Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Posted on Fri Oct 14th, 2011 @ 7:36am by Captain Li Hawke & http://starbase900.info/index.php/personnel/character/23

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Thomas Linacre Medical Station, Deck 115
Tags: Connor, Li

* * * Thomas Linacre Medical Bay, The Day after "Help When You Least Expect It' * * *

Ophelia peeked into Li's room. Finding her still asleep, she checked the delta wave inducer. It was doing just what is should, and Li was still sleeping. The night nurse had reported some moans and mumbling in her sleep and as Ophelia turned to go, Li muttered softly in her native language. As it was also Ophelia's language, she listened to soft words of distress. A few moments later, Li quieted, but Ophelia sensed fear. She hurried from the room in search of Connor. He'd want to know about this.

A few minutes later, Connor walked in. Quietly he walked around the biobed, taking turns watching Li as she continued to mumble, and looking up at the small viewscreen above her. Angling his head, his eyes narrowed as he studied the brain circuitry pattern of her brain-wave activity, of her hyperencephalogram. Every individual's hyperencephalogram was as unique as their fingerprints, and from what Connor could recall of Li's, something was not right.

Pulling up a stool, Connor sat next to her, turning on another wall monitor, and called up Li's medical record, and what he seen in that file compared to the readings above, caused him to lay a hand on her arm as he reached to take off the delta wave inducer. It was time for Li to wake up.

The touch sent a flash through Connor, feeling as if it would turn him inside out and suck him down into nothing. The scene around Connor seemed to change and it looked like officer's quarters on 900, but not his own. The room was dimly lit, candle light flickering, revealing orchids by the dozens scattered around the room.

'Welcome home, Imzadi.' The voice was deep and masculine, husky. He couldn't see the speaker but he seemed to be in the next room and somehow, Connor found himself suddenly there. Shadows moved around him and the figure moved into the room. 'I've missed you.'

Li's voice came, a soft murmur, mixed with the whisper of cloth, a soft clink as a duty tunic was tossed aside, the comm badge hitting a chair. There was a faint creak as the shadowy figure lowered himself to the bed.

'I've waited a long time...' Despite the dark shadows, Connor could now see the man as he ran his fingers through Li's hair, lowered to kiss her.

'You were gone too long my love.' Her body rose to meet him, her arms wrapped around him. 'Too lonely without you...'

'I'll never leave again, I promise. I'd go out of my mind if not for you...' He raised Li's hands over her head, clamped them down tight and turned, a smile on his face. It wasn't Sakkath. He looked directly at Connor, as if the man knew he was there.

Slowly, the man reached to the table by the bed, wrapping his hand around a knife that glittered in the dim light. 'Li, my darling, we have some unfinished business. It's time you left that unworthy Vulcan. You'll be with me forever...'

'Rhys?' Li's voice was ragged with terror. 'No!'

'It's always been me, love. Always.'

Voices cut across the dream, random thoughts of a thousand different feelings, some whispers, some screams, Li's among them. The silver of the blade flashed as the man raised it, and then another voice, completely alien, silenced the rest.

'No! She's my connection to the world; you can't hurt her!' The words ended in a hiss. Iggy. The image of the spider loomed large against the wall, much larger than normal One long, hairy leg flicked out, to fast to avoid, knocking the knife from the man's hand. He backed away, stopping by Connor.

'She's mine. There's nothing you can do...'

Another cry split the silence of the room, and suddenly bright light speared Connor's eyes. The exam room. The cry had been Li.

Rocking back, sucking in a breath and coughing as he exhaled it, Connor quickly removed the delta wave inducer, letting it fall to the floor as he grabbed Li's hand and put his other hand on her forehead. "Li? Li! Wake up!"

She reacted instantly to his touch, fighting against his hand before she came fully awake. Her eyes opened and it took a few beats for her to come back to reality. Finally recognition lit her eyes as she saw it was Connor.

"Connor!" She squeezed his hand tight. "I had the strangest dream...and you were there too."

"It wasn't a dream", he said, still reeling from the experience, and he pulled himself back, battling a little disorientation. "I was there, Li", he said, and he leaned back onto the bed, grabbing her hand with both of his now, to looking at her closely as if he could see back into her through her eyes, "n' someone else was there..telepathically is what I am thinking..."

She shook her head rapidly. "No, it was. He's not really here, Connor. We saw him dead and buried. I think...maybe you..." She pulled her hand away as she studied the man before her. "Best not to touch me, especially once the inhibitor wears off."

He angled his head, looking at her questioningly, "Maybe I...what?"

"Maybe whatever is affecting me hit you too if you touched me. Or it could be nothing more than stress, or the absence of the bond with my husband." She rubbed her forehead absently. "If Sakkath were home, he could help fix this."

"I have proof", he said raising an eyebrow, and he pulled away, everything about his demeanor was tense, "There's an intelligence invading your mind..."

"Invading...." She studied Connor anxiously. "What proof?"

"Your hyperencephalogram, a medical analysis of your brain-wave activity", Connor answered tapping onto the monitor, "It's measured as a brain circuitry pattern, 'n' it is uniquely characteristic to only you, 'n' yours has been altered."

He looked back to her, leaning in,"There is additional resident brain-wave activity. Either you are not Li Hawke, which we can easily verify", he said worry lines forming between his brows, "or there is an invading noncorporeal lifeform or telepathic presence within your brain." He paused his eyes studying hers, "It's that damn crystal, Li. Don't tell me otherwise, there's no other explanation. Iggy was there too, 'n' we both know she has been affected by the crystal along with you 'n' Oralia."

"Then I'll deal with it, with....him. He had the physical advantage before but he can't come close to my abilities in this realm, Connor. But no more inhibitors."

"Damn it, dispose of the crystal!" Connor was adament, he was exhausted, his nerves almost shot. He would be concerned for anyone, but he cared about Li.

"As soon as Patrick is back and can see it done properly, we will. I promise." She started to touch his hand to reassure him, then thought better of it. "Till then, till he and Sakkath are home, I'll have Norval watch me. He and Jackson and Nita know me well enough to notice any changes or signs and will take appropriate measures."

He pulled himself away from her, and far from satisfied, he ran a hand over his mouth, studying her, "That's not good enough. Place it in quarantine 'n' inform the Admiral what's going on."

"It already is, and will stay there. As for the Admiral, I'll see him when I leave here. Promise."

"There's no shielding to keep it's effects away from you, or anyone else!?", he asked, feeling incredulous at what he was hearing.

"As long as no one takes it out of the containment field, it's no danger to them. The only reason I did is because there is a telepath on this station that is somehow tied to something dangerous. I now know he was part of a plot against the Speaker. I had to try and track him. A brief interaction, and it was sealed back up. That's it."

"Then how...?" more confused than ever, he indicated to the bed, and the screens that revealed, there was or had been another presence in her mind.

"That is what I intend to find out, Connor. I'll make sure that Norval is around when I sleep, which seems to be the iffy time. Can I get on to work?"

"Yeah", he nodded, "but Li, you're not figuring this out without me."

"Just as long as you don't touch me, I don't want you pulled in again, okay? And if there's any trouble tonight, you will be called immediately."

He nodded again, pinching between his brows for a moment, looking as exhausted as he felt, "Just go."

"Try not to worry." Li started to squeeze his arm, but stopped short of touching him. "I'll call you first thing in the morning." She turned and hurried out. She knew he would worry, but Li still had a few tricks up her sleeve.

*********

Lt. Commander Li Hawke
CIO Under Watch

Lt. Commander Connor McKinney
CMO Watching Her