After the end of her shift in Sickbay, Chief Medical Officer Olivia Hernandez took her normal route back to her quarters, passing though the guest quarters section before officers' quarters. She ran this loop in reverse every morning, starting at her quarters and ending, on her second lap, in Sickbay. And every evening, she walked back home.

Nothing much ever happened, except a few times when she'd pass by people arguing out in the corridor, or a child playing on the floor. Even passing by Sickbay, not much was ever happening.


But as she rounded the corner to the guest quarters' corridor, she saw a dark form lying, motionless, on the floor.


As she approached, she realized it was none other than T'Lea, the Vulcan un-official they were bringing home. She pulled out her medical tricorder and dropped to her knees on the floor.

She tapped her combadge and called the EMH in sickbay. "I need an AG-lift outside of guest quarters immediately!"


He appeared next to her with the anti-grav stretcher in less than 5 seconds.

"She's cyanotic," he said. "What happened?"

"I just found her here. She's apneic ... heart rate at 150 ... Here, help me lift her up."


Once T'Lea was up on the stretcher, the EMH shouted, "She's breathing!"


They ran back to Sickbay. "Probably post-ictal," Olivia said. "Find her husband for me, Doc, I need to talk to him." The EMH turned around and ran back to where they found T'Lea.


Sickbay's doors whooshed open and Olivia's assistant, Dr. Steve Mackenzie, met her at the doors. They lifted T'Lea onto the main biobed.


"I found her apneic and bradycardic, heart rate at 150 ... both pulse and resps have returned to normal."

Steve read the results of the scan on his tricorder. "Seizure?"

"That's what I thought. Will you put the results of a full head scan up on the lab screen?"

Steve nodded.


T'Lea moaned and started to roll onto her side.


Olivia came to her side. "T'Lea, can you hear me?"

She moaned in response.

"Steve ..." Olivia called.

"Where ... am I?"

"You're in Sickbay on the USS Taurus. You've had a seizure."

"Kareb?"

"We've got someone going to get him right now."


She turned aside to Steve, and under her breath, asked, "Where is Doc, anyway? He should have gotten back by now."

He shook his head.


She turned back to T'Lea. "Now, T'Lea, I need to know, have you ever had a seizure before?"

She slowly rolled over so her back was turned to Olivia, and mumbled, "Just leave me alone."

Olivia sighed. T'Lea was doubtless quite groggy, nauseous, and in pain. She didn't want to be awake, let alone questioned. But this was important ...

"T'Lea, this is important."

"Leave me alone."

"I understand you're not feeling very, um, well ... but a seizure can be a very serious sign ..."

T'Lea groaned.


"Olivia," Steve said. "I've got your scans up over here. I think the questions can wait 'til later." He motioned towards the screen.

She shook her head and followed.

"Look."


The scan revealed three large areas of past damage where healthy neurons had grown completely intertwined with damaged ones, some even forming connections with the damaged cells.

"I'm guessing this isn't her first seizure," Steve said. "You're the neurologist, what do you think?"

"Computer, show overlying structures."


What appeared was a skull with healed fractures, each lying directly over an area of damage.

"Depression fractures." Steve sighed. "Blunt-force trauma."

"Computer, give me the approximate age of injuries."

"Level of healing consistent with injuries greater than fifteen years in age. Estimates past this point in time may not be accurate."

Fifteen years, at least? She walked back over to T'Lea.


"T'Lea, this isn't the first time you've had a seizure, is it?"

She groaned and rolled over. Olivia had awoken her. "No."

"What happened?"

"I thought I asked to be left alone."

Olivia sighed. She'd never been very good at getting her patients to tell her what she wanted to know ... she always felt she was much better at surgery than at talking to her patients.


Suddenly, the EMH appeared in the doorway. "Kareb wants to know if his wife will be returning to him tonight."

"You didn't bring him?" Steve asked.

"It appears our patient has a history of recurring seizures. He is not concerned."

"So he's demanding her back?"

"I'm sorry, I should have said that differently. He wants to know if she is returning tonight, or if she is not, he will come here to Sickbay. He also wishes to know if she has regained consciousness yet."


Suddenly, T'Lea sat up. "Yes, I will be returning."

"I don't know if that's such a good idea ..." Olivia said.

"Tell him I'm on my way." With that, she stood up, albeit unsteadily.


Olivia rushed over to catch her if she fell.

"Don't ... touch me."

"Here, at least wear this." She held out a neurocortical monitor. "It'll alert Sickbay if you have another seizure."

She allowed Olivia to put it on, then with that, she walked out of Sickbay.


"Doc, follow her. I don't want her falling and hurting herself."


He nodded.


Once they were alone, Olivia turned to Steve. "I think I'll sleep here tonight. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure." He smiled. "I don't mind any other time, do I?"

She shrugged, grabbed a PADD, and walked to her office.


And within an hour, she was asleep.