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“Don’t get up too quickly.”
“How long? How long have I been gone?”
“At least twenty, twenty-five minutes.”
“Twenty-Five minutes?”
“Captain, I need you in sickbay now. I want to run a full diagnostic.”
“Very well, Doctor. But as soon as you’re done....I have a great deal to tell you.”
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Beverly approached Jean-Luc’s quarters tentatively. She had released him several hours ago and told him she would be by at the end of her shift. She could hear faint music coming from his quarters. She breathed out and entered her code to gain access to the Captain’s quarters.
Jean-Luc looked up from the flute he was playing. “Beverly,” he breathed out. He rose and walked over to her and drew her into his arms. “Oh Beverly. I thought....I thought you were a dream. I thought I was never going to see you again. Oh Beverly, Beverly....” He began to cry as Beverly lead him back over to the sofa. She kissed his cheek before heading to the replicator. This did not look like it called for alcohol. She called up for two teas and carried the steaming mugs back over to the sofa. She took a seat and faced Jean-Luc.
“You said you thought you had been away for over thirty years. When you were in sickbay, you were muttering about people named Eline, Batai, and Maribor. Who were they?” Jean-Luc reached for Beverly’s hand and grasped it firmly in his own. He raised her hand and pressed it to his heart and held it there for a minute before speaking.
“Batai and Maribor....they were my children. Eline......Eline was my wife.” Beverly gasped.
“Wife?”
“I’m sorry, Beverly. I kept calling for you and they told me you were a dream,” he used his free hand to gesture around his quarters, “that this whole life had been a dream. After a while....I started to believe them. After five years, I finally decided I must really be Kamin, and you....Wesley.....the Enterprise were all just a fantasy. Please forgive me.”
“Jean-Luc, what is there to forgive? You were abducted by an alien probe. All I could do was sit by your side as you lay unconscious on the floor and pray that you came back to me, and that I didn’t,” her voice hitched, “and that I didn’t lose you like I did Jack.”
“Oh, Beverly.” Jean-Luc reached over and clasped Beverly’s free hand with his. “You will never lose me.” Beverly tugged on his hand until he moved close to her on the sofa. She rested her head against his shoulder.
“Was it really thirty years?”
“Beverly....I was an old man! “ He chuckled, “and boy was I cranky. The only thing that brought me joy was little Kammie.....”
“Who was Kammie?”
Jean-Luc chocked on the words. “He was my grandson. Maribor named him after me. Oh Beverly, I had a grandson. And children.” He sobbed and held her closer. “And I had a wife. She wasn’t you, but I think she got used to me accidentally calling her Beverly.” Beverly smiled. “Beverly....how did you....when Jack died....how did you....I don’t mean this the way that it sounds, but...how did you get over it?”
Beverly turned to look Jean-Luc in the eyes. “You.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. You came to me and held me while I cried and wiped away my tears and somehow I knew that as long as I had my best friend with me, I would be fine.” She paused and a mischievous smile graced her face. She smacked him in the chest. “So don’t ever do anything like that to me again.”
“Yes, dear.”