Changes Pt3

Posted on Sat Mar 16th, 2019 @ 12:07pm by Tom Vercetti & Vito Russo & Commander Hades,MD & Splendora Sage

1,158 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 97 - Cultural Exchange
Location: Sickbay Pegasus
Timeline: MD4 0400 hours

ON:

Hades walked into the main sickbay room and smiled. “You’re awake.”

Splendora sighed. “I am but they are not. Thank you for getting a blanket over them.”

He chuckled, “They love you. Stayed all night.” His smile faded. “There is a call for you. A rather distinguished looking Cardassian. Older.”

She sighed, “Ah…the Leggett. I should go talk to him.”

Hades put a hand on her shoulder. “How do you feel?”

“I’m better. I feel like my insides are being torn apart…or at least I did. I’m alright now.”

Hades helped her get up slowly and took her to the office. It was a good thirty minutes before she emerged, her eyes swollen and her face pale. “Splendora are you alright?”

She shook her head. “He’s dead. My…son or rather step son is dead.”

Hades closed his eyes briefly. “I’m so sorry. My condolences.”

She wiped her cheeks. “I need some coffee and to think.”

He sighed, “Well the replicator is there and you can use my office if you like or the family room. I’ll get your bio bed cleaned up. I’d like you to stay in sickbay a few hours more.”

She gave a nod and allowed him to help her get the coffee and to get to the room.

Hades went back into the main Sickbay to clean up her bio bed. Just as Tom and Vito stirred.

Tom looked over at Splendora's bed, she wasn't there. He jumped up to his feet and in so doing tripped over the blanket that had been put around him and fell flat on his face. The noise work up Vito and he too jumped up, stumbled over his blanket then tripped over Tom laying on the floor and also fell.

After a moment of shaking off the fall and feeling embarrassed both men stood.

"Where is she?" Tom asked.

Hades had tried his best not to laugh at the two men but it wasn't easy. A small chuckle slipped out. He pulled out his tricorder and scanned the two men. "Nothing broke. Just bruised egos." He smiled, "She's fine. She's...in the family room having coffee. Feeling better but she' shad some bad news and if the PADD is correct this feeling better is only temporary."

Vito looked at Tom, "You should go talk to her, I'll clean up here.

Tom gave a thankful nod and walked over to the family room. He slowly walked in. "Splendora, are you okay?"

Splendora had just taken a few sips of the coffee before abandoning it and looking out at the stars. She sensed him before he entered. Slowly she turned and smiled through misty eyes. "I'm alright. Feeling a lot better really." She patted the sofa beside her. "I'm glad you are okay. I owe Mr. Roebuck a bottle of whisky. His transport device worked." She turned back to the window.

Tom sat down, looking at her with concern. "A lot of people worked to get you out, but Florence, Michael, and that step-son of yours were somehow a step a head of his the whole time. Bremer has a meeting with Leget Garek and Admiral Toddman of Starfleet Command. He's going to find out what the Obsidian Order really knew about this, but we all think this was off the books so much that even Garek doesn't know about it. Toddman knows something, but it might only have been enough to know to stay clear of whatever Section 31 was doing. What happened to the old days of the mid twenty-third century when Section 31 just operated in the shadows, gathering intel and protecting the Federation, working in the gray areas of Starfleet regulations?" It was a rhetorical question, an attempted joke. Tom realized the comment, somehow, wasn't funny to Splendora.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked her.

She took his hand raising his arm and bringing it around her shoulder so she could lay her head on his shoulder. "I wish I knew what this was all about. Florance I don't know about but Michael was working to save me and Aiden..." Her voice chocked up at the mention of her step-son. "Aiden was a wonderful person. He gave his life to keep me safe."

"Was?" Tom asked. "What happened?"

"When Vito and I were getting away he and Michael fought the men Florence brought. He took a phaser to his chest, according to Akal. Went down....didn't get back up."

"I'm sorry." Tom said. "Do they know where Florence is now?"

She shook her head slightly. "The Order is looking for him. I wish I could join that hunt." She pulled away a little and looked up at Tom. She really looked at him. She stood and walked over to the window. "Tom. Can we have a bit of a serious conversation?"

'I thought this was serious.' He thought to himself. "Sure."

She turned back to him and walked back to the sofa. "I don't know what's happening with me. All I know is that back there on the planet I did things I never through possible. I can't fight Tom yet....I could and then it was as if there was this unholy strength that coursed through me. After I got sick and it felt as if I was being ripped apart from the inside. I don't know what's going on nor do I know if I can survive whatever it is but I have to say something to you."

"Well you're not going back down there." Tom blurted out. "And you will survive. Doctor Hades will find a cure, or a way to ease these symptoms."

"I have to go, Aiden's funeral is in two days." She noted how he'd ignored her last statement. "Tom. Look at me." She took his face in her hands. "If I should not survive this. There is something I want you to know."

"Don't talk that way. Vito and I will go with you, and I'm sure under the circumstances Bremer will also order an escort for you." He paused, "What do you want me to know?"

She smiled at him. "If anything goes wrong I want you to know that you have given my life meaning. In this short time I've been with you I have felt cared for and protected and for the first time in my life happy. I love you Tom Vercetti. Always remember that."

Tom smiled and teared up. He then kissed Splendora softly. "Think positively. Things will work out, it'll be okay."

She embraced him hoping he was right. There in his embrace she felt whole. "Can we stay like this a while?" She asked just wanting to enjoy being with the man she loved.

"Let's see if we can go to my quarters. I'll light a fire, holographic of course, and we can both just go back to sleep."


TBC...

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