A/N: Thank you to everyone that has read, reviewed, or left kudos. This is an amateur-made work of fanfiction.
Set after Code of Honour. Data/Tasha angst & fluff.
Content Warning: This chapter sees some of our characters subjected to injury.
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Data was in his quarters analysing the energy readings they had collected earlier that day. As he did not require sleep, he usually spent his nights working or furthering his study of humanity. But following his conversation with Tasha a week prior, Data had poured himself into his work and Geordi had taken notice.
Data's door chimed. It was late, but not an unreasonable hour.
Geordi entered and looked frustrated.
"Data! Poker started fifteen minutes ago," Geordi said as he threw his hands up in exasperation.
"Yes, Geordi," Data said from behind his workstation.
Data looked like he was being disturbed.
"I will not be attending, please give my apologies to Commander Riker and the rest of the crew," Data said without blinking.
Geordi looked around and took in his surroundings. The lights were dimmed and, although there were two songs playing simultaneously, Geordi was starting to piece them together. Geordi couldn't be certain, but the music sounded depressing.
"Data are you alright?" Geordi asked as he stepped toward his friend.
"Yes," Data replied.
"Then why are you sitting alone in the dark?" Geordi asked.
"I am...processing...recent events," Data replied.
"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Geordi questioned Data, hoping it would provide him with a hint as to what was going on. "Does this have anything to do with what happened the other day with Tasha?"
"I am fine, Geordi," Data said without lifting his eyes from his PADD.
Geordi was worried and confused. He'd never seen Data act like this.
"You will be late," Data reminded him.
"Data?" Geordi tried again.
"I am fine, Geordi," Data reassured him.
Presently, Data didn't want to go to poker. He knew Tasha would be there and it was difficult for him to be around her. Following their conversation, he wrote a new subroutine to stop himself from staring when he was around her. He had found that his neural network would attempt to override the program and he couldn't explain it other than he had a desire to see her.
"Computer, cease music," Data said.
Data leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Yes, he was awfully glad he had not removed his memory engrams.
Humans would call Tasha's eyes 'blue.' But Data's positronic brain processed Tasha's eyes as so much more. They had a value of Red = 168, Green = 211, and Blue = 196. The same shade as the druzy cavansite crystals found on Pune II, the Meconopsis betonicifolia more commonly known as the Himalayan blue poppy of Earth, and the Ferieas eel species that resided on the waters of the second moon of Jonquil.
Data would visit Professor Ishikawa in the morning. He would be able to replicate a Himalayan blue poppy from the ship's seed bank. At the very least, maybe he could find joy in things that reminded him of her.
"Computer, play music program Data 439," he said as he leaned back.
The sound of the C minor filled his quarters as he allowed himself to be enveloped in the music.
Blue skies smiling on me, nothing but blue skies do I see.
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Across the ship, Tasha was laying on her back in bed with one arm across her stomach and the other flung above her head on her pillow. She couldn't sleep. It had been a week since Data had come to her quarters and she could not stop thinking about him.
"Then I am glad I did not destroy my memory engrams," Data said in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "Because I will treasure them."
Sure, she saw him on the Bridge every day. She had accompanied Data, Worf, and Geordi as part of an away team to take some readings on an unusual energy reading they had picked up coming from an M-class planet in the Lonolanoa system. Geordi had wanted to investigate the reading closer and they had spent about an hour gathering information. She was grateful that Geordi had paired off with Data and that she'd been sent to collect information on the opposite side of a rocky formation.
It was hard enough for her to have to watch him on the Bridge and know that all she would ever know of him would be a memory. It was easier for her to maintain professionalism with some distance between them.
So, Tasha had decided to skip poker. Tasha knew he'd be there in that stupid green visor.
No, she needed distance because the more time she spent around him the more she found herself lying awake thinking about the lateral muscle of his lean thighs. Technically, it was bioplast sheeting over an endoskeleton.
But it sure felt like muscle. Tasha reminded herself.
Sighing, she turned over and tried to push thoughts of the Lieutenant Commander from her mind.
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Down on the holodeck, Geordi stepped through the arch and joined the other senior officers for their weekly poker game.
"Sorry I'm late," Geordi said as he took a seat at the table.
"Geordi!" Riker said with a broad smile. "Well, that's one more!"
Looking around Geordi noticed the crowd was a little more sparse than usual.
"Doctor Crusher will be unable to attend as Lieutenant McClure is expected to deliver her child soon," Worf explained.
"She went into labour a couple of hours ago," Riker explained.
"I'm sure Niall is relieved to hear that. He's been a nervous wreck waiting for that baby to pop," Geordi said with a smile.
