From: Nick Subject: New: 'STRANGER WITH THIS FACE' Part 4 Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 20:22:43 +0100 Yes, yes, i know it's been awhile but my email system went down and i couldn't send or receive mail for a fair old while. Anyway, i'm back now. However, i can't for the life of me remember whether i posted this part or not- can't find it in my mailroom view thingy. So here it is again. *BUT* never fear- i'm sending part five as well- just in case. Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit, don't sue Note: any archiving or whatever, ask first. STRANGER WITH THIS FACE: PART FOUR * "Lennier, how are we getting on?" Marianne was peering at the computer screen before her as she casually threw the question into the awkwardly silent room. The two of them had worked untiringly for over six hours in the tiny makeshift office, barely speaking to one another, although she could not work out why the atmosphere was so tense. She guessed that the minbari was shy but although she knew how urgent their work had become, she also couldn't concentrate in this rigid and stilted environment. * "I have completed the inventory of our supplies." His reply was rigid, formal and he straightened stiffly the moment she cleared her throat to ask the question, although he barely looked at her when he answered. * "Okay..." time to try a different approach. "And are *you* alright? I'm sorry to have dragged you away from your friend, I know how worried you all are about her but I really *did* need help in here..." * "I understand. And I agree that the best way to help Palorr is to find a cure for this virus." * "That's right. Look, I know that the stuff I've had you doing today isn't quite in the same league as what you've been doing here in the past but it really *did* need seeing to. If it's any consolation, being stuck in front of a computer all day isn't why I started doing this job either..." * "There is no need to apologise-" * "I'm glad. I didn't want you to resent me- I mean, you volunteers worked so hard and did an excellent job- I feel awkward just coming in here changing things and shouting orders!" * "I do not... 'resent' you." * "Okay... well now we've got that cleared up, why don't we stop for a while. You said you were almost done and I'm getting tunnel vision! Time for a coffee. Mugs are in the box to your left- the one marked 'emergency rations'!" * Finding himself smiling lightly at the humour, Lennier did as he was bid and took the two cups over to where Marianne was swilling the coffee pot around in circles, eyeing it suspiciously. "I don't know when this was made0 It's gonna be pretty rank-" she poured the thick, black liquid into one cup but was stopped before she had a chance to fill the other. * "I do not drink coffee." * "Oh, of course. Wise man- this stuff should carry a government health warning!" Marianne winced as she forced her throat to stop retching and to swallow the tar-like substance. * "It does!" Franklin's slightly booming voice startled Lennier as he filled his own cup with water. "Marianne, you drink *far* too much of that stuff- I said so in your last med. examination." * "I- ugh- know- Is there any milk anywhere?" * "Lillian left some Soya stuff in the fridge next to those blood cultures... There's some sweetener in that petri dish." Franklin replied, fetching a protein shake from his own personal stash. "So, Lennier... Dr Hobbs mentioned that you were here... How are you?" Lennier felt himself shrinking under Franklin's gaze. The human was grinning over the top of his drink but there was no mistaking the slight edge in the man's voice. If Lennier's answer weren't convincing, the man would never let up. There was also the question of just how much Franklin knew about what happened between he and the Sheridans... * "Stephen," Marianne had fished the sweetener out of it's hiding place and took an experimental sip of her coffee- still awful but probably less likely to burn through the porcelain of her 'You don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps' mug. "I'm done with analysing those cultures and you were right about that antibiotic combination- I'm still worried about possible side effects though- Here, take a look at this-" She steered the doctor over to the microscope, winking at Lennier over her shoulder and motioning for him to leave, quickly. * As he discarded his cup and edged away, back onto the ward, Lennier could hear Franklin and Marianne discussing the samples she'd been working on and he heaved a sigh of relief. The ward was a little quieter than it had been earlier- the mass re-screening was over now and most patients simply lay flat out in their beds, unseeing eyes fixated on the high domed ceiling. * Palorr was dozing when he silently approached her bed and perched on the edge of a chair he found nearby. Minutes later her eyes