Chapter 2: The Truth

Disclaimer Star Trek isn't mine. Just my characters and my plot.

Aisha M'Begna and Spock stood in the transporter room preparing to leave for Vulcan. "Enjoy shore leave Lieutenant. We will see you in a week" The transporter chief told her as she stepped on the transporter pad. She nodded and disappeared in a shimmer of lights.

Aisha pulled he hood up as she walked against the warm desert wind. It was still early and it would be a few hours before the planet got hot by even human standards. She walked toward the office of T'Via. Fortunately she didn't have a long walk as it was still outside the main part of the city. She liked Shilkar but preferred the solitude of the mountains when she was on Vulcan. She would meet her uncle if he wasn't busy after her appointment.

Her mind wandered on the brief walk as it had been doing lately and before she knew it she almost walked into the front wall of the Medical Center. 'Not good' she thought. She was glad no one noticed or would have let on if they did. 'At least Vulcans were far more polite than humans' she thought fighting a smile. She let them know she was there.

"Aisha wimish, y Hakausu T'Via gal-tor" she said and sat down to wait. Time seemed to pass slowly and she hid her nervousness.

"Aisha sarlah" the woman's voice brought her out of a daydream.

She noticed the older Vulcan in soft pink and gray healer's robes waiting for her and knew immediately why her name seemed familiar. She met the healer twenty years before wither uncle on one of her first trips to the planet. She followed the doctor into a small dimly lit room. The smell of incense calmed her edgy nerves. T'Via offered her a cup of hot tea which she gladly took. She noticed it was more like a meditation chamber than an exam room. 'Of course it is considering her specialty' she told herself and sat down still unsuccessfully concealing her nerves. "Kau Ka" she whispered.

T'Via turned to her patient "What happened?" It wasn't the Vulcan way to make small talk thankfully. Aisha recounted the story of the landing party and how she came to realize something was wrong. She was shaking in spite of the warmth of the room now. T'Via's dark eyes were sort with understanding and compassion. "I have no doubt the damage is great, but I can repair it. Be warned when your memories return I fear they will be at best unpleasant."

Aisha nodded. "I know. I will deal with that when they do come back, somehow." Her voice trailed off.

"It will be a process." T'Via agreed. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes, go ahead." She braced herself for the sensation of collision and steadied herself with a quick meditative technique she picked up.

T'Via steepled her fingers for a moment before she placed them on the human's katra points. Their thoughts swirled together like a hurricane and Aisha unconsciously pushed back. "It is okay, relax you know I am not going to hurt you." T'Via assured her.

"Of course not. I am being illogical. Fear is illogical" Aisha thought in response.

Even from just the edge of her mind T'Via felt the overwhelming fear. "It is to be expected. You were attacked, but that is the past. You are safe now. Feel it and let it go. You lead." T'Via's experience told her that while Vulcans would be less resistant due to being familiar with melds and despite the personal nature they were not alien. However, non telepathic species often resisted even if it was unconscious and the process took longer. She learned letting them believe they are leading helped due to giving them a sense of control. Aisha led back through the things she verbally shared with T'Via letting her see and experience them as well as the dreams. It was there that she first noticed the small fractures. She pointed them out to Aisha and immediately felt the younger woman's despair. "They can be mended. You will heal." She reassured the human.

She pushed gently into the void and Aisha winced slightly but felt her healer's calm confidence. There was a mild ache and then the clarity of the dream and memory was restored. She saw the minor details that were altered and the memory sealed together. "There are more, larger ones but they can be repaired too."

Aisha relaxed again after a few minutes but new the truth would be painful when she saw it, even more than the procedure to fix the damage. She followed The Vulcan's mental assurances and her confidence. 'It is a good thing Vulcan emotions are intense. I doubt I could do this otherwise.'

"Indeed', T'Via replied. "And yes you could. It would take longer than you would want, but you have impressive mental strength." Aisha was surprised. "What? Did you forget I am here?" Aisha swore she could see the edge of T'Via's lips curl in a smile. She was sure her eyes were smiling.

Aisha acknowledged she did for a moment and then continued calmer than before, but still nervous. She feared remembering but knew she had to see it to heal. She was safe and that was in the past. She told herself. She trusted T'Via and each void repaired hurt a little worse and each memory was more painful. The pauses between each seemed to be longer but the Vulcan's patience reassured her. She would get through this and she wouldn't be alone this time.

Finally the pieces were coming together and she remembered where she was on Acura when she was attacked. She walked to it in her memory. This time, however she went willingly considering she was conscious. She heard the sound from behind and felt the blow to the head. She fell but stayed awake. "NO!" she cried. She saw T'Via beside her, reassuring her. The Acuru grabbed her and she noticed T'Via's hand on his. She was in the meld with her, not her attacker. 'This is just a memory' Aisha reminded herself as she fought to not break the meld. "Fi Ah'rak" she heard a voice whisper unsure if it was hers. She saw the fracture this time through her own eyes and felt as if she was on fire as the memory was restored. He followed her, knocked her out and melded. She watched as he shifted through her memories. He took the knowledge of her research and saw how the dylithum had been a plant to bring them there. She saw him plant memories in her head. She saw him clearly despite the changes. He was with her at the academy and dropped out. Aisha turned him down before he left the academy. He was…No! She screamed again as it was all she could take and she pushed away shaking and in tears. "Fi Ah'rak, fi Ah'rak. I am on Vulcan" she repeated through her tears.

She was able to see through the tears and saw she was indeed on Vulcan in the healer's office. The older Vulcan sitting across from her was quiet. "Hakausu" she breathed. "I am sorry" she wiped the tears and tried to regain her composure.

T'Via shook her head and handed Aisha another cup of tea. "No need, it was intense and would have been for anyone. Your strength surprises me. The repair was successful. Healing is a process though and I want to see you again before you go off world."

"I leave next week."

"Fine. I will see you in 5 days. I suggest you rest. I will show you meditation techniques that will help the stress on your mind. I know humans don't regularly mediate but I suggest you do daily at least while you are here and before you come back."

They spent a few minutes practicing the meditations until T'Via was sure she could properly reach the level of calm necessary and showed her to the door. "I am here should you need something before your appointment, Aisha."

Aisha nodded. She wouldn't be shopping today. Today she was headed to the mountains.

*Aisha wimish y Hakausu T'via gal-tor* I am Aisha. I am here to see Healer T'Via

*fi Ah'rak* on Vulcan

*Sarlah* come