Lt. Commander Ari Tagren: Life's A Fragile Thing PART II (nt)

[Kara Anthes]

“A human being is a being who is constantly ‘under construction,’ but also, in a parallel fashion, always in a state of constant destruction.” --Jose Saramago

((Present: DS6, Sickbay/ICU))

::The auburn-woman laid motionless as the bed hummed with the scans it was taking.::

Bryce: So, you’re her…

::He said quietly as he pulled up a chair beside Aribelle Tagren’s bed. His eyes roamed over the equipment before his gaze settled once again on her.::

::The mystery. The change. The pain over the years. It was almost a lie. All of this.::

::In Aribelle Tagren’s medical records, she had taken hormonal therapy during her days as a medical student. She needed the money for her education and also wanted to help others. She wanted to give another the chance to have children if they were unable to conceive. So, she donated her eggs in early 2370.::

::His father, Paul, was with her at the time. Even if he was a Starfleet officer, he found time to be by her side as she went through the harvesting. From what Bryce understood, Paul and Ari had a tumultuous relationship, full of breakups and make-ups. During one of their cold spells, Paul had met his mother, Amy, on some Starbase. They fell in “love” quickly, marrying within months of meeting and were unable to conceive but Paul had an idea… an idea that… that… had his mother, Amy, known, Bryce might have not existed this day.::

Bryce: ...you’re...

::Aribelle Tagren was his biological mother.::

::The truth had remained buried under assorted lies for years and, now, this woman was his “patient.”::

::He was a long way from his ultimate goal of becoming a Federation doctor but having this exposure on the station only helped for many reasons. He had accepted coming here, not only for the experience but to see the woman that Paul Quinn had courted before his mother, ultimately betraying both women.::

::Bryce felt like his whole existence was now just a product of Paul’s obsession; his betrayal.::

::No wonder his old man was no longer an officer. If he could… would do this, what other things was he capable of doing?::

::He only wished that this Aribelle Tagren would come around. That she would pull through this, that her El-Aurian blood would not fail her so she could continue her work and see the children she never knew she had.::

::But how would really she take the news?::

::How would he feel if he were in her shoes? He had heard of men being being surprised by a woman’s pregnancy but this… this was… insane! Paul knowingly directed his mother to that particular clinic, knowing that Aribelle had been a previous donor, her eggs in the ‘frozen’ bank.::

::What compelled the man to do such a thing?::

::He knew virtually nothing about this woman. Sure, her records showed some of her story but that did little to reveal everything about her, things he really wanted to know. Seeing her, laying so helpless and sick in the bed, reminded him just how mortal he really was. They looked about the same age but Bryce was forty-years younger than she.::

::Who was she? Did she enjoy her life, as a Federation officer? Did she have someone special? Loved ones? Friends? Was she happy before… all this?::

((One Year Ago: Deck 7, USS Tiger-A))

Zerxes: Computer, engage!

::A forcefield sprung into existence just along the edge of Gar’s back, clipping his body and giving him a hard jolt forward!  The sudden impact of the field was enough to spring Tagren out of his grasp. Zerxes was already moving, lunging forward and driving a shoulder into the back of a Grendellai who’d turned to face Gar.  In almost the same frenzied motion, he pushed the man into Gar while grabbing Tagren’s arm and jerking her behind him!::

Zerxes: RUN!

::Ari didn’t say anything, only moved.::

::They went for the turbolift, which Zerxes had already called to Deck 7, and he prayed those doors would open. The two Grendellai with Gar opened fire behind them as Zerxes kept himself between Tagren and the pirates. Phaser beams shot past them, hitting the walls, but then the turbolift doors opened! Zerxes caught a grazing shot in the back of his thigh, sending a searing pain through him.  He nearly bit his tongue, forcing through it, and with a desperate charge he grabbed Ari around the waist and dove into the turbolift!::

Tagren & Zerxes: BRIDGE! ::simultaneously::

:: The doors shut as one last phaser beam came over their heads, burning into the back of the turbolift wall. And then they were ascending. Zerxes rolled onto his back, his eyes watering over from the pain in his leg.  Tagren was on top of him, breathing heavily, her head laying haphazardly against his chest. He craned his neck up slightly to check on her, and in that same moment she looked up at him.::

::She pushed herself up slightly, her hands on his bare chest, and silently studied his still violet eyes to see if he was alive. If they both were still alive. Ari found comfort as she felt his rapid heart beat underneath her, her red-brown hair spilling over him. She did not move.::

::Zerxes briefly forgot his pain, matching the intensity of her gaze.  Everything that had happened between them, most of it more by chance than design, seemed to have culminated in this moment. No matter where they were in the galaxy, something seemed determined to thrust them together.::

::They were both so focused on each other that they barely noticed when the turbolift doors opened. A voice from the bridge crew pulled them back into the present.::

((Present: DS6 Sickbay/ICU))

::Aribelle had no knowledge of what was going on. She was completely unaware, dragged under by her illness and the medications the medical staff were giving her.::

