Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in I’m All the Family You Got

Posted by Major General Charles Tenkiller (Vice Commandant, Colonial Customs and Defense Agency) in I’m All the Family You Got

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in I’m All the Family You Got
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Sharah looked over her shoulder at Abby, “Doctors, researchers, people who thought I was an interesting specimen to ‘study’.” She turned back to the screen and finished typing and then submitted the report she was working on. She turned fully to face Abby then and leaned a hip against the counter. “From a fatal medical condition I have. Don’t worry, it’s not contagious.”

Sharah

Abby’s eyes narrowed. “Fatal?” She paused. “Fatal how? Does Chuck know?”

Abby

“Yes, he and Yavia both know. Though they are both convinced I will beat the odds.” Sharah sighed. “Perhaps I will, I have so far. Half the people with my condition die in infancy, the rest in early childhood. Only a handful of us ever survive to adulthood.”

Sharah

Abby kept her eyes on Sharah. “What is the condition? And why do you think you won’t beat it?”

Abby

“They call it ‘super-sensitivity’. As you know, I can hear thoughts. What it means is that I have an absolutely incredible range if distance and frequencies. It also means I can never ignore it, never turn it off. I have an over production of psilosynine in my brain and a hyper active paracortex. Eventually the hyper activity and high levels of chemical will short circut my neural pathways and cause a massive seizure and I will die.” She crossed her arms over herself, “I don’t know that I won’t beat it, I don’t know that I will. There isn’t enough research or knowledge about it. We are so small a part of the population, it isn’t worth the resources to research a cure.”

Sharah

Abby leaned forward and looked at Sharah. “You mean… because there are so few of you and something bad is happening, it’s better to just study what is happening than to try and save you. And maybe ‘your kind’ would be better off as a history lesson instead of a living, breathing embodiment of something special.” Her head tilted to side slightly and she looked very much like Charles in her expression of mild sarcasm. “You don’t say?”

Abigail Tenkiller

“It started out that way. We could go into the reasons and limitations of centuries past, but in essence, exactly that.” She unfolded her arms and stood up and stared at Abby. “Now though, they do not wish to relagate us to a paragraph in history, they want to erase us. Because not so long ago, someone like me, was evil. Truly evil, Abby. Why? I have no idea, but he was a serial killer the likes of you can’t imagine. Because he was evil and dangerous, now they would rather everyone like me should die and be forgotten, because they are afraid of what he did.”

Sharah

Abby looked at Sharah for a long time, obviously pondering something very complex and important. “Is that why you joined Star Fleet? To escape that mentality?”

Abigail Tenkiller

Sharah laughed, but it wasn’t humor, more irony. “In part. The first person to really accept me was a human science officer. He wasn’t afraid of me. He tried to help me even just a little bit. So I joined Star Fleet thinking I would find more acceptance if not friendship. More selfishly, I had also hoped that since there was no help there, I would find answers elsewhere.”

Sharah

“Did you find answers?” Abby asked, obviously seeing Sharah through a different lens. “Or did you just find more of the same? More judgement and people being afraid of you?”

Abigail Tenkiller

“Some of everything. There are always other Betazoids around, and they know instantly what I am. They feel obligated to warn others. Despite the many tele/empathic species in the Federation many still see us as witches. I have biyearly level 4 security screenings. There are people who would use me as a tool, a machine for their own agendas.” Sharah dropped her hands to her sides. “I have found more questions than I have answers. I understand myself a little better but not enough. I have friends for the first time in my life. Real friends, and not just people fascinated for a time. I have a psychiatrist who actually works to make connections with me and help me, not just go through the motions. And I have two really incredible people in my life. They are bright and unique and amazing people. They aren’t afraid, and they don’t care how quirky I am, they not only gave me a home but they want me in it. I love them and I thank the four gods for them every day.”

Sharah

Abigail was quiet for a long time. Then she said “You think less of yourself because you are special; and others wish they were. I’m the opposite side of that. I wish I was special, but I’m not. And worse, I’m not normal either.” and she looked down at her hands and busied herself with picking at the blanket.

“I used to be, you know.” Abby said. “When I was younger. I had a gift. I could sense what people felt, knew instinctively how to help them feel better. I started learning about traditional medicines and ways to heal. I was looked up to. People came to me for help.” and she sighed heavily. “And then came Charles. From the time he was born he was something else. And everyone loved him. And then Mary. And Mary was special… like you. Her gifts were so much greater than mine. She could everything I could by five that I could do at fourteen… and more.” She dropped the blanket and looked up at the ceiling. “I’m such a waste…”

Abigail