The BLTS Archive- Waiting
Geron #8: Attention
by Karen (CP4Karen@aol.com)

---

Disclaimer: Paramount owns them. I imply no copyright
infringement.

c1998 Karen

---
 
Ohhhh...

"Don't try to move...you need to rest."

Hot...

I guess I said that out loud because I feel a weight
lifting that must be one of the blankets.  My next
sensation is a petal-soft coolness just below my right
eye.  At least where my right eye would be if I weren't
sure that my head has exploded some time while I was
unconscious.

Strong hands gently lift me and replace my gown.
My arms and legs ache, the pain battling with that in
my head for dominance.

"Shhhh..."

I try to smile through the pain at the obvious caring
that is infused into the barest of whispers.  The cool
softness returns, this time to my lips.  I strain a bit
to deepen the kiss and drink in the small sigh that tastes,
oddly enough, of strawberries.

Sweet... 

I try to hold onto that small pleasure, but I'm so
tired.  I feel gentle fingers press against my
forehead and down over my eyelids.  The wave of warmth
carries me away again into the dark.

---

I wake again, still with no idea if it's day or night
or where anyone might be, and I am almost ridiculously
pleased to find that both eyes will finally focus on
the same object at the same time. 

I slowly take in my surroundings while wondering how
Star Fleet managed to find the myriad shades of gray
that are used to decorate the average sickbay.  My
musings are interrupted as a warm weight, only vaguely
noticed before, lifts from my left arm.  I find myself
held and kissed. 

"No berries..."

---

I raise my head from the biobed at Tom's first movement. 
He is still warm to the touch, so I press a kiss to his
cheek as I pull the blanket down to just below his chest. 
I am rewarded with the barest sketching of a smile.  I
kiss that smile and my love does his best to suck my
tongue out of my mouth.  I grin as he smacks his lips as
if tasting me.

"No berries..."

It's barely whispered, and makes no sense.  But, they're
his first words since the doctor has allowed me in to see
him, and his attempt to speak to me gives me more hope
than anything the doctor has as yet had to say. 

As if in answer to my thoughts, the doctor quietly
arrives to wave a tricorder over Tom's chest and abdomen,
a small frown marring his otherwise innocuous expression.

"Well, Mr. Paris, your temperature is still too high,
but it has gone down another fifth of a degree.  Not much,
I know, but it has lowered enough to eliminate the threat
of any more febrile seizures." 

I contemplate whether it's possible to deck a hologram
at Tom's obvious agitation over the word seizures.  The
doctor's smile fades as he notices my annoyance. 

"Don't worry, Mr. Geron.  Your Lieutenant Paris has a way
of surviving things that would kill a normal humanoid."

My Lieutenant Paris.  I guess I won't hit him, after all. 

The Doctor continues to fuss around Tom, smiling as my
Chesei lets out a soft snore.  He adds a couple of
medications into the IV fluids and makes another check
of vital signs.  I smile, once again amused by the odd
friendship between the two that both would probably deny.

"Doctor, he is a lot better, isn't he?"

The Doctor's smile grows.  "Of course. It was a bit
dicey at first.  A reaction of this magnitude is
extremely rare to something as normally benign as
Cascara sagrada."

"Cascara sagrada?"

I hadn't heard the sickbay doors open and nearly need
assistance in peeling myself from the ceiling panels as
Chakotay speaks directly behind me.  He apologizes with
a small smile, and a warm hand on my shoulder.  I then
see the Captain move around the table to stand next to
the doctor.

"Yes, Commander, Cascara sagrada is a rather well known--"

"Yes, Doctor.  I am just rather surprised to find that it
was the cause of Tom's illness.  My people have used it
for centuries for 'detoxifying' our digestive systems."

"Yes, I had just begun to comment on the Native American
use of Sacred or Chittem bark, also known as Cascara sagrada,
to treat constipation and indigestion."

The Commander cuts his eyes down and to the side, obviously
amused.  I listen with half an ear as the doctor continues
his dissertation.  My real attention is on the bed several
feet away.

