Glimpses (1/1), [ST:TNG]
Title: Glimpses
Fandom: Star Trek: TNG
Characters & Pairings: Picard, Crusher (Plus, most of the rest of the crew)
Rating & Warnings: PG
Word Count: 7,500
Genre: Angst, Friendship, UST
Summary: A look at the ever-evolving relationship between Picard and Crusher.
Original post date: November 2008-July 2010
Author's Notes: I wouldn't technically call this a WIP. There are 12 seperate tags to the first twelve episodes of TNG. That being said, I doubt I will ever finish the rest of the season. You've been warned.
Chapter 1: Encounter at Farpoint: Infiltrate
Author's notes: Takes place right before Picard visits Crusher in Sickbay.
She was still as beautiful as she was ten years ago.
No, Picard thought as he stepped on the Turbolift, Beverly was even more stunning. And that was going to present a problem.
The solution was easy: present the doctor with support at the idea for a transfer and get her and her son off his ship as soon as possible. Surely, Dr. Crusher didn't want to be stationed with a captain, him, who would continuously remind her of Jack's passing. Part of him couldn't help but to wonder what kind of person at Starfleet would assign her to such an awkward position.
He began pacing around the Turbolift as the images of her bombarded him. As much as he wanted her to leave, more of him, he reluctantly admitted, wanted her to stay aboard the Enterprise. The love that he felt for her a decade ago hadn't dwindled; it had been shoved into the deepest part of his heart and now threatened to escape.
No one, aside from a direct order from an Admiral, would have convinced him to allow a child on his bridge. No one, he amended, except Beverly Crusher. She didn't have to utter a word; her brave face as she spoke of the worst day of her life broke through the shell of the captain into the heart of Jean-Luc.
Within mere seconds, she had infiltrated the carefully laid guards he had put into place. Perhaps worst of all, she was unaware of what power she held over him.
Picard let out a small grunt. It was best for everyone if she left the Enterprise, he told himself firmly.
He only hoped that Dr. Crusher would agree with him as well.
Chapter 2: The Naked Now: Intoxicating
Author's notes: Second, this takes place after Beverly's visit to the ready room and before Jean-Luc goes to sickbay.
When it came right down to it, Jean-Luc Picard was a normal human male.
Despite the peril his ship was facing, all he could do is replay his tempting encounter with Beverly. The smell of her subtle perfume, the seductive way she looked at him, the heat of her breath as she leaned towards his lips assailed his thoughts.
Worf, on the other hand, was nothing less than the perfect example of a Klingon man.
Seeing his captain affected so quickly by the virus made Worf feel embarrassed for his commanding officer. He watched the captain pace the bridge as surreptitiously as he could.
"Worf," Picard said, standing next to the comm panel, "where is Commander Riker?"
The Klingon couldn't suppress the frown at Picard's question. "He took Data down to Engineering." He paused. "Sir."
"Yes, now I remember," the captain said unconvincingly.
He looked around the near-empty room and made a decision. "Worf, you have the bridge."
"But, sir, the ship," Worf said, nodding towards the view screen.
"The welfare of this ship and her crew are now in the hands of-" Suddenly, his mind shifted focus from his conversation to the alluring image of Beverly leaning against the doorframe to his Ready Room, unzipping her uniform.
"Data?" Worf offered, interrupting his thoughts.
"Huh, what? Yes. Yes. Data."
After a prolonged silence, Worf asked, "Will you be joining Commander Riker?"
It took a few seconds for the captain to process the question. "No, I'm going to go to Sickbay to see what progress Bever-Dr. Crusher has made on the vaccine."
"Now *that's* a surprise," muttered Worf.
The captain was too absorbed thinking about his chief medical officer for his muddled mind to process his officer's glib comment. He wiped the sweat off his brow. "Very well, I leave the ship in your hands," he said, walking to the Turbolift.
To Worf's surprise and horror, Picard actually hopped before the doors slid open.
Chapter 3: Code of Honor: Involve
Beverly reached around her desk, unwilling to look away from the status report from Styris IV. Finally, she found what she was looking for-a cup-and brought it to her lips. She frowned as she realized she had already drunk all of the coffee.
Reluctantly, she stopped reading. There was no way she would be able to finish the report without some kind of caffinated help; the words were already starting to blue together.
"Coffee, hot with Irish cream," she ordered as she approached the replicator.
Moments later, a cup appeared with steam curling over the edge. Greedily, she picked it up and took a long drink, wincing as the hot liquid went down her throat. As she returned to her desk, the doors to her office opened, revealing Deanna Troi.
The redhead had a good idea why she was down there.
"Counselor," she greeted evenly.
"Dr. Crusher," the counselor returned.
"May I help you with something?" she asked sweetly.
She watched Deanna study her for a few seconds. Finally the Betezed spoke. "When is the last time you got any sleep?"
Beverly pasted a phony smile on her face. "I didn't know it was the counselor's job to keep up with the sleeping habits of the senior officers." She knew she was being hostile, but there was no way she was going to allow a few hours of sleep keep her from making certain that the crisis on Styris IV was fully under control.
Deanna smiled patiently, not bothered by the doctor's words. "Normally, I'm not. However, when the officer starts to exhibit abnormal behavior-being short tempered or irritable- I feel like it's my place as ship counselor to suggest some rest."
Beverly glanced at her screen, debating on ignoring Deanna and her unwanted advice. Finally, she decided against it. "I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you I have survived with less sleep during my residency."
"I'm sure you have," Deanna said evenly, "but a thousand lives weren't under your care either."
Beverly took a sip of her coffee. "I do have other doctors on staff that are more than capable of minding a broken leg. This," she said, pointing to her screen, "requires the attention of the Chief Medical Officer."
"But, I thought the vaccine had been successfully delivered hours ago."
"Yes," the doctor answered, "but I'm monitoring the reaction to it. Already there have been several dozen reports of rejection." She didn't disclose that the reactions had been mild and were under control to the counselor.
Sensing defeat, Deanna took a step back. "Alright. I just thought I would try to talk to you about getting some rest. He's concerned about you."
Beverly relaxed slightly. Now she understood the counselor's persistence. "Wes is always overprotective of me."
Deanna frowned. "I was talking about the captain."
Beverly couldn't mask the surprise on her face. "He's worried?"
Deanna smiled triumphantly, knowing she had Beverly's attention. "That's that way it sounded to me. I hardly think that Captain Picard is the type of person to request for me to come down if he wasn't concerned."
Beverly was horrified at the idea that Jean-Luc was confiding to Deanna about his apprehension concerning her welfare. And she certainly wasn't comfortable with Deanna knowing how much the captain's interest in her well-being affected her.
Finally, she tapped her comm badge. "Crusher to Selar." She noticed Deanna relax, knowing she was going to give in
"Dr. Selar here, go ahead."
"Would you please come to my office to help monitor the situation on Styris IV? I am going to take a few hours and rest," she said, forcing the words.
"Understood, I will be there shortly."
Beverly looked at Deanna. "Please let the captain know that there is no reason to be concerned. On the other hand," she said, standing up, "I'll tell him myself."
Deanna nodded as Beverly walked away, wondering what kind of relationship exactly there was between the ship's captain and his CMO.
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It came as no surprise to Jean-Luc that Beverly would confront him about his talk with Troi; he only hoped she had enough time to cool down before speaking with him. Fighting with an exhausted CMO was not high on his list of things to do.
The door chimed and Picard knew his time of reprieve had ended. "Come," he called.
Beverly walked in, her fiery anger surrounding her. "If you feel that I am incapable of doing my job, Captain, I would appreciate it if you talk to me about it face to face."
He leaned back in his chair, assessing her. How long had it been since she slept? Twenty hours? Thirty? He knew she was irate at him, but he knew that, being the dedicated doctor she was, she would push herself too far to insure the well-being of the people of Styris IV.
"I never said anything of the sort, Doctor," he replied evenly. "Please," he said, guiding her to his couch, "have a seat."
She flopped down as he sat next to her. "But Troi said-"
"I may have expressed some concern. Good doctors often put their own health to the side when healing others," he replied.
She crossed her arms. "I think I know my own limits, Captain."
Picard shifted slightly. "Beverly, if our positions were reversed, would you not feel the same way?"
He watched her expression soften as she considered his words. "I suppose I would. But, I would have talked to you directly," she answered firmly.
"You're right. I'm sorry."
His words defused the last of her anger. She allowed herself to close her eyes briefly. "The next time you feel like this…" A yawn interrupted her sentence.
"I will not get Counselor Troi involved," he finished.
She blinked slowly, her exhaustion finally overcoming her. "Thank you, Jean-Luc." Beverly knew she should get up and make her way down to her quarters, but the couch suddenly felt so comfortable. She heard Jean-Luc say something to her as her eyes closed, but her mind was too tired to decipher what the words were.
