Avery Tynte

Cpt. Corizon> For the last time, don't call me DOG BOY! (:P Couldn't resist Corizon)

=/\= Begin Starfleet Personnel File =/\= =/\= Begin Personal Information =/\= Surname: Tynte First Name: Avery Age: 26 Standard Terran Years Species: Bajoran Rank: Lieutenant, Junior Grade Assignment: USS Arcadia Position: Assistant Medical Officer Commanding Officers: Captain Hayden Dacotah, Commander Arphazad Lo'Ami Hair Color: Dark Brown Eye Color: Deep Blue Height: 1.86 Meters Weight: 54.43 Kilograms Distinguishing Features: Ridges along the bridge of the nose Place of Birth: Talania Falls, Bajor =/\= Begin Service Record =/\= 20508.14 Assignment to USS Arcadia as Assistant Medical Officer 20512.28 Promotion to Lieutenant, Junior Grade =/\= End Service Record =/\= =/\= Begin Family Tree =/\= Father: Tynte Thoma (Deceased) Mother: Captain Tynte Alana (CO, USS Nautilus) Siblings: Sister: Tynte Meraina =/\= Begin Personal History =/\= Avery’s Father, Tynte Thoma, was a Bajoran security officer aboard Deep Space 9. His mother, Tynte Alana, was a Starfleet science officer. The two met when the ship Alana was assigned to, the USS Rising Star, made a humanitarian relief visit to Bajor. At that time, Thoma was merely a Bajoran under the Cardassian occupation. The two quickly fell in love, and once it was arranged, Thoma moved onboard the USS Rising Star. The two were shortly wed. 2 years after their marriage, Avery’s sister, Tynte Meraina, was born. The family lived aboard the USS Rising Star for approximately 4 years, at which time Alana requested, and was granted a leave of absence from Starfleet. The two moved back to a now liberated, and rebuilding Bajor. One year later, Avery was born. The family lived, happily for the most part, on Bajor until Avery was 6 STY old. Alana then received an offer from an old friend in Starfleet, to become a science officer aboard Deep Space 9. Alana quickly accepted, and Thoma, who had been training with the new Bajor military, requested and was granted a security post aboard Deep Space 9. The family relocated to the Space Station, and shortly there after the Dominion War began. Life went on as normally as life could during the war. However, a tragic note was struck during a Jem’Hadar attack on the station when Avery was 8 STY. During this attack, Thoma was struck and killed at the hands of the Jem’Hadar. Avery watched as the doctors and nurses aboard the station attempted to save his father’s life, but in the end, the attempts proved in vain. Avery did not resent the medics for their inability to save his father, he was in fact inspired by their dedication, and their valiant attempts to save not only his father’s, but many other lives. It was then he decided that his life was destined to be one of healing. He threw himself into classes, attending the best medical school he could find on Earth. By taking many advanced and condensed classes, he graduated early, and decided to follow in his mother’s footsteps and join Starfleet. He joined the Academy taking mostly classes related to the medical field, but also taking many science oriented classes. Graduating 10th in his class, he was assigned directly out of the Academy to the USS Arcadia, a Sovereign class vessel, as an Assistant Medical Officer. His early graduation makes him one of the youngest doctors in Starfleet to date, at the age of 23 STY. The loss of Thoma deeply affected both Avery’s mother and sister. His mother chose to throw herself into her work, and has recovered as much as one can from the loss of her husband. She now holds the rank of captain, and serves as the commanding officer on the USS Nautilus. Meraina chose to return to Bajor, there she graduated from one of the best colleges on Bajor, and now teaches Art and Music at the Bajoran Institute of Art. She still bears heavy scars from the loss of her father, someone she was closer to then anyone. Avery still misses his father dearly, although he has come to a point of acceptance. He keeps his father’s earring, a gift from his mother, in a small box amongst his most valuable possessions, although he rarely wears the traditional earring of his people. While still in school, Avery learned to play two instruments, the violin, and piano. He plays the violin the better of the two, and he practices both often. Although his true name is Tynte Avery, being as the surname precedes the personal name in Bajoran language, Avery long ago inverted the order to alleviate confusion amongst other species. He only uses the proper order when in the presence of other Bajorans. =/\= End Personal History =/\= =/\= Begin Psychiatric Profile Subject: Tynte Avery =/\= Ensign Tynte can be classified as a caring, compassionate soul. He is a perfectionist, who likes working within the rules, and by the rules. As with all perfectionists, he has trouble with decision making, tending to get bogged down in the details, although his medical training has helped him with quick decisions. He has never developed the medical detachment so many doctors must, however. And while it may not be apparent from outward appearance, he takes the loss of any patient hard. One item I feel I should mention is Mr. Tynte deep resentment of Cardassians, while not a direct sufferer of the occupation, growing up on post occupation Bajor, among the survivors, gave him a deep resentment of the Cardassian Species. While he can keep himself in check, this is something he struggles with in the presence of Cardassians. In closing, Mr. Tynte is a person with a stable personality, un-prone to outbursts of emotion, or outbursts of any kind. His emotions do run deep however, but he chooses to keep them in line. Burying things rather then bringing them to the light. This, along with his resentment of Cardassians, is the only thing that concerns this doctor, as buried emotions can prove volatile with time. These concerns, however, are not enough for me to give Ensign Tynte Avery anything but a clean bill of mental health. Dr. Enara Menendez, Starfleet Medical =/\= End Psychiatric Profile =/\= =/\= Begin Medical History =/\= Ensign Tynte Avery has suffered no major injuries save one: During the same battle that claimed his father’s life, Avery was attacked by a Jem’Hadar warrior, and received a large burn in the shape of a half moon on his right side, extending a small amount onto his stomach. This scar is barely visible, and has no other long term affects associated with it. Other then the following list, Ensign Tynte has been in excellent health all his life. The following is a condensed listing of minor injuries: Broken right wrist at the age of 5 STY, received after falling out of a tree near his home on Bajor. Broken left ankle, received at the age of 16 STY on a field trip to the Betazoid Museum of Fine Art Deep muscle laceration on the back of his right leg, received at the age of 21 STY during an Academy training routine. =/\= End Medical History =/\= =/\= End Personal Information =/\= =/\= End Starfleet Personnel File =/\=

Age update.

Avery stood looking at the man sitting on a biobed in front of him. He could feel his heart beating in his throat and the moisture on his hands. Had he really just said the words he thought he said? Recently he had had to take up more responsibility in Sickbay and he was beginning to adjust to the pressures and stresses involved in that, but this was new and uncharted territory for the young Doctor. Avery had been on this vessel for three years and had seen three captains at the helm, but he had never looked at one of them and said the words that had just came out of his lips. They thundered through his head even now. Captain LoAmi, I hereby relieve you of your duties as the Captain of the USS Arcadia. The two men just stared at each other, neither knowing quite what to say. The root, the narcotic, had been wreaking havoc on every member of the crew, but Avery had though somehow the Captain would not be affected like the rest. Somehow he had thought the man leading them would somehow be immune. He closed his eyes, suddenly feeling very young and naïve again. Young he was, but he had thought himself past the naïveté. That was truly a sentiment of fools. LoAmi finally broke the silence, protesting what he felt was an out of line activity from his Bajoran doctor. Avery opened his eyes and stared at the man he had just removed from his position. He had a confused ensign on one hand and an irate captain on the other. Somehow the old adage of a rock and a hard place just did not seem enough. LoAmi was still talking, demanding the doctor dispense with this foolishness and allow him to do his job. Avery could barely hear him through the droning of his own thoughts. His eyes began to room around Sickbay. This room and virtually the entire ship was filled with those suffering from the effects of the narcotic root. The irony was not lost on the man that some seemed so elated that one would think they would never stop smiling, while others were mere inches from death. His eyes fell to Ensign Maler, the young man writhing in pain on biobed number 4. Maler was an Gorithun and the root had gone straight to his spinal column, which was doubled and wrapped twice unlike a human. In theory the ensign was in more pain then most humans would be in his position. Lying only one bed over was Lieutenant Markenson, an older woman who served in the engineering department. She was almost doubled over in laughter and tears were streaming down her face. Her body chemistry has accepted the drug in much the same way Avery’s had. He had been able to medicate himself, but Markenson was proving a difficult case to treat. Sickbay was full of scenes just like this. People sitting with their knees pulled up to their chests rocking slightly back and forth, others with a permanent smile that said the cat just ate the canary. Most cases were no where near this severe, with most of the crew still able to function. But the suffering of the few bothered Avery just as much as the suffering of the many. “Doctor,” LoAmi’s voice cut into Avery’s thoughts, sounding as if it had been trying for a while. “Doctor?” Avery turned his attention back to the Trill. He opened his mouth to speak to his commanding officer. At the same time he said a silent prayer to the Prophets. Please, by all the Divine Beings, let me be making the right decision.

