Posted by Lieutenant Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Unforeseen Developments - Starting Over

Posted by Civilian Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi (Governor) in Unforeseen Developments - Starting Over

Posted by Lieutenant Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Unforeseen Developments - Starting Over
Posted by… suppressed (45) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Janusz smiled and said “Of course. You took a solid step in asking for assistance. Next we just have to find you some help a little bit closer. But for now… just be, Sharah. Don’t think… just feel. It will be okay. I will talk to you in a few days. Good luck.” and smiled again before the call ended.

Korczak, Counselor

The screen went blank and then the Star Fleet symbol flashed on as a screen saver. Sharah started at it a long time before reaching out to log in. It wasn’t as simple as saying ‘I am off for two days.’ She was the CMO and acting Chief of Staff for Sacred Heart. Two positions that she felt hugely inadequate for. She had to make sure that the duty stations would be covered and someone who had been cleared through CCDA security could take her place. Maybe she could get away with going in for a few hours. Surely if she pulled the notice now, no one would notice.

Don’t be a difficult patient, Sharah. The best thing a doctor could so was set an example. So, despite what she wanted, Sharah made sure the shifts were covered and then logged off, hitting the button to turn the screen black. Yavia wasn’t happy when Sharah commed her to say she wouldn’t meet up with her. Sharah ended the call too quickly for Yavia to argue.

She started at the blank screen for awhile. She wanted sleep. Korczak anted her to just feel, Sharah wanted to be numb. She wasn’t but she couldn’t bring herself to scream and cry and break down like he suggested. She was simply too tired. If she sat in the chair long enough maybe she would sleep. She didn’t. She was supposed to feel her feelings, but what was hers? What was just Sharah? That was always the question. She found her pencils and paper, at first she sat on the couch, reaching for the blanket Markus had always left there because she got cold. It hurt, and she didn’t want to deal with the hurt. She ended up on the floor, papers and sketches strewn about.

It was hours before anything happened. She was hungry, that was good she guessed. She ordered a grilled cheese, her favorite. Out of habit or self torture or something, she called out “Hey, Markus? You” but she didn’t finish. It had been a running joke that they would find the perfect grilled cheese recipe. There was no answer, and there would not be. He left, she was alone, stuck on a planet with millions of strangers, alone in the masses.

She sat on the floor, knees drawn up leaned against a bulkhead, and cried. Wracking sobs that shook her petite frame and stole her breath. She cried for hours. The anguish noticed by the other empaths, drawing Ilena to check on her with no reply. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. When her body was finally to spend to cry more the only thing she had for her efforts was a headache, on top of the normal one. She didn’t feel better at all and she was still exhausted.

By the end of the second day, she didn’t care what Korczak said, she couldn’t stay in that room with empty memories any more. She felt trapped and like she might do something stupid. She didn’t want to hurt herself, just the memories that lived in the room. They were intangible though. She donned a long heavy sweater with a hood, hugged it around herself and ventured out. There was a cart, a block from her building, past security. She could get hot chocolate there before returning.

Fayth

There was a line, of course. There always was. The cart had some of the best fresh-brewed drinks in the city; and it was one of the local secrets that the residents of the city tried to keep from the tourists and transient workers.

A familair voice came from somewhere up in front of her said “Good afternoon, Doctor. Would you care to join me?” The voice was familiar, but the face was obscured by a pair of dark sunglasses and a large brimmed hat. The hair, though… long, straight, and jet-black gave it away.

Governor Hyrushi.

Why had she left her room? It wasn’t that Sharah was hoping to not be noticed, but she had hoped to run her errand with no fuss. Being asked to join the governor counted as fuss. She really wasn’t in the best place to play nice with others either. She wanted less to do with others now than 2 days ago. It also wasn’t like she had taken the time to make herself presentable. The most she could manage at the moment was to keep her own thoughts and emotions locked up very tight. Odd how that worked. She could stop from projecting or being read but couldn’t stop the input. “Good afternoon. Uh…oh, no thank you. I’m fine waiting.” There was a line after all and that would be rude.

The Governor looked at the three people who separated them in line and said “Would you mind if my colleague joined me?” and the three shrugged and nodded. Hyrushi beckoned her forward to his place in the line.

Hyrushi, Gov.

Well now she didn’t have a choice did she? The man had asked them, and who was going to say no to him? So now she would look surely and rude not to accept. The governor got whatever he wanted. She smiled and murmured a quiet thank you from her hood to the three people in line. She made her way to stand next to him, “Thank you.”

Fayth, SFCMO

Hyrushi remained quiet as they waited, looking ahead until they reached the cart. The batista smiled and said “Afternoon, sir! Good to see you. The usual?” and Hyrushi inclined his head slightly and said “Please and thank you. Also, whatever my colleague would like. Oh, and the three people behind us? Please allow me to pay for them.” Hyrushi looked at Fayth and said “Whatever you would like.” It was at that moment that something occurred… or perhaps was just realized. There was no empathic input from the Governor. None. Empathicalky, he may have simply been a part of the scenery. Those around her, of course she could sense… whether she wanted to or not. But the governor was a flat gray wall.

