<USS Avalon> Ghosts Part 1

"Ghosts Part 1"
Patrick McEntire, Annabelle Garrity, N'Ellie Coyne

The EMH looked smugly at the medics who prepped his two patients for transport, 
noting any cautions he gave them as if he were truly their superior, which , of 
course, he was. "You'll need to continue the oxygenators until they're blood 
oxygen is stabilized. Monitor brain function and test physical and cognitive 
ability once they've awakened to determine the full affects of the oxygen 
deprivation. Also continue high infusion nutritional suppliments for both, as 
well as ensuring that they both actually eat once they're awake and capable. 
Both are significantly underweight, undernourished and dehydrated."

The medics indicated their understanding then promptly beamed both patients to 
sickbay, muttering under their breaths about the insufferable arrogance of 
EMH's.

"I called in the prescription over an hour again!" The dark haired woman yelled 
once again at the helpless nurse. "I don't care about some stupid convoy of 
shuttles I need that prescription and I want it now." 

The poor nurse gulped and nodded her head. "I'll see what I can do, Doctor."

The dark haired woman was about to tell the young woman that she had better do 
more then just what she was able to do, but the sound of transports caused her 
to turn around. She wasn't on duty, she was on the station as a lay over on her 
way to her new assignment and for the life of her couldn't figure out why she'd 
been diverted, but her medical training always seemed to override all else at 
that familiar hum.

Linc accompanied Anna and her five, along with a shocked and somewhat sick 
looking Praeter, to sickbay, worried about the two tiniest and Anna as well. 
"If you'll hook me up with your best neonatal nurse, I've got these," he told 
the approaching medic as he continued to monitor them closely.

The medics accompanying the two from the Captain's shuttle, the wiry engineer 
and the little girl, paying close attention to their O2 levels as they adjusted 
the biobed readouts. They spared barely a glance for the tall black man in his 
medical uniform and his entourage of infants.

Several people were beamed into the station's sick bay and without hesitation 
the dark haired hybrid went into action. Her specialty was pediatrics so she 
went right over to a young girl. Snatching a tri-corder from one of the medics 
she started an exam on the girl, though she didn't need medical read outs to 
know that whomever was in charge of her care should be beaten with pain sticks.

A petite oriental woman clicked her tongue as she passed the child, heading for 
the young man. "I wonder if the captain cut rations before abandoning ship.." 
she asked, honestly curious. She took the young man's vitals and clicked 
louder. "These poor people. Yancy, alert the mess hall to increase rations for 
the incoming on my order. If they all look like this, they'll need it."



She was surprised to see that the girl had been given anacrese along with all 
the other drugs that were floating through her system. She'd only ever known 
one person who needed the drug and the thought of him made her heart leap and 
hurt all at the same time. After barking out orders to the nurses and medics 
around her regarding the child she spun to look at the little nurse. "Who else?"

"His vitals are all out of whack. Temps too high, bp's too low. 
Heartrate...well...see for yourself." She turned to the Medic who'd accompanied 
him aboard. "Have we got a name, a file, anything I can look at to see what's 
the norm for this guy?"

Turning to look at the nurse's patient the dark haired woman gasped. "Josh." 

"You know this one?" the petite woman asked, stepping aside to give the doctor 
more access. 

"Here's his file," another medic responded to her first question, handing her a 
PADD. "Nothing on the little girl, though."

She didn't need a file on him she knew all there was to know about him. "Draw a 
DNA sample on the girl and cross check it through the medical data base." She 
ordered as she began to treat Josh. "And yes I know him."

The nurse nodded, allowing her to take the lead with him and drew the DNA 
sample herself, glad someone could make sense of the mess on the monitor.

"Computer erect an environmental force field around this area and adjust 
temperature and gravity to my specifications." The hybrid called out just 
before imputing the increases. Slowly, as the space around them became more 
comfortable to Josh, she began to treat his injuries. 

Josh stirred, somewhere between waking and dreaming, his muscles tensing like 
springs beneath her gentle touch.

She smiled as he began to stir and softly started to speak to him in French. 
"tout est maintenant mon bon, amour. Détendez et reposez-vous, je suis ici 
maintenant."

