The Ghost In You

 Episode Name:  The Ghost In You

   Written By:  Spider

         Cast:  Albertz, Nabrun, Seris, Sharei and Spider.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Spider

     Aired On:  Tue Jun 22 17:57:55 2004

     Stardate:  54186.1

Time: Fri Jun 18 15:12:35 2004

Stardate: 54176.2

At her place, Nor's in the holodeck, wandering through the towering ruins of an ancient city. A hint of a smile plays across her face, her eyes are squinted slightly up against the brilliant sunlight and the brightness of the blue sky as she scans her surroundings. Finding what seems to be a worthy vantage point, she clambers up a small pile of rocks to sit on an outcropping, smoothing the fabric of her gown as she settles in. Her purpose for the apparently isolated spot is soon evident when she takes a deep breath, closes her eyes and opens her mouth-- out of which comes nothing despite what looks like an attempt to speak.

Sharei sits at his nursing station, studying a PADD in one hand and tapping on the LCARS with the other.

Albertz is seated in front of the Medical Library's computer, poring over reams of data scrolling slowly upwards on the display. Two other displays are devoted to a graphical representation of a complex string of proteins. The Scot hums to himself as he reads, a traditional reel for those who might recognise it.

. o O Nor thinks "I can do this. Aaron told me. There is nothing wrong with my voice. I /can/ do this. Caleb and Edan told me I can do it. I just have to try."

The infirmary is a quiet buzz of activity: it's that sort of activity that places like this have when the Next Big Crisis hasn't happened yet. It's the quiet of filing, of research, of following up on reports. A Bolian physician's assistant backs up patient files to datarods, while a Trill nurse carries a mug of water in one hand and a PADD in the other, reviewing notes as she traverses the infirmary.

Albertz slides his chair back and away from his work and sighs. He scratches his stomach idly and rises to his feet. "Ahhh...think I'm about tae have both my eyes fall intae my lap" the Scot pads over to a kitbag he has stashed under a table and retrieves a water bottle. "When ye think ye've been at a display for 'about' three hours...that's too long."

Seris sits at one of the stations. He has a number of PADDs on the table in front of him was well as information up on the display. He cross checks facts and transfers data to the PADDs as he assembles his notes for the trauma class he's been asked to teach his RRT team mates.

Sharei glances at Albertz. "Agreed," he says, tossing his PADD down on the LCARS terminal. "Who wants coffee?" he asks, getting to his feet. "I'm going to go replicate some."

At her place, Nor's eyes close a little for a moment as she steadies herself once more for another attempt at speaking. But though she moves like someone who is about to speak, nothing comes out. She mouths the word 'Opaka' over and over before becoming frustrated and sinking backward against the stone backdrop where she sits. Her arms cross over her chest and she stares at the ground nearby.

Seris raises his hand, stylus between his fingers "I could use some if you don't mind," Aiden asks in a soft voice.

. o O Nor feels frustration tinged with impatience.

The nurse continues her slow trajectory across the Infirmary.

. o O Nor thinks "This isn't working. It's not /going/ to work. They can fix anything else, why can't they fix this? -- I wonder if I fed Opaka. Maybe Agrim will check."

Albertz grins at Sharei, "Thanks but no. I'll not be able tae sit still if I have even one cup." He unscrews the cap on his bottle and takes a long drink of water, "Besides, I've never quite understood the attraction of the stuff. It doesnae taste particularly good."

. o O Seris thinks "Fix what, sis?"

. o O Nor starts to close down into herself, but stops the process as soon as she realizes she's reverted to doing it. Slowly the channels are opened again. "My voice."

Sharei stretches out a bit. "That's because you've never had _proper_ coffee. Good, thick, Betazoid coffee with a bit of Godiva chocolate liqueur for color." He rubs his temple a bit as he glances around. "Noisy in here today," he mutters to himself. He looks back at Seris. "How do you take yours?" he asks, making his way to the CMO's office and its attendant replicator.

Seris shrugs "Black is fine. A little cream and sugar would be nice as well," he says, looking a little distracted.

<CONTEST> Sharei contests his Coordination (Reaction) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Albertz chuckles as he sits back down. "The chocolate I cannae argue wi'. Though I think I'll just stick tae a proper cup of tea wi' some shortbread on the side."

