[open]

[dancingmd]

who: Beverly Crusher and you!
what: Amnesia Event: Beverly is slowly going to be losing the memory of her native language - ie English Federation Standard
when: August 12-16
where: Most anywhere around Riverview you'd like to run into her, really
warnings: none



August 12-13
It starts innocently enough. A few words that dance on the tip of her tongue, just out of reach.

"Could you hand me the ah..." With a small frown, Beverly gestures at the scanner sitting on her work table across the room. Scanner's not right. What’s the term... Tricorder?, her nurse suggests. "Yes, the tricorder! Thank you!"

Not enough coffee, Beverly thinks, shrugging it off as overworking. Except when she stops by the cafe the next morning, coffee escapes her as well. "One…” She searches for the right word. “Raktajino, please." The barista stares. The word is too specific to Klingon for the translator to pick up and Beverly flushes. Her eyes dart up to the menu, zeroing in on what has to be the right word. With a nervous smile of apology, she tries again.

Shaken, she takes her cup of coffee - coffee, coffee, coffee she tries to remind herself - back to a small table by the window. She doesn’t drink. Something is very, very wrong here.

August 14-15
By now, she’s heard about the spores, run into other people suffering memory losses. It’s not… comforting exactly, but it is something. At least she knows it’s not just her. And maybe she can do something to help. If she doesn’t lose all her words first, that is. She’s found she can supplement some things with bits and pieces of other languages - the Klingon she’s picked up from Worf (Unfortunately, she mostly learned what she knows from martial arts classes with him. It’s not too often one needs to bring up kicks and punches when dissecting a plant. Fortunately, Klingons have an almost artistic appreciation for cursing, which she finds is coming in very useful) or Betazoid, even a few Vulcan. It’s a haphazard linguistic mish-mash, but whatever magic Riverview uses as a universal translator seems to be able to take on the job for the time being.

Having her on regular rotation at the hospital right now is out of the question, of course, so she can be found mostly in the research labs or even at Gramarye or the hydroponics garden to see what other people are working on.

August 16
Eventually, she’s opting to stay silent around people. More often than not, she babbles when she speaks, to her endless frustration. So she seeks solace in the library, sitting on one of the big comfy reading chairs with her legs tucked under her and a children’s picture book propped in her lap. Each page has an illustration from everyday life where big bold letters tell you what you’re seeing. Tree. Fireman. Cat. This she can still do, the alphabet and sounding things out, her forefinger underlining the syllables. Images of Wesley come to mind, of her guiding his tiny hands across the page, of him grinning up at her when he figured out a really hard word. Hydrant.

With a sigh, she turns the page. There's a map. Where, she doesn't know - the shapes are all wrong. "Is-land," she reads out loud. No, that's not right is it? "Eye-land." Better, but even though she remembers for the moment, no doubt it will slip away like the others.

Comments

[dancingmd]

Her brow furrows with concern at that admission, though she doesn't yet connect it to her own emerging memory problems. "Lost a few years? What do you mean?"

[sweetlies]

"I don't remember this place. Or the past few years after my parents were killed." Undertaker at least remembered enough for him, it was just frustrating to meet people he should know but couldn't remember.

And made him feel guilty, which didn't help his younger mentality.

"So... I'm sorry, you know me but I can't remember you."

[dancingmd]

"Oh no..." She smiles softly then gestures for him to take a seat. "You don't need to apologize. Believe me I know how disorienting of an experience that is."

[sweetlies]

Out of habit, he hesitated but finally took the offered seat, looking down at his tea for a moment before looking back up. His brother wouldn't have been so unsure, he shouldn't be either.

"Really? You don't seem to be having a lot of trouble."

[dancingmd]

"Not right now but... once I had most of my memory erased. I didn't even know my name."

[sweetlies]

Oh. Oh God. Ciel gapes a little for a moment before remembering his manners, closing his mouth with a snap.

"That sounds awful. I'm glad you god your memories back at least."

[dancingmd]

"Me too." She smiles softly. "I hope we can get yours back too."

[sweetlies]

"So do I. I feel bad, taking Undertakers bed- I can't remember where my room was." He couldn't help but look a little bashful about that at least.

"And I guess I made a lot of friends here so I feel bad not remembering any of you."

[dancingmd]

"Don't feel bad, it's not your fault."

She smiles and sticks out her hand for him to shake.

"Here, we'll start again. I'm Dr. Crusher."

[sweetlies]

Unfortunately, he couldn't help but feel guilty about it but he did nod, not saying anything more about that. Instead, he smiled and reached his hand out, taking hers.

"Pleased to meet you, Dr. Crusher." He gave a soft laugh before letting go. "Just like Aunt An. She works at the Royal London Hospital."

[dancingmd]

"Oh? I haven't been there myself, but I've heard many good things about it."

[sweetlies]

"It's one of the best. I've never been though, I don't think. Aunt An always came to the manor when I had a fit or mother was sick." In fact, he'd rarely actually gone into London at all unless Vincent had taken him along to a party.

[dancingmd]

"Was... your mother sick often?"

[sweetlies]

"Sometimes. Mother is very delicate, Aunt An says." So was his own but if he was Ciel here, he couldn't confess to having asthma like Rachel had.

"It's okay though, father and I look after her. And Diedrich is a good cook so he helps when he visits."

[dancingmd]

"It's good she has such a dedicated family."

[sweetlies]

"Mother is very kind of beautiful. I'm sure anyone would help her, if we couldn't."

Most people were willing to help nobles in general.

[dancingmd]

"She sounds wonderful. And your father...what is he like?"

[sweetlies]

"Father is..."

How to put it? Ciel still smiled as he thought and then finally settled on something.

"He's smart and strong. And he's the Queen's Watch Dog so he gets to meet Her Majesty. He'll always make time to play though when he's home.

[dancingmd]

"You sound like a very fortunate young man - I'm sure you miss them."

[sweetlies]

His expression almost immediately faltered, the last image he had of his parents coming to mind.

"Mm but it's okay. I'll... see them again someday."

[dancingmd]

Beverly catches that change in expression and feels a pang of guilt at bringing up something that brings him pain. She rests her hand on his in sympathy. "I am sure you will."

[sweetlies]

He forced a smile, he was good at that. Sometimes he used the same trick on his brother when he felt bad that he stayed inside when he was sick, instead of having fun with Lizzie or Edward.

"I have Undertaker at least. And Aunt Francis and Uncle Alexis back home."

[dancingmd]

"... Undertaker? Is that... their name or their job?"

[sweetlies]

That was actually a very good question. And Ciel's face drops a bit in thought, scratching at his cheek.

"Both? I never heard father or the other nobles ever call him anything else."

[dancingmd]

"And he is your guardian now?"