The Pearl In The Oyster

Posted on Sat Jul 27th, 2019 @ 7:31pm by Crewman Recruit Zeria & Commander Dominic Aldrich & Lieutenant Sandra Adamson

Mission: For Whom The Bell Tolls
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD 05 11:00 Hours
1305 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Zeria was a bit nervous, she knew it wouldn't hurt. She'd already asked Dom about that. But still, it was her first time in a medical bay like this one. Most doctors on her planet used simple methods that were much more primitive. She held onto his arm rather tightly, taking comfort in her trust of him.

Sandy was in her office get some things. She walked out on to sickbay to see the commander and the crewman. "Good morning, Commander, crewman. How can I be of assistance to you?" She started put tools on a trolley and walked over to them. She gave a warm smile to them.

"I was wondering . . ." Zeria started to speak. "If you could do a blood test. I'm trying to determine what race my father was. I never met the man and my mother refused to tell me anything about him. But I would really like some answers." She took a deep breath and waited for the Doctor to reply.

Dominic simply stood there quietly gently holding her hand and rubbing his thumb across the back of it every so often. This was her mission to complete, he was simply there for support and would let her guide the way.

His touch definitely had a calming affect on Zeria. Touch had such a heeling affect and it had been so long since anyone had affectionately caressed her in such a manner. But there was nothing she could do now except wait for the doctor to do her tests.

"Of course," said Sandy. She took out her instruments and drew some blood from Zeria. She put the blood in the scanner. "This shouldn't take too long." She stared at the screen as the results came on. "Interesting," Sandy said as she looked to the results. "You got 3 types of DNA. I believe your father was a human betazoid hybrid."

Zeria raised her eyebrows at this. "Thank you doctor." She said in a rather shaky voice. "I didn't know." She also wondered if there was some way to find out who he was and track him down using her DNA, but she didn't know how to ask. "Umm . . . if my father were in Starfleet would he have a blood sample on file that could be found?"

Sandy nodded. "Yes, I will see if I can match up your DNA with anyone in the fleet records. This may take a bit." The computer started to sift through starfleet records. "I think you can do this." She pointed to the screen. "If there is a match, the computer will show it on here."

"Sure, I'd be happy to volunteer to watch it." She had no idea how long it might take but she was willing to sit there all night. She turned to speak to Dominic. "You don't have to stay if you don't want to. I mean I'd be glad for the company but if you get bored or hungry, don't hesitate to go."

Dominic smiled and nodded, "I will stay here. Besides, there is a small replicator in here I could use if needed." He glanced at the screen. "If I may ask, what is your plan if you do find a match?"

The very idea of contacting him made her heart pound in her chest. And yet, she'd wanted to know about her heritage. "I'm not sure. He may not have even known about me. Maybe he doesn't want to be contacted? I guess I just need to know if he's out there and I'll figure things out from there."

Dominic could see the restlessness in her eyes and hear it her voice. "Well, whatever you decide to do, I'm with you one-hundred percent. I still have some favors I can call in if need be too." He stared at the screen. "If we can’t find him through here, I do still have Memory Alpha access from my time aboard Starbase 80….that may be of use to us as well." He though on that for a moment and added, "Let's just hope we don't need to go down that rabbit hole."

There was no way Zeria would ask him to call in favors. He'd done far too much for her already, bringing her on board this ship, giving her a job she enjoyed doing and talking the Captain into all of it. "Well if I don't find him here, maybe that's my answer. Maybe I'm not supposed to know who he was. Just knowing what kind of blood that runs in my veins helps a lot. I always thought I was different."

Dominic chuckled lightly, which was rare for him to do in any sort of public setting. "Oh, sha," he began, slipping into his New Orleans lexicon, "You can't tell a scientist worth his salt to stop searching for answers so easily."

"Well just don't overwork yourself doing it. You have a lot of responsibilities here." Zeria reminded him. "You don't owe me anything." She reached for his hand. "You keep acting like I saved you but you saved me just as much. When I think about the life I would have lived if I had stayed on Marga III, I would have worked myself to death to please other people and I would have died alone."

Dominic said nothing. He felt he'd done nothing for her compared to what she'd given him in the five years they'd known each other. He simply shook his head, kissed her hand, and stared through the console. "I think we are more kindred in spirit than either of us realized at first." Then the console beeped.

Unable to let her breath out she looked back at the screen. "It found a match already," she said reaching for Dom. "Adrian Fischer." Zeria said quietly. "That's even an image of him." She was practically shaking. He's retired from Starfleet, lives on Earth in . . . . North Carolina, wherever that is."

Dominic leaned in a little closer and looked. "It is a state in the United States of America on Earth. Well, it used to be a country." Reaching across in front of her, he tapped a key on the console. "Let's see what else we can find out about him."

There was quite an extensive profile. "Can this be put on a PADD so I can take it home and read it?" Zeria asked, she really didn't know how to do such things. Technology wasn't her strength after having been raised on a planet where people didn't use it but for fancy resorts that she'd never been to.

"Sure thing," he replied. He stepped over to the CMO's office and said, "Doctor, do you have a PADD available to put the information we've found onto it?"

Sandy opened the upper drawer in her desk and took out a PADD. She handed it to Dominic. "Here you go, Commander. I hope you found what you were looking for." She smiled.

"Me too," he replied as he left the room and handed the PADD to Zeria.

"Thanks," Zeria stood up and kissed Dom on the cheek when he handed it to her. She had a lot to think about, including whether she wanted to contact her father or not. "Would it bother you if I slept on your couch? I'm not sure I want to be alone tonight while I think about all this."

Dominic nodded, "Yes, that would be fine. Except, you can have the bed. I'll take the couch."

"No, I'm not kicking you out of your bed. I'll be perfectly fine on the couch. I used to sleep on straw sometimes." She let the information download onto the PADD and then stood up to walk out with Dominic.


Crewman Zeria
Hydroponics

Lt. Cmdr. Dominic Aldrich
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Sandra Adamson
Chief Medical Officer