Chapter Thirteen:
The Rozhenkos arrived at Counselor Bennett's
office a few minutes after nine. Noticing that the
boy lingered behind his parents, Bennett decided to
address Alexander first.
"Alexander, I'm pleased that you agreed to join us
this morning. How are you feeling?"
His parents parted to permit the boy passage.
"Very numb, sir," Alexander answered honestly. "But I
really want to do this." He turned back to look at his
parents. "I'm really sorry," he said to them, nearly
choking on his words.
"Please, everyone, have a seat," the counselor
said. After they were as comfortable as possible, the
counselor continued. "I believe Deanna would like to
speak next. Do you have something you wish to share
with Alexander?"
She hesitated before slowly nodding. She reached
out to squeeze her stepson's hand. "I share your
blame, Sweetheart. I forgot to drain the tub, and that
is why my baby drowned."
"But I'm the one who forgot to watch her! I'm the
one who's most negligent."
"Alexander," his father said, "it is obvious how
contrite you are. And Deanna--" He looked at his wife.
"We must forgive ourselves and forgive each other."
*****
"You said that I should search deep within myself,"
Wesley reiterated. He and the Traveler were once again
in a plane in between two realities. They were
watching the family session, though they chose not to
listen to the private conversation. "During the past
couple of days, I've had a good taste of my old
reality. I've seen my mother, been intimate with my
old girlfriend, and--" He turned toward the Rozhenkos
and watched as Worf and Deanna hugged one another.
"I've seen Shannara Rozhenko."
"Yes, the Traveler said knowingly. "The daughter
of your friends."
"You asked me not to save her life because I feel
sorry for her or because I know her family. I've
looked deep within myself, and I saw a man, who
selfishly avoided his mother for years and abandoned
his fianc‚ because he was too confused to face her. I
look at this man, and I think, 'Who am I to judge?'"
"Your biggest fault, Wesley, lies in overanalyzing
the situation," his mentor said and winked out.
Wesley puzzled over this for a moment, while
watching Worf's son. Alexander was now the same age
Wesley had ben when he first boarded the Enterprise.
He had first met the Traveler then and was granted his
first window of opportunity when Captain Picard made
him acting ensign. Such a simple Human standing had
made him so proud back then. So why now, when he had
been granted superior abilities by the Traveler, did he
feel none of that pride?
He watched as Alexander stood along with his
parents and the Rozhenkos shared a group hug. Wesley
envied their togetherness.
What did he have? The Traveler? His mind
explorations? His traveling from plane to plane? What
good was having the universe if one had no one to share
it with?
As the Rozhenkos walked out of Counselor Bennett's
office, Wesley winked out of his chosen plane and into
the reality of the infirmary.
"Wesley!" his mother exclaimed as she approached
him with a smile. "You are a miracle worker." She
hugged him fiercely. "How did you--no, I don't want to
know."
"But Mom--"
She grasped his hand. "Come see your handiwork."
She led him over to the little girl's biobed. Shannara
Rozhenko turned her head in his direction, smiled, and
said, "Hi!"
He beamed down at her, echoing her greeting before
turning back toward his mother."Mom, I'm overjoyed
that she came out of her coma, but I'm not the one
responsible."
Beverly stared at her son dubiously. "If it's the
surgery, then--" She looked back at the girl. "--
there's a chance she won't recover all of her memories.
Wesley, please, is there anyway you can guarantee her
memories are in tact? Her parents will arrive any
moment. If she doesn't recognize them--"
Before she could finish, she realized that the
door had swooshed open to admit the Rozhenkos and
Lwaxana Troi.
"We will create new memories," Worf said bravely.
Wesley stepped out of the way and quickly,
Shannara's family came to her side.
"Hello, Sunshine," Deanna said, laying a hand
gently on her daughter's chest. "I know you don't
understand what is going on, but you're going to be all
right. Mommy and Daddy are here" she lifted the toy
clutched in her hand. "And so is your doggie." She
set the stuffed animal beside her little girl.