Hyrushi, Governor

The barista looked at her expectantly and then smiled as he recognized her under the hood. “Dr. Fayth! Hot chocolate?”

Sharah was slightly surprised by the lack of empathic input. People considered blocking their thoughts from telepaths, but very rarely, unless trained, considered or learned how to block their emotions. Mostly she was grateful for the small respite and too tired to consider it further for the moment. She did not want to be privy to the thoughts and emotions of the colony’s governor. Her pondering was interupted by Erzil’s question. “Yes, thank you, Erzil.” The Trill man was always at the stand most days and friendly no matter how long the line. Sharah tried to remember names. Let them know they were seen and appreciated in the crowds and chaos of the day.

The man smiled as he began making their orders and Sharah slipped her payment in as a tip. Erzil worked hard and deserved it. “How is Cmdr Woods? I haven’t seen him in awhile. I hope he’s feeling alright.”

The question was like a sucker punch to the gut. Her arms tightened around herself slightly, and she held onto her reaction to keep it from leaking out. “He’s fine. He was transferred.

There was an ever-so-slight pressure on her lower back- more like a stabilizing presence- as the Governor put his hand on her ever so slightly and helped her maintain her physical balance.

The touch shocked her and sent a stab through her heart because it wasn’t the person she wanted it to be. Instinct made her rock forward putting a tiny space between them. Betazoids were not touch telepaths, but Sharah had learned over the years that touch could amplify the signal. So she was always careful. There was nothing to amplify though, and that was a welcome relief. Korczak told her to accept support where offered and she settled back allowing his hand to rest against her back.

Erzil shook his head, “You fleeters sure don’t like to stay in one place. I hope you do though.” He set two cups on the ledge. “Here you go. Have a good day Governor, Doctor,” and he turned away to the next three people in line.

Hyrushi inclined his head slightly and said simply “Erzil.” and he began moving away.

Sharah took her cup and stepped away from the cart. She popped the lid off and let the steam and aroma waft out before taking a careful sip. She eyed her unexpected companion, wondering what prompted the invitation. Governor Hyrushi didn’t strike her as someone who did anything without careful consideration. “Thank you for the drink.” She thought telling him he didn’t have to do that was inconsiderate. Plus he k ew he didn’t have to.

Fayth, SFCMO

“You are most welcome. Would you care to walk with me? Or may I walk with you back to your building?” Hyrushi asked. “I am not trying to intrude but, if I may speak frankly, you do not seem your normal self Doctor. If you would like to talk, I have some time.”

Hyrushi, Gov.

Oh no she didn’t want to talk, not at all, not to anyone. It would be rude to sat so and the way she felt had nothing to do with the man. “A walk would be welcome.” She turned away from her building, not ready to go back and certainly not ready to have anyone enter into that prison with her, even in minute amounts. She sipped quietly at the chocolate. “I have not been feeling well. Don’t worry, it’s not catching. I wouldn’t be out if it was. Not even for Erzil’s hot chocolate.”

Fayth, SFCMO

Hyrushi smiled slightly and took a sip. “I did not believe the malaise was physical, Doctor.” He guided them down a sidewalk and turned them onto one of the nature paths that wound through the various green areas of the city. “Am I correct in assuming that there is something bothering you? Aside from the work load that you operate under, that is.”

Hyrushi, Governor

The nature path was welcome. Meant to look wild, Sharah’s trained eye could see the pattern and design. The flora didn’t feel wild either. Plants that grew in the wild had a tougher resolve about them. These had been carefully grown in hot houses and then transplanted. They welcomed the warmth of the sun and the breeze, but there was caution about how big the sky was now. It confused Sharah for a moment, until she realized it must be the dome. She hadn’t arrived until after the dome had come down. Yavia told her there had been days of celebration.

His comment made the corner of her lips quirk. It was both physical and all in her head. It wasn’t Sharah’s way to be secretive and misdirecting. She took so much from others without meaning to how could she be anything but honest. She found she didn’t want to share, she felt quite strongly about it. Perhaps it was the power the man kept like a cloak about him, or the fact he was half Betazoid. Her own people shunned her, and that made her overly cautious. She knew practically nothing about him. She had no way of knowing what side of the line he stood on. She didn’t much feel up to finding out.

“Nothing a good night’s sleep wouldn’t cure. Problems always seem worse when you are exhausted.” She lifted her cup feeling the warmth of the steam on her cheeks. The sensation was welcome after the damp claminess of tears.

Fayth, SFCMO

Hyrushi walked along slowly in silence for a moment and then said softly “You do not work for me directly, Doctor. But you do work for the people of this colony. As do I. And if there is something going on with those few and select individuals entrusted with the well-being of the people of thins colony… I would like to know about it. You and I are not friends, I know. Nor are we close.” and he set his hand on her arm very gently and held them from walking for a moment. “But sometimes… just sometimes… it helps to vent to a familiar stranger than it does to a friend. And I can assure you… you will get no judgement from me, whatever the cause of your pain is. And yes, I know you are hurting. It rolls off of you like waves crashing against the rocks during a storm. I would like to help… if you would let me. And it will go no further than you and I. On that, I give you my word.”