Taut muscles relaxed again, his breathing seeming to steady, his slumber 
deepen, as though the medicine he needed most had, at last, been found.

When he was stable and relaxed she finally took full breaths. What had that 
beast done to him? Didn't she know how to care for him? Sighing she asked for a 
stool and offered a rare smile to the nurse. Sitting beside his bed she took 
his hand in her own while brushing his hair from his eyes. She'd missed the 
softness of his hair and it made her sigh as she continued to speak to him 
softly in French. 

Josh drifted off to the memories of warm laughter and sharp wit, strong mind 
and gentle hands, ice cream and gummy bears...

When next Josh awoke, it was to the soft beeping and bright lighting of an 
unfamiliar sickbay. A soft voice from long ago spoke reassuring words as her 
gentle hands smoothed back his curls, as she'd oft been given to do. 


"This is a dream" he whispered, looking into the dark eyes of the beautiful 
woman he'd known so long ago. "You're dead. They said.they 
all..I.we.searched.so long..but you were gone."


The voice spoke again, intoning reassurances softly in French as the room 
tilted toward darkness. "Don't wake me."he whispered weakly, taking her hand 
and holding it fast as his eyes closed yet again. "Let me stay with you."

"I am no dream, mon amour. I am as alive as you are." Leaning down she kissed 
him gently on the lips. "And I am still very much yours as you are mine." 

Josh sighed at the warmth and taste of her lips then squeezed her hand 
carefully, knowing somehow if he let go he'd lose her again, as the blackness 
took over again.

It had taken far to long to get off the shuttles and to find sick bay. 
Annabelle wasn't sure but she thought she'd heard Mac call her name, but all 
she could think about was getting to Josh. When she finally burst into sick bay 
she stopped cold in her tracks. There standing by Josh's side was a dark haired 
woman with dark eyes and gentle Klingon forehead ridges. Normally the sight 
wouldn't have bothered her as much as it was, but Annabelle had seen this 
woman's face before. She lived in Josh's sketches, the one's she'd found in his 
cabin hidden with those of his brother. Suddenly, Annabelle couldn't remember 
how to breathe.

Mac burst in behind Annabelle and stopped dead in his tracks a moment."My God, 
it can't be... N'Ellie!" Catching her up, he spun her around, hugging her 
tightly before setting her back upon her own feet. "Josh and I searched like 
hell for you...he didn't give up until they officially declared you killed in 
action...even then not right away..." He told her, smiling broadly. "Damn, you 
look good. He's gonna flip when he sees you, you look fantastic." Suddenly Mac 
remembered who he'd followed in. oh, shit, now you've stepped in it, he told 
himself, hoping he could make amends. "Um...Belle, this is N'Ellie Coyne...a 
....friend...from the Santa Ana. N'Ellie, this Annabelle Garrity....Josh's 
wife..."

N'Ellie looked at the other woman, scanning her not only with her eyes but 
telepathically as well. The woman was confused, good. With just the softest 
touch of a snarl upon her face she replied, "So it would seem she is." For now. 
Then she turned back to Mac and kissed his check. "I didn't know the two of you 
were alive until recently, Mac. They, they told me you'd both been killed." She 
reached up to touch her friend's face to make sure he was real and then laughed 
joyfully as she hugged him. "Thank Kahless your both alright."

Nodding toward Josh, Mac asked, "Is he?"

Glancing over her shoulder N'Ellie couldn't help but smile at the sight of 
Josh. "Fine, a little whacked out from the loss of oxygen but he'll be fine by 
morning." When she looked up at Mac again she slugged him in the gut. "You 
haven't been making him take his anacrese! He's as thin as he was when we first 
met! Didn't that Kahless damned captain give him a place to garden? A kitchen? 
He's not been eating like he should."

"He's got his garden, but they had to up the dose and he just gets too damned 
distracted to remember it most times." Mac answered, backing away, palms up as 
if surrendering. "And I don't live with him anymore, sweetheart. I remind him 
when I can, but you know how well he listens." Sighing, he added," He's been 
worse about that since Zack, you know. Belle gets through to him better than 
most, but he gives her the slip more often than not, too, I think."