An hour later, Jean-Luc sat at his desk, reading Dr. Selar's most recent report on the people of Styris IV, when the door chimed. "Come," he said softly.
Riker stood at the door, tentatively taking a step inside. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting-" He stopped as he noticed Beverly was missing. "Sir, where is Dr. Crusher?"
Picard nodded towards the couch where Beverly was contently sleeping. "It would seem that our Chief Medical Officer underestimated her level of fatigue, Number One," he said with a slight smile on his lips. "Was there something you needed?"
"The High Counsel of Styris sent over a transmission, expressing their thanks to Dr. Crusher and her staff for their assistance in controlling the outbreak of Anchilles fever. They expect there will be no deaths because of her execution of delivering the vaccine," he reported.
"I would have expected no less from her," Picard said truthfully.
"Now that the crisis has been resolved, Starfleet has given us our new orders. Should I have La Forge put in the coordinates, sir?"
Picard shook his head. "I will, Number One," he said, walking to the door.
"What about Dr. Crusher?" asked Riker.
Grinning slightly, Picard answered, "I think she deserves a bit of rest, don't you?"
Riker flashed a smile. "Absolutely, sir."
Chapter 4: The Last Outpost: Inappropriate
Episode: The Last Outpost/ takes place after the Beverly/Picard confrontation, but before the Enterprise gets its power back.
"Is that a male perspective?"
Beverly closed her eyes briefly as her words replayed through her mind, as they had for the last twenty minutes. She knew her words had offended the captain by the way he paused his walk and muttered something under his breath. The doctor was disappointed with herself; she thought she had learned to control her tongue a long time ago.
Now, she was waiting to die with the rest of the crew, unable to be with her son and pushing away her one friend aboard the ship. She sighed as she passed a group of people, huddled together under a large blanket for warmth, before stopping in front of Deanna.
"We're running out of time," Beverly said softly, not to upset those in the room.
Deanna nodded knowingly. "Most people have already come to terms with the situation. They are at peace as they are going to be." She studied the doctor for a second. "You should talk with the captain."
Beverly frowned. Even after the past few months, she wasn't use to having a telepath around, half-Betazoid or not. "I am sure he understands that I didn't mean it."
"Then why do you feel so guilty?"
Beverly shook her head. "I'm a Starfleet officer. Whatever personal relationship the captain and I have, it doesn't allow for me to speak to him in that manner."
"Perhaps if you tell him how you feel, you will feel more at ease," Deanna suggested.
Inwardly, Beverly knew the counselor was correct. "Fine, I'll talk with him."
She found him in his ready room, looking out his observation window. "Jean-Luc, I'm sorry," she said without preamble. "I shouldn't have let my tongue get the best of me."
He turned towards her, a stern look on his face. "No, you shouldn't have." His face softened. "But it's understandable." He paused. "Do you want to go to your son?"
She shook her head, much to the captain's surprise. "I moved him to one of the rooms where a group of people are waiting. We-" she swallowed as the tears threatened to spill over, "already said our goodbyes."
Nodding, he returned his gaze to that stars outside his window. "No one could have expected this, but I trust that Riker will be able to get us out of this situation."
Beverly softly laughed in disbelief. "I wish I had your faith, Captain. If he doesn't find a way to return power to the ship in the next thirty minutes, it will be too late."
"It is quite humbling," Jean-Luc said, taking a step towards her. "Here we are stranded in space with no way to help ourselves."
"True," she replied, "we are at the universe's mercy."
He nodded in agreement. "Come on," he instructed. "Let's go to the bridge." At her raised eyebrow, he added, "You are, after all, my second-in-command for the time being."
Beverly followed him out of his ready room, feeling relieved that there was nothing between her and Jean-Luc. If they survived this ordeal, she would have to say thanks to Deanna.
Chapter 5: Where No One Has Gone Before:Inquisitive
Author's Notes: This takes place after the episode. :D
"Spill it."
Jean-Luc looked up from his plate to an inquisitive Beverly. "I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about."
The doctor took that as her invitation to join him at his table. "I'm talking about you promoting Wesley to acting ensign. Though," she said with a slight frown, "I would have preferred you spoke with me about it first. I am his mother, after all."
"Oh yes," he said, slightly uncomfortable. "That."
He looked around Ten-Forward, hoping something would distract him from their conversation. Unfortunately, Beverly did not intend to let the subject drop. "So, tell me, Jean-Luc, what could have possibly convinced you, of all people, to promote a mere fifteen year old?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but hesitated. The Traveler trusted him with his insight into Wesley, insisting that no one, especially Beverly, find out the truth about the boy. "Nothing," he lied.
"Jean-Luc," she said warningly.
He flashed a smile at her. "Perhaps his mother has finally convinced me how capable he is for bridge duty," he offered.
The redhead crossed her arms. "I know that's not true." She leaned back in her chair, thinking for a few moments. "It was him, wasn't it? That Traveler said something about Wesley."
He shifted in his seat. "Doctor-"
"If he said something about him, as his mother, I think I have a right now know," interrupted Beverly.
He sat there for a moment weighing his options. He knew his decision to promote Wesley would raise questions, but believed no one would question his order. Except for one stubborn redhead.
Now he had to decide-did he reveal the Traveler's words and betray a confidence or risk offending his friend by keeping the secret? Finally, he chose to give Beverly a hint of what their visitor had said.
"He told me what you already knew; that Wesley is a very intelligent young man and that it would be to my advantage to have him on my bridge," Jean-Luc answered. He paused for a second. "Do you disagree?"
She studied him for a second before smiling. "You know I don't." She stood up and leaned near the captain's ear. "The next time he's due for a promotion, I would appreciate being invited-motherly pride and all that."
Relieved she was letting the issue go, the captain nodded. "Of course, Doctor."
"Remember, he is only fifteen, so no overnight shifts."
"I will do my best."
"And don't work him too hard."
"Beverly," he said, getting annoyed. "I will treat him like any officer under my command."
She smiled bitter sweetly. "Jack would be so proud."
Instantly, his annoyance disappeared. "Yes, he would be."
"Thank you for doing this," she said softly before squeezing his shoulder and walking away.
Jean-Luc smiled as he took a sip of tea. Jack, he knew, was somewhere smiling as well.
Chapter 6: Lonely Among Us: Inquire
"Doctor Crusher asked me to steer you past Sickbay. She says you've looked very tired," said Riker as Picard looked around, still confused as to what he was doing in the transporter room.
As Tasha came in, delivering the report of the activities of the "peace" delegates, the captain decided to leave the ship in his first officer's capable hands. Dr. Crusher was going to have to wait to see him; he needed to know what had happened to him. He made his way to his quarters, still unable to shake to disconcerting feeling.
With a hiss, the doors to his quarters slid apart, offering him a little privacy while he figured why he was in the Transporter Room with his officers looking so relieved. He walked inside and sat at his desk. "Computer, display all activity logs from Transporter Room three," he requested.
The computer buzzed. "That information is only available for active duty Starfleet officers," it answered.
Picard felt his annoyance rising. "This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Display the logs at this console."
Again, the computer buzzed. "Negative. Jean-Luc Picard was relieved of duty on Stardate 41249.5."
"Under whose authority?" he asked.
"Doctor Beverly Crusher."
Perhaps, as he got up from his chair angrily, a trip to sickbay was in order.
The doors to Beverly's office could not open fast enough for the irate captain. As soon as they slip apart, he stormed to his CMO's desk. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded.
She looked at him, her eyes widening. "Jean-Luc?" she asked in disbelief. If he wasn't so upset, the captain would have registered the shock on Beverly's face. She took a slight step back. "Is that really you?"
His rage dissipated, replaced with a curiosity. He had a feeling his first officer hadn't been completely honest with what had happened; very tired, indeed. "Yes, Doctor, it's me."
Beverly quickly walked around her desk, entering his personal space. For a moment, it seemed as if she was going to touch him, to make sure he was real. "How are you feeling?" she asked, studying his face as she pulled a tricorder out of her jacket pocket.
"Confused as to why you felt it was necessary to relieve me of duty," he answered truthfully as she ran the tricorder over his body.
Satisfied with the readout, she closed it with a snap. "I had no-"
"Riker to Dr. Crusher."
She flashed an apologetic smile to Jean-Luc. "Crusher here, go ahead."
"Doctor, I wanted to let you know we were successful in retrieving the captain. He should be there shortly," the first officer reported.
"Actually, Commander, he's already here."
There was a short pause; Beverly could almost see him frowning. "I apologize for not contact you sooner, Doctor. I've been dealing with our…guests."
"I understand. When I'm finished examining the captain, I'll contact you. Crusher out." She turned back to Picard. "Like I was saying, I had no choice, Jean-Luc." She shook her head. "You shouldn't be alive."
Her words hit him more powerfully than her fist ever could. Beverly Crusher was not the kind of doctor who exaggerated a situation. "What exactly happened, Doctor? I remember bits and pieces."
