769: Exposed

by Jariel Camen
0201.1800
One Hour After The Coward’s Way

-=Bajor=-


“I know you have other deliveries to make, but you are just going to have to wait.”

Vedek Ram closed the link with the Yridiian freighter Captain, and stored the communications device in a pocket with his left hand, as the right hand tried to contain the continually squirming Gillan Tress. Battling her intense spirit for freedom, the heat of the day, and his own morbid obesity had turned what should have been a fifteen-minute stroll from the spaceport to the medical center in Polera Province into a one-hour ordeal.

He was only moments from boarding the freighter when Vedek Selivere had warned him that he may have been exposed to Vellat Fever. Vedek Ram knew all too well just how dangerous the corrupted vaccines sent out to the poor provinces of Bajor were. He had, after all, played a large part in their dissemination.

The once simple plan he had devised with Vettan Brell of Relanon Bio-Medical and Dendre Hald of the Bajoran Health Ministry was going increasingly complicated by the moment. The child was to be turned over to an orphanage outside the Federation where Jariel Camen would never be able to track her down, unless of course he agreed to their demands.

Jariel was to use his power as a Vedek to cover up all of Relanon’s role in the Vellat Fever outbreak. Then he was to leave Bajor, never to return. Only then would he be allowed to know the location of Gillan Tress, so he could reclaim her.

The charges against Fleur Le Marc would also be dismissed, and like Jariel, she would be forever banished from setting foot on Bajor. If Jariel failed to meet their demands, Tress would be turned over to whatever family saw fit to adopt her, and Le Marc would be swiftly convicted of kidnapping, and spend the rest of her days in the stockade.

With Le Marc safely locked away, all that remained was to get Tress off the planet. Ram was only moments from accomplishing this goal until fear for his own life compelled him to abandon the spaceport in favor of medical treatment.

He smiled politely at the curious onlookers as he struggled to maintain a hold on Tress. It was only the fact he was recognizable as a Vedek that prevented them from question exactly what it was he was doing.

As soon as he entered the medical center, Ram identified himself as a Vedek, and was quickly whisked off to an exam room. The Nurse eyed Tress, and Ram quickly suggested that perhaps she was already experiencing the fever, and could use a sedative.

The woman agreed, taking the Vedek’s word as impeccable, even if he was not a Doctor, and gave Tress a sedative.

“Maman, Papa.” She mumbled, as she drifted to sleep on the pillow in the exam room.

“I’ll need to input your information in the Computer, and the doctor will be right in, Vedek.”

“How soon will the doctor be here? I am on business for the Assembly. Please have any other patients bumped back so I can be seen as soon as possible.”

The Nurse left the room, and placed Ram’s information into the medical computer. At that same moment, Jariel Camen and Azalea Adams received an alert that the Vedek had been admitted to the medical center. The pair had already made their way to the transporter hub, where they were awaiting the call.

Before the Nurse even completed inputting Vedek Ram’s information, Azalea and Camen were already materializing in the lobby of the medical center.

“Where is Vedek Ram?” Jariel demanded, as he charged towards the main desk. Azalea had to jog to keep up with him.

“Vedek Jariel! They just took him back to Exam Room two. You can go back and visit him if you like, but just be warned you may be exposed to Vellat Fever. We have not had a change to examine him yet.”

“I’ll take my chances, thank you Nurse.”

Azalea moved to follow him and the Nurse got between Jariel and the door to the exam rooms.

“I’m sorry, she cannot go in with you, unless she is family.”

“Doctor Adams is Starfleet Medical, and has extensive experience with Vellat Fever. Vedek Ram’s health is in danger, and she can help him. Now, stand down.”

The nurse wilted, daring not to question the Vedek, and stepped aside.

“Have a lovely day,” Azalea said, as she brushed by the Nurse and through the doors.

Camen threw open the door to the exam room, and found Vedek Ram hurriedly trying to down a dose of pain pills he kept concealed in his clothing.

“Doctor, thank you for seeing me on such short notice.” Ram began, before looking up, and realizing the man in the doorway not the Doctor. Jariel said nothing, staring down on Vedek Ram, who had turned white as a ghost.

“Bwa…. Bwa… Vedek Jariel. What are you doing here?” Ram shifted his bulk to try and conceal Tress from Jariel’s view.

Camen reached around him, and picked the sleeping Tress up off the bed.

