Planet of Silence
Chapters Twenty-seven and Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-seven
Geordi paced back and forth in the waiting area. He was very worried about Mriana.
"Geordi, have a seat." Deanna suggested. "Mriana will be alright. You would know it if she wasn't."
"Yes, Geordi, Deanna is right." Will added. "Something about being Imzadi causes you to know whether or not the other is physically fine."
Will came by Sickbay to check on how everyone was holding up in this situation. He could see Geordi was very nervous and worried about it all.
"I can't help it, Sirs. She was so ill when she went into surgery. I know because I could some how sense she was not doing well. Now she's been in surgery for four hours now and I'm getting very worried."
"Geordi, she's fine." Deanna reassured. "And she will be fine."
"Trust your connection with her." Riker offered.
"It's so hard." Geordi said with worry.
"I know, but Will is right. You need to accept what you sense from her and take comfort in that Geordi."
Just then Beverly came out of surgery. "Well, Doctor Selar has just finished removing the implants in both ears."
"How is she?" Geordi asked anxiously.
"Mriana is doing fine. With time and treatment, the infection she caught from the rejection will be gone."
"May I see her?"
Beverly was not sure what to say. "Well, if it were up to me, I'd say yes, but also caution you that she is still asleep."
"Is Doctor Selar available to ask?"
"I think so. Go on in, Geordi and ask her." Beverly suggested.
"Thank you, Doctor."
Geordi went in to ask Doctor Selar if he could see her. Meanwhile, Beverly stayed behind to talk to Deanna.
"Deanna, I'm not sure if Mriana will ever speak to me again. She was so angry about what has happened."
"Give her time, Beverly. She'll come around and then she'll begin to talk to you again."
Beverly sighed. "I hope you're right. I'm afraid she'll insist on Doctor Selar the rest of the time she serves on this ship."
"Maybe, but then again, when she's feeling better, she'll acknowledge it was not your fault."
"Doctor?"
"Come in, Commander LaForge."
"May I see her?"
"She's sleeping right now. The effects of the antithesia have not worn off yet."
"That's alright. I just want to see her."
Doctor Selar led him to where Mriana laid. A nurse was still running a dermo regenerator over her.
Geordi stood beside her bed and took her hand. Will walked in and spoke. "You are free to take the rest of the day off. Tomorrow also, if you like, and stay with her until she is doing better."
"Thank you, Commander." Geordi replied. "I think I will do that. Right now all I want to do is stay by her side. I don't want to be anywhere else."
Will patted Geordi on the back. "I understand. I understand. Take as long as you need, but not too long. We need the best engineer Starfleet has back eventually."
Geordi smiled. "I won't. I'll be back soon. At least I hope so."
"I'll check on you two later. Take it easy, Geordi."
"I will and thank you."
Will left and headed back to the Bridge.
An hour later Mriana was awake and conversing with Geordi and Deanna.
"I'm so glad you are awake." Geordi stated in sign, then kissed and hugged her.
Mriana did not sit up for his hug, but she did return it.
"I told you she was fine, didn't I Geordi."
Geordi smiled. "Yes you did, Counselor."
"You're awake." Doctor Selar commented as she walked into the room. Then she turned to Geordi and Deanna. "Don't stay too long. She needs her rest."
"Yes, Doctor. We won't." Stated Deanna.
"I understand, you two are getting married?"
"Yes, we are." Geordi stated looking at Mriana with a smile. He was translating what was being said for Mriana.
"Earth or Betazed?"
"I'm sorry, Doctor?"
"Where will you hold the ceremony?"
"Earth."
"Betazed."
They both spoke at the same time. Suddenly, Geordi looked at Mriana and signed, "I thought we would have an Earth wedding on Earth."
"No. It has to be on Betazed and be a traditional Betazoid wedding." Mriana signed.
They argued back and forth for a minute and then Deanna interruted. "Here's a suggestion. Why don't you go to both planets and have each ceremony respectively."
"That would be the logical conclusion." Doctor Selar commented.
Two years Later.
Mriana and Geordi had been married a year now. Mriana made amends with Beverly and was currently examing her.
"I have some news for both of you." Beverly announced happily in sign language and orally. "The nausea and dizziness is nothing to be worried about."
"Yes." Geordi and Mriana replied in unison.
"You're pregnant."
The two were somewhat elated.
"With triplets."
Geordi and Mriana became shocked.
"However." Beverly paused. "I did a genetic scan."
Now they were concerned and their faces expressed it.
"I'm not sure how you two will take this, but one appears to have received the mutated gene Mriana has for deafness. Another your gene, Geordi, for blindness and the third appears to have received both."
"This is bad news?" Geordi asked.
Beverly had seen this before and knew the psychology behind it. "No, not if you want children like the two of you."
"As long as they are healthy otherwise, we really don't care." Geordi replied. "We've lived like this long enough that we feel we can handle children like us."
"Even the one that's deaf and blind?"
"That could be a difficulty, but we'll manage." Geordi informed her.
"I've seen this before and I've studied it, but I still don't understand it."
