Star Trek The Next Generation: Discovered

Chapter 16

"Doctor Crusher, we've found it!"

Pentax's excited voice rang throughout the Sickbay. Beverley rushed into the office where Pentax and E'Len sat.

"What? What have you found?"

"It's from a plant, Doctor! A Betazoid plant from an area known as Jalara."

"This helps immensely, Doctor, we now have the information we need and so it will be easier for us to find a treatment." Commented E'Len.

"Let me see that." Said Beverley, sitting at a computer terminal. "The Conectra flowering plant."

Read Beverley.

"Generally harmless, but if it becomes distressed it will attack anything with a powerful venom-like substance. There's nothing else here about the venom, Pentax."

"We already know the rest from our scans of it. We'll get right on with finding a cure."

"Good, let me know when you find anything." Answered Beverley, as she left the room.

She felt a small glimmer of hope, until she laid eyes on Deanna Troi.
They had been unable to stop her from falling into a coma for more than an hour, finally she had succumbed. An hour ago they almost lost her completely when she stopped breathing. Now Deanna was being kept alive by a respirator and intravenous tubes. Beverley glanced at the chronometer and realised that the evening shift was about to end,
that meant Will Riker would be here very soon.

"What's happened to her?" exclaimed Will, when he laid eyes on Deanna.

Her skin was deathly pale, her arm had tubules extending out of them and a mask covered her nose and mouth.

"Calm down, Will. She'll be alright, we've made a lot of progress..."

"Progress! Bev, look at her!"

"I know how it looks, Will, but we've discovered the origin of the virus and now we're trying to find someway of treating her."

"Where is it from?"

"A Betazoid Conectra Flowering plant, it grows in a place called Jalara."

"Jalara!" replied Will in surprise.

"You know that place, Will?"

"Yes, there's an area of dense jungle there. Deanna and I used to visit it quite frequently."

"Ah." Replied Beverley with a knowing smile, as she walked away from him.

Will made his way to Deanna's bedside and sat in the chair that had been left for him. He took her pale, limp hand in his own and stroked it gently with his strong fingers. He watched as her chest rose and fell as she was forced to breathe by the computer.

"Deanna, its Will. I don't know if you can hear me, but that doesn't matter. I'm here for you, Imzadi."

What had Deanna been doing in Jalara by herself? Had she gone to Janara Falls? Had she been alone when she went there?

"I know we've not had much time alone together, Deanna, but when you wake up I promise we're going to have a long talk. At least you're back on the Enterprise now."

"William .T. Riker: Personal Log: It has been three days since Deanna fell into a coma...seems a lot longer than that. Doctor Crusher along with Doctor's E'Len and Pentax believe that we have two days to do anything for Deanna. After that any cure will have no affect and we'll loose Deanna. There is a positive side to this situation and that is that the medical staff is very close to finishing a cure. All the research is done and all there is to do is to run a few tests on Deanna's sample cells...she could be back with us within hours!
I speak with her everyday, but it's not the same. Sure, she can't argue or disagree with me, but we do need to talk desperately. I said things before she left, things that obviously hurt her more than I realised. She seems to have forgiven me, but still the unspoken things need to be said, hopefully I'll still have the chance..."