An ode to Harris

Posted on Thu Apr 9th, 2020 @ 4:37pm by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD & Commander Hades,MD

2,953 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 106 – Stalemate
Location: First Federation
Timeline: (Back Post, approx 7 weeks ago)

{ON:}

Throughout the ages meditation had been practiced in various forms by countless civilisations throughout the galaxy. The precise methods varied of course, he had personally spent time in a monastery in a far flung corner of the Beta Quadrant where meditation was done while standing on one’s head. It had not, for him, been as rewarding an experience as his hosts had expected.

For his part, Reyas preferred more time honoured methods which he had learned on Vulcan. Seeking calm and clarity to complete the final stage of his task. He was not without regret but this was a sacrifice which needed to be made.

He rose, looking down upon the home which lay not far from the waterfall, in the darkness light spilled out of the windows at the back of the house, little points of light guiding him to his destination.

“... man of many talents, Mr Corrigan,” Carolyn grinned as she sampled the dinner Harris was about to dish up. It still amazes her how comfortable and at ease he was, this life second nature to him. “Delicious. And much better than my attempt at lunch.”

He smiled at her. "Yes well I learned everything I needed to know about cooking from Hades. I never knew my father but that man was more a father then friend to me." He poured a glass of Tranja for her. "It's a sweet drink here in the FF."

Taking a sip, she savoured the taste and grinned, “it’s lovely. I like it!”

"It's the non alcohol version." He sat down and took her head. "My wife...You know I fell in love with you from the moment I saw you," Richard confessed.

“Who could blame you,” she teased lightly. “Maybe Adari could look at your head too?”

“I know I’m... difficult,” she added, serious now. “Which is an understatement. You are more than I deserve. Most people would have gone hidden out in Delta Quadrant by now.”

He smiled at her. "You deserve the best Carolyn. You deserve more then I can ever give you." Just as he spoke a rustle outside drew his attention. "Did you hear that?"

She had been about to remind him of how much he had given her, from being at her side through all of Adari’s treatment and the aftermath, to the child they were going to have. Yet the words never left her lips as she heard it to. She began to stand, listening.

Her eyes went to each window in turn, yet there was nothing to be seen. “Maybe an animal?” She whispered, trying not to sound as worried as she suddenly felt.

Harris walked over to the fire place. He pulled out a brick to reveal a little control panel. With a few clicks an image of the entire house and surrounding area materialized from thin air in the middle of the room. Two red dots appeared at the edge of the property. "Those aren't animals." He said. Hurrying he pulled out a little box from a drawer. "Harris to Vedari Guard. I need assistance." He looked at Carolyn. "Come with me"

She nodded, eyes fixed on those dots as she walked, passing through the display to reach him. A very modern display of technology which was insanely out of place. She could see the tension in Harris but also a resolute determination. “How long until the guards can get here?”

"Not quick enough." He took her hand. "Alright come with me." He walked her to the fireplace again and waved his hand over a Risan Statue. The fireplace wall simmered and disappeared revealing a little room fit for one person. "Go inside, stay there until the guards come. When you see them press the red button."

“Harris, no!” she said as she grabbed his arm, “I’m not leaving you deal with this alone. Please!”

"Carolyn you need to be safe. I need you safe. I promise I'll do everything I can to hold them off until the guard get here. Hurry!"

She stepped forward, kissing him hard, all her fear in that moment for him. “You better keep that promise Richard Harris,” she breathed, stepping back into the space while every instinct told her to stay with him, to fight.

As the space was sealed off, concealed, she heard glass breaking from one of the back rooms. “Please be safe,” she whispered, even though there was nobody to hear.

Harris turned and headed to the middle of the room. He knew that he'd have to defend Carolyn. He hid behind a door that swung open to the livingroom and waited. Perhaps the element of surprise would help.

From outside, Reyas watched as his companion made his far from stealthy entrance. Loud but efficient. A distraction, something he himself could use. He had little interest if his ‘associate’ emerged unscathed or not. There was nothing to trace back to his employer and quite frankly, he was not that good.

Picking his own point of entry he was, by comparison, like a ghost as he slipped into the house. Careful not to alert the occupants to his presence he paused, listening as Ijun headed towards the kitchen like a bull in a china shop. Reyas sighed, if the good doctor did not kill him, perhaps he would...

Weapon drawn, Ijun moved quickly. Time he knew, was a factor. The Guard would soon come. He let out a startled shout when after his next footstep someone pounced at him, knocking the weapon from his hand as they fell to the floor.

