Finding Maddy

Posted on Wed Jun 7, 2017 @ 9:51pm by Captain Madelina Weisz & Master Chief Petty Officer Thomas Barnes & Ensign Athyle sh'Paveress

Mission: Avatar
Location: Deck Seven
Timeline: MD 10 || 2000 Hours

Ensign sh'Paveress had been taking the Jefferies Tube down from Transporter Room One on Deck Two when the computer again went berserk. The Andorian woman had to avoid several intentional plasma leaks on her way, finally having to abandon the tube when some sort of gas had been pumped into it.

Deck Seven, where she'd exited, had been just as hostile, trying to shoot her where she stood. sh'Paveress had just taken cover when the phaser whines ended, and the defense system was retracted. She cautiously peered out to find that the assault was indeed over. An eerie silence was nowhere to be found, but there was a commotion as medical personnel quickly came out of the sickbay to check the wounded and dying in the corridor.

Ensign sh'Paveress had a place to be, but her duty now was to make sure this deck was secure, especially from a technological standpoint.

Maddy sat next to the open hatch that led into the Jeffries tubes. She tried so hard to get to the bridge, but her body felt as if it were on fire. The German woman was drenched in sweat, her back pressed firmly against the bulkhead tucked away safely inside the alcove. She wasn't sure when the phasers stopped firing, but the fact they had was a good thing. Sadly, all she could seem to concentrate on was attempting to move.

The last thing she wanted was to get back to sickbay, but the longer she sat there, the more her chances grew. Gritting her teeth, Maddy pushed herself forward, fighting back a groan as every muscle in her body protested. She would need to put on a good front since the deck was currently crawling with medical personnel. Someone was bound to find her, and then she would be at their mercy.

The redhead used the back of her hand to wipe sweat from her brow once she'd gotten to her feet. What she needed now was a shower and a change of clothes. Taking a deep breath, Maddy braced her hand against the bulkhead and focused on putting one foot in front of the other.

sh'Paveress navigated the corridor, dodging various personnel in the process. Just ahead, she spotted a familiar grouping of red hair. She'd always admired it, wondering how her blue skin would be complimented by the fiery hue. One day soon, perhaps, she'd experiment with it.

She instead focused on the fact that the Commander seemed to be struggling, and that she was being ignored simply because medical personnel hadn't caught up to her yet. "Commander?" sh'Paveress asked, coming along side her to lend a shoulder of support.

"Thank you," Maddy said, holding onto the Andorian woman. It wasn't a bad thing to lean on someone when you needed the help, and she wasn't going to let her pride get in the way. "I need to find Barnes," she said, trying not to clench her teeth. "I need to make sure he's okay. Do you know where he is?"

Athyle shook her head. "I'm afraid not, ma'am. Last I heard he was in the computer core, but with comms down, and I have no idea if he's still there or not."

A frown formed as her brow furrowed. "That means..." She didn't want to say it... or think it. "Can you help me get to his office?" she asked. If Tom made it, he'd have to show up there at some point.

"That's over twenty decks down," Athyle countered. "And the turbolifts are still locked down." She tried to adjust her hold on the XO, only to frown. "Besides, you're in no condition for a climb. You're too warm for a human, and you should see a doctor."

Maddy shook her head. "Not until I know if he's okay or not. If you're not comfortable helping me, I can manage on my own." She was definitely determined.

"I can find out for you, ma'am," sh'Paveress insisted. "You were last listed as an iceblock, and if you don't take recovery seriously, then you'll be no good to Barnes, or to this ship. What will he think if you abandon reason just to check on him?"

"He'll think I care enough to know he made it... that I love him, and he should," she answered, still pushing forward.

sh'Paveress paused. While this conversation had only served so far that the rumors were true, that Chief Barnes had indeed hooked up with the ship's Executive Officer, she had not been prepared for the thought that love was part of the equation. Though, she did not understand the concept of love between two individuals. In Andorian culture, all four genders were required for procreation, and love was not a factor at all. Humans were quite... different in that aspect.