Hyrushi, Governor

Almost as soon as his hand touched her arm, her arm was no longer there. Both hands wrapped around her cup to lift it for a drink. It seemed perfectly natural and easy. It wasn’t a rebuff but a protective instinct. One Sharah had thought she didn’t need anymore. She came to a stop turning to face him.

Her eyes flickered to his. A storm was exactly right. She had used the metaphor many times in her life. How insightful of him. She drew a deep breath and focused on containing herself. Slowly the rage of the storm lessened to his awareness.

She resented the implication that she would put the welfare of those in her care at risk. Sharah didn’t have enough ego to put herself before anyone else. It had been drilled into her, her whole life that she had to be aware of her mental stability and to not affect others. Then she felt guilty, she had no cause to judge him, he didn’t know her either.

Her smile was sad and apologetic. “Your offer is generous, but not quite as easy as you make it sound.” She walked a few steps away, her hand resting on the trunk of the tree. “In order to vent about what I am feeling, I must first know what I feel and what they feel.” Her hand left the tree and waved in a way that encompassed the entirety of the colony. “They say like attracts like, and so it seems that my…anguish…focuses the connection to theirs.”

Fayth, SFCMO

Hyrushi was quiet for a long moment, just standing and looking at her. When he spoke, his words were calm… measured… and without judgement. “I think that may be an oversimplification… and I also believe someone may have done you a great disservice; although knowing how Betazoids react and view those with powerful gifts I cannot say that I would be surprised.” and he took a drink. “I may be able to help you, if you like. At least I can give you an opportunity to take a respite from all the emotional bombardment. If you have, say, an hour or two to spare?”

Hyrushi, Governor

“An extreme oversimplification.” The mention of Betazed made her sigh. “Hence why I can’t go back. They can’t,” she shook her head continuing to walk, reaching out to touch each plant within reach, “they won’t help me.” Most Betazoids didn’t know people like her exsisted, much outside their planet. Somehow it did not surprise her this man knew what she was.

Her immediate reaction was to decline his offer. It was an intensely intimate issue, and many had offered to help with no success. But all she could hear in her head was Korczak threatening to put her in a month medical leave. “I am off duty, and if I don’t show improvement, I will stay that way. You will forgive me if I am wary.”

Fayth, SFCMO

Hyrushi smiled a somewhat knowing smile. “Wary is a good thing. But this isn’t something you need to be wary of. All you need to do is come with me. Please… follow me.” As they walked he pulled out a micro-PaDD and tapped something. A few moments later, they exited the greenery and were on a path by one of the residential roads. A car stood waiting, with a Ferengi in a suit next to it. He opened the rear door. Hyrushi gestured to Fayth. “Please, Doctor. After you.”

Sharah eyed the car and wondered what she had gotten herself into. Ground cars were a novelty to her, a luxury. She preferred to walk if she could. She ducked into the car and slid over across the seat.

The car moved along the road at a steady clip, and Hyrushi remained silent, simply reading on the PaDD. He wasn’t being rude, that was obvious. But he was giving Sharah space. Not pyhsical space… but space from the onslaught of empathic input. Between Hyrushi’s own self-constructed walls and the fact that Ferengi couldn’t be read telepathically or empathically; it was much quieter in the car than in many other places.

The car was quiet, and it was a kindness that Sharah was greatful for. She stared out the window as the colony blured and focused as the car speed and slowed through the streets. She was lost the noise of the colony, allowing herself to be drowned, rather than fight with it. She was not sure this was a good idea, but it was too late to change her mind.

Soon the car pulled up to the private hangar section of the shuttle port. The car made its way through the gate and towards a hangar set behind the others, one of three that seemed to be private even within the private area. It stopped in front of the middle hangar, and the door was opened a moment later by the Ferengi. Hyrushi slid out and offered a hand to the doctor.

The door opened, letting in the air, brunging her out of ponderings. She stepped out of the car, a slight smile of thanks at the offered hand she didn’t take. Sharah felt she was giving far too much trust to a person she didn’t know. She had a sinking feeling settle into her stomach as he led her towards the hanger.

Hyrushi walked them inside the hangar where sat a single dark red runabout. It was obviously heavily modified and had a sleek look that said ‘Don’t mess with me.’ Hyrushi walked up to the ship and the hatch slid open. “Please, Doctor. This way.” and he walked inside.

Hyrushi, Gov

The sight of the runabout stopped her cold in her tracks. Memory, blissful, happy memories of the last time she was in a runabout stabbed and sliced like so many scalpels. She understood exactly what the governor’s intention was. Forgetting boarding a small craft with people she didn’t know, she had no wish to relive those memories with anyone. Sharah knew she couldn’t avoid her memories her whole life, but the sense of dread grew. The dread triggered another memory that was not her own, but belonged to her as surely as if she had lived it. Staring up at a massive colony ship on a dying planet, that would take her far from home where she would die.

Sharah blinked several times, but stood staring at the runabout. It was an insightful and kind what he was offering, she just wasn’t sure she could do it. Her eyes stung and she promised herself she would not cry. She also knew what would happen when they got far enough away. She swallowed nervously. “Do you have a medkit on board?” She should not do this. No matter what Korczak said she needed, when the input suddenly dropped so would her BP and she would passout, with complete strangers and no one who cared where she was.

