Post 334: Our Better Selves

Stardate: 70729.2330
Title: Our Better Selves
Authors: February Grace and Dabin Reece
Scene: Runabout Hiawatha en route to Trill
Time: Following "Not the Woman He Used to Be"

"Thank you." Trind said with a nod. "I'll take all the input I can get before we get back to the Symbiosis Commission. I'll go gather some data for you, be right back."

She moved out of the room, and Reece plunked down onto the bed next to February and patted her on the hand.

"I'm dying, you know." She said matter-of-factly.

"Hey, don't talk like that. It'll be okay, kid." He took a moment to really look at her now, and he couldn't imagine someone as mild as she was getting stuck with the Grace symbiont.

"How old are you, February?"

"Twenty five."

"You're a baby."

"So I'm told. Reece, I want you to know something."

"What's that?"

"That I'm sorry, for everything." Her chin began quivering. "That not only am I disgusted by the lack of discretion that Deveral showed in his personal life, but so was our last host, Wen. In fact, I believe that was a big part of what happened to her, why she did what she did."

"Why?" he was becoming concerned. "What did she do?"

"Promise you won't tell anyone? 'Cause it's classified."

He was worried by the request, but he knew the answer was important and was ready to promise her anything so she'd tell him. Instead he chose to remain silent, and she took that silence to indicate agreement.

"She killed herself."

"Oh." Reece sighed, thinking that suddenly there was an entirely new dimension added to the problems that this young, inexperienced woman was dealing with. Dabin wanted to be of some comfort to her, but Reece was still screaming at him in his head. "Hey, you're done talking now, it's my turn." Dabin poked himself in the stomach in the vicinity of his own symbiont.

"What?" February asked, confused.

"Nothing, never mind. Listen, kid, you made a very good point before. What previous hosts did is not your fault."

He held her hand, still, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I know what it's like to inherit a symbiont that can get pretty out of control at times. It's something you just have to learn to reign in, take control of. You've had problems since your joining, because you were sick afterward, right?"

"I almost died."

"Well, it's time to show the slug who's boss." Dabin said, "and if I can help you at all, well, I guess it's the least I can do for a fellow host stuck with a symbiont from hell. And the father of my favorite of all of my children." Dabin blinked a couple times. "Did I just say that out loud?"

February shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe that after our past. . .after everything, you'd do that for me."

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be able to look in the mirror tomorrow and live with the devastatingly handsome face staring back at me."

February laughed a little through her tears. Ashlyn returned, and handed Reece a PADD.

"See? Her Isoboramine level is dropping, and I can't figure out why."

"Did you start her on a benzocyatic protocol to counteract it?"

"I did, it didn't work."

"Up the dosage."

"But-"

"A word with you Doc?" Reece gestured for her to join him outside February's earshot. "Sit tight, Gracie." He turned to Dr. Trind. "If what I think might be wrong with her is wrong with her? We have to get those levels up. Because she's going to have to be strong enough to make a side trip once we reach the planet. Before we go to the Symbiosis Commission."

"Where to?"

"To the symbiont caves." Dabin whispered.

"You're joking." Trind shook her head. "Tell me that you're joking."

"Lady, I only wish I was."

---------------------------
Lt. (jg) February Grace
Helm/Flight Controller
USS Independence

and
Commander Dabin Reece
Science/Guest Trill
Starfleet