"We have no computer control," Athyle told her, unsure of what the XO did or didn't know. "No turbolifts, no sensors. What will you do if we get down there and he's not in the core? Will you be in any condition to make it back up to sickbay?"

Maddy knew she was right, but when it came to come things, she was stubborn. This was one of those instances. "I have yo take my chances. Unless you want to send someone to find him for me. That's about the only way I'll agree to not taking any chances." And she meant every word of that.

"I'll send myself," sh'Paveress assured. "But not until you're back in sickbay."

"Okay," the redhead Commander conceded. There was little point in arguing, especially when he felt like death warmed over, but when red alert sounded, Maddy had to do whatever she could to help. Not that she was able to do much. "Thank you."

"My pleasure, Commander," the Andorian replied, leading the Commander back into sickbay.

Once back in sickbay, a nurse spotted the two of them and immediately ran toward them. Sickbay was definitely in a bit of chaos considering what just took place. There were injured all over the place, and even some forms with sheets covering them. Sadly, not everyone would be able to survive their wounds, but medical personnel were doing their damnedest to keep the casualties to a minimum.

"Commander! What are you doing out of bed!?" the older woman demanded as she helped the Ensign get her away from the throng of people flooding in. "You of all people should know better!"

Maddy winced as she allowed herself to be escorted back to the bed she'd vacated not too long ago. "I had to help out some way," she said as the nurse helped her settle in again.

Nurse Carpenter shook her head. "You won't do anyone any good if you're no longer with us," she said, pulling the covers over Maddy and began to get the monitors hooked back up. "Thank you for getting her back here so quickly."

Athyle could only nod. "Just doing my duty, ma'am." To the red-haired woman, the ensign said, "I'll locate the Chief as soon as I can. Just don't take it upon yourself if he doesn't come in the next five minutes. There's no communications or turbolifts."

Carpenter shook her head. "Commander Weisz won't be going anywhere, I assure you."

Maddy nodded her head at the nurse's words. "I promise I'll stay put. Be careful moving about the ship. We don't know what state the other decks are in."

Ensign sh'Paveress nodded and stepped away from the biobed. She had a few things to take care of, but seeing how she just made a promise, she'd need to keep it.

***

Some time later, Maddy woke up in a daze and looked around. She was back in sickbay... where she needed to be. Maybe leaving wasn't the best idea, and had it not been for the red alert sounding... she didn't even know how long ago that was now... the XO never would have moved in the first place.

For the first time in days, Tom felt like he could step away from matters. With the intruder contained, and systems now back on computer control, all that was left was the cleanup. And that was something he could trust to his staff. A huge part of him wanted to go nowhere else but his cabin to sleep.

His heart, however, was elsewhere. He last saw Maddy, the real Maddy, on the bridge of the Triumphant. Other than that, he hadn't heard anything. He had to know that she was okay. Turbolifts still were inoperative, thanks to damage in the shafts, so it was a Jeffries tube climb to Deck Seven. Running on fumes, Tom entered sickbay. A nurse recognized him and directed him towards Maddy's biobed amongst the wild sickbay.

He turned the corner and saw her laying there. "Hey," he said weakly as he leaned over the bed to kiss her forehead.

The dozing redhead smiled when she heard his voice and felt the kiss on her forehead, then opened her eyes to look at him. He looked rough, but he was alive, and that made her the happiest woman in the known galaxy. "Hey," she said softly, feeling a little better than she did before. Medications were doing their job. "You look like you could sleep for a week. Lay with me?" She even moved over to make room for him, and there was enough so that they'd both be comfortable.

Tom was not in a position to argue, though he imagined a medic would be by soon with a protest of their own. Still, that did not stop him from climbing into the bed. "What's the doctor got to say about your recovery?"

