Wishing Ill

Posted on Sun Nov 25th, 2012 @ 5:56pm by Commander Oralia Zeferino & Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad & Jackson Banning V & Lieutenant Commander William Harding M.D.

Mission: Sections of the Delta Quadrant
Location: Piper Medical

There is something very, very wrong with the world, Oralia thought as she lay on the couch in the small waiting room. The feeling wasn’t borne simply of having woken up in the Piper Medical waiting room, alone. Off-hand, she couldn’t put her finger on what was wrong, but the feeling kept plucking at the strings of her nerves, as it had ever since she’d woken moments ago. She tried to tell herself Chance would be fine; something in her belly whispered he wouldn’t be. She sat up and tried her best to dismiss the irritating, irrational thought.

The doors opened once more and this time both Jackson and Eli entered. Jackson crossed to sit down beside Oz and wrap her in his arms while Eli settled in one of the empty chairs.

“How are ya, honey?”

“In need of a stiff drink and a toothbrush. Not in that order,” she muttered and leaned into him. Her blue-eyed gaze took in Eli then she reached out a hand to him. “Come here,” she said, pulling him onto the couch opposite Jackson. Hugging him, she added, “I didn’t mean it. I know you wouldn’t have hurt Chance.”

Eli nodded against her shoulder and hugged her tight against him. “Would it make you feel any better if I said that it barely registered at the time? Not much of anything did. I know how hard this is for you, Oz.”

“It is, but, honestly, Eli? Being afraid for the life of your brother is somehow... less... than being afraid for the life of a lover,” Oz caught Jackson’s hand and squeezed it. “Speaking from experience here,” she whispered to Eli. Twice over, she thought. “Was there anyone who knew you and Chance would be in J’s office?”

“We didn’t even know. We were in the room across from the office and things got a little heated and he suggested we go to the office or Jan’s dressing room. The office was closer. When we got to the door, someone out by the bar called so I ran out to see and he said he’d wait inside. I wasn't gone more than a minute or two. You know the rest.”

She nodded and sat with her arm looped around him and her back against Jackson’s chest. She looked up when there was a knock on the door and a thrill of fear chilled her. Was it the doctors? So soon? Wait, was it soon? “How long was I asleep?”, she asked Jackson.

“Maybe a half hour? One second.” Jackson rose and moved over to the door, noting the sudden dread that seemed to turn his bones to ice. He opened the door.

It wasn’t a doctor, though. Instead, it was an orderly, holding a large bouquet of flowers in a black vase. Each flower was a dark hue, with not a bright spot in the bunch, except for a small card clipped to a stem. The orderly said, “This was just delivered for Commander Zeferino.” He brought it in and placed it on the coffee table before hurrying out.

Oz stared at the flowers. Knowing that she may as well voice anything she thought, she asked, “Who in the hell would send that? And why now?” She reached for the white card, but Jackson was closer and faster.

He opened the small envelope and pulled out the card.

Little brothers are dear; lovers are dearer. Back off. We do not miss our targets.

Jackson’s expression didn’t change, and he put the card back inside. He decided it would be best not to mention what it said in front of Eli. “Just some best wishes from some friends.” The card was slipped into his jacket pocket to be passed on to Edwards later. And shown to Vic.

Staring at the dark flowers, Oz was utterly mystified. Who would even know that Chance was hurt? Trusting Jackson, though, she tried for a smile. “Huh, nice of them. Half an hour? The doctors should give us an update on his condition soon.”

“I hope so too.” He smiled as he returned to the sofa and settled in with Oz and Eli. His family here on the station. The only one missing was Jan. Granted, she and Oz didn't see eye to eye, but then, that wasn’t unusual in families.

“Where’s Woodford?” Oralia still had an arm around Eli, taking comfort from him just as much as she was giving comfort, in her very human way. “And Janice? Did Vic and Cassidy have to shut down the club?” Earlier, she hadn’t paid any attention to what her own people were doing, but now she was running through the situation in her head from a Security officer’s point of view. “They’ll need the feeds from all of the sensors in the Club. And from those leading to any entrances into the Club.”

“Lt. Edwards is overseeing it.” Eli spoke up. “I’ve already spoken to him. Jan, Woody and Cass are just down the hall.”

“Vic stayed to oversee the club,” Jackson added.