Fayth, SFCMO

Hyrushi looked at her a moment and said “Everything you need is on board. And no, Doctor… I am not absconding into space with you. I have something I want to show you… or rather, somewhere. Come, you will be fine. I promise.”

Sharah looked at him and shook her head sadly. “I know governor. You misunderstand my hesitation.” In the end she stepped through the hatch. Korczak suggested she let herself feel. Eventually, she would refuse to feel this way anymore, she would fight against it, but that was not today.

Hyrushi went to the pilot’s chair and took a seat. “You are welcome to sit here or find a comfortable place. And if you wish to lie down, there is a bedroom in the back. Feel free to lock the door if you are too nervous.” he said as he began to power up the ship.

His comment drew a very small smile. “While I appreciate the sentiment, if you wish to show me somewhere, I can not see it from a bed. Besides, the time to be nervous would have been when I got in your car.” She took the time to explore the ship a little.

The ship was very well appointed. Somber colors led to a sense of calm and serenity. There was an aroma in the air inside as well… something light and delicate, and not unfamiliar. It took a moment to place, but then it was apparent…

Cherry blossoms. It wasn’t a perfume, but much much lighter. It made the normally stale air of the recyclers much more pleasant. The chairs were comfortable and fully adjustable to individual desires, and there was a well appointed bar set securely behind a transparent aluminum divider. The floor was plush carpet and the entire interior had an Asian motif in pictures and décor.

After a minute or two, Hyrushi said “Please get comfortable. We will be in flight for about thirty minutes.” and the ship whined as the engines came to life and they slowly rose off the ground and moved out of the hanger.

Hyrushi, Governor

“Cherry blossoms.” She said it quietly, a smile in her voice. She loved them, truly did as evidence by how well she cared for the Cherry Blossom Bonsai tree she had. She joined him up front and curled onto the co-pilot’s seat. While he went through his checks and pre-flight she rubbed at her temple knocking her hood off and her Medusa like curls bounced at the freedom. “Do you enjoy flying, or is it just a necessary skill?”

Fayth, SFCMO

“I find it necessary, but I have never felt drawn to piloting as a calling. Not to say that I don’t enjoy it from time to time.” Hyrushi said. The runabout lifted off and was soon soaring high over the city. Hyrushi banked the ship gently and soon they were moving at a starling speed east and away from the city. The city gave way to the barren and dust covered surface of Oed. But here and there were signs of what was to come. Small mining outposts, the odd refinery… and every so often a terraforming segment where plants were being tried and studied for viability. As they moved further and further from the city, Hyrushi looked at Fayth and said “Feeling any better?”

Hyrushi, Governor

Sharah watched as the city disappeared and the landscape changed to barren dirt and rock, dotted with signs of life and returning growth. She stared silently ahead. It would be rude ro say no, and that wasn’t exactly true. Sharah, like other super sensitives had an incredible range. She could still hear the city, even from orbit. Not to mention the people working in orbit, but the people were in clusters, making the noise localized rather than encompassing. Giving her distance and a reduction in the volume. But with that her own turmoil bubbled and stormed to the surface. “Yes…and no.”

Fayth, SFCMO

Hyrushi nodded, but said nothing. He simply flew them towards whatever destination he had in mind, seemingly content to not fill the silence with needless chit-chat.

Sharah wasn’t inclined to talk either, rather simply being still as her emotions raged, and trying to keep it contained so as to not disturb the governor while he flew. At some point she pulled the hood of her sweater back up over her head. Mostly she cried silently. Heartache, fear, frustration, loneliness all broke over in waves.

Almost an hour later, he banked sharply right and they entered a small canyon. The ship slowed significantly and soon it came to a stop over a large outcropping of rock just largee enough for the ship to land on. At the back of the outcropping was a cave.

As the ship settled and powered down, Hyrushi stood up and said “Come. Follow me.” and he walked back to the hatch, opened it, and stepped outside. The sunlight was partially obscured by the walls of the canyon, so they stood in shade. Hyrushi didn’t wait, he just walked towards the cave.

She unfolded her small frame from the chair and stood, following him out of the runabout. Her gaze scanned over the rock face and the large opening. She followed him closer to the entrance and wondered if this was one of the caves the people had sought refuge in. She felt a pull a desire to go further in that she couldn’t explain. They were cast in shade and it made it hard to see very far into the cave.

The opening was large, almost 3 meters high and just as wide. It was a natural opening, probably an outlet for water at some time long past. “Walk in slowly. Let your mind adjust as you enter.” he said from just inside the entrance.

Inside the cave was cool and quiet. Very quiet. The empathic noise was silent.

Hyrushi, Governor

Sharah nodded, a simple acknowledgement that she had heard him. She moved forward slowly, letting her eyes adjust and paying strict attention to the input. The drop in input with each step was measurably noticable. She was too surprised and curious to really react. The point at which the shadows became noticably darker (but not black) the input dropped to nothing. Like a nerve block above an injured limb, the drop in input and pain dropped her blood pressure significantly, making her vision grey and made her light headed. She threw out a hand to catch herself until her equilibrium returned. She was sincerely thankful for his words of caution. The effect wasn’t so sudden she blacked out. “Imglath?” or Betazoid for ‘home’ or more specifically where one belonged.

