Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: Sun, 09 May 2004 12:07:09 GMT In: alt.startrek.creative From: "Heather Smyth" Title: Alone Inside Author: Heather Smyth Series: TNG Part: 7/? Rating: R Code: P/C Disclaimer: Paramount owns all Startrek and I derive no financial gain from this story...just a little fun. Summary: See part one. Later that night Beverly wandered into the nearly deserted Sick Bay and went into Jean-Luc's room. The gentle hum of the medical machinery he was connected to re-assured her and she stood beside him watching his chest rise and fall. Her fingers trailed down his left arm and lingered at his hand. "Oh Jean-Luc.my love.where are you?" He lay quietly inert, the blinking lights of the neural inducers casting shadows across his gaunt face. Dressed only in Pyjama bottoms, the softly curling grey hair of his chest moved with his exhalations mesmerising his watching lover. Her hand lifted, poised to caress him when a soft clearing of a throat came from the doorway. Startled, Beverly spun around to find Selar framed in the light. "Oh Selar.you gave me a fright." "I apologise if I startled you Doctor, it was not my intention." "That's all right, I was daydreaming anyway. Are you ready for me?" "Yes Doctor." Beverly left Jean-Luc and joined Selar in the main body of Sick Bay. She sat on a biobed and swung her legs up, making herself comfortable as Selar positioned the monitors. "I will scan the foetus and the surrounding environment first. Do you wish to watch?" "Yes I would." Selar nodded and passed the transducer over Beverly's abdomen, occasionally stopping and measuring different aspects of Beverly's uterus. Watching intently. Beverly gasped as she saw her child for the first time. "Well hello there." Selar widened the scan and cautioned the euphoric Doctor. "Your blood pressure is still elevated, although not as bad as this morning. Has the headache abated?" "It came back this evening but it's not as bad. Like I said.probably stress." Selar changed the transducer for a tricorder. "I do not think so. You major blood vessels show a hardening of their walls. Have you had hypertension in the past?" "No." "I will take some blood for analysis." It took but a moment for the blood extraction and Beverly began to feel concerned. "Is the baby affected?" "No Doctor." "Well what's causing it?" "That is unknown at this time. I will know more when I perform further tests. Until then, I will administer a hypertensive drug to level out your blood pressure and an analgesic for the headache. You will be required to submit to regular checks. In two weeks, I will extract some amniotic fluid to check the health of the foetus. I do not foresee any problems, but we should eliminate any concerns. Have you any questions?" "Well no.not at the moment, you seemed to be covering everything." "Doctor Crusher I would advise you to take on a lighter work load, at least until we stabilise your blood pressure." "Uh uh. I want to be here for the Captain." "But Doctor he will be comatose for days yet.he will be unaware of your presence. What good will it do for you to be with him?" "It's important to me Selar. Somewhere, somehow he might know I'm there and be comforted. I don't want to miss that chance." "As you wish Doctor. I trust you will monitor your health and report any anomalies to me immediately?" "Of course." "Well the workup is complete and the database of you and Captain Picard has been created for the child. After the birth I will complete it with the child's information." "Thank you Selar. I'll return to my quarters now and get some rest. See you tomorrow." "Goodnight Doctor." Amy sat at the Ops station; sweat slowly running down her back. The last order she'd received she'd muffed, sending the wrong information to the Con, causing the Enterprise to veer sharply to port, nearly spinning on its axis. Will was slowly losing patience. "Ensign! Did you understand the order?" In a shaky voice, Amy replied, "Yes Sir." "Well what happened? If not for the inertial dampeners, we could've had casualties all over the ship. Think Ensign, then react. You've done this drill a hundred times.you should be able to do it in your sleep. It's simple. You receive the order and implement it.as fast as you can. Understood?" "Aye Sir." "Then for God's sake do it! Now again.I want a course plotted to take us to Syrrus IV." "Yes Sir." Amy stared that the console, tears blurring her vision. She tried to input the correct commands and mistook a crucial sequence of orders. The con received the defective commands and again the ship lurched, this time a nosedive at full impulse. "Ensign!" Amy spun in her chair, tears streaming down her face. Hiccuping with sobs, she spluttered, "I request to be relieved Sir." Will lowered his head and blew out a frustrated breath. With his head still lowered he muttered, "Permission granted." Amy