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"Her Sister's Keeper"
(Previous Post: "Nice and Easy")
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"Welcome to sickbay. Take a number."
-the Doctor to Nyrian, VGR, "Displaced"

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 63073.1330

Adriana felt herself stiffen ever so slightly with the weight of her secret. Even with the strange adventure in the temporal anomaly, this moment seemed far more nerveracking. "What brings you to Sickbay? Are you injured?" Ensign Lopez offered weakly, trying to pretend that she didn't notice that the Counsellor was the picture of health.

"No, I'm okay." Eve's gray eyes were sparkling as if her face was alight from within. Her fair skin glowed with happiness. The relief of being back on the ANUBIS, in the correct space and time, was palpable for the Cardassian born officer, and she couldn't contain that positive energy. But, there was so much work to do.

"I thought we could have a talk," Eve said softly. The dark haired woman had taken a precious few minutes to decide what her first course of action would be when the entire crew rematerialized. Everyone, including Captain Rikar, had looked they had been put through the proverbial wringer. Only a few hours had passed, but for some of them it felt like an eternity... like another lifetime. However, Eve's mind remained touched by the presence of Amanda Lopez on the Bridge. And it was with that singular idea that she came to see the assistant Medical Officer.

Adriana slowly lowered herself until she was seated on the edge of an empty biobed. "Sure."

"Tell me about Amanda, your sister," the Counsellor prodded.

Adriana drew a ragged breath. "My sister... has been missing. Part of my decision to join Starfleet was to have the resources at my disposal to find her." None of this was secret information, although she hadn't said this directly to Ensign Dalziel before.

Eve considered this. Amanda, or the image of Amanda, hadn't mentioned her location. She hadn't mentioned if she was even alive. "Have you received any leads as to her whereabouts?"

Adriana glanced downward. "Not yet."

"How long has it been since you've *seen* her?" Eve continued pointedly, studying the other woman's face for answers.

"I'm not sure," Ensign Lopez answered truthfully, still not knowing if the woman she had been speaking to a short time earlier was only a figment of her imagination or something else entirely.

All this time, her sister was watching the both of them like a Cheshire cat. "You have to trust someone eventually," Amanda said.

Adriana searched for words that would bring understanding or an explanation. But there was nothing she could think of to describe what had been happening to her.

Surprisingly, or perhaps not, it was Eve who chose to trust the situation first. "I know you're able to communicate with her."

Adriana's face blanched. She didn't know how to respond. "Counsellor, I would never compromise the ship with a hidden message transmission." Well, except for the little favor Enaii bestowed upon her shortly after her arrival to the ship. "Pull the logs and see."

"That's not what I mean," Eve countered. "I know she's here with you, even though I don't understand the possibility of it. She's probably here with you right now." She looked around the room, unable to see the image of Amanda that was staring at the both of them so intently.

Adriana felt herself shiver as she watched Eve search the air in vain, seeing Amanda just beyond the taller woman's gaze. If it could have been possible, they would have almost touched.

Ensign Dalziel was sensitive to Adriana's discomfort, but knew the aCMO needed to come clean about what had been happening. "Adriana, I don't know how to explain this to you, but Amanda revealed herself to me. I spoke to her."

Adriana lost most of the control she had when Eve first arrived. She felt her cheeks redden, the sting of unfallen tears burning her eyes. But to know that someone else had seen Amanda, it soothed her confused spirit. "How? When?"

"The how, I can't answer. But when... it was during the anomaly."

Ensign Lopez gave Eve a quizzical look. After the bizarre places she had been, the indescribable feelings she had experienced, the idea that Eve had been speaking to Amanda at the same time, it was unfathomable. "Why?"

Eve shrugged and shook her head, the long ebony hair from her ponytail falling over one shoulder."You probably should ask her that. But, if you want my opinion, she seemed to seek out the ship's Counsellor. I got the impression she wished for you to take the same path."

Her cheeks grew warm again, this time with the tinge of embarrassment. "Is that true?" Ensign Lopez whispered to Amanda.

"You've been too stubborn about this," her sister answered.

Eve continued with compassion. "Adriana... you, more than most, understand what games the mind can play. And after experiencing Amanda's presence firsthand, I can't be entirely certain of what we're dealing with. But I am convinced, she means you no harm."

"I know," Adriana replied, sneaking a glance at her sister. "But I don't understand why she's here... and I can't control when she appears to me. It could jeopardize our mission."

Eve knew there was some truth to what Ensign Lopez was saying. Being so heavily involved with Intel for the majority of her career, she saw what being in less than optimal mental and physical health could do. But, she was hopeful that she could help Adriana. "I wouldn't worry about that," Eve gently touched Adriana's shoulder, trying to offer comfort to the troubled young woman. "If you've managed to make it this far, I don't see Amanda as a hindrance."

For the first time, Adriana looked a little more at peace. "What happens now?"

"I would suggest you begin to document any time you have interaction with her, to try and see if there is a pattern to her appearance. Then we'll need to discuss it. Once a week."

"For how long?" Adriana asked.

Eve smiled. "Let's just say it's a standing appointment for the time being."

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Susan M Ledbetter (susanmled@earthlink.net)
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Ensign Eve Dalziel
Counsellor
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501

"I savored those stories; I read them slowly, one each day. And when I was done, I wished I hadn't read them at all. So I could read them again... like it was the first time."
-Melanie to Old Jake, DS9, "The Visitor"