<USS Banshee> "Only a Friend's Eyes"

From: "Brad Ruder" <groundzero@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ussbanshee@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 10 Apr 2004 21:04:16 -0700

“Only a Friend’s Eyes”
by Lt. Commander Joshua Asper
& Lieutenant SG Sara Kaelyre

"I'll catch up with you after I go talk to some people," Josh said as he watched Telsia blow him a kiss and walk hand in hand with Cameron into the turbolift. Her brilliant smile vanished as the doors slid shut. Running a hand through his hair he turned to proceed back to Sickbay - the second time in two days. Muttering, he continued on, "this isn't going to get better."

"You got that right. It didn't then and it won't now."

His own eyes stared at him, but he shrugged it off without comment as he tried to focus on the continuous thudding of his feet on the floor. The USS Iliad was different and there was no way that he was going to allow himself to slip that far down again; no, he thought, it wouldn't happen - he wouldn’t let it. Silencing any audible outburst, Josh quickened his gait.

"That's right, speed up. Counting the steps until you're rid of me again?"

"You're damn right," Josh said aloud before stifling anything further. No amount of Starfleet training, psychological analysis, or years of meditation could prepare one for dealing with an evil version of himself. A smirk pulled at his lips - he was a walking, talking holonovel that was slowly playing itself out chapter after chapter. Finally, he walked into sickbay and bee-lined for the replicator. With a tap of the button his utopia was at his fingertips.

The music program chip that Sara had been looking for was right where she had left it before her trip: lost under a pile of medical PADDs on her desk. "I really should get a little more organized," she muttered to herself as she slipped out of her office. She walked down the hall and into the main bay and stopped when she noticed Josh standing at the medical replicator. "You do know your new position still doesn’t give you free access to that. You’re still going to have deal with us scary doctors."

It was in his grasp. The metallic surface of the casing rubbed against his near-sweating palm. He sighed heavily, hoping to draw the attention from the spray to his emotion, and dropped his hand to his side. Turning his hand so the casing was facing away from her, Josh smiled that trademarked smile. "I just have a headache and I was closer to sickbay rather than my quarters."

"That's a lie - your quarters are right down the hall. She's going to know."

Sara smiled back as she moved closer to him. "Just a headache, huh? Must be some headache if you’re using the replicator and not one of the public access ones. Why don’t you hop onto a biobed and let me check it out?" She asked as she reached her hand out for the hypo. "Any thing given from the replicator has to be logged into your file."

How was he going to explain a neural suppressant to the Chief Medical Officer when the only thing he needed was something for headache? Josh had to think quickly, but his mind drew a blank as he stared at the smile that was slowly appearing on his counterpart's face. Trying to focus, Josh found himself at a loss for words and without thinking he disengaged the medicine from the casing. It dropped to the floor and he kicked it with his foot around the corner. Reaching over he placed the hypospray on the medicinal stand next to the doorway loading God knows what into the housing. "How've you been?" He handed Sara the hypospray with the mystery medicine in it and hopped up on the biobed.

"Smooth, Joshua."

"I’ve been absolutely unbelievably fine." Sara answered with an even brighter smile on her face. "Jenny could you bring me a tricorder please?" Sara watched Jenny nod and then she looked down at the hypospray in her hand. She blinked several times as she tried really hard not to laugh. "Josh, I’m really glad you’re in charge of the phasers on this ship cause you’d never make it as a doctor." She wiggled the birth control filled hypo between her fingers and finally had to laugh at the look on Josh’s face.

"Here you are, Doctor Kaelyre." Jenny said as she handed Sara the tricorder. Sara just nodded and tried to catch her breath.

"Woah, woah, Kaelyre?" Josh found the item of conversation that would let him off the hook. Folding his arms over his chest he smirked at her, "and why wasn't I invited to the wedding? I know that we've had our differences, but is it grounds for keeping me out of a ceremony like that? Hmmm?"

"You were lucky. One scan of you and she'll notice the unusual levels in your cerebellum. Just how it was on the Iliad."

A light blush colored Sara cheeks. "We were on Delos and Banshee was here. Cy’s mothers gave us a way to have what we wanted and a way around my grandmother so we took it. It’s not like we meant to cut anyone off the guest list, it was just too good to pass up."