forced themselves open and she blinked up at her surroundings before her gaze finally settled on her returning visitor. * "Why didn't you wake me Lennier?" Lightly stroking her arm with a crooked finger, he shook his head, "You need your rest." * "Are you here to tell me what's wrong with you?" Lennier groaned inwardly, this woman was nothing if not persistent. "I noticed before, you looked a little- 'awkward' when that other man mentioned the new PA... Does it have something to do with her? You ran out of here when she first arrived..." Palorr's body may have been weak and betraying her but there was obviously nothing wrong with her powers of observation or her mental faculties and Lennier found himself wondering if it would be easier to watch his friend slowly slip away if she were not sane... Maybe if she were so mad as to be no longer recognisable as Palorr, standing by helplessly as her once robust body withered and decayed before him would be less painful... ******************* "So, what was *that* all about?" Marianne snapped as soon as her Minbari assistant was out of the way. * "Sorry?" Franklin finished his drink in three short gulps before returning to the microscope. * "Scaring my assistant. I was just getting him to lighten up and you storm in here all guns blazing and put the fear of god into him!" Marianne had to fight to keep her voice from becoming shrill. * "What are you talking about? All I *did* was ask him where he'd been! It's been nearly *three years* for gods sake! Why are you so protective of him all of a sudden? There's no need- he used to be a ranger, from what I hear he's more than capable of looking after himself-Oh,I get it!" Realisation lit up his face and he grinned "Didn't take *you* long!" Knowing *exactly* how to get a rise out of his protégé, he tweaked his grin to just this side of a leer and waggled his eyebrows at her. * "Stephen!" her voice rose warningly and she lifted her cup as if threatening to tip its contents at him. * "Marianne! I didn't think you were *like* that! Here we are in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the dead and dying- under-funded and overworked and you've got a *crush* on a volunteer support worker! I must say, I'm *shocked*" * Marianne took a deep breath- this was getting her nowhere. Knowing Dr Franklin as she did she was pretty sure that if she didn't shut him up now then he was going to tease her to within an inch of her life! * "Give it a rest, Stephen. It's been a long day" aiming for a passive offensive stance Marianne retreated back to her computer. * Realising that he'd gone a little too far, Stephen wheeled a seat over and seated himself beside her, tugging a packet of biscuits out of the emergency supplies box as he did so. * "Peace offering?" he waggled the open pack at her and relenting with a small smile, she took a biscuit. "I'm sorry- I sometimes forget how sensitive you can be." * "I *don't* have a 'crush' on him." She said firmly, nibbling the top off the two layered biscuit to scrape at the cream in the middle of it with tiny, razor sharp teeth. "I just- he feels familiar. You know? I get that lot- things and people that seem familiar but I don't know why! There's so much I don't know about myself, don't *remember* I tend to grab hold of anything familiar and hang on for dear life!" * "Yeah, I know... But you've never tried to trace any possible family connections- Go back to your old home and ask questions- I've never understood why..." * "I don't know..." she shrugged as she finished the middle of her biscuit and added it's bottom to the other half which had been abandoned temporarily on the desk beside her coffee. She reached for another. "I just can't bring myself to- I suppose if I remember what happened then I'll start to remember my family and I'll have to deal with having lost people I care about- I'll have to mourn... This way it's like someone *else* was in that crash and lost her whole family and *my* life started when I woke up in that hospital bed. I'm quite happy living in the here and now- most of the time..." * "But you still have difficulty relating to people- You're still encountering things for the first time- You don't even know if you've had a boyfriend before!" * "Exactly!" a glum expression on her face, she flipped the top off her second biscuit to add to the pile growing on the desk and demolished the cream insert, adding the biscuit's base to the pile. "In these 'enlightened times' of ours, I sometimes feel like the universe's oldest virgin!" * Franklin guffawed, spitting biscuit crumbs over the small room and seeing his expression, Marianne giggled inspite of herself. "Well, anyway," she added, pulling her defence mechanisms back into place with a firm tug, "I really don't have *time* for anything more than friendship. And if I did, I think I'd probably start with someone of the same