Fayth, SFCMO

Hyrushi chuckled and said “No. You belong exactly where you were. Helping people who cannot help themselves. This place, however…” and he beckoned her forward into the dim passage. Twenty meters in, it was pitch black. “Just feel along the wall. There are no hazards. It will lighten up soon.” And true enough, after another fifty meters or so, it did…

That’s not what she meant, but she was too shocked to explain. Her mind raced back over years of research and study. That one word echoing in her mind from volumes and volumes of research. It was too profound to solidify for her just yet.

And quite spectacularly.

They stood in a massive cavern. The walls, ceiling, and floor were made of a jet black rock with what appeared to be glowing blue and silver motes of light embedded in it. The cavern must have been at least a hundred meters wide and high. It was like they stood inside some kind of-

“It’s a geode.” Hyrushi said suddenly, his voice echoing in the large chamber while he stood staring at the walls and ceiling as if for the first time. “I do not know the material, nor have I taken a sample of it for analysis. An associate of mine discovered this place about nine months ago. His is a unique form of empathy, and when he entered he suffered a mild heart attack. He called me once he was able to pull himself out of the cave. I came and helped him, and we spent a few days exploring… one of my rare vacations, I suppose. Since then, I have isolated this area from mining and surveying. It is now privately owned, with a strict no trespassing policy in place.” He looked at Fayth and said “The only empathy or telepathy that functions is that which comes from inside. Nothing from the outside can penetrate.” He began looking around and then said “I am researching who may be best suited to analyze the material. Someone used to keeping secrets and who has no desire for exploitation of such a rare find; but also possessing a keen scientific mind. I have a candidate in mind, but I have yet to reach out to him.”

Hyrushi, Governor

Sharah started about quietly for a moment, turning in place as she listened. Concern for his friend and what caused the heart attack. Fear and denial that such a place would be mined, and then guilt at her selfishness, for that was the primary reason she didn’t want anyone here. He needed someone to study it but not destroy it. Markus would love this, he would do it, she had to tell him…

Sharah sat quite suddenly. No…no Markus would never see this, and she would never tell him. Her astonishment was cut short by pain, the purely emotional kind. For long quiet moments she sat, hugging her knees, head resting in her arms. She cried, but the grief wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been, separated, disconnected from everyone else. How she would hurt for awhile, but she didn’t feel incapable of functioning, of living. She cried out of exhaustion. Honestly she was so tired if she didn’t move she might fall asleep right there. She cried out of relief. Like she imagined Homer’s Odysseus felt when he finally returned home.

After a long time she looked up and up and up at the cavern and whispered, “Imglath.” She pushed herself up onto a small rock and breathed deeply. “I have studied my condition for many years. Not just as a doctor but from a historical point of view. The stories go back into pre history far before space flight. This is not Imglath but it must be very similar.” Being there she now understood when some stories were so detailed the location of such a place was kept so vague. “There are stories of people like me…shunned by their villages, sent into exile. Some returned, others moved on, but they all speak of having found Imglath. Some would return to Imglath over and over, but the result was always the same. They returned healed, stronger. I always thought there was some seed of truth for there to be so many stories through history. I never thought I would find such a place.” She closed her eyes and lifted her face slightly to the ceiling, tears tracking down her cheeks. It was terrifying and exhilarating to be alone in her own head.

Fayth

“I am not familiar with those stories. My mother did not teach me much about my Betazoid side… apart from training in how to utilize my own abilities.” Hyrushi said quietly. He looked at Fayth and then said “I’ll be back in a moment.” and he walked out of the cavern and back into the tunnel.

“Your mother probably does not know them. Most people don’t. The government wishes to perpetuate the fear that I…that those like me are dangerous. It took years of digging, and many I only came across because I was indulged while sitting in a hospital and bored. Some because I went back to the primary sources rather than just text books. I had a lot of time alone to study whatever I wanted. But it is knowledge that…” she paused. Dare she give too much? It was a gift, precious and priceless he had given her. “I am quite certain if the Betazoid government knew what all I have discovered, or what I have hypothesized, I would be locked away as a threat to the people.” She listened to his foot steps andistened for their return. How novel to rely on one’s physical senses.

A few minutes later, he returned with a backpack. He set it on the ground next to her and began pulling out items. A large, thick pad was laid out on the ground. A sleeping bag went on top of it. Then a fusion lantern. Three large canteens of water. A small pot. A portable stove. A pillow. A communicator. And finally various foodstuffs. “There. Make yourself comfortable. I have things to attend to. But I can come back for you when you like. I would recommend spending several hours inside, then slowly make your way to the entrance. Go slow, and you will start hearing the city again. Make yourself comfortable in the transition. And then come back in here, and deal with what you need to. I can come back in twenty-four hours… or longer, if you like. The communicator is my private comm. Only I get those calls. If you want longer, that can be arraigned, although I may not be the one coming to get you. It is up to you. Or we can simply go back now. Entirely your choice.”

