The Properties of Laminated Glass, Part 2

Posted on Sun 16th Jun, 2019 @ 9:05pm by Lieutenant Commander Lanis Dhuro MD & Khellian s'Siedhri MD
Edited on on Sun 7th Jun, 2020 @ 6:04am

1,098 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: A Diplomatic Affair
Location: Dr. s'Siedhri's office, Tivoli Gardens
Timeline: MD-4, 1500 hours

"So my eyes are all right," Lanis said to the Romulan physician in front of him. He steeled his nerves and continued. "What about my brain?"

Something was not right with Khellian, Lanis thought. He didn't know the man well, but the times he'd spoken with Khellian before, the man had seemed animated, happy. Now? More like a burnt cinder covered in ashes--or maybe it was just the gray robes Khellian wore that gave Lanis such a fanciful impression.

"I would have to do a more detailed scan to be sure, but at the first glance I see nothing worrisome." Thinking that it was likely the older doctor would wish to have a more detailed scan done, he simply typed in the testing into his PADD that he would like to do. "May I assume you wish a more detailed scan?"

"Might as well," Lanis said. "I'm probably worrying for nothing, but I wanted to rule out the obvious possible problems. If you find nothing, I'll just go to Dr. Addams, admit myself stumped, and see how she wants to handle the situation."

"There are other possibilities as well. It was a game among Romulans when I was young, about programming something delicate into a computer screen or PADD to see what a subject's unconscious mind did with it. Sometimes it was associated with sound....a sort of subliminal messaging if you will." Detailed neurovascular scans took time to put together.

Lanis' eyes widened. "Now that's what I call interesting mischief. I was too busy studying my butt off to do anything like that--which is probably a good thing, considering the sort of havoc I could have wreaked. I was much older than the usual Starfleet medical student. I came to the Academy with, er, skills."

"I had an entertaining childhood" he answered with a gentle reminiscent smile..."My parents put up with a great deal of mischief at home before I decided on Medicine as a career. No one ever caught on that it was me when I was in school. Humans have a saying 'it's always the quiet ones' "

Lanis snickered "Did you have any brothers or sisters to get into mischief with?"

"My sister Mijne was even more creative a troublemaker than I. It was glorious." A fond smile warmed his face back to happiness for a moment.

Lanis saw the smile and also saw that it didn't last. "What's wrong, Khellian? Do you want to talk about it?"

"I am supposed to be asking you that..." he joked weakly and shook his head in a fashion showing his chagrin about their role reversal.

"You already did," Lanis said with an apologetic look.

Khellian sighed deeply. "I was quite seriously involved with a human female. Truly, I was surprised that she approached me in that fashion...since Romulus has been the enemy of the Federation for so long. "

Lanis blinked. "Only one?" He realized how that probably sounded and coughed, blushing. "Er, sorry, Khellian. I'm not sure if men ever discuss these things in your culture. What I'm trying to say is, you're a lot better looking than I was at your age. I'm only astounded you aren't having to beat them off of you with a stick."

The doctor blushed, his cheeks turning a deep green. "I had never considered the posibility of a romantic partner before Brooklyn. The last thing I was expecting after a passionate night was a letter telling me her career was more important than our relationship..."

"Brooklyn." Lanis' eyes widened. "Not Wellington?!" At the look on Khellian's face, Lanis shook his head. "I just don't understand that."

"Yes Wellington. Elements she was amazing. I've..." he sighed deeply and shook his head a bit "I had written off the idea that I might find someone here. But she was so passionate and I had just started to believe a future might have been possible."

"I would have thought so, too," Lanis said. "It surprised all of us that she left." He sighed. "I'm sorry for re-opening the wound, Khellian. I hoped to help you, not to make you feel worse. Look, I can tell you one thing--arrogance over her career is not what she was feeling while I was treating her; more the opposite, I'd think. She didn't want a fuss made, and she did want to push people away. I think the attack that nearly killed her bothered her much more than she wanted anyone to know. I don't think she expected to be rescued--and then she was and had to acknowledge how close she came to dying."

Lanis glanced at Khellian. "My sense is that she had a lot of internal mess to think about. Why she didn't draw strength and comfort from her relationship with you, I don't know. Maybe she was ashamed of her fears or didn't want to burden you with them. I'm sorry she didn't, because I think remaining with you could have helped her to heal." He shrugged. "Maybe she prefers to heal with some distance. Maybe she'll figure out eventually what she lost by pushing you away. I just wish I had more for you than that."

"I don't understand it. One moment she's riding me on the couch, the next gone.." Khellian whispered "I had been considering asking her how she felt about children. I do so want more."

"I hope you'll have more," Lanis said. "You're a good man, and from what I can see, a good father. Any woman--or child--would be lucky to be part of your family." He sighed. "When my wife died a friend told me, 'Break, but don't fall apart.' I felt like breaking something--his face."

"I would not have been able to appreciate the difference in your place." Khellian said with a soft sigh. "Though I've never had a wife to know the feeling I think I may well have broken his nose."

"At the age I was, I didn't really appreciate the difference, either," Lanis said. "I think he was trying to make the point that I still had two young children. I couldn't just decide life wasn't worth living, even though I wanted to. I think your daughter's older than my children were, though, so the argument wouldn't work quite as well with you. On the other hand, she does love you and is probably worried about you. So don't you fall apart, either, even if you are broken. I hope you do find someone who appreciates you for the man you are and wants to stay around."

 

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