Stranded

Chapter 18

"The most expected thing you can expect

is what's unexpected."

Dick Allen

The young woman took a hesitant step inside the house and gave a quick, furtive look around her. Her body was rigid with tension and her eyes flicked back and forth taking everything in. She seemed, to Nyota, to be hyper vigilant about her surroundings.

"I'm Nyota Uhura, the doctor's receptionist. I keep track of all his patient appointments. Do you have an appointment, Miss?"

"My name is Dallash. I do not have an appointment, however I need to speak with the physician about my two sisters who are very ill. I was told at the outdoor market that a good physician resided here. I hoped he would be able to come to see them, we are staying at the hotel close to the train station."

Nyota got out the padd where she did intake notes for the doctor about new patients. "Can you describe their symptoms to me?"

"No! I want to see the physician. I need talk with him about my sisters' illness," the girl insisted. Her demeanor was tense, she looked ready to bolt.

Nyota thought fast. "I'm so sorry, but I'm afraid the doctor is not available right now. However, if you describe their symptoms to me I will pass their symptoms on to him when he becomes is available. I'm afraid your sisters will have to come in to see him, he does not prescribe medication unless he exams the patient. I can make an appointment for them for tomorrow afternoon if you'd like to bring them at that time.

"Are you certain he is not available?" The girl asked despairingly.

"I'm afraid so, I'm so sorry. It's impossible to see him at today, it must be tomorrow afternoon."

"Very well." The girl looked defeated. To Nyota's eyes, the girl looked to be very young and looked overwhelmed with worry.

"My sisters are quite ill. They both have a high fever and are very weak. They cough frequently and become hoarse when they speak. I have given them a local remedy, but it has not helped them. They need to see a physician."

So, their symptoms are like Len's, Nyota thought. "The doctor has seen other patients with the same symptoms you describe and has been able to help," she told the girl, her voice calm and soothing. "Would you like for me to make the appointments for them?" Nyota held her breath. When she spoke to Jim this evening, she would run her plan by him and get his approval. With the ship's arrival, the Orion pirate ship would become extremely cautious. Nyota felt a deep sense of urgency. They might be running out of time if the Orion Captain decided to leave orbit immediately. Her timing was crucial. She had to get the girls off the planet before they were recalled by the Orion Captain back to the ship.

Nyota knew the Orions wouldn't leave the girls behind even if they decided to leave orbit fearful of Enterprise. Slaves were far too valuable a commodity for the pirates to abandon, especially three young attractive girls.. She felt sure the girls were still in Torreon only because they were so sick and the pirates feared the illness would be contracted by the rest of the crew, including the Captain himself. Maybe a few of the crew were already ill. The Orion medical officer would have advised the Captain to be very cautious about any further exposure for the crew, because the virus was both contagious and extremely debilitating.

Leonard, with his vast experience as CMO on a ship, thought a few of the Orion crew may have already gotten sick. If so, they would have been quarantined. That was the only logical decision that a chief medical officer could make.

There was nothing a ship's doctor feared more than a virus running rampant through an enclosed ship. Medical resources in a sick bay were severely limited by the size of the ship, and, as a direct consequence, by the size of the medical bay and the ship's ability to replenish medical supplies. Even for Enterprise, the flag ship of the Fleet, it was not always easy to get additional medical supplies when needed. By now the Orion crew had probably, as Len somberly explained to Nyota, ping ponged the virus back and forth in the close quarters of the small ship and it might already be making its way through the entire Orion ship. The medical officer and his staff would have their hands full.

The slave girl bit her lip and sighed tiredly. "If there is no other way, then yes, I will bring my sisters here tomorrow afternoon."

"Very well. I'll make your appointments. What are their names please."

"Zadii and Vaiddi are my sisters. I am Dahlash."

"I have made your appointments for 4:30 tomorrow afternoon. The doctor will see them together since you say they have the same illness. I have scheduled your sisters as his last appointments since there will be two patients and that way the doctor can spend sufficient time with each of them," Nyota explained. "Please be on time. The doctor is a very busy man," she added sternly. Best to seem business like and officious to off set any suspicion the girl might feel if Nyota displayed any pity or sympathy. She was sure these girls had been hardened by their experiences and she had to pretend she knew nothing about their current circumstances.

