...2369...

...July 3rd...

"Do you feel pain, Q?" C'zeek asked.

Sweat dripped down my skin.

I am on a metal bed rather than the chair.

"N...Not....Not anymore," I lied.

C'zeek frowned.

"That is...Not acceptable," C'zeek said, taking out a long blade. "Your death will fulfill my long mission."

I can feel my essence wanting to depart this body.

No, I thought, I must stay for Jean Luc.

"You are proving to be difficult to die," C'zeek said, as the ship trembles. "C'zeek to Bridge! What is happening?"

"The USS Twister is after us in Warp mode!" Came the reply.

C'zeek stabs the blade into my right arm.

This time I wasn't bothered by the pain.

In fact I just stared at the blade.

"How lame," I said.

C'zeek frowned.

"I'll be right back," C'zeek said. "I am not done with you."

C'zeek departed the room.

I used my free left hand to remove the dagger with a shriek. I let out a gasp dropping the dagger to the floor. Fresh new tears flowed down over my cheeks. That is the price I pay for meddling with other species. The Calamarains were at least better than the crooked gang to the Romulus 5 because they didn't torment me so cruelly with weapons. I still cannot get used to sleeping.

Some days I have nightmares.

Nightmares that I will fail.

Sometimes I dream of Abbigal and her sons dying because of me. Some of my dreams start out on the bridge on a usual day then M appears and killS Captain Tonya before my eyes. So I don't have the best nights. Karzine once told me that I am restless and there are bags under my eyes from not sleeping. Karzine strongly insisted I go to sleep after a week of trying not to; well, that's part of another adventure that involved a entity that prevented us from sleeping.

I quite enjoyed that until I began going insane.

"Come on," I tell myself. I look over the edge of the daunting table. "When did you ever get scared of feeling pain?" I paused. "Right..." I rolled an eye. "Quite arguably the worst question ever."

Being tortured by Romulan devices is no joke. The pain that I underwent is horrible, crude, and strictly pain inflicting. I fell off the table after much work. Once landing on the floor my eyes widened hearing a crack from my leg. Please don't tell me I just had a hair line fracture in my leg.

"My leg," I squeak, touching the injury.

A sharp pain made a echo through my mind. The kind that makes itself obvious not to be touched. Great, Q, I thought. I forced myself to crawl like a infant in the topys turvy room. I came over to the table then use my free left hand out a disruptor disguised as an alien device (that I came to realizing after taking off the bulk) which had surely fooled me and the crew.

Sparks flew out of the machinery.

Red alert, red alert, red alert.

The doors opened to reveal Delly.

"Trying to escape, eh?" Delly said. "Well our force fields are not going out so easily." He had a cocky kind of grin. "I have something that my mercyful friend didn't have...." He takes out a device from his pocket. "One that actually conducts assimilation."

Delly pushed me up against the wall.

My eyes squinted to see what kind of device this is.

It is square, big, and technological appealing.

"W...What is that?" I ask, in between the pain of my chest being pressed against the wall.

My ribs are in no condition to be pressed against nor is my back.

"Borg tech," Delly said, with a grin.

Delly attached the device onto my right hand and he dropped me. I can feel wires implanting themselves into my skin. I am laid on my side watching in horror what is happening to my body without any means of stopping it. The cables went under my skin. Delly laughing standing right over me.

"This what they felt," Delly said. "Every single one."

"I...I...I...." I couldn't bare the pain that was much stronger than what C'zeek had done.

"You are not forgiven for exposing us to the Borgs," Delly said.

"Sorry..." I apologized, in a squeak.

Suddenly Delly is sent flying to the side and time stopped.

"Oh Q," Came Q2. "You are a mess."

I look up.

"You...." I said. "You conspired with them!"

"I did not, Q," Q2 said.

"Quarty," I said.

"All right, 'Quarty'," Q2 said. "All I did was respect your wishes and not interfere."

"Then why in the continuum are you here?" I asked.

"I just wanted to see how you are doing, little brother," Q2 said. "Not just because I am finding it odd going to various sectors of the universe and not having to apologize for what you did."

"I never reached beyond," I said. "You know how busy I was teaching Junior."

Q2 appears in a chair, pretty much backwards.

Q2 has his elbow leaned on the back edge.

"I am aware of that," Q2 said. "How has it been living among the humans?"

"Fine," I said.

"You don't look fine to me," Q2 said. "Maybe I should heal--"

"Q!" I deepend my voice. "No!"

"What about the Borg nanites?" Q2 asked, horrified.

"I," I managed prop myself up. "Don't," I deepened my voice. "Care."

"You have gone a long way caring," Q2 said. "I can't leave you like this."

"Yes," I said, adjusting my voice to its usual tone. "You can!"

Q2 frowned.

"I am doing you a good favor and this is how you treat people who try to help!" Q2 said. "The nerves you have."

"I was once like you," I said. "Until I learned what it means to be human and have no interference what-so-ever by the Q."

"But what if you happen to be turned into a Q, again?" Q2 asked. "What then? You meddling with humans would be hypocritical of you."

"That is different," I said. "This is my life."

Q2 sighed.

"If you want it that way," Q2 said. "But I am just helping you...A little."

Q2 vanished in a flash of light.

The pain made by the Borg nanites ceased. I looked over to see the machine had been taken off somehow. But the pain otherwise in my body resulting from several other torture related devices still coursed through my body. Time resumed to its usual pace. Delly landed on the floor with a big old thud. I dragged myself through every bit of pain through the doorway then down the hall. Guessing my way to the transport room or where ever that is most safe in the event of a attack.

I am sent sliding to the other side of the hall under the blaring 'red alert' made by the computer.

White gas poured into the hall.

Several Romulans went past me.

So distracted they were.

After what felt like thirty two minutes I stopped. Sweat,bloody, and in pain. At least Jean Luc never had to undergo this when I took him places. Jean Luc was so lucky with me. Every day we put ourselves out into danger and everyday we come out fine as a whistle. But not today, really, we got some loss. My forehead pressed against the floor. I couldn't push myself any further. I felt weak, slow, and just hopeless.

I heard the sound of beaming.

I looked over to see Doctor Vance and Karzine.

"Commander Dodgers!" Doctor Vance said, coming over to me with Karzine.

"...How..." I managed to whisper.

"Their shields are destroyed," Karzine said, then she tapped on her communicator. "Three to sickbay."

Doctor Vance applied something to my neck and I was out.