"Doctor--"  The others couldn't have been more startled if
one of the hyposprays had begun to speak.  It just adds to
my general feeling of annoyance.

"Forgive me, Doctor, but right now I need to know less
about what the idiots gave Tom, and more about whether
there are going to be any lasting effects."

The Captain turns abruptly to look at Tom and then
back at the Doctor.

"Then we're sure that it wasn't an accident?"

The Doctor frowns slightly and taps his datapadd
lightly against his lips.

"To answer your question, Mr. Geron, the lieutenant's
system has been almost completely flushed of the
substance.  I want him to stay here in sickbay until
he is up and reasonably mobile.  After that, I am taking
him off duty for another forty-eight hours to rest
and fully recover.

"As for your question, Captain, I have analyzed the
contents of Mr. Paris' digestive system and found that
the Cascara sagrada was contained in a portion of
pie eaten shortly before his collapse."

Chakotay ran his hand through his hair and sighed. 
"You've spoken to Mr. Neelix?"

The Doctor nodded.  "Lt. Commander Tuvok spoke to him.
Mr. Neelix says that he is unfamiliar with the substance.
He also says that he placed the last slice of pie in a
cupboard and advised his assistants that he was saving
it for someone."

I heave an exasperated sigh and move back to Tom's
side as they continue their suppositions.  It wouldn't
take a telepath to figure out that Neelix has been
worried about Tom and trying to cheer him up.  And
anyone onboard could have checked the computer for a
substance guaranteed to humiliate Tom.  They just didn't
take the possibility of an allergic reaction into
account.  I briefly wonder if Tuvok is currently
rounding up suspects, when I see a pair of bleary blue
eyes looking at me, and smile.

"Chesei."

---

Chesei.


Gods, I love it when he calls me that.
Of course, I'm much too manly to openly melt.
Yeah, right. 

"Hi, there."

Tem grins, and I get a quiet, "Hi, to you, too."
But any diffidence is gone as he pulls me into his
arms and kisses me tenderly.  He smoothes my hair
from my brow as he softly fills me in on what has
been going on and the fact that apparently one of
our fellow crew decided a little public humiliation
was in order.

"Tuvok'll find 'em, Ger.  Nothing gets past him."

My love looks a bit unsure and a lot tired.  I
suggest a nap and get raked with a stare that would
scare Ayala.  He defrosts almost immediately and
apologizes.  I reach for another hug, and then
rest my lips against his cheek.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Gentlemen."

At the Captain's voice, Geron's eyes grow worried.
I squeeze his hand.

"That's quite all right, Captain.  That's about
as wild as we're going to get."

I relax as she smiles at us.  It's a real smile,
not one of the clones that she has been passing
off as real emotion for the last year.  I begin
to feel optimistic for the first time in a long
while.

"I'm glad to hear that, Mr. Paris.  In the interest
of ship's protocol, I think you should save the
'good stuff' for somewhere a bit more private."

Gerrie gives a hopeful, "Captain?"

She has the grace to not openly grin, and instead
pats him on the arm.  "I'm giving you the next
forty-eight hours off, Mr. Geron.  The doctor would
probably prefer that Tom have someone to ride herd
on him, and I think you may do a better job of it
than anyone ever expected."  With that last comment,
she squeezes his shoulder and turns to leave. 

It's my turn.  "Captain?"   

She stops, and again we are graced with a smile that
reminds me why I would follow her to hell and back.

"Yes, Tom?"

"Thanks."  She gives a brief nod and slips out the
door.  Chakotay moves to follow her and I remember
his open approval in the mess hall.

"You too, Commander."

I get a glimpse of the second cutest dimples on the
ship before he turns to speak to the Doctor, and then
lean back to relax.

Once again noticing the fatigue in Tem's eyes, I give
a glance at the Doc, which meets with an approving
nod, and I begin a determined effort to tuck my lover
against my side on the biobed.

It works, and I soon find myself wrapped in warm,
lovely Bajoran.  With one last kiss, I begin to drift. 
My last thoughts are of dark eyes...strong, gentle hands...
and cool, sweet lips that taste of strawberries.

---

The End