Post 304: Welcome to the Party

Stardate: 70713:2100
Title: Welcome to the Party
Author: Cliona McBrayne
Scene: Sickbay
Time: Before and during the holodeck issues

Her head had tilted forward just enough for a visitor to realized her eyes were not focusing on the padd that was loosely enclosed by her fingers. Both her hands and the device rested limply in her lap.

Cliona's eyes had fluttered shut after the quiet of a now empty sickbay and the fatigue from the past few days lulled her to sleep.

Her dreams spirited her away from the Independence and back to a time when everything in her world seemed bright and open. Smiling faces of her now ex husband, Keith, and her former roommate, Tues, instilled in her mind a sense of happiness and echoed the sounds of laughter.

A birthday party. One they had planned for Tues. Merriment from the sharing of difficulty in keeping a surprise from a Betazoid that you were living with. Balloons had filled the apartment the two women had shared. At night’s end, when only a small group of friends remained, the game turned to popping those floating objects.

But she hadn’t remembered the popping being quite so loud...

Cliona blinked her eyes open as her mind forcefully inserted the idea that the dream she had been enjoying had no bearing on the sounds that made their way into her subconscious.

She looked through the glass enclosure that surrounded her office but could see nothing in the outer room that housed main sickbay. Warily she rose from her seat and stepped to the doorway.

"Hello? Is there anyone here?" Her voice was tentative. "Samantha?" Had the young nurse returned even though she had had orders to remain off duty for two days?

Moving further into the main room, Cliona made her way towards the main console of the computer. Her foot crunched against something on the floor.

Her eyes flew to the floor where several small vials had been smashed.

"Now that's odd." Looking up towards her terminal she saw several other larger pieces of equipment that lay across the counter. That was obviously the source of the sounds that had awakened her.

"Who's here?" Her voice was a bit stronger in her demand for information.

"What is your medical emergency?"

The holographic EMH that had recently been installed shimmered into view. Cliona jumped slightly from the suddenness of its appearance.

"There is no emergency. EMH program off." Cliona spoke to the computer and waited for the image to disappear. Rather than shutting down, the expression on the face of the EMH program took on a decidedly twisted look.

"Computer! End Emergency medical holograph program!"

"It seems you're having a problem, doctor." The EMH moved towards her as he spoke in a deceptively quiet voice.

"Mcbrayne to engineering!" Cliona tapped her combadge but was met with silence.

"Seems all your systems are down. Almost like someone had...shut them down." His finger stretched out to touch the controls on the computer terminal.

Cliona realized she was in jeopardy. Something was wrong with the holographic controls in the computer. With a swift turn she attempted to return to her office where she hoped the communications controls weren’t affected. Before she could transverse the space between sickbay and her inner chambers the EMH reached her and grabbed her arm roughly.

Cliona uttered a small cry of pain as he jerked her back against him. For a holograph he was very solid, she thought as his arm encircled her throat.

"Oh don't leave the party so soon, Doc, we're just getting acquainted."

The door chimes gave an ungainly chirp as someone from outside the room attempted to enter from the hallway. Before the EMH program could react, Cliona let out a loud scream for help. The door bleeped again but no one entered.

The EMH had become still as the first call for entrance sounded and then clasp his hand over Cliona’s mouth after her cry for help. They both waited expectantly as the second attempt at entry failed.

"Good." The program hissed in her ear. "Wouldn't want to be disturbed, now would we?"

Cliona McBrayne
CMO
USS Independence