Wesley's Appendix "Reboot"

Chapter 2

Wesley had been moved into a private room after his surgery and the monitors made continuous observations of his vitals. As Beverly Crusher made notes on her PADD, she noticed that each indicated that her son was regaining consciousness. She placed a cool hand on his forehead and still felt him to be slightly warm, as she grabbed a hypo spray and started to add medication to it and make some adjustments.

Voices.

That was the first sensation he had...as his ears brought him back to consciousness. The next was pain as he felt a searing fire spread across his lower abdomen. It wasn't the same ache as before but it certainly wasn't the pleasant euphoria he was expecting.

A small groan startled Dr. Crusher as she turned her attention towards her son. Lines of pain were creased on his face and forehead as he was about to reach towards his incision but her firm hands stopped him.

"No sir…."

She placed a hypo spray to his shoulder and injected a long burst. Wesley seemed to settle down almost instantly as his hand relaxed and fell back down by the bedside.

"That will be sore for a little while yet," she smoothed a cool palm alongside his face. "How are you feeling otherwise?"

"Tired…" he whispered.

"Why don't you close those big brown eyes of yours and get some rest. You had a rough night…and it'll take….." she didn't get a chance to finish her sentence before she noticed his eyes were shut and his breathing had evened out again. He had dropped off to sleep that quickly. He was still under the influence of the anesthesia. She kissed his forehead and walked towards her office to look at the results of the blood they tested.

Staring at the results, she pondered why she had been the one to operate on her son. Was it because she didn't trust another doctor to do? Or maybe it was because she was worried about how he might react. Wesley had never really been to any other doctor, as she had been his doctor his entire life. She had treated him for ear infections, minor cuts and bruises, and even the common cold. The only time she realized she would need some help is when he had developed tonsillitis when he was ten.

Beverly shook her head and frowned at the memory. They were so badly inflamed and infected, she knew they would have to come out. Sitting in that chilly reception area with half a dozen other parents she got the frantic message from the nurse.

"Dr. Crusher…we need you immediately."

"What's wrong? Is it Wesley?"

"Just follow me please." The nurse said hastily as Beverly fell instep beside her. As they reached their destination she was handed a pair of gloves and a mask and froze at the sight before her. In the corner of the pre op room, curled up as small as he could possibly fit, his knees pulled tightly to his chest was her ten year old son. A brown head of hair rested on those knees, his terrified brown eyes peering up at the masked strangers surrounding him.

When his eyes met hers the terror melted away instantly as worry faded.

"He keeps pulling out the IV. He's very young, we don't like to sedate them too much if it's not necessary."

Beverly walked over to him as Wesley practically melted into her arms. A tiny voice whispered in her ear.

"Please don't leave me mom. Please stay with me…" She held him tighter and nodded as she did exactly as she said she would and stayed with him til he was sedated and was brought back to him immediately upon his waking.

As she sat her desk entering some notes onto the computer she was sure she made the right decision to operate on her son with the assistance of Dr. Adams. She had made a promise to him that she intended to keep.

Ensign Jonson watched as Data relieved the lieutenant at the Conn station and Lt. Worf glided into his station at tactical. Still he waited to be relieved from his duty station. Captain Picard noticed the Ensign's antsy behavior and promptly dismissed him. He still had five more minutes but the shift had been uneventful, and they were all crawling the walls for an escape from the uneventful tour of space. Picard glanced at the chronometer on his comm. panel once again and noticed that his youngest crew member seemed to be running later than usual. He touched a button on his side panel.

"Computer, locate Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher."

"Wesley Crusher is currently in Sick Bay." Picard's brow furrowed as he touched the panel again.

"Picard to Sickbay."

Back in Sick Bay Doctor Crusher heard the call while she was checking on Wesley's vital signs as he was still deeply asleep.

"Captain this is Beverly. May I help you?"

"Ensign Crusher is late for duty please have him join us immediately."

"I'm afraid that's not possible Captain, my patient is not going anywhere."

