Hope, Ever Lasting.

Posted on Tue Mar 25th, 2025 @ 3:44am by Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Captain Gary Taylor & Commander Sthilg

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Various
Timeline: After "What Options?"
1497 words - 3 OF Standard Post Measure

Gary stood outside the quarantine room and looked in at Lia. She was lying in bed. Sthilg had just removed her from stasis and now they were waiting her to wake up so the hard work could begin. Gary felt elated at just this achievement of Lia being moved out of stasis. He hoped this was the beginning of what would be a joyous recovery.

Alicia offered an apologetic smile as she walked over to Gary. "Apologies I was delayed. How's the transfer going?"

Gary nodded, "No need to apologize. The transfer has just started. They have just gotten Lia situated in room. With no complications."

Inside the room, Sthilg was busy running a scanner over Lia. He'd purged the cold from her system as he brought her out of cryo. Now he just had to find a way of getting the virus out of her. Hearing a slight mumbling he gave her a calmly. " lay still my dear."

Gary watched as the Doc was running a scanner over Lia. Just seeing her out of stasis was encouraging. He prayed that more good news would follow and that Lia would again be by his side.

Alicia watched but couldn’t help but feel a little disturbed. “Are there any unusual readings?” She looked at her father. “I’m sensing something…” she shook her head. “Maybe it’s just Lia’s emotions from being in stasis, but it feels off.”

Gary was instantly alert. "What? What are you sensing? What feels off?" He asked knowing he was firing questions at Alicia and not giving her a chance to reply. "Sorry Alicia, I didn't mean to be firing questions at you."

“It’s okay” Alicia offered an understanding nod. “To be honest I’m not sure, Lia’s emotions are very…odd right now, but that could be the effect of being in stasis.”

Gary nodded at Alicia's reply about Lia's emotions. "Sure," He replied trying to sound positive and upbeat. "That's probably it." He agreed but still he worried, and he hoped it and he hoped his worry had no foundation.

Sthilg clicked his tongue as he did when he was thinking. Everything was going okay though her body was showing the normal signs of being in Stasis. " Follow the light, my dear." He said moving a light back and forwards to test her eye tracking.

Gary watched as Sthilg began his exam of Lia beginning with checking her eyes. *So far, so good* He thought but reminded himself that the exam had just started.

Alicia watched hoping that what she was feeling was just Lia’s disorientation at coming out of stasis.

"Anything more?" Gary asked looking at Alicia to see if she could offer anything more after her initial statement.

Sthilg kept on with the checkup. Everything looked like it was going well. " Now my dear i just...." He began before a blaring alarm came from the scanner. " No No no no no." Sthilg yelled as Lia began to shake violently.

As the alarm began to blare, followed instantly by Sthilg's raised voice. Instantly Gary moved closer to the quarantine shield as Sthilg moved quickly to check on Lia as she began to shake violently

" Crash cart stat," Sthilg yelled to the nurse as he picked up Lia and put her down on the bed and got to work.

Gary's expression changed instantly going from hopeful to worried as he saw Lia begin to shake violently and Sthilg pick Lia up and get her on a bet all while he yelled for the crash cart stat. "Come on Lia!! Fight honey fight! Don't give up!" He whispered, imploring his wife to fight on.

Alicia stood at Gary’s side hoping against hope that Sthilg could work his magic and save Lia. Her senses were telling her what her eyes were seeing, that what was happening wasn’t good.

Gary stared silently as the drama continued to unfold in front of him, It seemed like time had slowed down and everything was moving in slow motion as Sthilg worked to stabilize Lia.

Sthilg head was racing as he tried everything he could think of. The crash cart did nothing so he resorted to the older method. His artificial hand made a quick incision and reached into her, and started pumping her heart manually. " Come on Lia don't die on me." He hissed to himself as he worked.

Gary's heart was in his mouth as he watched Sthilg make an incision into Lia's chest and begin to manually massage her heart. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to be in there with Liam to do something, but he trusted Sthilg and knew his presence would just get in the way.

Sthilg own heart was rising as he gently squeezed Lia's heart again and again hoping against hope that her life signs would jump to life and this would come to an end, but as the seconds became munites no such miracle occurred. The old lizard's eyes dropped as he looked at his friend. A friend he'd failed. " I'm sssorry Lia. I hope Gedesss will be there to help you to the hunting grounds. " he muttered softly. Looking at the clock he was shocked. He'd been trying for half an hour. " Computer mark time of death." he added as he ran his hand across his head.

Gary's eyes had been glued on Sthilg as he worked on Lia to stabilize her. An audible, anguished sob broke from Gary's throat at hearing Sthilg's pronouncement. Nooooo!, No, no, no" He cried. He looked at Alicia, "She can't be dead! She can't be!" He looked at Lia, "Come on sweetie! Quit fooling around. The joke's gone far enough. Ha Ha, you got me." He looked at Alicia again as tears ran down his cheeks like twin rivers. "Lia, can't be dead." He muttered as great sobs came from his throat, racking his entire frame. shaking in inconsolable sorrow and grief at the loss of his beloved Lia.

Alicia had watched hopelessly as her father had tried to save Lia, now she was the one with a job to do Counselling both Gary, and her father. She made a mental note to speak with Tate about talking to Little Lia.
"I'm so sorry Gary" she offered her support as best as she could, but right now Gary needed time to grieve. She gave her father a caring gaze, knowing he was feeling just as upset as Gary at losing Lia. She looked back to Gary. "Lets get you to a private room for a few minutes, then you can sit with Lia for as long as you need."

Gary nodded numbly to Alicia. He was in a daze; his world was in pieces. he couldn't think. Where was LL? Then he remembered she was with Cerese. He would let Alicia take him to private room to be with Lia one last time. "Doc." He said quietly, "I know you did all you could for Lia, and I am forever grateful."

" I'........" The old lizard began before the words caught in his throat. " Don't know what happened." he muttered out.

Gary clasped Sthilg on the shoulder in a silent gesture of support and understanding Lia, his beloved Lia was gone, and they would go no more a roving so late into the night. No more romantic dinners at the teahouse. No more just going to the arboretum and sitting under one of the trees and just enjoying each other's company. no more any of the countless things they did together, there was no reset button to hit. this was as real as it gets, and it sucked.

“I can take over from here father” Alicia offered an understanding gaze. “You go home and rest, I’ll give mum a call let her know what happened. She’ll want to be there for you.” She turned her attention back to Sickbay. “Computer activate the EMH.”

Sthilg opened his mouth to say something but stopped and nodded. " I'm ssso sssorry Gary." He said as he stepped through the doors.

Gary nodded wordlessly to the CMO. Words failed him. His thoughts were all over the place, jumbled and his emotions were off the scale.

As the EMH appeared Alicia quickly explained the situation. “I need Lia prepared for a family viewing, please see to it.” With that she turned back to Gary. “Let’s go wait in private until Lia is ready for you.”

Gary heard Alicia talking to the EMH but he felt disconnected. That this was all surreal. Lia was gone, that was real, and he needed to tell LL and take care and comfort her. He moved one foot in front of the other almost robotically as Alicia led him to a private room. Where he could sit alone with his thoughts, his dream of Lia and himself retiring to his ranch was just that a dream never to be realized.

{OFF}