Civilians and they were better informed than she was. Oralia looked from one to the other then nodded. “Good. Should we join them? Have them join us?” It was a stupid question; she actually didn’t want anyone other than Eli and Jackson in the room at the moment, but it felt like something she should ask, from a socially-acceptable-behavior standpoint. Along that same line, but the other direction, she had the urge to ask Eli to leave so that she could seek comfort from Jackson alone, with the door locked. Yeah, that’d be great: be in the middle of sex when Doctor Harding or Kona comes to tell them Chance is fine. She leaned forward with her elbows on her knees and rubbed her forehead with the heel of one hand.

“They understand, honey,” Jackson answered, and pressed a kiss to her temple.

Another knock at the door caused Oz to flinch slightly. This time, she got up to answer it. This time, it wasn’t an orderly with a vase of strangely dark flowers. This time, it was Doctor Harding. One look at him told Oz what she needed to know. “Oh no,” she backed off from the door.

He stepped in and closed the door behind him, looking from one to the other and still at a loss as to how to tell them.

Jackson caught Oz, pulling her back against him and Eli stood, his eyes locked on Harding.

“I know, Dr. Harding. You don’t have to find the words. I know.” Eli’s voice cracked as he spoke. He could feel Harding’s anger and frustration and he nodded. He felt nothing at all as the numbness took him.

Harding nodded and finally spoke, his own voice husky. “I’m so sorry. Kona and I did every damned thing possible and no matter what we tried, we just couldn’t do it.”

Meeting Harding’s gaze, Oralia recalled the last time he’d given her such awful news. Then, she had been frighteningly weak and collapsed from the shock; this time, she simply mouthed, “Oh,” and found herself in a strange place between utterly blank shock and searing anger. She wanted to lie down, curl up and sleep, but she also wanted to beat the snot out of someone, demand answers from them and not stop till she got them. Holding onto that part and tempering it somehow, she nodded, “I’m certain your best efforts were there, Doctor. I need to contact our family.” She also needed to find the person who’d done this to Chance.

“If there’s anything I can do, please call Oz. And know this too - I’m not done, not yet. We discovered something a little unusual with Chance as well.”

“Excuse me?” Oz pinned him with a glare. “What sort of an unusual something?”

“Are you aware that your brother is half-Vulcan?”

“That’s not possible,” she shook her head, “If he’s... he’s... what? No, he can’t be.”

“When I pulled up his medical file, since I had never seen him as a patient I hadn’t looked through it, and it’s right there.” Harding glanced to Jackson, and then to Eli. Something was pricking at the back of his mind but he kept it to himself.

“Part Vulcan?” Oralia stared at him. “He’s...,” she thought about it a moment. He was the youngest of their little clan; he’d been born when she was fifteen. The brother between them, Thad, had been twelve when Chance came along. Still..., half-Vulcan? Suddenly several things clicked into place for Oralia: Chance’s amazing intelligence; the way their Dad (just her dad?) had always been a little harsher with Chance than she recalled him being with her. She’d been staring at Harding overly long and she blinked, “...um, I’ll have to ask our mom.”

Harding nodded. “I thought you might want to know.”

“Can I see him?” The question was from Eli.

“Any objection Oz? Would you like to as well?”

Nodding, she took Eli’s hand, “We’ll go together, unless you’d rather a few minutes alone?”

“I’d rather you were there.” He squeezed her hand. “It might be easier for you if I’m there too.”

“Oz--” Jackson didn’t finish but he knew she’d understand his question.

“Yes,” she looked at him as if surprised he’d even ask; he was her pillar, the one she could and would always cling to when things were bleak. Without him, she’d have already been lost and, while losing her brother hurt in a way she could barely recognize because it was so painful, the mere idea of losing Jackson terrified her.

“Alrighty then, Will. Let’s go.” Jackson waited for the three of them to step out of the room first then followed. Ophelia approached to offer her sympathy and Jackson stopped a moment, letting the group get ahead. He thanked her and then gave her a whispered request to pass a message on to Lt. Edwards. She nodded and hurried off and Jackson stepped up his pace to catch up. It looked like he and Vic might have a project after all.

__________________
Lt.Commander Oralia Zeferino
Holding it Together, for now

Jackson Banning
The Glue

Cadet 4th Class Eli Ziyad
Missing A Piece

Doctor William Harding, CMO
Found A Piece, Not Sure Where It Fits