1030: Strong Medicine

By Vol Tryst and February Grace
100205.10
Following The Fight of Your Life
Soundtrack: You Raise Me Up, by Josh Groban

-=USS Serendipity=-

Exhausted though he had been, Vol still stood by February's side.
He faithfully saw her through Dabin's transfer from the Alchemy's Sickbay to the Sera's. It was a rare transfer in that it had happened the old fashioned way: by gurney after the Alchemy had docked in her bay.

The decision was made because the medical team just didn't want to stress Reece any more than the symbiont already had been stressed, so transporting was deemed unwise.

A weary Fleur Le Marc had met February just as she'd been asked to; but she met her with a bit of news that she hadn't mentioned to February over subspace as there was nothing the young mother could do about it from that distance and Le Marc figured Bru had enough worries as it was.

That was something she could relate to herself. Knowing Jariel had been hurt on the planet, even though not as seriously as others had, had made the Alchemy's trip back to the Serendipity seem to take so much longer than it should have.

"Sophie hasn't been eating as much as I'd like." Fleur said, as she handed the fussy newborn over to February. "You try." She immediately also handed Bru Sophie's bottle and February tried to get her daughter to take it.

Sophie, however, was having none of this.

She wiggled and squirmed, red-faced and frustrated though she didn't even realize why it was exactly that she was frustrated.

February and Fleur were so concerned with Sophie's behaviour that they did not initially notice the change in Vol's composure. His head was tilted to the side, his eyes peering and brows furrowed. He wrestled with his instincts, the sensations he was feeling from the child and deduced the best conclusion he could.

"She misses her father."

February and Fleur looked over at him.

"What?" February breathed the question more than she said it, as if in mild disbelief. Vol started to stutter, as one does when they attempt to explain something that is so readily obvious to them. He finally gulped and tried articulating his thoughts into speech.

"There is a familiar presence that she's become accustomed to and she now notices its prolonged absence." Vol licked his lips, staring at the squirming bundle of unhappiness. "Yes... she misses him. She doesn't know who he is, or why she misses him, but that's far from the point." Vol looked up to Bru, eyebrows raised as he was now finished.

"I knew it," February said, looking at Vol worriedly. "She needs him as much as he needs her. But to get him to do this, you're going to have to talk a good game. You up for this?"

"Since realizing that we've both been to the same earth-bar, where Godzillas frequently visit to dash Shirley Temples from paying patrons, I believe I can effectively speak his language."

Bru thanked Fleur and promised she'd explain all that had happened later if Jariel didn't get to it first. Vol took the duffel that Fleur held containing Sophie's essentials and said goodnight, Vol ushering Bru back toward the turbolift. "I think the sooner this reunion happens, the better," he admonished.

Bru nodded solemnly.

Lance Hartcort looked up as he heard the approaching wails of the infant; he was about to protest that he was a doctor, not a nanny, when he caught on to what was going on here and, given Reece’s current vitals, decided to hold his tongue.

February handed the baby off to Vol, who took great care with the squirming, squealing infant as he approached Dabin's bed and Bru stood around the corner, out of sight.

Dabin, who had drifted off into a resigned sort of sleep that had worried Hartcort, instantly stirred the moment he heard his daughter crying. "Bru," he mumbled, "Sophie's up. Would you go this time? I'm tired."

"Bru's exhausted, Dabin, and Sophie isn't taking her formula. You need to feed her,” a voice informed.

Dabin now fought to open his burning, bloodshot eyes and remembered where he really was. He glanced up at Vol and spoke five plain, plaintive words.

"Are you freakin’ kidding me?"

Vol simply shook his head at first absentmindedly as he was bouncing Sophie up and down softly and slowly to try and soothe her, to no avail. A small smile crept across Vol's face and he looked to Dabin apologetically.

"She is as stubborn as her father."

"I can't hold her, I'll drop her. Vol, you have to do this. Or Kellyn," Reece looked for Lair but her bed had been wheeled out of his sight into another room while he'd been asleep.

"We'll prop her up. Here." Vol gestured toward the extra pillows on the shelf and the nearest nurse helped by fetching a couple. Lance Hartcort now stood in the distance with February and they both watched closely.

"That's perfect, thank you." Vol nodded to the woman and she returned the gesture before moving away.

"Reece." Kellyn called from her room next door. She also knew February well enough to know exactly what she was doing, and so Kellyn played along. "Can you keep it down over there? Some of us are trying to recuperate over here."

Dabin sighed and looked up at Vol and the still crying baby. Too tired for a witty retort to Kellyn's prodding, he simply relented. "Okay, okay." He nodded to Vol. "Give her here."

"Thought you'd never ask," Vol lied and slowly turned Sophie around in his arms, holding her just under her shoulders and laid her down on her stomach on the pillow, which rested upon Dabin's chest.

Dabin fought the pain that coursed through his middle as Sophie's weight, as little as that was, pressed the pillows down against his stomach.
"Sophie," he turned her over gently as he tried to get her attention, but she wasn't even hearing anyone at this point over her own crying.

"Shhh. Hey..." he leaned his face down closer to hers and nuzzled his nose against her cheek. "Sophia, that'll be quite enough of your temper for one night, young woman. Now, they say you need your supper. Let me help you." As soon as the baby felt his skin against hers she stopped crying, and her eyes opened wide. She sniffed the air like a curious puppy; knowing that the scent that she was taking in was familiar, and what was more it was indicative that the person that she wanted had finally come back to her.