<CONTEST> Sharei contests his Fitness (Vitality) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

. o O Seris thinks "I never thought you wanted me looking into it...Your voice. I didn't want to pry. I had assumed you'd ask if you wanted my medical opinion."

. o O Seris feels a bit melancholy, a bit challenged as he works.

At her place, Nor can't help but smile faintly to herself, a little sadly. She shakes her head slightly, as if Seris was in the room to see the motion.

. o O Nor thinks "No, you have more important things. I never wanted to bother you. Cheer up, little brother. I can feel you all the way in the holodeck."

The Trill continues her slow trajectory across the Infirmary; due to the fact that her attention's entirely on the PADD she's reading, she's headed directly for Sharei. Their paths intersect directly in front of the door to Park's office, and do so violently: she stumbles into him, and her glass goes flying even as she ends up pushing Sharei against the control panel by the wall by simple dint of inertia.

And that's when things start to go awry. The full glass of water impacts the panel next to Sharei's shoulder even as he lands against it, and energy arcs out from the damaged panel, coursing through the nurse's body.

Sharei's body crumples to the floor of the Infirmary, insensate.

. o O Sharei thinks "What in the world... be more careful!"

. o O Sharei is somewhat annoyed, and a little pained.

. o O Seris thinks "Four Deities!"

Well...They're in an Infirmary. That's a good thing for a start. Seris grabs a medical tricorder and rushes over to Sharei.

At her place, Nor glances up a little, frowning at something.

. o O Nor thinks "Aiden?"

Albertz stops in mid-sit and for one split second his behind hovers just above his seat as he switches directions. Standing up, he does the rush thing too and heads to Sharei's side, dropping to the floor and fingers against the Betazoid's throat in search of a pulse.

. o O Sharei thinks "It... it doesn't hurt!"

. o O Sharei is suddenly overwhelmed by powerful emotions--fear, joy, trepidation, and anguish blend together in a seething, heady mix.

<CONTEST> Albertz contests his First Aid (Combat Medic) skill vs a difficulty of Routine and Succeeds!

Sharei's lips twitch and his eyelids flutter as he hovers beyond consciousness. Even so, a ghost of a smile seems to cross his face, and his eyelashes become damp.

<CONTEST> Seris contests his Personal Equipment (Medical Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Succeeds!

Sharei looks down at himself. "Sacred Altha," he whispers, looking down at his hands, then at his flesh. "Have I died? Have I been called to the One Light?" He looks up, then around, turning in a full circle. "I don't _feel_ dead."

Albertz looks at Seris, "He's still breathing...irregular pulse. All the basics. What's yuir scan show?"

At her place, Nor stirs a little, looking around as if that might accomplish something.

. o O Albertz is relieved to find Sharei still breathing, still alive. The bare minimum. Pretty much anything else he's confident can be fixed.

. o O Nor feels faint concern, but patient as if she's sure it's nothing /bad/ that she senses.

Sharei turns in another circle. Then, he faces Albertz and Seris. "Hamish! Aiden! Can you hear me?" he calls in a loud voice. He waves a hand in front of Albertz's nose.

. o O Nor thinks "Aiden?" She pauses before repeating with gentle insistancy, "/Aiden/?"

Seris nods then gestures to his display "Look at this," he says, pointing to a graph showing very irregular brain activity. "We should stabilize him," he suggests in a rushed voice.

. o O Seris thinks "Someone is injured."

. o O Sharei thinks "Hamish? Aiden? Can you hear me?"

The Trill nurse backs up against the wall, her eyes widening, and she pales. Both of her hands go over her mouth, and she turns, fleeing into one of the bathrooms and shutting the door behind herself. Apparently she's not good in a self-created crisis.

Seris turns a half second to watch the nurse dash then back to his tricorder.

. o O Seris thinks "I can hear you."

Sharei glances around. "This is incredible! Thoughts don't hurt me! Can it be that I've been cured?"

. o O Sharei thinks "This is incredible! Thoughts don't hurt me! Can it be that I've been cured?"

Albertz looks at the display, purses his lips and nods. "Right then. Let's get him on a biobed and stabilised." The Scot slides arms under Sharei's shoulders, he glances over at the fleeing Trill and then back at Seris. "After that we can see about bringing him back."

