Random Thoughts "
By: Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58204.25 1400

Zoei left Dr. Dane's office. Commander Wright was not going to be an easy man to catch up with, nor would he be easy to persuade to open up. He had to be the most private, most isolated of the command crew. She shook her head.

Halfway through Sick Bay, she paused. Slowly, she scanned the biobeds. A number of them were now empty. Lieutenant Atwood must have been released recently, she noted. The prisoner, Mason, rested in his biobed. The monitor displayed his vital statistics. Rhythmically, the lights flashed. Zoei's short strides carried her to his side. He looked terrible. She imagined the trauma he went through. Knuckle bruises clearly shone on one cheek bone. Along his jaw line, an imprint reminiscent of a phaser stood in sharp relief against the bone. Apparently, the help he had offered them had not gone unnoticed. This was quite unfortunate for Mr. Mason.

She stepped back a half step and scanned the length of his body. From the bandages, it was easy to guess the rest of his body was in no better condition than his face. Her fingers rested lightly on the edge of the bed. Mason's fate hung on a tentative thread. He faced so very many issues, not the least of which was his physical condition. Once that matter was resolved, there was the issue of the disagreement he had with Lieutenant Atwood. After that, there was the final issue of his status as a prisoner bound for Rura Penthe. She shook her head. None of the prisoners were supposed to be suitable for recruitment to the Maquis, but this one was a different sort of guy.

She turned from his bed. A few feet away, Silvio was resting. As she approached, she scanned his monitors. Almost everything was within normal limits. Hopefully, soon he would wake up. She was sure he would have an interesting story to tell once he rejoined the land of the living. The rumor about a dead Cardassian in the turbo lift shaft had spread like wildfire. One of her sources was reliable enough she figured it wasn't just a rumor, but truly based in fact. When she considered Silvio was found inside the turbo lift, it wasn't much of a reach to deduce the two of them had gone into the shaft together. When she further considered Silvio's history, coupled with the fact that he survived and the Cardassian didn't, it was safe to assume Silvio had followed the Cardassian into the shaft. He was going to have to be cleared to return to active duty, again.

Zoei briefly closed her eyes. The last time she had cleared him, everything was laughed off by him. It was a five minute visit. Obviously, this time, it would need to be a little more serious. He was quite adept at his job, that wasn't the trouble, but the post traumatic stress of his ordeal on the Kittyhawk seemed to have reared its ugly head. She shook her head again. Commander Wright and Lieutenant Silvio all in one week, how could a person get so lucky?

Message to the Commander "
By: Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58204.25 1500

Zoei settled into her chair. Her left foot was tucked up underneath her as she leaned slightly forward over her desk. There was no use putting the next memo off. If she did, it would be something she could procrastinate forever.

"Computer, begin memo to Commander John Wright."

"Commander Wright,

Dr. Dane has requested I follow up with you in regards to the injury you sustained in the holodeck. She also stated your response to her suggestion that you meet with me was met with a less than enthusiastic response. I understand your hesitation, however, as a commanding officer, I am sure you will understand the necessity of this meeting. I have an open appointment tomorrow morning at 0800. If this is not acceptable to you, please advise of a time that is more convenient. The sooner this is done, the sooner the report can be filed and you can work on getting the ship back in order.

Thank you,

Lieutenant Zoei."

She scanned the memo. It wasn't the best she had ever written, but it would do.

"Computer, send memo to Commander John Wright, file copy to Commander Wright's personnel file."

Patia reached for her glass of tea. The ice had melted while she had met with Dr. Dane. The tea was warm, but still palatable. She took a sip. Her stomach rumbled. A glance at her chronometer showed she had just an hour before she would leave her office and head to Miranda's. A quiet evening spent star gazing sounded very appealing.

Star Gazing "
By: Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58204.25 1730

Teilani was hungry the only thing on her mind now was food. She had been drinking way too much coffee and felt a little agitated. She had already given Xioa a bit of a hard time due to the fact that she had dropped a tray with Petri dishes and other equipment.

Making sure that the last of her patients besides Silvio and Mason were dismissed life began to turn back to normal in sickbay. Teilani remembered something Patia had said, something about stargazing and food.

Dropping by her quarter Teilani changed into a nice robe, and went to the turbo lift

"Deck 10"

Leaning against the wall she closed her eyes, listing at the soft hum of the lift. Arriving at deck 10 calmly walked in to Miranda's looking around she already made Patia sitting at a corner table near the window.