"I shall have them here on time," Dahlash said, her face grim. "Do not fear the doctor will be kept waiting; he will not, I will see to it."

Nyota handed her an old fashioned real paper appointment card with the appointment times. "Here you are. The doctor will see you tomorrow afternoon. Meanwhile, keep your sisters as comfortable as possible. I have noted a few instructions for you that other patients have found helpful until the doctor sees them. Cool compresses on their foreheads, under the arms, and on their groins, will help lower their fever. Change the compresses frequently. If the fever rises very high, cool baths or showers will also help. Bed rest, hydration, and good nutrition is important to combat the general weakness. As for the cough, I'm afraid there is little to be done, just have them speak as little as possible until the doctor sees them. We have found that hot tea with the local honey and a bit of citrus juice helps to sooth the throat."

"I will do as you say to help my sisters," Dahlash told her. "Until tomorrow."

Nyota gently ushered the girl out the door and felt a huge rush of relief. Finally she could see some way out of their present dilemma. If all three girls came to the office tomorrow afternoon, she and Len would sound them out, try to convince them that they could help them, that Jim could get them off Sarena by tomorrow evening, that Geoffrey could treat them for the virus immediately, and that he and Scotty could remove the slave collars and bracelets.

Best of all, she'd tell them they could be returned to their home and family. But the entire confrontation would be tricky. She and Len would have to reveal who they were, off worlders, part of the Enterprise crew. If the girls refused help, then there would have to be a plan B. She and Len couldn't chance that word of who they really were would get out to the Orion pirates or to the villagers here on Torreon. As always the prime Directive must be up held no matter the personal or professional cost.

But, on the other hand, Nyota thought quickly, the girls couldn't chance the villagers discovering who they were either...advance scouts from a slave pirate ship. The villagers would be forewarned and could mount a defense to fight the pirates. The pirates always depended on the element of surprise for their slave raids, making sure they arrived suddenly, picked out their victims, and just as swiftly left with their captives. They didn't concern themselves with collateral damage as long as they captured young, nubile, women who could be sold as work slaves, prostitution, or as scouts, and strong attractive young men who would be sold for use as hard labor or as sexual slaves. The old, the infirm, and very young children they left behind.

Nyota looked at the time. Time to check on Leonard and tell him everything that had happened. Killeen would be coming around 6:00 with the food and would stay for a short visit, and she had a lot to tell him. He was also due for his meds. She'd give them to him a bit early so he would be comfortable while Killeen was here. Those two always enjoyed their conversations. Killeen said he wouldn't stay too long after dinner so Leonard wouldn't get too tired, but the visit would do him good.

At heart Len was a sociable man, raised in the southern gentlemanly tradition, he knew how to pass the time of day with light conversation on many topics. On the ship, he and Jim were pretty much inseparable, but never selfishly so. Others were always welcomed into their close friendship. Len and Scotty were buddies, she and Len were very good friends, Christine adored him, and Geoff thought the world of him.

True, Len and Spock had gotten off to a rocky start, but now, although they seemed to enjoy baiting and arguing with each other, to Nyota it was evident that their sparring had become a sort of game between them. So yes, these visits from their friends on Torreón provided relief from boredom and did him good.

She went into the bedroom and saw Len was snoring softly, still asleep. His unrelenting fatigue worried her, and she knew it worried Jim and Geoff. Thankfully by tomorrow evening, he'd get proper state of the art medical treatment from Geoff and Christine. It would be a huge relief for everyone when that happened.

"Len," she raised her voice. "Time to wake up. Killeen will be here in an hour and I have exciting news to tell you."

Leonard opened his eyes and stared up at her. "What exciting' news, Ny?" He yawned hugely. "I wasn't really asleep, just dosin'."

Nyota nodded solemnly, not mentioning the snoring she'd heard a minute ago. "Len, guess who came to the door requesting an appointment?"