“Is she all right?” Camen asked, handing Tress off to Azalea Adams.

“Security! Security!” Ram shouted.

“Shut up.” Jariel suggested, cool and calm. “Where did you send Le Marc?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ram blathered.

“They’ve given her some kind of mild sedative, but she seems all right. Though by the color of her face and mouth I’d say she had not had a proper meal in at least twelve hours.” Azalea glared at Vedek Ram.

“What’s going on here? Someone called for Security?” Doctor Drelid Svail stood in the doorway, with two large men over his shoulder.

“Please have Vedek Jariel removed. He is trying to take my child!” Ram pleased.

Your child!” Camen and Azalea said in unison.

“Why don’t we just ask Tress who her father is?” Camen suggested.

Doctor Drelid held his men back, as Azalea cooed softly to Tress to get her to open her eyes. She turned the girl towards the two men, and when Tress’s groggy eyes opened slightly, she immediately saw Jariel, and reached out towards him, extending her tiny fingers across the gap between them.

“Papa!” She mumbled softly. Azalea handed her off to Jariel, and she tucked her face into his shoulder, as the sedative took hold once again and she drifted back to sleep.

“She was struggling with him when she came in, like she was trying to get away.” The same Nurse that had admitted Ram whispered to the Doctor.

“With all due respect, Vedek and Vedek,” The Doctor began, nodding respectfully to both men, “Each of you will remain here until Child Protection Ministry can come to sort all of this out.”

“And what will Minister Dressal say when he finds out you were planning to take Tress off the planet? No doubt you did not share that with him. And I’m sure you have some sort of papers showing you’ve booked passage off the planet on your person right now.”

Vedek Ram sat silently. Not so much out of defiance, but out of knowledge that Jariel had him dead to rights, and a search of his left pocket would yield the information Jariel needed to have him imprisoned.

“Then we’ll wait.” Camen said.

Jariel sat with Tress on his knee, letting her sleep peacefully while Azalea Adams regaled Doctor Svail with the tale of Gillan Tress’s journey from orphan in the Plains to soon to be adopted daughter of Fleur Le Marc and Jariel Camen.

When Minister Dressal arrived, Tress’s sedative just began to wear off, and the girl was now demanding food from Vedek Jariel.

Each man pleaded his case to Dressal, but Tress’s clear love of Jariel made it obvious who the girl really belonged with. If that was not enough, Vedek Ram’s communicator beeped.

[Vedek Ram! I can’t wait any longer. Are you coming or not?]

“Who could that be, Vedek?” Jariel asked.

[Vedek Ram, please reply!]

Ram sat quietly still, as the Yridiian captain’s damning voice filled the room.

[Fine, we are leaving. No refunds!]

The channel went silent. Minister Dressal folded his arms across his chest. “We will have a full hearing into these matters. If the child is indeed an orphan, as you say Vedek Jariel, you may petition at that time for full adoption rights to be granted. In the mean time, I’m placing the child in your care temporarily. I will see each of you tomorrow first thing in the morning.”

“Don’t be late for the hearing Vedek. We’ll be watching for you,” Jariel warned as he stood with Tress to leave. “I can offer you this much, Ram. If you tell me where Le Marc is being held and order the charges against her dropped, I may be persuaded to put in a good word for you at your sentencing. A little cooperation may make twenty years in prison into fifteen.”

Ram shoulder’s slumped, and he let out a heavy sigh. “She’s being held at the jail in the Capital City, under the number 56349.”

-=Fifteen minutes later=-


Fleur Le Marc sat in the corner of the cell, alone, again. She had gotten close to Jariel Camen finally, after so many years, only to be ripped away from him, so suddenly. Her heart told her he was rescuing Tress, and that was why he had not come. Her self-doubt told her she simply wasn’t worth coming for.

Camen entered the block, looking for her number on the wall beside the cells. Azalea was waiting outside with Tress. Camen had to convince the child to wait to see Fleur, because he wanted to see her first. As she heard him approach, her sad eyes lifted from the floor, expecting to see the guard.

When she saw his face, her heart skipped a beat as it always did when he was near. As it had for years.

“Tress?” She asked immediately, standing up from her seat in the corner.

“Outside, with Azalea Adams.”

Camen reached out to the control panel and deactivated the forcefield.

“I convinced Vedek Ram that it was in his best interests to drop the charges against you. Let’s go home, Fleur.”

********************
Jariel Camen
On Bajor