Lieutenant Niall McClure was one of Geordi's best engineers. His wife had been due several days earlier, but their little one had been shy about making their appearance. With each passing day, Niall had grown more anxious in anticipation of the arrival of his first child. Doctor Crusher had reassured him there was no concern yet, but it was hard to calm down the first-time father.
"Where's our best dealer?" Riker asked, noting that Geordi had arrived sans Data.
"He's not coming," Geordi said as he shook his head.
"Has something happened?" Riker asked seriously.
Data had only ever missed a poker night if there was a task or emergency requiring his attention. And any kind of task or emergency requiring the Second Officer's attention was something the First Officer needed to be aware of.
Geordi shook his head.
"He said to pass along his apologies as he didn't want to come tonight," Geordi said with a shrug.
"That doesn't sound like Data," Deanna commented.
Commander Riker shuffled the deck and offered it to Worf to cut the cards.
"He's been acting weird lately," Geordi said. "I stopped by his quarters on the way here and he was sitting in the dark listening to breakup songs."
"Now that is odd," Riker said as he looked at Geordi.
"Right?" Geordi agreed.
With the deck cut, Riker stared at the cards and took a sip of his synthesised Manhattan.
"Should we wait for Tasha?" Riker asked, looking around at the table.
"I don't think she's coming either," Geordi said with a frustrated sigh.
He didn't know what was going on, but his intuition told him something was going on.
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"We missed you last night," Deanna said.
Tasha was seated on Deanna's sofa for her weekly counselling session.
"Yeah, I was tired," Tasha said.
"I know when you're lying," Deanna reminded Tasha as she passed her a cuppa.
"Fair enough. I didn't feel like going," Tasha said.
Deanna had been looking forward to their counselling session. She'd picked up on some very strong emotions from Tasha the last few days and was hoping this session would help Tasha work them out.
"I've been sensing a lot of mixed emotions from you lately," Deanna explained. "A conflict between emptiness and desire. Like a longing."
"Like I said before, I want something I know I can't have," Tasha said.
"You don't have to answer this next question, but I think it could help to work through your feelings," Deanna explained.
Tasha's jaw clenched. She may not have been an empath, but she knew what was coming. They'd been dancing around the question since Tasha had first discussed the polywater incident.
"Is the reason you feel your desire is forbidden due to Starfleet regulations?" Deanna said bluntly. "Is this person under your direct chain of command?"
Tasha didn't answer.
"You mentioned before that he had offered to transfer for you when he thought he'd hurt you," Deanna went on. "Why could he not transfer to a different division outside of your chain of command? Then you could pursue a relationship."
Tasha shook her head in response. Deanna could sense there was something she was holding back.
"That's not an option," Tasha replied.
Deanna thought carefully about Tasha's response. Based on her statement, Deanna now suspected Tasha had avoided the poker game because he was there. Worf had been unaffected by the polywater. But Geordi and Will had been affected.
"I think you didn't come last night because he was there," Deanna said.
It was a risk, and she knew it. Deanna quickly ruled Will out as the possibility. Her Imzadi had always put his career above anything else and serving on the Enterprise was his greatest desire. Will would never offer to resign over something like this.
Was it Geordi? Could it be? Deanna mused.
Although, Data had skipped poker too.
Deanna pushed the thought from her mind.
"That's not a fair question, Troi," Tasha snapped as Deanna could sense the frustration growing in her friend.
"I'm sorry," Deanna apologised.
"Me too," Tasha said.
"So, what do you want to do?" Deanna asked as the two women discussed Tasha's plan to overcome the loss she was feeling.
Tasha explained that she had spent more time on the holodeck lately – kayaking, running, and boxing. Deanna knew Tasha found solace in physical activity. It was an escape. Tasha shared she was going to be joining Chief O'Brien for a new sport she had never tried but was looking forward to.
"You know how much I love climbing. Miles was telling me about this ice climb he did on Earth and it sounded like a great challenge," Tasha said with a genuine smile. "We're going to do it tomorrow after Alpha shift ends."
At the start of their session, Tasha had shared that her climb with Worf earlier that week had been a great experience. The focus it required had meant she was able to take her mind off Data for a few hours. At the top, she and Worf had meditated on their own. It was one of the things Tasha appreciated most about her Klingon friend – they could spend time together without having to fake pleasantries. They both appreciated the serenity that came with solitude in nature.
"Then it will be your second big climb this week. Just be sure you aren't overdoing it," Deanna advised.
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Over in the arboretum, Data was listening to Professor Keiko Ishikawa explain the care routine for his new Himalayan Blue Poppy plant.