"You…weren't yourself. You beamed yourself, as energy, into space," she explained. "That entity attempted to merge with you." She frowned slightly. "I can only assume it didn't work and Riker figured out a way to beam you back."
"I'll be sure to ask him," he said. "Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd like command of my ship."
She nodded with a slight smile. "Computer, return Jean-Luc Picard to active duty. Authorization Crusher-Omega-37-Charlie."
A hum later, the computer replied. "Confirmed. Jean-Luc Picard returned to active duty."
"Thank you," he said, turning to leave. As he approached to door, he turned back to Beverly, a memory popping into his mind. "Did you and Riker come to my ready room when all of this was going on? Something about a mental evaluation?"
She pasted a smile on her face. "I believe the reports are still on your desk."
He shook his head, trying to piece his memory together. "I look forward to reading your report, Doctor."
Beverly raised her eyebrow. "It will certainly make for an interesting read, Captain."
Chapter 7: Justice: Injustice
He could not allow this to happen.
Though there were numerous opinions swirling in his mind, each trying to figure out what exactly he should do, that singular thought replayed in Picard's mind.
The Prime Directive screamed at him not to interfere with the people of Edo. The burdens of command told him not risk the ship or her crew to the Edo's "god". The heart of Jean-Luc silenced both of them and turned his attention to how to save Wesley from an untimely death.
He had been completely candid when he told Beverly he was terrified. No man should be responsible for the death of one woman's husband and son. In the hallway, he saw the sorrow in her eyes and recognized it from over a decade earlier. Feelings of guilt long suppressed threatened to overtake him.
Beverly trusted him to do something to Wesley that he couldn't with Jack, save his life.
Data held the key. He knew more about that…thing than anyone else. Perhaps the android's knowledge about it would allow Picard to come up with a way to free Wesley. He tapped his communicator. "Picard to Data."
"Data here."
"When you are cleared to resume duty, I would like for you to come to my quarters to discuss the situation with Dr. Crusher's son," the captain requested.
"Understood. Data out."
Picard walked to his window, looking out to the planet below. Somewhere, a very scared young man was trusting him to rescue him from his fate. No, he thought determinedly, Wesley Crusher was not going to die at sundown tonight.
000000000000000000000000000
Beverly sat in her office, forcing herself to stop trembling. Whether the shaking was out of fear for Wesley or because of her recent outburst with Data, she didn't know. The only thing she was certain of was the fact that her son was going to be executed unless Jean-Luc intervened.
Jean-Luc.
She knew he was torn between the duty of a Starfleet captain and the moral obligation to prevent the death of fifteen years old child, resulting from of all things, falling on flowers. Beverly saw the fear in the captain's eyes, that another Crusher would die under his command.
Beverly didn't have the luxury of separating herself from the situation. Caring for Wesley was her primary concern. If she lost him…she closed her eyes, unable to comprehend the idea.
Quiet footsteps approached her office. She opened her eyes to see Data standing in front of her desk. "Doctor, the final tests have been completed. I am operating well within normal parameters. Permission to leave sickbay?"
She nodded wearily. "Permission granted."
Data started to walk out, but turned back to the redhead. "I apologize for upsetting you earlier, Doctor."
"It's not your fault," she replied. "I am the one who lost my tempter. It's just-" she swallowed the large lump down her throat. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to my son."
He studied her for a second before cocking his head slightly. "It has been my observation that Captain Picard will always attempt, no more how unorthodox the idea, to keep his crew safe."
Beverly smiled sadly. "I hope that is enough. For Wesley's sake."
Chapter 8: The Battle: Impair
Beverly was examining Ensign O'Brien when her comm chirped. "Transporter Chief to Dr. Crusher." She smiled apologetically to the ensign as she handed the tricorder to one of her nurses and tapped her badge. "Crusher here, go ahead, Chief."
"I am preparing to transport Captain Picard back to the Enterprise. His life signs are weak, so I'm going to beam him directly to Sickbay," he said.
Concern followed closely by curiosity flooded the doctor's mind. What had happened to Jean-Luc? "I'm ready," she said, grabbing another tricorder from a nearby tray. Moments later, the captain materialized on the main medical bed, clutching his head, looking disoriented. As she approached him, she heard him muttering about the device.
Beverly pushed him down gently as he tried to sit up. "Jean-Luc," she said softly, "it's Beverly. Do you know where you are?"
His eyes widened. "Beverly?" he asked, confused. "Where is Jack?"
Shock forbade her to speak. She studied his face carefully; he was sincere in his inquiry. Finally, she pushed through the pain and spoke. "Jack's…not here."
He started to sit up, panic covering his face. "What the hell is going on? Where am-" Suddenly, he flopped back on the bed, his eyes rolling in the back of his head.
Beverly looked at the biomontior readout. "I'm losing him. 40 cc delactovine," she ordered her nurse. Within seconds, she had the hypo and administered to Jean-Luc. "No change," she announced. "Cortical stimulators."
Grabbing them quickly, she placed them carefully on his forehead and nodded to the nurse. "Now."
His body jerked up, but his vitals kept falling.
"Again!"
His body jumped again; this time his vitals began to stabilize and Beverly allowed herself to relax fractionally. She frowned as his pulse and blood pressure returned to normal, but the captain didn't wake up. "Jean-Luc?" she asked, hoping for some kind of response.
Nothing.
Before she decided her next course of action, Riker, followed closely by Deanna, walked into Sickbay. "What happened to him, Doctor?"
Her eyebrows rose. "I was about to ask you the same thing. When the captain was beamed here, he seemed to think," she paused as the memory of him asking for Jack played in her mind, "he was back on the Stargazer. Before that, he mentioned something about the device."
Riker nodded. "He managed to turn it off," he answered as he looked at the still form of the captain.
Beverly frowned as she turned back to the vitals display. "Perhaps severing the link was too traumatic for his nervous system."
"Can't you wake him up?" asked Riker.
The redhead considered his request before responding. "I could, yes, but it could make things worse. I think it's best if we let the Captain's nervous system readjust to functioning without the interference of the beam," advised Beverly.
Riker opened his mouth to argue, but Deanna spoke up. "Dr. Crusher is right, Will. The captain needs to heal on his own time. If we rush it, it could make his recovery that much more difficult."
Reluctantly, Riker nodded. "Let me know if anything changes."
Beverly nodded as she turned her attention back to the captain.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Despite being in Sickbay for nearly ten hours, Beverly couldn't convince herself to leave, in case the captain woke up. As she had every hour, she checked the captain's vitals, which remained mainly unchanged, and went back to her office, forcing herself not to think about Jean-Luc.
Commander Riker had already returned several times, concerned for his CO's health. Beverly understood his nervousness; it wasn't that long ago when the captain had been in sickbay after beaming himself into space after merging with an energy life form.
As she was walking up to the replicator, an alarm sounded from her desk. There was a major change in the captain's vitals. Forgetting about her dinner, Beverly made her way to where Jean-Luc lay. Activity in his cerebral cortex was rising.
"Jean-Luc, it's Beverly. Can you hear me?"
Slowly his eyes opened to thin slits as they adjusted to the lights in the room. "I'm in sickbay," he said.
Relief flooded her. At least he recognized his ship. "That's right. What do you remember?"
He blinked. "I was on the bridge of the Stargazer. It was as if I was there, back at the Battle of Maxia. Then, I remember Riker talking to me, telling me to turn off the device that Bok had hidden on the ship." He shook his head. "Then everything starts to get a little fuzzy."
"We believe that when you turned off the device, it caused your nervous system to start to shut down. It was looking for that signal after being dependant on it for so long," explained Beverly.
He touched his forehead carefully. "At least I finally got rid of that damn headache."
She smiled; glad to hear him back to his normal self. "I should contact Commander Riker. He'll be relieved to know you are awake."
As she turned, Jean-Luc spoke. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
"That's part of being the Chief Medical Officer."
He shook his head. "No. When that damn device was on…thank you for being my friend." Jean-Luc smiled wistfully.
She looked at him and smiled. "I always will be, Jean-Luc."
Chapter 9: Hide and Q: Interfere
Jean-Luc was sitting in his ready room, unsuccessfully trying to clear is mind after the latest encounter with Q, when the chime sounded. "Come," he said, grateful for the interruption.
Beverly walked into the room, looking for him. When she saw him sitting on his couch, she turned towards him. "How did you know?" she asked curiously.
Jean-Luc couldn't help the smile small smile that passed over his lips. Their relationship had come so far in the few months since the Enterprise collected her CMO from Farpoint station. Gone was the tense awkwardness that permeated their first meeting after so long on the bridge.
Now, he was pleased to admit, they had moved passed that. She occupied a place that no other person on the ship could; she was his friend. That was a benefit that Jean-Luc appreciated; friendships were difficult for him to cultivate.