"Patient?"

"He just came out of surgery just a short while ago."

Picard straightened and stood up from his chair as the rest of the bridge's complement heard the conversation.

"Is Mr. Crusher alright?"

"He's resting now." She replied rubbing her warm hands against her sons trying to warm them.

"Thank you Doctor, Picard out."

Captain Picard made his way away from the center of the bridge as Commander Riker stood to take his seat.

"Number one, you have the bridge. Would you find a temporary replacement for Acting Ensign Crusher?"

"Aye sir."

No explanation was needed. Wesley was one of their own, and the rest of the bridge crew knew how the captain felt about Wesley and Doctor Crusher. It wasn't the same as if they were his own family but over the last year he had developed a soft spot in his heart for the teen. Although Wesley and Beverly had long since forgiven him for the events surrounding Jack Crusher's death, he felt he should look out for his dear friend's son and wife as they had been entrusted to his care aboard the Enterprise.

Captain Picard arrived in sickbay just as Wesley was beginning to stir and wake up again. Doctor Crusher was sitting next to him holding his hand and reassuring him that she was there. Wesley slowly opened his eyes for the second time.

"Hi sweetheart."

His eyes found her face as he tried hard to focus through the haze.

"Hi…everything ok?" he croaked.

"Yes, the surgery went fine. It was a little longer than expected because your appendix actually ruptured. That's probably why your pain was so significant by the time you finally got to me. You should definitely come to me much sooner when something like this happens next time, okay?" Wesley nodded.

"I'm glad you are better Wesley. Please don't worry about your shift on the Bridge and in Engineering. Commander Riker is taking care of it….you just rest and get well soon." The captain patted his hand.

"Yes sir..." was his absent reply as the lingering effects of the anesthesia took the young man with the ever boyish face, back under.

Picard glanced at Beverly, a concerned look on his face, but she smiled warmly.

"He's had some pain meds recently and the anesthesia is really knocking him out. He'll be asleep off and on for the next 18 hours."

"Hmm. Well, take good care of him 'Doctor'." He smiled

"Of course Captain" he took one last glance at the woman and young man he'd grown so fond of and left sick bay.

Beverly made her way back to her son's side, and pulled up a chair beside him. A nurse was handling the only other case in sick bay at the moment and she wanted -needed to be with her son. She kissed his cheek, and stroked soothing fingers through his hair. She could see his eyes move beneath his lids as he tried to reach the surface of consciousness, possibly aware of her presence. Beverly held his hand and watched her son sleep.

2200 hours

Dr. Adams could no longer allow this to go on. She had been on duty for more than an hour and had seen that Dr. Crusher was still at her son's side. She'd promptly fallen asleep in an extremely uncomfortable position, and she knew the poor woman would regret the posture sooner rather than later.

She tapped Beverly on her shoulder. When she did not rouse she shook her gently.

Beverly startled awake.

"What…what's wrong?"

"Dr. Crusher…your shift ended five hours ago…you should go and get some proper rest."

She fixed her hair and absently wiped at Wesley's arm where she noticed she'd either sweated on or perhaps drooled, and ignored the doctor's comments as she looked at her son's vitals.

"I am off duty…I'm taking care of my son." She adjusted Wesley's pillow, and pulled his blanket more snugly around him. The room illumination had been reduced to simulate darkness to help encourage sleep.

"Beverly, you've been here all night and all day." She placed her hand on her shoulder. "Just take a nap in your own bed, you know he'll sleep probably another ten hours.

"I said I wouldn't leave…"

"If he wakes up I'll call you immediately. You know I will look after Wesley as if he were my own child, please go get some rest." Beverly gave Dr. Adams a hug and turned to her son.

"Sleep tight Wes, I'll be back in the morning, and we'll get you some breakfast…." She whispered and left the room. Dr Adams stared at his vitals and made notations on her PADD as she too left Wesley to sleep.

Beta read and edited by Jadeblueafterglow17