Every Silver Lining Has A Touch Of Grey

Posted on Sun Dec 29th, 2013 @ 7:51pm by Lieutenant Commander Nicolao & Lieutenant Commander Robin Swift M.D., PhD & Petty Officer 1st Class Drusilla Dupree

Mission: Breaking New Ground
Location: Shuttlecraft Harmony / SB900

* * * Starfleet Shuttlecraft Harmony * * *

He was positive he was going to lose his mind. They’d been en route for only a few hours but to Nico it felt like weeks. There was nothing to do, no reports to read, no incoming transmissions that demanded his attention. The quiet had begun the moment he had been placed on medical leave. He’d grown so accustomed to all the ‘noise’ of Strat Ops and undercover work that its absence was a roaring silence. Just what the hell was he supposed to do with his time? Take it easy. That had been the prescription from the counselor at Starfleet Command. The thought brought a snort from Nico.

The pilot turned back but Nico waved him back to his business. Taking it easy was easier said than done, and his own pun didn’t amuse him. Neither did the irony of this shuttle’s name. Perhaps the counselor’s idea of a little joke? Well, it wasn’t funny in Nico’s opinion. The restlessness grew too strong for him to sit but there was no room to roam in the small shuttle. He grumbled and once again, waved the pilot back to his own concerns. He gave up the seat, threw himself into the bunk and grew still, staring up at a point overhead.

Focus...relax…

It was a technique he’d used often on long watches - a way to distract his restlessness but still monitor the business at hand. He was making the pilot nervous, he knew, mainly because he had not spoken a word since entering the shuttle. The man’s mind was brimming with questions that Nico really hadn’t wanted to read and absolutely wasn’t going to answer. Ah well, the pilot was young, he’d get over it. The hum of the engines began to ease him. He wasn’t even aware that he’d fallen over into sleep, but suddenly he was back. Back where the world turned grey.

He was standing in the same spot on the hard, cracked grey ground. The tree was taller, marking the passage of time in a way he’d never been able to here. He knew that it was because he was on the outside now and no one was stealing his days, weeks, months away from him. It was still grey, however. This visit, the sky was a faint grey as well. Cloudy and overcast. He almost laughed.

A whispered voice reached his thoughts, one he recognized. It was the old woman.

“....you must try not to be afraid....”

She had given him the stone, at some vaguely remembered passing. All he recalled was her voice and a small hand.

“You don’t need it anymore....take a chance...”

“I can’t....”

He could see only the old woman’s eyes now, black as night, staring back at him. Unsettling, seeing too deep.

“Hurry, Nico, the storm approaches...give it to me...”

And he found himself reaching into his pocket. The stone was there as always, weighing heavy in his hand,which seemed to move of its own accord as he reached out, the stone resting in his palm. It vanished as he watched, its brilliant blue a stark contrast to the endless grey landscape.

“Come see me.....” And her voice faded away.

She was right. Above him he could see the sky began to shift to a deeper, steel grey. The clouds boiled, deep charcoal fading to black as the wind rose. Beside him, the tree began to sway as the wind whipped his hair into his face and tugged at his clothes. A storm? Here? What....?

“Come back! Wait!”

He yelled but it was lost to the storm, the wind ripping the words from his mouth and scattering them to silence. It was growing darker, almost black now. Was he going blind? The dust swirled around him, stinging his eyes. Thunder rumbled in the distance, growing louder as it rolled closer and he realized now that there was sound. After the long stretches of silence here, now it was deafening. What the.....?

A bolt of lightning flashed across the black sky, stretching from horizon to horizon as far as he could see, brilliant gold against the void. It hit the ground and raced along, reaching Nico and searing through him, electrifying. He opened his mouth but the scream was silent as the world closed down on him.

“Lieutenant! Lieutenant! Wake up!”

Something shook him roughly and he was on instant alert, swinging before asking questions. As he gathered his wits, he saw the pilot on the floor by the bunk. Shit.

“Don’t call me that. Right now, I’m nothing more than a glorified civilian.” Nico cursed softly and brushed his long hair out of his eyes. “Are you alright? And what the hell were you doing?”

“So you can talk.” The pilot slowly got to his feet, rubbing at his jaw. “I called back to let you know we’re clear of the wormhole and that we’ll be docking in a few minutes. But then you started to scream, so I figured I should check on you. Bad dream?”

