To Start The Healing

Posted on 28 Nov 2021 @ 8:45pm by Lieutenant Cassandra Higgins-Stevens & Lieutenant JG Oliver Stevens

Mission: Picking up the pieces
Location: Arboretum
1650 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Cassie had let Lieutenant Stevens choose the location of their meeting, knowing he would likely have baby Methalina so she was pleased when he had suggested the Arboretum. Although not a true outdoor space it was the closest anyone would get living on a starship and bit open spaces with greenery were a vital component to any child's development.

She entered the cargobay sized room that had been turned into a garden and started to weave her way around the path, looking for Oliver by the pond. It didn't take long to spot him and she was soon approaching, noticing the baby was no longer a baby. If anything she now looked at around the age of three or four years old.

"Lieutenant" she greeted warmly realizing that the rattle she had brought was no longer appropriate. "I see she is still growing!"

"And talking," Oliver said his mouth concerned.

The young girl flung herself around Cassie's legs and hugged her suddenly. "It was this beautiful where I used to live," she told her. "Daddy let's look at more flowers ...." she hurried off in the direction of the Betaziod flowers.

"I erm put her to bed and when I woke up she was," he lifted his hand up to below his hip. "And then she suddenly said she was hungry and wanted something called Kimden rolls. Luckily I know what they are. Jon eats them by the bucket load. Betaziod food. She downed several, and uttaberry juice and has talked about another world. A temple. The planet is lush and green. Beautiful with flowers. She starts suddenly with clarity and then it's like she loses her train of thought or just hasn't got to the mental growth to explain it properly. I think it's frustrating her. So I brought her here thinking it might help jog some more of it. I mean everything she says might help us understand why ...." he looked at her utterly confused.

"Lieutenant..." she started with his title but realized he needed a friend right now and not a colleague. "Oliver... Right now it's important for you to focus on your daughter and not to think about everything else. She needs you now. I know she is developing at an alarming rate and I may suggest we take her to sickbay for another quick check-up with the Doctor once we are done here... But it's more important that you try and forget about what she's trying to communicate. That will come in time!"

She found herself transfixed on the baby, or as she was now the Girl. Like anyone of four or five years, she was running around, exploring, pushing her own limitations, and pressing her own developments with cognitive, emotional and intellectual, and even Cassie could see that the Girl would do something once and have it mastered. It was incredible and with some study could even help those with certain degenerative or developmental disorders... if they had enough time to study the data before she was fully developed into whatever it was she was going to become. Cassie still didn't place much stock into the Captain's belief that she might be a goddess.

"I am thinking of her. She's my everything right now. Now her mother has been ripped from both of us. It's me and her in this universe right now," Oliver said firmly. "Sure let's go back to medical."

He didn't believe they would find anything further to tell him on why this was happening. The look on his best friend the Captain's face last night though made him think Jon had a theory.

"Methalina sweetheart, we need to go see the doctor again. I promise to bring you back to the flowers as soon as Dr. C'Tora lets us free again," he told her softly.

"The big kitty is curious. Everyone is curious. Even you ...." she smiled at the woman who stood by her father. "No one's ready to believe I lived another life ..."

"I believe you," Oliver said firmly taking the hand she offered out to him.

"You will too Cassie, soon," she said suddenly pulling Oliver along with him. Then she started singing a nursery rhyme.

' That's not creepy at all!' the Counsellor thought to herself before she caught up with Oliver and Methalina also realizing she had not told the child her name.

"Actually," Oliver said. "Before we go to the doctors. It's coming up to the right time on Earth and they weren't picking up earlier. Could we detour to our quarters and try to speak to Xu's parents again?"

"Of course" Cassie placed a hand on Oliver's arm and squeezed a little to let him know she would be there to help and support him as much as she would be there for Methalina as well. She was also starting to lean towards the Captain's theory about the girl, as much as she didn't want to.

