AN: This story was originally intended to be about awaking from a dream, however, my muse decided it needed to go in a completely different direction. And what good is a Picard/Crusher story without three little words being spoken. As always I do not own the character's I just let them out of their boxes every once in a while.
Treatment Center of the Rhae- Stardate 57623.79
After a sonic shower that swept her body of any contaminants, Dr. Crusher retrieved a sterile uniform and put it on. Unlike the surgical garments she used on the Enterprise, this uniform came complete with a head piece, foot and hand covers, and a uniform that completely covered her body. She could be in no rush to complete her task, someone she cared about both professionally and personally was on the other side, in a specialized chamber within the isolation ward on Treatment Center of the Rhae. By the time she had it completely on, there was no part of her tall slender form that was not covered. The sterilization field of the cellar regeneration chamber required it. Not outside pathogens, could be allowed to enter the area, less they be a counter agent to the neurolytic pathogens required to promote healing. She moved to the access panel and keyed in the authorization code, which would allow her entry. When the outer doors opened she stepped into the inter chamber and waited as the doors closed again. Beverly hated this part on multiple levels, mostly because it proved how truly defenseless the patient laying in stasis truly was. Before she could proceed further, her body would be bombarded with low level gamma rays, a last precaution, before she would be allowed to enter the isolation ward.
Once she made her way to the area where the patient was, Beverly stared at the cellar regeneration chamber. She had arrived almost twelve hours ahead of him since his ship had limped in battered and broken. Dr. Crusher used the time wisely and took a crash course on the treatment that could potentially save the life of the man who now lay helpless within. In concept, she understood the principals of the mechanics of the chamber, but to know how to operate its more advanced capabilities was beyond her. The readout was understandable enough; the patient had third degree dermal dysplasia, due to high radiation levels. Still, she refused to leave his side, not as long as he was in it. The only times she did leave, was when Dr. Thryac literally booted her out, sighting Starfleet rules and regulations. Fortunately, the only times he did so was when she clearly needed rest or food. In the past two weeks she had logged 273.7 hours in here.
Her own body was drained from the long hours and lack of sleep. However, she couldn't go through this again. It had been nearly twenty-two years, since the last time the effects of radiation poisoning had cut so close to home. Sadly, back when Jack died, there was no treatment for advance radiation poisoning. Now, this patient's life could be saved by this new form of treatment. Until the point he could be retrieved from the chamber, she would spend as much time with him as she was allowed, even if it meant she simply talked to him about her life on Earth and her job as Head of Starfleet Medical.
"It won't be much longer…" Unable to say his name, she touched the view port that allowed her to see into the enclosed chamber, his face was eliminated with varies colors as the healing spectro-chrome waves alternated over his entire body. His body was already looking more human. This was a far cry for the ghastly burns that had scarred his features, from the accident on the icy world of Akuma. Those, thankfully, were all but gone. Beverly didn't know the finer details of what had happen. In fact, she found at the time she didn't care, all she cared about was getting him help. Though he would have to have his ears and part of his nose regenerated, he appeared close to the man she cared for. When the door again opened to reveal Dr. Thryac, Beverly didn't hear him come in. Instead she was lost in telling him the latest communication she had gotten from his former First Officer, who was en route to the planet. "…about two months..."
Her words were cut off by the sound of Dr. Thryac's deep voice. "I thought you agreed to get some sleep, Commander?" The tall Andorian Doctor watched her almost amused, his long antae wiggled to display this emotion.
"I was asleep, I managed a few hours." She informed him, as she watched his actions.
Swiftly, he moved to the hypospray and vial-loader on the nearby wall and loaded several vials with for a series of hypos that would have to be given within seconds of his patient being released from the chamber. Two cardiac vials were loaded with twenty milligrams of lectrazine and the other fifteen milligrams of inaprovaline, these drugs would jump start the heart. A neuro vial was loaded with morathial would reactivate the autonomic system. Once he had what he needed he moved to Beverly and the chamber where he began to key in the sequence, to releasing his patient, on the control padd. The Andorian doctor had a slight smile on his face. It didn't take a Betazoid to tell his colleague had unspoken feelings for this man. Then again, she knew today he would begin the process of reviving the formidable Starfleet Captain. Dr. Thyrac discontinued the in flux of the neurolytic pathogens that were being introduced. "I figured you wouldn't stay away, not now."
