Planet of Silence
Chapters Twenty-three and Twenty-four
Chapter Twenty-three
The next morning Geordi went to check on Mriana. She was preparing to meet Doctor Crusher for her surgery when she noticed her lights flashing for the door. She sensed immediately that it was Geordi.
"Come in."
Geordi entered and began to sign to Mriana. "I hear you are going for the implants."
"Yes, I am." She signed back. He immediately detected her nervousness.
"You scared?"
"A little."
"Would you like me to go with you?"
"It's alright. I think I can do this on my own, besides you have to be on duty soon."
"It's alright. I asked the captain for permission."
"I can do this myself."
"You know, I prefer to be with you while you go through this."
"I'll be alright."
"You're being stubborn, again."
"I am not!" She sign insistantly. "It's just there's no need for you to take off just to be with me. I'll be fine."
"I want to be with you, while you go through this."
"Geordi, I don't need you to come with me."
"Mriana. Imzadi, please."
"I don't need you to hold my hand!" She shouted.
"Why can't you take a little moral support while you go through this surgery?"
"I don't want you to see me go through this. I'm scared enough as is and if you hold my hand then." She paused, not knowing what she really wanted to say.
"Then what?" Geordi asked.
"Then, then I'll be just relying on you. Leaning on you and that would not help me learn to be independent as a deaf person."
"You know that's not true."
"It is."
"You're making excuses again. You would not be leaning on me. It would be moral support and that's all."
"Would it? I feel it would be leaning on you and nothing more."
"Mriana, I love you. Why can't you accept a little support along the way?"
"Geordi, please. I have to do this on my own."
"OK. If that's what you want."
"It is." She signed. Tears of fear were forming in her eyes. She was scared. Very scared and she knew in the process of her fear, she was pushing the one person who loved her dearly away again, but she did not want him there. She did not want him watching her go through the surgery.
"Mriana, I'm getting a little tired of you pushing me away, but if that's what you want, I'll go."
"Please, go." She said reluctantly. Apart of her want him there, but another part wanted him to just go about his life as usual.
"OK." He said and then turned to leave. Mriana said nothing more to him as she watched him walk out the door. Once outside he tapped his combadge. "LaForge to Doctor Crusher."
*Crusher here.* Came the response.
"Please keep me informed about Mriana as she goes through surgery."
*You're not coming with her?*
"She rather I go and be on duty. She doesn't want me to miss my shift just because of her surgery."
*Alright.* Beverly replied questionally. *I'll see what I can do. If anything serious happens, I'll let you know. Otherwise, I'll tell you when she out of surgery. Fair enough?*
"That'll be fine. LaForge out."
Geordi went down to Engineering and began his duty shift. He was disappointed that Mriana did not want him there with her and he had no idea why.
A few minutes later Mriana was in Sickbay. Doctor Crusher was informing her about the process.
"Now, you know only a very small amount of your hearing will return with this process? However, it won't be sound as you know it. It will be totally different. I can't promise that you will understand words, but you will know someone is talking. That's how most of these surgeries go when they are finish."
"Yes, I know and I understand." Mriana signed and Paula translated.
"The frequency of sound, more than likely, that you would hear would have to be so loud that it would deafen most hearing persons, if not make them pass out from the loudness of it." Beverly explained. "However, if it picks up those sounds I can have the settings in the earpiece adjusted so that it will pick up at a lower frequency, but you will not be able to understand anything at all. Of course, you'll also be able to adjust it for yourself, once you learn how."
"That could come in handy." Mriana signed. "Judging from previous incidents. It would be an experience to help Data out if everyone else was out cold from a deafening noise."
"That could be an interesting event, if it occurred." Beverly thought to herself as she thought back to another time when such an incident did occur. "Not to hear such painful sounds would be nice." She thought.
"It wouldn't be that wonderful." Mriana signed as she sensed Beverly's thoughts and took her of gaurd.
"What?" Beverly asked in shock. She was not yet use to Mriana picking up on some of her thoughts.
"Hearing everything would be far better than not hearing anything at all."
Beverly said nothing. Instead she contemplated the situation for a moment. Finally she asked, "What made you change your mind about the implants?"
"Certain things that occurred while I was on Betazed."
"Like what?"
