by Jariel Camen
81025.2300
-=/\=-
…continued from part one…
=Flashback, Alternate Timeline: Bajor=-
“Please, I beg you now, tell me what has happened to my wife.”
-=/\=-
81025.2300
-=/\=-
…continued from part one…
=Flashback, Alternate Timeline: Bajor=-
“Please, I beg you now, tell me what has happened to my wife.”
-=/\=-
Nairenna took Camen aside, into a private meeting room.
“Your wife suffered a blunt force trauma to the head. There was...significant damage to the cranium. The Doctors need to operate to protect the higher brain functions from failure. We can usually handle injuries like this with a cellular regeneration probe, without operating, but in this case the damage was, too severe.”
Camen lowered himself down into a chair, and felt his heart seemingly descend from his chest into his stomach. “Survival?”
Nairenna looked at the floor, then back up at the Kai. He was more than just another family member. This man was her spiritual leader, he walked hand in hand with her Gods, and she would do anything to serve him. That was why she felt like she was quite literally committing sacrilege by telling him the truth.
“Fifty-fifty.”
Camen looked at the floor, and covered his face with his hands. Sometimes those were the worst odds. Either she would, or she would not die. It wasn’t eighty-twenty survival where he could breathe a sigh of relief, or eighty-twenty death, where he could begin preparing himself for the worst.
“How long?”
“Twelve hours. The procedure is very delicate.”
Camen groaned. How was he going to survive twelve hours of uncertainty? He wished he could simply fall asleep, but knew he had to be awake if they needed him for anything.
“Is there anyone I can contact for you?”
Camen thought for a moment, and simply shook his head. “I guess not.” He said, suddenly feeling very lonely.
Jariel reached into his pocket, and withdrew the note Fleur had given in the morning. He hadn’t even realized he had taken it with him when he changed his clothes.
Camen clutched the note to his chest, knowing it may be the last communication he ever has with his wife. The mere sight of the delicate letters on the page was enough to rob him of his ability to draw breath.
“Is there anything I can get for you? Water?”
“Just, some quiet time. And directions to the shrine.”
“The shrine is just past the main entrance here you came in. Walk with the Prophets Kai Jariel.” Nairenne bowed slightly, and slipped out of the room.
Camen ran his fingers over the slip of paper, just staring at it for at least an hour.
It was such a small and simple gesture, but it came from her. She truly loved him with all her heart, and seeing her so close to death on that bed made him realize just how much he loved her as well, and always had.
Perhaps the reason he held himself back for so long wasn’t out of still having feelings for another, but rather his own guilt that he had never given all of himself to her from the very beginning.
He decided to seek peace in prayer to the Prophets. If nothing else Their presence would comfort him, and help pass the time. As he walked past the main entrance, there was a commotion. His personal Guard was still holding the press at bay, and a number of civilians were clamoring for entrance to see the Kai. Only those who were actually visiting patients were allowed in.
“Kai Jariel!” A young girl’s voice called out. She saw the Kai from afar, yelling at him from beyond Camen’s personal guard. Camen halted his path towards the shrine, and instead approached the crowd.
“What is going on?” Camen asked the head of the detail.
“They want to wish the Kai well. We told them you had wished to be alone.”
Camen peered out the door, into the darkness. The streetlights illuminated the group of fifty or so well-wishers who had assembled to pay respects to the Kai. Even in his time of sorrow, he knew he had to be strong for the people.
“One family at a time through, and make sure they form a line off to the side, so those here visiting loved ones are not held up.”
The guard nodded, and relayed the orders to his fellow men through a communicator on his wrist. He stepped aside, and allowed the young girl and her parents through to Jariel.
“Kai, please accept our love, and our prayers to the Prophets for your wife.” She said, as she enclosed her arms around him in a hug.
“Thank you, child. Walk with the Prophets.”
The girl released him, and the parents each offered their blessings to Fleur and Camen. The next family entered.
“Fleur is of Bajor, and serves the people and the Kai with honor. You each have all of our love.” The father spoke, and then urged his son forward. The son handed Camen a small drawing of a man and woman holding hands. The names were spelled wrong, but “Flur loves Kai Jarile,” was clearly visible above their heads on the drawing.
