Eye of the storm

Posted on Thu Feb 27th, 2020 @ 6:02pm by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD & Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne
Edited on on Sat Feb 29th, 2020 @ 5:02am

1,907 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 104 - A Glimmer of Hope...
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD2, 0030hours

A quiet had descended during the last hour or so, a peaceful atmosphere which was in stark contrast to the fierce battle which now seemed so long ago. Dressed in a fresh pair of surgical scrubs, Dr Corrigan carefully made her exit from the doctor’s lounge, stepping over the medics and nurses who had taken an opportunity to catch up on some rest. Nobody wanted to go far, just in case.

Snagging a blanket she made her way towards the ICU. Predominantly surgical patients filled the beds, the lights dimmed as they were kept sedated to aid recovery. Her eyes swept over every individual monitor, keeping a watchful eye. In a heartbeat their situation could deteriorate or improve and the team on duty were prepared for either eventuality.

In truth she could not be more proud of them, especially the cadets and new arrivals. They had all performed admirably. Including those from the Heart.

Rounding the corner she came to Kaden’s bed. Heavily sedated, he remained behind a sterile field while he healed. She had not spent hours operating to allow an infection to undo her work. And she could never look Freya in the eye if she allowed such a thing.

Keeping quiet she unfolded the blanket and draped it over Ariana’s unconscious form. Her friend had been here when she had last checked on Kaden, already asleep. She had a feeling that unless her duties required it, the counsellor was going nowhere.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t meant to wake you,” she whispered when Ariana stirred. “Go back to sleep.”

Ariana yawned and stretched. "How long have I been asleep?"

“Not sure I even know what day it is by this point,” Carolyn grinned as she stepped past her and sat down in the adjacent seat. After casting a critical eye over Kaden’s vital signs and seemingly satisfied, she slid further down in the seat, head back against the wall. “These aren’t very comfortable... anyway, you should go sleep in an actual bed. We are keeping him sedated so he won’t know if you go and sleep. He’d probably be mad you didn’t.”

"That's true" Ariana nodded. "I..." She looked at Kaden then back at Carolyn. "Used to date Kaden, I guess this blending of my personality is making things surface that I kept buried for a long time. I still care for him, we both have our own partners now and I wouldn't change that for the universe but I also can't lie about my feelings either." She shrugged her shoulders. "He's stubborn, argumentative and downright bull headed sometimes but there's still a small part of me loves him, and I always will."

Carolyn fell silent for a long moment. “That’s all going to serve him well. He will need the support but also that stubborn streak- or bull headed streak. And patience.”

With a sigh she got back to her feet, “I have to get prepped for another surgery. Stay as long as you like just not too long, okay?”

Ariana nodded. "Carolyn...thank you, for saving him." She gave her friend a smile. "I'm looking forward to getting home to Cameron and Stacie, I miss them!"

“I’m sure they’ve missed you too,” Carolyn replied. She pushed away the creeping thoughts of Harris. Pausing a few steps away, she added, “apparently I now own a puppy. What am I supposed to do with a puppy?”

Ariana smiled. "Love it, and let it love you." Ariana smiled. "I'm sure Stacie will love having a puppy to play with when she visits her auntie Carolyn as she grows older."

“Yeah...” Carolyn said, looking up at the ceiling for a moment as she added, “the puppy was supposed to be - well kind of is - a present from Harris. Doctor Fal brought it aboard when he beamed over from the USS Heart. It was like ... someone just punched me, you know. He was just talking and then he brought up Harris and then this ball of fur...” she broke off, falling silent.

"Don't bottle it my friend" Ariana gave her friend a caring look. "You haven't grieved for Richard, not properly. Don't bury your feelings, trust me it doesn't help! Talk to me about him, keep talking until you can't talk anymore."

“I can’t. Not right now. I can’t be distracted, not today,” Carolyn told her quietly. “When we get back. I promise.”

Ariana nodded. "Of course, I'm sorry." She smiled warmly. "I'd best be getting back anyway. I'll go freshen up then head for the bridge."

“I will let you know if there is any change in his condition,” she promised.

"Thank you Carolyn" Ariana smiled warmly. "For everything, and I don't just mean now."

Carolyn simply nodded. While many things had happened while they were on the colony, if anything her friendship with Ariana had grown. Looking at Ariana now, it was hard to believe how she had been just a few weeks ago...


Erebus Colony, Medical Facility, two weeks prior


The procedure to combine Ariana and her other self had seemed to go well, but all was not as it had seemed. Now Ariana sat in the middle of an empty room, humming to herself whilst drawing pretty patterns on a piece of paper with a crayon.

