Title: A Beat in My Heart

Disclaimers: Not mine...never were...

Author's Note: I could think of no better day to end this story than on what would be my brother's 45th birthday! Thank you to all of those who have followed and reviewed faithfully. Your final thoughts and suggestions for a new story are always welcome. -J
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Chapter 14: Patient Zero

Beverly felt groggy and tired as she struggled to open her eyes. She took a deep breath and felt a hand holding her hand. As piercing blue orbs came into focus she noticed she was no longer in Wesley's room. The dim lights and open space did look vaguely familiar. She realized she was in the isolation bay of Starfleet Medical.

Nurse Sullivan stood next to her and smiled at her.

"You're awake. We've been so worried about you." Beverly looked confused as she stared at the nurse.

She tried to talk but achieved only a low rumble. She was given a bit of water through a straw.

"I should be dead."

"What did you say?"

"A disruptor blast to my chest...I should be dead...am I dead?"

The nurse shrugged her shoulders and shared a confused look with the captain and counselor as they arrived in time to hear her frightening statement.

Captain Picard and Deanna Troi stared down at her calmly with a bright smile as the nurse placed a hypo spray to her neck. They moved her to sit up in the bed.

"Beverly, you gave us all quite a scare." His timbre began, blinking away unshed tears as he kissed her hand.

"You're doing much better, your fever finally broke 24 hours ago and your vitals are stabilized."

"Fever? What are you talking about? " She asked as Picard sat on the bed and held her hand. His face was haggard and worn from countless hours of missed sleep at her side.

"The stardate is now 44136.39. What's the last thing you remember?"

She closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back, the look and feel of her son as he lay so cold and lifeless, the double she met on the starbase; lying on her sons bed...

"Wesley..." she said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Picard smiled, glanced at the nurse and left the room. "Of course."

She shook her head ..."I still can't believe he's gone..."

"Beverly... what do you mean he's gone?" Deanna began sensing her fear.

She wiped furiuosly at her tears as she stared angrily at Deanna. "I'm sorry, I know it's been a year...but I still miss him like it was yesterday."

"A year? Beverly, you took care of Wesley until you took ill, and we brought you both here. It's been three days."

She closed her eyes not acknowledging her words.

"I couldn't save him..." she whispered closing her eyes; the pain of the memories washing over her.

Dr. Parrish walked in and stood by the bedside.

"Perhaps this is all too much for Dr. Crusher. I think it may be a good idea for everyone to leave so she can rest."

Before the doctor could enforce his wishes the tired voice of his other patient reached his ears.

"Mom." A voice announced weakly approaching the bed. Beverly turned towards the voice and there stood a young man who looked incredibly like her son. He was being assisted by Nurse Sullivan and the Captain. He was thinner, paler, and looked as weak as a newborn puppy but he looked alive.

"Please...God...not again...please stop this." she whimpered closing her eyes tightly.

"Mom, what's wrong?" She didn't open her eyes until she felt his warm hand on top of hers.

"Wesley, is it really you?" He stared at her strangely as she grabbed at his hand. He was warm, and his life's blood still coursed through his veins.

"Mom, its me. "

"I think she may be a little confused Wes..."

"After you blacked out Dr. Crusher, you were both brought here and we found out you were infected with the virus as well. In fact, the doctors believe you are Patient Zero Beverly, that you harbored the virus from Caldos."

"What? How is that possible..."

"Apparently you were a carrier..." Deanna interjected.

"When we arrived we told them of your idea for the transfusion of my blood to help Wesley."

"It's a good thing you did...we had no idea what else we could do for him. I can honestly say we came very close to losing Mr. Crusher." the doctor concluded.

Beverly closed her eyes pushing back the horrible memories of his death. It all seemed so real.

Wesley sighed exhaustedly and Picard was at his side in an instant.

"But he's doing better now?"

"He's still very weak Doctor Crusher. His meningitis, compiled with the Leutscher virus destroyed his immune system...he's got 5 minutes then back to bed." The nurse demanded helping Wesley to sit at his mother's bedside. Even the effort of walking and standing seemed to exhaust him after more then a week of being confined to a bed.

"We're running a full genetic makeup on you both, we feel that there is something missing."

Beverly remembered the conversation from her nightmare and spoke up immediately. She was sure they would think she was crazy but, her grandmother had always told her dreams always had meaning.

"Check Wesley for Epstein Barr Syndrome"

"Hmmm. Interesting theory. I will check for that, and remember what I said Mr. Crusher...5 minutes..."

"Oh I'll make sure of that, please move his bed in here with me. I don't want him out of my sight..."

"Mom..." he whined.

Her voice suddenly filled with emotions as the others excused themselves from the room.

"Please Wesley..." she cried... "Please ..."

"Ok Mom. I'm going to be okay...please don't cry, you know that kills me..."

"Don't say that..." she placed a hand to his lips. She reached out and pulled him close to her nearly toppling him over. She touched his face and his chest and rubbed his shoulders and hair. She sobbed happily and pulled him towards her chest and held him tight as he collapsed into her. He pulled his feet onto the bed She reached over and pinched her arm. Satisfied that she was awake she sighed contentedly.

"Its really you..."

"Are you alright mom?" he mumbled patting her shoulder careful not to tangle their IV's. A deep yawn captured him as he settled into the crook of her neck.

"Yes...I'm fine now...you're here...I'm fine."

"I'm not five years old you know. I look pretty silly lying here with you."

"It's not silly that I need to hold my son you will always be my baby Wes."

"I don't ever want to go through this again...this was awful." his voice rasped,

"Oh Wes...you have no idea how awful..." she raked her hands through his hair. His skin was cool and dry and his hair smelled clean and the soothing motion was making him sleepy again. Her grasp was so strong he was unable to pull from her arms so he just stayed put. For some reason he knew she must have suffered some of the same night terrors that he had, although hers must have involved him.

"Promise you'll never leave me son."

Wesley stared at his mothers hands and looked sad, he'd had terrible fevered nightmares, and many visions of torture, injury, pain, and death that seemed too real to be dismissed and he knew he could not make that promise.

"I'll always be right here mom..." he whispered, yawning deeply, his knuckle tapping over her heart.

As the stardate played again in her head she pulled the nearly asleep Wesley ever closer to her and whispered.

"Happy Birthday baby..."

A glint from the light above reflected on Wesley's neck and it caught her eye. As she reached and fingered the shiny crystal like trinket on his neck a strange sense of deja vu overwhelmed her. She couldn't place where she'd seen the object before, but it was a unique piece. She kissed the top of her son's head and closed her eyes.

Standing at the door to the room, the tall man dressed as an orderly smiled. The young man was happy now. He would come back for him again, the next time his protege' would be ready.
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Proceed to Chapter 14 A - Epilogue

Stardate Note: 44136.39 {July 29, 2366 8:57 a.m} (Wesley's birthday is the same as the actor except there is a one year age difference making Wesley older...7/29/2349 (7/29/72)

See...I told you it would be a happy ending...and if you paid attention in chapter 7 you would have figured it out...She just had 10 hours of sleep...why is she lethargic? Thoughts? comments? The story Final Mission III is in the works for an end of June debut...but how about a break from the angst? The next story to post is called "Switched" and is a Humor/Romance/Dramedy...for Mature readers only : ) Wesley/Robin & Bev/Picard pairings