"Fleet wants my answer on Gibson." Will dropped the drink in front of his old friend before settling into his own chair.
"I'm not sure what that has to do with me." Worf's voice rumbled over the prune juice.
"I need advice." The Captain shook his head like it was obvious.
"Sir.." Worf grunted in discomfort before meeting Riker's eyes. "I advise you to ask someone else."
"I'm asking you Commander!" Will raised his eyebrows and put on his best Captain voice.
"LaForge does not like him."
"I know." Will sighed. "I don't know why though."
"Gibson is whiney."
"Whiney?"
"He wishes to… fit in." Worf spit the words out like they tasted bad.
"He tries to hard?"
"Wesley Crusher tried too hard.. Gibson… is whiney."
"Takes it personally." Will nodded to himself.
"He pouts." The Klingon growled.
"That's conduct unbecoming an officer." Will muttered.
"What did Picard say?"
"Not much. Just that he was a different kind of Number One than I was."
"Ha!" Worf snorted. "Commander Gibson is no Commander Riker."
"So you wouldn't keep him?" Will deduced, running his thumb over the rim of his glass.
"I didn't say that." Worf mumbled into his juice.
"What?" He couldn't help but grin.
"One thing that Gibson always provided was a differing opinion." He sighed. "On more than one occasion that has saved our lives."
Jack Robert Picard sat grinning over his Jalaran eggs as his parents snipped at each other over Sam Gibson and whether or not he should stay on as Will's Number one.
"Sam's familiar with the ship." Beverly pointed out. "No one on board is ready for the promotion and breaking in someone new would take forever."
"Will knows this ship like the back of his hand! And Deanna will be working closely with whomever he chooses." Picard announced.
"It would do Gibson some good to work under someone a little less.."
"Yes?" Picard raised his eyebrow at his wife. "A little less? Do continue Doctor."
"Oh just forget it. It's Will's problem not ours."
"No! Do go on. I want to know what my former CMO thinks I am a little more of then Will Riker!"
"I thought you said you taught Will everything he knows Father?" Jack supplied helpfully.
"I did!" Picard said, spinning towards him. "He's the son I never had." The man winked at the smiling boy.
"But you have a son!" Sienna squealed.
"Yes." He narrowed his gaze at Jack. "But he's nothing like Will. Not hairy enough and much too short."
The door chimed and the Picard children clamored for there school bags and rushed out the door with their friends.
Jean-Luc swung around again, grabbing his wife and pulling her against him.
"I don't know about your former CMO.." She whispered softly. "But your wife can think of many things you're "more of" than Will Riker."
"Indeed.." He whispered back, bringing his lips to hers.
Will Riker hoped that it still looked like he was listening to the argument between his first officer and engineer.
In reality he couldn't hear anything over the blood rushing between his ears. His hands gripped the arms of his chair a little tighter as he fought the inevitable shaking that was about to start.
"Enough!" He yelled, his eyes smashing together against the throbbing. "Geordi.." Will's breath sucked in slowly. "..is in charge of the engines. Sam.." He waved his hand, trying to look dismissive.
"Sir, are you alright?" Geordi's alarmed voice cut through the haze for a second. He watched his engineer squint his hypersensitive eyes.
"Yes Commander, I'm just tired of mediating petty arguments between two of the most important members of my senior staff." He knew by the bewildered look on LaForge's face that he had failed to abate the man's worry. "You two are dismissed."
"Captain.." Geordi began.
"Dismissed Commander!" He would have stood if he didn't think he'd end up on the floor of his ready room. "And next time take your arguments to Counselor McKenna."
Gibson was already half way out the door when LaForge slowly spun on his heels and reluctantly left.
"Computer secure door!" Will gasped, reaching into his desk and trying to grab the hypo despite his shaking hands. He tried and failed again to reach out to Deanna over the link. "Riker to Riker."
The computer tone sounded but his wife didn't respond until after Will had sunk the medication into his skin. He leaned forward, pressing his hands against the desk.
"Will.." Came her breathless reply.
"Are you alr-." He huffed out, trying to fill his lungs again.
"I am now." She sounded stronger than he felt. The soft hum of her mind in his. Will swallowed hard a few more times.
"You shouldn't be alone." He panted.
I'm not alone. You're with me.
"Deanna.." He pressed his palm into his aching head.
"Who would I call?" She whispered quietly.
"There has to be someone..." He tried to think of anyone.
"There were people on the Titian." She sighed remorsefully.
Beverly.
He hadn't meant to send it, but his concentration was still muddled by the pain.
"Will.." Her frustration nearly sent him to his knees.
"Can we do this later?" He snapped back.
The door chime nearly made his brain explode.
"Picard to Captain." Beverly's concerned voice pushed into the argument between himself and his wife. "Captain are you alright?"
"Damn it." He muttered to himself before grappling with the hypo. He shot himself again before letting it clatter to the drawer. "One moment, Doctor."
"Will I'm coming in!" Beverly's voice was urgent. "Security-."
"Come!" Will shouted above her call, pulling himself to his full height.
Beverly stood there with her mouth open, her eyes still fixated on the medical tricorder in her hand. Worf had come into view behind her, ready for any crisis that required a medical override of a locked door. Will's head sagged to his chest before sinking into his chair. Knowing full well what the scan showed.
"Will, I'm on my way up there." Deanna whispered. "Riker out."
"Come all the way in, Doctor. I'm sure you have questions."