Looking for an Anatomy Lesson?

Posted on Wed May 6th, 2020 @ 4:48am by Captain Cynthia Jackson & Lieutenant JG Neza Glenn

1,315 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Mission 3 - Coming Full Circle
Location: Glenn's Quarters

The 2XO/Chief Medical Officer had it all planned out. Neza would come in. The table was set with romantic candles. A warm meal, Neza's favorite, and some wine. The night would be perfect. And dessert, Neza herself, would be even more perfect. Never had Cole Derring ever been so happy. Something about Neza just made his heart skip a beat, and not in a way that would be fatal.

Once upon a time, Cole had interests in the Captain herself. However, something, he never knew what, pushed him into Neza's direction and they had clicked. Of course, there was the fact that she had momentarily had a fling with Bec, but he saw past that. After all, he had been polyamorous at one point in his life and Neza promised to be his.

Once the door opened and Neza walked in, he moved to her, held her tight and gave her a passionate kiss.

Neza was tired, overly so. She was looking forward to curling up and falling asleep after eating dinner. But the moment she walked in the door, she was pulled into a kiss by someone she never once thought she'd see ever again. Someone who didn't exist.

The kiss felt familiar, but this wasn't right. He shouldn't be there. Pulling away, she just looked at him. "Cole? How the hell...how are you here?"

Cole smiled warmly at Neza, wrapping her up tightly in an embrace. "How am I here? Well, I just walked to your door, punched in your security codes that were so kindly provided to me by you, and then prepared this delightful meal for the two of us." He gestured over to the set table. "Just a romantic night for just the two of us...unless you're planning on heading straight to dessert again." He got a mischievous grin on his face but still nodded his head over to the table.

Pulling away from the embrace, she shook her head. "No, Cole, this isn't possible. You can't really be here. You...you are just a memory...something that didn't really happen." She started to pace a little, trying to figure this out.

"What are you talking about, Neza?" he asked in a concerned tone. "I never happened? We never happened?" He watched her as she paced. "You're not seeing someone else again, are you? You promised that I would never be a Plan B."

"That isn't what I meant, Cole." Neza finally turned to look at him. "Things have...changed. Things in many people's pasts are being re-written. I remember you but...I'm the only one who does remember you." Seeing him there was hard, because he was the first person she'd truly fell in love with. But he also didn't actually exist...did he?

"You're worrying me, dear. I was looking forward to this dinner, but perhaps we should run some tests on you. Come on, let's go to sickbay." He gently took Neza's hand and gave her a deep meaningful look.

As much as she wanted to pull her hand away from his, Neza just left her hand where it was, within his. "You don't get it, Cole. I've looked you up before, you don't actually exist, or at least never did on this ship." She tried to search her mind for what might be causing this, but she was also caught up with seeing Cole again.

"Touch me, Neza! Feel me. I'm real." He moved closely to Neza, his breath hot. "Think about this. How can that be possible if I don't exist?"

"I know that, Cole!" Neza said as she pulled away again. "What was the last thing you remember before coming here tonight?"

"That's an awfully broad question, Neza. Are you talking about that whole Orion thing?" He put a hand to Neza's head. "You don't feel hot."

How does he know about that.. she thought to herself as she looked at Cole. "Trust me, I am loving seeing you, but something here isn't right." She looked into his eyes, "You know me...I'm a scientist. I want to figure out what is going on..."

"OK. So let's figure it out." He kissed the top of her forehead. "Let us head to sickbay and I'll run some tests on you."

Neza shook her head, "No...I...there's nothing wrong with me. Something else is going on. This isn't anything to do with needing tests." She wanted to find some way to run scans of her quarters, but all of this...she also didn't want to have Cole vanish on her.

Cole was trying to be patient and understanding but the fact that she insisted that he did not exist or something was going on was starting to become more than a little concerning. He took her hand, patted it and said, "Come on. Just a little walk...."

"Cole," she said, finally looking to him. "If you care about me at all, you'll let me try to work this out in my head. I haven't seen you in I don't even know how long. I'm trying to figure out why you're here."

"It is because I care for you that I need to take you to sickbay, Neza." He sighed heavily, wishing he had brought a medkit with him.

Knowing the look, she nodded over to her desk. "Medkit is under there. Honestly, Cole, I'm fine." She looked down at her hand that Jane had fixed. "Do you remember healing my hand after a phaser was shot out of it on the bridge?"

"Shot? When were you shot?" Cole looked at Neza very concerned. He then went under Neza's desk and got the medkit and started scanning Neza. "Very odd," he said after a little while.

"On the bridge, during the Orion thing." She went over and tried to look over his shoulder at the scan. "What is it?"

"This says that there is nothing wrong with you." Cole shook the instrument frustratingly. "Must be a defect. Come on, Neza, let's go to sickbay. One of us is unwell and I mean to find out who it is."

Neza shook her head, "No. How about you scan yourself, Cole?"

"Very well." Sighing in a manner that expressed some of his frustration, he scanned himself. He gave Neza the scanner which showed that he was perfectly healthy. "Satisfied?"

"Fine. But there isn't anything wrong with me either. Why go to sickbay if this says both of us are fine?"

"Because this cannot be right," he replied simply.

Neza shook her head. "No, Cole, don't you understand? You being here isn't right. Not..that I'm not excited to see you, because I am. But no, this just isn't right!"

"I perfectly understand. Now, come on, my love. Let's go figure this out. Come with me." He walked out the door, his hand extended for Neza to take.

Closing her eyes and biting her lip, she slowly reached for his hand. She had no idea what was going on...but she also didn't want to go with him. Something was keeping her from wanting to. But she also wanted to just pin him to the wall and take advantage of the fact that he was there. "Cole..."

The door shut as Cole left, hands never touching each other. There was no answer to Neza's call for Cole.

Opening her eyes, Neza looked around. "Cole...wha...Computer, location of Doctor Cole Turner."

The computer answered, "There is no Doctor Cole Turner listed on the USS Legacy."

"What?" She mumbled to herself and just stared at the door, which was closed. "How is this possible..."

Her thoughts were interrupted by the comms going off. “Neza, it’s Jane. I need your help. It’s an emergency.”

Going to the wall panel, she pressed a button, "I um..I'm on my way, Jane."

RSS Feed