bolted from her seat and made it into the turbolift, waiting until the doors closed before collapsing into a sobbing mass on the floor. It was late when Beverly returned to her cabin. She wasn't surprised to find Deanna waiting at her door. "Hi there Dee, what can I do for you?" "I thought you might like to talk." Beverly regarded her friend and eventually reasoned she was right. "Come in.I'll replicate some drinks. What do you want?" "Oh the usual hot chocolate will do me. What about you?" "I think I'll have an Earl Grey." "Has the Captain got you drinking that too?" "As a matter of fact I find it most refreshing. It's very fragrant. You should try it." Deanna wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "To be honest I haven't found an Earth tea that I like. I prefer the Valerian teas." "Oh well.each to his own I guess." Deanna sat and made herself comfortable. How did the check up go?" "Pretty good. My blood pressure is up a tad, but that's understandable considering everything. Selar's on to it and I'm taking medication for it. The baby's fine so that's all that matters." "How's the headache?" "Better now." "Is it linked to the hypertension?" "Yes. I really think it's stress, but Selar is running a battery of tests. We should know more tomorrow." Deanna sipped her drink then asked her next question. "How did the Captain's surgery go?" "Oh good. We closed the open wounds, fused the breaks in the long bones and facilitated the nerve pathways to his fingers. The prosthesis will have to stay on for the next four days, but after that we can reduce it to his forearm and hand only. With luck he should be free of it in nine days." "Then we wake him up?" "Uh huh." "Are you prepared for that Beverly.will you be able to cope with his recovery?" Beverly stared into her cup frowning deeply. "I'll have to.he'll need me." "Well I'll help as much as he'll let me, but you'll have to bear in mind your condition. It won't be easy." "I know Dee, but what choice do I have.I love him.and now.he's the father of my child." Deanna moved to sit with her best friend. Gripping her arm, she whispered, "We'll get through this Beverly.we have to." Amy was seated at her desk composing a letter of resignation when she was interrupted by the door chime. Sniffing wetly, she called, "Come in." Guinan wafted through the doors and stood before the Ensign, serene as always. "Hello Ensign." Amy frowned and got to her feet. "Hello." "You remember me.I tend the bar in the lounge." "Oh yeah, right. You're." "Guinan." "Right, Guinan. What can I do for you?" "We need to talk." "We do? About what?" "You and the Captain." Amy gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh no! I definitely don't want to talk about him." Guinan gestured with her hand expansively. "May I sit? Conversation is always better if you're seated, don't you think?" "What?" "You caused the accident that injured the Captain." It was a statement, not a question. Amy hesitated. ".Yes." "And he reprimanded you." "He did more than.yes he did." "But Commander Riker countermanded his orders." Amy nodded. "So you're free to continue your work aboard the ship?" "Well yes." "Then why are you making such a God-awful mess of everything?" Amy slumped down into a chair. Her hand went to her brow as she felt tears threaten. "I can't function! The Captain's sick.he's not getting better and it's my fault! This whole damn mess was caused by me trying to get in sweet with my commanding officer and what do I do? I nearly kill the Captain! I think the best thing would be for me to resign and be gone so when he does get better, he won't be reminded of what happened by seeing me." "You can't be serious?" "You bet I am!" "You're not that important." "What?" "Look, what's going on with Captain Picard has nothing at all to do with you. Have you heard of the Borg?" "Of course I have." "Do you know that Captain Picard was assimilated?" "I know about Wolf 359." "Well that happened because Captain Picard had been assimilated into the Borg collective. He was rescued by the crew of this ship and aided Starfleet in defeating the Borg." "Yes, I know." "Can you imagine what it must be like to have his memories?" Amy stopped breathing a moment and looked up at her visitor. All she could do was shake her head. "Have you seen the Captain lately?" She nodded. "Did you notice the prosthesis on his right arm?" In a small voice she said, "Yes." "Do you know how much like a Borg prosthesis it is?" "No." "Well let me tell you, when Captain Picard woke up and saw it, he thought he 'd been re-assimilated. Can you imagine what that must have been like?" "Oh God." "Oh God's right. He's in shock Amy and the only way he can express it is with anger. You were his first target." "Oh. And what about now? I hear he's in some kind of catatonia and he's had more surgery." "That's true, but he's been left like that for a