Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: My Best Hope
Lael Rosek
OOC: Takes place the day after they leave Cardassia.
((First Officer’s Office, USS Astraeus))
Lael stared at the screen for a long time trying to figure out the best way to approach this. She squeezed the tennis ball in her hand once...twice...before tossing it against a nearby wall. It flew straight back to her and she caught it with ease. Once again squeezing the ball, her eyebrows knitted together, a look of intense concentration on her face.
Unfortunately, it had become necessary. Lenik’s memories weren’t going away on their own, though he was long dead. It made her angry all over again to think of how he’d forced a connection with her mind. She threw the ball at the wall again, hard this time. It came back at her, headed straight for her face, but she lifted her hand just in time to prevent it from making contact.
Closing her fist around the spherical object, she squeezed as hard as she could, a sudden “pop!” filling the room. When she opened her fist again, there laid a mess of material and rubber where there had once been a ball. She tossed it carelessly toward the recycling chute, weaving her fingers together as she stared hard at the wall.
She felt like a stranger in her own skin, not sure what was her and what wasn’t. Lenik had taken that from her. Somehow, she managed to keep control of the anger except in moments like these when she was alone and only the cameras were present to witness it. She wondered if any of the crew even suspected the internal battle she was having to fight since Lenik.
Rosek: Computer, begin message.
She paused. As tempted as she was to contact Evan given that he had connections with the Reya-laialara, he was in the Shoals, which meant it would take forever to get back to her. No. She needed this set in motion now.
Rosek: ::in Vulcan:: Skerroc, my friend, I’m in need of your help. However, I must beg your discretion on this. If anyone finds out the truth, I could lose everything. It’s my hope to have this taken care of before anyone learns of it. I know my request will take some time. The techniques from you, Doctor Solok, and Evan Delano have been serving me well. For the moment, I have control; though for how much longer, I’m not certain. I will await your reply. Live long and prosper. ::pauses:: Computer, end message and send to Doctor Skerroc on Vulcan.
Computer: ::chirps:: Working.
She sat back for a long moment, staring at the screen, though her thoughts were elsewhere. A Vulcan healer was her best shot outside of the Reya-laialara for getting this mess fixed. If the Vulcan healer turned her away, she was afraid to think what would become of her. She sombered. If it got to a certain point, she might have to retire from Starfleet. She couldn’t risk endangering the ship and the crew like that.