The Edge of Freedom #71"
By: Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]
Favor, Medic / Morale Officer, [PST]
Stardate: 58204.14 2345
Ensign Favor stood in her quarter’s head, rinsing the greasy crust off her face. Gad, what a crazy day it had been! Her eyes burned from lack of sleep. "Computer: Hot bubble bath," she ordered, and heard the soft rush of water, and smelled lavender and honeysuckle. "Dim the lights."
She removed her hair jewels and threw them in a drawer, then stripped and sank into the water. "Computer: Blueberry Moon," she said. The soft refrains of her favorite Risan roadhouse band filled the chamber.
Favor hummed along with the tune, and ducked her head beneath the bubbles. Thank God this insane day was over at last! Honestly, when Dr. Dane showed up to take her shift, Favor could have kissed her!
She held her breath as long as she could, and popped up, water streaming down her face, and that's when she heard the soft, hesitant tapping on the door.
"Uh. Ma'am? Ma'am, I'm not peeking, I just want you to know that first off. I've got my back to you."
Favor froze. She could barely make out a faint outline in the doorway, of a man shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other.
"Mister," she barked, "there had better be a damn good reason why you entered my private chambers without express invitation." Snatching her towel, she wrapped it around herself and stood up. The insolence of these young crewman!
"Ma'am," the lackey stuttered, "I'm sorry Ma'am, but there's been an emergency in Sick Bay."
Emergency? Where the hell was Dane? "Crewman, I don't know who you think you're dealing with here, but if you want to keep that rank on your sleeve, you better get your happy tail the hell out of my bathroom. And have your direct superior contact me to discuss your conduct, while you're at it. Dr. Dane's on duty right now, I'm not!!!!"
"Ma'am," the crewman tried again, "that's why I'm here. They sent me to get you because you didn't answer when they sent a message by communicator. Dr. Dane is the emergency, Ma'am. Apparently she passed out cold on the Sick Bay floor."
Oh, for the love of Pete! "No rest for the wicked, eh," Favor snapped, stepping out of her bath.
"Uh, I'm not sure what you mean, Ma'am?" The crewman sounded as though he were about to cry, and Favor softened. He was just an enlistee, a kid, really. Probably had never seen a woman in the bathtub before except on the holodeck, Favor thought, and snickered.
"OK, Crewman," she said, mustering her dignity. "You're dismissed. I'll forgive the intrusion, if you can get the hell out of my quarters in under ten seconds."
The crewman fled.
Back in sickbay Teilani tried to hold herself together, her memories came flushing in so fast that it made her sick to her stomach. She had to hold on because of her patients and her crew, she could not show any sign of weakness before them.
“Ally," Teilani said to the head nurse, "I will be in my office for a while”. Ally nodded.
Teilani walked to her office, back straight, fighting to keep the tears away. She sat down in one of the corners of her office, folding her arms around her knees, placing her head on top of them and rocking herself back and forth. Slowly the tears dripped from her eyes.
As Teilani was hiding in a corner she did not see Favor coming in.
Ensign Favor, directed by the head nurse, stepped into Dr. Dane's darkened office. Once again, she was struck by the disorder of the place. No personal effects, and a thick layer of dust clung to the shelves. It was as if Dr. Dane had shut down the ventilation system or something.
"Doctor," she called, "are you in here?" She heard the faint sound of weeping coming from the corner, and heaved a sigh. "Computer: Lights on," she ordered.
Dr. Dane sat, knees to chest, hiding her face. She peeped over her shoulder, and Favor saw that her hair was completely dishevelled, and her face swollen and red.
Lord, Ensign Favor thought, with a flash of irritation. I could be back in a hot bath right now.
"Dr. Dane," she began, edgy and somewhat mean. "Get a grip on yourself! What on earth is going on in here?"
Teilani tried to wipe the tears from her face and tried to fix her hair as she heard Favor talking to her.
“It’s nothing Ensign, it has all been a bit too much today. There are so many injured civilians and …….. I’m sorry that they disturbed you, I told them not to do so".
Favor tapped her toe. "Well, apparently they didn't listen. I just had some crewman that didn't look old enough to shave, visit me in my boudoir and tell me it was a big emergency down here. So, I'm here now. What's going on??"
Teilani got up and walked to her chair, she was shaking all over her body. She looked at Favor, not realising how vulnerable and sad she looked.
“I suppose you have not heard then," Teilani started. "Remember the last group of civilians we beamed on board?”
Favor nodded. "How could I forget? I had a dozen of them in suspended animation."
“There were two men with them." Teilani paused remembering the encounter. "I recognised them, Favor, I recognised them from the Kittyhawk. They were part of a boarding party during the attack. I witnessed them murdering a whole family”.
Favor thought Dane was crazier than a bedbug. First with the bad dreams, now she's seeing imaginary war criminals! Favor threw up her hands in disgust.
“I know what you think Ensign, but I’m not crazy, nor have I lost my mind, I am 100 percent sure, and I am willing to testify to that. It’s just," Teilani sighed, "I’m scared Ensign, scared or what might happen next, and I do not like it, being scared I mean”.
Teilani clutched her hands together and sighed deeply, trying to get the shaking under control. She had to get a grip of herself if only for her crew.
Favor heaved an inward sigh. "OK, the men are now in lockup, correct? There's nothing more you can do about this right now, Dr. Dane. If you want me to take over your shift, I suppose that could do that, at least until they're stable enough to be moved down to the Brig. That way, you won't have to look at them."
How much longer was this going to last, Favor wondered? The Zion needed a Doctor who was firing on all cylinders, and it appeared to her that the doctor had one foot on a banana peel and the other foot in a looney bin.
“No, Ensign there is no need to take over my shift, everybody deserve a rest including you", Teilani said while blowing her nose in a tissue, "those two men are my responsibility, my nemesis so to speak . I will simply have to deal with it. Go back to your quarters and relax, there will be new day tomorrow, that’s an order!.”
Teilani looked at her reflection in the window, she looked like hell, and started putting loose strands of hear back in its ponytail. With firm strides she passed along Favor, leaving her a bit bewildered.
Teilani turned back to Favor, "Ensign Favor, I know we have our differences," she said with a little smile around her lips, "but thank you for your concern, I appreciate that. Don’t worry I will be alright”.
Favor had her doubts about that.