"Awesome," Josh got off the bed and gave her a hug, "my congratulations to you and Cy. You two need to come have dinner with Telsia and I sometime soon. We can get a sitter for Cameron for the evening. It's been so long since we've talked." Josh leapt back up onto the biobed, but paid special attention to her hands for when she activated the scan.

Sara opened her tricorder and nodded. "It has been a while. How are Cameron and Tel? I’m guessing your choice about leaving or staying has been made?" Sara raised the small wand towards Josh’s head as she looked him in the eyes. She paused when she saw something there that seemed odd. "Everything is all right, isn’t it?"

"Of course." Josh reached out and grabbed her hand with the wand and put it near his leg, "but my leg has been really sore as of late and I have to put all my weight on my other leg when I'm standing on the bridge. It went completely numb on the bridge the other day - quite embarrassing. Can you tell if something's wrong?"

"So now it’s your leg?" Sara asked as she scanned Josh’s leg. "There’s slight muscle bruising but that’s nothing uncommon for someone who kick boxes." Sara put the wand back in her tricorder and then crossed her arms. "So you wanna tell me what’s up now, or are you going to make me get all professional while I’m still technically on my honeymoon and call Jansug down here?"

"She's on to you, Josh, what are you going to do now?"

Josh shook his head, "I still have a headache, but my leg hurts too. You know how it is - when it rains it pours. I don't know what you're talking about calling the counselor down here. I haven't the slightest clue of what would make you think that I needed mental help. It's not like I'm seeing people. Speaking of which. Sara, I do have a confession, I see dead people." He smiled and chuckled slightly.

Sara smacked him on the arm and chuckled. "Funny Asper, real funny." Sara put the tricorder down on the biobed and then leaned her back against it. "I wasn’t trying to say you were mental, Josh, I just meant that with all the changes in your life, personally and professionally, that you’re bound to be really stressed out. Which could be why you seem - I don’t know - a little off I guess." Sara paused as she looked over at Josh and then poked him in the head and leg. "Stress could also be the cause for your headaches and the numbness in your muscles. And helping us to deal with stress is why we have a counselor on board."

"He's a shrink. If I have a problem I go to the holodeck, you know that more than anyone. I don't know, Sara, things have just been busy. Not so much stressed, but busy." Josh watched his duplicate walk behind Sara and stare over her shoulder and grin that evil grin. Josh blinked a couple of times trying to again will him away, but to no avail. "Things happen. Do you got something for my headache?"

"OK, I get it, talking to Jansug isn’t going to happen." Sara started as she walked over to the medical stand and started to prepare a hypo and a prescription chip. "But just keep in mind that the stuff that gets to you now no longer only effects you." Sara walked over and pressed the hypo to Josh’s neck and then handed him the chip. "That’s a little stronger then the standard stuff you can get from the replicators. It’ll help with the headaches and if your leg goes numb again get yourself down here as soon as you can. Got it mister tough guy?"

"You'll have to put up with me for a little longer, I guess."

"You sadistic bastard, I'm going to," Josh stopped in mid-sentence and blinked a couple of times, "I completely and totally understand you, Doctor Kaelyre, and I'll make sure that I treat my body well. Glass of milk a day keeps the doctor away. Thank you so much, Sara, and congrats to you two again." Josh jumped off the bed and headed for the door.

Sara stood there blinking as the doors hissed closed behind Josh’s retreating form. "What did I say?" She asked as Jenny walked up to her. Jenny just shrugged and Sara sighed. "Well I guess I’ve been moved from the two timing cheating bitch to a sadistic bastard. I personally thought the mister tough guy line was funny." Something wasn’t right with Josh and Sara knew it had nothing to do with her. She shook her head and turned to Jenny after standing there thinking for a few moments. "My wife will be wondering where I went, Jenny, so do me a favor and let Jansug know he might really wanna have a word with Mister Asper."

Jenny nodded and Sara thanked her, then she headed home. She’d call Jansug herself in the morning as well just in case.

<USS Banshee> "Only a Friend's Eyes"

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