(A Chain of Love)
by Jariel Camen
81231.2300
A day after The Very Best of Friends
-=USS Alchemy, currently on Bajor=-
by Jariel Camen
81231.2300
A day after The Very Best of Friends
-=USS Alchemy, currently on Bajor=-
Fleur sat quietly on the edge of the bed, watching Tress play with the bear Jariel had replicated. The head and arms were floppy and Tress flipped the bear from side to side, taking great delight as the neck swished back and forth.
How many hours had Fleur whiled away doing just that? Playing with Alphonse in their own small world where Fleur was important to someone. Where someone needed and depended on her love, and returned that affection in kind. Her sisters always had their mother, or their boyfriends. Fleur was the wallflower, never believing she was good enough, or deserving enough of any love; familial or romantic.
But Alphonse understood. He was always there. Teddy bear or not, Fleur always knew he would love her.
Now, years after meeting this angel with the gentle sense of humor and the quiet strength, she finally allowed herself the glimmer of hope that perhaps someone could truly love her for what she was.
Not just anyone, but the man for which her love had known no boundaries from the moment she first heard his voice and cradled his head in her hands during his time of need. He had stayed, loyal and true, at her side in her moment of weakness. When she was too ill to stand or speak, he was there, dripping water between her lips to keep her hydrated against the fever.
Anyone can stand by your side and profess their love when times are well. But there is no greater show of love than to be there supporting someone in a time of need. He could have spent the time at the orphanage, gone back to the Plains with Tress, or left to return to the Serendipity, and she would have been disappointed but not surprised.
Jariel Camen did not. Like Alphonse, he had been there guarding her with his love, and demanding nothing in return.
Now that the fever had broken, her idle hands became ever present in her thoughts. She wished very much to return to the Plains to see how everything was progressing. She did not want them to think she had abandoned them when she left with Jariel, but truth be told the people had become so strong, she had no doubt they could make it on their own from here on out.
“Fleur!”
She snapped her head up, towards the doorway, where Jariel Camen was suddenly standing, breathing rather heavily from having run to her quarters.
“Bring Tress, quickly. Vedek Timal is beginning to awaken.”
“Go to him. I am right behind you,” Fleur urged. As she gathered up Tress, she could not help but wonder why he had wished her to be present when Timal regained consciousness.
[[Leave or take?]] Fleur questioned, then pointing to the bear.
Tress answered her by wrapping her arms tighter around her bear.
[[Name?]] She signed, wondering if the girl had picked out a moniker for her new friend yet.
[[Chou chou!]] Tress answered. It made perfect sense of course. She was Fleur’s baby, so obviously, the bear was Tress’s baby. Fleur kissed each sweet young ridge on the bridge of Tress’s nose, as she hoisted her from the bed. She laid the child across her right shoulder, as she walked to sickbay to find Camen.
Azalea was there, along with Camen, and to her surprise, the young girl from the orphanage, Milea. Camen and Doctor Adams stood side by side, over Timal, while Milea stood off to the side, nervously wringing her hands.
“She insisted on being here when he awoke,” Camen whispered to Fleur.
Tress looked over the sleeping Vedek Timal, and signed the same word over and over again, urging him on.
[[Awake! Awake!]]
The Vedek still looked so weak to Camen, but some of his color had returned, and he had no doubt the treatment developed by Hartcort and Adams was the only reason he had this moment to look forward too.
“His heart rate and lung function are both increasing. He’s coming around any moment now,” Azalea said. She folded up her tricorder, and offered to take Tress from Fleur, knowing she would wish to be at Jariel’s side now.
Timal wheezed, as he drew a deep breath for the first time in days. The coughing brought him out of his sleep, and he looked around the room. Milea was there, an unfamiliar Starfleet officer was bouncing a baby on her knee, and there at his side was Vedek Jariel, and a beautiful human woman whom he had never seen, but felt as if he knew like a daughter.
To Camen’s surprise, Timal stretched out a weary hand not to him, but to the woman beside him.
“Fleur,” he said with a smile. “May the Prophets bless you. Welcome to Bajor.”
“Thank you Monsieur Vedek,” she replied, bowing slightly respectfully. Camen felt his heart skip a beat as he heard her use the title she had used to address Camen so many times, with so much respect and desire in her voice that he had never noticed.
“What day is it, child?” Timal asked.
“I, do not know,” Fleur said slowly, feeling embarrassed. She wanted so badly to make a good impression on this man whom was such an important figure to Camen. Now, she found herself with no answer to what should have been a simply question.
“Stardate 81231,” Milea piped up helpfully. “I’m glad to see you are awake Vedek Timal.”
“Milea insisted on being here when you awakened,” Camen said. “She’s been very concerned about your condition.”
Camen knew her conscience was heavy, and there would be a time to address her sneaking off later, but now was not that time. Milea was doing all she could to show piety towards Timal, and Camen would do nothing to discourage it at this moment.
