Coming back

Posted on Tue Apr 27th, 2021 @ 9:35am by Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant JG Heather De La Rosa {Kelea-Salik}

Mission: Season 5: Episode 1: No Exit
Location: Sickbay; USS Elysium
Timeline: After the transport from the surface
2299 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

As Naxea was rushed into surgery, her mind was unaware of the events going on around her. She opened her eyes to find herself not surrounded by the interior of sickbay--or anywhere for that matter. She was surrounded by a soft white glow--almost as if she was in a thick fog or cloud. "What th--where am I" she asked, looking around and not being able to get a sense of direction.

Soon a shadowy figure emerged from the fog and took the shape of S'hib. "S'hib? Why are you?"

"You are Naxea Azhul of Bajor," the figure of S'hib stated matter of fact as he began to circle her.

"Yes, you know that already S'hib..."

"I only take the form of one your recognize but I am not S'hib. I am the Prophet Laan."

Heather looked curiously at Naxea as she lay on the operating bed. “I think she must be dreaming, her emotions are ... confused.” She looked at Sthilg.

" In her ssstate I think we'd all what to dream. " The gorn said as his arms changed into it's laser scalpel mode as he began cutting the Colonel's ruined uniform from her so he could get to work. A slight flash behind him announced the return of Snow with the blood and plasma. " Get her hooked up i do not want her bleeding to death on my table." The gorn said calmly to heather.

“Yes Doctor” Heather quickly got to work hooking Naxea up to the supplies that Snow had brought. “Bloods are in, plasma going in now.” She set the required rate of flow to make sure Naxea had a steady supply so as not to overwhelm her fragile system.

--

Naxea was confused. "Prophet Laan? That doesn't make any sense. Who the hell is Prophet Laan?"

The image of S'hib changed into a blue semi-transparent humanoid form. "I and my kind are also of Bajor."

Naxea's eyes grew wide. "You're a Prophet? But how are you here? Am...am I dreaming?"

"It was long ago when we first crossed paths, Azhul Naxea of Bajor. As dreaming, make of it as you will. The white fog changed to the Bajoran Landscape but it was inside a labor camp...one Naxea knew far too well. She saw a familiar little girl playing in the dirt near a pile of junk.

"That...is that me?" Naxea asked, slowly approaching the girl. Naxea could see the little girl with what looked like a cylinder in her hands with native Bajoran inscription on it. "What is that..."
---


As the team worked Snow was working on the major's left arm. It had taken most of the impact and as the robot did his best to save it carefully removing the pieces of the major's armour, clothing and the remains of the explosive ammunition. " This is looking very bad." He said calmly in his robotic voice.


---

Naxea knelt down next to her child self A nearby noise caused the little Naxea to jump, dropping the cylinder , causing it to crack just as a blue light emerged, going through the chaild Naxea, knocking her to the ground and then shooting up into the sky, disappearing.

Naxea stood and looked at the blue form of Laan. "Was that you?"

"You freed me and when I entered you, a part of my essence was left," Laan explained. "This allows me to communicate with you."

"Wait...if you're able to communicate with me, how come I've never seen or heard you before?"

"Because you reject us," Laan said.

"I reject you because you did nothing to save my people, my family from Cardassian Oppression. You claim to be of Bajor and then sit by as it's people are murdered, raped, and tortured."

"Because they're weak," another, familiar voice said as the form of a female Orion with Naxea's features formed. Naxea instantly recognized the image of herself after being transformed by the mirror Sthilg. "Together, we are strong, made stronger by these experiences with the Cardassians, and can kill any who oppose us."

---------

The old gorn doctor had a grim look on his face as he looked over what the robotic nurse had found. Naxea's arm looked beyond salvageable with shattered bones, flesh, and nerve damage that would be beyond repairable. His white eyes glanced over to the board and his heart sank. She may not survive having the limb removed. Letting out a slight sigh he looked at his team. " Heather we need to get her ssstabilized ssso we can remove her arm."

Heather nodded as she looked at Naxea’s readouts. “Bloods and plasma are going in as fast as I dare push them, any faster and we’ll risk adding to the problem.” She looked at Sthilg.

" Keep an eye on her levelsss." The gorn said as he prepared his instruments. " Naxea if you can hear usss we need you to be brave and ssstrong. We need you to help us." He said softly.

-------

Naxea turned to face her other self as Laan's form approached the other Naxea as if studying her. "This is Azhul Naxea of Bajor but changed."

"Nice observation, Captain Obvious," the Orion Naxea replied, rolling her eyes.

"She is me when I was brainwashed and biologically changed by those in another, more sinister universe," Naxea explained.

"Yes, we know of this parallel universe. In it, we do not exist," Laan replied.

"Just as you will cease to exist when I destroy you," the Orion Naxea sneered before charging at Naxea.

Before Naxea could react, the form of Laan raised it's arm, causing the Orion Naxea to disappear in in a flash of light. "We are not as weak as she believed."

"How were you--"

"Because that version of you was not attached to your true self and not of Bajor," Laan explained.

---------

If gorn could sweat Sthilg would be drenched by now as he carefully removed his friend's arm his heart jumping at every beep from the monitor as if it was going to explode. " How'sss ssshe doing?" the doctor asked Heather as he made an incision into the shattred reamins of her shoulder joint.

Heather looked up at the readouts, “She’s holding her own for now. Blood pressure is low but holding, heart rate is stable. From what I can feel she’s dreaming something pretty intense.”

" Let'sss hope it'sss of her and her Sssequusss in a very happy place. " The doctor replied hoping they'd understand why he had to remove Azhul's arm. " Okay making primary incision." He said as Snow handed him the laser scalpel.

