Startling Discovery [prt 2]

Posted on Wed Aug 31st, 2016 @ 1:51pm by

1,268 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: New Faces and Terror Beyond
Location: Bawden Den

Ayla was sitting in the common room of the Bawden's Den. Her head tilted forward and arms resting on the table. With hands both around a now cold tea.

Marcie lay sleeping in the playpen with more of her fuzz all over. What skin showing was a palest of pea green. Marcie would whimper with a soft hiss at the end of a whimper as she just laid there breathing a bit faster than normal.

What ever was going on was effecting the Mrs more than usual. The kids had been unwell before with mild fevers, little cough but nothing like this. I mean fur just kept coming out, even her hair once as full of life and vibrant as Ayla's now plain, lifeless and flat. It was no surprise that she was sat at the table taking a moments peace.

I stepped up behind her and gently laid my hands on her shoulders and started a massage, gentle in some places and firm in others. "I don't know what's happening babe, but we will find out ok?" I was trying to be the rock, the pillar of strength. Hard to be that when I'm just as clueless at what I'm up against. At least as a Marine I knew who the enemy was and I just had to pull a trigger.

Ayla leaned back against her mate, as she spoke. "Wez going have to take Marcie to the Infirmary. As wez are arriving at destination to deal with a bombing of a multi-Star empire Science conference." She sighed. "Iz am worried."

"I know things are a little patchy with Doctor Patrovski, but hes got the most experience with the kids, maybe we should call him and have him check." I worried, of course I'd worry Marcie was my Daughter, any parent would worry but I guess I was naive to think it wouldn't happen to us.

"Make the call." Ayla spoke softly as Marcie began to whimper. Ayla stood up and moved over to where Marcie was at and picked her up to comfort her. She cooed softly the way a mother would do to sooth and comfort a child. She got a cool wet rag and began to cool off Marcie.

Marcie sighed and snuggled within her Mother's familiar embrace.

"Iz am calling in sick to take care of mez baby." Ayla spoke as she moved to the rooms computer console. She activated it and called her Yeoman to inform her she was staying with her sick daughter. She still carried Marcie.

I opened a channel to Sickbay to make the call, it worried me about what was going on and for Ayla especially. Miracle had been ill before but this, this was different. "Hi, it's Commander Bawden here, is Doctor Patrovski available?"

"Doctor Patrovski here, ah Commander. What brings you to my computer screen?" Xavier had just finished updating a medical file from one of the crew who fell ill after eating too much.

"Doc, I need a favour. I don't suppose you could make a house call do you?" I asked, I didn't want to parade Marcie through the ship nor did I want people seeing Ayla, the First Officer not at her best or strongest. Hardly be a good image or moral boosting one.

"What's the matter?" Xavier asked, had to be pretty serious to ask him to drop by.

"It's Marcie, restless, irratable, hair falling out by the handful. The Mrs is freaking out here and I'm kind of helpless." I replied giving the man with the know how the run down.

"When did this start?"

"Today, I noticed it when I got home, stroked Marcie's hair and then covered in it." I replied.

"I'll be right there." Xavier closed the link and stood up. "Nurse, I'll be at Command Bawden's Quarters treating his Daughter, you can contact me there if I'm needed. I've also just finished updating Crewman Chars file as well."

I walked back to where Ayla was. "He's on his way."

Ayla looked up at Mark as she smiled at him, "Thank you. Inform Miracle she can stay at a friends for awhile. It would be much appreciated." She turned her attention to her youngest and brushed away the loose soft fur covering her body. She sighed softly as Marcie looked up at her mother with more pronounced slitted pupil iris eyes.

Xavier arrived at the door and chimed the announcer. What ever had happened must have been serious considering the reaction he observed from Mark. In his hand clutched his medical kit since he didn't know what to expect. He hoped it was nothing serious, but better to be prepared for it.

Ayla allowed access to the quarters. She was sitting on the couch with Marcie. She kept her cool with wet rags. There was a few on the floor at her feet that had a lot fine short hairs (fur) stuck to them.

Xavier walked in seeing Ayla sat with one of the children. Obvious where the problem was so headed straight to her. He noticed the rags on the floor, those used to keep the baby cool and the worried look upon her face. "Ok, let's have a look." He placed his kit on the floor kneeling in front of Ayla and opened his tricorder. Straight away he could tell something was up, having treated the kids for a while he was familiar with what he should be reading. The wrinkled brow was a give away. He looked into Marcie's eyes puzzled, then looked to Ayla. "Look at me please."

Ayla looked at Xavier, unsure of what he wanted. "Squeee?" softly puzzled tinged with worry.

I had that worried look as I watched Xavier do his thing. I stayed out of the way but off to one side. I saw that look, I knew what that meant. "What is it?"

Xavier sat back sitting on his foot with tricorder in hand. 'I've been treating your kids for a while now, I know what to expect but what I'm seeing here." Holding up the tricorder. "Is not what what I should be seeing."

"What do you mean?" Spit it out man, don't mince words.

Xavier leant forward and delicately lifted Marcie's lips, the tongue appeared before Marcie got upset. "Ayla, tongue out please." Xavier saw the difference immediately.

Ayla complied as ordered. Her tongue normal with rounded tip.

"I'll show you." Xavier pulled out a medical sample device and took a small sample of Marcie's blood then placed it on his portable scanner from within his kit. "Marcie is a genetic product of Mousian and Human DNA combining, each of you gave to her your dominant genes. Her looks for example from Ayla, the softened features from you." Xavier took a breath.

"Marcie is exhibiting reptilian genetic traits. The slit pupils, partially split tongue. None of which Ayla has and I'm detecting a minute cellular break down in her system." Xavier had to tread incredibly delicately. "The child is yours, undoubtedly, but the emergence of what's happened concerns me greatly."

[b]Concerns me greatly he says. It's my child hes talking about.[/b] "So...what does this mean Doc, keep it simple, lay it on the line?"

"I need to take Marcie to Sickbay for a full work up. I don't want to say more until I know what I'm dealing with." Xavier answered.

"I'm coming along!" Ayla wrapped up Marcie and then stood up. "it's gonna be okay mez little miceling! Doc Xavier is the bestest." She held onto Marcie to follow Xavier to the infirmary.

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