He gestured for her to take a seat beside him on his couch. "I didn't," he admitted.
Her eyebrow rose at the candidness of his answer. "You took quite a gamble," she said not unkindly.
He closed his books of Shakespearean works with a slight snap. She had hit the nerve that had become raw after the encounter. Q was all powerful, all knowing, and all-around annoying. Picard was powerless against him and it frustrated the captain.
Had his crew given into the desires of their heart, Riker would be out gallivanting the stars with Q as his guide. Picard would have lost his first officer as well as his authority with his crew. Finally, he looked at Beverly. "I trusted that my officers, including your son, would do the right thing," he said simply.
Beverly crossed her legs, leaning towards him. "There's certainly no doubt that you have one hell of a crew."
There was never a question in Picard's mind about the quality of officers on his ship. He knew that he could only have the best. The Enterprise demanded nothing less. "Present company included," he said with a small smile.
She returned the smile with one of her own. "So, do you think Q got the point? That he'll let us explore the galaxy without his interference?" she asked, looking across the room, out his observation window.
He frowned, somehow knowing that Q was listening to their conversation. "Somehow, Doctor, I don't think we will be that lucky."
Chapter 10: Haven: Insight
"I can't believe Troi is going through with this," Beverly said as she and the captain walked down the corridor after the disastrous dinner.
He slowed down and looked at her, surprised. "The idea of arranged marriages has been a long part of Betazoid history."
"It's not the tradition I'm talking about, Jean-Luc," she said, shaking her head. She lowered her voice. "I could sense Riker's jealousy and I'm not a telepath."
Jean-Luc had to agree with her astute observation; his first officer was jealous. But, if anything was going to happen between his two officers on a personal level, he doubted Counselor Troi would have proceeded with the wedding preparations.
"Perhaps," he said slowly, "Riker doesn't feel like it is his place to say anything. She is, after all, bound to another man."
Beverly shot his a disapproving look. "It sounds like he's taking the easy way out. What kind of man would walk away from the woman he loved?"
Suddenly, Jean-Luc was no longer aboard the Enterprise; he was on Earth with a much younger Beverly Howard standing in front of him with a frown.
"Did he tell you about this?" she asked, holding up a copy of How to Advance Your Career Through Marriage.
He nodded as he watched her pace around her living room. "Jack has always believed his sense of humor is his best quality."
A small smile fluttered over her lips. "It is." She flipped through the pages of the book. "I don't know, Jean-Luc. Marriage is such a big step. I don't know if I'm ready." She dropped the book down on the desk. "I'm not even 25. How do I know Jack is the one?"
Jean-Luc's heart started to race. Maybe, finally, after years of loving her from afar, this was his chance to show her that Jack Crusher was not the one she should marry. Before his traitorous thoughts could continue, he stopped himself.
Though he loved Beverly, he could not, would not, sabotage the relationship between her and Jack. He took a deep breath. "Beverly, I think we both know what you are going to say," he said, his chest aching slightly.
She smiled sheepishly, her copper hair glistening in the sunlight. "Yes, we do. I just wanted an outside opinion. Well, I guess I should contact Jack and tell him I have made a decision." She walked in front of Jean-Luc and kissed his cheek softly. "Thank you, Jean-Luc."
"Jean-Luc?"
"Jean-Luc?"
Her voice pulled him away from his long-buried memory. Once she saw she had his attention, she raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
"Honestly, I think only a very brave man could do such a thing. Now, if you would excuse me, Doctor, I need to get back to the bridge," he answered curtly.
As he walked away, she wondered if his change in attitude was because of something she said.
Chapter 11: The Big Goodbye: Injured
When Whalen regained consciousness, he heard voices around him.
"Is he expected to fully recover?" Instantly, he recognized the captain's voice.
"Yes. Fortunately, we were able to get him into Sickbay in time. It was tricky, but I did mange to repair the nerve damage the bullet caused," answered Doctor Crusher.
He allowed himself to relax. Whalen hadn't been confident he would survive the night when he was lying in the holodeck, nearly bleeding to death.
"I never doubted your ability." Whalen could hear the warmth in the captain's voice. After a couple of long seconds, the captain asked, "When should he be waking up?"
"Soon," Crusher said.
On cue, Whalen slowly opened his eyes. To his surprise, they were still wearing the clothes they wore on the holodeck. How long had he been in here?
He turned to towards the redhead. "So, Doc, am I going to live?" he asked, despite already knowing the answer.
The doctor turned her gaze from the Captain to her patient. She smiled slightly at his good demeanor. "Yes, you will be out of here before you know it," she answered. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than I should," he said with a slight smile. "To be shot by a twentieth century bullet…" He shook his head. "My historian friends will never believe it."
Captain Picard looked at him. "Mr. Whalen, I am relieved that you will make a full recovery." He turned to Crusher. "Excellent work, Doctor. Now if you both would excuse me, I think it's time to get out of these clothes."
Whalen sat up slightly. "Before you go, Captain, I was wondering when your next visit to the holodeck might be. I can't wait to see the twentieth century again. Especially with the holodeck safeties working," Whalen said with a grin.
Picard and Crusher looked at each other. Whalen sat while an entire conversation of silent words passed between them. Perhaps, he thought, the next time the captain visited the holodeck, he wouldn't be invited but Doctor Crusher would.
Finally, the captain turned away. "I think, Mr. Whalen, I need a little time away from the holodeck. Some things in there were just too real."
Crusher nodded. "Agreed."
As the captain walked out of Sickbay, Whalen was pretty sure he wasn't talking about the malfunction on the holodeck.
Chapter 12: Datalore: Infuriate
Healing one's own arm from second-degree burns was more difficult than Beverly expected. The burn area, on the underside of her arm, was at just the right angle to where the autosuture could barely reach it. She didn't particularly want to have another physician on duty tend to her injury either. The examination would lead to questioning and Beverly didn't feel like sharing how she received the burn.
Still, the doctor reluctantly admitted, if she wasn't able to mend her arm soon, the pain would force her to ask for assistance. As she continued to attempt the procedure, the doors to her office slid apart, revealing the captain. She frowned as she thought as the memories from the past several hours came rushing through her mind. Pretending to be focused solely on her arm, she turned away slightly from him.
Unaware her feelings, the captain walked inside her office and looked at her. "How bad is it?" he asked.
She suppressed a sigh as she was finally able to reach her injury with the aquiculture and began mending the burned skin. There was no way she could avoid answering a direct question without completely ignoring him. "I'll be fine, Captain."
"Your arm was on fire, Doctor. Perhaps Dr. Salar could look at-"
Pain forgotten, Beverly whipped around and faced him, her eyes blazing. He had already embarrassed her on the bridge with the way he dismissed her; there was no way he was going to question her capability in front of her staff.
"Are you questioning my ability to properly diagnosis my condition?" she shot back.
For a moment, he was silent. "I apologize," he finally said, trying to ease his way back to middle ground.
Beverly, on the other hand, had different plans. "For what? Dismissing me off the bridge so I can watch my son-who, by the way, has been able to take care of himself for years now-or questioning my qualifications as a doctor?"
"Both," he said sincerely.
Her anger deflated slightly, but she couldn't leave the issue alone. She did not take the assignment on the Enterprise to chase after her son when he bothered the captain. "Wesley is his own person, Jean-Luc. Do not punish me for his actions," she warned, her voice firm.
"I was not-"
She cocked her eyebrow. "Weren't you? Outside of you and Commander Riker, I am the highest ranking officer on the Enterprise. I went through the same training you both did to earn my rank. There was nothing I did that deserved my dismissal off the bridge."
For a moment, she wondered if she crossed a line. She knew that if it wasn't for her history with Jean-Luc, she wouldn't be as candid as she was. Of course, she noted, if he was anyone else, she would have filed a formal complaint against him for his actions.
"I am truly sorry, Beverly."
It wasn't fact he apologized again or the soft-spoken way he delivered the apology that caused her anger to dissipate completely. It was the way he said her name, like a friend who realized their grievous error and sincerely wanted to make amends.
"Sometimes…" he trailed off.
"You see me as Wesley's mother instead of your CMO," she finished.
For a moment he seemed like he would argue, but he finally nodded. "I suppose, in a way, that I do. But," he added quickly, eager to mend things between them, "it was my decision to promote him and it is my responsibility to handle the discipline of my officers when they step out of line. That includes your son."
A smile stretched over her lips.
"Perhaps, after you changed," he continued, as he nodded towards her charred uniform, "you would like to join the rest of the command staff on the bridge."
Beverly knew there were many reasons as CMO why she should stay in sickbay and one very personal reason why she should go up to the bridge.
"Of course, Jean-Luc," she said, accepting his invitation.
With a nod, he turned around and left her office. Looking down at her now-healed arm, Beverly smiled faintly.
Everything was all better now, she thought, satisfied.