Turning angry chocolate eyes on the other woman N'Ellie crossed her arms. 
"Don't have the time to properly take care of him? Surly you knew how he was 
before you married him?" She nearly gagged on the words, but they still came 
out in a hiss. 

"I take care of him." Annabelle defended. "We take care of each other." 

"So you take him the hypos when he needs them? He'll eat what you cook for 
him?" N'Ellie asked. 

Annabelle huffed. "Show's how much you know. Josh won't eat anything he doesn't 
make himself." 

N'Ellie smiled smugly. "He ate what I made for him."

"Not always," Mac corrected, hoping to make it easier on Belle, "Just as often 
he just sort of looked at it, picked a little, and went for coffee. Remember?"

"He still tried new things." N'Ellie replied with a smile. She glared at 
Annabelle, wanting the other woman to know she was a threat and should see her 
that way. 

Annabelle took a step closer to the woman and looked her right in the eyes. 
"But he married me."

N'Ellie smirked and said nothing she simply glared at the woman before finally 
turning back to Mac. "I can't wait to meet the woman who finally settled you 
down. She must be a hell of a woman, I know I'll like her. Oh, bring her by 
later? I've someone for you and Josh to meet."

"Alright. I'll do that. I got her and five little someone's for you to meet, 
too." Mac beamed.

"Five?" N'Ellie asked as she blinked and then laughed. She hugged her friend 
again, holding him with a slight tremble as if she'd lose him again. "You don't 
do things half assed do you, Popsicle?"

"Did I ever?" Mac laughed. "But then, as I recall, neither did you." Holding 
her tightly again, noting her trembling, Mac kissed her on top of her head. 
"You just make sure we get us all together for a serious shindig before we ship 
back out, okay? Show us the beauty of your fair station and all that."

N'Ellie smiled a bright yet almost predatory smile. "It's not my station. I'm 
here waiting for my next assignment." She looked over her shoulder at 
Annabelle. "I'm coming to the Avalon."

oh shit Mac thought again. As much as he'd missed his friend, and knew Josh had 
as well, he couldn't help but believe from the looks she gave Belle that this 
might not be the best possible news right now. Even so, he smiled and answered, 
"No kidding? We're on the Avalon, too. Well, what's left of her now."

"Well Avalon or not we're stuck together the three of us." 

Annabelle glared at the woman and then started walking over towards Josh's bed.

"How's he doing?" Mac asked N'Ellie, hoping to give Belle a moment. "Has he 
woke up again at all? I know that idiot EMH wanted him kept sedated until his 
oxygen whatchamacallits improved. You really think that's necessary?"

N'Ellie smiled brightly as she thought about the moments Josh had been awake 
long enough to see her. "He woke up and I wouldn't let an EMH look at my dog 
let alone someone who's medical needs are so completed. He'll be fine by 
morning."

Mac sighed and smiled, relieved. "Great. Kid's been making a real habit of 
scaring the hell out of us recently. Any idea what the word is on us? Are they 
gonna temp post us here 'til they drag her in and we fix her back up or what?"

"No clue." N'Ellie replied as she watched Annabelle the way a bird of prey 
watched it's dinner. The woman had tricked Josh into marrying her, but N'Ellie 
would fix that mistake. "I could call around and find out though." 

"Thanks, hun," Mac grinned, kissing her cheek, thus moving himself between her 
and Belle. "Wanna go get some coffee or something? Maybe come to look in on 
Anna and the babies? Looks like they've got everything okay here."

She didn't want to leave him but the gentle throbbing in her chest told her she 
needed to check on a couple of things. ~~Get some rest Josh I'll be back I 
promise.~~ She caressed his mind the way only she could and then nodded at Mac. 
"Actually I have something to take care of, come with me?" 

"Sure." Mac answered, placing an arm around her shoulders. "Gives us a chance 
to catch up. Maybe you can fill me in on where the hell you been..."

Annabelle looked up just in time to lock eyes onto the coldest set of brown 
eyes she'd ever seen. Who the hell was this woman? Neither Josh nor Mac spoke 
of her and yet Josh had pages and pages of drawings of her, drawings he'd done. 

