XIII.
It seemed as though they had searched the entire ship before Data, Geordi, and Heva were beginning to think of just giving up. They had asked the computer several times where the Frugians they were looking for were, and each time they reached the destination they had already left. Data couldn't help but feel annoyance at the time taken away from him. He could be having a conversation with her about last night, or perhaps even be on another date by now.
Then he realized that he was being what the counselor called co-dependent. He was depending on her for his happiness, and being distracted from something very important. He felt guilty for wanting to be with her more than solving such a horrible crime. He found that after that thought he couldn't look at her in the face. He had to concentrate this time, no excuses.
"I'm getting pretty damn tired of this." Heva exasperated.
"I understand that this is frustrating, Lieutenant. However it is a direct order that we find our designated Frugians before 03:00. It is now 02:46, we are running out of time."
Heva gave him an irritated look before returning her sights to the triquarter in her hand. Data looked at Geordi who shrugged. "Well, we are all annoyed by this." He said. "Maybe we should just give up for now and tell the captain that we couldn't find them."
"No," argued Heva. "I won't stop till I find-" her triquarter beeped several times, signaling forms of life nearby."
"I'm detecting signs of Frugian presence, in Ten Forward. It's just around the corner." She continued ahead hastily, making Geordi and Data have to jog to catch up with her.
The door opened to Ten Forward and all three of them came to a surprising halt. Their Frugians were in there indeed, but two of them were dead.
Uhv and Frituy were on the floor, both of them bearing marks similar to Vruy's when she was killed that morning. Truih stood above them, looking over their bodies, blood on his clothes and a phaser in his hand. He looked up in horror at the group as they entered, dropping the phaser and backing away, shaking his head rapidly.
"You need to come with us right now, Truih." Heva said slowly, holding her hand out. None of them were sure if what they were seeing was what it seemed to be, but he did need to come forward.
Geordi and Data removed their phasers, pointing them at Truih and moving cautiously toward him. All he could do was back away into a wall, his eyes filling with tears as he looked back at the bodies of his dead comrades. He kept shaking his head quickly, pointing at them over and over in a frantic motion, attempting to tell them what had happened.
Finally, Geordi and Data reached him and lifted him to his feet. Truih's body began to shake as though he were sobbing, tears rolling down his pale cheeks as he was taken out of the mess hall toward the conference room.
When they entered the room, Truih in tow; Data, Geordi, and Heva weren't surprised to see looks of confusion on not only the staff, but the other remaining Frugians in the room.
Jean-Luc stood from his chair in alarm. "Where are the others?" he asked, knowing the answer before it was given.
"They're dead, in Ten Forward. We found him standing above them with a phaser in his hand." Geordi replied.
Truih shook his head, frantic and struggling in Geordi and Data's arms. He reached a hand out to Heva, two fingers poised to communicate with. She motioned for Data to let go of his arm, he complied and watched as Truih's fingers touched her flesh; it made him want to rip him away from her and throw him in the brig.
Everyone in the room stood silent, waiting for Heva to speak. Her eyes rolled into her head and she twisted around before coming to a peaceful looking halt. She opened her eyes and looked at the captain, panicked expression written on both hers and Truih's face.
"Captain," she said, anxious. "I assure you, I had only just found Uhv and Frituy when the Commanders and the Lieutenant found me. I picked the weapon up off of the ground and had slipped onto Frituy's body, covering me in blood. You must believe me, sir. I only went in there to eat."
"Was Guinan there?" Jean-Luc asked Geordi.
"No, captain." Replied Geordi. "I didn't see her anywhere."
"Computer, locate Guinan." Picard commanded.
"Guinan is in her quarters." The computer replied in her mechanical voice. He turned his attention to Heva and Truih. "There is no one to back up your story, Truih. Instead of asking for your alibis today, I am going to take another course of action. Commander Data and Lieutenant Heva will escort you to the brig, where you will remain for one week until you are tried for the murders of your fellow species. If we, in fact, find evidence of your innocence, you will be released. Hruj, I am sorry for interrupting your afternoon meditation."
Hruj bowed, showing that he accepted the apology. Then he glared over at Truih, trembling slightly with what looked like rage and disappointment. He and the others swept out of the room, followed by Data, Heva and Truih, who had released her the moment he was told about being sentenced to confinement.
"You two will be relieved of duty until further notice, understood? Do not go anywhere near Ten Forward or the Frugians, I want you to do research on data that Doctor Crusher will send you and Commander Geordi on this case. If you find anything I want you to report to me immediately. Work together if you must. Other assignments given to the crew will be included in your information logs so that you may report to them if necessary, are we clear?"
"Aye, sir." They replied together as they turned out.
The walk to the brig was a silent, awkward one. Data looked over at Heva, noticing that her eyes were beginning to droop.
"Are you alright, Lieutenant?" he asked. She didn't reply, she just looked straight ahead, her head dropping to one side as she walked.
"Heva…is something wrong?" he was beginning to grow anxious and once they were outside the detention hall, she collapsed. The extra weight on Data's shoulders given by Truih surprised him, making him fall to one knee. He hastily walked him to a cell, let him in and put up a force field before rushing to Heva's side. He put two fingers to her neck, her pulse was racing. Her skin felt warm and she was perspiring excessively.
"Data to sick bay, we have a medical emergency in the detention center." He picked Heva up in his arms and rushed out into the hall. "Please beam us to sick bay."
"Alright Data, stand by for transport." He heard Beverly reply before the hallway disintegrated into Doctor Crusher's office. He fled out and set Heva on a table. Beverly was at her side almost instantly, scanning her vital signs.
"She's gone into shock," Beverly said hastily. "Her heart rate is way above normal, she has a temperature of 102.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Nurse!" she called. An ensign ran around the corner, a pan of medicine and an injection importer in her hands. "Give me 30 ccs of Gerethonalis and get me a frontal lobe scanner. I suspect all of the telepathic connection has given her brain more stress than she could handle."
Data was pushed backward by the nurse. He looked over their shoulders nervously as they injected her with the medicine that Beverly asked for. Once she had the scanner in hand, she held it over Heva's forehead for a few moments before putting it back on the tray. "Her temperature is returning to normal…her heart rate is slowing….she will be fine. But she's unconscious; we will need to let her rest for now."
Data's shoulders only relaxed to a point. He watched as she was moved to a recovery bed, her arm fitted with an I.V. and her clothes changed to sick bay robes. He went to stand beside her when Beverly stood in front of him.
"Data, I know that you are concerned, but I can't have you here right now. I need you to leave for a little while. I just want to run a few more scans and then I will let you know how she is. Then you can come back, alright?"
Data hesitated; peering over her shoulder to watch as Heva's chest slowly rose and fell with each slowing breath. He looked at Crusher, who raised her eyebrows and cocked her head toward the counselor's office.
"Go and talk to Deanna, she has been waiting for your next meeting anyway. You can incorporate your experience here in your session. Go, she will be fine. I'll be watching over her."
Data turned to go to the counselor's room, only stopping to take a small glance back at Heva; he had to make sure she was alright before he let her out of his sight.