Hyrushi

She had responsibilities. Could she stay gone that long? What would she tell her own patient? To take the time that was offered. “I need to mark a medical leave with the hospital.”

“I sent word that you are assisting me in an urgent policy design. You are not expected back until the morning after tomorrow.” Hyrushi said matter-of-factly.

Sharah’s eyebrows raised and she gave him a look. He had it all planned out, and she could only be grateful. Some one just help her if Korczak found out. He might think she was working when she wasn’t.

“24 hours is more than I could have imagined.” She looked around at all the equipment and then at him. He didn’t know her at all, why share this with her? “Why?”

Fayth

He stopped setting up the equipment briefly and turned and looked at her. “Because you are in pain. And my job is to help those who need it. Be that through policy… infrastructure development… facility design and construction… or simply ensuring that those who do for the colony have what they need to do the best job they can do. You are an asset to the people, Doctor. And right now you are in no state to do that to the best of your abilities. The people need you… my job is to ensure that they have the best you they can get.” He went back to the equipment and soon had a camp site set up. He looked around to ensure that everything was as it should be, and then looked at Fayth. “In a crisis situation, the first rule for all First Responders is to ensure their own safety before attending to others. If they do not, they risk getting hurt. If they get hurt, they are of no use. So… here you are. I am a comm call away. You are not alone… except as much as you want to be.” and he gave her a bow. “Until the morning, then. If you need anything, please call. I will leave you to your reflections.” and he moved towards the passageway.

Hyrushi

Sharah knew all this. It was why she had contacted Korzcak, specifically. Just like he had reminded her. She couldn’t care for others the way she had been. One of Sharah’s specialties was emergency and first response medicine, she knew all this, but it never hurt to hear it again. He bowed, it was such a formal gesture but oddly endearing and genuine coming from him. Then he was leaving and she reached out, touching his arm very lightly and gently. She didn’t say anythung, unable to find words capable of expressing how his actions and words affected her. She could only shake her head as so much more than gratitude rolled off her.

Fayth

“You are most welcome. Make the most of your time, Doctor. For those in roles such as you and I find ourselves, such respite is few and far between.” Hyrushi said as he set his hand gently on hers. “Take care of yourself. I will see you in a day and a half.” He let go of her hand and turned and began walking into the passage. “Good luck, Doctor.” he said as he disappeared into the darkness. Soon his footsteps faded, and a few minutes later the sound of the runabout was very faintly heard as it took off and soon there was only silence.

Hyrushi

Silence

At first it was novel, broken only by her rummaging through the supplies. Then she laid back in the sleeping bag and stared up at the stones and their shifting colors. She wanted to take a small piece of the stone with her, to study, just to know how it worked. Was it the stone or what it guarded underneath? Was it a combination of things? Could a single piece help sustain her or was it it the massive crystalline structure as a whole that made it work? As quickly as the questions surfaced they were as quickly dismissed. Take one small piece here and there and soon this place would be gone. That couldn’t happen.

Oh to take scans, to determine how it was formed, but she had no equipment. Well the medical kit might have a tricorder, but for the moment she was content to appreciate the mystery and accept that it simply was. She fell asleep before she could contemplate more. The body, releases from working so hard to maintain demanded what it needed most - rest.

Silence

Deafening horrific silence woke her in the dead of night. She was utterly alone floating in the blackness of space. Such was the perception of a sleep addled mind. She had no idea how she had ended up in the black, without a suit. ‘ANDREW!’ There was no answer from her brother. He had protectedbher from monsters, real and imaginary, most of her life. Then her hand landed on one of the canteens and the moment of disorientation was gone. She peered around in the near darkness for the lantern and finally managed to light it. She sat in the middle of the sleeping bag staring at the stove and food and began to laugh.

“You thought of almost everything, Governor, except I don’t know how to cook.” Her mother and later on ithers, had been to afraid to let her, afraid the noise would distract her and there would be an accident. Once she’f entered Academy it didn’t matter, they had replicator. “If I can perform surgery I can do this.” Even if it tasted horrible. She attacked the task with more energy than it required. In the end she could say she learned something.

Silence

There was no one around, no one within reach, unless she went outside. The result would be the same though, she was still alone, here in this cave or in the midst of the city. She picked up the communicator several times only to put it down. He did her a kindness, and owed her nothing else. She was lonely, and had been for a long time, until Markus…and he left. He left without saying good bye, without any…any thought to her. If he was so unhappy she never would have asked him to stay…no that wasn’t true, but she would have let him go in the end. No conversation, no note, not even a telepathic goodbye. Had she meant so little to him? Anger bubbled and clawed it’s way out of her throat, echoing over and over in the cavern.

Silence

Just her own thoughts. She had no pad and pencils, butbthe ground was sandy and she drew in the dirt, things she thought, imagined, felt, stories she imagined, and they were all hers. Nothing she had taken from anyone else. Just Sharah’s. Some she wished she could keep, others she took gret care and purpose in how she erased them. Like the Tibetan monks she had watched once.