Mriana explained all that had happened to her while she was on Betazed. When she finished, she signed, "Therefore, I would like to try it. I know I won't be able to hear everything, but to know who is talking or to be more aware of what is around me would be nice."
"I understand. Well, if you're ready, let's get started."
Mriana nodded and signed, "I'm ready."
"Ogawan, please prep her for surgery."
"Yes, Doctor."
Within minutes Mriana was asleep and Beverly was ready to make her first incision, keeping careful watch on Mriana's vital signs.
"Vital signs are normal, Doctor."
Everything had been going well for quite a while, until a couple hours into the surgery. Crusher was trying to attach the artificial nerves to the non-damaged hearing parts of her brain.
"Doctor, vital signs are dropping!" Ogawan informed with alarm. "B.P. is seventy over forty. Pulse is forty-five."
"Administer ten cc's of ______!"
"No, response, Doctor. She's going into shock!"
"Cortical Stimulator, stat!" Crusher ordered. "Damn it, Mriana. Stay with me."
Mriana's dreams were like nightmeres to her. She could not feel her Imzadi. She felt lost and alone. There was no one in her dreams to hold on to during times of fear, anxiety, or other feelings. She was alone, because she pushed him a way too many times and he left her. Broken was the bond that held them together because she would not embrace it herself. She felt so alone and did not want to continue.
Geordi was called into Sickbay and he rushed there as fast as possible. Once he entered Sickbay he watched as Doctor Crusher tried desparately to bring her back from near death.
"Imzadi, please. I'm here with you." He thought to her. Hoping beyond hope that she heard his thought.
Beverly continued to try and save Mriana as Deanna walked into Sickbay. "Geordi." She laid a hand on his shoulder. "Talk to her with your mind. Give her encouragement. Let her know you are here."
Geordi shook his head. "I'm trying, but I don't think she hears me."
"Keep trying. I've been sensing her dreams and she feels alone. She's afraid she'll loose you. Let her know you are still here. Keep trying."
Geordi continued to try and send his thoughts to her.
"Damn it!" Beverly cursed. "I don't know what happened. I've not had this problem with the others."
Deanna walked over to Beverly. "Beverly, it's nothing you did or didn't do."
"Doctor, isn't there anything you can do?" Geordi asked.
Beverly shook her head. "I've tried everything, Geordi. There's nothing more I can do."
"No!" Geordi yelled. "You have to keep trying!"
"Geordi." Deanna said calmly. "Come closer to her. It's alright."
Beverly quickly caught on to what Deanna was thinking, for she had seen it numerous times between her and Will. "Yes, Geordi. You have my permission to see her."
Beverly stepped out of the way so Geordi could come closer to Mriana. Tears were starting to roll out of his eyes no matter how hard he tried to hold them back. "Imzadi, please. Don't do this. I need you, even if you don't think you need me. I'm here for you." He tried to send to her as he reached for her hand. "Please, don't go."
Deanna tried to strengthen the thoughts he was sending to her. She watched as she tried to feel some recognition from Mriana. Then she began to smile once she felt Mriana was returning to them.
"Doctor." Ogawan called. "Her vital signs are stablizing."
"Thank you, Allyssa." She quickly returned to Mriana's side. She allowed Geordi to stay on the other side of her as she continue to work on Mriana.
"Will she be alright, Doctor?"
"I think so." Beverly stated. "You can stay, if you want."
"I recommend you stay with her, Geordi." Deanna suggested. "She really does want you here with her, regardless of what she said earlier."
Geordi nodded and did not move until he had to move. Staying as close by Mriana's side as he possibly could.
Hours past as Beverly tried to finish the implant. She watched Mriana's vitals even more closely than she did before. She did not want another scare like earlier, but she manage to finish the surgery without further complications.
Once she had finished she removed her gloves. "Well, she should awaken shortly. I'm glad there were no further complications or I would not have continued with trying to give her the implants." She informed Geordi.
"Is it alright if I continue to stay with her?" He asked.
"Yes. Stay as long as you like." She replied. "Would you like anything to drink or eat. It's been a long time since you had anything."
"I am thirsty."
"Nothing to eat?"
"No, I'll wait. I'm really not hungry."