"She's a challenging plant, Data," Keiko said as touched the stem.
The soft, light blue petals of the perennial were remarkable.
"My research suggests that a slightly acidic soil with exceptional drainage is required," Data said as he observed the plant.
"So, why'd you pick this one?" Keiko asked as she picked up her tricorder and resumed scanning the cellular structure of the Elvorian ferns she was working on before Data had arrived.
"My neural pathways find this particular shade of blue to be superior to other plants," Data explained.
"I never knew you had a soft-side for poppies," Keiko teased. "She is beautiful."
"Very much so," Data replied strangely.
"Is something the matter?" Keiko questioned as she stopped scanning and looked at her friend.
Keiko noticed an odd, faraway expression on his face.
"May I ask for your expertise as a human on a subject?" Data inquired.
"Well, I'm certainly no expert but go ahead," Keiko replied.
"Sometimes when humans are unable to fulfil a desire, they want to replace that desire with a substitution," Data said. "In your experience, do you find that has been successful at fulfilling the initial desire?"
Keiko wasn't exactly sure how to respond. She knew full well of Data's desire to be human. And she knew how hard he had worked to understand and emulate human behaviour.
It was at times like this that she felt a horrible sadness that he could not see just how human he truly was.
"You mean like when I want my Dad's real plankton loaf, but I have to settle for replicated plankton loaf?" She thought aloud. "It's OK. It gets me through. But it's no substitute for the real thing."
Data responded with a short nod before turning his gaze back to the flower.
"Data, is there something you want to talk about?" Keiko asked kindly.
"Thank you for your offer. It is exceedingly kind. You are a true and valued friend, Keiko. But this is something I must process alone," Data said.
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After returning his new plant to his quarters and ensuring his environmental conditions were set properly for optimal growth, Data headed to Ten Forward to join Geordi and Chief O'Brien for socialisation.
Data had found the Ten Forward lounge to be a prime location for his study of human behaviour. Friendships, interdepartmental cooperation, and romantic relationships were all centred around Ten Forward.
Seated at their usual table, Geordi and Miles were swapping transporter stories.
"They've got 800 of these crates that we need to bring aboard. And they send the first load and it's just a single crate. So, I remind them that they can send us 60 crates at a time, right?" Miles said as he recalled the story from his time aboard the Odyssey.
"And they keep sending one crate over at a time," Miles went on. "So, I tell 'em again that we were gon' be there all week unless they pick up the pace."
Geordi and Miles laughed aloud.
"That's funny, Data," Geordi said as he slapped Data's arm playfully.
Data nodded to acknowledge the story.
"That is most absurd," Data said. "Thank you, Miles. I will add that slow work performance is amusing to my understanding of humour."
As Miles and Geordi continued to chat, Data scanned the lounge. In the corner, Ensigns Evans and Kelhun were seated close. Data's neural net was overcome with questions about what the experience would be like if he were at Ten Forward with Tasha.
"Hello?" Geordi said as he waved his hand in front of Data's face. "Hailing Data on all frequencies, all languages."
Data snapped out of his thoughts and back to the conversation at hand.
"Are you in?" Geordi asked. "I think you'd like it."
Data looked from Miles to Geordi. As his brain was focused on Tasha, he had failed to process Geordi's question.
"I am sorry," Data stated. "Could you please repeat your question?"
"I asked if either of you wanted to join my ice climb tomorrow after Alpha shift?" Miles said.
He took a sip of his synthesised pint before continuing.
"It's a new holodeck program I've worked up. It's quite a challenge. And ideally, it's best done with mates," Miles said as he raised his glass in a toast.
Data stiffly raised his drink to join Geordi and Miles and in the toast.
After the clink of their glasses, Miles downed the remainder of his pint in one long chug.
"Chief O'Brien, I have observed you have drinking capabilities that are far superior to those of other humans," Data commented.
Miles gave him a wink.
"Now that was funny, Data," Geordi laughed.
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The next day, Miles met Geordi outside of his quarters and they made their way to the holodeck. Geordi was getting warm in his gear and was eager to get into the chilled environment of the holodeck ice climb so that he could cool off.
As they approached the holodeck, Geordi slowed and reached his hand out to stop Miles.
Tasha was standing outside the holodeck. She was turned away, facing the opposite direction. But there was no mistake about it, Tasha was dressed for cold weather climbing.
"Miles, please tell me you did not invite Tasha," Geordi said quietly.
"What's wrong with Tasha?" Miles asked.
"Nothing," Geordi replied softly. "But something is definitely going on between Tasha and Data."
