Reunion - Michael Jan Friedman [54]
And in a uncomfortable way, the captain had been jealous of that quality in his friend-hadn’t he? Picard shook his head. He hadn’t thought of that for a long time-his envy of Jack Crusher. It had never gotten in the way of their friendship., certainly. Nor had Jack ever known about it. But there was something in the young Jean-Luc Picard-the one-who had taken command of the Stargazer with somewhat less assurance than he’d let on—that yearned to be loved the way Jack Crusher was loved. Not just respected or admired, but loved.
In time, of course, he had gotten over that, And it was precisely then that he realized he was loved-though in a slightly different way. People seemed to have an affection for Jack the first time they met him. In the captain’s case, love was something earned over the course of days and months and years.
And who was to say which kind of love was better? Certainly not Jean-Luc Picard, for whom affairs of the heart were still more dark and terrifying in some respects than the farthest reaches of the unknown.
The captain gazed at the empty chair opposite him. Ah, Jack … For a moment Picard imagined his friend sitting on the other side of the ready room desk, his long body folded up into the most businesslike posture he could manage.
” A problem, Jean-Luc?”
The captain nodded. ” A big one, was he confirmed. “Anything I can help with?”
Picard sighed. “There is a killer on board, Jack. One of our friends-and he or she is after Morgen. his
Jack’s features took on a more serious aspect. “Trying to accomplish what Gerda couldn’t. his
“Exactly. And 1 haven’t a clue as to which of them it is. was His friend nodded grimly. “When you have problems, you don’t fool around. his
“There’s an answer, Jack. I know there is. I just wish I knew where to find it.”
Jack appeared to want to say something-as if he had the answer to the riddle. As if he knew who the killer was. But in the end, he couldn’t get it out. All he could do was shrug. “It’s all right, was Picard said.
“Tm sorry, was Jack whispered at last.
“No. was The captain regarded his friend, missing him more than ever. “Really. It’s all right. his
Suddenly, the chair was empty again, though Picard wished mightily it were otherwise.
Riker had wanted to come before this, but he couldn’t exactly leave the bridge in the middle of his shift to pursue personal matters. As he entered sickbay, he caught sight of Dr. Crusher. She was just emerging from behind the critical-care barrier —the one that separated Cadwallader’s biobed from the rest of the facility. Noting his presence, Crusher regarded him. “Something Iran do for you, Commander?”
“Yes,” Riker said, “there is.” He indicated the barrier. “I was hoping to visit with our guest.”
The doctor frowned slightly. “She’s sleeping now. She really shouldn’t be disturbed.”
His first impulse was to protest-but he subdued it, knowing it wouldn’t do him any good. Beverly Crusher could be pretty stubborn when it came to protecting her patient’s interests. Besides, if Cadwallader needed her sleep, who was he to deprive her of it? His explanation of what had happened the other night could wait.
“If you need to know anything about what happened,” Crusher told him, “you can ask me.”
It took him a second or two to figure out what she was talking about. He shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. I just wanted to see how she was.”
Crusher looked at him for a moment-and she seemed to understand. “Oh,” she said. “In that case, why don’t you come back a little later?”
He nodded. “I’ll do that.” A second thought. “Would it be okay if I just peeked in on her?”
The doctor thought about it. “I suppose that I can allow that,” she decided finally. There was a twinkle in her eye as she said it. The first officer smiled. “Thank you.” And under Crusher’s scrutiny, he advanced to the barrier. Sticking his head around the side of it, he peered inside. As the doctor had informed him, Cadwallader was asleep. But her face was turned in his direction. Riker sighed. To tell