By a Thread
by Zanh Liis
71216.21
Before, during, and after "This is Some Rescue One and Two"
--=Sickbay, USS Alchemy=--
by Zanh Liis
71216.21
Before, during, and after "This is Some Rescue One and Two"
--=Sickbay, USS Alchemy=--
"Please state the nature of the-"
Lair Arie sat on the biobed, doubled over and holding her stomach, and the EMH stopped mid-sentence. "Never mind."
He moved forward and grabbed a medical tricorder. "Let's have a look-see."
Standing next to the exam table, Fleur wrung her hands nervously. What if the child needed surgery, and her parents were both away? What if it was her appendix?
Did Bajorans even have appendix?
"There, now, Missy, what y'all been eating tonight?"
"Don't ask," Arie begged. "Please."
"Okay, okay, here." The EMH gave her a hypo, and within seconds she relaxed, let go of her midsection and sat up straight. She drew a big breath, and finally, smiled. "Better now?"
"Yes, very much so. Thank you, Doctor."
"You're welcome. Now, remind me to tell you the story of Snuggles the cat. Better known as 'why little girls should never eat so many sweets in one sit-down'." He pointed an index finger and turned it toward Fleur.
"Are you this child's mama? Ya'll really should know better." His spirited, Texas twang got Fleur's attention immediately. He was unlike any EMH she had encountered before.
"It's not Fleur's fault," Arie admitted sheepishly, before the woman could speak up in her own defense. "She didn't know about the stuff I ate before I got to the galley."
"Before?" Fleur's eyes narrowed. "Shame shame, Arie."
Arie shrugged. "I won't do it again, believe me."
"I am sure you won't." The EMH patted her on the head gently. "Now you go on and get."
Arie was rising from the biobed when suddenly, the shimmering transporter beam began to materialize the stasis chamber and Vedek Jariel in the middle of the room.
"What's that?" Arie pointed, and Fleur snatched her up off the table and pulled her out of the way.
"Come, Arie, we must go."
"But,"
Fleur pulled the resistant child out of Sickbay and into the waiting area. "Go on, Arie. Back to quarters." Fleur insisted.
She gently pushed the girl out the doors and then stood, hands pressed against he window between the waiting room and the examination area, mesmerized.
"What happened?" The EMH asked, moving toward the stasis chamber. He punched in the command to release the dome. "Who is this?"
"This is our captain," Jariel answered solemnly. As soon as the lid slid backward, he gathered Liis up into his arms and swept her out of the chamber. The Vedek turned around once, and then Liis was on the biobed. "She's dying,"
"Not on my watch, she's not." The EMH looked around, hoping for back-up. "You got anybody else in medical on this bucket?"
Jariel knew that one of Reece's previous hosts had been a physician, but he was very much needed on the bridge. "No one is available. We kind of left home in a hurry."
"Must have. Computer, initiate the Emergency Nursing Hologram." The Doctor ordered. A moment later, a woman shimmered into existence next to him, and inclined her head, awaiting her orders.
"Get ready for emergency cardiac surgery, " The EMH instructed, scanning Liis. "She's had a sloppy repair job to a torn aorta. We're going to have to replace the whole thing."
"Her heart?" Jariel gasped, his hand moving to his chest involuntarily, pain coursing through him at the thought.
"Just the artery if we hurry," he looked at Jariel and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Boy, you'd better get out of my way or we'll be needin' a new Captain soon."
Fleur stepped into the room now, and gently took the Vedek by the arm. "Come on, Jariel." She pulled him backwards a few steps. "You have done all you can for her, now let him do his job."
"Can't you wake her up?" Jariel pleaded, "I need to tell her something,"
"No."
"Hey," another voice spoke up now, slowly slurring the words as she spoke. Everyone stopped. "Where. Am I?"
Jariel rushed back to Liis' side and saw she had opened her eyes. He was about to thank the Prophets for this chance to talk to her. Then he remembered their grim prediction, and decided against it. He opened his mouth, but couldn't form words.
"You're safe, Captain." The EMH stepped in to answer her, seeing that Jariel was tongue-tied. "You're goin' to be fine."
Fleur felt the Vedek shake her hands loose, and he leaned over Liis, touching her face. Fleur looked away, allowing them a moment of as much privacy as she could. She didn't leave, though, because she was sure that Jariel was going to need more 'encouragement' to vacate the room in a moment.
Liis struggled to focus her vision. "Jariel? I heard music. The temple bells," He kissed her to stop her from speaking, and then drew a deep breath. He leaned close, and whispered so only she could hear.
