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“Johnny, I’m not...I’m not going to make it.” Captain Jean-Luc Picard looked down at his best friend on the ground. They were on a dicey mission and Jack Crusher had been shot multiple times in the process of trying to protect his captain and crew. They managed to drag him away from the fighting, and Jean-Luc had barked orders into his communicator for a medic or an emergency beam-up.
“Don’t talk like that, Jack. Medics are on their way. They’ll take care of you. You’ll be fine. We’ll be on our way to see Beverly and Wesley soon.” Jean-Luc exchanged a look with their other best friend, Walker Keel. Walker was trying to keep it together, but tears were coursing down his face and he dropped to his knees to grab his friend’s hand.
“Stay with us, Jacky.”
“I.....can’t....” Jack’s breathing became laboured and Jean-Luc panicked and shouted at one of the other members of the crew.
“Where is the medic?!”
“They can’t beam down, Sir. Too much interference.”
“Well then, find me a field med kit!”
“Yes, Sir!”
“Johnny....Jean-Luc....” Jean-Luc knelt on the ground and brought his face close to Jack’s so he could hear him.
“I’m here, buddy. We’re not leaving you until we know you’re in good hands.” Jack attempted a smile.
“No. Johnny...I want you to promise me something. Please.”
“Anything, Jack. You know that.” Jack’s blue eyes locked onto Jean-Luc’s hazel ones as he spoke.
“Promise me you’ll take care of Beverly and Wesley. Wesley will need a father in his life....”
“Jack, you’re going to be fine. Stop talking nonsense.”
“Jean-Luc, promise me.” Jean-Luc looked over Jack’s body to Walker, who just shrugged at him. Jack and Walker hardly ever called him Jean-Luc, always using his nickname from their Academy days. Jack was being utterly serious and Jean-Luc didn’t know what to do. He glanced at Jack and slowly held up his left hand and rested it against his chest.
“I promise if anything happens to you, I will take care of Beverly and Wesley. I promise to remain in Wesley’s life and be the father figure he needs....but I won’t need to, because you’re going to be fine.”
“Marry Bev. She’d like that. She likes you, you know.” Jean-Luc chuckled.
“Yeah, Jacky, I like her too. She’s an amazing woman and a wonderful mother.” Jack coughed and blood came out of his mouth.
“You....love her.”
“I love all of my friends, Jack. I love you and Walker, too.” Walker rolled his eyes.
“Ugh. Don’t go mushy on us now, Johnny.” Jean-Luc tried to smile and laugh at Walker, but they could both see that Jack was struggling to breathe and his skin was becoming ashen. A medkit was thrust into Jean-Luc’s hand and he released Jack’s hand to paw through the kit. He found a hypospray, but he didn’t know what it contained. Figuring it couldn’t hurt, he pressed it to Jack’s neck and passed some gauze to Walker to press against the wound on Jack’s chest. Jean-Luc used one of the cloths to dab away the blood that seeped out of the corner of Jack’s mouth.
“Johnny....promise to love Bev. Please! I need to know she’ll be loved....” Jean-Luc gave him a wry smile.
“Alright. I promise that if anything happens to you, I will tell your wife that I love her and I will sweep her off her feet and marry her. But we’ll all laugh about this tomorrow in my quarters over a glass of whisky.”
“Tell Bevvy...I love her...and I approve....” Jean-Luc and Walker looked as Jack took his last breath.