"OK, if you're sure. I'll have someone bring you something to drink." Beverly informed him. "She should wake up soon."
Geordi stayed with Mriana and waited for her to wake up from surgery. He studied her features. Even with the removed hair from the sides of her head and the after math of surgery, she still looked beautiful to him. He wanted nothing more but for her to wake up and see for herself that he was there waiting for her and supporting her through the surgery.
After almost an hour, Mriana began to return to consciousness. Slowly her eyes opened and Geordi smiled at her. He was the first person she saw.
"Hi." He signed. She did not have the attachment on yet, so she could not hear anything yet.
"Geordi, I'm sorry. I did want you hear. I wasn't being honest when I said I didn't want you to come with me for moral support."
He pushed back what little hair was not shaved away. "It's alright. I'm here and that's all that matters." He finally signed and then leaned over to kiss her.
"Oh, your awake!" Doctor Crusher entered the room. "You gave us a good scare during the operation."
Geordi translated for her.
"I did?" Mriana asked.
"Yes, but I'm glad you're still with us." Beverly finally signed and smiled.
"So am I." Geordi smiled.
"Now, we need to give you at least forty-eight hours for your body to recover from the surgery. Then I'll try the outer earpiece on you and see how successful the surgery was." Beverly said cheerfully and with a smile.
"When can I go home?"
"I want to keep you here for the whole forty-eight hours to keep and eye on you. You've been through a whole lot more than any other patient I've had with this surgery."
Mriana turned and looked away from everyone. "I had a lot of bad dreams during the surgery." She signed. "I can't remember all the details of the dreams, but I lost someone very important to me. That much I know." Then she turned back to Beverly and Geordi. "I'm glad it was all a dream."
"Dreaming?" Beverly thought to herself. "I can't remember anyone else talking about dreams during surgery, but I guess it happens."
"We'll never know." Mriana signed to her.
"Mriana!" Beverly signed. "I really wish you wouldn't do that. At least not all the time."
"Actually, I really wish I hadn't picked up on it. I have a headache."
Beverly scanned her. "Well, it doesn't appear to be out of the ordinary. It should be better soon, but in the meantime, I can give you something to take away the pain. There will be one drawback from it though."
"What's that?" Mriana signed.
"You won't be able to pick up on anyone's thoughts or feelings with the medication, which maybe good for now. It will only be temporary though. Long enough to get you through the next few hours."
"No, I'll deal with it."
"Mriana, I know you want to sense what is happening, but it will only be temporary. It will help you feel more comfortable."
"I'll still be uncomfortable." Mriana signed. "If I can't sense anything it makes me uncomfortable. Since I can't hear anything, I'm more comfortable with sensing people's feelings at least."
"OK. It's up to you, but if you change your mind, it'll be here. In the meantime, you need to keep your strength up. I'll have Nurse Ogawan bring you something for dinner."
"OK."
"How about you, Geordi? Would you like anything?"
"I'll have what she's having."
Beverly nodded and went to find Nurse Ogawan.
"You don't have to stay." Mriana signed.
"Oh no!" Geordi exclaimed. "We're not going through this again. I'm staying right here with you."
"You don't have to."
"OK. How about we compromise." Geordi suggested. "I'll stay here until I have to get some sleep. Fair enough?"
"OK, but as long as you leave when you get tired."
"Mriana?"
"Yes?"
"Marry me."
"What?" She aloud in shock.
"Marry me."
"Geordi, are you sure about this? I mean, you could be asking from all that has happened today."
"Mriana, I'm serious."
"I. um. I." She stammered. "I need to think."
Geordi was taken aback. He could not believe she said had that.
"Oh, Geordi." She continued in sign. "I want to say yes. I really do, but I."
"But you what?"
"I'm just not sure this is a good time to ask me such a question." She signed. "I just got out of surgery and all. It just seems like a bad time to discuss this right now."
Geordi nodded with disappointment as he signed, "Maybe you're right. I guess I should go."
"No! Stay!" She said aloud and reached out to him as he started to turn away to leave.
"Are you sure you want me to stay?" He signed once he turned back to face her.
"Yes. Please stay." She signed.
He stayed long enough to have dinner with her. They conversed in sign language until Mriana was exhausted and started to fall back to sleep. Once she had fallen asleep, Geordi noticed the time and saw it was 2300 hours. He thought it was time for him to get some sleep too.