"Peldor Joi, Zanh Liis," he watched the look on her face at hearing his voice, and he smiled. He whispered once again, and her eyes fluttered closed as she nodded to indicate that she understood.
"Okay, now you really have to leave." The Doctor insisted, "Don't make me call security to throw ya'll out on your-"
"That won't be necessary, Doctor. We're going. Jariel?" Fleur grasped Jariel's arm again, and finally the Vedek moved away from Liis and outside into the waiting area, where Arie stood, speechless. The child had quietly come back in while Fleur was too engaged to notice.
Jariel stood before the window, watching as the doctor began his work.
"Arie! You should not be here!" Fleur exclaimed, and for the first time, Jariel noticed the child standing there. He didn't speak, he simply brought his hands together and rested his head in them.
"Should I pray for the Captain, Vedek Jariel?" Arie asked softly, tugging on his sleeve. He nodded, unable to look at her.
"I will. I promise." Arie ran off, and Fleur looked at him expectantly.
"Jariel,"
"Please. Not now."
Fleur knew she was being asked to leave. "If there is anything I can do for you," she offered.
"Thank you. You are a good friend."
She managed a weak smile as she turned to walk away.
Jariel dropped to his knees and closed his eyes. "She lives," he whispered in a heartfelt prayer, "What do you ask of me now?"
A flash blinded him, even though his eyes were closed, and his ears echoed with the familiar sound of his own heartbeat amplified many times over, until it was all he could hear. When the sound abated, he stood before them once again.
"Her fate is still uncertain." The Prophet in Lair Kellyn's form spoke first.
"She is weak, defenseless. She is very close to surrendering her corporeal form." The 'Salvek' Prophet added.
"But the doctor," The Vedek objected.
"Will not be able to save her," The 'Kellyn' Prophet warned. "Many hands would be needed."
"Won't you help her?" Jariel pleaded. "Take my life instead."
"Your life is what we desire," the 'Salvek' Prophet replied simply. "But Jariel is corporeal. He has duties to perform for us as a corporeal being. We desire Jariel to live."
"Yes, but, I-"
"Jariel will live." The 'Kellyn' Prophet concluded.
"Yet, will he speak for us?" The 'Salvek' Prophet asked.
"His actions will determine his worth." The 'Kellyn' Prophet answered, and then as quickly as the vision had began, it ended and Jariel felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you next of kin?"
The EMH was standing behind him, his expression grim.
"What?" Jariel stammered, still reeling.
"Are you next of kin to the captain or is there somebody else I need to be talkin' to?"
"I am."
"She's not gonna make it if we operate on her here." The Doctor's brow was deeply creased with concern. "I don't have enough hands. We need a couple of surgeons to do this right. How soon can you get us to Bajor?"
"What?" Jariel thought it extremely strange that the EMH was asking him to take Liis to Bajor- as the Prophets had done before.
"I had to put her back into stasis," the EMH replied. "I need to know how fast this thing can get us to Bajor."
"I'll find out." Jariel tapped his badge. "Jariel to bridge," He still was unused to being able to do that, and the sound of his own voice still unsettled him, somehow.
[Things are very busy here, Vedek-" Salvek answered, [What do you require?]
"The Doctor requires that we get to Bajor," Jariel answered, "As soon as we can."
On the bridge, Salvek and Kellyn exchanged glances. "How long will it take us to get there?" she asked.
"At maximum warp?" Salvek raised his eyes toward the ceiling in thought. "Grace. Where are we exactly?"
"We're on the edge of the Aertok system now. . .we're 55.7 light years away from Bajor." February replied.
[Vedek, it'll take us forty five hours, seventeen minutes at maximum warp.] Salvek calculated.
"We don't have that long," The EMH responded, hearing the answer over Jariel's badge. "Not if you want the medical staff to be able to save the Captain when we get there. I can't do this alone, she's too far gone."
"Can't we make another transwarp jump?" TC asked, pacing in front of his station.
"The drive is not fully recharged," Kellyn threw her hands into the air. "I'm not sure how long it'll go before it conks out on us. If we burn it out entirely, it may never work again,"
[It's your choice, lady," The EMH spoke into Jariel's badge once again. "Your Captain, or your warp core.]
"Lt. Grace," Salvek stepped up to the helm as he spoke, "Plot a course for Bajor, at transwarp."
"Aye, Sir."
"Vedek, we will get the Captain to Bajor as soon as we can. Salvek out."
Lair Kellyn modified some settings, turned off the safety protocols, and prepared to reinitiate the transwarp drive. After a few moments, it was as ready as it was going to get. "Standing by, Sir."
Salvek turned to her, and chose to employ a one word command.