Joint Log Captain Lo'Ami Lt. j.g. Dr. Avery Tynte Captain Lo'Ami barely realized how long he'd been standing in sickbay. It only seemed like a few moments lost in thought. He could make out Tynte laughing, and Sema'J collapsing on the ground, and another engineer on a biobed. People walked in and out -- mostly in. There was commotion in sickbay. But, the Captain just stood, uttering a command here and there. Slowly, the fog lifted. He looked into his hand, but there was nothing there anymore. Avery slowly regained control of himself and silenced the laughter; although he had to work hard to keep a small smile off his face. He looked around Sickbay and saw people he did not remember coming in. That was not a good sign. He looked up and saw the face of the captain looking at his hands. "Captain, I think we have a problem here." The captain looked over at Avery, then looked around the newly crowded sickbay. Avery's voice snapped him out of the delirium that had come from the higher concentrations of root vapor in the atmosphere. "What happened in here?" He looked down at his empty hand again, then back to Avery. Avery pointed to a root sample, "That is the problem." Lo'Ami turned toward the root sample. "You're right. We have to get back to testing the samples to determine if they fit the Axrekravian specifications!" "Captain, I have already tested the samples." "That was an operation involving detailed scans from both science and engineering. How could you have possibly tested the samples yourself?" Lo’Ami asked "Not that type of test, Captain. I did compositional tests to determine the make up of the root." "And? The Axrekravian specifications gave us some detailed concentration limitations. We really should test more samples." "Captain, are you telling me that multiple people have been exposed to this root?" Avery replied. "As far as I know, myself, the entire science department, a few engineers,” he motioned towards an interior office as he spoke. "I think we should move somewhere," looks around sickbay to make sure the nurses have everything under control. "A bit more private" "Your office?" "Works for me," Avery said as he got up and moved towards the door. When they were both inside and the door had swished shut, he turned. "Captain have you noticed anything strange when you are around the root?" "Well, the active form has a distinct smell." He then remembered what it did to Daena and Sema'J. "Some people have a severe reaction to it! That's why I'm in sickbay." "Slight memory loss and loss of the ability to focus, definitely signs...." Avery seemed to be talking more to himself than Lo’Ami. As the fog lifted further, the captain realized just how serious this might be. "Signs of what, doctor?" As he sat at his desk Avery tried to decide how best to put it and decided straightforward was best. "It's a narcotic Captain." The word hit like a ton of bricks. He repeated. "The Axrekravians made us deep sea dive for and transport a narcotic?" "It has all the markers of a very potent drug captain. From what I can tell, it will affect individuals differently based on their species and chemical make up." Avery replied. Putting it all together Lo’Ami said, "And sickbay is suddenly crowded because it was released into the atmosphere?" "That is the best guess I can fathom Captain. I am afraid we have all been infected somehow." "And I do not think all the effects are going to benign as laughter." "So that's what happened to Daena and Sema'J? Will they be alright?" "The drug does not really have any negatives other then the lack of focus and other odd side effects, at least none that I have seen yet. I think everyone will recover. But I have a feeling withdraws will set it." Avery knew that included himself, he was not looking forward to this. The captain looked at his hand again, and then looked away. "Just how many of us were affected?" "I will not know until I start treating patients." "How many are in sickbay now?" Avery tapped the desktop and read the number scrolling across it. "45 in Sickbay itself, calls are coming in from all over the ship though..." "Then that means we're going to have a whole ship on our hands with withdrawal symptoms. And, we only released one, no, two active roots from containment." "How many are in active containment?" Avery asked as he looked up from the screen. "We have a few hundreds of tons." Lo'Ami remembered the difference in the root samples' smells. "But not all of them may be biologically active." "Ok, I need to start treating patients. I would recommend that while I do that you start finding out how much of the stuff is active." "I have a feeling that's what the Axrekravians want to know too." Avery just nodded. "Captain, I have to ask you another question." He seemed a bit uncomfortable as he said it. "Go ahead," the captain said; he was anxious to get back to surveying their root supply. "How long have you been exposed to the root and how much have you been using since? I remind you that I am a doctor and whatever you say stays in this room." The captain thought back. "I was there with Ensign Phoenix when we tested the first root. It exploded when we brought it out of containment. Then, the second set of tests in the hydroponics bay with Lts. Daena and Sema'J." He paused. "And I've been carrying around a sample with me since the first test." "Why have you been carrying it?" Lo'Ami thought about it for a few moments. "I don't know." "This is going to be a hard time, captain...for us all." "Then, we have very little time until withdrawal sets in to get a handle on it." Avery just nodded and stood. "I better get started. I'll keep you informed." Lo'Ami nodded and left sickbay for the hydroponics bay. The clock was ticking.