Seris nods as he lends a hand in lifting Sharei "I'd like to get a scan of his paracortex. He's telepathically active right now which, given his condition, should not be a good thing."

. o O Albertz feels sympathetic towards the Trill nurse. It can be terribly upsetting to be involved in an accident, especially on that's such purely bad luck as that.

At her place, Nor glances around a little as if trying to see something in the sky overhead. She shakes her head a little bit at something, faint lines etched into her forehead for a moment before she moves back a little bit so she's again leaning against the wall of the ruins. Drawing her legs up toward her chest, she wraps her arms around her knees and crosses her feet at the ankles, quietly listening.

Sharei shakes his head. "But it doesn't hurt," he says, peering down at himself. "It feels _good_." He lifts his arms. "I feel _free_," he says quietly, revelling in the unfettered sensation.

. o O Sharei thinks "But it doesn't hurt. It feels _good_. I feel _free_."

. o O Sharei is filled with exuberance bordering on religious rapture.

. o O Nor feels curious, but trying to restrain the curiosity.

Albertz lifts the stricken nurse onto the biobed with Seris' aid. "Active? Can ye sense him? Even communicate wi' him?" The Scot wheels a tray of instruments over to beside the bed, "Well...let's use the infirmary's sensor suite, they give a better scan than a tricorder."

GAME: Seris spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Seris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Medical) skill vs a difficulty of Impossible and Fails!

<CONTEST> Seris (claiming advantage) contests his Shipboard Systems (Medical) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Succeeds!

Nabrun has arrived.

<CONTEST> Seris (claiming advantage) contests his Medical Sciences (Surgical) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Fails!

Nabrun slips into the infirmary, brow furrowed slightly. The normally well-put-together Ensign looks just a touch rumpled. Oh, her uniform is almost perfect, but there's a tiny little seam-crease running down the side of her face, as if her head was on her arm during, oh, say, a nap. And her hair is slightly tousled. Once in, she pauses to look around, head tipping to the side.

Seris points to the display for Albertz "Look at this...His paracortex is *very* active but is functioning normally which I think is why he's so psychically active. The problem is its so active that his brain is starting to swell. The rest of his brain activity looks very eraatic. I'm not sure where to begin," he says in a rushed tone.

<CONTEST> Albertz contests his Medical Sciences (Surgical) skill vs a difficulty of Challenging and Succeeds!

GAME: Spider is now set IC.

Sharei looks down at himself, studying the monitors over Seris' shoulder. "It would almost be worth it," he says quietly. "It would almost be worth dying, to be free from the pain. If death is like _this_."

. o O Sharei thinks "It would almost be worth it," he says quietly. "It would almost be worth dying, to be free from the pain. If death is like _this_."

. o O Seris thinks "Yeah...that's a cheery thought. How conscious are you," he thinks, his thoughts ordered and focused on the task at hand."

. o O Nor mentally shudders a little as she picks up on some sort of mention of death. At that, she draws more firmly into herself, like closing the shutters over the windows.

. o O Sharei thinks "Fully conscious. It's as if my soul-spark had climbed out of my flesh and could act on its own. I'm standing right next to you."

. o O Nabrun thinks "Well, dying IS quite good at alleviating pain, that much is true. But it wreaks havoc with everything and everyone else, especially those close to you. You SURE you don't want to give it one more try? Please try to stay with us, at least for a little while longer?"

. o O Seris thinks "Yeah, you insensitive jerk," Seris thinks, a little humour creeping back into his mind."

Seris begins to smile as he works.

Albertz leans forward and peers at the display, following Seris' finger. "Aye, his paracortex is the /only/ part of his brain that's functioning. And it's swelling faster than's typical for APH." The Scot exhales slowly and straightens, reaching up with a slender finger to scratch at a sideburn. "We can/not/ administer a full dose of hydrochloroparasine, it'll most certainly be fatal." Hamish pauses a moment, "Prep a quarter dose of HCP. That should buy us about three hours. I hate working against the clock, but it's the best we can manage, I think."

Sharei shakes his head. "I said _almost_ worth it," he says, a sad smile touching his features. He looks down at himself. "Perhaps this is another test," he says. "Maybe the Goddesses seek to tempt me. If that's true, then this is their best yet."

. o O Sharei thinks "I said _almost_ worth it. Perhaps this is another test. Maybe the Goddesses seek to tempt me. If that's true, then this is their best yet."