“Thank you so much,” Camen said, finding a smile for the first time today. Finally free from the bureaucratic meetings that occupied his days, Camen was once again in his natural element amongst the people, and realized just how absurd he had been for feeling lonely earlier.
As he greeted family after family, each professing their love for Fleur and the Kai, the pile of benefactions continued to grow. Flowers, cards, drawings, food and even money piled up behind him in the entrance to the hospital.
After a while it seemed like he should have gone through all the people who were waiting, but they just kept coming. Camen beckoned his guard forward.
“How many more are there?”
“We don’t know, Kai. The line extends completely around the hospital now.”
Camen had already been greeting the people for more than two hours, and the twelve hours that seemed would never pass were suddenly flying by. He waved the next family forward.
“You are so very lucky to have a woman who loves you with all your heart, Kai. All of Bajor is grateful to her for the love she brings to your life.”
*Very lucky.* The words echoed in Camen’s head. “I know.” He said, smiling once again.
As the twelve hours drew to a close, Camen asked that anyone left outside bring any donations they had to their local Temple.
“What of all these gifts?” The guard asked.
“See to it every man, woman and child in the hospital has a flower for their room, and any donated money is given to the parents with ill children. Have all the cards and drawings packaged up and sent to my residence.”
“Yes, Kai.”
Camen drew a deep breath, knowing it was time to head back up to the surgical suite. The Doctor was waiting, leaning against the wall outside the room, and rubbing his temple with his fingers. He did not look pleased.
“Do you have a report for me Doctor?” Camen asked.
“Oh, Kai Jariel, I’m sorry, it was a long procedure.”
Camen stood rigid as he waited for the Doctor to continue.
“But, I’m happy to say she is doing well. She has lost most of the vision in one eye, but otherwise...we are hopeful.”
“Can I see her?
“Yes, but.”
Camen was gone, past the Doctor before he could finish. She was asleep when he entered the room, and other than now bald skull left behind after her hair had been shaved, there was no indication in looking at her that any surgery had occurred.
He went to her side, and whispered her name, hoping she could hear him. Her eyes fluttered open, and although she was in pain, she did what she did any time she saw his face.
She smiled.
“Hey you.” Camen said. “How are you.”
“My Camen, why am I here?”
She tried to focus her eye on him, and realized she could only see his face through her right eye. Camen ran his hand over her smooth head and down over her face, and for the first time allowed the tears to escape his eyes.
“I almost lost you.” He said, his voice hoarse. “I almost lost you, Fleur.”
“I, I can’t see you straight.” She ran her hand over her head, and realized her hair was gone.
“They had to remove your hair to perform emergency surgery, and they weren’t able to restore the sight to your left eye. They were barely able to save you at all.”
“Prophets, how long?”
“Twelve hours,”
“Oh, my poor...Camen...” She whispered slowly. “You must have been a wreck. I am…so sorry.”
“Fleur, stop. You are here with me, and that is all that matters. Nothing else matters, nothing else ever has.” It was so like her to ignore the ordeal she had just been through, and only show concern about the effect it had on him.
Camen took her cheeks in his hands, and whispered “je t’aime” over and over while kissing her face. “I can’t ever lose you. I don’t care about anything else.”
“Do not weep, my beautiful Kai.” She said drowsily, “For when you weep the… stars and…Celestial Temple weep with you.”
-=End Flashback=-
As Camen drifted to sleep on his cot in the Takesian Plains, it was all so clear to him. How nearly losing her in that life had made him realize just how much he loved her, and wanted her at his side.
He could not lose her. Not ever.
Instinctively he reached out and grabbed his pants from the foot of the bed, looking in the pocket for the note that was not there. Camen felt a sense of relief that Fleur had not gone through that same ordeal. Yet, at the same time, he looked forward to someday finding that note tucked away in his clothing somewhere as he began his day.
********************
Jariel Camen
On Bajor
Jariel Camen
On Bajor