Possible Answers

Posted on Sun Jan 6th, 2013 @ 4:57pm by Lieutenant Commander William Harding M.D. & Cadet Senior Grade Eli Ziyad & Jackson Banning V & Commander Oralia Zeferino

Mission: The Struggle Within
Location: Piper Memorial Medical Center

* * * Piper Medical Center * * *

Harding rubbed his eyes and reached for his coffee. He stifled a yawn that came as a result of what had been an absolutely sleepless night spent going over and over every scrap of information and medical readings on Chance Conradi. Something wasn’t fitting and it had been simmering in his brain every second since they’d put the young man in stasis. And somewhere around 0300 hours, deep into some research, he’d found what he was looking for.

Now he was thanking his lucky stars that they’d kept him in stasis. It had been purely a hunch at the time but now? Will was thanking his lucky stars, the Prophets, and anyone else that the people on this station believed in for giving him a nudge in the right direction. He was very good at what he did but anyone in the medical profession would agree that sometimes things happened that had no explanation. His hunch had led to what he was sure was a solution. He needed to do a few more things, then there was someone he would need to call in to assist. His thoughts were interrupted as Kiere called to inform him he had visitors.

“Send them on back, thank you.” He rose and moved to the replicator to refresh his coffee.

Oralia let Jackson and Eli precede her into Harding’s office. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Harding - he wasn’t her favorite person, but he also wasn’t her least favorite person. That spot was reserved for someone whose name started with ‘S’. Instead, her reluctance stemmed from another letter: ‘C’ - twice. Conner and Chance. The association wasn’t Harding’s fault, but simply fate: Harding had had to tell her she’d lost both men.

Entering his office now, she smiled tightly. “Doc Harding,” she nodded in greeting.

Will smiled, seeing the trio standing by his desk. “Commander, Jackson, Eli. Please, have a seat. Can I get you anything?”

“Hello Will. Nah, I’m good,” Jackson answered and Eli shook his head no as well.

“We just came from Lao’s,” Oz explained as a way of declining Harding’s offer. “And some strange things happened earlier. For one, we apprehended the male who killed Chance,” she amazed herself by not stumbling over his name. “He was in Eli’s quarters and claims to be Chance.”

“He what?” Harding had taken a step towards his desk, coffee in hand but stopped.

Eli took up the story. “He was in my quarters when I got there. And he was pretty wound up, saying he loved me and that he was Chance. When I read him, I saw what happened in Jackson’s office.” Eli’s voice hitched just a little and Jackson reached over to squeeze his hand. “I saw what he did. We fought briefly while I was trying to get my comm badge back and then I called security.”

Will frowned as he sat back down. What Eli said nudged at him but he kept to questions for now. “First, are you hurt? Anything we need to look at?” When Eli shook his head, Will reached for his coffee. “Go on. I sense there is more.”

“Here’s the thing. When I read him, I could see...I could see Chance in there too. Like two different people. He was begging me for help.”

That part Jackson hadn’t heard yet and he shot Oz a worried glance.

Oralia looked away toward a wall. It was her way of trying to hold back tears. Bad enough that her brother was gone, now his boyfriend was delusional and his killer was insane. Sniffing, she glanced at Harding.

“I see.” Will reached out to slowly turn his coffee cup as he considered what Eli had to say. It fit perfectly with what he’d discovered somewhere around 0515 hours. He looked from Jackson’s surprised expression to Oz’s misty eyes, then finally settled on Eli.

“I know it sounds impossible but what if I said I believed you?”

Now it was Eli’s turn to blink at Harding, not at all sure how to answer it. Hope sprung to life deep within him but he was far too afraid of giving it a voice just yet.

Sighing hard, Oz switched from misty-eyed to curious in a flash. “What would have you believing that?”

“Some research I was led to by recalling something rare but intrinsic to Vulcans,” he answered.

Almost instantly, Jackson sat forward in his chair. He grasped the direction Will was going but didn’t want to give voice to it in case he was wrong.

“Meaning?” Eli did ask. “I don’t know that much about them other than --” He decided to stop there.

