From: Kim (kimtoussaint_at_yahoo.com)
Date: Wed Jan 09 2008 - 09:43:22 PST
"Home"
( continued from Joy's "A letter" )
_______________________________________
Location: ( FLASHBACK ) PATRIOT
Scene: Daisy's quarters
Time index: Stardate: 2.30331.0915
5 years ago. Ben and Daisy were
together. She was still human and hiding from Ben
that she'd been diagnosed with a terminal illness
_______________________________________
Ben was lying on his stomach in Daisy's bed. His strong arms curled
around the pillow under his head. He looked peaceful as he slept.
Sitting up, Daisy touched her hand to the small of his back. She
could feel his warmth as she gently ran her hand up to his shoulder
and touched his light brown hair.
He was beautiful - lying there like that. Young and beautiful -
healthy and strong....for a moment, she wanted nothing more than
to snuggle up next to him and forget.
More than anything, she wished she could just forget about the
only secret she'd ever kept from him. But - the fact was that
she was sick. The illness was dormant right now - but it wasn't
going to go away.
There was a guilty look on her face and a knot in her stomach as she
climbed carefully out of bed - trying not to disturb him. He
stirred for a moment. She gasped as he rolled from his stomach over
to his side, afraid he would wake up and ask where she was going.
He didn't wake up, though. He just hugged a pillow to his chest,
said the name "Arthur" and went back to sleep.
Daisy sighed with relief and tip-toed into the bathroom. Once
there, she took the medication Dr. Kalic had prescribed for delaying
the onset of symptoms her illness would inevitably cause.
_______________________________________________________
Location: PATRIOT
Scene: Daisy's quarters
Time index: After Ben woke from a tortured dream about his son
and his former lover, Tellah
________________________________________________________
He was surprised Daisy wasn't in the bed with him.
Dressed in boxer shorts - he walked softly out into the livingroom.
She was sitting at her desk and looked engrossed in something that
was on the screen. Her long blonde hair fell in a disheveled heap
around her face. He smiled as he looked at her and whispered,
"What are you doing?"
She gasped, obviously startled. She quickly covered with a smile.
"Hi."
He blinked - wondering if he was imagining a hint of guilt in
Daisy's body language.
"What's going on?"
"I couldn't sleep." she smiled.
"You should have woken me up." he replied as he walked towards her.
She pressed a button - clearing the screen before he could see what
she was working on. Then, she stood up and walked towards him.
"I did think about it." she added. "But, you looked too adorable."
"Since when is drooling on a pillow adorable?" he teased.
"You do not drool in your sleep!" she chided sweetly as she put her
arms around his neck. He pulled her into a hug and smiled.
She sighed and leaned into him. He could feel that somethign was wrong.
He touched her hair gently and asked, "Are you okay?"
"Shhh...shhhh...." she smiled as she leaned back. He seemed to be
studying her features intensely. "Is everything okay?"
That was it. That was a moment when she could have told him about her
condition. But - she lost her nerve.
She smiled sweetly and said "Everything's better than 'okay' when I'm
with you." Then, she pulled him into a passionate kiss.
He scooped her up into his arms and carried her back to the bedroom.
_________________________________________________________
Scene: Dr. Kalic's office
Time index: The next morning
__________________________________________________________
The Vulcan sat calmly
Daisy walked in carrying a comm pad and smiled. "Hello, sir."
"Hello, Lt. Byrne." The doctor replied calmly.
"I could use your help with something."
She handed him the comm padd and asked,
"Could you help me track this doctor down?"
The Vulcan raised an eyebrow and seemed surprised. "This doctor
lost his license 12 years ago."
Daisy sat down and sighed. "Yes, I know - I read about his family
and the breakdown he had after they died....but...."
"You still think he could be of some help?"
"He was brilliant, Dr. Kalic." Daisy smiled. "He found the gene
therapy that cured Ryley-Ruvalcalba syndrome - saved all those
children on Traygor 7....."
"Just because he cured one rare genetic mutation - doesn't mean
he can cure another." The vulcan doctor warned.
Daisy sighed. "Could you please help me track him down anyway?"
"I suppose it could be interesting to consult with him." the
doctor admitted somewhat begrudgingly.
She smiled. "Thank you. "
She stood up - as if to leave. The doctor stopped her by asking
a question.
"Have you been taking your medication?"
"Yes." She smiled.
"And, practicing the meditation exercises I tought you?"
She smiled again. "Yes, sir."
"I have two appointments this morning - but I want to run some more
tests on you after lunch."
She sighed awkwardly. "Is that really necessary, sir? I doubt anything
has changed."
