Waiting and Wondering

Posted on Mon Feb 15th, 2016 @ 4:26am by Admiral Ricky Wegener & Lieutenant Commander Robin Swift M.D., PhD & Admiral Lucius Hawke & Lieutenant Commander William Harding M.D. & Lieutenant Raj Amani

Mission: Beyond The Wormhole
Location: Counseling Offices / Piper Medical

* * * Deck 366 - Counseling Offices Lounge * * *

Robin had quite a few patients to see today. In lieu of taking lunch on the Promenade, he decided to just grab something in the lounge and chat up some of his staff. He’d not seen many of them in quite some time and thought it would be nice to catch up with a few of them.

He’d ordered a tuna melt, french fries and ice water to munch on while he watched his staff come and go. Some spoke briefly, as they were too busy and were grabbing food to go back to their offices, while some sat and spoke briefly. Robin had always liked keeping in touch with his staff and sitting in the lounge to eat seemed like an easy way to catch up with what they were doing and also making himself approachable.

Raj entered several minutes later, after the others had left, and he looked exhausted. He stood before the replicator, debating what to order and came up with nothing.

“Umm...coffee. Doughnut glazed.”

“Breakfast for lunch, eh?” Robin commented. “I do enjoy pancakes, eggs and bacon for dinner. Of course, it always seems an appropriate time for a doughnut.”

“Lunch?” Raj repeated absently as he brought his food to Robin’s table. “Is it really lunchtime?” He took a deep drink of the coffee then a bite of the doughnut. “You’re not kidding are you?”

“Did you not eat breakfast?” Robin asked, now concerned. “Raj, if you need to take a break, we can reschedule some of your patients.”

Raj shook his head. “No, this is just a couple of unusual things that piled on top of each other. But, I’m glad you are here, so I can update you and I also have a request.”

“Luckily, I have some time left on my lunch, so let ‘er rip,” Robin said, finishing off his sandwich.

“Well, the shorter topic is the emergency that came in last night. You’ve no doubt heard about the Cardassian Legate who is here?” Raj asked. “And his wife?”

“Not much of it, but yes, I have.”

“Well, things erupted last night. He caught up with her, lost his mind and….” Raj stopped to drink more coffee. “Was caught in the act of whipping her with a hanger, then pointing a phaser at her and pressing the button. Two of the locals had come when she send an emergency signal and just managed to prevent the shot but he is dead. She’s now in Piper, patched up, but was in shock and has a memory gap that starts about the time the two men from 900 broke into the apartment here on Archadia where she was staying.”

“Well, this is all news to me,” Robin replied. “Have the Cardassians responded at all?”

“I don’t think the official report has been sent to them yet. They were still sorting things out this morning and taking statements. The good news is, there is a security feed from that apartment that shows everything. To put it bluntly, it’s messed up. She said he was calm enough and she’d agreed to leave with him to keep him peaceful and as a means of buying time till help arrived but then he just flew into a rage over a shirt in the wardrobe and got violent. I hate to sound cruel, but it solved one big problem. She had left him and was having a hard time getting that point across.”

“Hmmm. At least this allows her to move on without him,” Robin said, shifting in his seat. “Have you spoken to her yet? How is she dealing with the attack?”

“Twice. She was in shock when she arrived, but finally became coherent about two hours after she arrived. There’s the memory gap to deal with but that may resolve on its own. My concern here is that, no matter the situation now, she has lost a husband of twenty-three years and a relationship that was an extremely loving and stable one, as she described it, until she learned what he did for a living. It all just sort of blew up. And now there’s a complicating factor involved as well - a new attachment. It will be interesting going forward.”

“A new attachment?” Robin asked. “Such as…?”

“The man who stabbed Zikar to prevent his killing Nyyar.” Raj sipped his coffee, waiting for the reaction to that little announcement.

“Is this because he saved her, a reversed Florence Nightingale effect, or something that had started prior?”