"I'm really sorry," Alexander offered. "I should
have been watching you. I should have been playing
with you. I'm so sorry you were hurt!"
Shannara's eyes darted back and forth among the
people in the room. She appeared almost in tears.
"Does she recognize us?" Worf asked of his
empathic wife.
They watched as Shannara reached out for her toy
and began petting it.
"Oh yes!" Deanna replied, shaking with tears of
joy.
None of them noticed as Wesley winked out of their
existence.
A while later after Shannara's family had had the
chance to reassure their little girl that they weren't
leaving, Worf and Deanna had a private conference with
Beverly.
"She's out of danger," the doctor said, relieving
them of their first concern. "However, we still have
physical therapy to help Shannara continue her
recovery."
"She will make a full recovery?" Worf asked.
Undoubtedly, he was thinking about his own physical
therapy some years ago. "She will walk properly? Will
she be able to think and reason as a normal child?"
"It will take a while, but over time, yes,
Shannara will make a complete recovery."
"Her mind is so strong already," Deanna reassured
her husband. "I can feel her again. It's so
wonderful!"
"We will have to begin with some general exercises
during the first couple of days," Beverly explained.
"It won't take long, though, before she'll be walking
again. Two weeks tops, and she'll be out of the
infirmary and ready to go home."
"Home," Deanna said. "I like the sound of that."
*****
The morning after Shannara awoke from her coma,
Rosa Cassadaga returned to the promenade. She felt she
had to return to the spot where she had attempted
suicide--or she feared the memory would forever haunt
her. Approaching the railing, she peered over the
balcony and watched the people below. They were
oblivious to her recent plight, going about their
routines.
"The little girl is healing, and you obviously
have learned from your mistake."
Rosa turned in the direction of the voice and saw
the man who had rescued her from an untimely death.
"But what happens to Alex and I?" she asked. She still
didn't know who he was, but somehow sensed he knew
everything about her. How much did he know about the
universe? "Would it be healthy for us to continue
seeing each other?"
"It is not up to me to decide the answer.
However, the fact you are considering such a question
is a good indication that you will eventually reach the
right decision."
Rosa mused over this for a moment, trying to see
clearly through her clouded mind. Soon she would be
returning to the Enterprise and that meant she would
have to face her parents. It also meant continuing to
see Alex on a daily basis. They had school together.
How would they handle the interaction?
"Friendship is difficult to reestablish after a
relationship," the man said as though reading Rosa's
thoughts. "But I have confidence in you. You'll find
a way to manage." He touched her lightly on the
shoulder for encouragement before walking away. She
watched as he disappeared, wondering if he was off to
help someone else or returning to wherever he came
from--Heaven perhaps.
Sighing, she approached a dress shop and decided
this time, she would buy something.
*****
"Why can I so easily convince a fifteen-year old
girl that she'll work things out when I can't even
solve my own problems?" Wesley asked of the Traveler.
"It's the nature of the universe, my friend," his
mentor responded. "Every event has its purpose; every
challenge its meaning."
Wesley nodded. He'd heard that phrase from the
Traveler often enough. Somehow the Traveler made it
sound as though he were saying it for the first time,
adding layers to its meaning.
"I need to see Robin again, but I don't know what
to say to her."
"Your biggest fault lies in over analyzing a
situation."
"Now where have I heard that before?" Wesley was
sure the Traveler, in his own cryptic way, was telling
him to just go see Robin, to allow whatever to develop
the way it was meant to be. But the repeated phrase
inspired him to wonder anew about the first time the
Traveler had uttered those words. "Are you responsible
for Shannara Rozhenko coming out of her coma?
"Shannara is a very special little girl." The
Traveler smiled enigmatically, offering no further
explanation. "Now go do what you have to do." The
older man winked out of that plane.