He stood up and walked towards her. "Like you with your attempts to
locate this geneticist - I've been doing some research of my own into
your illness."
She raised her eyebrows with surprise and asked, "You're researching
possible treatments?"
"As your physician - that is my duty."
She smiled. "Thank you. I'll see you after lunch."
__________________________________________
Scene: Hard Rock Cafe
Time Index: Lunch
__________________________________________
Daisy and Zuri bumped into each other as they approached the cafe.
"What's yer hurry?" She smiled.
"They're doing a buffee of persian food today!" he smiled.
She raised her eyebrows with surprise as he said, "My favorite!"
She laughed as she followed him.
Ben was working through lunch. Atleast, that's what he said. He
didn't want to admit he was trying to get up the nerve to contact
Tellah - for fear that Daisy would stay and hover over him as he spoke
to her.
It was awkward enough trying to approach the subject of her bringing
Arthur to see him. He wasn't ready to tell Tellah about his relationship
with Daisy.
Since they were both alone, Zuri walked Daisy through the buffet
and began explaining the various dishes to her - since persian was
one of the few varieties of cuisine that she'd never worked with.
After they ate - he walked with her to sickbay because Dr. Torrin
was doing a physical on him.
_________________________________________________________
Scene: Sickbay
________________________________________________________
Zuri's physical went by pretty quickly because he was in excellent
health. As he was leaving - he saw Daisy sitting on a biobed with
Dr. Kalic standing infront of her.
He was holding a small, round device next to her forehead. She
looked as though whatever procedure he was doing was rather
painful.
He didn't mean to - but he stood there and stared.
"Is there something I can do for you, Ensign Davidson?" Dr. Kalic
asked without turning his eyes away from what he was doing.
Daisy opened her eyes and saw Zuri standing there. She quickly
pasted a smile on her face.
"This is for my medical training, Zuri." Daisy assured him. "We
practise different types of scanning and testing procedures on each
other - helps us understand our patients."
Zuri blinked at her for a moment - then, he smiled. "Okay. Sorry.
Didn't mean to intrude." She smiled at him, "It's okay."
He sighed - feeling awkward. " Well, I guess I better go."
After Zuri walked away, the doctor lowered the device from Daisy's
forehead. She quickly held her head in her hands and groaned.
"Wow - that hurt."
"I warned you some discomfort was to be expected. But, if we
can restimulate the PTEN Gene of your 13th Chromosome - we
may be closer to undoing the mutation."
She nodded affirmatively and attempted to step down from the
biobed. The room started to spin. Dr. Kalic cought her as she almost
fell. He helped her back to the biobed.
"Rest for an hour or so - then you'll be fine."
"Yes, Sir."
__________________________________________________________________
Scene: Corridor near Counselor's office
__________________________________________________________________
Something still didn't 'feel right' as Zuri was leaving.
He spotted Ozma and sprinted towards her.
The two of them ended up in the same turbo lift. He smiled at
his friend and former ACT classmate.
Then, he began to describe the scene he saw in sickbay.
Ozma looked visibly uncomfortable.
"Don't do this to me, Zuri...." she scolded him.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Even if I knew something was going on - I couldn't tell you."
He raised his eyebrows with surprise. "So - something *IS* going
on with Daisy?"
She glared at him. "I didn't say that. I'm saying that what
I learn about people during my work is confidential."
He blinked for a moment - noticing the way she was wringing her
hands. "Okay, Ozzie...sorry."
She smiled - but still looked uneasy. "Thanks."
She left the Turbo lift the next chance she could - leaving Zuri to
return to the Security department......
_____________________________________________________
Scene: Security department
____________________________________________________
When he walked in - he saw Ben sitting at his desk. The security chief
looked obviously irritable. He was starting at a blank screen - with
a sour expression.
"Is something wrong, sir?"
Ben gasped as if Zuri's entrance startled him. Then, he smiled.
"No, everything's fine."
Zuri blinked at him incredulously. "You're sure?"
Ben snapped. "What part of 'Everything's fine' did you *NOT* understand?"
Taken aback, Zuri raised his eyebrows with surprise.
Ben rolled his eyes with disgust over his own behavior and sighed.
"I'm sorry....it's just..."
Zuri held up his hand. "It's okay...it's okay, I don't want to pry..."
Ben smiled weakly...."Thanks."
Ben had been worried over Arthur - how to handle approaching Tellah for
another visit with him after a long abscence and whether or not to tell
Tellah about Daisy. Zuri assumed that Ben's mood was because he knew
whatever was going on with Daisy.
