Toni Turner/Sims

Cure for the OMAS Virus

USS Ronin
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(( StarFleet Medical Center Auditorium))

 ::The Auditorium filled quickly with students, faculty and STARFLEET brass. Dr. Shosh'Akota, STARFLEET Medical Commandant, rubbed the brissles below his chin and winced. The gathering of races was hurting his rather sensitive ears. He rather enjoyed the confines of his office, but duty called and he stood up, walked over to the lecturn and gingerly cleared his throat.::

Shosh'Akota: Good afternoon. It is my distinct pleasure to introduce Dr. Toni Turner. Dr. Turner is a graduate of STARFLEET Academy with Honors as well as STARFLEET Medical with honors. She has served as a medical officer at our Embassy on Duronis II and most recently received her Lt rank and position as CMO on the U.S.S. CHALLENGER. She will be speaking today on the effects of the OMA's Virus, first introduced to SFMedical, by her current CO, Captain T'Pen. Let us give a warm STARFLEET Medical welcome to Dr. Turner.

Applause errupts throughout the room.::

Turner: ::taking the podium:: Thank you, Doctor Shosh'Akota. I enjoyed the accolades, but I was beginning to think you were talking about someone else. ::smiles::

Turner: I am humbled to be chosen to speak to such a impressive group of learned individuals, and I appreciate the opportunity. oO Okay, Toni, cut the crap and cut to the chase. Oo

Turner: ::taking a deep breath, looking straight at the center of the audience:: From what I gather, the work that was achieved on the U.S.S. Challenger on finding a cure for the OMAS virus has been attributed to me, but this is not so. The work that was done was a cooperative effort aimed at one goal - survival.

::She paused to let that statement sink in.:

Turner: ::continuing:: Right now, the U.S. S. Challenger, one of the greatest ships in Starfleet is dry docked on DS-9. It is but a hull of a ship, ravaged by an enemy who cared little for the sanctity of life including their own. On that ship is one of the bravest, most honorable, crews in Starfleet, yet when they had fought so valiantly to save the ship, and defeat the scourge that threatened the Federation itself, they faced a bigger threat - the OMAS virus.

Turner: The OMAS virus is a real threat to any environment because it is airborne as proven by the early work of Captain T’Pen. It is a killer, that totally devastates its every victim. The first case was reported on Bajor, and as Captain T’Pen reports indicates, there are for stages for symptoms. And I quote, ::picking up the report and reading::

“Stage one: Bloody or runny nose. Blurred vision. Heat or fever chills. Headache, nausea; Stage two: Partial or complete blindness, numbness or partial paralysis in extremities; Stage Three: neurological paralysis beginning in the brain stem and gradual movement along the spinal column; If not treated within 20 standard days, subject will TERMINATE; Stage Four: Terminal. Full cellular breakdown and disbursement into airborne matter:

WARNING: AIRBORN PATHOGEN RESULTS IN STAGE THREE AND STAGE FOUR OF VIRUS UPON CONTACT. EXTREME CAUTION.”

Turner: ::looking up at the audience again:: Omas had a pretty bleak prospective, and the only treatment could be found on Noad III, effective only if administered no later than stage two.

::From the back of the auditorium, Turner noticed the door open and Captain T'Pen enter, fold her arms across her chest, lean against the back wall and listen.::

:: Somehow Toni knew that the inquiry had gone well, and the Captain had been vindicated. She smiled and nodded to the Captain then continued :: Turner: When we found patients infected with the virus, some, at first, manifested symptoms of Swine Flu, an eradicated Earth virus from the 20th Century. Some of them advanced into Omas virus stage one and were isolated. After testing the DNA of one who did not advance to stage one, we found a thread that offered what looked like an immunity to Omas the super virus of Swine Flu. From there we worked to isolate it, and made the vaccine. <nowiki>::Toni's eyes scanned the room, watching the expressions. Maybe they came to hear something else, but she would give them what she knew they needed. It was time to open their eyes, and she intended to do just that.::

Turner: . We may not have followed the most ethical route to find the vaccine. We worked mostly from our gut instincts and our will to live. Oh, we would have liked to follow Startfleet's procedures, test and retest, every step by the book, but we did not have the luxury of time. It boiled down to find a workable vaccine or die.

Turner: I don't expect you to fully understand the pressures we were under. You can't walk in our shoes until you are faced with those circumstances. We took chances, and if we had failed and still survived, I would be standing in front of a court martial review instead of you. But we had embarked on a mission to save our ship at any cost.

Turner: In the Earth Bible, we learn in Ecclesiastes 1 that everything is meaningless, that nothing is gained by man's toil under the sun. That nothing is new. I believe that is also true in the Universe. What goes around comes around again.

::The audience seemed puzzled, so she explained.::

Turner: I think we all can look at the OMAS, and all other viruses, in a different light now. Not that they are new, but as something that we had seen before in a different form somewhere in the history of Universe. It is my belief that since there is nothing new, then a cure can be found for anything.