N'Ellie smirked at the fear and hate in the other woman's eyes. If nothing else 
this would be fun. Leaning into Mac as they headed for the door she sighed at 
the memory of how brotherly the big lug was. "I was taken to a medical compound 
after the Admiral's ship rescued me. I spent months there before returning to 
Earth and then to Qo'nos."

"Admiral?" Mac asked, unaware any of such high rank had been involved in the 
rescue. "Which one?"

"Pop's friend; Jack Taggert." N'Ellie answered as they stepped into the lift 
and she ordered it to her section. 

Mac frowned. He'd heard that name before, and it hadn't been in pleasant 
conversation, he was sure. "Pop? I thought you're father was gone?"

"I've told you about the humans who took me in when Mother opted to pressure 
more ambassador's bars rather then raise a child." N'Ellie smiled fondly. 
"Admiral and Mrs. Murgo have always been more a family to me then my own." She 
wondered as they walked down the hall if Mac realized they were in the family 
section of the station. "After Jenna released me from constant medical care, I 
went to them and stayed for several months. It was Darius who told me Jack had 
made a mistake when he'd told me you and Josh were dead."

"Murgo?" shit shit shit. "You might want to omit all that when you talk to 
Bean, girlie. I mean...Murgo's one of them responsible for all his shit...and 
for Zack..." He looked at her seriously, unable to believe she'd have 
associated so openly with Josh's enemies. "I thought you knew that..."

N'Ellie sighed as she keyed in the code for her cabin. "I found out after 
mentioning the name once. Pop wasn't so thrilled to hear I'd fallen in love 
with him either."

"What's his beef with him? Why's he got it out for Josh? What'd he ever do?" 
Mac demanded."Kid's not a threat to anyone, cept maybe himself sometimes. More 
so lately, since they killed Zachary. Why can't they just leave him alone? Did 
he tell you that?"

"His son was killed on Turner." N'Ellie began but was quickly cute off. 

"Ack, keep your voice down please." Came a firm yet gentle accented voice from 
inside the second bedroom. The woman belonging to the voice came into view a 
few seconds later with a small bundle cradled in the crook of her arm. "I've 
just gotten them too settle down."

"Hold up," Mac whispered, his eyes going wide, remembering Josh's recent 
research of- his near obsession with - a certain name which seemed to be 
haunting his dreams.. "What was his kid's name?"

The dark haired woman looked Mac over before looking at N'Ellie. "What happen 
to a few minutes to pick up the anacrese? We've a routine for a reason, miss." 
She scolded lightly. 

N'Ellie blushed. "Sorry Jo. Things got crazy in sick bay." Pulling a small hypo 
from her pocket she handed it to the woman. "Give this to him while I tend to 
her?"

"Of course." Jo replied as she traded bundle for hypo.

Finally looking back at Mac, N'Ellie answered, "Danny."

Mac looked a bit pale all at once. "Son of a bitch," he whispered. "It's gotta 
be coincidence."

Stopping just short of going into the bedroom Jo turned and pointed a finger at 
the young man. "Watch your mouth please." She warned. "Their litt'l but they 
still pick up on things."

N'Ellie smirked as she sat on the end of the couch and adjusted the bundle in 
her arms. With very little thought to the fact that there was a man standing 
there, he was just Mac after all, she opened her shirt.

"Feeding time, huh?" Mac asked, before it dawned on him what that 
meant."Wait..their yours?" Grinning broadly, though trying not to let his 
relief show. Obviously, if she's with someone else, she can't be a threat to 
Belle, right? "Who's the daddy? When do we meet him?"

Unlike her brother Angelina had no trouble what so ever with eating. The oldest 
of the twins she also seemed to be the most bold. N'Ellie looked down into her 
daughter's face and smiled. Both of her children had their father's bright blue 
eyes. "You've known him longer then I have."

"I have?" Mac asked, trying to think who it might be, when the mention of 
anacrese earlier hit him. "Whoa, now. No way. Unless you had the gestation from 
hell and the luck of the Irish, there's no way you were carrying them when the 
Santa Ana went down. They'd be older. Besides, last I remember, you and he 
hadn't got....you know...that far..."

"Sit down, Mac. I've a lot to tell you." 


"Elphaba, where I come from we believe all sorts if things that aren't true.. 
We call it.. History."  
~The Wizard
~Wicked~

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