___________________________________________________________________
Location: History
Scene: Lives of Ben, Daisy, Zuri
___________________________________________________________________
Daisy kept the truth of her illness from Ben - thinking she was
protecting him for as long as possible. Zuri got closer to Daisy while
investigating the strange behavior that Ben had missed because of his
own secrets regarding his feelings about Arthur and Tellah.
Then, during a mission to a planet called TERRANA - Ben went
missing in action for several months. Zuri and Daisy became better
friends and the PATRIOT passed through an area of space occupied by
the Associates of Gary Seven. They abducted Daisy to experiment
on - cured her of the illness that would have ended her life, left her
with altered DNA and carrying a child.
Believing Ben was dead, Daisy remained only friends with Zuri
and started dating someone named Zack Riggs. Dazzled by Riggs,
she stayed with him when Ben was found alive - only to discover
Riggs's infidelity a couple months later. On the rebound
from that blow, Zuri was in the right place at the right time to pick
up the pieces of Daisy's broken heart and they ended up married.
She adopted Zuri's son, Gavirosh. Zuri adopted Jason.
Though she managed to stay friends with Ben, Zuri loved rubbing it in
Ben's face that he'd "won" in the end. He'd married Daisy.
That pride in his marriage and his family was shattered when the
Israeli was shattered when the normally hot-headed and fiercely proud
young man was brutally raped by a male Grazerite and Jason was
murdered. Unable to recover emotionally, he left Starfleet and went
home to his family in Israel.
Eventually, Zuri was considered recovered and Starfleet recalled him to
active duty. He was sent to work for Starfleet Intel and disappeared on a
classified mission. That was the last time Gavi and Daisy saw him.
____________________________________________________________________
Location: USS MERCY
Scene: Medical area
Time index: Present day
Stardate: 2.80109.0850
____________________________________________________________________
They say, when you think you are about to die - your life flashes before
your eyes. When she heard of Ben's injuries - the years of how their lives
had been intertwined flashed infront of Daisy's eyes. She saw him clearly
as he was. His young and healthy body that was every bit as familiar to
her as her own, the times when she'd found such comfort and warmth in
his strong arms. Returning to his bed after years apart had felt like
going home.
Nothing that had been said about Ben trying to "destroy the station"
had phased Daisy. She trusted him with her life and knew that he had
good reason to do anything he'd done. All that mattered was...would
he be ok? Would there be....ever again....that chance to go home?
Eishnala saw the look on Daisy's face and quickly asked,
"Are you alright, Commander?"
Daisy snapped back to reality and gave Eishnala a quick smile.
Then, looking for a bit of comfort herself - she impulsively pulled the
younger Andorian woman into a quick hug.
Eishnala blushed, her cheeks turning a darker shade of blue, and smiled
awkwardly.
"Ahem...Commander?"
Daisy jumped back, "Sorry. Yeah. I'm fine....and you?" She gave
Eishnala a quick smile. "You did fantastic today, Commander Kor."
Eishnala blushed yet again, remembering that she'd been promoted, and
managed a weak smile as Daisy looked away to the casualties as they
materialized. The Commanding officer's body shuddered slightly and she
felt a sickening knot in her stomach as she saw Ben appear on a biobed.
She saw him for only a moment as Kate and Daniel went to work.
In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to hand over command of the
station to Eishnala and get on her knees by Ben's bedside. She ached to
touch his face, hold his hand and beg him to keep breathing, to stay alive.
Instead, she thought about what Ben would want her to do. He'd want her
to keep it together and do her job.
So, she did exactly that. She held her stomach slightly, willing herself
not to be sick. Then, she asked Eishnala. "Is your arm fully repaired? Are
you clear to go?" Eishnala nodded. "Yes, Ma'am"
Daisy trembled slightly and forced herself to give Eishnala a little grin.
"Then, let's get back to work, ok? Let's go home...."
_____________________________________________________________________________
NRPG: Purely character centered - I know. But the magnitude of what Ben suffered would affect Daisy profoundly. And at the same time, wanting Ben's respect - wanting him to be proud of her - would make her "suck it up" and get back to work. She'll fall apart later. LOL
Me - I'm not feeling well today. Hopefully - I'll offer something that moves things forward in my next post.
Peter and Ran - thanks for your help this morning. TAG to both of you!
JAMIE - TAG! What's up with Cade these days? :)
Kim Toussaint AKA Commander Daisy Byrne Davidson, M.D.
Commanding officer of GATEWAY STATION
---------------------------------
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Thu Dec 04 2008 - 03:10:51 PST