You have no idea….

Nico’s face revealed nothing. “Yeah, Tholians.”

The pilot shuddered. “I can relate. Anyhow, get ready, you’re almost home.” He turned and moved back to the shuttle’s cockpit.

Home? Hardly. Nico wasn’t sure just what or where home would be anymore. What he had here was an enforced babysitting arrangement that he didn’t like in the least. Grudgingly, however, he had to admit it was better than the alternative. He crawled out of the bunk and began to gather his things.

* * * Docking Ring - SB900 * * *

Drusilla elbowed a path through the crowd that always seemed to be milling about on the main docking ring, one hand clamped tight to Robin’s arm so they didn’t get separated.

“Robin, what’s going on here? Why so many people? Is the circus in town?”

“I believe this is quite normal for the docking areas, Dru. You and I just don’t get up here very often.” Robin weaved through several tight clumps of people, some leaving, some arriving and those waiting for them, or seeing them off. “Which dock did I say again? I’ve already forgotten. This bobbing and weaving is confusing me.”

“Umm…” Dru hurried to stay with Robin, stepping around a couple that separated them. “Twelve I think. So you know what he looks like? I didn’t get to the file yet. And are you sure you want to do this?”

“It’s been a while since I’ve seen his image, but I think I could pick him out. Of course, he was in uniform and now he’s technically a civilian, so no telling what he looks like.” They stopped close to number twelve watching tentatively at the doors. “And do what?” he asked. “Welcome him? Try to make him feel a bit better about being here? This is kind of a forced thing on him. I don’t want him to immediately hate having to be here.”

Dru shot Robin a withering glance, then smiled. “Like he won’t already? You’ve had some good ones in your time but this...this is going to be interesting.” She fell silent and stretched up to try and see over the crowd but to no avail.

“Yeah, I expect it to be.” They fell silent as the doors opened. One man walked out, a man in uniform. Not him. After what seemed like an eternity, Nicolao ambled out and stopped just at the threshold to scan the crowd. “There,” Robin said as he made his way over to him.

“Where? Oh. Wow. Okay.” Dru followed Robin through the path he cut through the crowd.

Nico had indeed stopped just outside the shuttle. Too many people, he decided. It had been a very long time since he’d been on an installation as immense as 900 and even longer since he’d had to face such crowds. At least it was the docking bay, somewhere he wouldn’t have to return to until it was time to fly away from here. Movement caught his eye and he watched as a dark-haired man approached, followed by a small blonde. The man he knew from his picture - Counselor Robin Swift. If he’d wanted, he could’ve read the man in an instant but with this crowd, being open was an invitation to disaster. So, he waited as Robin stepped forward.

“Hello, Nicolao. I’m Robin Swift, Chief Counselor. Welcome to Starbase 900. This is my assistant, Petty Officer Drusilla Dupree--more my right hand, really. So, how was your trip?”

Drusilla smiled at the introduction. “Hello and welcome.”

Nico nodded to them both. “It was bearable.” His gaze shot to the crowd for a moment and back to Robin. “Can we get out of here?”

“Absolutely. I’ll show you to your quarters if you’ll follow us.”

“Very well.” Nico waited for Robin to lead the way, then motioned for Dru to go ahead of him. The sooner they got out of this mess the better.

* * * Nico’s Quarters * * *

The doors opened and Robin allowed Nicolao to go first, being his quarters and all. “Here we are. Despite your current status, you were still allotted senior officer’s quarters so you’ll find that they are quite spacious.” He watched and waited to allow his patient a little time to wander around his new temporary home.

Robin was right, the quarters were big, giving him plenty of room to roam. He felt the first hints that he was unwinding, at least a little.

“Very nice. Have a seat.” Nico dropped his bag in a corner. “Sorry the place is a little bare. Care for a drink? I sure as hell need one.” He skirted around Dru, careful not to touch either her or Robin.

“Sure,” Robin said, taking a seat across from him. “Black tea, two sugars, hot. And thank you.”

Nico ordered the tea from the replicator, then black coffee for himself. “You’re leaving.” This was directed at Dru and it wasn’t an order, more of a statement.