Silence

She didn’t want to let it go. She never wanted to go back into those storms, into the noise. But the governor would return, and she would go back. She sat at the very edge of the shadows staring at the dot of light. She could almost feel them like a long clawed monster waiting to snatched her away, just on the other side of where she sat. She cried, she didn’t want to take that step, cross that threshold. Being alone like this wasn’t so bad after she adjusted. Being honest with herself though, Sharah didn’t want to live alone, away from people. She wanted to be a part of life. So she moved, a little at a time, and then retreated back into the cave for awhile, only to repeat the process. She might have to accept what she was, but she didn’t have to like it.

Fayth, SFCMO

It was early in the morning when the sound of footsteps echoed in the passageway. Hyrushi entered the cavern and looked around, and then at Fayth. He was dressed in a suit of dark blue silk with a deep gray shirt. A crimson tie and vest contrasted with the other somber tones, but he looked as if he was ready to negotiate with the best of them. “Well, Doctor?” he asked with a sense of calm curiosity. “How do you feel now? Ready to go back?”

Hyrushi

The sound of his foot steps in the silence seemed loud. She was sitting crossed legged on the ground looking up at the massive structure. She was wearing the same clothes, her hair in a horrible attempt at a braid without a brush for the monster of curls, her sweater folded neatly on top of the neatly packed camping supplies. She looked remarkably well put together, considering. There was some color to her cheeks and some of the water had obviously been used to wash away the evidence of her grief. She turned to gaze at him, “Good morning, Governor.” He looked far too formal to be spelunking in a cave, but the colors fit, and it made her smile a little. “I…” she let out a breath, “I feel like I am a stranger to myself, and I am just learning who she…who I am…no that’s not quite right, like I am seeing myself for the first time.: She shrugged a bit. It was difficult to explain. “I wish I had more time to know her, but if I sat, I fear I would refuse to ever leave.” She stood, flipping something g in her hand over and over again. “I am not okay, but I will be.” She made her way across the large cavern and knelt down. She was holding a small piece of the crystal in her hand and there was a larger, plate sized, piece on the ground. She had stumbled across it in her wanderings and found that small piece beside it in the dirt. She placed it in the center and returned picking up some of the hear. “It takes me awhile to move back through the tunnel. I had meant to be waiting outside.”

Fayth

Hyrushi inclined his head and said “Take your time.” He picked up the backpack and made sure everything was packed up before looking at Fayth and saying “I will be in the ship… when you are ready.” and he turned and headed out of the cavern.

Inside the ship, Hyrushi idled the engines and sat reading a PaDD.

Hyrushi

Sharah followed behind him for a ways, but as they got closer to the end of the tunnel she slowed, paused, breathed, moved forward, and then repeat. She supposed she could dive in, but she hoped that allowing herself to adjust would keep the headache at bay for a little while. She did not allow herself to linger though, she understood he was as busy as she normally was, more so probably. It took her just over half an hour. The return of the noise was heavy and made her head feel like an over worked muscle that wasn’t ready to be used again. She stepped onto the runabout and pressed the control to close and seal the door. She slipped into the seat beside him. She was calmer, more like being on the back side of a massive storm, but mostly she was contemplative.

Fayth

Hyrushi put the PaDD away and said “I took the liberty of having some clothes brought from you. They are in the bedroom. There is a refresher as well, if you wish. And no… I did not break into your apartment.” he said with a small smile. “Your friend Nurse Crockett was kind enough to retrieve them from the hospital. I will take you there directly… unless you have somewhere else you need to go?”

Hyrushi

Sharah looked out the window and wasn’t sure if she wanted to groan or laugh. If Yavia knew who requested her clothes she was never going to hear the end of it. Actually it didn’t matter who it was, Yavia was going to give her a hard time. “The hospital will be fine. I have no where else to go. Excuse me.”

She disappeared into the back and could have died at what Yavia sent. It was a dress she kept in her office for when she wasn’t going straight back to her apartment and didn’t want to wear her uniform. She washed and brushed her hair, braided it neatly this time, and donned the dress. It was black, knee-length, wrap around silhouette with a flaired skirt. Yavia even included the shoes. Wonderful. But it was clean and she had a spare uniform in her office.

The last thing she found in the bag made her laugh. An emergency pager like the one Tenkiller had left in the security ward. Oh Yavia. Refreshed and feeling more presentable than she had when she boarded the shuttle she returned to the seat still chuckling. “I keep having reasons to thank you, but the words are not enough. You seem to think of every minute detail.”

Fayth

Hyrushi smiled slightly but shook his head. “No thanks are needed, Doctor. You were in need. I was in a position to help. Not doing so would be…” and he turned his head and looked at her intently for a moment, “… dishonorable.” He looked back out the viewscreen and pushed the throttle forward slowly and the ship flew towards the city. “I am just pleased to see you in slightly better spirits.” He then looked at the outfit she was wearing and said “Or… at least a more flattering outfit.”

Hyrushi

Honor was a term passed around a lot, and it meant different things to different people and it was expressed in just as many ways. She couldn’t read his mind nor feel his emotions, but she feltike in that moment she understood him, just a little. The same sentiment was what drove her as a doctor. She nodded, acceptingbhis explanation before her turned back to the view screen. She smiled, her expression lightening. “Thank you. Nurse Crockett will be pleased you like it. Though it came with a rather unexpected accessory.” Sharah couldn’t stop the small bubble of laughter as she held up the emergency pager. “If you intended me ill, you would have found this before I did.”