. o O Sharei's joy diminishes, becoming a wistful sadness.

. o O Albertz has calmed down from the initial dose of adrenaline that seems to accompany all emergencies. He's in full diagnostic mode now, calm and deeply concerned about Sharei's condition. The Scot is not at all pleased that this treatment will be rushed and his mind practically buzzes, searching for a solution or possibility.

Seris nods "Sounds reasonable. I'll prepare the injection," he says, turning and heading to the dispensery.

. o O Nabrun's mind-voice takes on a wry edge, perhaps a bit softer than before. "The Deities work in odd ways for Balance, I think we can most all agree on that. While the others are working on you, shall we discuss what's going on? I make an excellent listener and an even better wallflower.

Nabrun remains close to the wall, out of the path of those working, though hopefully within sight of where the work is happening. There's an air of readiness about her, as if she'd step in as soon as asked.

Nabrun has until midnight.

Time: Tue Jun 22 16:00:26 2004

Stardate: 54185.9

Sharei shakes his head a bit as he watches Albertz and Seris work over his body. He smiles a bit at Nabrun.

. o O Sharei thinks "Thank you."

At her place, Nor, having settled back into her seat in the holodeck, suddenly feels... wrong. Her eyes open wide and all traces of meditative calm and emotional shutdown are gone; she's on full alert suddenly, physically as well as psionically.

. o O Nor opens herself up again, sensing... something or someone unfamiliar. "Hello?"

Seris has arrived.

<CONTEST> Albertz contests his Personal Equipment (Medical Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Fails!

Albertz unclips his tricorder and begins a scan on Sharei, running the medical peripheral over and around the Betazoid's temples and the top of his head. "Well that tells me nothing I didnae already know..." the Scot purses his lips as he watchs the instrument's readout, learning nothing new.

Seris returns from the dispensery with the dose agreed upon. He double checks the hypospray before he administers the drug "Hopefully, as you say, this buys us some time."

. o O Sharei thinks "If this is death, it's not all that unpleasant."

Albertz nods to Seris, "Aye. Three hours at the most." He takes a half-step back from the biobed and regards Sharei, "So his paracortex is going crazy, but the rest of his brain is practically flatlining. We could try a cortical stimulator...bootstrap the rest of the system, as it were. But I'm not sure if that will solve the APH problems."

Sharei shakes his head. "But how did this happen?" he asks. "People are subjected to electrical shocks all the time, and _they_ aren't forced out of their bodies." He looks around. "At least, I wouldn't _think_ they are."

. o O Sharei thinks "But how did this happen? People are subjected to electrical shocks all the time, and _they_ aren't forced out of their bodies. At least, I wouldn't _think_ they are."

Seris looks over at Albertz "He's having an out of body experience," as if he just realized.

. o O Nor thinks "Hello? Aiden? Is that you?"

A ginger eyebrow raises in surprise at Seris' realization. "Out of body? Well...where's he gone, then?"

. o O Sharei thinks "I'm standing right next to you."

Seris gestures a few feet to Albertz' right with a finger.

. o O Seris thinks "I'm here."

. o O Nor feels confusion.

. o O Nor thinks "I thought-- I thought I sensed someone. Someone else. I must have been mistaken."

. o O Sharei thinks "You are not mistaken."

Albertz looks to his right, sees nothing but the console for the medical library. "The medical library?"

Sharei shakes his head. He reaches out and tries to poke Albertz in the shoulder.

At her place, Nor moves from the spot where she'd been sitting, wrapping her arms around herself as she looks around, almost as if expecting to see someone nearby.

Seris smiles a little in a time of stress.

. o O Nor asks, hesitantly, "Who is there?" Even as the question forms, she ends up with an image of her mind of the genetically altered freaks that tried to take over the station. Then she pushes it away as if she realizes she's just on edge.

Sharei's finger goes right on through Albertz's shoulder, leaving him with his forefinger up to the knuckle in the Scot's shoulderblade.

. o O Sharei thinks "Daxaanos Sharei, son of the Eleventh House of Betazed--Sacred Altha! I went right through him!"

Albertz chews on his bottom lip, oblivious to Sharei's poking. "I guess not eh? Well...how do we get him from" he opens his arms wide in an expansive gesture "out here. Tae," he points to Sharei's body "back in there?" He picks up his tricorder again and begins a scan of the area around him, looking for anything that remotely resembles biosigns he can't see.

