Post 204: Death Becomes Her

Stardate: 70503:2200
Scene: The Medical Laboratory
Author: Tues K'Raye
Time: Late
Title: Death Becomes Her

“We haven’t been properly introduced. Do you know your name?”

Tues’ eyes widened. “You don’t know who I am?”
“Actually I do. I just wanted to know if you still did. You’ve been through a lot Commander K’Raye.”

Tear stains streaked either side of Tues’ face, and her body throbbed, her throat was raw from screaming, but bones were set. Primitively, but effectively the doctor had prodded and pulled until everything broken had fallen into place. She felt like a human jigsaw puzzle.

There wasn't a sign of a bandage on her, but the doctor had been so thorough that the only thing he hadn’t done was thrown salt into her wounds. Although

Tues was sure a salt shaker sat on the instrument tray beside where she lay.

“Do you know my name?”

A quizzical expression crossed her face. “Did I ever?”

The doctor threw back his head and laughed.

“I guess you didn’t. You can call me Dr. Jekyll.”

“You’re insane.”

“Yes we are.”

The doctor smiled and stepped beyond the bright light that exposed and warmed Tues’ body, and disappeared into the shadows that framed the room. His voice floated toward her.

“I apologize for the lack of painkillers, but your bones are set.”

“Why apologize? You enjoyed torturing me.” Accused Tues.

“Yes, torture is what teaches medicine. Many animals over the centuries can testify to that.” Dr. Jekyll agreed.

“What have you learned from me? I’ve told you nothing.” Tues challenged.

“I’ve asked no questions.” Countered the doctor. It was true. He hadn’t asked her anything. He had systematically treated her wounds. He treated everything in the old age way of time being instrumental in the process of healing. In time, also known as, no relief from pain right now.

She couldn’t rise from this table if she tried. She felt worse than before he had begun to heal her.

“Do you have any questions for me? The doctor asked.

“Why am I here?” Tues asked immediately.

It was a question she had asked repeatedly in the beginning, but it had always been ignored and gone unanswered. She’d form her own opinions during her imprisonment, but left to think too long the answer always made perfect sense during moments of confusion and then no sense at all when she was lucid. The doctor looked toward the ceiling and sighed.

“There’s so much you don’t know, I don’t know where to begin.”

“Try the beginning.” Tues suggested making no attempt at removing the tone of scorn from her voice.

Either ignoring the edge in her words or honestly not hearing it, the doctor looked down at her sadly. “Regrettably we don’t have time for the long version of this story.”

Stepping from view the doctor disappeared into the shadows beyond the bright light. Tues lay on the table, her body throbbing in time to her pounding heart beat, her eyes moved anxiously in search of the doctor beyond the light. “What are you going to do?”

She asked. “Kill you.” The doctor said absentmindedly.

He reappeared into the light in the corner of Tues’ left eye. She tried to face the danger head on, but her body shied away from the pain the movement caused and she was forced to look straight on, wild eyed, in order to keep him in view.

“Why? Why now? Why didn’t you just let me die when I was in shock? I know I was dying then! Why did you save me if you were just going to kill me?”

Her raw throat worked the words through clenched teeth while hot tears ran a familiar pattern along her skin.

Momentarily resting a hand on her shoulder in a soothing gesture the doctor said, “If you’ll be kind enough to allow me to explain, I will.”

Tues choked on laughter. “Kind enough? Sure. I won’t jump off this table and rudely walk out before you’re done talking. As a matter of fact, I’ll stay and listen as politely as I can.”

“Thank you.” The doctor said seriously. “You’ll most likely outlive me once they discover what I’ve done.”

“And what have you done?” Tues felt compelled to ask.

“I’ve set the wheels of healing your body in motion. Your mind and soul are not my forte,” He added quickly, “although I’m sure you’ll look into those things on your own.”

“Answer my question. Why have you bothered to heal me albeit primitively if you’re only going to kill me?”

“Ah my dear, Dr. Jekyll is not the monster. Hyde is. He doesn’t go by that name here. However, Hyde he is, and he’ll be looking for you. His specialty is Hyde and Seek.” The doctor paused as though waiting for laughter.

Tues gave him none. Dr. Jekyll coughed.

“Sorry. What he has planned may be guaranteed to make you talk and in the end, you will be worthless, having verbally spilled all your worth and he will spill your blood in order for you to spill it all.”

“Spill what? Say what? Why am I here?” Tues sputtered.

“You’re the key to this whole dramatic reason of our being here.”

“The key…what do I open?” Tues asked, hiding the fact she was beyond fr! ustrated and felt that playing along with the doctor’s way of speaking may answer her question.

“I know only that you’re important, and keeping your life depends on my hiding your seemingly dead body, here, in the open where he can find you and mentally discard you, once he sees you’re dead. I need your trust. Do you?”

Tues was amazed that she did trust him. She nodded a shaky yes. Disappearing into the shadows again, Dr. Jekyll returned quickly. Incredulously Tues looked at the hypo spray in his hand.

“Why are you using technology now?”

“The primitive way to induce a mock death that will last as long as I suspect we’ll need it is rather permanent I’m afraid and that would defeat the purpose wouldn’t it?”

He held the hypo spray to her neck and Tues heard the trigger as it deployed a medicinal death. “You won’t feel a thing. You’ll look naturally dead and no one will notice the slow effects of your healing. Once agreed that you’re no longer of any use to them, they’ll forget you ever existed. Hopefully they’ll have found you before your cuts fully heal or you’ve starved to death.”

Tues’ eyes widened, she could feel her heart beat slowing. The pain in her limbs ebbed away and her body appeared to be floating. Dr. Jekyll looked down at her in a kindly manner.

“Don’t worry I’ll protect your body from rats. The two legged kind and the four legged kind.”

Tues was about to ask what four legged rats he was referring to when the light she lay under winked out as a simulated death claimed her.

The doctor closed Tues’ eyes, veiling the betazed orbs and how they still mirrored the light above her body. The doctor felt a presence approach from behind. A small smile touched his lips, but he didn’t turn around when! he said ,

“What took you so long?”
*************
Tues K'Raye
Counselor of the USS Independence