'Alexandria Robinson, that was her name before this...' Jesa thought, standing outside the room for a long time. After concluding her request with Alara, Jesa had walked down to her office, and all it took was one look at the mountain of padds through the fish tank window to make her turn around and walk the other direction. She would not be saddled with this today; more important things lay before her; which is what led her here.

Jesa had stood there for quite some minutes, looking at this sleeping figure. The woman, when she was alive, was a Medical Officer, one who tended to prefer the night shift, the reason that she and Jesa had never really met. Jesa remembered having seen her, but it was always in the background, they never really spoke. Her red hair framed her face, which looked a little pale, doubtlessly from the surgery.

She had been attempting to save someone, apparently, when the bulkhead, weakened from the blast, collapsed... there had been too much damage to her system and though her body still lived, she slipped into a coma. Her eyes were hazel, Jesa knew, though right now they were closed, apparently in sleep. She had just been promoted, due to exemplary service, to Lieutenant Junior grade. All that was gone now...

Jesa looked back at the padd, it appeared Alexandria was quite the focused young woman, having entered Starfleet Medical at the young age of fifteen. She was the only child in her family, and her biological father wasn't on file, only a stepfather was listed. Jesa remembered she was a kind woman, quiet, but yet perky, her hazel eyes had always had a snap to them as she looked about. Just then the woman's eyes fluttered open, and Jesa looked at her a moment before stepping through the doorway.

The commander took a step towards the woman's bedside, her blue-gray eyes locking with her hazel ones. Jesa started to say something, but then realized she had no idea what to call the woman... Laura? Alexandria? It seemed strange. The woman's eyes seemed to speak to her, and Jesa gently grasped her hand. "It's alright..."she said softly.

Laura nodded, speaking in an almost silent whisper. "Thank you..."

'Good, she's speaking already,' Jesa thought to herself, 'Fox did a very good job.' She looked down into Laura's eyes for a moment. "Do you know who I am?" she asked gently.

Laura nodded slowly in recognition.

Jesa looked down a moment, unsure of what to say. "I came..." she said softly "to see how you were doing..." a long pause stretched out before Jesa spoke again, "Because Dare will likely not be able to come see you again for a time. I told him I would watch over you." Jesa's eyes met hers, searching them for a reaction.

A small tear formed in the corner of Laura's eye hearing Dare's name spoken. She was so grateful for what he had given her... Laura has been overwhelmed by emotions that she knew nothing about and memories that were forming as the memory engrams slowly started to fit themselves into her cerebral cortex. Laura wanted to yell, wanted to scream, but from all her mental writhing she could only form a whisper.

Laura tried to form words and tell Jesa how much she wanted to see Dare... to thank him. But somehow she was unable to form the words. The red-haired woman swallowed hard, trying to rid herself of the lump that has formed in her throat. All Laura could do was nod, her eyes pleading, asking Jesa to tell her everything will be alright and she will see Dare again.

Jesa saw how much she was struggling with the words, so she gently touched her finger to the woman's lips. "Shh...no need to speak, just rest... If you wish to see him when you are stronger, I can arrange that... just rest now. It'll be alright." Jesa said; her heart going out to the young woman, as Dare was obviously the only thread she really thought she could trust and hold onto... false or true, it was what she believed.

At that moment the door burst open and through it flew a brown-haired streak that quickly took up a position directly behind Jesa, holding onto her waist and burying her head into the woman's side. Jesa's attention shifted and she put her hand on the girl's back comfortingly. "Stephi..." she said softly in recognition.

The poor child seemed bewildered and was shaking slightly, Jesa looked back at... Laura, and turned to Stephi. "What's wrong?" Jesa asked, kneeling down, holding Stephi gently to her. She didn't cry, she was silent, but fear seemed to emanate from her. "They---they---he's bleeding---they...." She said, burying her head into Jesa again as she cried softly. Jesa just held Stephi to her, wondering what this was all about, and where was Terah?

Stunned by the child's sudden entrance into the quiet sickbay Laura wasn't sure what to think searching her memory for this child but nothing came... Who was this small child...?

Jesa simply held Stephi as she cried, it was all she knew to do. The commander had never had much experience around children, save for Terah and her twin brother when they were children. But that was a much different case. Suddenly Stephi gave a little gasp as she realized there was someone else in the room and she shyly peeked around Jesa's body to look at the woman lying in the bed.