“Prior,” Raj answered. “She says he knew her when she was still back on Bajor long ago.” Raj sighed and rubbed his forehead. “A tangled web this one is and a lot more details than I have at the moment. I wouldn’t be worth my pips if I said I wasn’t concerned.”

“It might be worth checking with Security or Intel to make sure they’ve checked him out,” Robin said, now becoming concerned himself. “If he knew her then, how did he locate her now?” He sat back in the chair and sighed. “It all seems a bit fishy, if you ask me.”

“He didn’t find her, actually.” Raj rose to get another mug of coffee. “Here’s where things get...interesting. This man has been on the station for at least two years as a civilian. He hasn’t been out of the Delta Quadrant at all in that time as far as I can tell. According to Nyyar, neither of them had any idea the other was here until they happened upon each other in the Bajoran restaurant. It seems he was stationed near her village back during the Occupation and at the time she was taken by the Cardassians. He hadn’t seen her since, she said.”

“Serendipity?” Robin asked.

“Or The Prophets? Who knows? But a hell of a coincidence or lucky happenstance, take your pick. I spoke with him briefly and the vibe I picked up is genuine. I suspect if I had told him to go pick every blade of grass from the Arboretum by hand and bring them to her, he would have.” Raj smiled finally. “Still, it’s a complicated situation.”

Robin nodded. “The best I can do for you is consult, if you need it. But keep me apprised. We may need to dig deep into our psychiatric bags on this one.”

“I don’t doubt it.” Raj shook his head and smiled. “And I thought Outpost 23 was screwy. Now for my request. You are aware that I’ve been added as part of Niro’s required rehab included in his sentence?”

“I am.”

“I’m putting in a standing request to be seen by you once a month. Niro is on inhibitors but has a one week break every three months. None of his visitors are allowed in during that week, except me so following that, we’ll do an exhaustive check to make sure I’ve not been tampered with.” Raj sighed aloud. “It’s going to be an interesting merry-go-round.”

“I imagine so, but that’s a very reasonable request. Are there any mind shields, or whatever, that you can utilize during that week to keep him from getting access to you?”

“Somewhat yes, but if he is determined, I am not a match for an Enaran. Not that there’s much for him to gain from it.” He shrugged. “I’m sure this is just a precaution.”

“Do you think it might be wise, then, to have Nico accompany you for that week? Maybe he could put forth some sort of defense for you, or monitoring of some sort?”

“Good idea, once he has returned,” Raj replied. “He --”

Raj was cut off by the chirp of Robin’s comm badge. =^= Dr. Harding to Counselor Swift. Would you please report to Piper? =^=

Robin tapped his communicator. “Is it urgent, Doctor, or do I have a few moments?”

=^= You have a few since the person in question has decided not to return to the station tonight. =^=

Robin and Raj exchanged puzzled looks. “Ah, okay. I’ll be there soon. Swift out.” Looking back at Raj he asked, “I wonder what he meant by that?”

“No idea. Shall I come with you?” Raj asked.

“You know, that might not be a bad idea,” Robin said as he stood to return his plate and utensils to the replicator. “I’m curious now. Let’s go.”

* Dr. Harding’s Office *

When Robin and Raj arrived, Kiere took them back to Will’s office. He motioned them in and then pressed his desk panel to close the door.

“Thanks for getting here so quickly. The Admirals will be joining us.”

“The Admirals?” Robin repeated. He exchanged another look with Raj. “Sounds serious, Will.”

“It is. Captain Hawke has been relieved of duty, temporarily. Dr. Crane was the physician on duty at the time and sent word to the admiral but not the exact reason.”

“And that is?” Raj asked.

Will looked up as he spotted Lucius and Rick arriving through the window. He opened the door and waved them in. “Just in time.”

“So, will someone finally tell me just what the hell is going on?” Rick demanded, looking at Lucius and then back at Harding. “What happened to Li? Is she okay?”

“You got Earl’s message that she had been temporarily relieved, I see,” Will answered.