As he left he stopped to talk to Doctor Selar. "I'm going to get some sleep. If she wakes up, let her know I'll be back in the morning to check on her."
"I will." Doctor Selar said with no emotion.
"Oh, and keep me posted. If anything out of the ordinary happens, let me know immediately."
"Yes, Sir."
There was an awkward silence as Geordi turned to look one last time at Mriana before retiring for the night. Then he turned back to Doctor Selar. "Good night, Doctor."
"Good night."
Geordi left and once inside his quarters he prepared to get some sleep. He laid down on his bed and was still thinking about Mriana's answer to his proposal. He still could not believe her answer.
Chapter Twenty-four
Geordi felt heartbroken that Mriana did not answer him right away. He was not sure what it meant, but he felt maybe she was right. Maybe his timing was a little off some how. After all, she did just get out of surgery.
He felt lost at this point and could not sleep. So he headed for Ten-Forward, hoping that if he hung out with friends, maybe it would get his mind off of things. At this point, though, he was not sure. All he could think about was the fact she said she would think about it.
"What did that mean?" He thought. "Did it mean no? Did it mean, that whatever answer she gave, she was not ready to commit or did it mean yes, but she was too worn out from the surgery to answer him coherently?"
At this point he was not sure of anything. He was not even sure if he should have asked at all.
He walked into Ten-Forward and saw Riker sitting at the bar alone. He thought he would see if his friend wanted company or if he wanted to be alone. He felt like he needed to talk to someone desparately.
"Hi. Would you like some company?"
"Sure!" Riker responded happily. "What's your poison?"
"At this point, I'd take anything with a kick to it."
"Oh, sounds like we need to forget about something."
"Yeah." Geordi said sadly.
Guinan approached to see what Geordi wanted to be served. "What can I get you?"
"Get him a whiskey sour." Will responded. "May not help your troubles much, but it helps you forget for a while."
"Sounds serious." Guinan stated.
"You could say that." Geordi replied.
"I'll get you that drink."
"So, want to talk about it?"
Geordi was not sure what he wanted to do. "I asked her and she said she had to think about it."
"About what?" Will asked.
"If she'll marry me."
"That bad, huh?"
"Yeah. Like she stabbed a knife in my heart."
Will grinned. "Welcome to the men who love Trois club."
"What?"
"Deanna has done that to me a few times. Still hasn't given me a straight answer, yet."
"That bad huh?"
"Yes, but I still love her. Imzadi is forever and you'll never get over that. You'll always have feelings for her, no matter what she says. You just don't get over being Imzadi."
Geordi seemed as though he were getting more depressed talking to Will. "Is it always going to be the answer?"
"No, I have some hope that one day, Deanna will say yes. That's why I keep asking."
"I don't want to keep asking. I want a real answer now." Geordi said as Guinan set his drink before him. "I really want to be with her forever."
"Who's the lucky girl?" Guinan asked.
"More like, who's the unlucky man?" Geordi replied.
"That bad?"
"I never seem to have any luck with women." Geordi said forlornly.
"I gather you asked someone to marry you and she turned you down."
"Actually, she said she'd think about it."
"Would this woman be Mriana Troi?"
"Yeah." Geordi asked in shock, not knowing how Guinan knew.
"Don't be so shocked. It's no secret you and she are an item." Guinan replied. "Didn't she just get out of surgery not too long ago?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"Word gets around when it comes to the amazing things the Betazoid bond can do."
Geordi sighed. "I love her more than anything and I want to be with her."
"You got it bad, Buddy." Will said and then sighed. "But then, so do I."
"Timing." Guinan stated.
"What?" Geordi and Will said at the same time.
"It's all in the timing." Guinan stated. "You see, Geordi, she had just gotten out of surgery. She was probably too foggy still to give you her heart felt answer. To make matters worse, she herself may not be even sure if you really did pop the question because she had just woke up from surgery."
"Guinan, I almost lost her." Geordi informed. "I don't know what I'd have done if she had died. Right now, I don't think I could have lived without her."
"You can't." Will informed.
"What?" Geordi asked in shock.