Wesley remained there for a moment, pondering the
intricacies of the Traveler's last statement. Had he
meant that Shannara, like all children, was too
precious to let die? Or had he meant something
entirely different? The Traveler had once referred to
Wesley as special, someone who could finally rise above
the long-set Human limits. What was Shannara
Rozhenko's purpose? Wesley hoped she met her life's
challenge with the same tenacity she overcame this one.
*****
When Robin reported for her shift she found her
console already activated. None of the alpha shift had
any reason to use this area of engineering. Glancing
around the room, she looked for anyone who might
possibly have had a reason to use her station. Her
colleagues, engrossed in their own repairs and
maintenance, appeared without motive.
Robin stepped closer to her monitor and found a
message that shed some light on her little mystery.
Maybe I over analyzed the situation.
If you would give me just one more
chance, we could work on your proposal.
"So what do you say?"
Robin turned around, smiling, to almost fall into
Wesley's arms. "What changed your mind?"
"I realized that sometimes, despite all I've
learned and all my travels, I can be really dense."
"Laws yes!" Robin wrapped her arms around him and
as they kissed passionately, others around them stopped
their work and began clapping. Robin wondered if
Jeckyl was watching and realized she didn't care if he
disapproved.
*****
"I wish you didn't have to leave so soon," Beverly
said as she and Picard reached the docking bay. "You
really should request more time off. Counselor Bennett
is a wonderful therapist."
"Okay, what has Martha been feeding your head
now?" the captain asked.
"We're both only interested in what's best for
you, Jean-Luc. You can't expect the nightmares to go
away on their own."
"Well, you certainly understand the demands on a
Starfleet captain. I've learned to deal with it."
"Deal with it! You make it sound like replicator
shortages. We're talking about your mental health."
"For me, there's no better therapy than exploring
the unknown."
"I'm not mysterious enough for you, huh?" Beverly
smiled flirtatiously at him. He had deliberately
changed the subject and yet she couldn't help but let
him.
"Beverly, the day I learn to understand everything
about you, will be the day I've solved the nature of
the universe."
"Then you'll have to make sure you return to
explore this sector frequently. . .thoroughly."
"Count on it," he promised, wrapping his arms
around her waist. They kissed before parting.
Reluctantly, he boarded the Stargazer.
*****
Ten days later, the Rozhenkos, Dr. Selar, and Rosa
Cassadaga reboarded the Huron. Shannara was completely
capable of walking on her own, but her family disputed
over whose turn it was to hold the little girl.
Behaving as a typical two-year old girl, Shannara
absolutely ate up the attention.
After they ascended into warp 5,Ensign Spry
informed them that it would take nearly six days for
them to reach the Enterprise.
Finally, as they began to settle in for the long
ride, Shannara grew tired of the constant attention and
insisted that she be allowed to run around the room.
Only a little while later, she grew exhausted and Dr.
Selar insisted that the girl be put to bed in a
quiet room. Her parents took Shannara to a small room
where a child-sized bed had been assembled.
While Deanna found a nightgown for her daughter,
Worf began telling a bedtime story about a Klingon boy
who decided he was old enough to hunt on his own.
Deanna removed her daughter's clothing and after
slipping the nightgown on the girl, helped her into the
bed.
"Mommy, Daddy," Shannara interrupted just as Worf
reached the point in the story where the boy was being
attacked by a wild animal. "Don't want that part."
Worf and Deanna turned toward each other.
Naturally, their daughter would be frightened by
anything that reminded her of her near-death
experience. Her mother bent to her knees to hug
Shannara.
Looking at her husband, Deanna said, "Only stories
about princesses and ponies from now on."
"Agreed," Worf responded. Amazing how fatherhood
softened even the fiercest warrior.
Content, Shannara brought her thumb to her mouth,
snuggled with her doggie and laid still to listen to a
new story. Soon, she fell asleep and slowly,
reluctantly, her parents left her room. They had time
now for family, play, stories. . .their little girl had
come home.