Fayth

Hyrushi glanced at the device and sighed and shook his head. “Well, at least you know that you have people who care for you. I must say, the… ‘discussion’… between my receptionist and your friend the nurse when she asked for clothes for you was colorful, to say the least. I would not have relished being the attending if those two came to actual blows.”

Hyrushi

Sharah’s sigh was a match for his. She glanced over at him. “Oh no…” Sharah could see it. Some strange woman coming and asking Yavia of all people for her things. And Yavia was fiercely protective. Like a previt protecting her young, and the receptionist trying to protect the governor’s privacy. “Oh…oh dear.” She shouldn’t laugh. “I have to imagine your receptionist is a formidable person to manage the people and situations she encounters each day. The unstable object met the immovable one.” She shook her head. “I have an incident report waiting on my desk don’t I?” Oh please don’t let Yavia have called security or worse Tenkiller....

Fayth

Hyrushi chuckled and said “No, it was managed without bloodshed. Ms. Fen and Ms. Crockett managed to reach an agreement, I believe. Ms. Crockett gave her the clothes with a promise that you were alright and would be returning soon with the additional condition that if you did not, then Ms. Crockett would hunt Ms. Fen down and discuss the matter.”

Hyrushi

“Well that explains the ‘hope for the best,’” and she waved an hand over the dress and then held up the pager, “‘prepare for the worst’ contents of the bag. I’m glad I didn’t choose to stay longer. I will find Nurse Crockett first thing.” However she needn’t have to wait. Sharah closed her eyes searching for a familiar mind, her touch delicate but clear, despite the distance. ‘Yavia, I’m fine. Don’t hunt anyone down.‘ She hoped that eased Yavia’s worry.

She shook her head and stared out the window distracted for a moment as they drew closer to the city. She watched the barren landscape speed by. The scent of cherry blossoms in the runabout and the still barren landscape reminded her of something she had wondered about. “Do you know if any of the native flora survived?” She didn’t think so, but seeds could have been cataloged before hand. “As we walked the other day, I recognized most of the vegetation. I wondered if any of the unfamiliar ones might have been.”

Fayth

Hyrushi’s wall slipped a bit and a sense of loss fluttered through the runabout and was gone. “Not much, no. But some. And there were the samples that the Federation had taken prior to colonization. So we have the DNA of many of the lost species. We are hopeful that the terraforming personnel will be able to make use of it. And there is an expert in Conservation coming to Oed to assist with the reintroduction of native species. Eccentric fellow, but a very solid mind for the natural world.”

Hyrushi, Governor

Fayth watched him a moment, his loss moving her. “I hope that they have much success. Perhaps the archeology digs will find remains of more and help fill in some of the missing pieces. If I ever have enough time, I would enjoy helping their efforts.” She nodded, “I thi k he will fit in. I think Oed likes eccentric and unique people. I have yet to not meet someone who doesn’t match that description in some way.”

Fayth

Hyrushi shrugged and said “I am sure we will find out. Oed has a way of weeding out those that do have it in them to succeed.” The runabout crossed into the city’s outskirts and banked up and left sharply, rising high above the cityscape. Hyrushi set them on a course towards the hospital. As they slowed and began their decent, he looked at Fayth.

“I hope that his expertise can be put to benefit the planet.” She watched the city as he flew over the buildings. The hospital quickly growing larger, the noise louder, but familiar. She saw him glance her way and turned her attention to him.

“I’m reaching out to that scientist I mentioned. If we can come to some kind of arrangement to have the material analyzed… would you like to be part of the study? Your perspective would be unique and quite valuable, I’m sure.”

Hyrushi

“Yes, of course.” The benefit would go far beyond her. If there was something she could do to help those like her, that suffered, struggled that was a welcome opportunity. “I would be happy to help however I can. The med kit you left, I took a few scans of myself. They wouldn’t mean much without my baseline, but they are there.” She took a deep steadying breath as the ground rushed to meet them. Time to return to existence.

Fayth

The runabout slowed and then rose up, up over the hospital and then settled on the shuttle pad on the roof. “Excellent. Then for the past day and a half you have assisted me in developing a policy for allowing off-planet medical studies utilizing materials found on Oed V to be approved and how the findings of such studies will be disseminated.” He opened the hatch from the control panel. “Its in your work communications. A rough draft, but enough of a work in progress it should hold up to scrutiny.”

Hyrushi

Privacy, buried in mostly truth based on your point of view. That was something Sharah knew well, that everything was interpreted based on perspective. She stood from the chair, picking up the bag Yavia had sent. She paused before she reached the door. “I believe you when you said you could nothing but help me. I feel the same way about medicine. I want you to know your kindness, the silence you provided, I will cherish always.” She moved toward the door, “I will look over the memos and get back to you. Have a good day Governor.”

Fayth

Hyrushi bowed his head in response and said “When silence is again a necessity, know that it is a possibility. You simply need to ask. Good day, Doctor.”

A moment later the runabout lifted off the roof and soared out of sight.

Hyrushi