"You see, the Imzadi bond crosses time, space, and the grave. If she had died, a part of you would have went with her. Maybe even more. You would have felt a piece of you was missing." Will continued.
"How can you be so sure? Deanna has never died." Geordi asked.
"Oh, contrar." Will said. "Remember when Deanna had aged significantly because this guy sent all his emotions and stress to her?"
"Yeah."
"Beverly gave her something that made her die. She stayed that way for almost twenty minutes. I felt like I had died with her. Then Beverly brought her back and I felt alive again."
"Much like how I felt when Beverly was doing the surgery and Mriana almost died in the middle of it."
"Most likely." Will replied.
"Wait a couple days and then bring it up again." Guinan suggested.
"I don't know." Geordi said.
"She'll be feeling better and not feeling groggy. She'll be more coherent to answer you."
"Guinan does have a point, Geordi."
"I don't know." He said as though everything was lost. "With my luck with women, she'll probably say no."
"You won't know until you try." Guinan said and then slipped away.
"She really does have a point." Will restated.
Geordi sighed. "Maybe you're right."
Geordi and Will finished their drinks. Then Geordi decided he would turn in for the night. "See you in the morning, Commander."
"You too and listen to Guinan. She has the best advice, next to Counselor Deanna Troi."
"I'll give it some thought."
He walked out of Ten-Forward and headed for a turbolift. Once he was on the turbolift, he thought about what all Guinan said.
"Maybe my timing was off. She had been through a lot today." Geordi thought to himself. "It wasn't very fair of me to ask her to marry me so soon out of surgery, but I couldn't and still can't bear to be without her."
He exited the turbo and headed straight to his quarters to turn in for the night. He laid on his bed and finally fell asleep, but his sleep was fitful. His dreams were of trying to reach out to Mriana and save her from certain death. His hands in his dreams talked and he understood every word. There was no sound in his dream. Just flying hands that spoke with out sound, desparately trying to get Mriana's attention.
The next morning he was getting ready to go on duty when he heard his combadge beep and then Doctor Crusher's voice.
*Crusher to LaForge.*
He tapped his badge. "LaForge here."
*Mriana seems very desparate to talk to you. Could you come down to Sickbay for a few minutes?*
"Did she say why?"
*No. Just that she had to talk to you now. She seems anxious and won't calm down to rest until you get here to talk to her.*
"I'm on my way."
*OK. I'll let her know. Crusher out.*
Geordi rushed to Sickbay. He had no clue what she wanted nor why he had to come now. He was still smarting from the night before and the whiskey sour did not help much. It only made him feel more sad, hopeless, and lost.
He finally got to the doors of Sickbay and paused for a moment. "Am I about to be dump gently again or is she answering my question positively? Or am I just hoping for the answer I want to hear and she says no?" He thought.
He finally got up the courage to walk into Sickbay. Beverly immediately spotted him and quickly grabbed him by the arm.
"She's back here." Beverly said as she lead him back into the back, where Mriana had a private room. "I haven't attatched the outside part yet to test it and see if it works, so she won't hear anything yet."
Geordi nodded as they walked into the room.
Mriana spotted him immediately. "Geordi!" She said with a lot of nasality.
"Hi." He replied cautiously.
"What? No hug?" She signed.
"I'm sorry." He signed back to her. "I didn't get a good night's sleep last night."
"Worried about me."
"Yeah."
"Well, that's OK, still, I'd like a hug. I promise I won't break that easily."
After they had hugged, Mriana released one lone tear. "Geordi, I'm so sorry. I should have given you my answer last night."
"It's OK. I didn't ask at a very good time."
"Geordi, I love you and I'd be lost without you." She held her arms out in front of her to offer Geordi another hug. Her face was still looking sorrowful.
Geordi accepted her offer for a hug again and hugged her back. "It's alright. I did ask at a bad time."
"I know." She sobbed as she signed. "Even so, should have given you an answer."
"It's alright." Geordi patted her on the shoulder, then continued to sign. "I should not have asked when I did."
"I do love you and I'm sorry I didn't answer you."
"So, is that a yes?"
"I don't know. What was the question?" She asked playfully in sign.
"You're feeling better." He signed.
"Yes, I am." She replied in sign. "So I ask again, what was the question?"