race as myself, that way I'd know for sure that all the right bits were fitting into all the right pieces!" Enjoying the snigger her remark forced out of her mentor, Marianne picked up the biscuit half on the top of her pile and dunked it into her coffee. Holding it there she counted to five before removing it and holding it up, letting it wobble gently back and forwards, watching it bend and sway before popping it into her mouth moments before it disintegrated. * "I have *never* known *anyone* to eat a biscuit like that!" Franklin remarked, eyeing the young woman with obvious distaste "That is *the* most disgusting thing I've ever seen anyone do!" * "Oh be quiet, just because *you* have no vices!" ************************ "Lennier, one of the patients is asking for you.." Grare squatted down at his friend's side, placing on hand on the minbari's shoulder. "It's Gnitha- I don't think he has long-" Excusing himself politely, Lennier left Palorr's side and moved the short distance to the terminal wing. * "Greetings Gnitha." he spoke solemnly, trying his hardest to quell his shock at the Lumati's condition which had worsened over night to leave the man completely blind and paralysed with pain as his immune system won the fight against each of his internal organs. Gnitha could only gasp for breath and flail one hand about to seek out his own, which he offered almost instantly. He didn't have long left. ************************ It was dark when Lennier struggled to his feet, hands numbly pulling the sheet over the dead Lumati's face as he had done countless times before. Only a skeleton team remained in the hospice through the night and Gnitha's body would remain, for now where it was, undisturbed in his final rest. * "Lennier?" Marianne's pupils were wide in the dark of the office as he passed and her skin was almost luminous against the black backdrop. "I'm sorry about Gnitha..." * "It was... probably for the best." Avoiding her eyes, he concentrated on keeping his voice steady. "I have come to see each death here as a release, a blessing almost." * "I'm afraid I'm not so well-trained, nor do I want to be. I hope each death is as painful to me as the last. Have a drink with me Lennier?" Her whole manner beseeching him, he found himself agreeing and followed her into the office. "The others turned in a couple of hours ago. I wanted to stay and finish up. Also I didn't want you to be alone..." * Suddenly a little shy she busied herself with filling an antiquated kettle with water and searched out a tin of tea. Not wanting to appear rude, Lennier agreed to stay, if only for a short while. "The database of patient reports is completed by the way- Now we know what stage of the disease each person is facing and we can more easily observe the virus' progression." * "Indeed." Lennier perched himself on a chair and took the cup she offered him. "When we arrived here, our first concern was for making people as comfortable as possible. I confess it did not occur to us to take inventories or commence investigations-" * "Oh I *know*. And I don't want you to think that any of us is accusing you of harming the Lumati in any way- I'm sorry, what I said came out all wrong..." Turning to the supplies container she retrieved a tin of powdered milk, having used up all of Dr Hobbs' supply. * "Marianne," Lennier found himself getting to his feet and moving the tin from her fingers, standing in front of her. "You have not offended me. I understand that had these people received organised medical care straight away their chances would have been far greater. Although there is no dispute that myself and the other volunteers did our best it is now clear that our *best* was not good enough." Returning the milk tin to her hands, Lennier retreated back to his seat, leaving Marianne to stare momentarily at the object in her hands. As if waking up, she snapped her head around to face him before forcing her concentration back to the matter in hand- that of spooning the strange powdered milk into the two cups. * "Lennier, I don't know many Minbari- well actually you're the only one- I wondered if this... 'altruism' is a personality trait common to all your people?" * "We believe serving others to be a great honour." He affirmed and Marianne stiffened for a moment, midway through spooning milk into her mug, * "I remember someone once telling me that- It's strange but you remind me of things- I don't know if anyone told you this but I was involved in a shuttle accident about three years ago. My entire family was lost and I was left with almost total amnesia. All I was left with was my name- I suppose the amount of time I spent in hospital recovering meant that I was around members of the medical profession so much that they became pretty much my family and I decided to train as a medical technician. Dr Franklin thought I was wasted and sponsored