“I’m glad to see you are here, and not off alone in the wood,” Timal said. “Who do I have to thank for my care?”
Azalea said nothing, so Jariel was forced to praise her on her behalf.
“Doctor Adams, and Doctor Hartcort from Starfleet have been caring for you, and all the sick children, since the fever reached the orphanage. The next time I have a chance to speak with the Admiralty I plan on making sure they know loud and clear that these doctors have the gratitude and thanks of all of Bajor for their work. We owe them nothing less than our lives.”
Camen spoke directly to Azalea, who kept her attention on Tress. Despite her dark complexion Jariel thought for sure he detected a hint of a blush. He reached out, and let his fingers search out Fleur’s. He closed his hand around hers, but her fingers remained limp, and he realized she was standing completely motionless.
“Fleur? Are you all right?”
“Stardate 81231,” she said, just above a whisper. “It is New Years Eve in Paris.”
He understood now why she had been silent since she heard the date. Whatever bad memories she had during the fever, he knew they surrounded the New Years holiday, and a someone who had not given her a dance she wanted so badly.
“Can Timal be transported to the orphanage? He’ll sleep better in his own bed tonight,” Camen asked. “They are calling for the first snow of the season tonight. Just enough to dust the ground,” He added, knowing how much Timal would enjoy the view from his own room.
“He’ll need an antigrav gurney to get there, but it should not be a problem,” Azalea said. “I’ll ask Dane and Micah for a hand.”
“I have something else to ask of them, and you as well,” Camen said, as a plan began to form in his head.
“Just name it,” Azalea replied.
“I would like to prepare a meal at the orphanage this evening. A celebration for all those from Earth that have done so much for us. Yourself, Doctor Hartcort, Dane, Micah, and of course…”
Fleur spoke up, cutting off the rest of his sentence. “And of course, I will help you cook.”
“You will do no such thing,” Camen said with a grin.
“Oh, is my cooking not good enough for the Vedek’s party, eh?”
“One does not cook for a party when one is a guest of honor at said party. I would no more expect you to prepare the meal than I would Doctor Adams. You’re only task is to dress comfortably and appropriately for a celebration.”
Fleur’s mind was already preoccupied with what she would wear for such an event. It was not that she was vain, far from it. She merely wanted to look pretty for him, and only him.
“I will allow this only because I am still recovering from the fever, and I am more likely to cut myself than vegetables,” Fleur replied.
“If you’ll excuse me, I shall see you all this evening.” Camen stepped away from the bed, and found a PADD. “Milea, a moment please?”
The girl stepped forward, and waited patiently as Camen tapped out instructions on the PADD.
“I’m making a list of a few things I would like for this evening. Do you think you can handle these tasks?” He handed her the PADD, and Milea scanned over the list. She grinned, and nodded.
“May I come too?” She asked.
“Of course, this is for everyone.”
“Do you think Dane will come?”
Jariel’s grin went from broad to lopsided. “That’s up to him. But I’m sure if he does, you will not occupy his time all night, and will give him space to socialize with his crewmates.”
“Of course, Vedek Jariel.”
“Then off with you now,” Camen ushered her towards the door.
-=Evening, Last Meal Time=-
Camen kept one eye on the dining room, through the small window between it and the kitchen, as he and Timal’s staff put the finishing touches on the evening’s meal. The Alchemy crew had arrived, and were gathered around a table, sharing drinks, listening to lively music, and accepting drawings that the children had made in thanks for their help in making them better,
They were each gracious, and Dane was clearly somewhat embarrassed by all the fuss over him, especially by the young girls. Camen could not help but grin as he watched Azalea, Lance and Micah handle the room like professionals, while Dane awkwardly thanked each child for the gift from beneath his long dark bangs.
He had come a long way this one. The Dane who had first come aboard the Sera so much against his will would not even have shown up for this affair, let alone interacted with anyone.
Still, Camen did not see the face he was waiting the most expectantly for.
The Bajorans had agreed on Terran cuisine for the evening in honor of their guests. Timal had relaxed his no replicators rule, but insisted that only the raw materials for the meal could be replicated. To that end Camen and the others had replicated all the necessary ingredients for a traditional turkey dinner including gravy, mashed potatoes, stuffing, dinner rolls and green beans. It was a large hearty meal and a monumental task to prepare, but with everyone having been left famished by the fever, it was time for a good-sized meal to begin building back strength.
Camen handed the first plates to one of the Prylars once the meal was complete, and when he returned to the window finally saw the person he was waiting for.
Fleur removed a long navy blue walker coat, with matching hat and slender fabric gloves. She hung the coat on a hanger and looked around the room nervously for Camen, as she smoothed out any of the wrinkles in the skirt and straightened the straps of the calf-length black dress she wore.
Camen would have called out to greet her, if he had been able to speak.
-----------------
Jariel Camen
On Bajor
Jariel Camen
On Bajor