Acting Ensign Katherine Swan & Dr. Avery Tynte Avery rushed over to the surgical bay as the transporter deposited the body on the bed. The man appeared to be human, or at least appeared human-like; the body was very badly injured and blood seemed to be everywhere. It was difficult to tell if the young man wore a red uniform, or if it was simply stained red with blood. Swan looked at the figure that had just materialized. "Oh DEAR!" She ran over to stand next to Avery to inspect what was going on. "Where do you start?" "We start by..." Avery looked over as the console began to beep. "The vitals are almost nonexistent," he said as he closed the surgical table over the man. "Prep the cortical stimulator." "Aye!" Swan quickly grabbed the stimulators and rushed over placing them on the patients forehead. "Is there a chance? I mean, He is so badly injured." She looked back and forth between the man on the table and Avery. "Internal bleeding is bad...very bad," Avery was reading the scans on the console in front of him. Breathing and heart rate were almost nonexistent, brainwave patterns were not registering at all. "Clear," he yelled. Katherine backs away from the patient. "Clear!" She watched as the man is hit with the jolt from the cortical stimulator. “Ill get the cardiac unit over here.” Katherine rushed over and grabbed the cardiac drugs off a med tray sitting near by; she remembered what drugs to get but she wasn’t going to try to remember doses and such in a emergency. She didn’t feel she had learned enough to hold the balance of a persons life in her hands. She didn’t feel capable enough. She just stood back and waited for instructions from Avery. "Swan," Avery said gently. "It is too late," he powered down the cortical stimulator and shut down the console as the surgical table retracted. It had been a long shot at best, but now the man’s entire system had shut down; every reading was nonexistent and the internal bleeding was far too extensive to repair. Even if they could somehow manage to revive the man's brain, his body would collapse before they could even begin to treat him. Swan looked at Avery, "There’s nothing that can be done? Nothing at all?" She actually felt a loss inside. She hadn't done anything, but she felt as if this was her patient that had been lost. She tears began welling up in her eyes, as she looked from the dieing man on the table and back to Avery. "His wounds were too severe," Avery looked up at her, seeing her distress. "There is nothing we could have done," he said as he entered the time of death into the record by hand on the console to his right. Swan watched as a nurse pulls the blanket over the body. "I thought medicine had come so far that anything could be done. Couldn’t you have put him in a crio-unit and froze him to buy time? I mean anything at all?” She paused to catch her breath, but only for a moment. “If this is what I am looking foreword to; seeing death and not being able to do anything about it…then I want out. I don’t want to be a doctor. I’ll serve my time in a prison somewhere for the crimes I committed against your people. I just can’t do this." Swan turned around to leave, tears now streaming from her eyes. She couldn’t realize how she was feeling at this point. She was upset and didn’t even know this man. What if it was one of the crew she had now made friends with? What if this had been one of them? Could she just let them go so easily? Avery's hand grabbed her arm, pulling her gently into a side office. "Swan, breath," he knew how she was feeling. Losing a patient was something a doctor never got used to, but it was something you developed a resistance to over the course of time. "There are some things that even our modern medicine cannot fix, Swan. His internal systems were collapsing at a rate far beyond our ability to fix," his mind registered the irony of the situation; not a year ago he had been the fresh medic aboard Arcadia, still developing as a Doctor. Hell, he still was developing as a doctor… And now, here he stood giving advice to another young medic. "You lose people Katherine. It never gets easy...but it gets easier..." he wondered idly if that sentence actually made any sense. Katherine looks into his eyes, seeing his also had a tear in them. "How can you get used to folks dieing. What if it was one of the ones that have actually accepted me? I can’t let them down. I just can’t." She pulled her arm away from him and turned her back to him. She slowly walked over to a wall and leaned her head on it. She wraped her arms around herself is if she were cold. "You said it never gets easy, how does it get easier?" she lets out a few soft sobs, " I…I don’t understand." "You don't get used to it." Avery said, a hint of longing in his voice. "You never reach a point where your heart does not skip a beat when someone dies in front of you..." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "That is part of being a doctor, Katharine. That feeling you are experiencing right now...that feeling is what drives you, what fuels you. It is what makes you hell-bound and determined not to lose the next one. That feeling is your soul, your heart and mind. That feeling is what makes you human, or what makes me Bajoran. That feeling is what makes us who we are..." he paused, turning her to look into her eyes. "That feeling is what makes us who we are." As she turned seeing his eyes, she begins to understand. With the tears crawling down her cheeks she asked, "If this is what it is, then why is it you continue? I don't know if I can, I don't know if I can keep going knowing that I may end up working on one of my friends and turn around and loose them." Her eyes search his face for an answer. "The reason I continue is for every patient I save. Every life I can steal back from death," he looked at her, a resolve in his eyes he had not felt since his father's death. "Yes, you lose patients...but you also save them," he held up his hands. "These hands can heal, they can give life," he felt his throat catch slightly as he blinked his eyes. He grasped her hands and held them up. "And so can these." She looked at him holding her hands up. “What make you so sure? I’m not a doctor. I was never meant to be. I’m not even supposed to be here. Maybe I should have stayed where I belonged. I should have faced my folks." She then tried to pull her hands away from Avery, but he had a nice tight grip on them. She just leaned her face down right into her and his hands. She had never talked about it to anyone; the fact that she was upset about her folks disowning her. It was now coming out all in the open. "I cant believe they ... they didn't...want me back." she then cuts loose with the water works and her knees begin to buckle under her. He let her sink down, falling with her and holding her head in his hands, turning it upwards so she can see him. "It was their loss," he picked up on what she was speaking of, chalking it up to doctor's intuition. "Katherine there is a new family for you aboard this ship, a family who is depending on you." He paused to let what he said sink in. "And what makes me so sure you can be a doctor?" he gave her the best smile he could muster. "You care...it is obvious you care, or else you would not be taking the loss of a patient so hard." Katherine just looked to the ground once again. She was so torn up she didn't know which way was which. She never thought in her wildest dreams she would be hurting this bad. She wasn't sure herself if it was because of this death or her family rejecting her or a combination of them both. She felt drained. She looked up at Avery one more time then started crying all the more harder. Avery let her fall into him...in so many ways he could relate to the emotional turmoil within this woman. Again the irony crept into his mind...not so long ago he would have given anything for Kathrine Swan to be off this ship. After what she did to Naarahe was sure he would never forgive her. But now, in a side office in Sickbay, he held her in his own arms, trying to console a pain that so few could truly understand. He sighed; the Prophets seemed to have an odd sense of things sometimes. "Have faith, Katherine...have faith..."

Happy Birthday ma Capitaine!

On a random note... Tomorrow marks exactly two weeks until I return to college.

Had I been drinking at the time, this would have elicited a severe spit-take... rofl

The budget for "Catch Me if you Can 2" Was not large enough to hire DiCaprio again.

Welcome Back, Sam. See you on Arcadia.

"Dammit Jim, I hate the time travel episodes."

Her soft and gentle hand traced its way along his cheek. Her lips caressed his with all the warmth and passion of a raging fire. He returned the kiss and swept her into his arms, smiling into her lips. “I love you.” I love you the words bellowed in his mind like a thunderclap from the heavens. Avery looked up and saw those same hazel eyes that haunted his memory. Only now those eyes were filled with contempt instead of love. The door swished shut on the closet in sickbay. “Naara, Miranda will be back any moment.” She smiled at his comment. “Hence why we are in a closet, love.” She draped her arm around his neck and kissed him passionately. He drew back only inches from her face and laid his forehead against hers. “How did someone like me end up with someone like you?” he half whispered. Avery blinked back what few tears remained within his eyes. Now, on top of a horse in the middle of a “Grand Adventure” was neither the time nor place. But how could he not think about it. There she was, sitting not ten feet away atop her own stead. Only now she was cold as ice, her words stinging like daggers. It had been two weeks; but two weeks since what? Nothing had happened. No warning…not even a Dear John letter. Perhaps this would be easier if he could comprehend a reason…phantom a cause… She laid her head against his chest smiling sweetly. He laid his hand on her arm, kissing the top of her head gently. Her hair felt smooth and soft against his lips, the smell of her exotic shampoo filling his nostrils. “I love you…” There it was again…had she been leading him on then? Had she been playing with him as a cat plays with a mouse before devouring it? Perhaps he had grown boring to her fickle will and as a reward she know swallowed her mouse whole…heart and soul. She noticed him looking at her and glanced back, her lips curled into a tight smirk. Was she playing with her mouse now… She sat at the table with a glass of red liquid in one hand the other supporting her head leaned against the glass table top. He walked into the quarters and stopped short. “Surprise,” she said with a slight smile. He walked over to the table. “You made dinner…” he said kissing her before taking his seat across from her. “Replicated is more like it…” she said as her full lips curled into a full smile. Those same lips now spat nothing but needling remarks and snide comments towards him. Avery’s horse slowed a bit, his mind not focused on driving it on. He fell back, but only a few feet. Hot liquid stung his eyes and he reached up quickly to dispel it. His mind still reeled; it was still searching for a reason. Had he done something…had he said something…he looked down as the question he had been trying to avoid crept its way back in. Had she ever really loved him? His search for answers had been futile. Every time he tried to contact her she simply ignored him. When things such as this brought them together she was not outright hostile towards him, but carefully avoided being alone with him; deflecting any questions with a quick joke or snide remark. She seemed to talk to and enjoy the presence of anyone but the man she had once proclaimed to love. The man who truly loved her. With dinner over they sat across from each other talking for hours. The stars behind them stretched into warp lines as the hour stretched late. Still they remained together; talking, laughing… He had not opened up to anyone like this in a long time. He felt as if he could tell her anything, hoped she felt the same. He had cared for her; hell he still did care for her. Not in the way he cared for a patient or a friend. This was, he sighed, had been something deeper…something realer. But now what was it? A lost love? Had it ever even been love? If it had all been an act it had been an elaborate one…but to what end? What possible reason could she have for deceiving him? Avery’s mind was filled with nothing but questions, his mind haunted by every word she had ever said. His dreams were recurring scenes that turned to nightmares as soon as he awoke. But over all one word clutched at his mind, threatened to drag him under, drown him. One small word resounded over all others, blocking out everything until life was simply a blur of motion, a motley collection of sound. One word haunted his conscious mind as he woke and his unconscious as he slept. Why?

