Energize (Star Trek TNG: Will Riker)

[anikadicara]

***

Out in the hallway, Riker sniffled thickly and realized he’d left his box of tissues on Troi’s table.  Unwilling to wake her again, he reluctantly headed back to his quarters while keeping a hand pressed against his nose.  Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he was still far from healthy.  

As he walked Riker briefly wondered whether his plan to drop in on Ambassador Selwyn was a mistake; he was beginning to feel lightheaded again.  But he’d skipped out on the last two days of meetings, and tomorrow evening the Enterprise was scheduled to leave Septicon 5.  He had to take the opportunity.

Back in his quarters Riker went straight for the tissues; he blew his nose several times then crashed forward with a cascade of hoarse sneezes. “HutCHHH!  huhrruuuTTCHHH!  huhSHHHH! hhh...hhhhhhUUUUURRRRTTSSCHhhhh!” he grimaced, pulling another bunch of tissues and pouring his streaming nose into them again.

Once his nose was sufficiently dry and he could breathe a little bit, Riker collapsed on his bed, massaging his hands over his face.  He couldn’t believe only a couple hours ago he woke up feeling decent.  It was as if his body was punishing him for getting out of bed, for having the audacity to walk to sickbay and to Troi’s quarters.  Maybe just a quick nap before Engineering.

Riker set his alarm for ten minutes, but just as he was drifting off to sleep his nose betrayed him.  “Hhhh… hhhuuuTTSSHHHH!”  Well, so much for that idea.

Grabbing one of the many boxes of tissues that now littered his quarters, Riker set out for Engineering despite the fog in his head and the protest of his muscles.  He arrived to find a Security lieutenant he didn’t recognize blocking the door.

“Whad’s goig od?” said Riker, straining his voice just to be heard.

“Essential personnel only in Engineering today, Sir,” said the lieutenant, not betraying any sign that he noticed the state of the senior officer’s voice. “Commander LaForge’s orders.”  He stepped aside and admitted Riker, who silently waved a hand in thanks.

LaForge and Selwyn were standing at the table that housed the mysterious cube; the other members of the Engineering team were working at their stations but kept glancing over their shoulders at the cube, which pulled Riker’s eyes as strongly as it had the first time he saw it.  Riker approached the table.

“Commander,” said Selwyn, her eyes probing his. “Nice of you to join us.” 

“Abbassador,” he rasped. “I apologize, I’ve lost by voice.”

“You sound terrible,” she said, her face inscrutable.

“Still sick,” he switched to a whisper - it was hard to hear, but at least his voice wouldn’t give out entirely.  “I’b sorry I haved’t beed up to seeig you.”

“Seems to be going around,” she said, nodding toward LaForge, who had just ducked into his elbow.

“HASSHhoo!”

Riker put a hand on LaForge’s shoulder and handed him one of his tissues, giving him a sympathetic look.

“Thanks.”  LaForge straightened up, sniffed into the tissue, and said “We’ve got a real mystery here, and I’d like to get it solved before I feel like you do.”

“I’b gettig over …. it... hhhhhuuurRRRRRRUUSSHHHhhh!” Riker sneezed into a tissue and immediately blew his nose, negating anything he’d been about to say about recovery.

“Sounds that way,” said LaForge dryly.  “Anyway.  I was just filling Ambassador Selwyn in on our finding.  It’s one of the densest materials I’ve ever encountered - we need tractor beams just to move it.  And it’s got zero energy readings, but the air around it is full of unexplained fluctuations.  The fluctuations definitely follow the object, if I move it to the other side of the room--” LaForge pointed a portable tractor beam at the cube and moved it several feet -- “I see the strange patterns most strongly on that side.”

All of the engineers in the room had stopped any pretense of working at their consoles; their eyes had followed the cube across the room and stayed glued to it.  

“We thidk this is causing the energy readigs od the pladet?” Riker tried to ask - but his voice had all but given out entirely.

“What was that, Commander?” asked Selwyn politely.

“Do you recogdize?” he asked her, pointing at the cube for emphasis

“What?”

“Do you dow-” his voice cracked. “Dow what this is?”

“Say that again, Commander?” There was a note of frustration in Selwyn’s voice now.

“What I think Commander Riker is trying to ask,” said LaForge, stepping in, “is whether you know what this object is.  Have you come across anything like it in the Sorba sector before?  If we could understand what it is and how it works, it could help us unlock the mystery of your planet’s massive natural power.” 

Riker nodded gratefully at LaForge, and then pulled several tissues from his box and sneezed tiredly into them. “huhrrUSSHhh! rusSHHHH!”

“Those are all over the place,” said the Ambassador, talking over Riker’s noseblowing, “They’re just part of the ground.  They don’t serve any purpose that I know of.  But I am a diplomat, not an engineer.”  

“Well, we’re interested in it," said LaForge.  "With your permission, Ambassador, I’d like to keep this in our lab for one more day.  I want every opportunity I can get to study it, and so does the rest of the team.”  

Riker noticed that most of Geordi’s team was still staring at the cube; only a few had pulled themselves back to work, and even they kept flickering their gaze back toward the mysterious object.  It really was quite beautiful, Riker himself had to constantly keep from staring at it.

“That’s fine by me,” said Selwyn. “You’ve shown us more than enough medical technology, best I can do to return the favor is let you keep that thing.”

“Will do, thank you Ambassador.” said Geordi.  “I’d shake your hand, but I don’t want you to end up like us.”  He indicated himself and Riker, who was once again blowing his nose.

“I don’t get sick,” said Selwyn dismissively.  “I think Commander Riker proved that to me a few days ago.”  A wink.  Geordi raised an eyebrow.

“Okay then,” he said, holding out a hand.  “Thank you, Ambassador.”

“Pleasure.”  She shook his hand, then turned to Riker.  “How about an early lunch?  Get some food, make up for lost time?”

It was a testament to how absorbed the engineers were by the cube that none of them sniggered at the Ambassador’s blatant come-on.  Even Riker didn’t register it at first; he was torn between trying not to focus too much on the cube and trying not to sneeze again.

“Commander Riker?” Selwyn tried again to get his attention.  He held up a hand, then crashed into the balled-up tissue he already held.

“huhUUUSSHHH!  Sorry,” he whispered, nose still pinched in the tissue. “Ludch?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Riker blew his nose and straightened up. “I’b dot sure I’b the best cobpady,” he said. “You cad barely hear be.”

“We can go somewhere quiet.  How about a tour of your quarters?”

Riker smiled at her; even in his weakened state it was hard to resist her forwardness and her relentless energy. “Cobe od, thed.”  He led her out of Engineering, pulling a few tissues for himself and leaving the box at Geordi’s station.  Geordi raised a resigned hand in thanks.
 

***

[fraggle]

Oof, this is so compelling, every time I can't wait for the next part. You've nailed the characters too.

[anikadicara]

***

“I’m sorry, Commander, but I just can’t understand you.”  Selwyn raised her eyebrows at Riker, who had been valiantly trying to ask her about her last few days with the Enterprise crew but finding that the more he tried to use his voice, the more it protested.

Riker sighed. “That’d whad… you...huuuTSSHH! you get for tryig to do ludch with a sick persod,” he whispered, blowing his nose for the millionth time.

“What?”

“I’b sorry,” he sighed, throwing the tissue away. “Frustratig for be too.”

Selwyn reached for his hand; she took it in both of hers. “You know, there are ways to socialize without using your voice.”

He met her gaze.  His foggy brain was aware that in any other circumstance, he was living out a fantastic fantasy.  “Oh really?”

“Really.”  And Selwyn leaned forward and kissed him, her soft lips pressing against his, her hands sliding through his hair, pushing his face into hers.  Riker’s whole body tingled with desire; as least some of him was awake.  But he was also suffocating.

“I’b sorry,” he said, pulling away. “I cad’t breathe.”

“Do I take your breath away?” she purred, leaning in again.

“Id bore ways thad ode,” he whispered as she kissed his neck.  “You’re abazig.”  Her tongue was in his ear.  His hands found her hair, and for the next several minutes they were entwined, Riker occasionally having to pull back to breathe through his mouth.  Selwyn, undaunted, kept coming back for more.

They found themselves on Riker’s bed, Selwyn’s body a blur of energy and Riker - in an unusual and disturbing turn of events for him - struggling to keep up.  The charge of her body on his made it difficult to think or feel anything that was not her skin on his, which is why Riker’s enormous sneeze snuck up on him entirely.

“huhRRRUUUUSSHHHHOO!”  It tore out of his throat and his nose, spraying Selwyn’s face and breasts.  She did not loosen her grip on him, or stop moving.  He pushed her away. “RRRRUUSHHOOO!”  Rolling over, Riker grabbed for the tissues and buried his nose in them to blow.

Selwyn leaned into him again, running a hand slowly up his leg.

“I’b sorry,” Riker groaned after emerging from his tissues. “By body’s just dot cooperating with be.”

“I don’t mind,” she purred, pressing her body against his again.

“Well, I do,” said Riker.  “I’b so sorry.  I feel awful.  I can’t do this.”

Selwyn climbed off him.  “That’s really too bad,” she said. “Maybe you can rest now and we’ll try again in an hour.”

Riker shook his head.  “I’ve dode dothing but rest for the last three days.  I just cad’t seeb to shake this thig.”  To his horror, Riker felt tears spring to his eyes.  This must be the saddest, most embarrassing moment of diplomatic relations ever to befall a Starfleet officer.  He swiped at his eyes with a fresh tissue, hoping to pass off the watering as another symptom of his cold.

“Your engineer seems to be in the same position,” observed Selwyn.

“Geordi?”  Riker blew his nose wetly; decorum - and his pride - had gone out the window long ago.

“He was also apologizing for his weakened state.  This seems to happen to your people quite a lot.”

“It’s by fault, I’ve beed spreadig it aroud the ship,” Riker whispered, feeling sorry for himself. “I’b at least …. Glad… I’ve sobehow spared you….. huuuRRRRRSSHhhh!”  He bent into his elbow.

 To his surprise, Selwyn passed him a tissue. “Thadks,” he said, raising his head and giving her a quizzical look.

“I’ve noticed this is what you do for each other,” she said, indicating the tissue.  “I’m sorry for upsetting you, Commander.”

So she had noticed his tears.  “You didn’t upset be,” he said, then blew his nose and tried to clear his throat. “I’b just-” his voice cracked immediately, and he returned to a whisper. “I’m just frustrated at my situation.  Here with a beautiful woman, unable to entertain her.”

“I understand that you didn’t do this on purpose,” said Selwyn.  She was looking at him with curiosity.  “Is this why you’re interested in my planet’s energy?  To stop your crew from being weakened by illness?”

“Cad your pladet’s edergy do that?” Riker croaked.  

“Not that I know of.  I’m just saying, I’ve never met such a susceptible group of people.”

Riker gave her a sad smile. “Id’s dot that we’re weak id gederal,” he said, swiping at his nose with a balled-up tissue. “I’ve just brought this ship a dasty cold.  I’b afraid you’ll be feelig this way too sood edough, given how buch tibe we’ve just spedt together.”

“I’ll be fine,” said Selwyn dismissively, then she jumped as Riker bent forward with an enormous sneeze.

‘HHHARRRRUUUSSHHHHhhhh! Uhhhh…” Riker massaged his throat; that one hurt.  Groaning, he hoisted himself out of bed. “Tea?” he whispered to Selwyn.

“No thank you, Commander.”

Riker crossed the room to his replicator and attempted to order tea for himself, but that last sneeze had taken away what little voice he had left.  “Tea!” he repeated over and over in his loudest whisper.  The replicator did nothing.  He was exhausted, he felt awful, and was at the end of his rope.  He wished Selwyn would leave; he did not want her to see him cry again.  Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.  Then he heard Selwyn beside him.

“Hot tea,” she commanded in her strong voice.  A steaming mug appeared in the replicator.  “Drink up, Commander.  If you’re still incapacitated tomorrow, this is my parting gift to you.  Be well.”  She handed Riker the tea, then held out her hand. 

Riker set the tea down on his table, then took her extended hand in both of his.  “Thadk you,” he whispered. “I’b sorry I was so sick, but it was a pleasure spendig tibe with you.” He kissed her hand, and she pulled him forward and locked her lips on his.  They stayed that way until Riker couldn’t breathe, at which point he extricated himself, bid Selwyn one last goodbye, and crashed down on his bed as soon as the door shut behind her.
 

***

Edited June 24, 2020 by anikadicara

[fraggle]

Wow, he must be sick to turn down some action! This is so good.

[anikadicara]

***

Riker woke himself up sneezing a few hours later. “SSSHhhh! hupSSHHHH!  HuhRRSSHHh!”  He blew his nose, noticing that for the first time in days he was actually able to clear his head for a minute.  He lifted himself out of bed and downed the cold tea that Selwyn had left on his table before she left.

He was still full of embarrassment about their afternoon; it was humiliating to have his body give up on him so completely.  Standing alone in his quarters, feeling frustrated and sad and sick, Riker knew that there was only one person he wanted to talk to.  Not bothering to look at himself in the mirror - he knew he looked awful -  he grabbed a box of tissues and headed to Troi’s quarters.

It took several attempts at ringing her door before Riker heard her call groggily, “Who is it?”

“It’s Will,” he croaked, and to his pleasant surprise his voice had some volume to it again.  It was still several registers lower than his normal tone - to be honest he sounded a bit like Worf - but it was still something.

“Cobe id,” said Troi, and Riker entered her quarters to find her in the exact same spot she’d been in that morning, lying in bed, but looking a good deal more miserable.  Her eyes were watery, her nose an angry red, and her cheeks flushed with fever.

Riker immediately crossed the room to her, but as he approached her bed she held up a hand to stop him. “hhh..hhhhKTSCHHOOoo!’  KTCHHooo!”  she pitched forward into a stack of tissues in her hands, then blew her nose and slumped back against the pillows.  “I’b sorry,” she said.  “Hi.”

“Hi.  How are you feelig?” Riker asked, his voice cracking.  He sat on the edge of her bed and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead.

“I feel about as good as you look,” she said, smiling weakly up at him.

“Gee, thanks,” he responded, pulling his hand away from her forehead. “You still have a fever.”

“I dow,” she said, leaning her head against his chest.  As she did so, her hair brushed against Riker’s already sensitive nose.  He lurched into his elbow.

“huRUUSHHHHooo!  RUUSHHoo!  RUSSHooo!  rruUTCHshhoo!  huhRRRUUUSHhhh!  God,” he groaned as Troi passed him some tissues, “We bake quite a pair.”  He tented the tissues over his nose and sat like that for a few seconds; Troi looked up at him.

“You okay?” she asked.

“Just decidig…. If I deed to sdneeze agaid..” he panted, nose still buried in tissues.  Troi rubbed his forearm in sympathy as his eyes fluttered shut and his breath hitched.  “Huhhh…  uhhhh… HHhuuh…”

Troi pulled some tissues out of the box and blew her nose thickly as Riker continued to struggle; even through his watery, half-closed eyes he managed to give her a concerned look at the sound.

“I’b at that phase where by dose wod’t stop ruddig,” she complained, and Riker finally lurched forward into his tissues.

“hhhhuhhhrrrRRUUUSHHoo!  RRRRUSHHoo!  RUSHHooo!  RRRUUShhoo!” He grabbed for more tissues, tossing his used ones aside and blowing loudly alongside Troi.

When they’d both finished, they lowered their respective tissues, looked at each other, and started to laugh.  Pretty soon they were both coughing, and Troi brought more tissues to her face.

“This is ode of the worst colds I’ve ever had,” she complained as she blew her nose yet again.

“That’s because it’s ode of bide,” said Riker. “Go big or go hobe, that’s by body’s philosophy.”

“Is it really?” said Troi, raising her eyebrows.

“Today dot idcluded,” Riker winced at the memory of Selwyn in his bed.  Troi seemed to sense his shift in mood.

“Will?  What happened?”

He signed. “Adother tough day with Abassador Selwyd.”  Troi just looked at him. “I let her dowd agaid,” he said, and the embarrassment in his face told Troi everything she needed to know.

“You’re sick, Will.  It’d dot your fault.”

“Still,” said Riker as he flopped back against Troi’s pillows, resting his head on her chest. “It feels bad.”

Troi planted a soft kiss on his forehead. “I dow,” she said with a sniffle.  “But you’ll get better - we both will - ad who dows, baybe sobeday we’ll cross paths with Selwyd agaid ad you can show her who you really are.”  She pulled more tissues from the box and tried again to clear her nose.

“I dod’t deed to see that wobad ever agaid,” Riker groaned. “Cad I just stay id this roob forever?”

“Fide with be,” said Troi, tossing her tissue aside and stroking Riker’s hair.  They stayed like that for a few minutes until Troi’s sniffling increased and she pulled away. “Hhh..  hhhuuuKKTCHShhoOO!  huhTSHHoo!” Riker sat up and passed her more tissues.

“Bless you,” he said, rubbing her back as she blew her nose.

“Thadks,” she said, lying back down.  She drew the blankets tightly around her.  Riker noticed she was shivering a bit.

“You cold?” he asked her.

“A little,” she said. “It’s just the fever.”

“Have you eated adything?”

“I’b dot very hudgry.”

“Be either, but we still have to eat.  Soup’s od be this tibe,” he joked, and made to get up.

“Lie here with be for ode bore bidute?” Troi asked, pulling him closer to her.  She so rarely asked for anything.  Riker couldn’t say no - nor did he want to.

“Of… course… huhRUSHhoo!  So log as you dod’t bide beig sdeezed od.”  He lay down with her, and closed his eyes.  Just for a minute.

***
 

[anikadicara]

***

Riker ended up spending the night in Troi’s quarters; they’d fallen asleep for over an hour, groggily eaten some soup, and crashed again.  Troi tossed and turned with fever; Riker taught her the old Earth remedy of a cool washcloth on her forehead.  He was feeling better himself but awful for her; he knew exactly how terrible the height of this cold was.

At some point he’d fallen fast asleep himself, and they both awoke to the sound of their communicators. “LaForge to Sedior Staff, please report to the Observation Loudge.  As sood as you cad, please.”

“He souds like us,” Riker groaned. “I spread this thidg like the plague.”  He reached for a tissue and gave his nose a long blow. 

“Uhhgh,” Troi moaned, not sitting up but instead rolling over and burying her face in her pillow.  Riker tossed his used tissue aside and rubbed her back.

“How do you feel?” he asked her, knowing the answer.

“Awful. I’b goig to have … to… huhnnNKTCH! hhhNGCHh! Sit this ode out,” she said congestedly.  Riker handed her tissues, and she rolled over and tried to blow her nose.  “Ugh, dothig’s happedig,” she moaned.

“That was the worst part of this, when you’re so blocked up you can’t get anything out.  I hated that,” he said sympathetically, rubbing her back again.  “But it goes away.”  He felt so guilty, and so sorry for Troi, that it took him several seconds to realize that his latest noseblow had actually cleared his own nose enough to hear his consonants.  Probably only briefly, he thought wryly, as a familiar prickle began deep in his sinuses.

“You go to the beetig,” said Troi, rolling over and looking up at Riker with fever-bright eyes. “Brig Geordi by regrets, ad tell be what they say.”

“Of course,” sniffled Riker, reaching for the tissues and holding a couple in front of his face as his breath hitched. “Hhh… hhhh… hhuuRRUUSSHHSHoo!”  He blew his nose again.

“You’ve got your voice back,” Troi said with a small smile.  Riker laughed, tossing the tissue across the room and missing the trash can by several feet.

“True.  Though it’s a lot more baritone.  Does it make me sound sexy?”  He waggled his eyebrows, but ruined the moment by bending into his elbow with another loud “huhRUSSHhoo!”

“Very sexy,” said Troi tiredly, rolling back over and burying her face in her pillow.  Riker blew his nose once more, then planted a soft kiss on the top of Troi’s head.

“Go back to sleep.  I’ll find out what Geordi has to say.”

***

[silentdreamer789]

Loving this so much!

[Xsneezelover3932]

Amazing!! I love this story so much! You are doing a great job! Can’t wait to read more!!

[anikadicara]

***

To Riker’s surprise, he was one of the first to enter the observation lounge.  The only people who’d beaten him there were LaForge, who was blowing his nose, and Data, who was watching him with bright curiosity.  LaForge balled up his used tissue and tossed it onto the table with several others.

“If the purpose of expelling your nasal excretions in paper is to avoid transmitting a virus to those around you, does depositing that paper on the table not expose others to that same risk?” asked Data.

LaForge sighed.  “You’re right, Data.  But I’b just too tired to keep gettig up to throw theb away.”

“Ah,” said Data.  He stood up, located the trash can, and moved it to his suffering friend's side.  “Now there is no need to get up.”

“Thadks, Data,” said LaForge, massaging his temples.  

“Very thoughtful of you, Data,” Riker smiled as he took the empty seat on LaForge’s other side.  “How are you feeling, Commander?”

“A little rough,” said LaForge, “But it’s beside the poidt right dow.  We’ve got a real situation od our hads.”

“The cube?” Riker guessed.  

LaForge nodded.  “Eved people's pets have started showig up id edgideering.  Dogs are growlig at it, barkig.  It’s like a farb id there.”

“Sounds chaotic,” said Riker, still not sure why this justified an emergency meeting, but at that moment a huge sound exploded on the other side of the door causing both he and Geordi to jump in alarm.  

“HAATTCHHAAA!” Worf stood on the threshold, breathing loudly as he recovered from his thunderous sneeze.  “Sorry,” he said to Dr. Crusher, who was behind him and had stumbled backward in surprise.

“Bless you, Leutedant,” she said hoarsely, handing him tissues from the box she carried and then pulling one for herself.  “Hhh… huTCHH!  CHHHshho!”

“What’d you do, infect the whole ship?” LaForge asked Riker as their colleagues took seats around the table, sniffling and coughing into their tissues.

“Sorry everybody,” said Riker, his voice deep and gravelly with his cold.  “I tried to keep it… to.. byself… hurRUTTCHhoo!” he bent into his elbow, then pulled some tissues and blew his nose loudly.

“Actually, I rebeber havig to relieve you of duty after you sdeezed all over the bridge,” said a raspy voice from the doorway.  The captain had joined them, and he looked the worst of everybody.  He was visibly shaking, his nostrils an angry red around the edges, his watery eyes swollen.  

“I thought I codfide you to quarters,” said Dr. Crusher, getting up and holding out a steadying hand to the captain.

“I’b fide,” he said impatiently, waving her away and gingerly taking a seat. “Bister LaForge, report.”

“Should we wait for coudselor Troi?” asked LaForge.

“She sends her regrets,” said Riker. “She’s really sick today, didn’t feel up to making the trip.”

“Tell be about it,” said LaForge. “I’ll try to keep this brief, I dow we’re all id the sabe boat and would rather be id bed.  But I’ve got real codcerns about this object we’ve brought up frob Septicod 5.  After doticig that dogs react to it with alarb, we rad a soud wave freq-”

‘hhhnnngggxxxsSHH!”

“Bless you, Captaid,” said LaForge. 

“hhhnnngCHHXX!  kkktTTCHHH! hhhhnnnngggXXXXcchh!”  Picard was doubled over in his seat; without emerging from his elbow he waved a hand at LaForge indicating that he should go on, while continuing to sneeze.  “hhhnnnnNNNGGGSHHhhh!” He sounded painfully congested.  

LaForge tore his eyes away from him with great effort; none of them had ever seen their captain lose control like that.  He cleared his throat and continued his briefing, trying to ignore the sound of Picard’s sneezing.

“We rad a soud wave frequedcy scad, ad foud that the cube is… ebittig… hold od…” he accepted the tissue that Riker held out to him, tenting it over his nose and pitching forward with a strong “HAAASHHhhoo!  Hhh….. hhhAAASHHhhhoo!”  

“hhhhuuuUTCHHXxxx!” The Captain’s continuing fit blended with LaForge’s sneezes; LaForge blew his nose while Picard merely pinched his in a tissue.

“Cobbader LaForge,” said Dr. Crusher as LaForge threw his tissue away, “Everyode id this room deeds to rest, byself idcluded.  Why dod’t we postpone this beetig a day or two ad solve this bystery thed?”

“Due respect, Doctor, we cad’t afford to,” said LaForge.  “I was sayig that we rad a soud wave frequedcy scad, ad foud huge dumbers of high frequedcy ebissions at such a pitch that they cad’t be detected by the hubad ear.  But they cad idterfere with the ship’s electrical systebs, ad, gived the behavior of by crew id edgideering, our owd braids.  This thig cad’t stay here.”

“Is this why we’re sick?” asked Worf, who had been uncharacteristically quiet.  “Ad alied object pladted here to weaked us?”  He growled at the stuffy sound of his own voice, pulled a stack of tissues from the box in front of Dr. Crusher, and blew his nose with earsplitting force.

“Easy, Lieutedadt, you’ll bust ad eardrub,” said Dr. Crusher, placing a hand on his forearm. 

“I was gettig sick before Geordi’s teab brought it aboard,” interjected Riker, pulling a tissue from the box in front of him and raising it to his nose as he continued to talk.  “I dod’t thidk the cube caused our colds.  But it does seeb like it could be the source of Septicod 5’s stradge edergy readigs, ad the source of the pladet’s datural power.”  He blew his nose and threw the tissue at the trash can beside LaForge missing by a foot.

“But why is it givig our crew headaches and obsessive thoughts, while the Septuagedariads are unaffected?” wondered Dr. Crusher.  “There bust be sobethig… huhKTTCHhoo!  Excuse be, sobethig id their physiology that protects theb frob it’s effects.”  She blew her nose and rested her forehead in her hands.  “I just wish it were easier to codcedtrate.  I deed to thidk,” she complained.

“Geordi’s right,” said Riker. “This thing can’t stay on the ship.  We’re all sick, the crew’s getting headaches, curious people and animals are taking over engineering,.. if we keep this thing, pretty soon nobody on the Enterprise will be able to function.”

“I agree with the Commander,” said Data.  “We should return the cube to Ambassador Selwyn, and instruct her engineering team to run sound wave frequency scans and provide us with detailed analysis of its emissions and their effects on its surroundings.  Neurological scans of Septuagenarians who come in contact with the object can be compared to those that Dr. Crusher has taken of the crew, and from there we can determine the physiological differences that make their species immune to its effects and our crew susceptible.”

A short silence, then LaForge said quietly, “Sorry, Data, by braid’s workig a little slow.  Would you bide repeatig that?”  Data cocked his head, then looked around the table.  LaForge and Worf were looking at him blankly with watery eyes, Worf breathing raggedly through his mouth.  Dr. Crusher was blowing her nose softly into a stack of tissues.  Captain Picard’s eyes were at half mast, he was leaning on his elbow and looked like he could fall asleep at any moment.  Only Riker looked somewhat alert, though his nose was twitching in anticipation of a brewing sneeze.

“Commander,” said Data, addressing Riker, “I believe I should be the one to return the object to the planet.  I am healthy, and it will give the rest of you an opportunity to rest.”

“I appreciate the offer, Data,” said Riker, his nose twitching and eyes narrowing as he pulled out yet another tissue.  “But I dow … Abassador Selwyd… ad… huhRUUSSHHoo! I should be the ode to returd it,” he finished, nose buried in the tissue.  He blew, then said “Anyway, I’m feeling a lot better.”

“You still dod’t soud healthy, Cobbander,” said Dr. Crusher, looking at him skeptically as he wiped his nose.

“No,” Riker admitted, “I’m not.  But I’m a hell of a lot healthier than I was yesterday, and I owe the Ambassador the courtesy of returning this myself.  I’ll make it a quick visit,” he promised.

Dr. Crusher sighed; it was clear she didn’t have the energy to fight him on this.  “If you bust,” she said. “But after that, bed.”

“Same to you, Doctor,” said Riker. “I’m sorry again, everybody.”

“hhhnnnnxxXXXCHhoo!” Picard replied.

***

Edited July 7, 2020 by anikadicara

[silentdreamer789]

Amazing! Nice to see them all together!

[anikadicara]

***

“Feeling better, sir?” Chief O’Brien asked as Riker stepped onto the transporter pad, a heavy case containing the cube beside him.

“Marginally,” said Riker, “I’ll feel a lot better when this thing’s safely away from Engineering.”  As he’d walked from Engineering to the transporter room pulling the cube with a portable tractor beam, Riker had felt the eyes of every passing crew member on him; the cube drew their attention like a magnet.

“Well you sound awful,” O’Brien observed upon hearing Riker’s deep scratchy voice. “I hope you get some good time off after this.”

“Here’s to hoping,” said Riker, clearing his throat.  “I feel like I could sleep for a year.  But for now, I’m ready when you are.  Energize.”

O’Brien activated the transporter, and Riker’s form shimmered away and rematerialized in Selwyn’s office.

“Commander,” she said. “I was surprised to hear from you, I thought your ship would be on its way by now.”

“I’m afraid you’ve got to deal with me for one more piece of business,” said Riker with a smile.  “May I?” he asked, indicating one of her chairs.

“Please.”

“The situation on the Enterprise isn’t good,” said Riker, sitting down heavily as Selwyn leaned against her desk, watching him.  “I’ve given the whole senior staff this cold, and the rest of the ship’s too distracted by this cube to do any work.”  He leaned over to open the case; the shift in position triggered something in his nose, and he snapped further forward with an unexpected “huhRRISHh!”

“You still sound ill, Commander.”

“I ab,” he assured her, wiping his nose on the back of his hand and straightening up. “But it was ibportadt that we returd this to you.  We’re udable to rud our ship with this thig od board.”  He gave a thick sniff. “You dod’t happed to have ady tissues, do you?”

Selwyn looked around the room and down at her desk. “I do not, best I have is this napkin,” she said, pulling it out from underneath a piece of bright pink fruit.  Riker accepted it and blew his nose thickly.

“Sorry.  Excuse me,” he said.  “I was saying, the cube that our Engineering team found is having neurological effects on our crew.  People can’t concentrate, they’re getting headaches and having obsessive thoughts about the cube.  Your people have never experienced this?”

“Not at all, Commander,” said Selwyn in surprise.  “We never gave these cubes much of a second thought, as far as I know.”

“Like you’re somehow immune to it,” Riker mused, “Sort of like you’re immune to my cold.”

“You humans do seem to be weaker than we are, physiologically speaking,” said Selwyn, and at the look on Riker’s face she added, “but that’s not all bad!  I can only assume your great advancements in technology came from a need to live in environments that your bodies couldn’t handle.  It’s no wonder Dr. Crusher’s medical lab is so much more advanced than ours.  The way you’ve adapted is nothing short of remarkable.”

“... thank you?” said Riker.

“I mean it,” said Selwyn.  “You do not come from planets with naturally high energy levels like Septicon 5.  And even if you did, your bodies apparently would not be able to keep up with those energy levels.  So your society has created ways to function at a high level - tricorder technology, biological scanners in surgery bays, your warp core - despite the fact that you’re low-energy life forms.”

“Well, I object to the term ‘low energy life forms’,” said Riker, “but the rest of that sounds plausible.”

“I think,” said Selwyn, moving toward Riker and laying a hand on his shoulder, “that we’ve learned a lot here.  This has been a most fascinating week.”

He looked up at her; her bright eyes bore into his. “It was my pleasure,” he said, not breaking eye contact. “I’m sorry again that I was so sick.”

“Well, use that great medical technology of yours to get better,” said Selwyn, and she planted a soft kiss on Riker’s lips.  “And then come back and visit.”

“I’d like that,” said Riker, and then his nose promptly ruined the mood.  He pulled away from her, buried his face in the napkin he still held, and bent to the side with a loud “huhRUUSHHH!  Hhh…. huhRRUUSHHhoo! God, sorry agaid,” he said, pinching his nose in the napkin. “I thidk it’s tibe for be to go back to bed.”

Selwyn squeezed his shoulder and then went back to her desk; Riker pressed his communicator. “Riker to tradsporter roob,”  Nothing happened.  Riker sniffed wetly and tried again. “Riker to tradsporter roob.”  Nothing.  Sighing, he unfolded the disgustingly wet napkin and blew his nose into it, wishing that Selwyn would take her eyes off him.  “Riker to transporter room.”

“O’Brien here.”  Thank god.

“One to beam up.” He raised a hand at Selwyn, who returned the wave.  She really was quite beautiful, and so was this planet.  Maybe he’d return someday, but for now he needed nothing more than tissues and Counselor Troi.

***

END

Thanks for reading!  I love this show so much.
 

[lifelove1]

I'm late to the party, but every instant of this story was SO. GOOD. Thank you for blessing us (lol) with this incredible fic. 

[ellwren]

very nice!

[Xsneezelover3932]

Such a great story!!! So sad to see it end! I could have read this forever! I hope you’ll write some more TNG or other fics! 

[Jelloicious]

On 6/23/2020 at 10:32 PM, anikadicara said:

This must be the saddest, most embarrassing moment of diplomatic relations ever to befall a Starfleet officer.  

hahahahaha I laughed out loud at this!  It's so perfectly in character and so perfectly on point!

 

On 7/6/2020 at 9:14 PM, anikadicara said:

The only people who’d beaten him there were LaForge, who was blowing his nose, and Data, who was watching him with bright curiosity.

Not a sneezefic comment--just an observation of how this really captured Data.

 

I know there were more, and I'd have been able to comment on them better if I'd shown up sooner.  But, yeah, this was awesome, all across the board.  Loved the characterization, love the sweet companionship of Deanna and Will as friends and former lovers.   Loved the contagion.   Just a really well done story!