me so that I could train as a physician's assistant... I've picked things up so quickly that I think I must have undergone similar training before the accident. I've never tried to find out more about myself because I suppose I'm happy with this life and I don't want to spoil it by forcing myself to remember and mourn my family... But every now and then something happens that- I don't know, 'rings a bell' I suppose. Arriving here and meeting you did that." * Lennier could feel panic rising in his gut and he sank back further into his seat in a vain effort at putting some distance between himself and her recollections. This could, he realised, be even more difficult, even more dangerous than he'd first convinced himself. In light of this, he forced himself to stand and make his excuses before retreating; leaving her looking hurt and confused. *********************** The air outside was humid, sticky even and offered no reprieve from the closeness of the temple. Lennier took a few deep breaths as he stood on the steps and stared into the blackness of the city at night. Maybe it was just because of the plague, but while most cities on most worlds still held some life in them after dark, the Lumati capital became as silent as a desert at night, wrapping every building and lonely traveller in a thick veil of heat and smog. * Safe now from Marianne's reminiscences and fleeting glances, Lennier suddenly felt very alone- even more than usual. He was trapped here now, on a dying planet with little more than a broken promise for company. So what now? Escape was impossible now; the quarantine had put pay to that idea and one question now remained- what now? *********************** End part four. You should have part five also. love, Nick From: Nick Subject: New: 'STRANGER WITH THIS FACE' Part five Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 20:22:00 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Well here we are again! Enjoy! STRANGER WITH THIS FACE PART FIVE * The air around her was stifling, thick with other people's sweat and this room was quite tiny. Vaguely aware of the shackles that slowed her movements, she shuffled in, led as she was by shadowy figures. There was someone waiting for her, his face obscured by the brightness of the room which grew more and more so as he lowered his head to her. There, it was gone and Marianne found herself lying in her cot on the Lumati homeworld, sheets tangled around her ankles as she sprawled for a few moments, regaining her bearings. * "You're awake then." Kathy hovered by the door to their bathroom, toothbrush jammed into her mouth before returning to the antechamber to spit and rinse. "You were making quite a bit of noise there- wasn't sure if it was a good idea to wake you though-" * "What time is it?" groggily she rubbed one hand over her face and propped herself up on still- sleepy elbows. * "Late. There's about half an hour 'til your shift starts. Here get in the shower now, I'll be done here in a second." Kathy moved aside to let her room mate into the tiny bathroom. "Wassup? Weird dream?" * "Um-yeah-" Marianne was trying very hard to get her hands to co-operate as she reached for a towel and moved to switch on the shower- real water, not a vibe shower like on the shuttles so she'd have to wait for her hair to dry as well... Tick, tick, tick... * "Probably just stress- Stanton says he dreamt he wandered into the hospice *naked* yesterday!" * "Ugh! Perish the thought!" Marianne managed to shout over the water and reassured that her acquaintance was 'okay really', Kathy finished dressing and left her to her musings. ************************* Lennier had already been on the ward for a full two hours when Marianne arrived furiously munching on a ration bar and tripping over her coat tails in her haste. * "Hi. Sorry, sorry, sorry- rough night." she called out to anyone who showed an interest as she stumbled into the office, discarding her open satchel on the desk, where it promptly fell open, littering the work surface with data chips and files. "Bugger!" Ignoring the mess that was quickly sliding to the floor she hurried over to the coffee maker and lifted up the jug to peer into it- empty. "Bugger." There were no clean filter bags-"Bugger". * "Here, let me." Hobbs materialised over her shoulder for long enough to swipe the sodden paper out of her hands and manoeuvre the younger woman into a chair. "Medlab One trick!" she smirked holding up the used bag the contents of which she promptly tipped into the rubbish bag and replaced it in the filter before spooning copious amounts of coffee into it. "Voila!" * "Thank you." The PA managed to mouth as she sank into her chair and focussed her mind on the reassuring plip-plip sounds made by the machine. * "What's wrong? I can get Stephen for you if you want.." Hobbs leant on the desk and eyed her new acquaintance