Kansas' Story reminded me of my own. I own a 94 Pontiac Firebird with T-Tops. I was driving along one day without said T-Tops in. It was a pretty day and it was rather relaxing...until from out of nowhere came this huge flood of water. There was not a cloud in the sky....turns out the guy/gal that lives in the brick house down the road (who happen to own a garden hose...go figure) thought it was rather amusing.....

Avery slumped into his chair at the front desk, his hand moving towards the console. He keyed in the commands and began to speak. “Duty log, Assistant Medical Officer Doctor Avery Tynte,” his voice sounded tired as the words came out; his head came to rest on his balled fist propped up on the arm of the chair. “Approximately one hour ago Lieutenant Brighton came into Sickbay. It appears that he had once again overused his mental ability. His mind and body were shutting down.” Avery’s eyes glanced over to where Fitzgerald now rested on a biobed across Sickbay. “It appeared he was in imminent danger of complete synaptic failure; the decision was made to attempt a complete reordering of his synaptic pathways, with assistance from Lieutenant Meriva and Counselor Meara-Callum.” Avery keyed a few buttons on the console, pausing the recording. He stood and walked over to the replicator and keyed in the order for coffee. He began to sit at the cup walking back over to the front desk. He did not sit however, only resting his right hand on the back of his chair. “Resume,” he took another sip as the computer chimed its response. “A complete reordering was not possible, however, even with the help of Dr. Knollwatcher. There were simply too many variables to consider, and not enough time. The decision was therefore made to attempt to stabilize Lieutenant Brighton by joint method of Lieutenant Meriva and the counselor working mentally while Andrea and I used a dual cortical stimulation treatment. The procedure worked, and Brighton is currently stable.” Avery sat the cup down on the desk. “We, unfortunately, do not know exactly what is causing the mental breakdowns in Mr. Brighton’s mind. Only time and study will tell us anything further on that issue. Lieutenant Meriva has returned to the bridge, and Mr. Brighton is currently being held under watch by the medical staff.” Avery looked to his left as Fitz stirred. “Computer,” he said as he turned and began to move off towards the inpatient section of Sickbay. “End log.”

I remember waking up to my mother coming into my room. "We are being bombed." she said. "By who?" was my reply. She said she didn't know. The realitly of what was happnening became clear as I wandered into the living room. My most vivid memory is that of sitting on my couch, wrapped in a blanket and clutching a tissue, tears streaking my face as I watched the towers fall. I will never forget that morning.

War, such a…unclean thing, Avery stood in full scrubs, a young nurse at his side. They stood amidst the dead and the dieing. Moans, cries, and the other noises of the fight between death and life swirled in the room. Avery knew that the medical staff was the only thing standing between these people and death. He turned to the nurse beside him, she was young and this was obviously her first posting. Her hands were steady but her face behind her surgical mask told the true story. “Are you ok?” Avery asked quietly, as she removed the bloody gloves from his hand. “Yes, I am fine doctor.” She replied as she slid a fresh pair of sterile gloves onto his hands. He nodded as he turned back to his table, a fresh body being moved onto by two other nurses, replacing the last one. Avery expected that patient to live, though it had gotten sketching for a few minutes when his left kidney had ruptured and had to be replaced. The nurse spoke again, he voice shaking ever so slightly. “Multiple internals, left lung ruptured by shrapnel.” Avery cursed under his breath as he opened the patient under him. As predicted the man had multiple points of internal bleeding due to shrapnel, and his left lung had completely collapsed. Avery moved quickly, beginning to clamp off the points of bleeding. “This lung is going to have to be replaced.” The nurse nodded and moved off. Avery clamped off another vein, but not before blood covered his right hand, the red liquid warm against his skin, even through the glove he wore. That was the last of the free bleeding points, and Avery looked up just as the nurse returned. She brought with her a synthesized lung, and the two began the tedious affair of replacing the damaged organ. With the man on support to keep him alive, Avery clamed off the major arteries and veins going to the lung. Then gently, using a laser scalpel, he removed the lung itself. He then moved to the new lung, sliding it into place. He held out a hand and the nurse laid a small silver device in it. Using the blue glow from the device Avery attached the fresh lung to the major arteries and veins and other connections to the body. As he pulled his hands out he watched for any signs of major bleeding or other complications. Seeing none he looked up. “He will live, next.” The nurse nodded and the man was moved off the table. Such was the way of triage, no time for anything fancy, anything aesthetic; one merely stabilized the patient and moved on. The nurse wiped his brow and changed his gloves again as the next patient was being moved. Avery looked out across main sickbay, seeing Aaron bent over a Bolian patient at his table. He worked with a skill and grace Avery could only hope to attain one day far in the future. Avery moved his eyes slightly to the left and saw Miranda working on a human patient. Again he saw the same elegance in her movements that only time and practice could bring. The two of them had been her far longer then Avery, and had no doubt done this multiple times. He watched them work for a moment, before his attention was taken by the next patient sliding onto his table. He looked down to find something unexpected, but not terribly surprising. He was starring into the face of another Bajoran, a staff member of the Federation Embassy on Elasia. The nurse spoke. “His vertebral column has been fractured, multiple broken ribs. A piece of the buildings framework fell on him during the bombardment, his internal injuries are many and varied.” Avery took this all in, looking over the tangled mess below his hands. Beginning work, the problems started immediately. Blood was everywhere as they opened the man. Avery worked madly attempting to seal off all the points of bleeding, but he was fighting a losing battle. Every time he closed off one vein or artery, another ruptured, spewing blood, pouring it over the mans insides, complicating the already difficult task. Avery did not even have time to look at the broken bones or fractured vertebras, he felt the sweat build on his forehead, stinging his eyes as it ran done his face. “Sponge,” Avert yelled for the ancient tool to soak up some of the blood, but it was too late. The monitor beside the bed began to whine as the man’s body failed him. “It’s too late…” The nurse spoke. “He is gone, we have to move on doctor.” For a moment, Avery hesitated, looking up at the man’s face, into his cold eyes. Those eyes, he realized, no longer held life. He closed his eyes as he laid his hand on the man’s face, closing those dead eyes. He spoke, in their native tongue. ”Go with the Prophets, my brother. Find your peace.” Opening his eyes he looked at the nurse beside him, her eyes glistening in the harsh light of Sickbay. Such is the way of triage… He opened his mouth, his voice steady, though mournful and hushed. “Next…”