"Jesa, she looks like me." The child whispered, utterly entranced by this woman, seeming to have forgotten what she was crying about. Jesa thought this might be a small blessing after all. Turning her attention to Laura, whose eyes were equally transfixed on the girl... she thought that it might be a blessing indeed, perhaps for both of them.

Laura whispered, "Jesa, who is this child? I don't recall her."

Jesa moved a little more towards Laura's bedside. "That's because I only came across her last night... I found her stowing away on the Isannah... hiding under my bed. Her name is Stephanie Moss... or Stephi." Jesa said in soothing tones, stroking the girl's hair.

Laura nodded still transfixed on this little girl.

Stephi's voice was a whisper, as she looked up at Jesa. "Who's she? And why is she staring at me?"

Jesa smiled down at Stephi, then looked over at Laura to see if she wanted to answer it. Not knowing what to say Laura nodded to Jesa to answer the child.

It was a harder question to answer than Jesa might have thought... especially regarding Laura's... transplant. Jesa thought for a moment and then spoke. "She's someone who has been on the ship you were hiding on... for a long time. She was hurt badly and is now recovering... And she's probably staring because you're the first child she's seen since she woke up, and as you said... you look like her." Jesa said, softly. This seemed to satisfy Stephi.

Still staring at Stephi Laura nodded to Jesa in approval. "Stephi what was it you were trying to say when you came in?" Laura spoke softly.

The girl blinked, then thought a moment. "A man got hurt... hurt bad... her sister---" she pointed at Jesa "tried to help... then some other people came. One tried to take me, I was scared. I ran..." Stephi said, matter of factly. Jesa's brow furrowed, she'd have to check into this more. At least that explained why Terah wasn't there with her.

Concern came over Laura wondering who got hurt and where they were and what happened. Laura guessed it was the medical side of her kicking in. Jesa saw Laura shift, and spoke. "Don't worry, if Terah was involved, she wouldn't leave the person's side until they were in safe hands..." she looked down at Stephi "I'm just glad you're safe."

Laura smiled seeing a tender side of Jesa that was rarely ever shown. Jesa just looked down, smiling at Stephi and gently touching the girl's back. She thought earlier about what Tyne had said about family, and how some part of Jesa so longed for that. But she shook herself back to the present, looked at Laura and spoke. "Laura? Oh... is it alright if I call you that? Unless there is something else you wish to be called."

"No ma'am, I want to be called Laura... I have chosen to take the name my creator, Jelandra Gear, gave me. Laura is what I wish to be called," Laura said with a smile and a slight increase in the volume of her voice.

Jesa smiled slightly, a part of her still confused about just... who or what Laura actually was, but she kept that hidden. Jesa stood up and gently reached down to take Stephi's hand. The girl looked up at her and smiled a sweet smile, one which Jesa returned. Then Jesa addressed Laura; "We should let you rest now... I also need to check out this incident... see what happened. I'll visit you tomorrow if that is alright with you."

Laura nodded in response to Jesa, "I would like that"

Jesa smiled slightly and looked down at Stephi. "We need to leave now."

Stephi nodded, and waved at Laura before following Jesa out of the woman's room. Laura raised her arm and waved back to the little girl that just brightened her day. Stephi let out a small giggle in happiness as she stepped out of the room holding Jesa's hand. The commander couldn't help but look down at Stephi, the child walked along oblivious to the thoughts going through Jesa's head.

Alexandria Robinson... that was the rightful personality born to this body, and she once was a little girl like Stephi. She had dreams, desires, goals, family, friends... and all that was destroyed when she slipped from consciousness, never to awaken again as that woman who grew up with that life. Would Alexandria have woken up again of her own accord? That was a question Jesa could not answer.

But even the hope of her, the essence of what made Alexandria... Alexandria... was gone forever. These thoughts troubled Jesa, there was no singly obvious right answer, not as she had made Killean think she knew there was. And all that Jesa knew was that they were here and the damage... though unable to be measured, had been done. Now they had to deal with the results... Jesa glanced down at Stephi... all of them would be affected with the consequences.

Loaded: 05.26.2004