Turner: We still have work to do on the vaccine for Omas. There was no time to test for any lasting side effects to the dosage given, but none of our patients progressed past the second stage, and showed a marked improvement with in the first 24 hours. Also I am happy to report, that there were no deaths recorded as a direct result of the virus or the vaccine.

Turner: At this point, I would like to call Captain "Doc" T'Pen to the podium. She is the formost authority on the Omas virus, and I am sure can enlighten you further. Please give her a warm welcome.

::Toni begins applauding as the Captain comes forward and the audience gives a standing ovation to show their respect for the Captain.::

T'Pen: Thank you Dr. Turner. I'm afraid that I do not have any notes to share with this esteamed body. But being Vulcan, my stellar memory will have to surfice.

::There was a brief appreciative chuckle illicited from the audience, to which T'Pen felt a bit more comfortable.:: T'Pen: ::Spreading her hands across the lecturn.:: The OMAs virus, as my collegue has explained, is a retro viruse. It's beginnings came from a small, airborn strain of the Swine Flu, originating on Earth during the early portion of the 20th century. We are still unaware of how it managed to arrive in the Bajorian Colony ships, but it appears that it was hitched a ride from Human to Bajoran. <nowiki>::The images next to her head changed to that of several rather graphic photos of speices infected with OMAs and Swine Flu.::

T'Pen: The images cycling through are the effects of first and second stage swine flu along with what appeared to be the first stage OMAs though it cannot be the true virus as we know it now. These images were taken over 100 years ago. Since that time, the virus has gotten worse.

T'Pen: As a Super Germ, OMAS is very effective, having a total killing rate of 100% within stage four. That is not just for the intended victum, but also anyone who comes into contact with the victum, and inactuality, it can be hypothosized that if the virus remains in the atmosphere of a planet, any and all living organism that is already on the planet would be dead in a matter of hours. ANY BEING BEAMING ONTO THE PLANET, in anything other than an EVA suit, would also be dead within hours. Any such person beamed back to a ship, whether in an EVA suit or not, would have unleashed a death sentence upon the crew. And on and on and on.

T'Pen: Through Dr. Turner's efforts, this won't ever take place again and for that, we are all thankful.

::There was more applause from the audience, to which Dr. Shosh'Akota stood and retook the lecture::

Dr. Shosh'Akota: At this time, we will open up the floor to questions... ::Toni grinned at the Captain::

Turner: ::under her breath:: I think we made a pretty good team.

Falling in Love

• Major Heath West, the owner and bartender of Mission Control and Marine Major, had become an important part of Toni's life. The growth of their relationship was not easy. They both have had experiences that had a great impact on the way they reacted to each other, but since they have overcome most of the difficulties, their relationship became one of mutual respect, and perhaps with time the chemistry that they share will become more than they dreamed possible.
• 238405.29 As time progressed, so did their relationship. They found comfort in being around each other, and in each other's arms.
• 238409.14 Became engaged to Captain Heath West, SFMC Diplomatic Corps. Soon afterward Heath was promoted to Major and XO of the Challenger Marines.
• 238507.15 Heath and Toni were married Kerelian-style just prior to a Borg Attack.
• 238507.20 Heath disappeared presumably MIA.
• 238508.15 Heath is listed MIA presumed dead.
• 238511.24 Not beleiveing that Heath was dead, and trying her best to cope with child who was grieving for her father, Toni was finding it difficult to sleep. To help her rest, 1st Lt. Brikk Wallace, one of Heath's men assigned to look after her and Vee, brought a bottle of Scotch to help her sleep.. She invited him to have a drink. And the next morning she awakened to an empty bottle and Brikk beside her. Unfortunately, she conceived as child.
• 238601.15 Heath returned but was promptly transferred to the USS Steadfast and then to Starbase 118 Ops.
• 238605.15 Miscarried
• 238605.26 Assigned to the USS Resolution as Commanding officer
• 238606.06 Heath and Toni Reconcile when he spends his shore leave on the Resolution.
• 238509.01 Heath is assigned to the Resolution and after 1 1/2 years the couple is reunited as man and wife.
• 238610.21 Both Heath and Toni assigned to the USS Constitution.
• 238707.23 When Toni was transferred to the USS Ronin as Commanding Officer, Heath was on assignment and MIA again, she had to leave without knowing if he had survived. Taking Vee and their newly born son, Garth, soon thereafter Heath was presumed dead. This time, unable to overcome the facts, and for the sake of the children and her sanity, Toni accepted his death, and picked up her life as his young widow.

Background: Heath was on a covert mission to infiltrate the Scarlet Brotherhood's stronghold. Communications with his ship were non-existant, and while he was gone, Toni realized she may have held back her true feelings for him much too long.

