Subject: Grail: "Unexplored Spaces" - "Hopeless"

<<Stardate: 47307.20- 09:58 >>

<<Sickbay>>

Oku Ramin suddenly woke up. Not violently but got conscience easily. He

noticed someone was reading his mind, or at least tried to. Then he

remembered the white-bearded ghost, the one that counseled - or

tormented - him on his roughest episodes. He thought that the man was

just standing there, again, trying to reach the very deepest thoughts of

his mind. But then Oku heard a step, then another, then a few extra

steps away fom him. He had never heard steps from the white man before.

Oku decided to open one of his eyes and peek. He saw the good captain

Terrakian staring, somewhat shocked, at the poor female (Oku couldn't

recognize Kestra) lying on the bed next to him. The captain was showing

his back to Oku, but the half-Bethazoid could read his thoughts even if

Terrakian didn't look at him. But no, the captain couldn't - or

wouldn't.

He wanted to speak and say "Hey, boss, I'm alright, let's have a talk!".

He wanted to tell him the amazing dreams - or nightmares - he was

having, the awesome fight and maybe receive a commendation for his valor

on duty or some compliments... but he wouldn't give up to the boy inside

him. Very Thairian from him, none of them has been seen acting childly,

even the children. Serious people, indeed. And Oku was one of them. At

least he tried.

Oku tried to forget the captain. He closed his red eye and tried to get

some sleep. Fever was mild,=20

or so he felt. He respected fever as a way to kill bacteria, especially

the damned bacteria that had been bothering his life, both organicly and

on duty. He didn=B4t want to pass away without defeating the bug, or at

least establishing therapeutic procedures. The whole medical slang was

junk in his head by now.

Ten minutes passed this way, among thoughts and confusions. The captain

has gone and the SickBay's life went on just as normally as always. The

only difference was that, for the time being, there was no Dr. Oku Ramin

but patient Oku Ramin. That, he thought, influenced the morale of the