reason. The two people most qualified to treat him are now on board. Let them do their jobs, I'm sure he 'll be restored to us soon." Amy stood and walked to her bed. Picking up the pillow, she hugged it to her chest. "I hear what you're saying. I won't resign until the Captain's better. If I think he's ok.I might stick around. Ok?" "Fair enough." Guinan rose and let her intelligent eyes take in the pretty Ensign. "Just give him time." Amy nodded and Guinan left. Beverly was seated beside her lover, her work finished for the day. When Selar came in, she turned and smiled at her fellow medic. "Doctor Crusher you should return to your quarters. It has been a long day." "Oh I think I'll stay a while. Did you finish my blood analysis?" "Yes. I was going to discuss it with you tomorrow." "Pull up a chair, I'm not going anywhere." Selar hesitated but shrugged mentally and sat beside the tired red head. "You are aware, of course, that you are pre-menopausal?" Beverly turned her head and raised an eyebrow. "Well I suppose." "Your pregnancy has caused your pituitary gland to secrete ACTH and it is making." ".My adrenal gland create too much adrenalin, causing the hypertension." "Precisely. The arterioles are constricted." "Have you ruled out a tumour of the pituitary gland?" "Yes. My opinion is that we continue to treat the hypertension on a daily basis and monitor your condition. I am hopeful it will rectify itself after the birth." "And these damn headaches?" "The prognosis is the same." "Fine. Am I due for analgesia?" "If you wish. I will go and get it now." "Thank you Selar." Left alone again with Jean-Luc, she sighed and reached for his hand. "Oh Jean-Luc, do we have some things to talk about." Will Riker tightened his arms around the woman who shared his bed and sighed with satisfaction. Their lovemaking had been sweet and protracted and he basked in the afterglow. Deanna's feelings of wellbeing intensified as she detected her lover's emotions. "You're happy with yourself." "Mmmm." She chuckled softly and nestled into his shoulder. His voice rumbled in his chest. "We should've done this a long time ago." "We did." "You know what I mean. We wasted a lot of time.years." "Well we're here now, I think that's all that matters." "I love you Deanna.you do know that don't you?" Deanna rose up on an elbow and kissed him tenderly. "Yes Will, I know and I love you." He beamed at her and pulled her down in a warm embrace. They lay quietly for a time before Will spoke again. "Do you think Beverly and the Captain have what we have?" "Oh I think so. Do you know.the day we left, they made love twice in the morning, then again just before they made it to the Shuttle Bay." "You're kidding! Captain Picard? Nooo he wouldn't.he's too.he's." "Believe it. Not only that, but Beverly says she's completely satisfied.in every way. She says his hands and mouth." "Ok! Enough already. So the crafty old dog's a lover is he? Well, who'd have believed it?" "I think there's a lot about our Captain we don't know." "You're right there. This Borg business, it came right out of left field. I felt so helpless. I wish there was something I could've done.something I could've said to him.God Dee, he suffered." "I know, but you must realise that no one but Beverly or I could've helped him?" "Yeah I know that but." "No buts Will. In some ways he's his own worse enemy. If he would only learn to be as open with us as he is with Beverly." Deanna drifted off in thought, pricking Will's curiosity. "What?" "Oh dammit Will.things are a lot more complicated than they seem." "Why?" Deanna sighed and lifted her head to look at her lover. "Beverly's pregnant." Will sat up abruptly, dislodging his companion. "What!" "Shh! Keep your voice down. She found out while we were away. She got sick and scanned herself." "Holy shit Dee! Beverly's pregnant? Did she tell the Captain?" "No she chose to wait. Of course we didn't know." "Oh right. So when the Captain wakes up she'll tell him?" "I think she'll wait until he recovers." "So what does she want to do? Does she want to keep it?" "Yes." "Wow. This is incredible news." "Yes well Beverly knew I'd tell you, but leave it a while before you bring it up with her.she's pretty fragile right now.and she's been having bad headaches." "She's all right though.isn't she?" "I think so. Selar's looking after her anyway. With everything that's happened.I just hope she stays well." "Me too Dee, me too." They lay back down and Deanna snuggled into his warm body. Sleep soon found them. -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Awards Tech Support http://www.trekiverse.us/ASCAwards/commenting/ No Tribbles were harmed in the running of these Awards ASCL is a stories-only list, no discussion. Comments and feedback should be directed to alt.startrek.creative or directly to the author. Yahoo! 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