Post 397: In Shining Armor

Stardate:70817.1230
Title: In Shining Armor
Author: Lair Kellyn
Scene: Deck 12 USS Independence
Time: Following: 'Ello, Love and The Man in the Moon
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"I'm sorry," Lair Kellyn said slowly, shaking her head. *I must be under the influence of some strange alien virus or other physical ailment which is distorting my hearing,* she thought, *Because I am sure that Salvek couldn't have said what he just said.* "Say again please?"

"I mind-melded with Lt. Grace."

Silently in his mind Salvek counted backwards, ticking off the seconds until his wife's temper boiled over beyond her control. *Three. Two. One*

"You did what?" her voice rose slightly, drawing curious glances from several officers as they passed by the couple outside the entrance to Sickbay.

"Salvek," Lair tried to compose herself. "Are you not personally undergoing a crisis of epic proportions at the moment? Did we not just spend hours in a meld, with me trying," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "With me trying with all my might to help you uncover," She stopped.

The expression on his face was emotional and reflected his sorrow at upsetting her.

"I just don't understand. Please, help me understand why in the worlds you would risk something that dangerous, especially now?"

"She would not wake up. The doctors had run out of options and I offered to help."

"To the rescue," she whispered, turning away. "Brave Sir Salvek. Ever chivalrous, running to the aid of damsels in distress."

Salvek turned her back toward him gently by the shoulders. "I am fine. The procedure did not damage me, and it did help Lt. Grace. Rigin has told me that she is regaining the memories of each host after being reintroduced to them, just as he had hoped. The neural pathways between host and symbiont are regenerating themselves. He believes that the meld helped some in that as well, sort of like 'rebooting' February's mental pathways. Like restarting a frozen computer."

"I just wish that you wou! ld at le ast warn me before you go poking around in the minds of strange women."

"Lt. Grace is not a stranger."

"Yeah, I know. I don't know if that makes the meld bother me more, or less."

"Now who is sounding jealous?"

Kellyn shrugged. "Take it as a compliment." She looked at him with all seriousness. "Please, just promise me. Next time, if at all possible, at least tell me before you do something like this."

"I promise."

Kellyn threw her shoulders back and took a deep breath. "I guess this is it."

She was surprised when Rigin had come to her earlier and asked if she was willing to embody Kimare, another of Bru's previous hosts. Kellyn was unsure, but had agreed.

Now, after hearing that Salvek had already been rifling around in Grace's psyche, she figured that it was only right that she would get a chance, too.

"February is a fine officer," Salvek told her. "You are doing a noble thing."

"Off to Camelot," she concluded, and she gave him a salute as she entered Sickbay, leaving him to his thoughts.

*Somehow, it is more like Neverland.* Salvek observed internally, directing his steps to the lift. His next stop, a visit to the Arboretum.
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Lt. Commander Lair Kellyn
Acting Chief of Engineering
USS Independence NCC-90791