Aftershock - A followup Keb-Erich Log

[Erich Jaenke 0]

She heard a distinct reverberated form of Erich's voice inside her head. Delight, followed by amazement, leading to shock crossed his mind in succession. Her mind recognized his mental projection as an inner voice, but not hers. They stood apart at the door to her quarters, eyes locked in realization of what transpired. A Betazoid’s telepathic projection resonating in a human’s mind. Her mind was not configured for reception from a telepath’s mind, or was it?

 

Keb? he thought again, using his continued gaze into her brown eyes as a focal point. He knew immediately that he was still getting through, even without her sudden intake of breath. Her tight embrace grounded his flight response, and now she needed him. He could feel her mind starting to process things, going into overdrive after the initial shock. He didn’t want her to take this the way she had the dream incident.

 

“You better sit down,” he nodded, keeping his stare. He led her by the hands to sit back on the couch, then turned around to get fresh water in a goblet for her. She sat and watched him return. It was a little frightening to have him show again that he could be inside her head, but this hadn’t felt like when he’d been in her dream. He’d been crying out to her for...for help. And she’d already come to terms with the fact that no matter what, she was happier with Erich around than not; she consciously didn’t want to drive him away by freaking out, especially not if he needed her.

 

“Here,” Erich said, handing off the goblet. He sat by her as he had at dinner; he couldn’t leave now, not like this. “Are you okay?”

 

She hesitated, taking stock of herself. She was still a little shaken by his voice inside her head, but things were quiet and normal again--and part of her was fascinated and intrigued by what had happened, if still confused. “I think so,” she answered.

 

He closed his eyes, then opened them again. “Not completely,” he smiled, comforted by the fact that she was starting to accept the connection forged between them, as unusual as it was.

 

“Are you okay?” she asked. “You--you were shaking--before…”

 

“Fear,” he said, drifting to silence, considering his visions of the past. “My memories. I’ve tried to forget. You don’t know. No one does.”

 

“You were...hearing my fear, too...my memories of being sick,” she said, gazing down at her water. It rippled slightly. “Is it--is it always so loud, when you hear what others are thinking?” It had felt like a plasma cannon booming inside her.

 

"No, it was my strong projection," he laughed lightly. "Our emotions opened up a link between us. One that should not exist, for normal humans." This made him particularly happy to know she was atypical. She could understand what is so hard to put into words. What is sight to the blind, hearing for the deaf, and inner thoughts of others to the normals?

 

She bit her lip before voicing the question, though of course he could see it forming in her mind. “What...what is it you fear?”

 

Erich gazed at her for a long moment before he answered, and brushed his fingers against her cheek. “That part of what I can do will hurt you,” he admitted.

 

She leaned into his touch. “You told me before that my thoughts gave you focus--and I know you were able to relax me,” she began. “And you’ve been helping me, not hurting...you’ve been keeping me focused on things like the ship, instead of being afraid of what I’ll do wrong all the time. Even with everything going wrong, I haven’t been doing the counting thing quite as often. I know things have been...weird between us, but...I...I think maybe we can help each other with our fears. It’s hard for me to admit I need help...but my career in Starfleet’s over if I can’t move past my breakdown.”

 

Erich knew what she meant. “Doctor Scott will not let me keep my post either if I don’t get myself under control. Don’t worry about my reaction. I have to learn to accept vivid memories of others without their shock value. We can work on this later.” He considered her for a moment, lost in those damned eyes. “We are two messed up Starfleet officers. We have to keep each other grounded. Deal?”

 

She nodded, amused that she was always making deals with him like a Ferengi.