. o O Nor thinks "Went... through...? Are you in the holodeck?"

<CONTEST> Albertz contests his Personal Equipment (Medical Tridcorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Fails!

. o O Sharei thinks "No... I'm in the infirmary. Or rather, my body is. The other parts of me are... detatched. I'm still working on that."

. o O Nor, quite simply, confused. She doesn't understand. Nope. Not a bit.

. o O Nor feels Is there-- can I help? Is Aiden with you? AIDEN?!

Albertz continues scanning, holding the tricorder at eye level, he moves towards the console that zapped Sharei.

. o O Albertz thinks "Surely something must show up. If Seris knows he's there...well...he's /there/."

<CONTEST> Albertz contests his Personal Equipment (Medical Tricorder) skill vs a difficulty of Moderate and Dramatically Succeeds!

Sharei moves around Albertz's shoulder, peering at the tricorder in his hands.

At her place, Nor's eyes cast around the room again as she realizes what's going on. Realization sinks in more with each passing second and she nods a little, smiling faintly to herself. Aiden's on the case. That's enough for her. Things will be well and she has to stop interfering.

. o O Nor withdraws, realizing that Aiden and his medical cohorts have things well under control.

Albertz's eyebrows shoot up as he finally picks up something of interest on his tricorder. "Unbelievable..." he holds the instrument close to his face, peering at the display as if trying to pluck some very small piece of data from it. "There's sommat here...electrical almost...but not quite." The Scot gestures to the area his picking up the 'shape', "Is he here?" He taps the controls, adjusting the scan, "And...the shock has normalised Sharei's paracortex activity? That's remarkable. We could potentially cure his APH...if we can get him back in his body, at least."

. o O Albertz is not surprised or skeptical of what he's found. In fact, he's quite intrigued by it.

Sharei reaches for the tricorder with trembling fingers. "Cured?" he whispers, as though not daring to believe. "You mean... a real cure? Forever?"

. o O Albertz thinks "It's almost like ancient electroshock therapy. Which certainly isn't the first choice of treatment in the day and age. Right up there with vivisection. But the scans don't lie...there's definite potential in this."

GAME: Albertz spends a courage point.

<CONTEST> Albertz (claiming advantage) contests his Life Sciences (Biotechnology) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Fails!

<CONTEST> Albertz (claiming advantage) contests his Medical Sciences (General Medicine) skill vs a difficulty of Difficult and Fails!

Albertz walks back over to Sharei's biobed, "So Sharei's here and there. The trick is getting the two back taegether again. I guess it would be terribly simplistic tae think I could just 'beam' him back in there." The Scot chuckles and turns to what for all intents and purposes is thin air to his naked eye, "We've got quite a challenge here. This is exactly why I dinnae like coffee!" Apparently he has no compunction about talking to 'ghosts'.

Sharei looks back at his body on the biobed. "I wonder..." he says aloud as he goes over and tries to 'lay' himself back down into his skin.

. o O Albertz speaks to Sharei as much to reassure himself as anything. If the Betazoid can hear him, that's important, because he is Hamish's patient and needs to be kept in the loop.

. o O Sharei thinks "What is _missing_?"

As quickly as it happened, the incident seems to end: Sharei's consciousness fades abruptly, and the biobed chirrups before the computer's incessantly calm and cheerful female voice notes, "Overall neurological activity stabilizing. Swelling in paracortex accelerating."

Albertz blinks in surprise, shaken out of a reverie of hard thinking and being nonplussed. "Ach? What? Blast." The Scot quickly preps what would be the remainder of a full dose of HCP and presses the hypo against Sharei's neck. "Well, not blast at the stabilization. Blast at the swelling..."

A few seconds later, the computer's voice notes to the now-quiet and nearly empty infirmary, "Swelling decreasing. Neurological activity stabilized; paracortex activity minimized. All lifesigns within acceptable parameters."

Albertz sighs, "Well...back tae square one." He looks down at Sharei, waiting for the man to gain consciousness.

Sharei's eyes flutter, and he slowly lifts a hand to his head. His eyes open fully. "It's gone," he whispers. Tears well up in his eyes as he bites his lip. "The peace is gone."