*** Sickbay *** Athena sat on the biobed holding her head to shut out as much noise as possible. She eyed the man that was walking in her direction but said nothing as she wiped a few tears from her cheeks. Steve Desoto was on the sixth return from supplies when he saw a newcomer waiting on bed 8. Slowing his brisk walk as he looked in her direction, he turned and approached the bed. "Counselor?" he asked, waiting for the woman to raise her head. "Counselor..Its Steve..Steve Desoto..." He perched himself on the bed beside her. "Hey...why the tears?" "My head hurts," Athena said plaintively. As she finished speaking she looked up to meet his gaze. Her blackeye being one of the first noticeable things. She watched as a monkey flew over head. "Wait there," Steve said at once, standing up and looking down at the hunched figure. "I can do something about that." He gave her a small smile and turned to the nearby workspace, selected a number of vials, gauze and sprays and returned to where Athena sat. "Now then.." he said confidently, placing a small tray on the nearest trolley. "Let's deal with this eye first...what happened to it?" He picked up a gauze pad and soaked it in some not unpleasant smelling liquid. Athena wrinkled up her nose as the odor met her nostrils. "I bumped into a crate when I was trying to crawl away from the crowd," she answered honestly. Athena took a deep breath as she watched a pair of polka-dotted elephants dance by. Steve applied the pad to Athena's eye, with gentle pressure. He held it in place for a few seconds then removed it and smiled at her as she looked up at him. "OK," he said, "I'm going to use this..will take three seconds and then you'll be able to see me!" When he switched on the sonic stimulator Athena heard a low humming sound. A second later a cool tingling sensation enveloped her swollen eye. She sat still and watched the monkey fly back across the room while Steve worked on her eye. Athena couldn't stand to watch the monkey or the elephants any longer and began to ask a series of questions. "Its busy in here isn't it?" She waited until she heard Steve's faint sound of assention. "Are you always this busy? Does it interfere with your free time? Do you like what you do? What's your favorite part? Do you have a girlfriend?" She didn't wait for an answer until she had rattled off her last question and then she waited expectantly for his answers. Surprised by the sudden stream of questions, Steve momentarily paused in his work. "Nooo.." he said slowly, "It's not always this busy." He returned to the treatment. "It interferes with free time in an emergency...but I don't mind that." He laid the tools aside. "Yes, I like what I do," he smiled at the counselor in a kindly way and answered each question individually. "Making people well...and..... no I don't," he finished and busied himself with the tray. "Why?" she asked as she moved a little closer to Steve trying to stay away from the footed chest as it passed by with Rangi. "Why?" Steve turned back to face Athena, a hypospray in his hand, but he caught sight of Rangi and for a second his attention was solely on her. She was talking to Scott and he wondered what they were saying and why Rangi wore the old and dingy overalls. He wanted to cross the ward to them and ask why she wore such clothes...what had caused the need for them..to ask if she was all right...where she had been....if she felt ill..if there had been danger. He realized he had more questions than the counselor and switching his attention back to her replied: "Because I don't...at the moment." "You want her," Athena said soft and then winced at the slightly extra pressure Steve applied. "Sorry," he said and pretended to be busy checking the dosage. He couldn't resist a glance in Rangi's direction. She and Scott were standing next to a still figure lying on a bed. Next to them stood.. {Guzman!? He's here? I thought he was on the base.