Patia sat, slightly slumped, in her seat. Her head rested against the top of the bench as she gazed out the window. Stars streaked past. Her right leg was pulled up, foot tucked under her left thigh and her shin braced against the table top. She held a glass of tea against her right thigh. The sweat of the glass dripped down over her fingers.

"Hoi can I join you?"

Patia rolled her head toward the voice to her left. "Hey, Teilani, grab a seat." Patia's voice was weary. With a wan smile, she asked, "How did the rest of your day go?"

Teilani dropped her body in the seat next to Patia. "I am beat; if I have to use another hypo spray again I am gone scream." Teilani pulled up another chair and placed her long legs on it. "You know I have the feeling I have been up for 72 hours in row, and there is only 1 thing I can think of and that is food."

"I am not willing to think about the number of hours I have been up in a row," Patia chuckled. "Food sounds good, though. What are you in the mood to try tonight?"

"I've no idea, something wicked and evil and lots of it." Teilani said with a giggle. "I remember something from my home planet, my brother used to be fond of it, called Devil's broth. I don't know if the replicator knows the recipe."

"You have never mentioned your brother before. Are you two close?"

Teilani smiled. "It depends on which one you mean, my elder brother and I don't get along. He disagreed when I entered the Maquis. I haven't spoken to him in ages. Where as my youngest brother we are like this." Teilani crossed her fingers. "We always got into trouble and drove the rest of the family crazy. Live never has been the same when we heard that he had gone missing." Teilani sighed and followed the trail of a comet with her eyes.

"What happened that he is missing?"

Teilani reached in her pocket and took out the small white pebble and turned it round and round in her hands before she answered. "What we heard was that during a routine maintenance job to one of Mars outer colonies his shuttle got attacked." Round and round the pebble went in her hands. "We never found out if he has been killed, kidnapped or what the only thing we found was an empty shuttle and some faint bloodstains. I miss him so much," Teilani said softly. "That was one of the reasons I joined the Maquis, to find out more information, as long as I don't have certainty I can not close the book on it." Round and round went the white pebble.

Patia closed her eyes. She had been staring at the movement of the pebble and it made her nauseous. "Closure is important, Teilani," Patia smiled slightly. "Have you learned anything since you signed on?"

Teilani stopped and put the pebble back in her pocket. "Just some bits and pieces there is a lead to Rura Penthe but I am afraid to ask the Captain if I could go to the planet and check it out."

"What type of lead?" Patia thought of Michelio. It hurt her heart to think of never knowing where he was.

"Well the evidence found in his shuttle indicated that he had some dealings with mercenaries and according to security some derelict freighter was spotted on its way there. I know it is a vague lead but I need to know for sure."

"That is understandable. I would follow my family to the ends of the universe," Patia's voice was low, so quiet she almost couldn't be heard. Her eyes opened and she rolled her head to face Teilani. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"How about you Patia, is you family still in one piece so to say".

In the meantime one of the waiters had placed a bowl of broccoli soup for Patia and a chicken salad for Teilani on the table, courtesy of Miranda.

Patia set the glass on the edge of the table and picked up her bowl. "I hope you don't mind my poor table manners, but I am just going to slouch here if that is ok with you?" Patia questioned with a raised eyebrow. She cradled the soup bowl in her left hand and slowly stirred it with the right.

Teilani nodded. "Nah its fine by me."

"My family is still all in one piece. My parents are retired now, and back home on Betazid. My brother is chasing his Maquis career from starship to starship. Some days I don't understand how Trina puts up with his wanderlust. They have been married more than 25 years already. I was just a girl, but it seems like yesterday. Actually, their children all older than I was when they married." Patia smiled wistfully. "I have the most amazing nephews and an adorable niece. They are triplets, twelve years old already. Trina is Lio's wife. She is quite a bit older than me, but she always had time for me. Actually, now it doesn't feel she is that much older. It is funny how, when you age, age differences seem to lose their importance. Anyway, there are just the two of us and the folks, and now Lio's family."

Teilani sighed. "It is good having a family. I whish mine were that close. Have you ever wanted to start one of your own? I mean Betazoid woman do get an imzadi early right?"

"Generally, Betazed people are bonded to each other at an early age. For example, Trina was five and Lio was eight when their bond was made. =From my understanding, that had been determined when Trina was just a babe. Not always is the female younger, but for both Lio and I, the male was older, female younger. As for me, I am a wonderful aunt," Patia winked, "but right now, I am bonded to my career."