At the excitement in her voice, Leonard's blue eyes lost their sleepiness. "Not one of our friends, Ny? Don't tell me I gave thisvirus to someone who came to see me," he asked worriedly.

"No, no! No one we know has gotten sick. We've been very careful. Everyone is fine. Len! It was the Orion scout! She came to the office wanting to see the doctor!"

"What? Are you sure, Nyota?"

"I'm positive, and she had on the slave necklace and bracelet. Not only that, but she coming back tomorrow with her two sisters to see you. She made an appointment for 4:30. She said her sisters are very sick. Every symptom she described was exactly like yours, Len."

"So chances are they have the same virus as I do," Len murmured. "Did the girl look completely humanoid to you, Ny? Nothing faked or enhanced?"

Nyota shook her head. "Nope. They look just like us, Len, like Sarenans, completely humanoid. Their appearance is why everyone who's seen them hasn't been suspicious of them, why the girl was able to mingle here on Torreón without attracting undue attention, except as strangers to the village, just someone passing through. Why they were able to rent the hotel room with no problem. It seems the medicine the Apothecary gave her for them hasn't helped at all. She seemed very worried about her sisters."

"So the three girls really are sisters, then. The big question then is, when and how the three girls got the virus? Did they bring it to the Orion ship from their home planet? If so, was the virus dormant and it incubated on the ship until that first girl got sick? In order to answer these questions we need to know just how long the girls have been slaves on the ship, because I'm positive Alarik got it after he spoke with her..."

"But the Apothecary didn't, Len, and she was in his shop getting the meds."

"That's true, but a lot depends on how close she got to him, did she cough in his face, did she touch him, how good his immune system is? It's probably real good since he deals with a lot of sick people. I have a feeling Alarik's immune system was already a little compromised. Remember Doranna mentioned he'd had a cold a week or so before? He'd just recovered from the cold when he met the girl. Pretty sure that's why he got so sick."

"Yes, I do remember that, and that's probably true for Alarik's illness, but you haven't been sick, Len. Even Jim says you're never sick! Your immune system has always been great, you've always told us that," Nyota reminded him.

"And so it has been," Leonard agreed. "That's why Geoff and I think the virus has done somethin' we call "jumped and mutated". It now bears no resemblance to the Levodian flu and that's why the vaccine didn't protect me. I'm just worried that it may not do the same for you, Ny."

"I'm not worried, Len. Doranna took care of Alarik for several days and she didn't get sick. I'm young and strong, and I've been careful, washing my hands, sanitizing laundry and dishes. So far I've had no symptoms, and Geoff will be here tomorrow evening with the proper meds anyway, so stop worrying about me. Let's focus on the here and now, what we're going to do tomorrow when the three girls show up here to see you."

"Yeah, I've been thinking' a bit about that. So they don't get suspicious, I think we'll have to get me set up in the office. So we don't spook them right away by me looking sick as a dog on the sofa, I'll take my meds ahead of time. I won't have any fever or pain and I'll shower, shave, get dressed, and put on my white medical coat, then I'll rest until it's almost time for them to arrive. I'll be sittin' behind my desk when they get here. If we do it that way I won't get tired. You'll have to bring them in to the office, Ny. We'll play it by ear from there; explaining things, 'bout the way things really are for us, how we ended up stuck here, and how things are for them too here on Sarena. We'll tell them about the ship coming for us and how we can get them on the ship, how Scotty and Geoff can free them from their slave jewelry, and how Jim will get them away from the pirates and take them back to their home planet. Does that plan sound okay to you?"

Nyota's forehead furrowed in thought. She went over what Len had suggested and sighed in resignation. "I guess it's the best we can do under the circumstances. So yes, we'll do it like you say, Len. Heaven only knows what Jim and Geoff are going to say about your getting up and going into doctor mode with those girls. I'm placing the entire blame on you, Leonard McCoy, don't think I'm not."

Leonard smirked. "Bring 'em on, Ny. I can take on both of those light weights."

Nyota gave a very un-lady like snort. "Whatever you say, Mr. Strong Man. Now let's get you up so you can go into the bathroom and freshen up a little before Killeen gets here with dinner. After that I'll get you comfortable on the sofa."