"Surrender" Ty and Naara Naara sat on the edge of her bed, crying. Her doctor -- her doctor -- had been in the arms of that woman! What in the gods' names would she do? Avery walked down the corridors of the Arcadia. He knew Miranda meant well, but this had to be the worst things had gotten between him and the green one. He turned a corner and chimed at the door in front of him. No response. Naara didn't hear it, or else her mind phased it out completely. He chimed it again. "Naara, open the door." "Go to Tanlanshaar!" Even with the peppering of Orion, the meaning was clear. Avery was not sure what Tanlanshaar was, but he was pretty sure it was not a vacation resort. "Open the door Naara." His voice was soft, displaying none of the stress that was apparent when he first came to the door. She pulled herself up, storming to the door, leaning against the frame as it opened. "What do you want, Doctor Tynte?" Businesslike. Too businesslike. He entered, gently brushing her aside. "I want to talk, Naara." He stopped in the middle of the room. "We need to talk." "I understand." Waving him off, "You're involved with Doctor Porter." Again, Avery knew Miranda meant well. "No, I am not and never was." "Liar." Avery gestured towards her comm badge. "Call her, ask. Ask her, ask Andrea. Hell, ask Aaron." She scowled at him. "I don't believe you. Or them." Avery walked nearer to her. "Trust me, Naara. Have I ever lied to you?" Again, his voice was soft, warm....loving. She started sniveling again, leaning forward and into his arms. "You haven't... maybe." He accepted her into his arms. "No, I haven't." "But... I could see why you would like her over me. She's intelligent, beautiful, and she's so job-oriented. Nothing like me..." Her face fell, and she shrugged slightly. Avery touched his fingers to Naara's chin, gently lifting her head. "Job-oriented, yes. Intelligent, you are far smarter then you give yourself credit. Beauty..." He trailed off, smiling. Naara smiled, a touch of evil working its way into her features. "Beauty?" "Some of us are just blessed." He pulled her closer, feeling the warmth of her skin against his. "Naara, there is no one else." He was well aware of the absurdity of that statement, as, truly, there was no ‘them’ either. The Orion's eyes widened slightly. "'Else'? Does that mean there is 'one' to begin with?" He looked into her eyes, he had fought so long, so hard to keep himself away from these situations. "You tell me." She nodded. "Of course there is. It's been that way from the first time I saw you." "Infatuation is not...." He trailed off. "You think that's all there is for me, Avery? Infatuation?" She looked downwards, unable to meet his eyes. I...love you." "Love...." Avery repeated the word. She blinked back another tear. "It's hard to believe, I'm sure." Again, he lifted her chin. "Not hard to believe." He sighed, blinking back a tear of his own. "Hard to..." He trailed off again, obviously unwilling to revisit an old, sore, topic. "Could you ever love me, Avery? The little Orion sex kitten who flirted with you on an alien station?" She looked deep into his eyes, deeper than she ever had before. "I could love the woman that sex kitten is." He returned the gaze. "Could you?" A trace of a smile pulled at her lips. "Only one way to find out..." They were close enough that he could feel her breath warm on his face. Their noses gently brushed against one another's as their lips connected in the dim light, the door to Naara's quarters lightly swishing shut as the two moved away from the exit to the room.

lol. I love that Janeway one. Of course I guess since she is my Favorite Captain I like most of her quotes... Well, my fav Series Captain ::Looks at his STSF COs::

Harry Kim: "It's all a little weird." (In reference to his current situation) Janeway: "Mr. Kim, we're Starfleet officers. Weird is part of the job." From Voyager Episode "Deadlock"

"Nothing" Ty & Naara May 02, 23-- "I've hurt people, Avery. I can't live with myself anymore!" Tears ran down the Orion girl's face, her choked sobs echoing against the trees in the forest. "Naara...you missed," Avery said, placing the phaser he held onto his side. He began walking the perimeter, checking for anymore security or surveillance. "And how would you know?!" she screamed, the forest quaking under the volume of her voice. "You watched where every bullet went, did you?" Kicking a rock with her foot, she rubbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her uniform. "Tanvalno trieban tula!" "Phased energy, Naara, not bullets." He looked up with a puzzled expression. "What in the world was that?" "What was what?" "That.....babble." "Not everyone in the galaxy is born speaking standard. I merely cursed two gods of weaponry." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, is that all?" He smirked. "Trust me Naara, you did not hit anyone. I watched Aaron and Lieutenant Meriva stun the two guards." She blinked back her tears. "Honestly?" "Yes." They had made nearly a complete circle around the area. "Things look clear, no one but us out here." "No one but us?" An evil little smile spread across her face. "Isn't that convenient?" "Yes, so very...." Avery said, sarcastically. He moved to a tree and leaned against it, waiting for the others to finish up so they could return to Arcadia. "You don't sound enthused. Alone in the forest ... except for me." Avery watched Aaron and Vectra down in the clearing working with Koshic and Ariago, prepping them for beam-out. "We seem to end up alone together a lot," he mused. Naara didn't say anything in reply, just staring at the ground, the smile getting a little wider... a little more evil. Avery shifted, wondering what that smile was all about. He watched as she moved into the moonlight's path, her body becoming just a silhouette, another shadow in the pool of darkness around them. That silhouette moved towards Ty quickly, too quickly, as she knocked him to the ground, pouncing on top of him. The silhouette became a blur as he hit the ground. "What the hell are you doing?" "You owe me one, remember?" she stated, coquettishly, bringing her lips down to his. "Now hush, and let the fun begin." Their lips connected as his head sank into the grassy ground. For two beings so different, it was perplexing how often they ended up joined at the head. She bit into his lip playfully, keeping him pinned to the ground. "My favorite doctor ... examine me, won't you?" "Naara, we are on an alien world, " Avery started, gasping out the words when they broke for air. "In the middle of a field, and on duty." Moving her teeth downwards, she started pulling at his uniform closure. "Just makes it all the more exciting. How Not To Get Caught." I should stop this. I should roll her to one side. I should ...I should ... Her teeth disconnected from his lower lip and her lips met his neck. He opened his mouth to speak, to stop this. But no words came. Pausing from her kisses, she whispered something to the effect that he was the most magnificent Bajoran she'd ever laid eyes on. A moment later ... the two were enveloped in a transporter beam... Avery found himself lying on the pad in Transporter Room Two. Thankfully, he and Naara had been beamed to a different room then the other four, and this one was unoccupied. Naara turned a deep shade of emerald, disengaging herself from Avery as they phased into being aboard Arcadia. "Gods ... why'd they go and do a thing like that for?" The change of locale was enough to shock Avery back into reality. "They needed to get Lieutenant N'Dak and Ariago back to the ship." He sighed. "Prophets ... we should have been checking on them. Helping, keeping watch..." He began to ramble off the should-haves. "Oh shut up. You know that you were enjoying yourself," she replied, rolling her eyes. "We are officers, Naara, not children." His sense of self-control was obviously reasserting itself. "We are officers..." He repeated to himself. "Sure, repeat your mantra. I say we just go to your quarters and finish what we started." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Naara....." She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck again. "Yes, dear?" "We are still on duty." His cold eyes met hers as he spoke the excuse. Eyes sparkling, she grinned. "We're off duty in fifteen minutes, love." Fifteen minutes too long. He closed his eyes, control and surrender fighting within him. Taking his expression as a sign that he was ceasing his complaints, she started kissing him again. "For gods' sakes, you're an odd one, Avery." "You have no idea..." He spun away from her embrace. Her lip trembling, she let an outpouring of tears roll down her face. "You're so cruel! Is there something wrong with me that I don't know about?" Sinking to the deck plating, she wrapped her arms around her knees and continued sobbing. Avery sank down beside her. "It is nothing to do with you, Naara. This is just not me." Harmlessly smacking him across the face with her neatly trimmed nails, she pouted. "You just like playing with girls, I think." She stood, moving towards the door of the transporter room with a peevish expression on her face. "Nothing serious. Nothing ... permanent." Stalking out, she left Avery in silence. Avery leaned his head against his knee, the wind from the door swishing closed hitting his back. Nothing...