with a concerned frown. * "It's nothing- I just had some funny dreams, that's all." Marianne rubbed frantically at one tired and sore eye with the palm of her hand and refocused on the coffee maker. * "Define funny." * "Odd. Really, it's nothing to worry about. I should get out to the ward..." Spotting an easy escape route, Marianne was at the door before the other woman could object. But as she watched the PA hurry over to a trolley and stuff her pockets with prophylactic gloves, swiping a stethoscope from around the neck of one of her colleagues as she began her morning's duties, Hobbs made a mental note to tell Stephen that something was amiss with his protégé. ****************** Watchful eyes darting from one end of the room to the other, Lennier stepped cautiously out onto the ward. Noting to himself that the object of his trepidation was at some distance, being as she was, at the other side of the hostel, he moved swiftly between the many beds until he reached one unattended by other volunteers. With a little less care than usual, he began the task of feeding and cleaning that bed's occupant. And so engrossed was he with the dual task of stripping bed-sheets and watching out for Marianne that he scarcely noticed Grare's approach until the Brakiri patted him on the shoulder. Without thinking, the minbari reached around to grab his assailant by the throat, lifting and then throwing the slighter being to a spot a few metres away where he sprawled, eyes and mouth wide with shock. * "Lennier-I'm sorry, I-" Grare was stammering as he stared up at the minbari. Around them, the whole room had come to a virtual standstill: patients and staff pausing in their hurried activities to stare at the two men. Realising his mistake Lennier quickly knelt to pull his friend to his feet. "Someone said you were a ranger but I thought it just idle gossip-" Grare murmured, awe-struck. The minbari sighed as he noticed the gaping expressions that greeted him from all angles of the room. His attempts at remaining unnoticed had backfired and under the pretence of helping his friend to a quiet spot, he retreated down a corridor, out of sight of the prying eyes. * "Grare, I apologise. It was not my intention to- Harm you." * "S'okay. I'm unharmed. You must be out of practice." Grare slumped into the seat that Lennier had found and guided him to, resting his weight against the wall behind him. * "Indeed." Lennier recovered a stool for himself and dragged it to a space beside his friend. It seemed that some explanations would be necessary now and lowering himself slowly into the seat, he conveyed this to Grare. * "Lennier, you are an intensely private man and I respect that. As do the others here. Although I know there to be something on your mind, it was never my wish to pry. However- there is often some wisdom in sharing a problem. What is that human saying? A problem shared-" * "Is a problem halved." Lennier smiled weakly at the typically human phrase. "If you do not wish to pry then I am grateful for that. Grare, if I confide in you in the future then I trust that you would tell no one?" * "Of course not." * "Good. Because I am unsure as to the wisdom of sharing this with you for the time being but I should like to be able to call on you in the future. For now, can I say that there is someone here I should rather avoid." * "Miss Charlton." Noting the minbari's start, he found himself chuckling, "It was not difficult to guess. Very well. Although I cannot understand anybody's wish to avoid that *particular* individual- I'm told that she is considered quite attractive, by human standards- I shall do what I can to help you." * "Thank you." * "Well," the Brakiri was standing now and brushing imaginary dirt from the seat of his trousers, "If that is settled then *my* fright is certainly over- I trust yours is also. We should return to the ward, it will be medication time soon." ***************** As Lennier helped his friend to his feet and dragged him from the ward, Doctors Franklin and Hobbs both noted the strangeness of the minbari's actions. Raising one eyebrow, Stephen wandered into the staff room, Hobbs at his heels. * "Is it just me or is there something a little odd going on there?" Franklin came to rest against one of the desks, a frowning smirk taking over his features. * "Mm. Marianne's been a bit funny today as well. Said she was having funny dreams. Maybe it's just the stress of this place- We're all a little below par and frayed around the edges." * "You might be right there doctor." Franklin launched himself away from his perch and moved to rummage in the fridge. "When I first met her- Ah damn, someone's taken my last protein drink- there're some sick people in this world..." * "You're telling me. Only the sickest of the sick and the strangest of the strange would voluntarily drink something called 'carbo-tonic'!" Hobbs