Fandom: Star Trek: TNG
Characters & Pairings: Picard, Crusher (Plus, most of the rest of the crew)
Rating & Warnings: PG
Word Count: 7,500
Genre: Angst, Friendship, UST
Summary: A look at the ever-evolving relationship between Picard and Crusher.
Original post date: November 2008-July 2010
Author's Notes: I wouldn't technically call this a WIP. There are 12 seperate tags to the first twelve episodes of TNG. That being said, I doubt I will ever finish the rest of the season. You've been warned.
Chapter 1: Encounter at Farpoint: Infiltrate
Author's notes: Takes place right before Picard visits Crusher in Sickbay.
She was still as beautiful as she was ten years ago.
No, Picard thought as he stepped on the Turbolift, Beverly was even more stunning. And that was going to present a problem.
The solution was easy: present the doctor with support at the idea for a transfer and get her and her son off his ship as soon as possible. Surely, Dr. Crusher didn't want to be stationed with a captain, him, who would continuously remind her of Jack's passing. Part of him couldn't help but to wonder what kind of person at Starfleet would assign her to such an awkward position.
He began pacing around the Turbolift as the images of her bombarded him. As much as he wanted her to leave, more of him, he reluctantly admitted, wanted her to stay aboard the Enterprise. The love that he felt for her a decade ago hadn't dwindled; it had been shoved into the deepest part of his heart and now threatened to escape.
No one, aside from a direct order from an Admiral, would have convinced him to allow a child on his bridge. No one, he amended, except Beverly Crusher. She didn't have to utter a word; her brave face as she spoke of the worst day of her life broke through the shell of the captain into the heart of Jean-Luc.
Within mere seconds, she had infiltrated the carefully laid guards he had put into place. Perhaps worst of all, she was unaware of what power she held over him.
Picard let out a small grunt. It was best for everyone if she left the Enterprise, he told himself firmly.
He only hoped that Dr. Crusher would agree with him as well.
Chapter 2: The Naked Now: Intoxicating
Author's notes: Second, this takes place after Beverly's visit to the ready room and before Jean-Luc goes to sickbay.
When it came right down to it, Jean-Luc Picard was a normal human male.
Despite the peril his ship was facing, all he could do is replay his tempting encounter with Beverly. The smell of her subtle perfume, the seductive way she looked at him, the heat of her breath as she leaned towards his lips assailed his thoughts.
Worf, on the other hand, was nothing less than the perfect example of a Klingon man.
Seeing his captain affected so quickly by the virus made Worf feel embarrassed for his commanding officer. He watched the captain pace the bridge as surreptitiously as he could.
"Worf," Picard said, standing next to the comm panel, "where is Commander Riker?"
The Klingon couldn't suppress the frown at Picard's question. "He took Data down to Engineering." He paused. "Sir."
"Yes, now I remember," the captain said unconvincingly.
He looked around the near-empty room and made a decision. "Worf, you have the bridge."
"But, sir, the ship," Worf said, nodding towards the view screen.
"The welfare of this ship and her crew are now in the hands of-" Suddenly, his mind shifted focus from his conversation to the alluring image of Beverly leaning against the doorframe to his Ready Room, unzipping her uniform.
"Data?" Worf offered, interrupting his thoughts.
"Huh, what? Yes. Yes. Data."
After a prolonged silence, Worf asked, "Will you be joining Commander Riker?"
It took a few seconds for the captain to process the question. "No, I'm going to go to Sickbay to see what progress Bever-Dr. Crusher has made on the vaccine."
"Now *that's* a surprise," muttered Worf.
The captain was too absorbed thinking about his chief medical officer for his muddled mind to process his officer's glib comment. He wiped the sweat off his brow. "Very well, I leave the ship in your hands," he said, walking to the Turbolift.
To Worf's surprise and horror, Picard actually hopped before the doors slid open.
Chapter 3: Code of Honor: Involve
Beverly reached around her desk, unwilling to look away from the status report from Styris IV. Finally, she found what she was looking for-a cup-and brought it to her lips. She frowned as she realized she had already drunk all of the coffee.
Reluctantly, she stopped reading. There was no way she would be able to finish the report without some kind of caffinated help; the words were already starting to blue together.
"Coffee, hot with Irish cream," she ordered as she approached the replicator.
Moments later, a cup appeared with steam curling over the edge. Greedily, she picked it up and took a long drink, wincing as the hot liquid went down her throat. As she returned to her desk, the doors to her office opened, revealing Deanna Troi.
The redhead had a good idea why she was down there.
"Counselor," she greeted evenly.
"Dr. Crusher," the counselor returned.
"May I help you with something?" she asked sweetly.
She watched Deanna study her for a few seconds. Finally the Betezed spoke. "When is the last time you got any sleep?"
Beverly pasted a phony smile on her face. "I didn't know it was the counselor's job to keep up with the sleeping habits of the senior officers." She knew she was being hostile, but there was no way she was going to allow a few hours of sleep keep her from making certain that the crisis on Styris IV was fully under control.
Deanna smiled patiently, not bothered by the doctor's words. "Normally, I'm not. However, when the officer starts to exhibit abnormal behavior-being short tempered or irritable- I feel like it's my place as ship counselor to suggest some rest."
Beverly glanced at her screen, debating on ignoring Deanna and her unwanted advice. Finally, she decided against it. "I appreciate your concern, but I can assure you I have survived with less sleep during my residency."
"I'm sure you have," Deanna said evenly, "but a thousand lives weren't under your care either."
Beverly took a sip of her coffee. "I do have other doctors on staff that are more than capable of minding a broken leg. This," she said, pointing to her screen, "requires the attention of the Chief Medical Officer."
"But, I thought the vaccine had been successfully delivered hours ago."
"Yes," the doctor answered, "but I'm monitoring the reaction to it. Already there have been several dozen reports of rejection." She didn't disclose that the reactions had been mild and were under control to the counselor.
Sensing defeat, Deanna took a step back. "Alright. I just thought I would try to talk to you about getting some rest. He's concerned about you."
Beverly relaxed slightly. Now she understood the counselor's persistence. "Wes is always overprotective of me."
Deanna frowned. "I was talking about the captain."
Beverly couldn't mask the surprise on her face. "He's worried?"
Deanna smiled triumphantly, knowing she had Beverly's attention. "That's that way it sounded to me. I hardly think that Captain Picard is the type of person to request for me to come down if he wasn't concerned."
Beverly was horrified at the idea that Jean-Luc was confiding to Deanna about his apprehension concerning her welfare. And she certainly wasn't comfortable with Deanna knowing how much the captain's interest in her well-being affected her.
Finally, she tapped her comm badge. "Crusher to Selar." She noticed Deanna relax, knowing she was going to give in
"Dr. Selar here, go ahead."
"Would you please come to my office to help monitor the situation on Styris IV? I am going to take a few hours and rest," she said, forcing the words.
"Understood, I will be there shortly."
Beverly looked at Deanna. "Please let the captain know that there is no reason to be concerned. On the other hand," she said, standing up, "I'll tell him myself."
Deanna nodded as Beverly walked away, wondering what kind of relationship exactly there was between the ship's captain and his CMO.
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It came as no surprise to Jean-Luc that Beverly would confront him about his talk with Troi; he only hoped she had enough time to cool down before speaking with him. Fighting with an exhausted CMO was not high on his list of things to do.
The door chimed and Picard knew his time of reprieve had ended. "Come," he called.
Beverly walked in, her fiery anger surrounding her. "If you feel that I am incapable of doing my job, Captain, I would appreciate it if you talk to me about it face to face."
He leaned back in his chair, assessing her. How long had it been since she slept? Twenty hours? Thirty? He knew she was irate at him, but he knew that, being the dedicated doctor she was, she would push herself too far to insure the well-being of the people of Styris IV.
"I never said anything of the sort, Doctor," he replied evenly. "Please," he said, guiding her to his couch, "have a seat."
She flopped down as he sat next to her. "But Troi said-"
"I may have expressed some concern. Good doctors often put their own health to the side when healing others," he replied.
She crossed her arms. "I think I know my own limits, Captain."
Picard shifted slightly. "Beverly, if our positions were reversed, would you not feel the same way?"
He watched her expression soften as she considered his words. "I suppose I would. But, I would have talked to you directly," she answered firmly.
"You're right. I'm sorry."
His words defused the last of her anger. She allowed herself to close her eyes briefly. "The next time you feel like this…" A yawn interrupted her sentence.
"I will not get Counselor Troi involved," he finished.
She blinked slowly, her exhaustion finally overcoming her. "Thank you, Jean-Luc." Beverly knew she should get up and make her way down to her quarters, but the couch suddenly felt so comfortable. She heard Jean-Luc say something to her as her eyes closed, but her mind was too tired to decipher what the words were.
An hour later, Jean-Luc sat at his desk, reading Dr. Selar's most recent report on the people of Styris IV, when the door chimed. "Come," he said softly.