Ha! Try this one: I was hit by the Ship.....not a phaser, not a animal, not even a craze Tribble. The ship plowed into me....effectivly mashing me into a rock.

"Post Mortem" Tynte & Naara SD 20604.18 Avery walked along the path next of the main street, the dim glow from the street lights overhead casting an eerie glow on everything in sight. He walked in silence, studying a PADD in his left hand. The green-skinned one walked behind him, reading over his shoulder. "Where exactly are we going again, Avery?" Naara smiled, resisting the urge to pounce upon him as soon as they were out of the away team's field of view. Avery nodded down the way towards a large, unassuming, building. "The Prolita Sector Morgue," he stated matter-of-factly. She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening. "M...m...morgue? You mean where they put dead people?" Grabbing onto his arm, she started to sniffle. "I... can't ... do it!" "Naara, you're an adult..." He looked down at her. " ... as difficult as I find it to admit that sometimes. Pull yourself together." He rolled his eyes. "The dead do no harm." Staring straight ahead, she shuddered. "Aye... Sir. But in my religion, the dead potentially walk among us. The Moderates of Life-Evil still possess their souls in their bodies. They will never rest. And when an evil one comes their way, they'll catch him or her and suck the life-force right out of him!" She quoted from the ancient texts of Taraallan (Orion). "Lovely." He resumed his pace towards the building. "But for sake of the current situation, I think it is safe to assume the bodies in this morgue will remain inert mass." The Orion quietly tiptoed towards the door, jumping back slightly as it opened. Leaning forward, she peered inside. "I see no corpses in the main entry. But still, Avery, you go first." He sighed. Orions... He walked through the main archway of the forward door and proceeded down a dank passageway with the skittish Orion in tow. The passageway opened into a small room as the two reached the end. Avery looked around the room and laid eyes on what appeared to be the receptionist. The half asleep receptionist. "Excuse me," the doctor said. The receptionist remained motionless; his breathing heavy. "Excuse me," Avery repeated, this time at a tone that echoed along the metal walls. Naara shuddered. "His life has been taken by a spirit!" she gasped. Avery looked at the Orion as the receptionist jumped up, startled, from his seat. "Do not jump to conclusions, Naara." "Yes ... um how may I help you?" The receptionist stuttered, obviously still half asleep. "Early this morning, a body was brought here. A murder victim from the Slim's Tavern and Club," Avery stated. "Ah, yes. Poor nakii." the man said, the Universal translator not able to translate the obvious curse. "You sure you want to see that?" Naara smiled, taking Avery by the arm and waving daintily at the receptionist. "No, actually, you're right. We don't. Good-bye. Come along, Doctor." Avery cut his eyes at the woman dragging him back towards the door. Breaking free of her grip he looked back to the yawning receptionist. "Yes, I am sure." Naara rolled her eyes, looking around the sides of the room curiously. "These burn marks ... they could be from ectoplasm. We should leave." "We are staying, Naara. I need to examine the corpse." He looked back to the man ... who was dangerously close to falling back asleep while still standing upright. "Excuse me." The man again gave a start and snort as he awoke once more. "Fine, fine, but if you become possessed, do not come crying to me, Avery." She squinted at the receptionist. "Late night?" The receptionist looked to the green one squinting as if the dim light were a blinding glare. "You could say that..." Avery was getting impatient. "Not that this isn't a wonderfully interesting conversation, but I do have work to do." The man looked back to the doctor, a bit miffed at being interrupted while talking to the cute one. "Very well," he nearly hissed. "Put these on." He replied, shoving a small clip at Avery, and gently handing one to Naara. She accepted the clip with a small smile. "Why, thank you! I appreciate it. What is it?" The receptionist looked at Naara. We are entering a room full of dead and decomposing bodies...you figure out the rest sweetie." The Orion was back outside before Tynte could even stop her, headed back to the bar for a drink. "No, this is not what I signed up for with Starfleet. Out, out, out I go. Death is for evil ones." Avery tapped his commbadge, not intending for a moment to physically chase her. "Tynte to Naara. Where exactly are you going?" "Either to get wasted or back to my starbase home. Do you really want to see me with corpses? Can you see me with corpses?" "Naara, Commander Light said no one goes alone. I need you on this one. It will not take long." Without responding, she glanced back at the building, storming back inside, past Sleeping Sam the receptionist. "Doctor, you owe me for this one." "Of course," Avery appeased her, motioning for Sleepy to lead the way. He walked, through a thick door, into a cold, metallic room, sandwiched between the receptionist and Naara. It was rectangular, almost like a hallway. With one distinct difference. There were doors all along the walls. Each had alien writing on the front. Naara shuddered. "Doctor, you'll protect me from demons, right?" "Always," Avery replied drily as the trio came to rest in front of one of the doors, raised off of the floor to waist level. Sleepy tapped at a nearby panel, pausing before opening it. "Here," he said, thrusting a clipboard at the two visitors. "Sign this. It is a release stating why you're here, the time of your visit, and the time of your departure once you leave." Avery took up the pen, glanced over the paper, signed, then handed it to Naara. Naara blinked, neatly printing her name in written Orion. Smiling proudly, she laced her fingers together and leaned on her doctor's shoulder. "My second owner taught me how to write." Avery hoped she was kidding, but doubted it. He handed the clipboard back to Sleepy as the man tapped in the last sequence of buttons. "I will be waiting back in the main room ... can't say I didn't warn ya..." And with that he turned and left. Almost on cue with his exit from the cool room, the door in front of the duo opened. On the shelf behind it, which was now suspended out into the room, lay what was once a living, breathing lifeform. Leaning forward, she peered at the dead man intently. "Isn't it time for me to go off duty?" Avery turned away; he had seen this far to many times. "Soon," he said to the Orion. "Soon." "Death is hatable. How do you stand it, Ty?" Sighing, he turned back to the body. The personnel at this facility had not taken much care in cleaning up the body Avery found as he pulled the sheet down. Seeing the jagged cut along the man's throat, he physically winced. Naara didn't wince, she shrieked. "The poor thing. His soul will forever search for his killer unless a ritual is performed!" Blood still coated the man's throat, and pooled down his chest. "Disgraceful," Avery merely stated, paying the Orion no attention. "The dead never get any respect," he said as he pulled a small recorder from his pocket. It pained him to see a body in such a state. The man at least deserved a dignified appearance after death. But obviously the staff here had better things to do... He glared back up at the door, sure the receptionist was comfortably asleep once again. "Let's get this over with." "Yes. Dinner at eight?" she asked, moving to the door again. "Naara." Avery motioned to the far side of the room where her view would be obstructed, at least partially. She moved in the direction indicated, balling her green hands into little fists in case demons should arise from the corpse. He clicked on the recorder, leaning over the body. "Stardate 20604.18, Examination of victim..." Avery searched for a name anywhere, but found none. Another indignity ..."Victim John Doe." "The subject's cause of death appears to be severe trauma and laceration of the wind pipe." He clicked the recorder off. "He never had a chance...." Pulling the sheet completely off the body, he examined the post mortem incision running down the man's abdomen. Clicking the recorder back on as he picked up the coroner's report, he continued. "Initial reports list time of death as 0341. I believe that to be fairly accurate, give a minute or two either way." He ran his eyes down the body, looking for anything out of place. "There appears to be no contusions or bruising of any kind along the body. The only true injuries suffered are the deep cut through the trachea, and the damage to the back of his skull from hitting the bar floor." He looked through the report again, examining everything for any inconstancies. "There is nothing of note in the report that we are not already aware of." Laying the report of a nearby surface, Avery donned a pair of gloves and began the physical examine. He found nothing, which he found a bit odd, no forensic residue, no marks...nothing. "We are almost done, Naara." "Done. Good. And you still owe me." He looked at her. "I know; I know...owe you, right." He looked back down, making one last once over of the neck area...and then he saw something glint. Gently picking up the tiny object he held it up to the light. "How sloppy of them to miss this..." he said sarcastically. "Miss what?" "This," he said, holding the tiny, glinting object towards her. Naara backed away. "What is it?" Tooth of a demon?! "I have a theory..." He trailed off, suddenly realizing they could be being watching. "I will have to perform a few tests to be sure..." he finished, giving Naara a 'trust me' look. "What is it?" Her voice dropped to a frightened whisper. "Is it a Borg implant?" He slid the object into a small vial, which he in turn placed into his pocket. "No, nothing quite so straightforward." He covered the body back up, and moved around towards where she stood. "We are done here. I will finish my report elsewhere." Hightailing it outside, she removed the clip, tossing it to the sleepy one. "Ty! Get out here before they kill you!" Avery walked towards the doorway, out of the cooler. "Naara..." he said. Appearing to be wrestling with himself, he stopped walking. She paused. "What, dear?" He seemed to come to a decision. He turned and walked back around the body, staring over it at her. "We have one last thing to do. Please, stand opposite of me." Naara did as she was told. After all, wasn't it what she was best at? Avery knew it was hard for her, and he respected her for doing this. He deliberately touched four points on the body with his middle and ring finger, then brought his hands up palms facing Naara. He closed his eyes and waited. Resisting the urge to shiver, she delicately mirrored his movements. As her palms touched against his, Avery lifted his head upwards, keeping his eyes closed. Quietly, almost inaudibly, he began speaking in his native tongue. Speaking in hers, the Orion repeated a prayer for the dead taught to her by her mother. What surprised her was that the Bajoran didn't seem offended. The two stood, surrounded by the dead, most of them probably brought here by the same thing that the man under their connected arms suffered. The dead do no harm... Avery repeated in his mind. The living ... he solemnly thought. The living are a different story.

