Resistance - J.M. Dillard [63]
T’Lana tried again to speak. Nave studied her and saw something she had never before seen in a Vulcan’s eyes: horror. The counselor could not quite manage a full whisper, but Nave watched her lips form the words.
Your face is black.
Nave was momentarily confused; she ran the back of her free hand across her forehead and glanced at it. “Soot,” she said. “Don’t worry, Counselor, it’s just soot.”
T’Lana struggled and formed another word. Leave.
“Not on your life,” Nave said.
The Vulcan’s chest hitched as she emitted a soft hiccup; a bubble of blood appeared on her lips, followed by a sudden rush that flowed down her chin and joined the stream on her neck. Her eyes rolled back until not much more than the whites were visible.
“Damn,” Nave whispered. “Oh, damn, Counselor, don’t you dare. Don’t you dare.”
10
IN SICKBAY, CRUSHER WITHDREW THE SURGICAL stimulator from Geordi La Forge’s temple and watched with satisfaction as his left cybernetic eye flickered, then began to glow reassuringly.
“Whew,” La Forge said. He was sitting up on the diagnostic bed, looking much better than he had when Nave and Allen had arrived with him. He blinked and studied Beverly appreciatively. “Now that’s more like it.”
“Just some pressure on your optical circuit. That’s what comes of hitting your head so hard.”
La Forge rubbed his scalp ruefully. “Good thing I have such a thick skull.”
Crusher could not quite bring herself to smile. She was operating numbly, mechanically now. She could not allow herself to feel, to think about anything other than the present moment, until Jean-Luc was finally back safe aboard the Enterprise.
Both she and Geordi glanced up as Worf entered, his customary scowl even grimmer than usual.
“So, Doc…” La Forge slid off the edge of the bed to his feet. “Can I go? I’ve got things to do.”
Beverly gave a nod. “You’re good.”
Worf stepped in front of him. “Commander La Forge, Nelson reports that the bridge should be habitable within the hour. In the meantime, all operations are being run from the auxiliary bridge.”
“Are we out of the cube’s weapons range?” La Forge asked.
Worf gave a curt nod. “And we should soon be out of scanning range as well.”
“We’ve abandoned the captain?” Beverly asked, trying to keep the accusation out of her voice but knowing she had failed.
“The damage to the ship is extensive,” he explained. “There are several hull breaches in the saucer section. The docking bays are all inaccessible. Our shields are still down. The Borg have left us no options.”
Worf and La Forge shared a grim look. Beverly understood all too well: Jean-Luc had left them with no options.
“So we just give up?” Beverly asked.
“That is what we were ordered to do,” Worf acknowledged, but there was something behind his words, something other than defeat. Worf was handling the decision far better than he should have been. Beverly doubted he had any intention of leaving the captain behind.
As such, she decided to play along. “Before he left, the captain said that the Borg cube’s engines would be online in less than seven hours.” She paused. “That was two hours ago.”
Geordi’s tone was grim. “That gives us five hours.”
“Four,” she countered, “to be safe.” It was hard not to hold her breath while waiting for Worf to react.
“Understood,” Worf said. He paused and glanced at Crusher. She realized that he was waiting for La Forge to leave so that he could speak to her privately.
Geordi took the hint. “I’ll be in engineering, then.”
Worf nodded. “I’ll be in touch with you shortly, Commander.”
“Your report, Doctor?” Worf asked as Geordi left sickbay.
“Two dozen injured,” she reported without emotion. “Ranging from minor to critical. I had to induce a coma in Ensign McGowan to preserve his higher brain functions.” She stood in awkward silence with the Klingon a moment before finally breaking the silence. “If we continue out