“They have the ability to pass their consciousness to another, for ‘safe keeping’ as it were. If this man keeps saying he’s Chance, and you are telling me that you sensed him within this man, perhaps he managed to do so just before he died.” Will raised his hand quickly. “It’s a theory only, Eli. I want you to keep that in mind. I’ll need to consult with Commander Sakkath and Ensign Aur’el. I need first hand information.”

The hope that had begun within Eli suddenly sprang to full life. It was Jackson who spoke, however.

“And if that is what happened, what then?”

“Ambassador Spock,” Oralia said. Ever since Chance had died and she’d learned he was part-Vulcan, she’d spent time reading up on Vulcan-Human hybrids. They didn’t happen naturally, so Chance hadn’t actually been a random chance baby. And now? “He died but then his body, or his DNA, or something, was renewed and a new body grew. Some ceremony put his ...katra? back into it. But, Doc, Chance’s body...? He’s been dead for days.”

“In stasis, Oz. He lost a lot of blood that we immediately replaced. What failed was his heart. You are aware that reviving people is not unheard of. It’s my theory that if we replace his heart, we can revive him. What concerned me, however, was the absence of higher brain function. That is now explained. It will be tricky but it is my theory that it is possible.” Will rubbed his eyes once more. He needed sleep in the worst way.

“How soon??” Eli was on the edge of his seat now.

“Easy, Eli. There’s still quite a bit I need to do and look into before we move ahead. But there is a possibility. That is as far as I’m willing to commit at this point.” Will sat back in his seat and reached for his coffee. “First, we’ll need your permission Oz.”

“Mine?” She blinked. Her parents had granted authority to Oralia for Chance’s care to make it easier for her to make arrangements to transport him home for burial. Did she really want to discuss this with her parents? She could just see that conversation: ‘Mom, Dad, they think they can bring him back. Yes, from the dead. No, not like a zombie.’ And then? If things didn’t work (and, really, how could they possibly work? Chance had been dead for days already), then she’d have to explain..., that idea made her stomach roil. “Ah... I see,” she looked at Eli and realized there was no way she could say ‘no’ to the chance of getting Chance back. She nodded, “Of course.”

Eli reached over to take Oz’s hand. “Thank you,” he whispered. She gripped his hand tightly.

“So now I’ll start making preparations and get what I need to know in my possession. The heart replacement will be straightforward enough. It’s the timing that will take planning down to the moment. But if there is a way, we’ll make it happen.” He smiled finally. “After I get some sleep.”

“That sounds like a good idea,” Jackson commented. He glanced to Eli, noting the glow of hope in his expression. “An’ let’s hope it works.”

“Thanks, Dr. Harding.” Eli stood. “I’ll get out of your hair. I need to go check on Vor, make sure his dinner arrived.”

“We’ll talk soon.” Will nodded and Eli hurried out, unable to sit still any longer.

Once he was gone, Will looked at Jackson and Oz. “Let’s hope I’m as good as he thinks I am.”

“I don’t want you to have to pass on bad news again,” Oz agreed, taking Jackson’s hand.

“Nor do I, Oz. I’ve had enough of it to last me for a long time.”

“And I’ll try to keep Eli in balance, keep him from gettin’ too sure it’s gonna work. If it doesn’t, I don’t know that he’ll survive it in one piece.” Jackson sighed aloud.

“Good idea,” Will agreed. “I think you have the hardest part of all this. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Jackson turned to Oz. “You ready to get home?”

Feeling a touch fragile, she nodded and stood. “Thanks, Doc. Follow up with me when you have news,” she managed a smile and, still holding onto Jackson’s hand, headed for the door.

“I will.” Will rose and carried his mug to the recycler, then watched as Oz and Jackson left his office. “Maybe a little extra hope will be the boost we need.”

*************

Lt. Commander William Harding, M.D.
Playing Atlas

Oralia Zeferino
Not the Optimist

Cadet 4th Class Eli Ziyad
Seeing A Light At The End Of The Tunnel

Jackson Banning V
Owner & Cautious ‘Dad’
The Nexus Club