Harris delivered several blows to the intruder's head. He scrambled to his feet reaching for the phaser. He pointed it at the intruder. "Stand up...very slowly." He knew that Carolyn was safe. The room she was in was designed to give off false readings to anyone scanning. It would show Carolyn everywhere in every room and even a mile outside on all sides. It would even show her standing next to the person doing the scan. They would not find her. "What do you want?"

Reyas had to admit, the good doctor was far more trouble certainly than Ijun had expected. Disoriented the younger man was on his knees, staring up at the doctor, yet he did not get more than a single word out before Reyas fires his own weapon twice in quick succession.

The first struck Ijun in the forehead, the other hit the dear doctor. His sudden turn towards the source of the blast meant the blast hit him in the shoulder but killing him was not Reyas’ plan. Not yet.

“What I want, Doctor Harris,” he said slowly, calmly, as he walked towards him, “is your wife and to finish what I started. I do so pride myself on my work. You do not need to die tonight. Just tell me where she is.”

Harris bit his lip as the phaser sheered his shoulder. He stumbled and fell. "Is that all?" He asked. He thought a moment. "Alight. Help me to that chair before I loose consciousness," He pointed to the recliner. "I'll tell you."

Reyas regarded him, “don’t try to be a hero,” he hissed as he grabbed Harris under his arm and all but threw the other man towards the recliner.

Harris had been counting on it His hand subtly touched a hidden button. It would take time to work so he righted himself in the chair. "Now then. Are you going to hurt her and for that matter what do you want from her?"

Reyas sighed, keeping one eye on the doctor while scanning the room. He hid his growing frustration well. First Federation. Always more trouble than they needed to be. “Hurt her? Dear doctor, I could lie and say no but you know better,” he said absently as he walked around the room, stepping over the body of his former associate. “It isn’t what I want, it is what is necessary. Especially now that your precious First Federation undid all of my work.”

He patted Harris’ injured shoulder, “unexpected twist, you bringing her all the way out here. Gave me time to dispose of Stavek.”

"Well actually I should thank you for something." Harris said. He had an excellent clock in his mind. The guards were well away and the secret room that Carolyn was in would protect her.

Reyas eyes narrowed, “thank me?”

Harris laughed. The phaser hit had been a little low. He knew that a vital artery had been damaged. "Well you did help me into this chair and your visit has solved a problem for me...two problems for me."

“And what two would that be?”

He pointed to Reyas' friend on the ground. "That was one." He then looked at Reyas. "Two was you coming here. Explaining your responsibility for Carolyn's memories and providing me with a golden opportunity."

Reyas laughed. “Oh, dear doctor,” he smiled, “a golden opportunity indeed. You have minutes at best. And I’m willing to bet she is very very close. If I have a gun to your head, or give her the chance to save your life, maybe she won’t want to stay hiding.”

He smiled. He turned to the fire place. "I wish I put a picture up there. He turned his face to the sky. I love you both." Closing his eyes he muttered, "Defence protocol Alpha One Harris two, Now." The house rumbled and a flash of light filled the room. When it cleared Harris looked at Reyas. "We both have one minute Reyes." He pointed to Reyas' leg which was already starting to dissipate. "It's like a transporter, I hope you weren't attached to your molecules."

Reyas looked down, eyes wide as his brain attempted to process what his eyes were telling him, staring dumbfounded as wisps of air seemed to be erasing him, piece by piece.

“Harris!” Carolyn screamed, pounding against the spot where the door had been, even though she knew it would do no good. She should never have let him stay alone! She touched the red button again and again and again but it stayed dark, refusing to let her out. Going dark at the same time as the video feed. It felt like an ocean was between them. “Harris?! Please!!! Let me out!!!”

“Elevated vital signs, initiating protocol two,” the cheerful automated voice informed her.

“Don’t you dare protocol any-“ her words were cut off mid sentence as something pressed against her arm, a heartbeat later and she was out cold, safely cocooned away from the outside world, one name on her lips. “Harris...”

Adari worked fast. The guard had been alerted to the deployment of the protocol. Having been his friend Adari had known where he'd have stashed her. It had taken them minutes to clear the home and remove her. Adari had been frightened to see her friend in that state but also Harris. When they had entered they'd seen the last wisps of Reyas and Harris disappear. She'd pushed aside her tears.

Carolyn was safe and stable. That was all that mattered now. It would be hours before they woke her. She pressed a hypo to her neck waiting for her to wake.

“Harris!”

Awaking with a start, Carolyn’s eyes widened as she came to, not expecting to find herself on her back, on a bed, staring up at a familiar face. But not the face she wanted to see. She looked beyond Adari, around the room but he wasn’t there. “Where is he? Where is Harris?” She asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. Afraid to ask for the fear that was tightening like a vice around her heart.

