Beverly tramped across the icy yard towards the house, pulling at the lapels of her coat before knocking firmly on the door. She jumped up and down a few times waiting until the door cracked open.
"Beverly." The soft voice made her feel instantly warmer.
"B'Elanna I didn't realize you were on Earth." She smiled as she pulled her through the door.
"I came for the funeral. Tom and I worked with Leah integrating Borg technology. She rubbed at her arms, shaking her head."You should have transported in from the station!"
"I always feel so invasive beaming into someones home. But I have to admit I didn't realize how cold it actually was here." She looked around the warm cabin. "I don't think it was even this cold in Alaska."
"Tell me bout it." She smiled at her again. "It's wonderful to see you."
"I wish it were just a social call." Beverly touched her shoulder and he nodded.
"Seven's in the lab." The engineer pulled her towards the hallway and down the steps. She marveled at the way the cozy cottage feel started to meld into the cool metalic walls until the hominess was gone completely. "Dr. Picard is here." Torres smiled before making her way back up the stairs.
"Dr." The blonde spun effortlessly on her heels before smiling. "I'm glad to see you."
"I am so glad to finally be here to do this." She smiled, before remembering she was on Earth for a funeral. "Even if the circumstances are sad ones." Seven nodded tightly before looking back at the screen.
"I have been reviewing your hypothesis. I don't see any reason not to expect success."
"Seriously?"Beverly's face glowed like a little girl. "You're serious?"
"Dr. Picard, I'm always serious." The woman told her with a sly look.
"Yes, of course, Seven. I'm sorry."
"Would you care to see what I've done so far?" Seven's Borg like stride had long go stopped bothering her long ago.
"Yes please." Beverly followed her across the room. She removed the cover of a biochamber and Beverly gasped. "You did that from the tissue samples I sent you?"
"Yes." Seven's voice held no pride, but Beverly couldn't stop the proud tears that came to her eyes. "You find away to implant them and I don't see any reason they won't work."
"I don't know what to say." Beverly breathed, looking at the two breathing lungs in front of her.
"Now about Picard." Seven's blunt segway pulled the Dr's attention from the organs in front of her and back to the woman.
"Seven I'm afraid his opinions have not changed." She told the woman firmly, casting her eyes from her to the floor.
"That is.. unfortunate." She carefully measured her words. "It would be in his best interests for you to intercede."
"I can't ask him to do something he feels is unethical." Beverly shook his head.
"Borg technology has been in use by Starfleet for over a decade. Elizabeth Riker is as much Borg as I am." Her voice rose slightly and Beverly watched her usually impassive eyes spark with rejection.
"Seven." Beverly's voice lilted and she gently touched the woman's arm as the steely look returned. "His experiences were difficult."
"I am aware." She said evenly. "I experienced them as well." Beverly nodded at her, letting her hand drop away. "Many of us who have been recovered from the collective have managed to intergrate our experiences." Her eyes softened as she rethought her statement. "To make peace with them."
Seven of Nine walked a few paces away before putting her hands against her workstation.
"Few of us.. none of us.. would choose a slow degenerative death over a simple implant. It is illogical and inefficient. And somewhat unkind."
"I'll be sure to tell him you said so." Beverly whispered, once again laying her hand on the woman's arm. Seven nodded firmly.
"May I help you prepare a medical plan for transplant?"
"Please." Dr. Picard whispered looking back towards the newly created lungs.
…...
"Geordi."
"Tom. B'Ellanna." LaForge stood, greeting his wife's coworkers. "I'd heard a rumor you two were in town."
"We just had to come." Tom Paris told him kindly. "Leah was so instrumental in helping us return to reality when we made it back to the Alpha quadrant."
The engineer nodded before looking at B'Elanna.
"Where is Miral? I know that El would love to see her?"
"She already has. They ran off a few minutes ago." The woman smiled. "We won't keep you. We just wanted to say hello.. and how sorry we are."
"Thank you." Geordi hugged her before patting Tom on the arm and wandering away.
"He looks lost." B'Elanna leaned towards her husband, he slid his arm around her shoulder and rubbed.
"I can imagine.."
"Well stop imagining Fly Boy. You are stuck with me for a very long time." She hummed. He smiled, kissing her quickly.
"I better be."
"Mr. and Mrs. Paris!" The booming voice shook both of them. They quickly turned their eyes to Captain William Riker.
"Sir." Tom smiled dutifully as B'Elanna looked bashfully at her feet.
"Don't worry Lieutenant. I've been known to kiss my wife on the Bridge. I'd say a wake is much more appropriate place."
"Yes Sir." She grinned.
"Where is your lovely wife, Sir?" Tom asked casually, giving his own spouse time to recover.
"Oh, somewhere." He looked over his shoulder. "She tends to try and stay away from me at these type of things. Lots of boring people that I have to talk to."
"Yes Sir." Torres finally looked up. "I know that Chakotay often feels the same way when accompanying the Admiral."
"I'm sure he does. When are those two going to make it official anyhow?"
"Your guess is as good as mine Sir." Paris shrugged.
"Don't you hate those couples that draw out their relationships for years?" Will Riker's eyes twinkled playfully and Tom pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. "Will they? Won't they? It's pathetic really."
"Yes Sir." Tom answered with gusto, beside him his wife just smirked.