::She had escaped death before, though. She had been saved from the hands of the Grendellai by Zerxes and rescued from the Reapers by the USS Tiger crew. She also had evaded death by Suliban weapon fire on Zakdorn IV. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the relationships she had established with the crew she had the privilege to serve with.::

::How ironic was all this, really? She had dedicated her life to others, by studying diseases abroad, a decision that had been prompted by the death of her own father.::

::It was now the very thing that was taking her down.::

::Hard.::

((Three Months Ago: Tagren’s Room, Prak Zel Grand, Zakdorn IV))

::Sitting with her legs underneath her, Aribelle had two PADDs side by side on her bed. She was reviewing all the crew’s medical statuses while the Vigilant was on leave and knew that, later, she would need to speak to Aareth to get a full report from his side of things. The pair would want to have it all together for Velana when she returned from maternity leave.::

::She had been sitting on this bed for hours, though, alternating between the two devices. When she tired with one thing and couldn’t focus on it any longer, she would flip to another. She also delved into some medical literature that had been stored on the one device.::

::There was always work to be done, though. But, in her case, work was a welcome distraction.::

::There had been a number of things that had happened over the last few months that left Aribelle questioning her decision to join Starfleet. She had been an internist with a specialty in infectious disease prior and thought that maybe she would be able to do more by joining. She not unaccustomed to death, but the nature of it... the nature of the violence she had seen, really did hit deep. It was unsettling how chaotic and cruel things could be. So much so, that some people seemed to be desensitized to it, which scared her the most.::

oO And now? Oo

::Sulibans. All the stuff revolving around the Zakdorns, and the stuff that originated from, supposedly, the Vulcans.::

::She sighed.::

::A blue light, flashing on the side of the one device, kept catching her attention. Ari had ignored it for the most part, focusing on the various tasks that needed tending to. Curious now, since her attention broke away from the data that had kept her eyes occupied, she lifted the PADD and pressed a command. Surprise and confusion crossed her face.::

Tagren: ::to herself:: I thought I deleted…

::It was from the Valestar. With the confusion on her face changing to irritation, she played the message out of sheer curiosity. She expected to see a man approaching sixty-years on the screen, crinkling flesh around his blue eyes and messy dark-blond hair. She didn't expect to see a female Klingon hybrid, with mismatched, discolored teeth and tangled, greasy hair. Ari recognized her as Kadih.::

Kadih: If you are seeing this message, you deleted the first one. Shame on you, BiHnuch.

::Red started to tint the tips of Ari’s ears as she frowned.::

Kadih: I will not tell you how it happened, but Paul Quinn has died.

::Ari blinked, the news hitting her quick. She was not able to absorb it completely. The way it was delivered, emotionless and steady voice, was not outside of Kadih’s normal but... Paul was dead? How? A mixture of emotions showed in her eyes.::

Kadih: His wish was for me to contact you if anything ever happened. He wanted you to have some of his belongings.

::There was something in the Klingon’s woman tone, as she snorted and shook her head. Ari didn’t like it. It was like she was judging her.::

Kadih: You tell me where to send them and I will make sure Paul’s final command is done.

::The video-message ended abruptly. Ari just sat there, stunned, holding the device. Paul always had a death wish, with a blatant disregard to some things. Had that caught up with him or had it been his health? It had been over year since she last spoke with him but he always managed to find his way back into her thoughts. Reaperville and Ravensville resurrected his presence and it was unwanted. She couldn’t shake him from her life and now, with the news that he was gone?::

::Ari couldn’t make sense of how she felt. The news was still fresh but... a piece of her felt like it had been ripped away from her.::

((Forty-five Days Ago: Deep Space 6))

::It had been a month since she learned the news.::

::What happened to Paul Quinn, exactly? Ari still had no clue. She had turned to obituaries and various news feeds to see if she could find any information at all, only to come back pretty much empty-handed and disappointed. She only found a blip about a horrible accident on the outskirts of somewhere involving the SS Valestar. The details were sketchy and vague, twisted and repeated in such a way to lead the reader off course. It left Ari wondering why so much information had been omitted.::

::There was definitely more to the story.::

::Anyway, it didn’t take long for his crew to send the items he wanted her to the station.::

::Signing out and picking up the small metallic box from one of the storage levels was easy enough. It was small, rectangular in shape and light, probably weighing a total of five pounds or so. The station inspected it, as they did with anything incoming, so she didn’t expect to find anything crazy or dangerous in it. Ari took a seat in one of the allotted areas on deck something-or-other, to sift through the items at her leisure during the lunch hour.::

::Placing the box down on the table, she started to pull out items. There was a shirt that still carried the scent of his aftershave. She then unearthed a book or two. Jules Verne. Then there was a watch that she recognized to be his fathers. She paused when she came across a small box. In it was the engagement ring that he had purchased for her in San Francisco about nine years ago. The thought that he had left these very specific items made Ari aware of his true motives for sending her them; he wanted her to feel guilty. Guilty and horrible. And it was working.::

::Damn you, Paul.::

::As she continued to sort through the contents of the box, someone walked close by and suddenly stopped, standing over top of her. They didn’t move. Getting slightly annoyed, she twisted a bit in her seat and looked up, her sight settling on a pair of piercing blue eyes. Familiar but different.::

::It took her a moment to recognize who it was.::

Tagren: You...