Her mood had become increasingly unstable, switching between happy, sad, angry and bitter. At the moment all that there was of Ariana was gone and a mere shell now sat alone. Anything that she could possibly harm herself with had been removed and she was left with just the basics that she needed.

“That’s a pretty song,” Carolyn said softly as she came into the room. Not expecting a response, she approached and set down a sketch pad on the side of the bed. “A present.”

Without another word she moved to the side and said an inward prayer this would help. She bit her lip as Ariana reached for it. Inside every page held pictures, all sketches of Stacie from her first scan which Carolyn had done until the final one, when she was just a few days old and had been sleeping in her little sleeping basket.

Ariana's interest was at first peaked by the sketch pad itself, more paper on which she could draw. That was until she set eyes on the pictures, at first she frowned and pushed it away before suddenly grabbing it back. She slowly ran her fingers over the first picture, before slowly turning the pages each one filling her with emotion, the emotion of being a mother seperated from her baby.

Tears started to roll down her cheeks, the song changed from one of happiness to one of sadness and pain. Her hands clinched into tightly rolled up balls and she backed away into a corner, her voice was heard for the first time since her blending. "Stacie...."

“Yes,” Carolyn said softly, keeping a distance so as not to overwhelm her. She knew that feeling. “Your daughter. And we are going to get you home to her. But you have to be strong for her, fight to get her mum back to her. Please... I can draw you a million pictures. All of the memories I have of you and her are right here,” she touched her own head. “But you know how it felt. To love her before you even set eyes on her. You love her.”

Ariana gazed up at Carolyn, the first time she'd paid any attention to anyone since the blending sent her this way. She locked her gaze onto the pad of pictures before cradling her head in her hands. "It hurts!!" She leant back repeatedly banging her head off the padded walls of the room. "So loud!! I can't... Please make it stop!!!"

“No, don’t ...” Carolyn pleaded as she moved forward and used her hand to stop Ariana from harming herself further. “Try ... try listening to me. You like music, right? You know me, you know inside my head so listen to me...”

She closed her eyes, concentrating on her mother. On how she loved to sing. Right up until the end. She loved to sit and curl up with her children at night, singing them to sleep with her soft melodic voice. It was the most peaceful and calming memory Carolyn possessed, clung to more and more as her own treatments progressed.

Ariana did as her friend asked, she focused her mind o to Carolyn's thoughts, the song was so gentle, so peaceful that it soon had the desired effect. Ariana started to calm, slowly curling up on the floor resting her head on Carolyn's lap the way a child might.

"Carolyn...my friend" Ariana smiled before slowly yet surely her eyes started to close. The melody of the song so gentile that it practically sang her to sleep. At least now Carolyn had a clue as to what it was that was driving her friend so crazy.

Carolyn said nothing, not wanting to break the moment of peace Ariana had managed to find. And there were worse things, she knew, than thinking of those times with her mother. And maybe, just maybe, it would help her friend assert herself through her own bond with Stacie. She didn't know for sure, she just knew she had to try something.

Humming along, matching the melody note for note, Carolyn settled back, willing to wait it out as long as her presence helped.

Ariana smiled at the sound of Carolyn's voice. Moving herself across to the sketch pad she picked it up and looked at the pictures of Stacie. "I...want to go home!" She turned to look at Carolyn. "Please...the voices, its so....loud, I can't block them out!" She gave Carolyn a pleading look. "Please...stop the voices!"

Carolyn frowned, thinking not of her mother now but something far more mundane. A research paper, a study of the neurological and psychological impact of Betazoids who were born with fully fledged abilities, without the preparation or corresponding abilities to block or filter the thoughts they heard.

She had to speak to Adari!

"Ariana, I will be back I promise... but I need to speak to them, we will figure this out, I promise."

Ariana nodded but no sooner was she out of Carolyn's mind and no longer hearing the song, she reverted to sitting in a solitary corner with her head on her knees.

After a few minutes, Carolyn slipped back into the room. “Adair is on her way. Just a few more minutes, okay?” She said quietly as she sat down on the floor nearby. She closed her eyes as she thought of her mother, singing the song again to try and help her friend.

As soon as Carolyn started singing Ariana moved to curl up beside her again. Concentrating on the song was the only thing that gave her any peace. She slowly started humming along, learning the tune from Carolyn.


Present day, USS Mercy, Sickbay

"Took me about two days to get that song out of my head," Carolyn admitted with a rueful smile as she made a final check on Kaden's vital signs. "Now go, we have this covered."

Ariana nodded. "Thank you my friend, for everything." She smiled warmly before heading on her way.

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