"I cornered you two here to do something incredibly inappropriate for a funeral, but since it was practically an order from my Chief Engineer that I do this while we have the chance. I'm here to invite you to a party."
"A party?"
"For Picard. A belated retirement party." Riker smiled. "Send the old man off with a bang."
"Well. We wouldn't want to miss that." Tom smiled, turning his eyes to his wife who smiled back at him.
"I'll send over the specifics." Will smiled before someone's waving hand caught his attention. "Duty calls." He muttered, pulling on his tunic and making his way over to the newest mourner.
"I don't know if I've ever been invited to a party at a funeral before." B'Elanna chuckled.
"I know they talk about the Voyager people as being odd, but honestly it's the Enterprise crew that are a few shards short of a detithum crystal if you ask me." Tom whispered with a raised eyebrow, his wife swatted at his arm.
…...
"I'm just saying that she mentioned it." Beverly sighed, crossing her arm protectively over her chest.
"And I'm just saying.. emphatically, and for the last time. No." Her husband huffed, gathering his daughter's toys from the couch and dropping them in a basket. "It's not even a cure."
"It's a treatment. It could slow the progression of the disease by nearly half. It's ten, maybe twenty more years."
"I wouldn't be able to work." He sneered, carrying the basket back to the spot where it belonged.
"You'd be able to teach. To write. To- I don't know- be a father to your children!"
"I'm sorry I thought I was doing that now! Without reactivating the barbaric technology that my captors installed in my cerebellum." He shouted at her.
"Oh for Christ Sake Jean Luc it's been almost fifteen years! Get over it!" She snapped before the reality of what she'd said hit her and her eyes clenched shut. "I shouldn't have said that."
He chuckled a little at the flippancy of that statement before sinking onto the couch.
"I didn't know you felt that way." He told her evenly.
"I don't-." She pressed her lips together. "This is a chance at a real prolonged remission." She shook her head. "A remission that may last until Sienna gets married. Until Jack graduates from the academy. Until Wesley gives us grandchildren to spoil. And you're turning it down without so much as a thought."
"I have thou-."
"Have you thought about me? About the children? Or have you just thought about defying the Borg? An enemy whom you've already defeated time and time again. That Starfleet has defeated.. infiltrated, collaborated, and began fostering a revolution within." She sniffed back her tears, holding herself against the wall to keep from going to him. "The war is currently and literally only in your head."
He heard the doors to their quarters swish open and by the time he looked up she was gone.
…...
"Are you sure you're alright?"
"Yes. Deanna, I'm fine and I don't want to talk about it." Beverly Picard swallowed hard before turning back to her friends.
She watched Will attempt to push her emotions to the back of his mind. He seemed to be doing a better job then his wife currently was. She noticed his hand touch Deanna's shoulder and knew they were discussing it. Deanna looked back at him with a nod, and Beverly imagined she could actually feel the woman's empathic fingers withdraw from her mind. Will relaxed a little but his wife's concerned expression remained.
"You didn't bring us all the way to Starfleet medical to tell me I need a new CMO did you?" Will asked warily, looking around.
"No." She smirked."I want to talk about Lizzie."
"What about?" Will's voice was mildly alarmed, but Beverly smiled warmly.
"I talked to Seven a few days ago. And she's made some headway with Luc's cord blood. Stem cells." Beverly watched them carefully.
"Headway?" Deanna's voice was nearly silent.
"Lungs." Beverly decided, pasting on her doctor's face and meeting their gaze. "She's made some lungs."
"Lungs?" Deanna breathed.
"I thought you said she couldn't have repli-."
"They're not replicated. They're regenerated. Created."
"Cloned?" Will shook his head, all of the cloning restrictions flying through his Starfleet brain.
"Grown." Beverly shook her head.
"How's that possible?" Deanna finally asked.
"It's ancient technology really. We abandoned it long ago when artificial organ donation became so much more efficient." She smiled at them. "We would have attempted it years ago but the variation in cloned tissue, even from her DNA was too much for Lizzie's immune system. But when Luc was born. I used a long disregarded technique of extracting and storing cord blood. He's a perfect tissue match. We infused tissue cells from Lizzie's malformed lungs."
"Why didn't you tell us this?" Will's face was washed with a blank wonder. Beverly nodded.
"It was a long shot. I didn't know how Lizzie's original cells would survive transplant. They're ten years old and she's so medically unpredictable. I wanted to get the information and the samples to someone who could effectively execute the plan."
"Seven of Nine." Riker nodded in understanding. "And she did?"
Beverly moved over to the small station behind her and tapped the console. Deanna's hand flew to her mouth.
"How?" Will swallowed hard. "The surgery.."
"We'll use telepathic anesthesia." She met Will's eyes and held them. "We'll need a seasoned telepath, preferably a relative. Know anyone who might be willing?"
"She'll be here for the party." Deanna smiled, tears slipping over her eyelids.
"They'll be risks. Surgery is a very serious thing for Lizzie." Beverly reminded. "But Seven's sure we can do it."
"She'll be able to breathe." Deanna looked at Will, he absently reached out wrapped his arm around her slight form. "With lungs." Her eyes dropped back into the chamber and she watched the lungs expand and contract. "Actual lungs."
"When can we do it?" Will whispered softly.
…...