Adari shook her head. "H...He's gone Carolyn."

Carolyn looked back at her, “of course he’s not gone. He can’t be!” Sitting up listened for him, but there was nothing to hear. “He can’t be...”

Adari, tears in her eyes, placed a hand on Carolyn's shoulders. "He's gone Carolyn. Everyone in the house has been molecularly scattered. The room you were in protected you.”

“I couldn’t get out,” she whispered, her own tears flowing freely. “He wouldn’t let me stay with him and then he got hurt... I kept pressing the button but the computer had locked me out. And then the monitor went out and I couldn’t see him. He shouldn’t have been alone...”

Adari swiped at her tears. "I know. He had to protect you. Those men that were chasing you are gone now. You were Richard's life Carolyn. You and your baby. There was no way he could fight and he activated a defense system." She held her friend's hand. "I can only imagine what you are going through."

“This is my fault,” she breathed. “They wanted me...”

"It's not your fault. I promise you. Did you recognize any of them?"

Carolyn closed her eyes as she nodded. “One of them... yes.”

Adari motioned for two guards to come forward. "Who was he. These are Hades' personal guards. We told him what happened and he wants to ensure your safety."

One of the guards spoke he bowed. "My Lady Carolyn, If you will provide the name we'll see if we can find out if anyone was involved."

Carolyn stared up at the two imposing figures. She frowned, thinking. She had so many new, to her fresh memories and most were tied to that man. But his name... “Reyas! My grandmother met him when I was little, he came to her home. She called him Reyas.”

One guard looked at the other. "What do you know. I owe you ale."

The other one rolled his eyes. "Yes and you know what Hades will do when we tell him he was right that the grandmother was involved?"

"Vent her out an airlock?"

Adari gave them a good dress down and sent them outside. "Sorry they're an acquired taste." She placed a hand on Carolyn's shoulder. "I did some scans...the baby is okay. But you have to rest a bit more."

She nodded numbly, biting down on her lip. “Okay.”

Adari took and held her hand. "When I lost my mate It felt like my soul died. I know what you are going through. I will be there for you as much as you will allow."

Carolyn squeezed her hand, “you’ve done so much, thank you. He thought so much of you, so do I. We can never repay what you’ve done. And I have no idea what your customs or traditions are ... how do we even think of saying goodbye -“

She broke off, unable to finish the sentence as she broke sown in tears.

She smiled using her free hand to brush a stray lock of hair from Carolyn's face. "No thanks is necessary amongst friends. And goodbyes are final. Even when we move to the next life or energy is around so goodbyes are merely we shall meet again."

“Have a few people waiting there already,” she said quietly, wiping at her eyes. “I need air, I can’t breathe in here.”

Adari smiled, "I have something better." She looked at Carolyn, "Trust me?"

Carolyn frowned before nodding. “Yes...”

She helped Carolyn up gently and took her to the area where she loved to sit and watch the rainbows. "Come, sit with me. We don't have to talk."

Following Adari, she knelt on the floor she reached out, letting her fingertips brush against the field to initiate a kaleidoscope of colours. A small sad smile played at her lips. “He had so many plans,” she said quietly. “Every time he looked at the scan of the baby his whole face lit up brighter than the sun...”

"He was happy. He had never thought that he'd have a child. I remember when he was younger he use to say that until he met the girl of his dreams no family. He'd almost given up until he met you. He was convinced it was going to be a girl you know."

“He would have been an amazing dad,” she mused, watching the colours ripple out from where her hand rested against the barrier holding the ocean at bay. “I just... wish we had more time. Wish he hadn’t been alone...”

Adari sighed, "He wasn't. He knew where you were. The guard... he got there before Harris faded. Got to talk to him for a moment."

Carolyn’s head snapped up, “what?!”

"He told the guard to tell you that he loved you and that you made his life worth living." Adari said gently wrapping an arm around her friend.

Carolyn simply nodded as she leaned into Adari, closing her eyes. Wishing she could wake up now because this was the worst nightmare of them all by far.

“Can I be alone for a little while please?” She said quietly.

"Take all the time you need." She kissed Carolyn on the top of the head, stood, and then handed Carolyn a diamond shaped holo box. "So you can see the baby. Normally you can't tell the gender this early but our technology allows it."

Holding it tightly, Carolyn flashed Adari a grateful smile. Waiting until she was alone she leaned back, touching the surface to activate the display. Instantly it came to life and as ever it took her breath away. Beneath the image a series of stats - vital signs. All strong and healthy. Perfect. And another marker, depicting gender.

Tears rolled down her check and she cradled the device against her chest. “Our little princess, Harris...”

{OFF:}

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