Awakenings

[Cmdr Ridire 0]

Aidan woke up about an hour after the events that happened though admittedly he is still a bit fuzzy on what exactly had happened. Dr. Studly had tried explaining it to him, to the best of his ability, but Aidan was really only interested in whether Deb was safe. Dr. Studly had replied that she was back though like him she had returned unconscious. That was enough for Aidan, he then proceeded to get up and off the biobed and went to find Deb over Dr. Studly’s objections. In fact, Aidan blithely ignored the Doctor. He found Deb lying on a biobed in one of the private rooms off Sickbay.

 

Confiscating a chair he moves it to the side of Deb’s bed and sits down. He gently reaches for her near hand, her left hand to be exact, and clasps it between his hands while waiting for her to wake up.

 

Debbie wasn't sure what awakened her. It was either the headache or the nausea. Even before she opened her eyes, she decided the culprit was her churning stomach. Headaches she could tolerate but nausea was another matter altogether.

 

She carefully opened one eye and then the other. Cautiously surveying the ceiling, she knew she was in Sickbay. She could only hope it was the her Sickbay. Lifting her right arm, she placed her hand on her stomach only to knock off a small, lightweight object that had been left there. She was able to grab it before it tumbled to the floor. It was a bedpan. Obviously, someone anticipated the tumultuous tummy she was now dealing with.

 

Deb couldn't move her left hand. Something was holding it down. It took several seconds before she dared glance in that direction but when she did, she managed a weak smile and a quiet sigh of relief. Even if this wasn't her Sickbay, Aidan was here and that meant everything would be okay.

He brings his head up and opens his eyes when he feels Deb move. He had been trying not to think of what it would be like if she never did. He chokes back the sudden emotion before taking a moment to have the computer summon Gracie. Still clutching her hand he stands and leans over her to kiss her on the forehead gently. He murmurs, "Thank God you’re safe," as the emotions wash over him and several tears fall from his eyes.

 

Safe? Safe from what? Deb couldn't remember being in danger. As a matter of fact, she couldn't remember much of anything that happened prior to her waking up with a raging headache and a roiling stomach. But something must have happened otherwise her husband wouldn't be hovering over her looking like she had just survived a near death experience.

 

She managed a weak smile along with a soft chuckle. "Thanks," she whispered hoarsely. "Maybe you could explain what happened. I don't seem to remember anything."

 

It takes him a minute or two before he can stop the tears. After wiping them away he moves to sit down in his chair again. Still he holds tightly onto her hand, as if he’s scared she’s going to disappear on him again. In a not quite steady voice he says, "Apparently, a couple hours ago, while we were trying to contact the away team on the station, both you and Captain Michaels disappeared from the ship. And as Mr. Angel and Mr. Shamor and a few others searched the ship for you two about fifty more people started disappearing from the ship, including Shamor, Captain McQueen and myself. I’m not sure about the details but apparently the Romulans at some point in the past, around the time of the Phoenix mission here, took over the station and tried to use it as a weapon to target Earth. Apparently the station also got stuck in a temporal loop at that point which did something back then. But apparently when we boarded the station, the loop started repeating itself and the station started powering up. From what we can gather, the Romulans had intended to use the main sensor dish of the station as a sort of beam weapon to attack earth. The away team managed to find that out and change the aiming point of the sensor dish. They couldn’t stop the discharge. When the discharge happened it blew up one of the local moons in the planetary system." He frowns darkly and adds "We’re still trying to find out the full effects of that discharge. But right after that, the ship managed to retrieve the away team and you, Captain Michaels, Captain McQueen and the rest of us reappeared on the ship..all of us were unconscious."

 

Deb stared blankly at her husband as he brought her up to date on what had happed aboard the ship as well as the station. Once again, a routine assignment had turned into one of those curious events the Reaent was always stumbling into. As the information slowly penetrated her brain, she closed her eyes with a quiet sigh. She was suffering from what was commonly referred to as "temporal shock." It was rarely life threatening but always miserable. She had once been told temporal shock was similar to the hangover one usually suffered after downing a full bottle of Romulan Ale. Debbie had never even tasted the notorious blue booze the Federation's arch enemy was so proud of. Now, she was absolutely certain she never would.

 

He shrugs and says tiredly "I think that’s about the gist of it. I’m not entirely sure if that’s completely right, since I woke up I’ve been rather more focused on you. I’ve been sitting here since I woke up though I think I’m going to owe an apology to Dr. Studly as I rather blithely ignored his request or orders, depending on how you want to view them, that I return to my own room here in Sickbay. I don’t think he was too amused at the compromise I suggested."