“I was actually trying to track you down too,” Lucius added, and had a seat. “Shall I?” When Will nodded, he continued, looking at Rick, Robin, and Raj. He filled them in on Li’s collapse in the brig, then assured them it hadn’t been Niro’s doing. Finally he got to the real reason. “It seems that the link she always had to Sakkath was broken and that caused the mental trauma, as Dr. Crane put it. Commander Darwin contacted the Hammond, where Lt. Gilroy confirmed it. Sakkath was killed by a drone - not one of our assimilated crew but another involved in the battle.”

The room fell silent and Rick, for one, needed to sit down. Not only had he lost an amazing officer, and friend, he knew that Li would be absolutely reeling from this. He also knew that she would have a hard time facing it and would try to work through it instead of taking the time off that she would need.

“Lucius…” Rick said weakly. “Li. She’s...this is bad for her on so many levels.” He looked up at his friend. “You know how she is and how she’s going to react to this.”

Lucius nodded. “I made Earl promise not to give in when she swears that getting back to work immediately is the best thing for her. I’m holding you three to that too,” Lucius said to Will, Robin, and Raj. “Right now, I don’t know where she is. Her comm badge is not answering. She left sickbay earlier today, saying she has something she had to do. Earl insisted that Darwin go with her and they said they would return after she finished. No one has seen them since and they are not on the station. I’m guessing...hoping...Archadia.”

“Can you not find her?” Rick asked, meaning his own connection with Li. “I can only assume that she is okay, otherwise Commander Darwin would have contacted us. Or risk his own health at not doing so,” he added, his brow and tone darkening at the thought of what he’d do to the man if something happened to Li.

“I think Darwin would face down the devil himself before he’d let anything happen to her,” Lucius agreed. “Likely, they’ve stayed down below. Knowing Li, her quarters is the last place she’d want to be.”

“If I may?” Robin said. “From what I know about their type of mental attachment, it may be best just to give her some time to find her footing again before we try to act on this. Admiral Hawke, you would know best, but I imagine that being that connected to someone, so intimately and wholly, is not an easy connection to sever, and if we force her to talk about it, or take any other actions too soon--and knowing how Captain Hawke is a bit stubborn when she sets her mind to something,” he added, hoping no one would beat him for it, “we just need to wait her out. When she returns, she will more than likely be more apt to discuss the affect the Commander’s death is having on her and, with any luck, help her continue living without him.” He looked at Lucius. “Additionally, to add to Doctor Harding’s recommendation of being off duty, it’s policy for all personnel to be relieved of duty in this circumstance until reinstated by counseling staff. So there’s no worry of her pushing her way back into working until she has been cleared.”

Lucius nodded. “I agree. Rick’s right though, she will try and insist.” He rubbed his eyes and looked to Rick now. “I’ve informed his parents. They want to speak to Li of course but they are aware, as is Marianna. Now, all we can do is wait. At the very least, I suspect she will be home to greet the returning team. Oz was one of them and Li won’t ignore that.”

Leaning his head back against the office wall and closing his eyes a moment, Rick was working out what all would need to be done in the next few days. Grief counseling for Sakkath’s friends and co-workers, a funeral befitting a hero, but most importantly, his heart was breaking for Li and what she must be feeling. Remembering how he felt when Narin, his wife of so long ago, had died unexpectedly, he assumed Li must be feeling much of the same, no matter how much she would try to deny it. What made it worse for him was that she wasn’t ‘just’ an officer under his command. He’d watched her grow up from the little girl she had been to the commanding presence she is now. He’d been involved in her life in so many ways and, much like Lucius had to be feeling, it was going to be heartbreaking to see her in this way. Almost a feeling of helplessness knowing that all you can really do is offer words of encouragement and to just be there, but knowing that your actions may not help at all.