Slowly, Dr. Thryac incorporated a normal compression and breathable atmosphere for his human patient. Typically, it had to be done slowly, or the patient ran the risk of cardiac infarction. However, Captain Jean-Luc Picard's artificial heart, deflated that particular risk, and added one completely untried in practical application. Though in the holodeck simulations he and Dr. Crusher had run, the prospect of recovery ran a 94.7% chance that death could occur despite their efforts. Because of such, they agreed the best course of action would be to simply forgo the 24 hour period of acclimation and use cardiac stimulators once the autonomic system was revived and took over his functioning.
Beverly had been willing to take the chance, and use the power of her position to override any ethical issues that arose. There were, after all, in her eyes some things that surpassed rules and regulations. If there was one thing she learned from an old country doctor, from Georgia on Earth, was that you had to be willing to risk the dangers to achieve your goal. Right now, her only goal was to bring Jean-Luc Picard back to the world of the living. After all without the treatment he would be dead…and she would not go through that again, if she had the power to stop it. Then there was the fact, she had long since learned that with Jean-Luc even the slimmest chance was a chance. He was a fighter. Because of the severities of his injuries Captain Picard had been placed in a cryogenic stasis, until they could make arrangements with the Treatment Center of the Rhae for transfer. The facility was the Federation's leading radiation treatment facility on Andora.
Her blue eyes met with Dr. Thryac's and she let out a sigh. It wasn't easy for her to admit her feelings. Feelings she she had only recently, and thanks to Jean-Luc's accident, she allowed herself to acknowledge. She was in love with him and would do anything to spare her self and him, Jack's fate. More so, Jean-Luc was a very private man, and she knew she had to keep this on a profession level, so she carefully gave her answer." Even though she knew the other doctor had unfortunately been witness to her confessions of love to the man that was lying helplessly in the chamber. In fact, he had encouraged her to tell him, and often. "I had to be here, I know he is your patient at the moment, but he is the Captain of the Enterprise."
Dr. Thryac's hands moved over the controls, as a bell chimed signaling the readiness of the system to be opened. As the seal broke and the vapor lock that secured the chamber from the outside air released, a faint hiss sounded. He lifted the face of the chamber up to fully reveal the form of Jean-Luc Picard. "Talk to him, give him a reason to come back."
Beverly nodded and took hold of his hand, which still felt like the chill of death. Carefully she cupped it between her own hands and massaged warmth into it. Beverly held in an uneasy breath as Dr. Thryac administered the hypos. An old Earth fairy tale struck her mind and she leaned in and carefully kissed his cold lips. Jean-Luc was no more Snow White then she was Prince Charming, but the setting seemed so parallel, and she was willing to try anything.
Silently, she watched and waited for some sign that he was alive and would have a chance at recovery. A bright smile crept upon her face after a minute when under closed eyelids there was movement, "Jean-Luc Picard, can you hear me? It's time to wake up! You've been sleeping long enough…I love you, I need you, please wake up." Her words were rewarded with a pair of hazel eyes searching her blue eyes.
"Beverly…I love you," he painfully mouthed with the faintest hint of his voice trying to function. Pain was clearly displayed on his face, as he locked his gaze with hers. Seeing this, a single tear dropped from her eye and onto his naked chest.
Before Beverly could say anything else Dr. Thryac moved closer so his patient could see him. "Well, I believe we can rule out any long term vocalization complications. It should be just a matter of getting stronger." With Jean-Luc's gavze broken from Beverly's to the other voice, Dr. Thryac ran a tricorder over his patient. "Captain Picard...I'm Dr. Thryac and you have just undergone treatment for sever radiation burns and poisoning." He didn't believe in 'beating around the bush' as humans termed it, and he had been advised Captain Picard didn't either.
Her smile radiated across her face, over taking her tired features and breathing new life into them. Soon, with a little luck and continued medical intervention, she considered he would make a recovery. At least she hoped he would be able to make a recovery.
AN: The next few chapters slowly begin to outline how JLP came to have this injury, while neatly tying in the story's theme of a certain promise forgotten and exactly why it was forgotten, so please bare with me.