"Beverly, it's alright." Mriana signed. "We'll manage."
"I hope you are right."
Mriana was now six months along in her pregnancy and had been on bed rest for a couple of months now. She sensed and felt something was very wrong with her girls.
She had been having contractions. She went to a console. "Mriana to Doctor Crusher."
*Crusher here.* The screen typed out for her.
"Beverly, I think I'm in labour. It's too soon."
*I'll be right there. Try and stay calm.*
A few minutes later Beverly entered the LaForge's quarters. She quickly ran a tricorder over her.
"I'm afraid you're right. They are coming early." Doctor Crusher signed.
Mriana was getting upset. "They have four more months to go."
"If they were all Betazoid, I'd say you're right, but they're not. Being part Human, I'm not as concerned. However, even for being part Human, three months early is a lot."
Mriana did not reply.
"Let's get you to Sickbay." Doctor Crusher signed.
Beverly helped Mriana to a standing position and guided her to Sickbay. Along the way she contacted Geordi and informed him to meet them in Sickbay.
Once in Sickbay, Beverly got Mriana in the birthing chair. "These babies aren't going to wait much longer. I'm sorry, Mriana, but I can't stop them from coming. It could do more harm than good."
Geordi ran into Sickbay and quickly found them.
An hour later, the first one entered the universe. Beverly had to immediately hand her off to Nurse Ogawan. The baby was crying, but had to be cleaned and Intensive care was to be started.
The baby looked normal, but very tiny.
The second one came shortly afterwards and the same proceedure was started on her. She too looked like a normal baby.
The third came into the universe finally, but was not crying. Beverly immediately began CPR.
"What's wrong?" Mriana signed as she sensed Beverly concern. When no one replied she asked again in sign and aloud. This time, due to what she sensed, she was starting to get very worried.
Geordi explained what was happening and Mriana became even more upset. Geordi tried to calm her down, but it was no use.
Deanna sensed something was very wrong and immediately went to Sickbay. She accessed the situation quickly and mentally spoke to Mriana.
"Beverly is doing all she can."
"I know, but you don't understand. You've never been through anything like this." Mriana sent back to Deanna.
Seconds passed and Beverly finally got a whimper out of the baby. Then the child fitfully stuggled to breath until a soft cry left her mouth.
Beverly smiled. "I think she'll be alright. For now at least."
Geordi, Mriana, and Deanna smiled. "When can we see them?" Geordi asked.
"Well, you won't be able to take them out of the incabator for a while, but you can touch them and talk to them. In a few days, it will probably be alright to hold them, but they will have to be monitored even in your arms." Beverly informed them. "The first one is a few kilograms under what we doctors like to see. The second is a little smaller, but even so, both should be fine. It's the last one that I am really concerned about."
"Will she make it?" Geordi asked.
"I don't know yet."
"Do you have names for them?" Ogawan asked.
"Yes." Mriana smiled as she signed. "Lydia is the first one. Laura is the second and Linda is the third one."
"Not Betazoid names?" Deanna asked.
"We decided to go with what we liked." Geordi replied.
"Well, they are very good names." Ogwana replied. "All L's though. Their initials will be L. L. Could be confusing."
"Their middle names are Betazoid." Mriana signed.
"Yes?" Ogawan asked.
"Except Lydia's. Hers is Ruth. Laura's is Rhiana. Linda's is Roxana."
Ogawan shook her head. She was amazed how people could name twins and triples with the same initials.
Beverly did a scan of the three babies. She was pleased the first two were doing well for their size, but was highly concerned about the last one. The genetic predictions, which still appeared to be true, did not concern her as much as the medical status of the children.
"Well, Lydia and Laura are doing fairly well for their condition. Linda is still struggling." Beverly informed them. "The other thing is, my genetic predictions appear to be true."
Mriana and Geordi still appeared not to be too concern about the predictions. "So, what's the prognosis for them?" Geordi asked.
"Lydia and Laura will more than likely pull through. Lydia has a good chance of being deaf though and Laura blind."
"Linda?"
Beverly sighed and shook her head. She hated to give such a grim prognosis. "I really can't say at this time. It doesn't look good for her, but if she pulls through, she will be the one who got both your genes. The mutated one and the hereditary one."
Deanna was looking at the three girls and smiling. "Except for their sizes being a little different, they look a lot alike."
"Yes, they do." Beverly agreed. "However, they aren't really identical triplets. Just very close sisters."
"I understand it maybe a while before we can take our girls home." Geordi began. "But when can my wife come home?"
"In a couple of days. I want to run some tests on her and make sure she is doing well."
She did not want to say anymore than that, because she was not sure at this point if they would be going home with all three girls.
"We understand." Geordi replied. Both he and Mriana did not look like the usual elated parents. Some of it, on Mriana's part, was tiredness from what she had just gone through. The rest was worry for their children.
"As for the girls, I'm not sure how long it will be until they are home."