When he was settled, Maddy shifted around to rest her head against him. "Well... there's still some pain, and I spiked a fever, but that's probably because I bolted when the red alert went off. I didn't make it off the deck, though," she answered softly. "I think that set things back a bit, but I'll make a full recovery. I'll be out of here tomorrow morning if all goes well. What exactly happened out there?"

"Long story," Tom said with a sigh. He sat in silence for a moment and gathered his thoughts. When he opened his mouth, it all came spilling out, from the moment she'd beamed back as a popsicle to him beaming into the computer core and facing off against the avatar for the first time. He told her about his continual plight with the computer trying to isolate whatever it was and how he hadn't slept at all. Tom then recounted his being trapped in the corridor with the security system gunning everyone down, then how he'd managed to cut power to the deck.

Finally, he recounted how the lifeform had surrendered, and the conference he'd arranged between her and the Captain. "Two hundred and one people," he added at the end. "Two hundred and one people died because someone didn't take the opportunity to learn and just acted in anger."

Maddy frowned. So many lives lost needlessly. "How... how were they even able to get on board the ship in the first place?"

"It lived in the probe," he replied simply. "When it was disassembled, the entity thought we were destroying its home and wanted to make us pay for it."

"So... I'm the reason all of this happened?" she asked softly, her brows furrowing. "All those people died because I gave the order to bring the probe aboard in the first place. If I would have just left it where it was... none of this would have ever taken place."

"You can't beat yourself up about this," Tom assured her, shifting over to his side so he could look her in the eyes. "There was no way to know that a noncoporeal being decided to move in. And, had we left it alone, who's to say that it wouldn't have come after us for ignoring it?"

He had a point, and while it did make her feel better, she still felt a bit guilty. "You're right," she said softly. "But two hundred and one people... that's a pretty sizeable number when it comes to casualties."

"It is," Tom confirmed. Heaving a sigh, he laid back down. "At least it's over."

"Tom... I have something to tell you," Maddy said softly. Given her past track record with things like this, she had a feeling it would blow up in her face some day, but what kind of life would she be living if she didn't take risks? Still keeping her blue eyes on him, the Commander swallowed a lump in her throat. "I love you. That realization hit me like a ton of bricks while all of this was going on. I want to tell you, because in light of recent events, we never know what could happen."

Tom reached over and gently laid his hand over hers. He smiled and replied without hesitation. "Maddy, I love you too. You're right. We're never guaranteed tomorrow, which is why I like to live life to the fullest."

A smile formed on her lips. Never in a million years did she ever think she'd be lucky enough to find love like this. Maddy only thought she'd been in love before now, but it was nothing like what she felt for the man next to her. At his words, her heart soared. There were no words to describe how it made her feel inside. "Over the last year, I spent my life guarded... not wanting to let anyone get close. Then... I met you, and all of that changed. You make me want to be a better person."

"I didn't realize I was that inspiring," he humbly said. After all, he was certain that Maddy knew by now that what she saw was what she got with him. There were no secrets, no agenda. Just to be him and the give Starfleet what it wanted, which was nothing short of his best.

"Of course you are," she said, flipping her hand beneath his so she could slip her fingers between his. "You put your all into everything you do. You don't pretend to be anything or anyone but you. You're incredibly selfless. You love me," she stated, knowing some people might wonder if he hit his head at some point. "I can go on and on."

Tom chuckled, albeit slightly. "I'm sure you could," he said before a yawn forced its freedom. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm so tired."

"Sleep," she suggested softly. "You deserve it after everything you've been through. But... I'm not quite ready for you to leave me just yet. There's plenty of room for us both. Just make yourself comfortable. I'll even rub your head."

"Where else would I go?" Tom joked. He was quite serious really. Other than returning to his quarters, there'd be only one result: going straight to bed. He laid back on his back and closed his eyes. "Good night, my love."

Maddy leaned over and pressed a kiss to his temple. "Goodnight, sweetheart," she said softly, slipping an arm over him as her own eyes closed.