Disclaimer: See Chapter 1. Thank you to Fameanon for helping me write this.
Strom handed his loyal assistant a cup of tea and joined her on the couch, recognizing the purple data rod barely peeking out of the PADD in her hand. "Who has your father sent this time?" he asked, glancing down at the display.
"Torvan of Gol," she sighed, her voice devoid of enthusiasm. "My father is particular towards this one. How shall I word this rejection letter? My dear father. The man you have sent for my consideration is two inches too short for my liking. Hugs and kisses, Shija."
Strom smirked. "There is no logic in rejecting a man based solely on his height. Your father will likely not accept that as a viable excuse."
She groaned and leaned back into the couch cushions. "Why oh why could I not have simply hacked it as a nun, Strom? Why can't he just let me pick a man in my own time?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You value your place in your clan, and you stated your father would disown you unless you took a mate of his choosing. Therefore, your options are limited."
He watched her take out the data rod and toss it in the garbage, and he gently touched her shoulder. "You are a magnificent woman, Shija. Whomever you choose will be a fortunate man." He cleared his throat and handed her a PADD with Desmond Cardwell's latest scans. "What are your thoughts on these?"
Shija looked at the scans, her eyebrows furrowing. She and Strom had been working on this for a year now. "I think that shadow is something organic wrong. It's in every scan and he has made progress but stops at a certain point. He is afraid of all women but his sister, and I think it has to do with whatever that shadow is on his brain."
Strom nodded, "I have come to that conclusion as well. Dr. Cardwell does not favor me performing the surgery based on shadows. I think it could be an alien device."
Shija sipped her tea, and just then her PADD beeped. "Take the call," Strom said gently. "We will deal with it together."
She tapped her PADD screen, and a reddish-haired half-Vulcan appeared on the screen, raising the ta'al. "Be well my daughter."
She returned the ta'al to him. "Be well, Father."
"I have agreeable news. I have brokered a bonding with you and a man from Shi'Kahr. He is coming to meet you within two days. You will receive him in a public place, so as not to cause scandal. Then you will report to me. I am told there are priestesses working in your hospital, they may aid you in creating the preliminary bond." He nodded in satisfaction. "I look forward to hearing about the positive conclusion of this bonding." He raised the ta'al and then the screen went blank.
Her jaw went slack. "What the heck just…"
She had no time to process what her father said before the doors to Strom's office blew open. A furious Dr. Hester came in holding four PADDs in her left hand, which she proceeded to chuck towards Strom.
The Vulcan dodged the PADDs, and gently pushed Shija to the side so she didn't get hit. His eyes were wide. "What is the meaning…"
"Don't do that!" she shouted, jabbing her finger in his face. "Don't you dare do that. For the last year you have fed me the 'teamwork makes the dream work' bullshit notion that we were working together for the good of our patients but no!" she ground out. "I submitted some of our work to the Interspecies Medical Exchange for publication." She was so angry that tears slid down her cheeks. "They dinged me for plagiarism! My! Own! Work!" She clenched her fists. "How dare you?!" Her voice broke, and she threw a nearby PADD at him for good measure, and then turned and stormed out the door, slamming it behind her.
Shija was wide eyed. "There is no universe where I believe you did anything like that."
"No, I did not, but someone did. I intend to discover who, so we can continue to treat patients." He pursed his lips, finding it very disagreeable to have Dr. Cardwell mad at him.
Shija took a deep breath to calm herself from Hester's outburst, then turned to Strom. "Do you want me to go talk to her, or...?"
Strom shook his head. "No, I will handle this. Please go arrange another scan for Ms. Marshall."
He waited until Shija was gone before picking up the PADDs off the floor. A quick read-through confirmed Hester's words. The research in question was changed enough so that neither himself nor Dr. Cardwell could be seen as contributors, and the review sent to her was scathing.
He stood silent and still as he considered suspects, and none came to mind in the moment. But no matter who was responsible, it displeased him to be at odds with his fellow doctor.
He turned his steps towards her office, determined to make this right.
...
Shija relayed the order on scans and turned to retreat back to her office, hoping for the sake of his safety that Strom could work things out with Hester. Dr. Cardwell was not well loved in the office, but Shija found her organized mind to be strangely soothing. The nurses under her spoke highly of her, and though Hester was rather stiff and cold to most, her demeanor improved with familiarity.
She had just turned the corner to her hallway and saw Strom was now exiting his office and headed her way, presumably to talk with Dr. Cardwell. As he drew closer, she noted another figure exiting a room, and she could feel the blood drain from her face.
A tall, middle-aged human man with graying hair tucked a cross into his jacket and made his way towards her, and without even thinking, she backpedaled into a side hallway.
"Shija? What is the matter?" Strom said, immediately following her.
"Sister Marian Shija?"
