looked at them. "Alright guys take it easy, that was four years ago and we're four years older and wiser in situations like this, so pull yourselves together here." she said and Ro looked at them. "I see why Wesley finds this so funny now and it's because he's used to it regarding your team, Sir." she said and the quartet nodded to her smiling slightly."