Lonely Visit

Posted on Sun Nov 3rd, 2024 @ 12:33am by Captain Gary Taylor

Mission: Season 6: Episode 5: A church beyond heaven
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: After Senior Staff Dinner
861 words - 1.7 OF Standard Post Measure

After the Senior Staff dinner had ended, Gary didn't return to his quarters. He instead headed to Sickbay to pay a visit, one that was long overdue. Arriving in Sickbay, he nodded to the nurses and doctors on duty as he made his way to where Lia was. After a few moments he arrived at Lia's location, and he stared at the stasis tube she was in. The lights at the front of the tube all glowed a cheery green but his eyes were on the inhabitant inside the tube. Lia, his wife, his soulmate, best friend was inside. Here eyes were closed, and she appeared to be sleeping. Only this was a sleep Lia had yet to wake up from. He pulled up a nearby chair and sat down in front of the tube, his eyes never leaving it. Lia had been stricken with an unknown virus one that had her gradually lose her reason. had led to violent outbursts of anger and irrational actions and thoughts. Until she had finally lapsed into a coma. There was even money on whether she would ever regain consciousness or more importantly return to the person she had been before she was stricken.

"Hiya sweetie." He began his voice soft as if afraid he would wake her. " Came to check on you, to talk with you. Give you the latest 411 on what is going on. We're still moving towards home. Systems are restored. Still not capable of maximum warp or engaging the quantum slipstream drive. However, hopes remain high. We recently ran into a race of slavers who had abducted thousands, maybe millions of people from different galaxies including our own where they abducted an entire Starfleet crew. We were able to rescue many and offer them a home for the homeless." He chuckled without humor. Recently we have come across a massive ship that resembles a church. I kid you not Lia, it has the makings of church. We are docked t it right now. They have from what I've seen all the religious trappings with sisters, fathers. Probably have their version of cardinals and maybe even a pope or whatever title the man at the top is referred to. They are friendly enough. All to eager to spread the word and look for followers." He leaned back and looked up at her, "Recently though, something unusual happened. We are missing or rather cannot remember a crew member. That being the chief of flight operations. We have a chief of flight, but we cannot remember who it was previously. All traces and references are gone. I don't know if our encounter with the church has anything to do with this disturbing lack of not remembering. Just odd Lia very odd and troubling."

He took a breath and changed topics. His eyes were moist with tears. "LL misses you very much. She misses her mommy. She asks how you are every day. When she goes to bed at night, she always asks for her mommy to come home again so you and she can dress up in the kimonos you would wear and just spend time together." He reached inside his tunic and withdrew a piece of paper and opened it to show Lia, it showed a man, woman and child all holding hands and smiling. below the figures was written, 'Mummy, Daddy and me. We are a happy family' He looked back at Lia. "She loves you Lia and you would be so proud of her. She is doing well. I do everything I can for her, we go to the arboretum and feed the ducks, ride the merry go round. Sometimes we get ice cream. She is a joy. She is a constant source of joy and happiness to me. Please don't be angry with me for not bringing her to see you. I don't want her to see you like this, a frozen, incapable of showing the warmth and love you have inside you." He said in a fit of anger. He grew silent for a several long seconds. Tears forming and running down his cheeks, soft sops erupting from his chest. Finally, he was able to talk. "I miss you Lia, God, how I miss you! I miss cooking for you, your love of both Japanese food and culture. I miss us dancing in our quarters and you calling me a fuddy duddy or old codger or some other term of endearment you would come up with. At least i hope they were terms of endearment." He chuckled softly at his joke then continued. "There is a hole in my heart Lia where you should be. Come back to LL, come back to all your friends who miss you and come back to me." With that, Gary stood and took the drawing and placed it on the tube, so it faced Lia, and she could see it. "I love you Lia Taylor, now and for all eternity." He whispered as he placed his hand on the cool tube after a moment, he turned and left her and her never ending sleep, The soft hums and beeps keeping Lia company.