grinned, fishing into the bin beside her and retrieving the empty carton to read the label. "A tasty combination of Soya and tropical fruits- ugh." * "I don't believe it!" Franklin straightened and snatched the carton from his friend's hand. "I hoped I was mistaken about someone stealing this. We should run a DNA scan- find out who took it..." * Hobbs felt her eyes roll heavenward at such pettiness and struggled to switch the direction of the conversation, "You were saying something about Marianne." She prompted. * "Wha? Oh yeah. When I first met her- she was a patient at the centre and she had nightmares all the time. She could never recall them when she woke up and after a while they seemed to dissipate but I think in times of stress they come back." * "Oh." * "Man, I'm hungry. You wanna play hooky for a while and get a bite to eat?" * "Sure. But let's take the rest of that paperwork with us, okay?" * "Deal. You're about the worst workaholic I know. You need to ease up." * "This I get from *you*? Oh boy!" * "Well, let's just say I learned the hard way!" ************************ That was interesting. Marianne noted to herself, pausing to scribble notes on the sheet of paper beside her before returning to her microscope. It was late afternoon and the ward was quiet again after the midday routine of feeding and medicating patients. Stephen and Dr Hobbs were still outside, seated on the low glass wall that ran the circumference of the temple's exterior that now served as a kind of picnic area for medical staff who couldn't bring themselves to eat in the stuffy office and ward. * So now, Marianne was left alone to work-, which was just how she liked it. She could not remember a time when she had *not* preferred her own company, particularly during times of stress. * The virus captured in her microscope slide happily buzzed around it's enclosure, munching on whatever it came across as Marianne watched on avidly and gradually the outside world receded to nothing. Every chemical, every drug, and every combination: all useless. * Franklin was growing tetchy and turning to all avenues in the hope of beating it and now that meant asking his assistants for their input. Marianne figured that asking for help was not something such a proud man was unused to and so over time she had learned to give it freely and quietly. Today though, she would be of little use. The movements of the tiny creature that swam by so close to her eyes were too fascinating for her to drag herself away in order to find ways to stop it from moving as it did. * Marianne often found herself wondering about the afflictions she worked to cure. How was it possible for something such as this virus to move and act with such conviction and yet remain unconscious, non-sentient? The creature must be carrying out some equivalent of sleepwalking. No reason behind it. No reasoning *with* it. In order for *it* to live and progress, it's host must die- No way to co-exist: no compromise. * The squeak of sneakered feet against a glass tiled floor signalled Franklin's return and Marianne glanced up from the microscope in greeting. * "How's it *going*?" Franklin seemed full of beans and he slapped two hands on her shoulders to peer into the microscope. * "Don't ask." Marianne leaned back to allow her mentor access to the machinery, turning her head to catch Dr Hobbs' eye. "I'm a physician's *assistant* with very good reason!" * "Nonsense!" Franklin adjusted the microscope as he continued to peer through the viewfinder * "Doctor, there's a very good reason why I work with *people* and not *viruses*. As far as I can see there are lots of pretty shapes that move about and remind me of a kid's kaleidoscope but that's all I can.. tell.. you..." Marianne trailed off, confusion forcing her face into a frown. * "Marianne?" The attention of both doctors was now fixed on her, Franklin swivelling her chair around to face him, "You okay?" * "Yeah. I just- I suppose you'd call it a flashback." Marianne rubbed frustratedly at her forehead as the image dulled and faded. * "What is it Marianne, what did you see?" Hobbs was crouching down now, one reassuring hand moving to rest on the younger woman's knee. * "A kaleidoscope. I was looking through one. When I took it away from my eye, I could see a big building- I knew it was my home- Christ, I've never remembered anything that clearly before... Mm-" Sighing she blinked a few times before letting her eyes focus on the concerned faces that bored into her own. "That's it. It's all gone." * "You should rest." Hobbs pulled the woman slowly to her feet and moved her toward a cot that had been crammed into one corner of the already overcrowded room. * "I'll be okay- I just need a moment-" * "Well, take two." Franklin added, backing up his colleague. ************************** End part five. Part six should follow soon(ish) Nick xxx