She nodded. “Yes, I have to get back to the office and that will give you two time to discuss..whatever. Take your time Robin, the afternoon is free.”

He nodded to Dru as she left. He smelled his tea, which was wonderful, and took a sip. “Thank you, Nicolao. You’ll be happy to know that I don’t have a session scheduled with you for two days. I wanted to give you time to get acclimated to 900. It takes a little getting used to. So I want you to take a little time getting to know the place, which may be difficult with your abilities, but it will go a long way for you if you became more comfortable with your surroundings.”

“Sure.” Nico settled across from Robin and took a drink from his coffee mug. “I make Drusilla nervous. Is she always like that?”

“She’s the quiet sort, and very good at her job. But, yes, I think empaths and telepaths make her a bit nervous. She values her privacy and doesn’t want to accidentally let anything slip that may affect her job or cause any difficulties for me.” He sipped his tea again. “Please don’t think that she means anything negative by it.”

Nico was quiet for a moment, then shrugged. “It’s not the first time. My kind always makes someone somewhere nervous. But not you,” he observed as he watched Robin.

Robin smirked. “No. I’ve been mostly an open book all of my life, but it also doesn’t go well with the job. It’s fairly difficult to gain trust from my patients if I can’t be open and honest. Mind you, that’s not an open invitation to go digging around in my head,” he said with a smile.

“I have no intention of going where I’m not invited, unless you and I find ourselves on opposites sides of a war, Counselor, and that is unlikely.” Nico brushed back his long hair, somewhat impatiently. “Why don’t we get the formalities out of the way and you can tell me how this arrangement works? And what I’m allowed to do? Such as being restricted to the station? Or am I free to go down to the planet?”

“I would like to get our first two sessions completed first, but I don’t see why you couldn’t go down to the planet on occasion.” He took a moment to judge Nicolao’s reaction as he sipped his tea again. “I may have Dru take you down on your first trip just to show you some of the highlights. Oh, and you’re only scheduled for two sessions per week right now, Mondays and Thursdays. That’ll give you some time in between so you don’t get tired of me.” He chuckled trying to bring a little humor in.

Nico raised an eyebrow but there was no hint of a smile. “Or vice versa. Look Counselor, I know this isn’t ideal for you. I sure as hell wouldn’t want me as a patient. Starfleet Command cut me a break but between us, I think they are convinced that I’m either a lethal weapon primed to go off or crazy as a loon. And you don’t have to answer that implied question.”

“Regardless of what any other counselors say, I draw my own conclusions,” Robin replied. “Sure, I’ve read your files and medical history in regards to your prior sessions, but I start from scratch. No pre-conceived notions here. I know that may not be a great thing for you, having to start from the beginning, but...well, saying that I don’t trust other counselors would be false, but I’ve often found that my recommendations can sometimes differ greatly from someone else’s. I just want you to get a fair shake from all of this.”

“I appreciate that.” Silence fell as Nico slowly turned his coffee cup in his fingers. “Fair warning though, this won’t be a picnic for you. I hope you have a strong stomach and not prone to bad dreams.”

“Everyone has bad dreams, Nicolao. I’ve had my fair share, but I’ve learned to deal with them so it won’t be a problem.” He stood and returned his empty cup to the replicator. “Well, unless there is anything else, I’ll leave you be. As it is Saturday, you have some time before your first session. Try to relax and enjoy all that 900 has to offer. But if you need me, I’m available at all hours, as is Drusilla.”

“Thank you. Fair warning, my kind can have lingering effects on humanoids. If it starts to happen, please inform me. And thanks for the welcome.”

“I will and you’re welcome. Thanks for the tea.” He left the quarters remembering the dreams he’d had not long ago after sessions with Eli and hoped that Nicolao wouldn’t affect him in the same way.

Nico watched as the doors closed, then set his coffee aside. He reached into his pocket, then opened his hand. Resting on his palm was a small stone. It's deep, hypnotic blue was caught by the light and for an instant, a flash of rainbow appeared on the ceiling. He stood still as if listening, then hearing nothing, dropped the stone back into his pocket. It was time to go get a real drink and start seeing the station.

****************
Nicolao
Unsettling In

LCDR Robin Swift
Welcoming Committee

PO2 Drusilla Dupree
Wary