She pressed small, rosebud lips together and parted them again. Just the tip of her tiny tongue poked out from between them and made the most adorable little smacking sound that Dabin had ever heard.

His heart filled with love for her all over again as he remembered the first time he'd heard her make that noise, such a short time ago that felt like such a lifetime.

"Here you go," The Counselor handed Dabin Sophie's bottle. "I'll stay here just a little while. Just in case." Vol said in a whisper.

"Okay. . ." Dabin's hand shook as he tried to hold the bottle. He brushed it up to her mouth, trying to spur her interest. She seemed more interested in grasping onto his arm with her tiny hand, and she clutched at him, pinching his skin with tiny, razor sharp nails in her desperation to bring him closer, "Ow, ow, okay, honey, Daddy already has enough injuries, please don't hurt me." Dabin almost laughed, and though pain was the result of the action looking down at her, he found he was finally able to smile again.

He gazed at her affectionately as she finally latched onto the bottle and began guzzling the liquid down as quickly as she could take it. "There you go, that's a good little girl."

Vol and Bru both sighed with relief, and Dr. Hartcort nodded his approval at this happy turn of events.

Bru stepped away for a moment to go to the nearest comm panel and send Fleur a message to let her know that all was well; Sophie's hunger strike was officially over now that she was back in her father's arms.

Vol felt a well of deep emotion in Dabin bubbling up toward the surface as he held Sophie and watched her every breath and every motion; marveling at just how new she was. How small, and helpless, and innocent.

Innocence was something so sweet to him now, such a bright and welcome thing to see after feeling for days now like he was drowning under the weight of all that Ladron, that all of Reece's past hosts, in fact, had done wrong.

That was the beauty of childhood, Reece supposed, every baby is born new and innocent and just as every life starts out stainless and without flaw so too did the life of every host and symbiont. Each joining was in its way a rebirth. It created a new life that could not, that should not be weighed down by the mistakes of the former host who should at the very least be allowed after all their years of service to another be allowed to rest in peace.

Sophie took half of the bottle and just before Dabin was about to stop her so she didn't gorge herself, she gently released it and looked up at him once again.

As the baby quickly drifted off to sleep in his arms, Dabin focused solely upon her and for the first time since he'd woken up in Sickbay, he remembered with complete and total clarity what he was fighting to get better for. This small, fragile, tiny, perfect, spotted person; and the taller, pink loving, Converse wearing spotted version of her --the one that Dabin was certain was standing nearby because he could read her thoughts and found it sweet that she'd been so concerned for him that she forgot for the moment he could-- were all the incentive any man should or could need to stop asking people how close they were to Trill from here on out and spend his energy instead on making sure the trip wasn't needed.

"February," he called softly, causing Vol's head to snap toward the door. He too had been so tired he'd forgotten that Bru's presence would give her away unless Dabin had been out cold. "Come here, please." It was evident from his weary tone that he was again close to falling asleep and he was afraid he'd lose his grip on Sophie.

She had done her job here, this youngest, unofficial member of the Counseling staff; it was time for her mother to take her home.

Bru bit her lip and approached. She was too stressed and anxious to separate his thoughts from her own at the moment and so was also worried what he'd say next. Knowing she'd been found out, she stepped up beside him as meekly as a child caught elbow-deep in their grandmother's cookie jar without permission.

Her eyes were cartoonishly round, unbelievably large and impossibly blue as she blinked at him shyly, shuffling her feet all the while. "Yes?"

"I love you." Dabin tilted his head down and kissed the soft, downy blonde fuzz covering Sophie's head. "Both of you. Thank you. Now go'way." He winked at her, and at the sight of his weakened but genuine smile, Bru's eyes finally rained down tears of relief. "Come back and see me in the morning. We can watch Bugs Bunny, eat too many Pop Tarts and then we can start talking to the warden about my chances of making parole."

"Not likely!" Lance called from the doorway. "Not for a little while at least, no matter how many established records you break for recovery."

"We'll see." Dabin replied as Bru took the baby from him and his head lolled to the side. Sleep tried to wrestle the words away from him now but he was intent on finishing his sentence before he allowed it to prevail. "I can't waste any more time around here. I've got stuff...to...do."

"Sweet dreams." Bru kissed him on the forehead and then reluctantly moved back toward the entryway.

Vol wrapped a single arm around mother and child, slowly turning them away from Dabin's side to guide them out of sickbay. "Come on, ladies. I think Dabin would appreciate it later if I can tell him that I saw you safely to your door."

As the door opened, Vol and Bru stopped. Both turned back; Vol because he sensed a strong feeling of gratitude from Dabin and Bru because she heard the actual words. She turned to Vol.

“I think he's too sleepy to do it himself, he wants to thank---” Bru trailed off because Vol had lifted his index finger to his lips, to indicate that she needn't say another word, he knew.

“I deserve no thanks of the kind,” Vol said back to Dabin. “I did nothing, this was all you.” Vol, smiling with some otherworldly pride that he could not explain, then leaned closer to Bru.

“...you,” he kissed her forehead and then poked Sophie's nose with his pinky finger. “...and you. It was your family that did this, all on its own.”

Lieutenant (JG) Vol Tryst
Ship's Counselor
USS Serendipity NCC-2012

and

Lieutenant (SG) February Grace
Senior Flight Controller
USS Serendipity NCC-2012