Riker stood at the door, tentatively taking a step inside. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting-" He stopped as he noticed Beverly was missing. "Sir, where is Dr. Crusher?"
Picard nodded towards the couch where Beverly was contently sleeping. "It would seem that our Chief Medical Officer underestimated her level of fatigue, Number One," he said with a slight smile on his lips. "Was there something you needed?"
"The High Counsel of Styris sent over a transmission, expressing their thanks to Dr. Crusher and her staff for their assistance in controlling the outbreak of Anchilles fever. They expect there will be no deaths because of her execution of delivering the vaccine," he reported.
"I would have expected no less from her," Picard said truthfully.
"Now that the crisis has been resolved, Starfleet has given us our new orders. Should I have La Forge put in the coordinates, sir?"
Picard shook his head. "I will, Number One," he said, walking to the door.
"What about Dr. Crusher?" asked Riker.
Grinning slightly, Picard answered, "I think she deserves a bit of rest, don't you?"
Riker flashed a smile. "Absolutely, sir."
Chapter 4: The Last Outpost: Inappropriate
Episode: The Last Outpost/ takes place after the Beverly/Picard confrontation, but before the Enterprise gets its power back.
"Is that a male perspective?"
Beverly closed her eyes briefly as her words replayed through her mind, as they had for the last twenty minutes. She knew her words had offended the captain by the way he paused his walk and muttered something under his breath. The doctor was disappointed with herself; she thought she had learned to control her tongue a long time ago.
Now, she was waiting to die with the rest of the crew, unable to be with her son and pushing away her one friend aboard the ship. She sighed as she passed a group of people, huddled together under a large blanket for warmth, before stopping in front of Deanna.
"We're running out of time," Beverly said softly, not to upset those in the room.
Deanna nodded knowingly. "Most people have already come to terms with the situation. They are at peace as they are going to be." She studied the doctor for a second. "You should talk with the captain."
Beverly frowned. Even after the past few months, she wasn't use to having a telepath around, half-Betazoid or not. "I am sure he understands that I didn't mean it."
"Then why do you feel so guilty?"
Beverly shook her head. "I'm a Starfleet officer. Whatever personal relationship the captain and I have, it doesn't allow for me to speak to him in that manner."
"Perhaps if you tell him how you feel, you will feel more at ease," Deanna suggested.
Inwardly, Beverly knew the counselor was correct. "Fine, I'll talk with him."
She found him in his ready room, looking out his observation window. "Jean-Luc, I'm sorry," she said without preamble. "I shouldn't have let my tongue get the best of me."
He turned towards her, a stern look on his face. "No, you shouldn't have." His face softened. "But it's understandable." He paused. "Do you want to go to your son?"
She shook her head, much to the captain's surprise. "I moved him to one of the rooms where a group of people are waiting. We-" she swallowed as the tears threatened to spill over, "already said our goodbyes."
Nodding, he returned his gaze to that stars outside his window. "No one could have expected this, but I trust that Riker will be able to get us out of this situation."
Beverly softly laughed in disbelief. "I wish I had your faith, Captain. If he doesn't find a way to return power to the ship in the next thirty minutes, it will be too late."
"It is quite humbling," Jean-Luc said, taking a step towards her. "Here we are stranded in space with no way to help ourselves."
"True," she replied, "we are at the universe's mercy."
He nodded in agreement. "Come on," he instructed. "Let's go to the bridge." At her raised eyebrow, he added, "You are, after all, my second-in-command for the time being."
Beverly followed him out of his ready room, feeling relieved that there was nothing between her and Jean-Luc. If they survived this ordeal, she would have to say thanks to Deanna.
Chapter 5: Where No One Has Gone Before:Inquisitive
Author's Notes: This takes place after the episode. :D
"Spill it."
Jean-Luc looked up from his plate to an inquisitive Beverly. "I haven't the slightest idea what you are talking about."
The doctor took that as her invitation to join him at his table. "I'm talking about you promoting Wesley to acting ensign. Though," she said with a slight frown, "I would have preferred you spoke with me about it first. I am his mother, after all."
"Oh yes," he said, slightly uncomfortable. "That."
He looked around Ten-Forward, hoping something would distract him from their conversation. Unfortunately, Beverly did not intend to let the subject drop. "So, tell me, Jean-Luc, what could have possibly convinced you, of all people, to promote a mere fifteen year old?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but hesitated. The Traveler trusted him with his insight into Wesley, insisting that no one, especially Beverly, find out the truth about the boy. "Nothing," he lied.
"Jean-Luc," she said warningly.
He flashed a smile at her. "Perhaps his mother has finally convinced me how capable he is for bridge duty," he offered.
The redhead crossed her arms. "I know that's not true." She leaned back in her chair, thinking for a few moments. "It was him, wasn't it? That Traveler said something about Wesley."
He shifted in his seat. "Doctor-"
"If he said something about him, as his mother, I think I have a right now know," interrupted Beverly.
He sat there for a moment weighing his options. He knew his decision to promote Wesley would raise questions, but believed no one would question his order. Except for one stubborn redhead.
Now he had to decide-did he reveal the Traveler's words and betray a confidence or risk offending his friend by keeping the secret? Finally, he chose to give Beverly a hint of what their visitor had said.
"He told me what you already knew; that Wesley is a very intelligent young man and that it would be to my advantage to have him on my bridge," Jean-Luc answered. He paused for a second. "Do you disagree?"
She studied him for a second before smiling. "You know I don't." She stood up and leaned near the captain's ear. "The next time he's due for a promotion, I would appreciate being invited-motherly pride and all that."
Relieved she was letting the issue go, the captain nodded. "Of course, Doctor."
"Remember, he is only fifteen, so no overnight shifts."
"I will do my best."
"And don't work him too hard."
"Beverly," he said, getting annoyed. "I will treat him like any officer under my command."
She smiled bitter sweetly. "Jack would be so proud."
Instantly, his annoyance disappeared. "Yes, he would be."
"Thank you for doing this," she said softly before squeezing his shoulder and walking away.
Jean-Luc smiled as he took a sip of tea. Jack, he knew, was somewhere smiling as well.
Chapter 6: Lonely Among Us: Inquire
"Doctor Crusher asked me to steer you past Sickbay. She says you've looked very tired," said Riker as Picard looked around, still confused as to what he was doing in the transporter room.
As Tasha came in, delivering the report of the activities of the "peace" delegates, the captain decided to leave the ship in his first officer's capable hands. Dr. Crusher was going to have to wait to see him; he needed to know what had happened to him. He made his way to his quarters, still unable to shake to disconcerting feeling.
With a hiss, the doors to his quarters slid apart, offering him a little privacy while he figured why he was in the Transporter Room with his officers looking so relieved. He walked inside and sat at his desk. "Computer, display all activity logs from Transporter Room three," he requested.
The computer buzzed. "That information is only available for active duty Starfleet officers," it answered.
Picard felt his annoyance rising. "This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Display the logs at this console."
Again, the computer buzzed. "Negative. Jean-Luc Picard was relieved of duty on Stardate 41249.5."
"Under whose authority?" he asked.
"Doctor Beverly Crusher."
Perhaps, as he got up from his chair angrily, a trip to sickbay was in order.
The doors to Beverly's office could not open fast enough for the irate captain. As soon as they slip apart, he stormed to his CMO's desk. "What the hell is going on here?" he demanded.
She looked at him, her eyes widening. "Jean-Luc?" she asked in disbelief. If he wasn't so upset, the captain would have registered the shock on Beverly's face. She took a slight step back. "Is that really you?"
His rage dissipated, replaced with a curiosity. He had a feeling his first officer hadn't been completely honest with what had happened; very tired, indeed. "Yes, Doctor, it's me."
Beverly quickly walked around her desk, entering his personal space. For a moment, it seemed as if she was going to touch him, to make sure he was real. "How are you feeling?" she asked, studying his face as she pulled a tricorder out of her jacket pocket.
"Confused as to why you felt it was necessary to relieve me of duty," he answered truthfully as she ran the tricorder over his body.
Satisfied with the readout, she closed it with a snap. "I had no-"
"Riker to Dr. Crusher."
She flashed an apologetic smile to Jean-Luc. "Crusher here, go ahead."
"Doctor, I wanted to let you know we were successful in retrieving the captain. He should be there shortly," the first officer reported.
"Actually, Commander, he's already here."
There was a short pause; Beverly could almost see him frowning. "I apologize for not contact you sooner, Doctor. I've been dealing with our…guests."
"I understand. When I'm finished examining the captain, I'll contact you. Crusher out." She turned back to Picard. "Like I was saying, I had no choice, Jean-Luc." She shook her head. "You shouldn't be alive."
Her words hit him more powerfully than her fist ever could. Beverly Crusher was not the kind of doctor who exaggerated a situation. "What exactly happened, Doctor? I remember bits and pieces."