Teilani smiled. "Aren't we all," she replied. "Besides forming a relationship on a starship, not knowing where it will lead to is hard. They never last long." Teilani had finished eating and stared out the window.

"From what I have seen, I have to agree. Believe it or not, an interpersonal relationship, such as that, is something I haven't been involved in for more than twenty five years." Patia stirred her spoon around her bowl. She had taken two or three bites, but had found she wasn't hungry anymore. She set the bowl down on the table and picked up her glass. The raspberries bobbed slowly up and down, almost rhythmically. It was easy to lose your train of thought and just stare at them.

Teilani nodded. She knew what Patia meant. Both women stared out of the window, watching the stars pass by, each lost in their own thoughts.

Star Gazing "
By: Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]
Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58204.25 1730

Teilani was hungry the only thing on her mind now was food. She had been drinking way too much coffee and felt a little agitated. She had already given Xioa a bit of a hard time due to the fact that she had dropped a tray with Petri dishes and other equipment.

Making sure that the last of her patients besides Silvio and Mason were dismissed life began to turn back to normal in sickbay. Teilani remembered something Patia had said, something about stargazing and food.

Dropping by her quarter Teilani changed into a nice robe, and went to the turbo lift

"Deck 10"

Leaning against the wall she closed her eyes, listing at the soft hum of the lift. Arriving at deck 10 calmly walked in to Miranda's looking around she already made Patia sitting at a corner table near the window.

Patia sat, slightly slumped, in her seat. Her head rested against the top of the bench as she gazed out the window. Stars streaked past. Her right leg was pulled up, foot tucked under her left thigh and her shin braced against the table top. She held a glass of tea against her right thigh. The sweat of the glass dripped down over her fingers.

"Hoi can I join you?"

Patia rolled her head toward the voice to her left. "Hey, Teilani, grab a seat." Patia's voice was weary. With a wan smile, she asked, "How did the rest of your day go?"

Teilani dropped her body in the seat next to Patia. "I am beat; if I have to use another hypo spray again I am gone scream." Teilani pulled up another chair and placed her long legs on it. "You know I have the feeling I have been up for 72 hours in row, and there is only 1 thing I can think of and that is food."

"I am not willing to think about the number of hours I have been up in a row," Patia chuckled. "Food sounds good, though. What are you in the mood to try tonight?"

"I've no idea, something wicked and evil and lots of it." Teilani said with a giggle. "I remember something from my home planet, my brother used to be fond of it, called Devil's broth. I don't know if the replicator knows the recipe."

"You have never mentioned your brother before. Are you two close?"

Teilani smiled. "It depends on which one you mean, my elder brother and I don't get along. He disagreed when I entered the Maquis. I haven't spoken to him in ages. Where as my youngest brother we are like this." Teilani crossed her fingers. "We always got into trouble and drove the rest of the family crazy. Live never has been the same when we heard that he had gone missing." Teilani sighed and followed the trail of a comet with her eyes.

"What happened that he is missing?"

Teilani reached in her pocket and took out the small white pebble and turned it round and round in her hands before she answered. "What we heard was that during a routine maintenance job to one of Mars outer colonies his shuttle got attacked." Round and round the pebble went in her hands. "We never found out if he has been killed, kidnapped or what the only thing we found was an empty shuttle and some faint bloodstains. I miss him so much," Teilani said softly. "That was one of the reasons I joined the Maquis, to find out more information, as long as I don't have certainty I can not close the book on it." Round and round went the white pebble.

Patia closed her eyes. She had been staring at the movement of the pebble and it made her nauseous. "Closure is important, Teilani," Patia smiled slightly. "Have you learned anything since you signed on?"

Teilani stopped and put the pebble back in her pocket. "Just some bits and pieces there is a lead to Rura Penthe but I am afraid to ask the Captain if I could go to the planet and check it out."

"What type of lead?" Patia thought of Michelio. It hurt her heart to think of never knowing where he was.

"Well the evidence found in his shuttle indicated that he had some dealings with mercenaries and according to security some derelict freighter was spotted on its way there. I know it is a vague lead but I need to know for sure."

"That is understandable. I would follow my family to the ends of the universe," Patia's voice was low, so quiet she almost couldn't be heard. Her eyes opened and she rolled her head to face Teilani. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"How about you Patia, is you family still in one piece so to say".