} Frowning Steve looked away. "Now then where were we?" he said taking the hypospray. "This won't hurt at all...just a slight pressure. Tilt you head right for me please." Athena tilted her head first the wrong way and then the correct as she saw a slightly impatient look pass over Steve's face. Her gaze fell across the room with the way her head was angled and she saw the monkey fly across the room and the dancing polka-dotted elephants. Finally her gaze fell to the footed chest. She moved into Steve's body thinking that the chest looked like it would be happy if it could eat her. He was surprised by the sudden movement and a little taken aback. Looking down at the counselor,he took her shoulders gently in his hands and pushed her away from his body. "Counselor?" he queried, for her expression was one of fear..real fear."Tell me what's wrong," he said and bent his knees so that he squatted level with her and could look into her face. Rangi, meanwhile, waiting for a scan result to show up on the biodisplay, glanced around the ward. {This will take some sorting} she thought and noticed the Luggage sitting a few paces away. {I need the treatment too} she told herself with an inward sigh. A figure caught her eye. It was Athena, sitting on the edge of a biobed, her blue blanket now cast aside. Someone was talking to her. Rangi saw Steve and for a moment knew unease. There was something in the sight of the counselor, seemingly deep in discussion with the AMO, that Rangi did not like. She couldn't explain it. Carefully watching the pair, Rangi saw Steve say something and pat Athena's arm. Oblivious to anything or anyone else, Rangi focused on the counselor...her beautiful raven black hair...her faultless complexion...the line of her chin....in everything, perfection. She clenched her fist around the faded flower. "....so all crew on board have had the antidote and we're treating those who were exposed the longest, first... as far as ..." Scott broke off his explanation, aware that Rangi was no longer listening. He followed her gaze, looked back at her and asked uncertainly: "Rangi?" Athena scooted further back on the bed and put her feet up where she was sure the chest wouldn't be able to nibble at her toes. She sensed something that she wasn't sure how to describe but it made the chest seem to look even more hungry. She never answered Steve's question but tried to hold still while she kept an eye on the box. "What is it?" Steve asked, glancing in the direction of Athena's stare and seeing nothing at all that could cause her to be so scared. Athena felt threatened but couldn't explain why. "Its nothing," she tried and then asked, "are you finished?" Realizing that Scott had been speaking to her, Rangi answered him, though keeping an unbroken attention on the counselor. "Sorry..Scott...I need to deal...with something....." "Well...ofcourse......but Rangi.." Scott wore a perplexed expression as he watched the CMO cross the ward. "What's going on?" Rangi asked Steve quietly, still looking only at Athena. He turned his head quickly at the sound of her voice and stood up. "I'm not sure.." he replied, suddenly uncomfortably aware of her nearness. "...it's like she's scared of something." {This woman is ill...} Rangi told herself.{I 'must' help her}. Taking a mental hold of herself she stepped closer to the biobed. "Athena?...please tell me what's wrong" Athena looked down toward Rangi's feet and grabbed her blanket and held it tightly. "You can see the Luggage can't you" Rangi said. It was more a statement than question and it surprised both herself and Steve. "Luggage?" he queried. For the first time Rangi looked at him. "Yes," she said slowly and pointed to an area of floor five paces away."...the Luggage." Steve looked confused, seeing nothing in the place Rangi indicated. "I can see it...and so can she.....can't you Athena," Rangi asked, turning back to face the counselor. Athena jumped startled by Rangi's behavior. Athena felt as though she were being attacked and it was making her head hurt even more. Her bottom lip quivered a bit before she rolled off the other side of the biobed and made a dash for the door. "Hey!!" Steve shouted, reaching out too late to catch the counselor. "Athena!...wait" Rangi called and moved to follow her. "No!" Steve said catching hold of Rangi's arm instead, "...you can't go" Rangi stepped to one side, her attention on Athena's wild dash for freedom but Steve's hand prevented her from going further. She turned to look at him. "You need the antidote." he said quietly. "Security will find her." "But I..." "No, Rangi..its not up to you." With a second look over Steve's shoulder, Rangi saw Athena vanish from sight, a security guard in quick pursuit. Athena zigzagged through the people and soon lengthened the distance between her and the security guard that was chasing her. She looked toward the door and noticed it sliding open. She pushed herself hard and added some speed to her movements. She threw her blanket in the face of the guard near the door and slide past the Colonel as she turned left going out the door. *** End Log *** Lt Athena Wellington Counselor USS Chimera & LtCmdr rangi Summers CMO/2XO USS Chimera & Ensign Steve Desoto AMO USS Chimera & Ensign Scott Fisher AMO USS Chimera (npc)s Rangi