::Curling up on one of the beds in a darkened corner, she lay in the quiet, listening for what she hoped would be the echos of his voice left within the walls, wanting to hear those pure tenor tones she had come to cherish...but there was only silence.::

::Closing her eyes, she tried to summon his voice from the recesses of her mind, and for an instant, she heard his laughter and envisioned that same mischievous grin that came with his boyish amusement. She smiled, hoping the vision would not disappear. She heard him call her name, and in her mind she ran to him, longing to be enfolded in his arms, and when she was, tears of happiness dripped from her eyes as she told him what she had been so afraid to tell him from the start... the one thing she had regretted not having said before he had left... the words she had withheld.::

:: At first they came as a whisper, I love you, Heath, then louder as she held the sides of his face and showered him with quick kisses, I love you, Heath. ::

Love and Tenderness

((The Fearless))

JP by Heath West and LtCmdr Toni Turner

::After eating dinner, Heath and Toni went back to the Bridge to spend some quiet time. For the next few hours they spoke of their hopes and dreams, talked of past experiences, and laughed at each other's jokes, but all the while the fact that they were completely alone was foremost in their minds.::

::Watching the stars before them, they were lulled into quietness, each of them lost in the secrets they had withheld for months. Finally, Heath stood, taking Toni's hand in his, giving her a look that hinted his thoughts. She stood, and without a word, let him lead her to the Captain's quarters.::

::As Heath closed the door, sealing them in the room alone, Toni was filled with many contradicting emotions - more than she could count or understand, and impossible to describe. The heart of the matter was that she loved him, and wanted to please him in every way, but had doubts that she could equally arouse the feelings of desire in him, that he had invoke within her every time her eyes fell on him... every time he uttered a word... his every smile... his every breath. She could not deny that her very existence was now centered by his presence in her life.::

::As he turned and moved toward her, she was filled with the anticipation of his touch. She wanted his lips to caress hers. She wanted to feel him arouse every yearning, and take them to the pentacle of passion. Yet, she turned away, pretending to inspect their surroundings.::

Turner: ::nervously:: Nice cabin, the furnishings look. . . very comfortable. ::moving to look closer at the artwork on the wall:: I absolutely love this painting, don't you?

::Heath couldn't help lifting that eyebrow of his as he moved toward her back, his hands curving over her shoulders and his lips touched the side of her neck. She was nervous though why he couldn't tell. She'd been alone with him a hundred times over but now... He slipped his arms around her waist and cuddled her back to his chest, peering over her crown to see the painting.::

West: Very... Arty...

::He couldn't tell her that he wanted to show her he loved her, where words weren't needed. He couldn't just come right out and say it, she'd probably smack him. He chewed the inside of his cheek as his head cocked to one side to look at the painting; why had she chosen a painting to look at? She'd admired the 'comfortable' furniture...::

::With Heath so near.. holding her so close.. a quivering started deep within her. Not a nervous shaking, but one that told her she was where she was meant to be.::

Turner: ::turning to face him:: Heath...

::She stopped, afraid to put her feelings into words. Would he lose respect for her, if she simply stated she wanted him and could no longer wait to feel the closeness of his love? ::

::His mouth refused to form syllabic words but instead his eyes drifted from her eyes to her lips. Slowly, he leant down, capturing her lips with his. Such a sweet kiss had never felt so awakening.::

::She closed her eyes. Her lips parted slightly, and the weakness of desire gripped her soul. She now knew she didn't have to tell him, nor did he need to tell her that they were on the verge of taking their relationship to new heights. ::

::Heath felt the change; the simultaneous change between them, relaxing and flowing together, close, hands finding each other as they shared the warm deep kiss which thrilled and excited him, sending shivers down his spine.::

::Her body seemed to mold into a perfect fit with his, and an urgency began to grow. She stepped back, almost paling, her eyes smokey slits as she gazed at him, then as suddenly as she had moved away, she moved eagerly forward to kiss him again.::

::His familiar smile didn't appear, instead it was replaced by Toni's lips, caressing and stroking his own into a frenzy. She'd had patience with him, she'd waited until he was ready to commit this fully to a relationship again. His palm found her cheek, his thumb brushing along the side of her cheekbone and his fingers resting below her ear. As she pulled back again, he did the same until they were a mere inch away from one another, breath falling upon one another and their eyes connecting, a look of urgent desperation, of need and desire reflecting back. He wasn't even sure if he spoke but he felt the words fall from his mouth.::

West: ::quietly:: I love you.

Turner: ::she stepped back, whispering breathlessly:: And I love you with all my heart.

::She held her arms out to him. He instantly broke his resolve and surveyed her body, then searching her eyes, he found his unasked question answered. He rushed to her waiting arms, knowing she was ready to love and be loved. Words were unnecessary. They were of one mind, valuing each embrace and sharing the passion of each tender kiss. In rare smoothness of motion, they bared themselves to each other. They caressed, almost reverently, as their fevered lips fed the flames between them. Time, and time again, the beauty and purity of their ritual brought fulfillment, and just before dawn their tender passions joined in a union of completeness, fearlessly sharing, at last, all the love they held within them.::