The one word that Zanh Liis always used to tell her crew to engage a course.
"Go."
Lair Arie sat on the biobed, doubled over and holding her stomach, and the EMH stopped mid-sentence. "Never mind."
He moved forward and grabbed a medical tricorder. "Let's have a look-see."
Standing next to the exam table, Fleur wrung her hands nervously. What if the child needed surgery, and her parents were both away? What if it was her appendix?
Did Bajorans even have appendix?
"There, now, Missy, what y'all been eating tonight?"
"Don't ask," Arie begged. "Please."
"Okay, okay, here." The EMH gave her a hypo, and within seconds she relaxed, let go of her midsection and sat up straight. She drew a big breath, and finally, smiled. "Better now?"
"Yes, very much so. Thank you, Doctor."
"You're welcome. Now, remind me to tell you the story of Snuggles the cat. Better known as 'why little girls should never eat so many sweets in one sit-down'." He pointed an index finger and turned it toward Fleur.
"Are you this child's mama? Ya'll really should know better." His spirited, Texas twang got Fleur's attention immediately. He was unlike any EMH she had encountered before.
"It's not Fleur's fault," Arie admitted sheepishly, before the woman could speak up in her own defense. "She didn't know about the stuff I ate before I got to the galley."
"Before?" Fleur's eyes narrowed. "Shame shame, Arie."
Arie shrugged. "I won't do it again, believe me."
"I am sure you won't." The EMH patted her on the head gently. "Now you go on and get."
Arie was rising from the biobed when suddenly, the shimmering transporter beam began to materialize the stasis chamber and Vedek Jariel in the middle of the room.
"What's that?" Arie pointed, and Fleur snatched her up off the table and pulled her out of the way.
"Come, Arie, we must go."
"But,"
Fleur pulled the resistant child out of Sickbay and into the waiting area. "Go on, Arie. Back to quarters." Fleur insisted.
She gently pushed the girl out the doors and then stood, hands pressed against he window between the waiting room and the examination area, mesmerized.
"What happened?" The EMH asked, moving toward the stasis chamber. He punched in the command to release the dome. "Who is this?"
"This is our captain," Jariel answered solemnly. As soon as the lid slid backward, he gathered Liis up into his arms and swept her out of the chamber. The Vedek turned around once, and then Liis was on the biobed. "She's dying,"
"Not on my watch, she's not." The EMH looked around, hoping for back-up. "You got anybody else in medical on this bucket?"
Jariel knew that one of Reece's previous hosts had been a physician, but he was very much needed on the bridge. "No one is available. We kind of left home in a hurry."
"Must have. Computer, initiate the Emergency Nursing Hologram." The Doctor ordered. A moment later, a woman shimmered into existence next to him, and inclined her head, awaiting her orders.
"Get ready for emergency cardiac surgery, " The EMH instructed, scanning Liis. "She's had a sloppy repair job to a torn aorta. We're going to have to replace the whole thing."
"Her heart?" Jariel gasped, his hand moving to his chest involuntarily, pain coursing through him at the thought.
"Just the artery if we hurry," he looked at Jariel and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Boy, you'd better get out of my way or we'll be needin' a new Captain soon."
Fleur stepped into the room now, and gently took the Vedek by the arm. "Come on, Jariel." She pulled him backwards a few steps. "You have done all you can for her, now let him do his job."
"Can't you wake her up?" Jariel pleaded, "I need to tell her something,"
"No."
"Hey," another voice spoke up now, slowly slurring the words as she spoke. Everyone stopped. "Where. Am I?"
Jariel rushed back to Liis' side and saw she had opened her eyes. He was about to thank the Prophets for this chance to talk to her. Then he remembered their grim prediction, and decided against it. He opened his mouth, but couldn't form words.
"You're safe, Captain." The EMH stepped in to answer her, seeing that Jariel was tongue-tied. "You're goin' to be fine."
Fleur felt the Vedek shake her hands loose, and he leaned over Liis, touching her face. Fleur looked away, allowing them a moment of as much privacy as she could. She didn't leave, though, because she was sure that Jariel was going to need more 'encouragement' to vacate the room in a moment.
Liis struggled to focus her vision. "Jariel? I heard music. The temple bells," He kissed her to stop her from speaking, and then drew a deep breath. He leaned close, and whispered so only she could hear.
"Peldor Joi, Zanh Liis," he watched the look on her face at hearing his voice, and he smiled. He whispered once again, and her eyes fluttered closed as she nodded to indicate that she understood.