Dr. Avery Tynte Assistant Medical Officer USS Arcadia NCC 1742-E Ensign Naara Assistant Engineering Officer USS Arcadia NCC 1742-E Naara stood there with an evil little grin on her face. "Physical... you seem to forget I'm Orion, love." Avery cocked an eyebrow in Naara's direction. "How in the worlds could I forget that?” "Because you act like you're blind! You've refused to see me as a woman since I joined Arcadia!" She stalked over to a biobed, openly pouting. Avery began walking towards one of the private rooms in Sickbay motioning her to follow him. "I do not refuse to see you as a woman, Naara. But...it's just…" She whipped around cutting him off as he paused mid sentence, her attractive face scrunched into a scowl. "So tell me more about physical, Avery." He closed the door behind them. "Well, basically I examine you from head to toe. Make sure everything is working properly." "Sounds heavenly. I can think of better ways for you to do it than with scanners." Avery sighed a bit as he rolled a cart over to her. "Well....it is not all done with scanners....therein lies the uncomfortable part." He said, as he picked up a tricorder and began scanning her. "Oh, I don't get uncomfortable about anything, dear. Remember what I was before I came here," she reminded, an evil glint possessing her eyes. He looked back at her, his voice serious but kind. "Well, sometimes discomfort is a good thing, it teaches us our limits." He replied as he moved down the length of her body finishing up the skeletal scan. The smile disappeared. "Discomfort! I thought you meant that I'd be uncomfortable stripping." The scowl returned in its green splendor. "Relax Naara." Avery picked up a small light and turned it on. "Say Ahh." "Ahh...my handsome Bajoran lover." "Ahhh will suffice." Avery said after examining her mouth. She sighed. "You know I'm here to make you happy." "You have no debt to me. You may do as you please." "I may?" Her face brightening, she quickly moved her lips to Avery's. Her lips were warm on his, his eyes closed as his head turned sideways. Their mouths began to open and for a brief second Avery let him be taken away by the moment… Then quickly he broke away and turned to the medical cart, busing himself with instruments laying on it. She smiled, the calculating part of her kicking in as she started to massage his neck. "How do you resist me, Avery?" He felt her touch, the intoxicating feel of her hands on his neck. That was the question wasn't it? Why did he resist? Again his eyes closed, he felt his neck relaxing under her touch...oh he wanted to give in.....oh prophets did he want to.... She turned him around gently, looking into his eyes. "You're so handsome. You know that." Naara kissed him again, this time with more fire; more passion. And as she did, he caught her arms in his hands...pulling her closer. He felt his control slipping away, his mind raced… Then all at once his rational mind flashed back into control and took back over... He pushed her away, falling back to a corner of the room. Angered, she hissed at him like a wildcat. "I don't appreciate that." "Naara...I can't." Avery said, breathing heavily. "It is just not me... I do not do these kinds of things." "You just…did." "It is just not me...." "Obviously it's you," she said, her voice rising. Turning her back on him for a moment, she acquainted herself with the corner of the room he had pushed her to. "Very well, Doctor. Continue your examination." "Naara..." Avery sighed as he walked up behind her. She inhaled deeply before turning to him. "Why must you act like prim and proper Starfleet officer? You know damned well it's just a facade." "Naara, the fact is...you are not a slave anymore. I do not see you as one. I never did." He paused, choosing his words carefully "When we first met, I saw a woman, not a being to be toyed with." She was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Where I come from, being toyed with isn't a bad thing." "Where I come from, being respected matters. A lot." He said as he gently brushed the side of her face, removing the hair from her eyes. She looked up. "Two very different worlds, I dare say." Avery sighed down at her. "Very..." He looked into her eyes. "But this would be a boring friendship if we always agreed." He said with a smirk. "Friendship? That's right. Just friends, wasn't it, from when I became an ensign." A touch of regret rang in her voice. "I want to be more than your friend, but it's better than nothing, Avery." His tone matched hers when he spoke again. "Aye, friends..." His eyes held hers as he paused for a moment. "At least...for now." He smiled at her, a bit playfully. "How long is "for now"?" He inhaled deeply. "I find time is an odd thing. The future is...unpredictable." He looked away for the briefest of moments. "Tis best not to question time, only wait and try to enjoy the ride." He knew that what he had just said was something he could not do, time was something he questioned constantly, he only hoped the words would help Naara. She nodded, quieted for the moment. Her one track mind soon branched into another thought, content with not shacking up with the Bajoran for a moment. "We've still not yet finished the physical, Avery." A true smile returned to his face. A feeling of peace with the current situation, if not al the others, came to him...at least for the time being. "No, I suppose we have not." He motioned back to the biobed. Taking a seat, she avoided looking at his eyes. "Where did we leave off?" Avery's cheeks flushed a bit as he looked at her. "Well....the next part is the awkward part I mentioned." Her clear eyes had a tinge of worry. "Yes?" He turned back to the cart beside the biobed. "Of course I will understand, and take no offense if you would prefer Miranda take over at this point..." Avery was starting to ramble a bit nervously. Naara rolled her eyes, smacking him lightly on the face. "Be professional." Being professional. Yes that was the proper course of action here. So, when next he spoke, it was in the most matter of fact way he could manage. "Very well, please remove your clothing, Ensign." Her eyes lit up. "You're finally making sense!" Almost a little too eagerly, she unzipped her uniform. Avery watched with professional eyes as she stripped. Keeping himself in complete Doctor mode. "Ok, I will get this over with as quickly as possible." "No need to rush. Enjoy the view if you want. Most men paid for it." Avery raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Your enjoying this, aren't you?" He sighed...Orions. He continued with the examination, as a complete professional. This was, after all, what he was trained for. "Mmhmm. I am. It's more natural for me." "I am a Doctor, Naara. I have done many such physicals.” He paused for a moment. “Are you implying you think I am uncomfortable?" He completed the final part of her examination as she replied. "Sure you've done physicals, but not with a woman that looked as good as me. Admit it." He purposefully ignored her last comment. "You may put your clothes back on now, the examination is over." Avery said as he averted his eyes, still amazed that with all the medical science out there today, this was still the only way to due a true physical. She did a little faux pout. "Do I have to?" "Yes," "Is that an order?" "Does it have to be?" He asked, annoyance creeping it's way into his voice. “Fine... fine..." she said, rolling her eyes once more as she pulled the uniform back on. “Quit acting so shocked. I'm sure you've seen many women in the nude, getting physical, not just getting a physical." Smirking, she adjusted the uniform collar. "You may cease to avert your eyes, Sir Galahad." He turned back to her. "Does respect just ###### you off or something?" He asked, rolling the cart back to its place in the corner. Her voice took on a simpering, sweet air. "Just a big change from what I'm used to." She came up behind him, kissing him delicately on the cheek. "I assume I'm not dying, correct?" "Your fine physically...." He trailed off. "And mentally I'm a basket case." Pressing a finger to his lips, she kept him from speaking. "Just don't tell anyone else, and it'll be our little secret." He smiled underneath her finger. "My lips are sealed." Trotting towards the door to Sickbay, she blew him a kiss. "See you around... friend..." she said, winking as she exited. Avery just shook his head. "See you around." He walked out into Main Sickbay as Naara exited. He looked up at the chrono on the wall and noticed it was 5 minutes past time for his shift to end. Naara’s physical had served to distract his mind for a bit, turning his thoughts away from recent events and ghosts. But now they were returning, he could feel it. Miranda seemed to have everything under control here, so after a few brief words with the rest of the Medical staff he made his way out the double doors. Avery needed a drink.