::The man was different, his features altered. Hair colored black. Face painted. Was he participating in the events on the station? The color drained from Ari’s face as her jaw clenched.::

Tagren: …you look pretty alive to me.

::And it didn’t take a doctor to…::

Man: Don’t get up. I can explain.

::He pulled back one of the chairs at the table as anger exploded inside of Ari. Deceived, again. What was he doing here? What was he doing, period?!::

Tagren: You trying to make me feel nostalgic and sad before…

::She couldn’t think to finish it. Incensed, she shoved the box across the table towards him and stood.::

Tagren: Adding “faking your own death” to the list of your crimes, Paul? Who are you running from? How did you get on the station? How did you…

::He stood and raised his hands, palms out.::

Paul: Shhh. Calm down. I have my ways and my connections. Besides, I always have a good cover story. Listen to me, I…

Tagren: You lied to me.

Paul: I lie, you lie, everyone…

::She raised her voice over his.::

Tagren: No! Don’t you…

::This time, his calm yet elevated voice went over hers as she pointed her index finger at him.::

Paul: Calm done, Belle. I need your help.

::She stared at him with pure disgust.::

Tagren: I agree. You do need help. But it’s not the kind of help that you need from me. You’ve got some serious issues and I don’t want to get tied into… whatever you got yourself into. Keep your stuff. I’m done with all of this.

::She was about to step away when he grabbed her arm. She jerked away, her greenish-brown eyes narrowing at him.::

Paul: Why do you always do that? Run away from…

Tagren: Run? You’re lucky if I don’t call security!

::There was complete silence between them for a few seconds before he started to chuckle. Really? He was laughing? He thought this was funny? There was nothing on his list of twisted crap that she felt was amusing. She just rolled her eyes.::

Tagren: You want to hear what I have to say? Fine! I used to think there was good in you. I loved that about you, once. How selfless you were. I thought you could do great things in the position you were in. I was wrong. That position corrupted you.

::He was a Captain, once upon a time. An astute yet hot-headed Captain. He took risks that paid off but that last one… well, it cost him his career.::

Paul: You are so naïve. We’re not saints. We’re living, breathing people and are bound to do things and make mistakes that we’re not proud of every now and then. You included. So don’t act so superior.

::That hurt.::

Tagren: Me? I’m certainly not perfect and I am NOT ignorant, Paul. I admit that I am sometimes blind but… Manipulation, corruption, greed. Everyone is a pawn in someone else’s game. And you’re just playing me. I’m starting to think that…

Paul: Oh, c’mon Ari. That’s not fair.

::And then he did something that used to calm down their spats of relationship past. Reaching out, he pulled her roughly against him and crushed his mouth over hers. When she bit his lip and kneed him in the inner thigh, narrowly missing a sensitive area, Paul pulled back angrily.::

Paul: What the hell?!

::Her eyes bore into him as he released her. She took two steps, staggering backwards, away from him. They were now gathering attention and, while Ari wasn’t in uniform, she didn’t want this to come up along the line somewhere.::

Tagren: Leave me alone. Leave this station. I told you once and I’ll tell you again… I don’t ever want to see you again. I regress whenever I’m around you. That’s it. I’m done!

::Before he could get another word in, the redhead turned and stormed away, leaving behind the man with his lonely box.::

((Present: DS6, Sickbay/ICU))

::There wasn’t exactly a great deal of people stopping by to see how she was getting along. She wasn’t contagious but wasn’t in the best of conditions either. Still, no one came by adamantly insisting on seeing her which he found a bit odd.::

::Aribelle never bore any children and hadn’t married, according to her records.::

::Did she have have anyone? Did she alienate people, then? Is that why Paul did what he did? Did she reject him? Paul was a man that liked to remain in control, who wanted things to go his way. If it didn’t go his way, he would take measures to ensure that it would eventually. That did little to explain why Paul decided to share the truth that chilly evening in San Francisco, years ago. As far as he knew, his twin, Cameron, had no knowledge of any of this. Their father had went missing several months ago so he feared that, whatever secrets he still held onto, had went with him to the grave.::

Bryce: I have to find the pieces and put the puzzle together myself, huh?

::His voice was soft as he looked again to the woman laying on the bed, unmoving. Silence passed between them throughout the night, with the only sounds coming from the biobed as it collected vitals.::

::Life was a fragile thing, indeed.::

Cadet Bryce Quinn

Medical Student / Patient Care Technician

Starfleet Medical, temporarily stationed on Deep Space 6

&

Lt. Commander Aribelle Tagren

On Medical Leave