by Fleur Le Marc
81209.22
Following Bingo!
-=Sickbay, USS Serendipity=-
81209.22
Following Bingo!
-=Sickbay, USS Serendipity=-
"I hate to wake you, Vedek, but I've got some good news," Azalea stumbled over to Jariel Camen, still a bit dazed and surprised by the...enthusiasm...of Lance Hartcort.
"I never mind being woken for that." Jariel whispered softly, not wanting to disturb Tress, sleeping close by or Fleur, who had begun thrashing about in her fevered state. Camen had fallen asleep to the sound of her whispering mangled words in French that just barely escaped his understanding. Adams drew him out into the hallway, and leaned her back against the wall "What's going on?"
"Doctor Hartcort has determined the way that the virus is working, and why it's only affecting certain people. We believe..." She allowed herself to smile at him, having no worries at this point of giving him false hope.
She knew that Hartcort had unraveled the mystery and that a cure was definitely in the works. "We know how to treat it. It's going to take a little while to synthesize the first batch of serum, but Lance is already working on it."
Camen's hand flew to his face, covering his mouth as he gasped with shock and relief. He actually laughed softly, and he couldn't stop himself from picking Adams right up off of the ground in a hug. "That is the best news I've ever heard in my life." He whispered into her ear, as tears formed in his eyes. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome, Jariel." As the man set her down onto the ground and she looked up into his eyes, suddenly she felt dizzy, and the flash of an image appeared in her mind, flickering dimly like the dying flame of a candle.
She tried to focus upon it, knowing that this was how it always happened; when the resequencing failed to completely contain knowledge gained in the past and a memory was beginning to resurface.
There was something very familiar about this man. His face, his name. She couldn't think what it was and she had a feeling somehow that she had not known him well...but she had, for some reason, known of him.
"I...I had best get to work helping Dr. Hartcort. I'll check on Fleur and Timal again before I go."
"Thank you again. For everything." Jariel was nearly overcome as days of worry, grief, and stress all rushed to the fore, powered by his reaction to the first truly good news he'd had in longer than he cared to remember.
He rushed back to Fleur's bedside, and noticed that she was again mumbling to herself, beads of perspiration forming upon her forehead. He retrieved another wet cloth and placed it tenderly against her brow.
"Be strong, ma chéri," he whispered into her ear before pressing a series of soft, gentle kisses upon her face. Her cheek burned against his lips; glowing red and tasting of salt. "Je t'aime."
Fleur sighed softly, and her lips began moving. At first no sound accompanied the motion, but after a few starts and stops, a breathy, half-sung melody followed.
"Au bon vieux temps mes chers amis,
Au jours du bon vieux temps,
Buvons un verre maintenant,
Aux jours du bon vieux temps."
"What do you see?" Camen shivered, smoothing her hair back and closing his eyes. "I wish I knew where you are."
Fleur's mind was running at immense speed, the random memories that had been playing out in her head as the fever raged replaced instead by the events of just one night.
A night she had not thought about in a very, very long time.
-=Flashback: Paris, France, December 31, 2374; 2300 Hours=-
"I told you, Catherine, I do not want to go to the party with you." Fleur analyzed her reflection in the frameless mirror on the wall. Slowly she swung her hips from side to side, watching the skirt of the second-hand dress she wore as it moved gently with the motion. "You and Anne always get all the attention from the boys, anyway. Why should I go if..." Fleur stopped.
"There will be all sorts of boys tonight, and they will be drinking plenty of Champagne, eh?"
Fleur felt tears sting her eyes at her "sister's" suggestion that alcohol consumption on the part of fellow party-goers might help her chances of getting noticed by those of the opposite gender.
"...and Michel will be there."
Fleur groaned even louder. "Yes, I know Michel will be there, and that will make everything worse."
"How can you expect the boy to know that you like him Fleur if you never say anything to him?"
*He knows,* Fleur thought, fully certain of it. He'd caught her staring at him every time he'd come into the family's cafe, and he enjoyed flirting with her immensely.
Unfortunately, he also enjoyed flirting with every other girl in the place, both Anne and Catherine included.
"Come on!" Catherine tugged on her hand. "Maman said we cannot go unless all three of us go together."
"Take Henri with you!"
"Henri is already passed out cold in the living room." Catherine pouted. "Come on, Fleur. Please? Luc is going to be there and he's expecting me to show up soon. We're already late."
Luc and Michel were best friends, but that didn't stop Michel from trying to charm Catherine every chance he got. "It's New Year's Eve. It's your birthday. Fleur is sweet sixteen, and still never been kissed, eh?" Catherine poked Fleur repeatedly.
"Do you have to make it sound so bad? Just because you've kissed every boy in town, doesn't mean that everyone else wants to."
"Well, fine." Catherine's lower lip continued its journey ever outward as she scowled at Fleur. "I'm going with or without you, and tomorrow, I'll tell Maman that you left without us if you don't go with me."
"That's not fair."
"Maybe not but I am not going to miss getting my kiss at Midnight! Let's GO!" She tugged Fleur to the door.
--------
Fleur Le Marc
Currently on Bajor
Fleur Le Marc
Currently on Bajor