"You…weren't yourself. You beamed yourself, as energy, into space," she explained. "That entity attempted to merge with you." She frowned slightly. "I can only assume it didn't work and Riker figured out a way to beam you back."
"I'll be sure to ask him," he said. "Now if you wouldn't mind, I'd like command of my ship."
She nodded with a slight smile. "Computer, return Jean-Luc Picard to active duty. Authorization Crusher-Omega-37-Charlie."
A hum later, the computer replied. "Confirmed. Jean-Luc Picard returned to active duty."
"Thank you," he said, turning to leave. As he approached to door, he turned back to Beverly, a memory popping into his mind. "Did you and Riker come to my ready room when all of this was going on? Something about a mental evaluation?"
She pasted a smile on her face. "I believe the reports are still on your desk."
He shook his head, trying to piece his memory together. "I look forward to reading your report, Doctor."
Beverly raised her eyebrow. "It will certainly make for an interesting read, Captain."
Chapter 7: Justice: Injustice
He could not allow this to happen.
Though there were numerous opinions swirling in his mind, each trying to figure out what exactly he should do, that singular thought replayed in Picard's mind.
The Prime Directive screamed at him not to interfere with the people of Edo. The burdens of command told him not risk the ship or her crew to the Edo's "god". The heart of Jean-Luc silenced both of them and turned his attention to how to save Wesley from an untimely death.
He had been completely candid when he told Beverly he was terrified. No man should be responsible for the death of one woman's husband and son. In the hallway, he saw the sorrow in her eyes and recognized it from over a decade earlier. Feelings of guilt long suppressed threatened to overtake him.
Beverly trusted him to do something to Wesley that he couldn't with Jack, save his life.
Data held the key. He knew more about that…thing than anyone else. Perhaps the android's knowledge about it would allow Picard to come up with a way to free Wesley. He tapped his communicator. "Picard to Data."
"Data here."
"When you are cleared to resume duty, I would like for you to come to my quarters to discuss the situation with Dr. Crusher's son," the captain requested.
"Understood. Data out."
Picard walked to his window, looking out to the planet below. Somewhere, a very scared young man was trusting him to rescue him from his fate. No, he thought determinedly, Wesley Crusher was not going to die at sundown tonight.
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Beverly sat in her office, forcing herself to stop trembling. Whether the shaking was out of fear for Wesley or because of her recent outburst with Data, she didn't know. The only thing she was certain of was the fact that her son was going to be executed unless Jean-Luc intervened.
Jean-Luc.
She knew he was torn between the duty of a Starfleet captain and the moral obligation to prevent the death of fifteen years old child, resulting from of all things, falling on flowers. Beverly saw the fear in the captain's eyes, that another Crusher would die under his command.
Beverly didn't have the luxury of separating herself from the situation. Caring for Wesley was her primary concern. If she lost him…she closed her eyes, unable to comprehend the idea.
Quiet footsteps approached her office. She opened her eyes to see Data standing in front of her desk. "Doctor, the final tests have been completed. I am operating well within normal parameters. Permission to leave sickbay?"
She nodded wearily. "Permission granted."
Data started to walk out, but turned back to the redhead. "I apologize for upsetting you earlier, Doctor."
"It's not your fault," she replied. "I am the one who lost my tempter. It's just-" she swallowed the large lump down her throat. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to my son."
He studied her for a second before cocking his head slightly. "It has been my observation that Captain Picard will always attempt, no more how unorthodox the idea, to keep his crew safe."
Beverly smiled sadly. "I hope that is enough. For Wesley's sake."
Chapter 8: The Battle: Impair
Beverly was examining Ensign O'Brien when her comm chirped. "Transporter Chief to Dr. Crusher." She smiled apologetically to the ensign as she handed the tricorder to one of her nurses and tapped her badge. "Crusher here, go ahead, Chief."
"I am preparing to transport Captain Picard back to the Enterprise. His life signs are weak, so I'm going to beam him directly to Sickbay," he said.
Concern followed closely by curiosity flooded the doctor's mind. What had happened to Jean-Luc? "I'm ready," she said, grabbing another tricorder from a nearby tray. Moments later, the captain materialized on the main medical bed, clutching his head, looking disoriented. As she approached him, she heard him muttering about the device.
Beverly pushed him down gently as he tried to sit up. "Jean-Luc," she said softly, "it's Beverly. Do you know where you are?"
His eyes widened. "Beverly?" he asked, confused. "Where is Jack?"
Shock forbade her to speak. She studied his face carefully; he was sincere in his inquiry. Finally, she pushed through the pain and spoke. "Jack's…not here."
He started to sit up, panic covering his face. "What the hell is going on? Where am-" Suddenly, he flopped back on the bed, his eyes rolling in the back of his head.
Beverly looked at the biomontior readout. "I'm losing him. 40 cc delactovine," she ordered her nurse. Within seconds, she had the hypo and administered to Jean-Luc. "No change," she announced. "Cortical stimulators."
Grabbing them quickly, she placed them carefully on his forehead and nodded to the nurse. "Now."
His body jerked up, but his vitals kept falling.
"Again!"
His body jumped again; this time his vitals began to stabilize and Beverly allowed herself to relax fractionally. She frowned as his pulse and blood pressure returned to normal, but the captain didn't wake up. "Jean-Luc?" she asked, hoping for some kind of response.
Nothing.
Before she decided her next course of action, Riker, followed closely by Deanna, walked into Sickbay. "What happened to him, Doctor?"
Her eyebrows rose. "I was about to ask you the same thing. When the captain was beamed here, he seemed to think," she paused as the memory of him asking for Jack played in her mind, "he was back on the Stargazer. Before that, he mentioned something about the device."
Riker nodded. "He managed to turn it off," he answered as he looked at the still form of the captain.
Beverly frowned as she turned back to the vitals display. "Perhaps severing the link was too traumatic for his nervous system."
"Can't you wake him up?" asked Riker.
The redhead considered his request before responding. "I could, yes, but it could make things worse. I think it's best if we let the Captain's nervous system readjust to functioning without the interference of the beam," advised Beverly.
Riker opened his mouth to argue, but Deanna spoke up. "Dr. Crusher is right, Will. The captain needs to heal on his own time. If we rush it, it could make his recovery that much more difficult."
Reluctantly, Riker nodded. "Let me know if anything changes."
Beverly nodded as she turned her attention back to the captain.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Despite being in Sickbay for nearly ten hours, Beverly couldn't convince herself to leave, in case the captain woke up. As she had every hour, she checked the captain's vitals, which remained mainly unchanged, and went back to her office, forcing herself not to think about Jean-Luc.
Commander Riker had already returned several times, concerned for his CO's health. Beverly understood his nervousness; it wasn't that long ago when the captain had been in sickbay after beaming himself into space after merging with an energy life form.
As she was walking up to the replicator, an alarm sounded from her desk. There was a major change in the captain's vitals. Forgetting about her dinner, Beverly made her way to where Jean-Luc lay. Activity in his cerebral cortex was rising.
"Jean-Luc, it's Beverly. Can you hear me?"
Slowly his eyes opened to thin slits as they adjusted to the lights in the room. "I'm in sickbay," he said.
Relief flooded her. At least he recognized his ship. "That's right. What do you remember?"
He blinked. "I was on the bridge of the Stargazer. It was as if I was there, back at the Battle of Maxia. Then, I remember Riker talking to me, telling me to turn off the device that Bok had hidden on the ship." He shook his head. "Then everything starts to get a little fuzzy."
"We believe that when you turned off the device, it caused your nervous system to start to shut down. It was looking for that signal after being dependant on it for so long," explained Beverly.
He touched his forehead carefully. "At least I finally got rid of that damn headache."
She smiled; glad to hear him back to his normal self. "I should contact Commander Riker. He'll be relieved to know you are awake."
As she turned, Jean-Luc spoke. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
"That's part of being the Chief Medical Officer."
He shook his head. "No. When that damn device was on…thank you for being my friend." Jean-Luc smiled wistfully.
She looked at him and smiled. "I always will be, Jean-Luc."
Chapter 9: Hide and Q: Interfere
Jean-Luc was sitting in his ready room, unsuccessfully trying to clear is mind after the latest encounter with Q, when the chime sounded. "Come," he said, grateful for the interruption.
Beverly walked into the room, looking for him. When she saw him sitting on his couch, she turned towards him. "How did you know?" she asked curiously.
Jean-Luc couldn't help the smile small smile that passed over his lips. Their relationship had come so far in the few months since the Enterprise collected her CMO from Farpoint station. Gone was the tense awkwardness that permeated their first meeting after so long on the bridge.
Now, he was pleased to admit, they had moved passed that. She occupied a place that no other person on the ship could; she was his friend. That was a benefit that Jean-Luc appreciated; friendships were difficult for him to cultivate.
