=== Shane & Rangi's Quarters, SB 234: UNITY
===
Happy with finally both parents around, Martin fell fast
asleep. His head on his mother's belly, his feet on his
father's knees. It was an image of a peaceful harmony and
god knows that the little boy deserved it after all those
dreadful events.
The Qashqai arrived at UNITY late at night and first duty
matters were still hours away. It was quite fitting that the
first thing to do on UNITY was to head back ... home.
"I am glad we are finally home" Shane said quietly, not
wanting to wake up his son.
Rangi was looking down at the sleeping child, gently
stroking his hair with a touch as soft as a feather. When
Shane spoke, she turned her head in his direction.
" Yes.." she answered, equally quietly then looked back at
their son.
" I miss him so much when I'm away." she said "...and I miss
you as well when I'm here and you're not." She had looked at
him again as she spoke and gave a rueful smile. " But as you
say, it's good to be home and together." She reached to
touch his hand and Martin stirred a little. "Do you want to
carry him to bed?" she asked.
Shane smiled and whispered: "That's some assignment". Those
having small kids know the trade, but Shane was quite 'new'
to the father role and it was not easy to carry a child like
Martin and while not waking him. With a small nod, Shane
carefully reached for the little cub and took him on his
arms. So far so good – Martin was still asleep.
They stood up and but before a step was taken Martin half
opened his eyes then closed them again with a long audible
sigh. Both his parents froze on the spot thinking that he
would wake but Martin merely turned his head to Shanes chest
and showed no sign of waking.
All was well and so they proceeded to the bedroom.
Walking after Rangi, Shane arrived in Martin's room, where
the bed was already unsheathed. Placing the young boy
carefully into the bed, Shane smiled at Rangi and watched
her to finish the process.
She pulled the coverlet over the little boy, bent to kiss
him and whispered a goodnight.
Just as Shane bend over his son to kiss him good night, Zaba
– the Frog fell on the floor with an unmistakable sound.
Again, both adults froze expecting the little boy to wake up
but were lucky again.
Rangi bent to retrieve the well loved frog and tucked him
beside Martin then linking hands with Shane they moved to
the door and returned to the main room.
" ...and now I'd like to know what's going on.."she said
eyeing Shane. "Although you look better now, when I came
aboard Qashqai you looked decidedly unwell. Have you been
ill?"
Shane looked at Rangi, considering his words. Should he tell
her about the poison? It's been a masterpiece performed by
Tal'shiar and they almost succeeded in poisoning the Task
Force Commander to his death.
"I've been eating Klingon gagh – worms, alive" he said.
Rangi stopped in the tracks and stared at him.
" Worms?" she asked, her voice a few notes above its usual
key. "Why in the worlds would you be eating Klingon Gagh?"
Smiling he replied: "Well, I had to show our Klingon allies
that Starfleet means business. I couldn't think of
anything better and was stupid enough to eat that raw worms
Not the most clever idea I had"
" No it wasn't" she replied not able to hide her amusement
and continued on towards the sofa.
"Tomorrow morning I want to see you in the infirmary. I'll
have a look at your stomach!"
She shook her head at the thought of the worms and flopped
down on the sofa and watched him take a place beside her.
"They must have made you really ill." she added.
"Hmm" he said, "to be honest, it's not that. When I took the
Qashqai to get here, I was too careless, thinking that
Harker's plan was JUST to lure me our of UNITY, but in fact
a side twist of his was the try to poison me through food."
Looking at Rangi's expression he added swiftly: "But
obviously he did not succeed."
Her lips parted in an unspoken word and twisting round a
little on the cushions she stared at him again.
"What poison?!" she demanded and frowned deeply. " What
else are you not telling me?"
"I don't know" he replied. "I am not a doctor. You can ask
in the sickbay".
Shane was not happy about the course theconversation was
heading to and tried to ease the situation: "That's all,
honest. I beamed down on the planet and encountered Harker.
He tried to kill me, but I killed him first ... but did you
expect anything else after all the effort he invested in
kidnapping you and Martin?"
She shook her head, a troubled expression across her face.
" But you have guards.." she began, frowning at the floor
but raised her eyes to his again." ..why did they leave you
alone?"
She raised her handbefore he could reply " No..dont tell
me..you left them behind didnt you?...Shane....."
"Ah, come on, Rangi, you suffered in Romulan hands as well.
Our son was kidnapped and both of you should be killed. Of
course I did everything possible to stop Harker. I love you,
I love our son and the security of both of you is TOP in my
priorities."
She gave a weak smile . " I know it is. I'm sorry...I didnt
mean to nag you. It's just that..."
She stopped for what point would there be if she told him
she wanted him to take more care? She answered her own
question { None}
" I know. " she said softly and moved from her postion to
lean her head against his chest and laying an arm across
his body. She sighed.
" I can't help but worry. " she said soon afterwards. " It
didnt used to be like this..well...I suppose it was but now
we have Martin it all seems so much more intense somehow."
Shane nodded: "Exactly. Both if us are officers and know our
danger, but Martin is just a kid. He's no soldier, not even
an adult. He's a small child and he deserves a happy
childhood. That's what I hate about fighting ... those
that are innocent suffer the most"
Rangi knew the weight of responsibilty that Shane carried
with him twentyfour hours a day. She knew too how he felt
the loss of crew under his command and how he was aware of
the civilians whose welfare depended on his judgement.
She did not want him to think of this now, for in a few
hours he would be back on duty, not that he ever truly left
it in reality.
She sat up and looked at him, seeing clearly the signs of
worry and tiredness not to mention the after effects of
eating the gagh and a dose of poison.
She gave him a soft smile and leaned forward to kiss him.
The gentle kiss became two, then three, then four, each
lasting a little longer than the one before and each growing
in feeling.
"Let's go to bed." she whispered then teasing added : " You
must be very tired." and she laughed when his answering
expression plainly asked: "You think so?"
***
" Computer......soft light..." Rangis voice was croaky from
sleep as she propped herself up on her arm and reached with
the other to touch her combadge.She screwed her eyes tight
shut as the computer obeyed the order and peered at the
chrono which told her it was 3.42.
Her hand slapped down on the combadge " Summers." she said
endeavouring to throw off the fingers of sleep that would
have dragged her back to dreams.
A voice asked for Rear Admiral Guzman.
Rangi glanced back at the figure lying beside her. " He's
sleeping." she replied quietly " May I help you?" She
stifled a yawn.
It was imperitive that the Rear Admiral be told of an
explosion the voice said.
" Where? when?" Rangi asked becoming instantly alert.
" In the Explosives Cargo Bay" the voice replied,"... twelve
minutes ago and sensors detected an initial explosion from a
grenade of non Federation design, multple casualties."
It was a careful way of saying there were intruders on board
but she asked no more questions.
" A moment." she said and sitting upright, turned to the
sleeping man beside her.
She leaned forward, placed a hand on his arm and shook it.
" Shane...Shane wake up."
He murmured something unintelligible and swatted her hand
feebly in an attempt to make her stop.
" Shane..." she urged, persisting with the shaking " ..wake
up...there's a problem."
*** End Log ***
Rear Admiral Shane Guzman
SSF 1st Task Force Commanding officer
&
Commander Rangi Summers
Med. Adv 1st Task Force
CMO SB Unity