"Okay, now you really have to leave." The Doctor insisted, "Don't make me call security to throw ya'll out on your-"
"That won't be necessary, Doctor. We're going. Jariel?" Fleur grasped Jariel's arm again, and finally the Vedek moved away from Liis and outside into the waiting area, where Arie stood, speechless. The child had quietly come back in while Fleur was too engaged to notice.
Jariel stood before the window, watching as the doctor began his work.
"Arie! You should not be here!" Fleur exclaimed, and for the first time, Jariel noticed the child standing there. He didn't speak, he simply brought his hands together and rested his head in them.
"Should I pray for the Captain, Vedek Jariel?" Arie asked softly, tugging on his sleeve. He nodded, unable to look at her.
"I will. I promise." Arie ran off, and Fleur looked at him expectantly.
"Jariel,"
"Please. Not now."
Fleur knew she was being asked to leave. "If there is anything I can do for you," she offered.
"Thank you. You are a good friend."
She managed a weak smile as she turned to walk away.
Jariel dropped to his knees and closed his eyes. "She lives," he whispered in a heartfelt prayer, "What do you ask of me now?"
A flash blinded him, even though his eyes were closed, and his ears echoed with the familiar sound of his own heartbeat amplified many times over, until it was all he could hear. When the sound abated, he stood before them once again.
"Her fate is still uncertain." The Prophet in Lair Kellyn's form spoke first.
"She is weak, defenseless. She is very close to surrendering her corporeal form." The 'Salvek' Prophet added.
"But the doctor," The Vedek objected.
"Will not be able to save her," The 'Kellyn' Prophet warned. "Many hands would be needed."
"Won't you help her?" Jariel pleaded. "Take my life instead."
"Your life is what we desire," the 'Salvek' Prophet replied simply. "But Jariel is corporeal. He has duties to perform for us as a corporeal being. We desire Jariel to live."
"Yes, but, I-"
"Jariel will live." The 'Kellyn' Prophet concluded.
"Yet, will he speak for us?" The 'Salvek' Prophet asked.
"His actions will determine his worth." The 'Kellyn' Prophet answered, and then as quickly as the vision had began, it ended and Jariel felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you next of kin?"
The EMH was standing behind him, his expression grim.
"What?" Jariel stammered, still reeling.
"Are you next of kin to the captain or is there somebody else I need to be talkin' to?"
"I am."
"She's not gonna make it if we operate on her here." The Doctor's brow was deeply creased with concern. "I don't have enough hands. We need a couple of surgeons to do this right. How soon can you get us to Bajor?"
"What?" Jariel thought it extremely strange that the EMH was asking him to take Liis to Bajor- as the Prophets had done before.
"I had to put her back into stasis," the EMH replied. "I need to know how fast this thing can get us to Bajor."
"I'll find out." Jariel tapped his badge. "Jariel to bridge," He still was unused to being able to do that, and the sound of his own voice still unsettled him, somehow.
[Things are very busy here, Vedek-" Salvek answered, [What do you require?]
"The Doctor requires that we get to Bajor," Jariel answered, "As soon as we can."
On the bridge, Salvek and Kellyn exchanged glances. "How long will it take us to get there?" she asked.
"At maximum warp?" Salvek raised his eyes toward the ceiling in thought. "Grace. Where are we exactly?"
"We're on the edge of the Aertok system now. . .we're 55.7 light years away from Bajor." February replied.
[Vedek, it'll take us forty five hours, seventeen minutes at maximum warp.] Salvek calculated.
"We don't have that long," The EMH responded, hearing the answer over Jariel's badge. "Not if you want the medical staff to be able to save the Captain when we get there. I can't do this alone, she's too far gone."
"Can't we make another transwarp jump?" TC asked, pacing in front of his station.
"The drive is not fully recharged," Kellyn threw her hands into the air. "I'm not sure how long it'll go before it conks out on us. If we burn it out entirely, it may never work again,"
[It's your choice, lady," The EMH spoke into Jariel's badge once again. "Your Captain, or your warp core.]
"Lt. Grace," Salvek stepped up to the helm as he spoke, "Plot a course for Bajor, at transwarp."
"Aye, Sir."
"Vedek, we will get the Captain to Bajor as soon as we can. Salvek out."
Lair Kellyn modified some settings, turned off the safety protocols, and prepared to reinitiate the transwarp drive. After a few moments, it was as ready as it was going to get. "Standing by, Sir."
Salvek turned to her, and chose to employ a one word command.
The one word that Zanh Liis always used to tell her crew to engage a course.
"Go."
----------------------------------------
Captain Zanh Liis
In your grocer's freezer section
USS Alchemy NX-53099
Captain Zanh Liis
In your grocer's freezer section
USS Alchemy NX-53099