 

Opening her eyes, Debbie squeezed her husband's hand. "Don't worry about Studly," she offered with a grin. "From the sound of it, he's so busy, he won't even remember you disobeyed his orders." She paused for a moment, taking on a more serious demeanor. "The away team," she asked cautiously. "We got them back, right?"

 

He smiles and nods. "Yes, everyone is back safe and sound. We’re at the edge of the system until we decide what to do with the station." He chuckles then adds, "Well perhaps you’re right about Dr. Studly. However, I doubt Gracie will forget quite so easily though. I've been rather ignoring her...suggestions as well and made the same compromise offer to her that I did to Dr. Studly."

 

"You may have a problem with Gracie," replied Deb as she managed to sit up with Aidan's help. "She doesn't forget anything." The CMO rubbed her forehead with one hand and held on to her husband with the other waiting for the dizziness to pass. After a moment, she dared to open her eyes and met Aidan's gaze. "Just what compromise are you talking about?"

 

He rests a hand at the small of her back to steady her when she sits up. He frowns slightly as she does so. The frown turns into a small innocent smile when he answers "I suggested that if they wanted me to stay in my biobed and get some rest they should move it in here since I was more then a little determined to be here and watch over you." He leans in and gently kisses her forehead as he murmurs "You’re much too important to me for to put my own rest and recovery ahead of."

 

Deb smiled warmly at her husband. She truly appreciated his sentiments but already, her focus was returning to the bizarre events they had been forced to endure over the past few hours. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly while tracing the curve of his chin with her slender fingers. "And what about the Captains? Are they okay?"

 

He closes his eyes and leans into her fingers, savoring her touch for a few quiet seconds. He opens his eyes and kisses the tips of her fingers. "The Captains are alright. Captain Michaels apparently disappeared at the same time you did. Captain McQueen disappeared when I and the others did. They’re both still unconscious though so they’re somewhere in Sickbay here."

 

Dropping her legs over the side of the bed, Debbie pondered the information Aidan had just provided. She also noted what he didn't say. The two Captains were incapacitated but would be okay. In the meantime, who was in charge? It certainly wasn't Aidan because he was here, with her, in Sickbay and from the sound of it, he didn't have any choice. At least he was conscious but was there something he wasn't telling her. "And you?" she inquired softly, lacing her fingers through his. "Were you unconscious for awhile?"

 

He nods, "Yeah for a little over an hour apparently. In that time the others got the away team back and backed the ship away from the station to the edge of the system. I’m not entirely sure who was in charge up on the bridge during that time but we survived it and that’s all that really matters." He brings her hands up to his lips and kisses them. "I’ll have a meeting with the away team and the conscious senior staff. We need to decide what to do about the station, we can’t obviously leave it there, it’s obviously dangerous."

 

"That's putting it mildly," whispered Deb as she slipped off the bed. Much to her surprise, she managed to maintain her balance with practically no discomfort. "I'll talk to Rocco and Gracie.....clear the way for everyone to meet. But you should probably plan on using the conference room down the hall. They aren't going to let us wander too far just yet." She gazed at him and then smiled weakly. "Don't worry, I'm okay. Now that I'm awake, I can take something to ease this nausea and the headache. What I would like to know is this." She slipped an arm around his waist and rested against him. "Are you okay?"

 

He smiles and wraps his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. "I’ll handle clearing it with Dr. Studly and Gracie. Well, actually I’ll talk to Merina about it since she’s in charge right now. And I'll tell them you want something for your headache and nausea. But good idea with using the nearby conference room." He tips his head down and tucks into the crux of her neck as his smile fades. Softly he murmurs "And yes, I’m okay. I’m fine now that you’re awake." He closes his eyes against the sudden tears as his mind flashes back to how he felt when he discovered she was missing.

"And I'm okay too," whispered Debbie, slowly realizing that her sudden disappearance must have scared Aidan to death. "Or I will be as soon as my stomach settles down." She held him tightly and quietly wished they were far away from Reaent. "All of sudden," she continued, her throat tightening. "I can't wait until this day is over and we're able to relax a little." Pulling away slightly, she met his gaze and smiled warmly. "So lets get this meeting of yours over with. I think we both deserve a quiet evening."

 

He nods as his hands slip to her waist. He gently lifts her a couple inches and deposits her onto the biobed in a sitting position. He kisses her cheek gently before murmuring, "You stay here. I’ll go get Merina or Gracie to give you something for your stomach and for your headache. Then we’ll go to the meeting. Then as soon as we can we’ll go back to our quarters and see about that quiet evening. In the meantime, think about how you want to spend our time alone tonight. Okay?"

 

He was out the door before she could answer. Half tempted to follow him, she opted to stay put. Her head was really pounding. In spite of that, she had no trouble deciding how she wanted to spend their quiet evening. She only hoped "the headache" wouldn't interfere.