-------------

Naxea felt a twinge in her arm. "Wh--what's happening?" she asked.

"You are in surgery," Laan stated.

Just then a flash appeared in the image of the green-skinned altered Naxea again behind Naxea and brought her into a choke hold. "I can't be dobe away with that easily," she sneered into Naxea's ear. "I am you after all."

Naxea struggled before delivering a sharp elbow and snapping her head back into the face of her opposite.

The altered Naxea held her nose that was now gushing blood as Naxea turned to face her, coughing. "You are not me and will never be me," Naxea answered before rushing and slamming her fist into the altered Naxea, sending the two sprawling to the ground as the surrounding changed back to the white fog that Naxea and Laan had been in originally.

The two women struggled to obtain an edge, trading blows. All the while, Naxea's arm began to throb with pain, feeling weaker with each passing second. After several seconds, Naxea managed to get her altered self into a rear naked choke hold, squeezing with all she had as her altered self struggled and several agonizing seconds later, Naxea's altered self collapsed, unconscious as Naxea stood wobbly. "What is going on..." Naxea managed to say before collapsing as well.

"You are dying. The fight drained you," Laan said matter of fact as it approached Naxea.

"N--No...I--I can't...die," she struggled to speak. "I...won't..."

-------------------------

The gorn heart stopped as he heard the monitor flatline drop. " No no no. Azhul if you can hear me you do not have permissssssion to die marine." He yelled as his hands kept working. He'd gone too far to stop now and he had to push on. Only a few more minutes.

Laan bent down next to Naxea. It studied the woman for a moment as it watched her struggle against death. It's hand rested on Naxea's forehead, it could sense the memories of the woman that had unknowingly held it's essence. Laan remembered long ago when this woman was a child and had broken the seal that had trapped it within--trapped by the other prophets because it had wanted to aid those of Bajor against the invaders. Laan decided to do what must be done as he transferred the essence into Naxea. It knew it would be able to physically interact with this Azhul Naxea of Bajor someday. The blue form of Laan disappeared as the essence completed it's transfer.

Naxea coughed, as the essence strengthened her. "Laan?" she looked around and found herself alone as the white environment began to close as she stood on her feet again. Her arm still throbbed with pain for some reason however. She could hear two familiar voices--one belonging to Sthilg and the other Sergeant De La Rosa.

Behind his mask, a faint smile spread over the lizard's face as the monitor strengthened and leveled out. SHe was fighting with them. With a few more slight moves he finished amputating the arm in his normal effective manner. Within a micro second of it being removed the excom nurse applied a bio batch to keep the wound healthy for when it would be taking a transplant. " Good job everyone." The gorn said to his team.

Heather breathed a sigh of relief as she nodded to Sthilg. “No, good job to you Doctor. If it wasn’t for your skill Naxea wouldn’t be here now.” She gently moped what perspiration there was from the Gorn’s brow before going back to checking vitals. “Vitals are getting stronger, she’s quite the fighter.”

"Ssshe isss. " the gorn said weakly. He needed some water, but he still had to finish the job. " Okay, let'sss get her ssstabilisssed and into recovery."

Heather nodded and offered a smile. The sooner Naxea was in recovery the sooner she could find out what was happening with Fernando.

-----

As the white surrounding disappeared and blackness engulfed her, as Naxea soon could feel herself physical self--the sheets of a bed, or at least something soft. She slowly opened her eyes, momentarily blinded by the light of the Recovery Ward. "Wh--What happened?" she croaked through her parched throat.

Snow was the duty nurse and the little robot let out an excited beep as it hears the colonel's voice. " Doctor, Sergent she's awake. " He said into his coms as he teleported over. " Please lay still Azhul you nearly didn't make it. " the small robot said calmly.

Heather was at Naxea’s side in a flash. “Hey, welcome back. Don’t try and move, you’ve been through quite an ordeal. We almost lost you at one point, but you came back to us.”

A sound of something big banging it's head a few words in gorn grumbling announced the arrival of the ship head MD who had been trying to catch some sleep in his office. A smile spread over his face as he saw Naxea was up. " Welcome back my friend. We almost lossst you for a while." He said warmly as Snow returned with a glass of water.

Naxea smiled at the Gorn, as she reached for the glass of water, every move was painful but she stopped as her eyes went to her left arm--or lack of one. This had to be some kind of prank--was she not seeing it? She just saw a bandaged stub just below her shoulder. "What happened to my arm?" she demanded in a sterner tone.

The gorn was quiet before he spoke a look of sorrow on his face. "We had to amputate. It had taken the full force of the blassst. It would have killed you if we hadn't removed it."

Naxea sighed as she laid on the bed. This was going to set her back at least a month if not more and simply the thought angered her. What if the Marines were needed again against this enemy? She recalled the mission and then looked at Sthilg. "Did the Away Team and Rescue Teams make it back?" Her throat was dry as she eyes the water again and once again reached for it.

"Everyone made it back." the gorn replied his voice going into a more happier tone. " A few broken bonesss, but nothing we can't fix."

Heather was standing tentatively to one side, she looked towards Sthilg. “If you don’t need me for a few minutes would you mind if I go and find Fernando?” She was eager to make sure her husband was alright.

Naxea seemed to visibly relax at the news of the Away Team and Rescue Team making it back. Will you be able to able to replace my...arm?" she asked as she looked at the stub. It was indeed funny as her arm felt as if it were still there, yet the stub still unnerved her. She set the glass down on the medical table shakily as she let out a sigh--she felt tired.

"Off courssse my dear. We're having a bio sssynthetic one prepared right now." The old gorn said reassuringly.

"Good," she said softly as she closed and rested her eyes. "Thank you, Sthilg."