Deanna suddenly got a look of concern on her face. She was sensing more from Linda than met the eye. She tried hard to block her thoughts from Mriana, but she felt sure Mriana could probably sense it too. It was something that was of very high concern to Deanna, but she was not going to say anything to Beverly just yet. She wanted to be sure about the child and that would take some time. She just hoped it would not be too long.
Chapter Twenty-eight
A month past and two of the three girls were released to go home, but Linda stayed in Sickbay. Mriana kept insisting that something was very wrong with Linda, but Beverly took it as an overly concerned parent.
At least at first. As time past, even Beverly became concerned. Linda was a very fussy baby and shook her head back and forth a lot. Too much for an infant so young.
Even Deanna was becoming more concerned than she was before and Mriana sensed it.
"You sense it too, don't you?" Mriana asked Deanna telepathically.
"Mriana, I'm not really sure what it is." Deanna sent back.
Linda became even more fussy as the two women talked telepathically. Her cries became louder.
"Maybe not, but you sense something in my child that you have sensed before. Something you have encountered in your practice. Something that I have never experienced before in my practice and you're not telling me."
"Mriana, I can't be for sure. Linda is only part Betazoid. I just can't be sure, but as time goes on there will be more symptoms of what I am sensing, then I can be sure. Until then, I can't say for sure."
Linda cries became even louder. They were now wails.
"Sure of what?" Mriana asked looking down at her upset infant.
"I don't want to worry you anymore than you are. I may be wrong."
"Tell me!" Mriana shouted into Deanna's mind.
The baby's screams, became a blood curling wail.
Deanna shook her head. "It may not be as bad as we think. After all she is only a fourth Betazoid. It could be she is just a fussy baby because she is premature."
"No, it's more than that, I can sense it." Mriana stated as she watched her baby cry. Linda's face contorted as though it were in pain.
A few more months past and the fears Deanna had about Linda were becoming more apparent. Linda continued to cry almost continuously.
"I don't understand it. I can't find a thing physically wrong with her." Beverly stated one day when Mriana brought Linda back to Sickbay, again.
It was not the first time Mriana brought her baby back into Sickbay after Beverly had released her. She had brought Linda in many times.
"You think I'm overly worried, don't you? I'm telling you, there's something wrong with my baby." Mriana signed.
"No, I don't. There's something obviously wrong with her, but I can't put my finger on it. It's beyond me why she fusses and cries so much."
Deanna was present by this time and mentally scanned the child. It was not the first time she had done this. Only this time, Linda gave her an odd response mentally.
"Ba. Ba."
"Ba, ba? What does?" Deanna's thoughts to herself stopped suddenly. "The first utterance of Human speech. Only mentally."
"Beverly!" Deanna said allowed.
"Yes?"
"I think it would be prudent to suggest that Geordi and Mriana take Linda to Betazed to see specialists there."
"Why? What is it you sense?"
"I'm not sure." Deanna stated. "But if I'm correct, it's very rare in full telepaths. It is highly unlikely in children who are not full Betazoids, but if my suspicions are correct, it has happened with this child."
"What's wrong?" Mriana asked with concern.
Deanna shook her head. "I'm not sure." She sent.
"Deanna, let's not play this game anymore."
"I think you should take her to a specialist or two on Betazed."
"Why?"
"I could be wrong, because she is not full Betazoid." Deanna sent shaking her head.
"Tell me anyway."
"She's not even a year old yet, so I could be very wrong."
"Deanna! Tell me!" Mriana screamed.
"I think she maybe at least empathic. Now. At this age."
"No!" Mriana backed away. "No! You're wrong, Deanna. She's only one-fourth Betazoid. She can't be."
"Mriana." Beverly touched her shoulder. "It couldn't hurt to take your cousin's suggestion and take Linda to Betazed for evaluation."
Mriana shook her head. "It's impossible."
Mriana picked her daughter up and rushed out of Sickbay.
"She senses what I sense, but she is in denial." Deanna informed Doctor Crusher. "We'll have to give her time."
"But she knows something is wrong. Why isn't she listening to what she is sensing?"
"Because, when it happens, the child has to be institutionalized in most cases. They also can become mentally ill, among other things. She doesn't want that for her child. No parent does."
"Still, you maybe wrong." Beverly stated.
"I've seen enough cases of it. However, in this case, it could be just empathy that she has been born with. Or, I could be wrong and I hope I am."
"I'm sorry, Deanna. I'm having a hard time believing this myself. Linda is only part Betazoid. A very small part."
"True, but even one-fourth Betazoids have shown empathic abilities once they hit puberty."
"That's at puberty. It seems impossible that one who is part Betazoid would have abilities at birth."
"In most cases, yes, but Linda is deaf and blind. She only has a few other senses left to survive in the world. Unlike most children, she has the Betazoid gene. It is possible that at least an empathic sense has kicked in very early in life for survival reasons."
"Maybe. It seems like a possible theory." Beverly agreed thoughtfully.
"Now, all we need to do is convince Mriana and Geordi of this theory." Deanna said looking towards the door that Mriana had just walked out of a few minutes ago.