"Thank you," Oliver said letting his daughter lead them to his quarters. The doors opened and there was evidence of milk bottles and nappies on the coffee table and breakfast plates on the actual small dining table ... "Ah I should have tidied up," Oliver stated. He had been too tired the night before and then too shocked when he woke up to see Methalina so big and talking.

"I'll do it, daddy," she beamed at him and suddenly started to ferry everything to the replicator to be recycled.

Oliver looked at Cassie. "How does she ... I haven't shown her how to do that," he said confused watching her work the controls.

"So much of this is beyond our comprehension at the moment. Hopefully, further examination by the Doctor will help us understand!"

But it was creeping her out no end right at this particular moment. The girl's motor control was excellent, probably slightly more advanced than someone of Methalina's supposed age which she had pegged at being four or five earth years when she had seen them in the arboretum but on second looks perhaps she was actually more in the region of eight or nine now.

"You need this," Methalina said strolling backhanding them two coffees. She smiled and then went and lounged on the sofa. Looking exactly like a happy kid.

"Computer please connect us via subspace to Xu's parents," Oliver said. Methalina seemed to blink and suddenly the faces of two elder Japanese people appeared on the screen.

Oliver bowed culturally how Xu had shown him to do with Elders. "Hi. Thank you for taking this call. I'm afraid theres been a very strange situation ..."

Methalina copied Oliver's bow perfectly as if she had done it all her life. "O-baasan, 0-jiisan. Anata ni aete ureshīdesu."

Translation ~Honored Grandmother, Honored Grandfather. I am very pleased to meet you.~

Both human's mouths dropped.

Oliver looked back and forth between his daughter and Cassie his own mouth dropping. How had she managed to learn perfect Japanese? He had been practicing phrases for weeks ready for when Xu was happy to introduce him.

"This is your granddaughter Methalina and this is Lieutenant Higgins. Our chief counselor," he introduced them both.

"A pleasure to meet you both!" to which Cassie bowed her head slightly to show respect before allowing Oliver to continue. In her line of work news such as he had to pass to Xu's parents often came a lot better from someone in the family.

"I'm sure you have questions," Oliver said slowly not sure how well this was being taken.

"Xu has spoken to us of you. A boyfriend but you have .... not been together long enough for a child of .... how is she?" Xu's father flustered.

"You want to take that one?" Oliver said quietly to Cassie.

The question is, where to start? The answer was, she had no idea.

"Sir, there is no easy way of informing you of this... There has been an incident onboard, your daughter is alive and stable however during childbirth there has been a peculiar situation that has put Xu into a coma... She is receiving the best medical care, she is fit and healthy so she will recover and our Doctor has assured me of this fact but for the moment we are at a loss as to why she is in the coma!"

Cassie's voice remained level, soft, and as delicate as she could to try and soften the blow, she just feared that no amount of delicacy could prepare anyone for the news she had just delivered! Xu's mother moved out of sight, her crying could be heard over the line and Cassie's heart was bleeding for both of them. "I am so sorry to deliver the news in this manner. Please do forgive me!"

"It's my fault. It took a lot of energy from mother to birth me," Methalina said moving closer to the viewscreen. "Daddy," she said to Oliver. "If we were closer I could help with the pain."

Oliver put an arm around her. "I know it's a lot to take in and I'm sorry for that. I felt you needed this information in person and I wanted you to meet your granddaughter before well she's older than we are. I know Xu would want that too."

Cassie leaned into Oliver so she couldn't be heard by Xu's parents over the open channel. "Perhaps we should leave them to talk to Methalina without us in earshot... It's a great deal for them to process in one go and they will likely want to get to know their granddaughter."

He nodded. "Thank you for everything Cassie. Actually, may I call you Cassie?"

"Of course you can!" She took his arm, linking hers through his, and started to lead him from the room.

END

Lieutenant Oliver Stevens
Father of the Goddess - USS Andromeda

Lieutenant Cassandra Higgins
Ships Counsellor - USS Andromeda