“I think that we will both need to be there to receive them when they return,” Rick replied, his eyes still closed, meaning he and Lucius. “I can set up alternative quarters for her in the meantime. She’ll need to bed down at some point, even if she doesn’t want to go back to their place.” Finally, lifting his head back up and opening his eyes, he saw that all eyes in the room were on him. “Let’s follow the Counselor’s lead on this. Give her some time, trust Darwin to contact us if they need us and, most importantly, do everything we can to help her through this.”

“I called Leto,” Lucius added. “She and Nick are the most likely place for Li to land right now. So our bases are covered. That’s about all we can do.”

“We’ll do whatever is necessary,” Raj assured the two admirals.

“And I know that I probably don’t need to say this, but I am going to anyway,” Will began. “But the counselors’ area aside, if you notice any physical symptoms, inform us immediately. I won’t hesitate to give her a vacation here and she can yell at me all she wants to.” He smiled for a moment. “If she turns back up here, you’ll all be the first to know.”

Rick stood slowly. “Keep us informed,” he said, then touched Lucius arm and jerked his head toward the hall outside of the office. Once they were both there, and the Doctor’s door closed, he shook his head. “Do you really think she’s going to be okay?”

Lucius shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t think she’ll let her position suffer, which likely isn’t a surprise to you. Her personal life? I can’t even hazard a guess. A Betazoid losing a bond like that? She could withdraw completely or go to the opposite extreme and that’s something to watch out for, Rick. She became quite reserved during her years with Sakkath, so I am more than a little worried.”

That was also what Rick was worried about. Still, he’d known her before Sakkath and she’d always been more than capable of handling herself, but the death of her husband would put a much different spin on things. “Does your connection to her allow you to talk to her so far away, assuming she’s on Archadia? Maybe just some fatherly love thoughts, or whatever you would call it, might help settle her a bit?” He huffed. “I may claim her as my own, but I’m not you, so I don’t know if anything would help right now.”

“No, not that far. We’ll just have to trust that she’ll be careful. She will find me soon enough.” He put an arm around Rick’s shoulders as they began to walk. “Or you. Right now, I suspect she’s not wanting to face the world at all.”

“You do realize that it’s taking everything I have not to make C&C do a scan for a Betazoid and a large Human on the planet so we can go down there and try to console her? I’m pretty sure that would be a selfish thing, to make me feel better since she obviously wants time alone, but I still really, really want to be there to help.”

“Would it make you feel better if I said I thought about it too? And had asked them?”

Rick laughed, finally finding some other emotion than misery to act on. “And did they find them? Because if she doesn’t come back soon, it might be a good time for this old man to finally take a few days off with his fiancee and just happen to wind up in the same place as Li and Darwin.”

“They said it would take a while and they would call if they found something. The scan should be about done now though.” Lucius smiled back at Rick. “So, do we find out or let it go?”

“Doesn’t hurt to have some extra intel lying around. Whether we act on it immediately is a different story,” Rick replied. “But I guess we should give her a little time. We owe her that much.”

“We do. Let’s go to my place. Call El’Shar. I need dinner and a drink and to home if she calls.” Lucius paused as they reached the lobby. “But I need to do one thing first.”

“What’s that?”

He stepped over to the main desk where Kiere stood looking at a view screen. She looked up to see Lucius and was instantly wary.

“Sir?”

He held up his hands and smiled. “Relax, Kiere. I just wanted to offer an apology for earlier. It hasn’t been the best of days.”

She smiled gently. “I understand. I heard the news and if there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”

“Thank you, I will.” He nodded to her, then returned to Rick. “Better. I almost bit her head off earlier and it was undeserved.”

Rick winked at the Petty Officer. “She looks like a tough one, Lucius. I’ll go round up El and meet at your place in about thirty minutes. Sound good?”

“See you then.” Lucius waited till Rick was in the turbolift, then tapped his comm badge. “Admiral Hawke to C&C.”

*****************
Lt. Raj Amani
Lt. Commander Robin Swift
Lt. Commander Will Harding, M.D.
Admiral Lucius Hawke
Admiral Rick Wegener