Time After Time

Posted on Mon May 25th, 2015 @ 9:53pm by Commander Ehlana Winter & Commander Dae Nalas & Lieutenant Commander Solis & Lieutenant Commander Earl Crane

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: Piper Medical Center

* * Piper Medical Center -CMO’s Office * * *

"Bah!" Earl grumped at his - really, Harding's - console. "Just take the report, you dumb...," He stopped cursing the computer when another doctor appeared his doorway. "What?"

"I've checked in on the brig prisoners, sir. No one required any follow up," the young doctor reported.

"Good! Waste of time treating some of them," he saw the younger man's hesitant nod. "Go on, you're dismissed." Earl really wasn't very good at being formal anymore; he had too many years behind him to keep that shit up. Alone again, he went back to grumbling at the computer.

“Problems, honey?” Solis breezed into the office and dropped down into the chair across from Earl. Reaching up to his hair, he tugged out the tongue depressor and let the hair tumble down around his shoulders. “Man, what an insane day.”

"You've had a crazy week. We've all had a crazy week," Earl watched his friend. "Feel like talking about it?"

“It? Oh...you mean that it.” Earl’s question brought it all back to Solis, the panic, the horror, the instant emptiness and it almost choked him. He rose and closed the office door. “You know, Ehlana has ordered me to report for debriefing. And Julisa says you’ve been weird so I know you know.”

"I've been...? Weird?" Earl looked aghast. "I have not! I was simply... happy to see her back, healthy and all." He realized he might have overdone it. "Alive, I should say."

“Bingo.” Solis resumed his seat, stretching his legs out before him. “So you know Ehlana will give me the usual order to keep it to myself, can’t have such knowledge altering the correct timeline..blahblahblah. No disrespect intended to your lovely wife of course. Personally, for what she did, I think she’s a goddess.”

"She is, for far more reasons than that," Earl beamed brightly, his love for Ehlana obvious. He sobered slightly and asked, "Julisa doesn't recall any of the changed timeline, does she?"

“Not one damned bit of it.” Solis’ expressions clouded for a moment. “Though when we got her back to the ship, she mentioned that her shoulder was sore. In the current time, he didn’t injure her shoulder, in the other…..” He shuddered. “It was….” He covered his mouth with his hand and jumped from his seat, moving to the replicator. “Coffee,” he ordered.

"Sometimes there's a...," Earl searched for the right word, "...an overlap, or an echo. I was there when Ehl got the report. It had a description of the ...event. I'm sorry you were the one to find her."

The coffee appeared and Solis took a drink, immediately regretting it. He stood still, waiting till his stomach settled down. “She was still alive when we got there. But she...she was bleeding out. Nothing I tried worked and she died in my arms Earl.” He was tight as a wound spring as he related the story. His hand shook, splashing coffee on his hand and wrist and he cursed, setting the cup aside.

Getting and moving around to Solis, Earl handed him a cloth to dry off his hand. "Sit, Solis." He knew it was unlikely Sol would do that. He perched on the desk. "Us doctors, we can work miracles in this day and age. But sometimes, when we most need to have a miracle, we can't create one."

Solis dried his hand, then ran it over his face. “Dae gave me that pep talk. He seems concerned that I will let this undermine my confidence in my abilities.” He tossed the cloth to the desk and looked back at Earl. “You want to know what’s so fucked up? Jules has no idea and I can’t tell her. We’re telepaths! How’s that supposed to work?”

"She might remember, at some point. Or she might never remember. Which would you rather she do? Me? I'd say it's easier for her not to, though it's hard as hell on you." The El-Aurian could understand, to a degree, Solis' angst. He had no worries related to Solis' confidence in himself; he worried that the young Vulcan might not remember how bloody lucky he was. "Have you thought about why the timeline was shifted? Most people, most tragedies, aren't given a second chance to avoid what you've avoided."

Solis let out a slow breath and frowned. Now that Earl brought it up, that was a very good question. “Not till now. It’s been so nuts with getting back and the rush on sickbay I haven’t even had time to think about that. I’ve been too worried about her picking this little jewel out of my head every minute I’m around her.”

"Stop thinking about it, then. I know," he held up his hands in a placating manner, "easier said than done. Were I in your shoes, I'd celebrate every minute I had with her now, revel in the fact that she's still here, rather than think about how I almost lost her. If she picks that up from you - that you're celebrating every moment - there's no harm, is there? You two were separated for... What? A year? She can think it's related to that."

“Exactly what I said to Dae. That’s how I’ll get through this, Earl. Maybe that’s why I got a second chance after the year of hell without her. You know how bad that was.” Solis finally sat down and leaned his head back over the chair, looking up at the ceiling. “If I’d truly lost her this time, I think I’d be back in my peach orchard and taking care of a hundred cats and eventually being called Old Man Solis in ‘that’ tone.”

"People already call you that. Well, 'young man Solis', the crazy Vulcan. By people, I mean me," Earl joked. "I know how bad that year was. You were damned annoying, you know. Which is why Siri and I collaborated on getting you two here."

“I knew it!” Solis sat up and slapped his hand on the desk, but he was smiling. “I knew you had something to do with it. And I am eternally grateful to you both. Now I just need to hear what Ehl has to say.”

“Oh? Is that so?” A familiar voice stood in the now-open door. “Good evening gentlemen.”

Up in a flash, Earl went to his wife and took her hands then kissed her. "My dearest. We were discussing Julisa." He drew her into the office and offered her a chair.

“Please close the door, Earl.” Ehlana moved into the office and sat down beside Solis. “That’s why I am here too. I had the computer track you two down. I hear it’s been a madhouse down here.”