The world swirled and faded to black. It was disconcerting to say the least. To have sight, and then all at once having the world virtually disappear and leave behind only an empty void of sound and touch. Aaron help Avery lean his head back against the biobed. He blinked a few times, still getting used to having his eyes open but seeing nothing. “What are you doing to do if your goggles do not work? Andrea asked Aaron. “Well then, we are essentially screwed, ma’am.” Avery turned his head towards Aaron’s voice. “Oh, that’s wonderful to know now.” Aaron ignored the comment, finishing setting up all the equipment before he blinded Andrea. “Yeah, that was just…weird” Avery heard Andrea say, obviously having been blinded. “You have no idea…” Avery trailed off as a cold chill traveled up his spine. Avery, came the sound of a distant voice. Avery turned his head out of habit, of course he saw nothing. He did not recognize the voice as Andrea or Aaron. No, it was a far more familiar sound. No, it was not possible. That voice…that voice… Avery spun around in his mind, moving away from his corporal self. He began searching in his minds eye for the source of that voice. His eyes began to physically move underneath his now closed eyelids. Avery… The voice echoed in his mind again. He spun in the direction it came from. And there she stood; draped in white from head to toe was his old friend Pa’yla. Of course this was not really her, she was aboard the USS Lamia. What are you doing here? He asked, knowing full what see really was. She looked up at him, her face turning very serious. Avery felt a warm tingle on his left shoulder. Andrea, he smiled, she had laid her hand on his shoulder attempting to comfort him. His body must be making quite a fuss over this meeting. Andrea’s hand offered him a link to his physical self, a way out of this mental plain. Pa’yla’s doppelganger continued to stare at him, and something in those piercing eyes told him to stay So that he did. Almost as if on cue with his decision to stay, the blackness around him swirled into a flash of color and noise. Avery’s mind spun at the sudden change, he stumbled a bit, disoriented. As he turned his face back up, someone sideswiped him on his left, sending him reeling onto the deck plating. He did not have to look up to know where he was. The smells, the sounds…the screams. Yes, he knew exactly where he was. Reluctantly, he turned his head up, the tears already forming in his eyes. “No, NO!” He screamed. “I do not want to see this!” His hair swirled into his face as someone ran past him. He knew what came next, tears now streaked down his face. He tried to turn away, but found himself unable to look anywhere else. No, he silently repeated to himself. No… Looking to his left, he saw her again, Pa’yla’s double stood watch over him, holding him here. He was trapped. He turned back to the scene unfolding before him, seemingly unable to tear his eyes away. Just as he was beginning to resign himself to the pain that was coming, he felt it again. That warm tingle, this time on both shoulders. Andrea, he thought. She had taken a firm grasp on both his shoulders this time. She was trying to comfort his obliviously distressed body. In so doing, she had given him a link back to himself. She was offering him a way out once more, and this time he did not hesitant. As screams filled his ears from the terror around him, he fell backwards and away from it. Using Andrea’s touch as an anchor, he returned to the corporal world. The lights, the colors, the noise …it all waned then faded away, once again leaving him in the dark void of blindness. His body relaxed, and Andrea let go. Breath escaped his lungs in a rush as he rested his head against the cold surface of the biobed. “Sweep Completed.” The computer announced. “Well, that was painless, I think.” Andrea said. Still blinded, Avery hit his combadge. “Tynte to Westler. Are you still with sight Aaron?” Though the question was asked sarcastically, Avery was no less relieved when his friend answered in the affirmative. Avery felt more then heard Andrea relax beside him. He sat up gently as she reached for the reloaded hypos of Trhitiline. He heard the familiar sound of a hypospray as she treated herself, then he felt the tip of the hypo touch his skin. It all came back in a blinding blur. It was no easier adjusting to sight, then it was adjusting to blindness, Avery noted as he turned to the blurred figure beside him. Avery held up two fingers as the blob, aka Andrea, spoke. “Avery,” she started in a sarcastic tone. “There are three of you, there was five.” “Well, there is only one of you,” he replied. “But your just a big blob.” He finished with a grin she probably could not see. As he turned back to Andrea, her face now coming back into focus, he noticed she appeared a bit more serious as she spoke. “What was all our worrying about? That was not so bad was it?” She asked. “You mean while we were blinded?” He answered with a question of his own. Her still slightly blurring head moved up and down. Here was his chance. Should he tell her? Should he confide in her what had been bothering him of late? Sure, he trusted her. Probably more then anyone else on this ship. She stared at him, waiting for an answer. “Just old ghosts Nothing more..” He said with the best fake smile he could muster. It pained him to lie to her, but as his latest theme pronounced: This was not the time, nor the place. She sat there, considering him, obviously not completely buying it. Her faced finished focusing with a smile. A warm smile. “Alright,” she said. “Let’s get to work.” She handed him a hypospray as she hopped off the edge of the biobed. He took it, the case feeling cold in his hand. “Aye, lets.” He knew she wanted to ask him what it really was, wanted to help him. But that was the thing about Andrea; she knew when to pry, and when to let the person come to her. And she knew this was the latter. As she started to the door, Avery slide off the side of the bed. “Andrea,” he started. She stopped at the double doors leading out of sickbay and turned towards him. “Yes, Avery?’ “Thank you.” Thank you for saving me, thank you for being there, thank you for bringing me back. He finished what he really wanted to say in his mind, leaving it unspoken, at least for now. Her lips quirked back up into another smile. “Anytime Avery, anytime.” Then her face turned to mock seriousness. “Now come on, we have a lot of work to do.” “That we do,” Aaron said as he walked back into main sickbay pulling his goggles off his face. The three walked out of Sickbay together with one problem down, a galaxy full more to go.