In the meantime one of the waiters had placed a bowl of broccoli soup for Patia and a chicken salad for Teilani on the table, courtesy of Miranda.

Patia set the glass on the edge of the table and picked up her bowl. "I hope you don't mind my poor table manners, but I am just going to slouch here if that is ok with you?" Patia questioned with a raised eyebrow. She cradled the soup bowl in her left hand and slowly stirred it with the right.

Teilani nodded. "Nah its fine by me."

"My family is still all in one piece. My parents are retired now, and back home on Betazid. My brother is chasing his Maquis career from starship to starship. Some days I don't understand how Trina puts up with his wanderlust. They have been married more than 25 years already. I was just a girl, but it seems like yesterday. Actually, their children all older than I was when they married." Patia smiled wistfully. "I have the most amazing nephews and an adorable niece. They are triplets, twelve years old already. Trina is Lio's wife. She is quite a bit older than me, but she always had time for me. Actually, now it doesn't feel she is that much older. It is funny how, when you age, age differences seem to lose their importance. Anyway, there are just the two of us and the folks, and now Lio's family."

Teilani sighed. "It is good having a family. I whish mine were that close. Have you ever wanted to start one of your own? I mean Betazoid woman do get an imzadi early right?"

"Generally, Betazed people are bonded to each other at an early age. For example, Trina was five and Lio was eight when their bond was made. =From my understanding, that had been determined when Trina was just a babe. Not always is the female younger, but for both Lio and I, the male was older, female younger. As for me, I am a wonderful aunt," Patia winked, "but right now, I am bonded to my career."

Teilani smiled. "Aren't we all," she replied. "Besides forming a relationship on a starship, not knowing where it will lead to is hard. They never last long." Teilani had finished eating and stared out the window.

"From what I have seen, I have to agree. Believe it or not, an interpersonal relationship, such as that, is something I haven't been involved in for more than twenty five years." Patia stirred her spoon around her bowl. She had taken two or three bites, but had found she wasn't hungry anymore. She set the bowl down on the table and picked up her glass. The raspberries bobbed slowly up and down, almost rhythmically. It was easy to lose your train of thought and just stare at them.

Teilani nodded. She knew what Patia meant. Both women stared out of the window, watching the stars pass by, each lost in their own thoughts.

Sleepless Night "
By: Patia Zoei, Chief Counselor, [PC]

Stardate: 58204.25 2345

Patia lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling. She could feel every muscle in her body. The ones across the back of her shoulders throbbed. Sleep was elusive.

With a sigh, she rolled to her side. Tightly, she pulled her legs up and wrapped her forearms around them. She rested her forehead against her knees. Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. Silently, sobs shook her body. Minutes crept by, almost an hour passed before she had cried herself out.

Tonight had been tougher on her than she had thought it would be. When Teilani had asked her if she had ever wanted to start a family of her own, it felt like a little part of her had died all over again. If Lucio had lived, in all probability, they would have already started the conversations about when to have their first child. She would be half of a whole, rather than an incomplete individual. It was a rare time when Patia allowed herself to reflect on the parts of her life that were not as they should be. The reason for this was it never paid to be this maudlin. There was nothing she could do to fix the situation, so there was no point dwelling on it. The true trouble was, for both genders in the Betazid culture, the actual bond with another individual was vitally important. From the time you were a small child, you knew your destiny and you knew you wouldn't face it alone. To be one of the rare people who did not fully experience this made for a lonely existence. It made her a freak in her own culture, with her own people. As often as she talked to other people about accepting themselves for who they are, it was hard, hard advice to follow. To deviate from the cultural norms, was just not a socially acceptable thing to do.

Patia sat up and braced her back against the headboard of her bed. She stretched her legs out in front of her and arched her feet until her toes pointed at the ceiling. The gentle stretch of her hamstrings tingled. She leaned back and tilted her head so it rested against the wall. Her breathing slowed. Seconds ticked by as she focused on her own heart beat as it thrummed in her ears. Slowly, she relaxed. A glance at the chronometer showed it was 0300. In five hours, unless he simply did not arrive, she would have her appointment with Commander Wright. If she was to have her wits about her, she would need some sleep.

Gracefully, she rose from her bed. She took a quick shower, misted her body with lily perfume, and slipped into fresh pajamas. She slid back under the covers, rolled to her side, and dropped into slumber in just moments.

Log Index | Go to Stardate 58204.26