"Little bit," Earl confirmed. He closed the door then went to the replicator and ordered Ehl's favorite. "But things have quieted down. Should Nalas be here, too, Ehl?" He brought her drink to her.

“I’ve called him as well. Might as well get all of you in one go. Thanks, love.” She took the cup and blew on it to cool it before having a sip. “Delicious.”

“Ehlana.” Solis watched her, unable to look away. He wasn’t sure whether to hug her or, as he promised Dae, bow down and kiss her feet. Or cry.

She turned an amused glance his way and reached over to pat his hand. “I know.”

It was only now, under the bright office lights that Solis realized she looked younger than the last time he’d seen her almost a year ago. He wondered if Earl had an explanation for that. A knock came at the door and he rose to let Dae in.

“Hello Commander, Docs.” Dae closed the door, then wrapped an arm around Solis’ shoulders. “You seem better.”

“A little yes,” Solis admitted.

"Good to see you, Nalas," Earl greeted Dae. "Looks like all the conspirators are here, dear. Shall we get started?"

“Very well. You are all aware of why I ordered this debriefing.” Now Ehlana was all business. “It was a tragic circumstance,” she glanced at Solis, “and one that I was sent to remedy. Given the brutality of her death, it is imperative that she be allowed to remain unaware of what happened.”

“Can you tell us why the correction?” Dae voiced the very question that burned in Solis’ mind as well.

“That was my question too.” Solis’ voice was quiet.

Ehlana licked her lips as she looked at the three men, then shook her head. “No, not the main one. I’m sorry about that, truly, especially for you Solis. But if I get into that it could alter things and make the situation worse. I can tell you, though, that part of it had to do with this Admiral. Given the nature of her crimes, we refused to let her screw up another life. Well, two lives in this case.”

Earl wondered how much Ehlana wasn't revealing, how much more she knew. He was aware that if Julisa hadn't come back from Betazed, more people would have died and Azoulay would have gotten away with it. "For that, I'm thankful. Getting this guy through a year without her was tough enough," Earl looked at Solis.

“I remember, at least the beginning of it.” Ehlana patted Solis’ hand. “Now the important parts, and likely the most difficult. You know the reasons she cannot be told of this. That includes reading any of you. I know that for you especially, Solis, that will be tricky. She isn’t in the habit of reading Dae and I think she avoids reading Earl if at all possible.”

Dae nodded. “Understood. I don’t envy you Solis. You two seem to live in each other’s heads.”

“We do,” he admitted. “And blocking things is not the easiest where a bond with a mate is concerned.”

Earl chimed in, "Ehl, what if she does remember?"

“There is that possibility, and one I am concerned about, given her bond with you, Solis,” Ehlana replied. “However, if this happens, it’s beyond my control. I cannot prevent it and I certainly won’t take steps to remove it if she does. In that case? It would be a dead end anyway since none of you know what the future effects of her death would have been, nor what the future is now that she is alive.”

Dae rubbed his forehead and muttered. “Temporal issues give me a headache. It makes me feel like a rat in a maze...I can smell the cheese but can’t see it and have no idea which way to go to find it.”

Ehlana laughed. “A most apt comparison Dae.”

Solis leaned forward,his expression intent. “So you’re saying that if, by some means, she picks it out of my head, it won’t be a total disaster?”

“No, it won’t but do not interpret that to mean you should run home and tell her.” Ehlana’s tone was firm.

Glancing at Solis, Earl caught his eye and shrugged. "Like I said, go home and celebrate that you have her."

“And I told him that when it starts to get to him, to come find me...or us Earl. We’ll go out, have some fun, blow off some steam, get it out of his system so he can get a grip on this secret and bury it again.”

"Indeed we will, Dae. Operation Vina's Secret," Earl joked.

"Thanks, fellows, I appreciate it.” Solis’ smile was brighter now. “As for you Ehl, I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you for this.”

“No need dear. This one was a labor of love, as they say." Ehlana stood and rested her hand on Dae’s shoulder as she passed. “Earl, Dae, thank you. I know I’ve bound the three of you together with this but I can’t think of three better men. I’ll see you at home Earl.” The door opened and she was gone.

"I love her so much," Earl said dreamily, staring at the door.

“I love her so much,” Solis repeated and Dae laughed. “No offense Earl.”

Dae looked from one to the other. “I feel I should chime in here..peer pressure and all that. But I have to say Earl, if I had a wife like that, I’d be seeing stars too.”

"I do, every time she's in the room." Earl smiled then shook himself. "So, Solis, I get how you feel about Julisa. Go home, hug the tar out of her and live."

“I intend to. And you go home. We’re both due off-shift. Dr. Mi can handle things here for a while. Dae? Go find Marla. Relax.” Solis went through the door and was gone.

Dae looked up at Earl, his expression still surprised at Solis’ words. “Well, damn.”

Earl laughed. "A man of few words, our Solis. I'm taking his advice. Come on, Dae, let me show you out." He put a hand on Dae's shoulder and steered him toward the door. "Who is Marla, by the way?"

“It’s long story, Earl.” Dae smiled. “And an ongoing battle over her...status with Seyla. Despite that, his advice is good. See you soon.” Dae turned to go.

"Yes, hopefully for a social call," Earl watched Dae walk away then locked his office and went home to Ehlana.

*******

Lt.Commander Earl D. Crane
Old Wise Man

Lt. Solis
Wise-ass Young Man

Lt. Commander Dae Nalas
Laid-Back Man

Commander Ehlana Winter
Secretive Woman