He gestured for her to take a seat beside him on his couch. "I didn't," he admitted.
Her eyebrow rose at the candidness of his answer. "You took quite a gamble," she said not unkindly.
He closed his books of Shakespearean works with a slight snap. She had hit the nerve that had become raw after the encounter. Q was all powerful, all knowing, and all-around annoying. Picard was powerless against him and it frustrated the captain.
Had his crew given into the desires of their heart, Riker would be out gallivanting the stars with Q as his guide. Picard would have lost his first officer as well as his authority with his crew. Finally, he looked at Beverly. "I trusted that my officers, including your son, would do the right thing," he said simply.
Beverly crossed her legs, leaning towards him. "There's certainly no doubt that you have one hell of a crew."
There was never a question in Picard's mind about the quality of officers on his ship. He knew that he could only have the best. The Enterprise demanded nothing less. "Present company included," he said with a small smile.
She returned the smile with one of her own. "So, do you think Q got the point? That he'll let us explore the galaxy without his interference?" she asked, looking across the room, out his observation window.
He frowned, somehow knowing that Q was listening to their conversation. "Somehow, Doctor, I don't think we will be that lucky."
Chapter 10: Haven: Insight
"I can't believe Troi is going through with this," Beverly said as she and the captain walked down the corridor after the disastrous dinner.
He slowed down and looked at her, surprised. "The idea of arranged marriages has been a long part of Betazoid history."
"It's not the tradition I'm talking about, Jean-Luc," she said, shaking her head. She lowered her voice. "I could sense Riker's jealousy and I'm not a telepath."
Jean-Luc had to agree with her astute observation; his first officer was jealous. But, if anything was going to happen between his two officers on a personal level, he doubted Counselor Troi would have proceeded with the wedding preparations.
"Perhaps," he said slowly, "Riker doesn't feel like it is his place to say anything. She is, after all, bound to another man."
Beverly shot his a disapproving look. "It sounds like he's taking the easy way out. What kind of man would walk away from the woman he loved?"
Suddenly, Jean-Luc was no longer aboard the Enterprise; he was on Earth with a much younger Beverly Howard standing in front of him with a frown.
"Did he tell you about this?" she asked, holding up a copy of How to Advance Your Career Through Marriage.
He nodded as he watched her pace around her living room. "Jack has always believed his sense of humor is his best quality."
A small smile fluttered over her lips. "It is." She flipped through the pages of the book. "I don't know, Jean-Luc. Marriage is such a big step. I don't know if I'm ready." She dropped the book down on the desk. "I'm not even 25. How do I know Jack is the one?"
Jean-Luc's heart started to race. Maybe, finally, after years of loving her from afar, this was his chance to show her that Jack Crusher was not the one she should marry. Before his traitorous thoughts could continue, he stopped himself.
Though he loved Beverly, he could not, would not, sabotage the relationship between her and Jack. He took a deep breath. "Beverly, I think we both know what you are going to say," he said, his chest aching slightly.
She smiled sheepishly, her copper hair glistening in the sunlight. "Yes, we do. I just wanted an outside opinion. Well, I guess I should contact Jack and tell him I have made a decision." She walked in front of Jean-Luc and kissed his cheek softly. "Thank you, Jean-Luc."
"Jean-Luc?"
"Jean-Luc?"
Her voice pulled him away from his long-buried memory. Once she saw she had his attention, she raised her eyebrows, waiting for an answer.
"Honestly, I think only a very brave man could do such a thing. Now, if you would excuse me, Doctor, I need to get back to the bridge," he answered curtly.
As he walked away, she wondered if his change in attitude was because of something she said.
Chapter 11: The Big Goodbye: Injured
When Whalen regained consciousness, he heard voices around him.
"Is he expected to fully recover?" Instantly, he recognized the captain's voice.
"Yes. Fortunately, we were able to get him into Sickbay in time. It was tricky, but I did mange to repair the nerve damage the bullet caused," answered Doctor Crusher.
He allowed himself to relax. Whalen hadn't been confident he would survive the night when he was lying in the holodeck, nearly bleeding to death.
"I never doubted your ability." Whalen could hear the warmth in the captain's voice. After a couple of long seconds, the captain asked, "When should he be waking up?"
"Soon," Crusher said.
On cue, Whalen slowly opened his eyes. To his surprise, they were still wearing the clothes they wore on the holodeck. How long had he been in here?
He turned to towards the redhead. "So, Doc, am I going to live?" he asked, despite already knowing the answer.
The doctor turned her gaze from the Captain to her patient. She smiled slightly at his good demeanor. "Yes, you will be out of here before you know it," she answered. "How are you feeling?"
"Better than I should," he said with a slight smile. "To be shot by a twentieth century bullet…" He shook his head. "My historian friends will never believe it."
Captain Picard looked at him. "Mr. Whalen, I am relieved that you will make a full recovery." He turned to Crusher. "Excellent work, Doctor. Now if you both would excuse me, I think it's time to get out of these clothes."
Whalen sat up slightly. "Before you go, Captain, I was wondering when your next visit to the holodeck might be. I can't wait to see the twentieth century again. Especially with the holodeck safeties working," Whalen said with a grin.
Picard and Crusher looked at each other. Whalen sat while an entire conversation of silent words passed between them. Perhaps, he thought, the next time the captain visited the holodeck, he wouldn't be invited but Doctor Crusher would.
Finally, the captain turned away. "I think, Mr. Whalen, I need a little time away from the holodeck. Some things in there were just too real."
Crusher nodded. "Agreed."
As the captain walked out of Sickbay, Whalen was pretty sure he wasn't talking about the malfunction on the holodeck.
Chapter 12: Datalore: Infuriate
Healing one's own arm from second-degree burns was more difficult than Beverly expected. The burn area, on the underside of her arm, was at just the right angle to where the autosuture could barely reach it. She didn't particularly want to have another physician on duty tend to her injury either. The examination would lead to questioning and Beverly didn't feel like sharing how she received the burn.
Still, the doctor reluctantly admitted, if she wasn't able to mend her arm soon, the pain would force her to ask for assistance. As she continued to attempt the procedure, the doors to her office slid apart, revealing the captain. She frowned as she thought as the memories from the past several hours came rushing through her mind. Pretending to be focused solely on her arm, she turned away slightly from him.
Unaware her feelings, the captain walked inside her office and looked at her. "How bad is it?" he asked.
She suppressed a sigh as she was finally able to reach her injury with the aquiculture and began mending the burned skin. There was no way she could avoid answering a direct question without completely ignoring him. "I'll be fine, Captain."
"Your arm was on fire, Doctor. Perhaps Dr. Salar could look at-"
Pain forgotten, Beverly whipped around and faced him, her eyes blazing. He had already embarrassed her on the bridge with the way he dismissed her; there was no way he was going to question her capability in front of her staff.
"Are you questioning my ability to properly diagnosis my condition?" she shot back.
For a moment, he was silent. "I apologize," he finally said, trying to ease his way back to middle ground.
Beverly, on the other hand, had different plans. "For what? Dismissing me off the bridge so I can watch my son-who, by the way, has been able to take care of himself for years now-or questioning my qualifications as a doctor?"
"Both," he said sincerely.
Her anger deflated slightly, but she couldn't leave the issue alone. She did not take the assignment on the Enterprise to chase after her son when he bothered the captain. "Wesley is his own person, Jean-Luc. Do not punish me for his actions," she warned, her voice firm.
"I was not-"
She cocked her eyebrow. "Weren't you? Outside of you and Commander Riker, I am the highest ranking officer on the Enterprise. I went through the same training you both did to earn my rank. There was nothing I did that deserved my dismissal off the bridge."
For a moment, she wondered if she crossed a line. She knew that if it wasn't for her history with Jean-Luc, she wouldn't be as candid as she was. Of course, she noted, if he was anyone else, she would have filed a formal complaint against him for his actions.
"I am truly sorry, Beverly."
It wasn't fact he apologized again or the soft-spoken way he delivered the apology that caused her anger to dissipate completely. It was the way he said her name, like a friend who realized their grievous error and sincerely wanted to make amends.
"Sometimes…" he trailed off.
"You see me as Wesley's mother instead of your CMO," she finished.
For a moment he seemed like he would argue, but he finally nodded. "I suppose, in a way, that I do. But," he added quickly, eager to mend things between them, "it was my decision to promote him and it is my responsibility to handle the discipline of my officers when they step out of line. That includes your son."
A smile stretched over her lips.
"Perhaps, after you changed," he continued, as he nodded towards her charred uniform, "you would like to join the rest of the command staff on the bridge."
Beverly knew there were many reasons as CMO why she should stay in sickbay and one very personal reason why she should go up to the bridge.
"Of course, Jean-Luc," she said, accepting his invitation.
With a nod, he turned around and left her office. Looking down at her now-healed arm, Beverly smiled faintly.
Everything was all better now, she thought, satisfied.