Healing Hands

Posted on Wednesday, 27 January 2021 - 11:08am by Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie & Lieutenant Alex Kingsley

Mission: Operation: Trail of Tears
Location: USS Standing Bear | Various
Timeline: 2394 MD 05

ON:

“So, what do you think?”

Sitting on the edge of the sofa in Chief Eyelaya’s quarters, a cup of steaming hot tea in hand, Lieutenant Kingsley glanced across at Lieutenant MacKenzie as the petty officer finished explaining her idea. They had chosen here to meet as Alex worried that, if Haru got any hint of it he would agree regardless of risk and if Soral heard about it he would put his foot down because of the risk.

Mac rubbed his chin, noting that he needed a shave. "Actually that's not a bad idea. If Soral is in Pon Farr... well I haven't noticed much but if he is then this could be a way to heal you. Mind you Haru is still healing but his issues are mostly physical and held in the portion of the brain that controls muscle work. It might take some time but I don't see why a little at a time won't work. This way it give you both a slow and steady pace."

Alex flashed Eyelaya a warm smile, "sounds like you may have found a way out of this mess, Chief."

"Ha! I'm better at getting into messes so I figure I'm owed an out once in a while"

Mac laughed. "Yeah well I'll never forget how you dumped coffee on the Vulcan."

She groaned. "Did you have to bring that up."

"Source of a good memory to me." He winked at Alex.

Alex grinned, feeling far more herself than she had in a while. "Stop teasing her," she warned him, "I've punched a Vulcan already this week..."

She stood and walked over to the viewport. "So what do we do now? Speak to Haru?" she asked. She glanced at Mac, "I'd rather be able to argue my corner with confidence when I bring this up with Soral."

"Let's go see Haru." He said.

Eyelaya smiled. "Okay well you two head out I have a date."

“There will be follow up questions for you later,” Alex warned her. “But yes, let’s go see Haru.”

Mac smiled. He and Alex headed out and soon arrived at the quarters that Mac shared with Haru. They found him sitting staring at the stars. A sadness settled over Mac. He was improving in all ways but one. He still could not walk. Mac spoke first, "Haru. Look who I brought."

The hover chair he was using turned slowly. He met Alex's gaze. He gave a strained nod. He was still worried about what had happened on Jupiter Station.

“Your favourite trouble maker,” Alex offered with a bright smile.

Mac stepped up. "We need your help." He looked at Alex. "She'll explain."

Alex took a breath as she sat down, facing Haru. “Firstly, it is okay if you say no. I don’t expect you to blindly say yes and I do not want agreement to it today. I need to know you’ve had time to think it through...

Soral is showing signs of pon Farr and, ultimately, if he and I cannot recreate our bond - at least in some way - then it doesn’t bare thinking about. I cannot stop pon Farr, or change centuries of Vulcan evolution. But Chief Eyelaya suggested another option.

She said you came from healers and that maybe you could guide another healer, try to fix what was done to me. I don’t need to get back what I had, I just need to be able to survive Soral forging a bond without it being an agonising experience that may do permanent damage. But you are healing and I don’t know who else on board would be capable and I’m probably explaining this all so wrong...”

He raised an eyebrow "I....You would ask this of me even though I was unable to help your father?"

Alex was left speechless for a long moment. “Haru... my father knocked you out and shoved you in an escape pod. You didn’t fail anyone.”

"I should have found a way." He sighed. He studied her. "I have done this kind of healing before. There are only two people that are able to help me with this aboard."

“Who? Please do not say T’Paris....”

"She is one of them yes. The other is T'Lara.”

“T’Lara. And you think she can help you?” Alex queried.

"Yes. She is a trained Esper healer. She can create a stable link between our minds that will allow me to heal yours."

Alex nodded. In truth he could be saying anything. “What does it involve?” she asked. “And what do you need? If you agree. Like I said, you are not obliged to try this.”

"It will be a few weeks before I can begin trying. I must speak with T'Lara as well and... Soral my not allow this. The procedure is not without risks."

“What risks?” she asked slowly. Everything had risk, that was life. Yet the biggest risk was Soral not surviving the pon Farr.

"To us both and to T'Lara. We will need her to agree as well. We could to more damage if it is not successful and you must follow a strict diet and meditation schedule."

Alex paled. Diet and meditation. Her two biggest weaknesses. "How strict?"

"Strict. Vegetables during the treatment, only selected Varieties of them, also Fruit particularly lots of pineapple and this is the devastating one No chocolate or coffee."

"That's barbaric!" Alex blurted out, horrified.

"Nonetheless it is the only way it will succeed."

Alex groaned as she sank lower on the seat, glaring at the ceiling. "Fine, fine..."

"Alright. Well get Soral on board and then he can speak with T'Lara." He reached out and took her hand. "You two really need a long vacation."

"Vacations do not end well for us," Alex sighed. "What I need is to find that woman and rip her apart for what she did... Alright. I'll speak to Soral when he comes home. I'm sure he will be delighted." She peered over at them both, "too much sarcasm?"

Mac laughed. "Just enough." He winked.

"Just wait until I'm deprived of chocolate and coffee," she warned. "Soral might just divorce me before we even get a chance to try this."

Mac laughed again. Haru smiled. "You two will be fine."

"You only know heavily caffeinated Alex," she teased them, "don't say I didn't warn you..."

"We stand warned." Mac said smiling. He sat by her and put his hand around her shoulder. "We'll get through this, all of us. We're a family."

She leaned into him, grateful to have support and to take any comfort out of this mess. "You know I can never thank you two enough. First for helping find me after what Sara did and now this..."

"We're family." He said.

OFF: