All Things Inherit – Five – DizzyDrea

Christopher Pike woke gradually. He kept his eyes closed as he tried to figure out where he was. The air smelled recycled and slightly chemical, which seemed odd for the afterlife. Though he wasn’t sure what he expected. Perhaps the afterlife was just a construct of his own imagination.

“You can open your eyes whenever you’re ready, Captain Pike,” a quiet, female voice said. “I’ve adjusted the lights to 25% and engaged the sound dampeners in the room.”

Chris opened his eyes slightly, finding the room just as she’d described. Even in the dim light, he’d recognize Medical anywhere. “Why m’I in the infirmary?”

The woman snorted. “That’s your first question? What’s the last thing you remember?”

He cast his mind back, searching for something solid he could call a memory. It all hit him with the precision of a photon torpedo: the baffle plate exploding, the Engineering compartment flooding with Delta radiation, trying to eject the warp core before it went super-critical.

“The Lucas,” he said, surprised at the gravely undertone in his voice. “Everyone get out?”

“Everyone got out,” the woman said, nodding. “You had Cadet Swender lock down Engineering before the baffle plate blew. You saved all their lives, and then you saved the ship when you ejected the warp core.”

“Good, that’s… good,” he said. “Why am I still alive?”

He looked up at the woman, noting her medical uniform and doctor’s lab coat. She was beautiful, and he felt a pull toward her he couldn’t explain. He hadn’t felt like this since… well, since Maria. Somehow, he knew she was amused by his question, though he couldn’t quite explain how.

“You’re alive because I was able to treat your Delta radiation exposure with a machine that I helped design,” she said. “You’re weak as a kitten right now because the treatment took a lot out of you, but we’ll get you set to rights soon enough.”

“I—I’m not supposed to survive,” he muttered. “That wasn’t part of my fate. I was supposed to be retired out of the fleet due to my injuries.”

“I guess I didn’t get that memo,” she said. “Besides, fate’s a bitch I want no part of. How are you feeling?”

“Weak,” he said, frowning. “Tired.”

“And you’ll probably be that way for a good long while, so take my advice: stay right where you are so you don’t faceplant out of this bed,” she said sternly.

“Aren’t you supposed to be nicer to me?” he asked, attempting an eyebrow raise, realizing fairly quickly that he could barely even feel his eyebrows. “I can’t feel my face. Why can’t I feel my face?”

“Weak as a kitten, as I said,” the doctor said. “But also.” She huffed a sigh. “Also, you came online as a Sentinel at some point during the accident. You’re having difficulty with your levels because you’ve had no training. Right now, your brain is instinctively managing your senses because you’re still in recovery from the radiation treatments. We’ve got you on heavy pain relievers, but you may still be experiencing some pain. Just hang in there.”

“We?”

“Hey, captain.”

He turned his head slightly to find Nurse Christine Chapel standing at the foot of his bed. “Christine. Good to see you. I think.”

“Oh, it’s definitely good to see me,” Christine said. “I’m awesome, and you’re not dead. It’s a great day all around.”

“Point taken,” he said, huffing a laugh. He looked back at the doctor. “You must be Doctor McCoy. I remember reading about you winning the Nobel Prize. Starfleet is lucky to have you.”

“So are you,” McCoy said. “If I hadn’t been on shift, you might not have survived. Which it seems you already suspected. When you’re feeling better, we’re going to talk about that.”

“So, I’m a Sentinel, huh?” he asked, trying to distract himself from the very lovely Doctor McCoy. “There’s never been a Sentinel in my family history that I’m aware of. Seems a little odd that I’d come online now.”

“You’re older than the typical newly online Sentinel,” McCoy said with a shrug. “That doesn’t mean you weren’t meant to come online. It was probably more because you were going to need a catastrophic trigger to do so.”

“A baffle plate exploding seems like it would do it,” Chris said. “I was standing there in front of the control panel thinking that I was either going to die or be maimed for life.”

And perhaps, if he’d come online in that future vision, he’d gone dormant at the same instant. Because he couldn’t imagine being online in that broken body he’d seen. The thought alone seemed to make something in his chest… growly.

A beautiful grey wolf wandered through the force field protecting his room, brushing up against McCoy before resting its head on his arm and nudging him with a wet nose. That surprised him.

“Should I be able to feel a cold, wet nose on a hallucination?” he asked, a bit worried about his sanity now that he was more awake and aware.

McCoy chuckled. “That’s not a hallucination. That’s your spirit animal. It’s been hanging around the hospital since you were brought in, though it’s only appeared to me once.”

“What am I supposed to do with this?” Chris asked a bit desperately.

“There’s nothing for you to do, per se,” McCoy said. “Just give it room to do whatever its purpose is on Earth. Listen to it, and it’ll tell you what it needs you to know.”

“How am I supposed to listen to a wolf?” he asked. The wolf growled, though it didn’t feel threatening. Chris lifted his hands slightly, the best he could do to indicate his surrender. “Okay, I get it. You’re the boss.”

The wolf nudged his head under Chris’ hand, practically purring when Chris scratched behind his ears. “Duke. His name is Duke.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Duke,” McCoy said, inclining her head slightly in deference.

“How do you know about all this?” he asked.

“I’m a Guide,” the doctor said. “I learned all about this stuff when I was young, and after I came online, I went to Guide school to learn the rest.”

Chris looked at her, feeling that same pull, only stronger now. “You’re my Guide. Aren’t you?”

“I could be,” she said, not appearing in the least bit surprised by his leap of intuition. It was what made him such a good ship’s captain, but perhaps there was more to it than he’d always believed. “That’s something we can certainly discuss when you’re feeling better. Right now, you need rest. We’ll have to talk about where you go once you’re strong enough to leave the ICU.”

“There’s been some… unsavory interest in you,” Christine said. “We’re concerned about your safety going forward, at least until you’re on your feet and able to defend yourself. The Vulcans have offered you a ship and a place on their homeworld where you can recover, but we didn’t want to just take you away from Earth without discussing it with you first.”

“I appreciate that,” Chris said.

“You have the right to make decisions about your care,” McCoy said. “If Starfleet didn’t have the security situation well in hand, I might have just taken you to Vulcan and let the chips fall where they may.”

“I’d have backed you up on that, for the record,” Chris said. “But I appreciate that you didn’t make that sort of decision without my input. Any idea why the Vulcans are being so generous?”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Christine asked incredulously. Chris managed to raise an eyebrow, but she just shrugged. “You’re not my captain anymore. Plus, I’m beginning to suspect you hit your head somewhere. You saved their entire fucking planet from Nero. Of course, they’re going to roll out the red carpet for you.”

Chris gave a minute shrug. “I’m not looking for any kind of payment for that, and you know it. I did my duty, no more, no less.”

“Oh great, hot and self-effacing,” McCoy muttered. “Clearly, the universe hates me.”

“I think the universe loves you,” Christine said. “At any rate, we’re in a holding pattern on our next steps. Once you’re feeling a little stronger, we can talk about where to go next.”

“My father’s ranch in Montana,” Chris said. “The main house might as well be Fort Knox. There’s a gate and a force field fence around the main compound.”

“Is he paranoid or just really private?” McCoy asked.

“Maybe a little bit of both,” Chris said. “I haven’t been home in a while, but I doubt he’d protest if I asked to come home.”

“I’ll look into it,” McCoy said. “If it’s secure enough, we might be able to swing it. It’d be better than a rehab facility here, at any rate.”

“Admiral April might also be willing to provide a security detail if we ask really nicely,” Christine said.

“I’m not sure how my father would react to Starfleet Security setting up shop on his property,” Chris said.

“Even if the price was a visit from the Prodigal Son?” Christine asked.

Chris winced. “I think he’d probably think it was worth the sacrifice considering it’s been at least ten years since I’ve been home.”

“Then we’ll see what we can do to make it happen,” McCoy said. “In the meantime, you just rest and marshal your strength. Rehab’s going to suck, just so you know.”

“Great,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Something to look forward to.”

“Considering it sounds like you thought you were going to die, I’d think a little pain would be worth it,” McCoy said.

“Point taken,” he said. “Thank you, Doctor. I still can’t wrap my head around all this, but I do realize I have you to thank for surviving intact.”

“You’re welcome,” McCoy said. “Now, sleep. We’ll start planning your rehab tomorrow.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said.

He watched as both women left the room, Christine winking at him as she left. His spirit animal nudged him, giving a little huff of contentment when Chris scratched behind his ears again.

“Seems like we need to get to know each other,” he muttered as his eyes slid closed.

He heard a voice whisper Later… in his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

~0~

Chris’ father had been so pleased that his son wanted to come home that he’d essentially turned over the operation of the main house to the team assigned to watch over Chris. He’d spent the few weeks before leaving for Montana doing range-of-motion exercises and learning yoga, of all things. He wouldn’t have expected it, but the yoga seemed to do more for his body than anything else.

He still had a lot of rehab ahead of him, though. He tired out easily, and he could barely lift a glass of water if he’d been up and about for more than 30 minutes. It was frustrating for a man who’d been in peak physical shape just a few short weeks ago.

He was grateful for it, even if surviving still worried him. He’d been told his fate was unavoidable, and that trying to change even one small thing would have devastating consequences. Being a Sentinel hadn’t even been part of the equation, so he had no idea what to do with that.

So far, it hadn’t impacted his recovery much, other than perhaps healing faster than he would have before the accident. His senses were still steady, though he hadn’t tried to tax them at all, and his room had been turned into what amounted to a neutral zone, so he didn’t accidentally spike a sense or zone out, something he’d learned very quickly to avoid.

Staying in the ICU had felt isolating at first, but he’d had a few visitors—Spock and Jimmy among the most frequent—and given that it was the most defensible place in the whole hospital, he hadn’t protested remaining there long after he needed to be.

Now, he was preparing to be beamed to his father’s house via the USS Dauntless. He was looking forward to seeing her captain for the few minutes he’d be onboard, if only to say thank you for getting him back to Earth as quickly as they had.

“Are you ready?” Doctor McCoy asked as she helped him get settled into the wheelchair she’d insisted he use.

He really didn’t think he needed a wheelchair, but he also didn’t want to worry his father and stepmother by faceplanting in the foyer upon arrival because he’d overtaxed himself. Again.

“As I’ll ever be,” he said. “I still can’t believe my father was so willing to host the security team on the property.”

“Not a fan of Starfleet, huh?” she asked as she dropped a blanket over his legs. He thought it was overkill, but he’d been outvoted.

“Part of the reason I haven’t seen my father in ten years is that I joined Starfleet,” he said quietly. “He didn’t approve of me joining up and made no secret of his disapproval.”

“Apparently, he’s had a change of heart,” she said. “It does happen from time to time.”

“Not to my father,” Chris said. “Once he makes up his mind, that’s it.”

“Well, you’ll have plenty of time to talk to him about it,” McCoy said. “You’ve got another few months of rehab ahead of you, plus training for your senses.”

“Who’s going to manage my Sentinel training?” Chris asked. “I’m guessing it’s a bad idea to check myself into one of the S&G Centers, considering we have no idea how far the corruption has spread.”

Doctor McCoy had explained to him, during a long, late-night conversation not long after he’d first woken up, about the confrontation she’d had with the Sentinel who’d tried to take him into custody, and what she’d learned about the wider organization as a result. It was… unsettling, not knowing if he could trust the organization charged with protecting his kind.

His kind. Perhaps it was a function of being a Sentinel, but he felt a near-instant affinity with other Sentinels and Guides. That didn’t mean he trusted them, because he didn’t know them personally. That much was familiar territory; he’d long ago learned not to trust that everyone wanted the same thing from an encounter. He wasn’t going to start now.

“I talked it over with Admiral Boyce,” she said. She leaned against the arm of the couch, bracing her hands on the soft material as she spoke. “I’m taking leave from the hospital so I can oversee your recovery, including your training. I’m really the only one who can do it. I developed the treatment that saved your life, and as a Guide, I’m uniquely suited to helping you get stronger mentally, physically, and psionically.”

“I appreciate that, Doctor,” Chris said. “Though I feel a little guilty that I’m taking you away from your work.”

“If we’re going to be spending so much time together, you should probably just call me Len,” she said, flashing a smile.

Chris inclined his head in acquiescence. “Len, then. Please feel free to call me Chris.”

“Chris,” she said with a nod. “As for taking me away from my work, don’t feel guilty. My assignment to the ER was supposed to be temporary. I was originally contracted to work in the Epidemiology department, but there was a staffing shuffle in the ER, so Boyce asked me to step in and cover some shifts. Both departments can do without me for a while, honestly, though I have a feeling Boyce might want me to take over the ER if I stay on Earth.”

“Is there a reason you wouldn’t?” he asked.

“Stay on Earth?” she asked. He nodded. “Well, I’m assuming you’re going to want to get back to your ship. If we decide to bond, I’m certainly not going to stay on Earth.”

“I… hadn’t actually thought about that,” he said. “I’m not sure what I want to do. There are some… complicating factors that I need to think through before I make any decisions.”

“We can talk about that, too,” she said. He opened his mouth, but before any words came out, she held up a hand. “Being a Sentinel—having a Guide—is a huge responsibility. Even if it’s not me, you’ll likely still bond with someone. Whoever it is, you’ll want to talk over those complicating factors before you make any decisions, because those decisions will impact you both.”

Chris flushed. “My apologies. I’ve been on my own for a long time. It’ll take me some time to get used to factoring anyone else into my decisions.”

“No worries,” Len said. “I realize this is all new for you, Chris. You’ll find your instincts will lead you on this issue more than most, but if you ever have questions, you can ask me. I’m here to be a resource for you just as much as I am here to oversee your recovery.”

“Thank you,” he said.

“Hey, you two ready?” Christine asked as she stepped inside the force field.

“As we’ll ever be,” Len said. “Have our bags been delivered already?”

“They were beamed away a few minutes ago,” Christine said. “‘Fleet Security says the team is in place and they’re ready for your arrival.”

Len looked at him, one eyebrow raised. “Are you ready for this?”

“Whether I am or not, we need to get going,” he said. “I think the anticipation is going to get the better of me pretty soon if we don’t just go.”

“That’s pretty normal for a Sentinel going into an unknown situation,” Len said. “Even if you know your father’s home—and your family is there—you’re still not sure of your welcome, so it’s making you agitated.”

“Am I ever going to get a handle on this?” Chris asked, just short of a whine.

“Eventually,” Len said. “You’re always going to have a heightened danger-sense, but that will serve you well in Starfleet. I’ll help you learn the difference between generalized anxiety and your instincts telling you something is wrong.”

“Not to interrupt or anything, but you should get going,” Christine said. “It’s probably not good to make his family wait. They might think he doesn’t want to come home.”

“Right,” Len said. “Let them know we’re ready to beam out.”

Christine nodded and returned to her monitoring station as Len joined Chris next to his wheelchair. The familiar tingle of the transporter effect suffused his body as the hospital room faded away, replaced by the familiar sight of a transporter room aboard a Starfleet vessel.

“Welcome aboard, Captain,” the Dauntless’s captain said with a smile. “For the thirty seconds or so that you’ll be here.”

“Thank you, captain,” Chris said. He watched as their bags were moved from the corner of the room to the transporter pad so they would arrive with them. “And thank you for providing a timely assist when I needed it most.”

“You’d have done the same for me,” Captain Wright said. “You ready?”

Chris nodded. “Energize.”

The tingle of the transporter overtook them again; this time, they were deposited in the foyer of his father’s home. Standing to one side were two members of ‘Fleet Security, and beside them were his father and stepmother, both beaming at him.

“Chris,” his father said, tears in his eyes. “Welcome home.”

Chris was unexpectedly emotional over his father’s greeting. He hadn’t expected to feel this welcome in his father’s home, and the shame of that flashed through him.

“Thanks, Dad,” he said. He pushed up from the chair, over Len’s muttered protests, and stepped right into the open arms of his father. “It’s good to be home.”

“Jesus, you feel like a bag of bones, kid,” Charlie Pike mumbled against his neck.

“Well, I’ve been lying around in a bed like an old Hollywood star for weeks,” Chris said. His father chuckled as he pulled back. “Plus, the radiation exposure. I’ve had to basically regrow a lot of skin and muscle due to the damage.”

“Oh god,” his stepmother said. Chris glanced at her; she had a hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes.

“Sorry, Helena,” Chris said. “I shouldn’t have been so cavalier about my condition.”

“It’s alright, Chris,” she said as she stepped forward. She wrapped her arms around him carefully. “We’re just glad you’re still with us.”

“Me too,” he said as he pulled back. Len grabbed his elbow and practically dragged him backward into the wheelchair. He shot her a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

“Are you always this stubborn?” she asked.

All three Pikes gave a resounding Yes!.

“Dad, Helena, this is Doctor Eleanor McCoy,” Chris said. “She’s the doctor who treated my radiation exposure. ‘Fleet has allowed her to accompany me to continue my rehab and my training.”

“The Sentinel thing,” Charlie said. “I understand that’s going to be difficult for you to adjust to. We’ll help in any way we can, you know that.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Chris said, truly grateful for his family’s welcome.

“You’re the doctor who won the Nobel Prize for developing a treatment for Delta radiation exposure,” Charlie said. “I read about it years ago, though I lost track of you after the press coverage faded.”

“I guess we know why now,” Helena said. “I’m certainly glad you were there when Chris needed you most.”

Chris was pretty sure it was a miracle, and he hated miracles because there was no explanation for them. Still, he was glad that things had worked out the way they did. His gaze strayed to the two members of Starfleet Security, who’d been waiting patiently through his reunion with his parents.

“Captain Pike, my name is Commander David Saulter, and I’ll be heading up your detail,” the ‘Fleet Security team lead said. “This is Lieutenant Grover, my second. We’ll get out of your hair, but I just wanted to make sure we’d been introduced. Please let us know if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Commander,” Chris said.

“You both must be tired,” Charlie said as the security team left.

“I’m good, but I think Chris should rest,” Len said. “It’s been a busy day already for him.”

“I could use a nap,” Chris said, feeling suddenly exhausted.

“I’ve got you in the downstairs guest suite, Chris,” Helena said. “And Doctor McCoy, you’ll be in the room at the top of the stairs. It has an en-suite and a small office area. You should be very comfortable, but if there’s anything you need, please let us know.”

“Thank you, ma’am,” Len said. “And please, call me Len. Or Eleanor, if you’d prefer. We’re going to be living in each other’s hip pockets for a while. Might as well start as we mean to go on.”

“Sounds good,” Helena said. “We’re looking forward to spending time with you both. I have a light supper planned, if you’re up for it.”

“Maybe in an hour or so?” Len said as she shared a glance with Chris.

He nodded. “I’d like to squeeze in a nap, if I can.”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Helena said. “I’ll come check on you in an hour, see where you’re at.”

“That’ll work,” Chris said. “And thanks. It’s good to be home.”

For the first time in a long time, he actually meant it.

~0~

Cast (from top left):
Anson Mount, David Strathairn, Adrian Holmes, Jess Bush, Zachary Quinto, Sam Neill, Sela Ward, Jean Reno, Damian Lewis, Stana Katic