The bishop's voice carried down the hallway, and soon his face came into view, his eyes welling with relief. "Sister, it is you!" He reached for her, beaming with fatherly pride, but she backed away, shaking her head.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears blurring her vision as old shame flared in her chest. "I never meant to hurt you...please, just leave me be."
The bishop stopped, seeing that the closer he got, the more upset she became. "You didn't hurt me, child," he said softly, trying to calm her. "We thought you were dead."
Strom realized something major was being exposed. "Sir, down the hall is my office. Please go there and I will bring her in a moment."
The bishop nodded, and walked around Shija to the office. Strom watched as the young woman who had been steadfast and steady throughout the last year of their working relationship melted down. He went to his knees as she slid down the wall. "Shija, trust me."
Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks. "I didn't mean…to…."
Strom put his fingers on her face, having grown very skilled at calming people over the last year.
He stood in a grand human temple, aware that a ceremony was about to begin. He looked down at himself and saw not him, but Shija. The bishop walked down the aisle, greeting the other nuns. She didn't feel comfortable in her own skin. She had been praying and fasting for two weeks at least before this moment, and was unable to control her mind or impulses. As the bishop approached, she could feel his mind. He was full of peace, and his thoughts were well ordered. She needed it, more than she needed food or water. She stood abruptly and approached him; she had to try to bond with him, she needed his mind. Then all went black.
Strom understood as he pulled back from the memory. Shija had gone through her pon farr without aid or guidance. She tried to attach herself to the peace she found in the bishop, as it seemed to her, in that state, the most logical thing to do.
In her mind, his avatar spoke to her even as he fed her peace and strength. "Shija, there is no shame in this. You could not control the uncontrollable. You were not trained, and the mere fact you lasted so long is a credit to the strength of your will and mind. This is not your fault." He let her see glimpses of the madness he himself had endured, with not even half the grace she displayed. "See it, Shija, see my shame." He allowed her to see enough to understand, but not enough to harm her.
"I….I didn't hurt him?" she whimpered, kneeling before the image of the bishop and Strom. "I did not shame…"
"No," Strom replied softly. "You did not harm him. The only person you harmed was yourself by not getting the aid you required. Though you did your best, given your lack of training in the skills needed. As usual," Strom placed his palm to her cheek in the shared mental vision, "you are a credit to your races."
Silent tears leaked down her cheeks as Strom gently removed himself from her mind. "Come, stand," he whispered. "It's going to be, as humans say, ok."
The bishop was staring out the window when the two Vulcans entered. He was pale with concern. "Have I offended you?" he asked.
Shija looked to Strom, who nodded in understanding, but first he sat Shija down and got her some water. "You know Shija is Vulcan, at least in part."
"Of course," the human retorted, placing his hands behind his back.
"There comes times in Vulcans' lives when their bodies are sent into chaos, even to the point of death. The drive is to mate or die. If the Vulcan decides not to mate – which Shija chose in deference to her vows – they are to meditate and overcome the chemical imbalances caused by the natural desires. Failing that, the Vulcan dies." The bishop gasped and took a step towards the Vulcan on the couch, his eyes bright with concern. "Shija, when exposed to the orderly nature of your mind, your peace and tranquility, could not overcome her nature, as she had been fighting her biology for weeks. She reached out to you, as a Vulcan would, attempting to link her mind to yours for that balance that she had lost. She fainted before she could, and has great shame over all that has transpired."
The human carefully approached Shija. "Sister, my friend, and fellow soul…I forgive you. I forgive you for anything you did or failed to do. Do not feel shame, as we are all struggling with darker impulses, and nobody can hold you accountable for what has happened. You are always welcome in the house of God, as our sister, as family."
"I thought you would…hate me," Shija whimpered, her voice almost unintelligible for how quiet it was.
"Ours is a path of suffering, Sister. How can I hate you for suffering so bravely?"
Her hands shook as she held her water, and the bishop laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You are always welcome back in the Order, if you would like." He stood and gently blessed her forehead. "Please, consider it."
He left the office, and Strom sat beside his assistant, a gentle expression on his face as he watched her control her emotions. "Rejoining your convent would certainly solve your dilemma with your father."
"I hadn't thought about that," she whispered hoarsely, and gulped down some water. "I was complaining half an hour ago that if I had been able to hack it as a nun, my life would be easier right now."
Strom hummed. "You would do credit to whatever profession you choose. But...consider...there are those who would be sorely disappointed, grieved even, to see you take up your vow of celibacy again."
He stood and took her empty cup from her. "Take the rest of the day and go meditate," he told her, firm affection in his voice. "This is not up for debate. You have many choices to make, and you must be centered in your thinking. I will handle the scans and talk with Dr. Cardwell."
Shija stood. "I will do just that." She got to the door and turned around. "Thank you. And…have you seen Sopek recently? He's been gone for days."
Strom shook his head. "No. I do not know where he is, but I am sure he won't stay away long." He raised a ta'al to her. "Rest and become centered, Shija."
She nodded and walled out the door.