Pushing Miles into the closest adjacent corridor, Geordi discreetly filled Miles in on what he knew.
Unfortunately, Geordi didn't know much.
"So, they've been avoiding each other for three weeks now?" Miles asked with disbelief.
Geordi nodded.
"The other night he was sitting in the dark listening to breakup songs," Geordi explained. "I've never seen him like this. And they both skipped poker night."
"You think he's got his eye on her? And what, she turned him down?" Miles asked.
"I think it's more complicated than that," Geordi said as he peaked around the corner and looked back at Miles.
"I had no idea," Miles said.
He felt horrible.
Hearing footsteps, Miles and Geordi poked their heads around the corner to watch.
Data approached Tasha and, even from a distance, they could see both officers' bodies tense.
Data's arms were full of ropes, belay devices, ice tools, and harnesses.
"Lieutenant Yar," he said softly.
"Commander," she responded as she cleared her throat and straightened her posture.
Geordi and Miles exchanged a look.
"I didn't know you liked to climb," Tasha said in an attempt to avoid silence.
Data swallowed and did not respond.
"Well, I'm sure Miles and Geordi will be along soon," she said as she rocked back and forth from the balls of her feet.
Overcome with an indescribable sensation, Data unceremoniously dropped the gear with a loud thud.
Cool as a cucumber, Tasha was unphased by the noise.
Data turned his head to the wall of the corridor as he found himself fighting against the subroutine designed to stop him from staring.
"I have suddenly remembered that I agreed to help with a project in Engineering," Data said in a very clumsy, unlike-Data fashion.
He knew he shouldn't, but he gave in and allowed himself to look back at Tasha.
As he did, he noticed the heads of Geordi and Chief O'Brien peering from around the corner.
"Chief? Geordi?" he asked as he cocked his head sharply to the right.
"Uh-oh," Geordi said softly. "Busted."
Tasha whipped around as Miles and Geordi sheepishly came out from their hiding place in the adjacent corridor.
Approaching the pair, Miles tried to think of what he could say but came up speechless.
"Enjoy your holodeck adventure," Data said as he turned to leave.
"Ah, ah, ah," Geordi said as moved quickly in front of his friend.
"I have remembered there is somewhere I need to be," Data said to Geordi.
"I'm not buying that," Geordi said quietly to Data as he put a hand on his chest to stop him.
"I should apologise, I uh, well I didn't, erm," Miles said as he scratched his head, struggling to come up with the right thing to say.
"I don't know why this needs to be awkward," Tasha said as she picked up one of the harnesses. "We're all friends here."
Data met her eyes as if to ask permission to stay. She gave the smallest of nods, but he got the message.
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Once they were inside, Tasha was overwhelmed by the beauty of the mountains. Miles explained they were the High Tatras Mountains. It was a range that ran between Slovakia and Poland on Earth and Tasha found them to be breath-taking.
The blinding snow and frozen crystals were beautiful. Turkana IV was a humid world. Ever since Worf had introduced her to skiing, Tasha had been fascinated with the snow, ice, and with what he'd shown her about his childhood in Minsk.
As he attached the crampons to his boots, Data permitted himself to look at Tasha before turning away quickly.
He surmised this is what humans called a "stolen glace."
He didn't know if it was his ethical programming or something else causing this strange thought, but he found he could only describe it as forbidden and intriguing.
Looking up at the ice, Tasha analysed the angle of the climb. Miles had been truthful in his assessment that this would be a challenge, even for an experienced climber like herself. Even with the safety parameters in place, climbing on the holodeck meant that they could still fall from nine meters above the holodeck floor.
She would need to stay focused on the ice and not the exceptionally taut backside of her Lieutenant Commander.
The Lieutenant Commander she chided herself internally.
He wasn't her anything.
Shaking the thought from her head, Tasha secured her helmet and readied herself.
The program was designed to simulate a forty-three meter climb up a pitch that was almost entirely vertical. It would be a fitness test unlike any other they had encountered before.
Miles was leading the climb as they made their way up the ice with Tasha behind him. Geordi followed Tasha and Data brought up the rear.
As they ascended, Tasha was feeling good. Despite the rocky start, they were making a good pace. Tasha had worked up a sweat.
"I'm going to feel this tomorrow," Geordi shouted to the group.
Tasha swung her right arm upward to make her next move when, without warning, the entire ship jerked violently.
Miles swung hard with his pick but was unable to make contact as the Enterprise began to fall. Freefalling backward he braced for impact with the holodeck wall.
Geordi felt his grip on the ice slip. He could feel the Enterprise was falling out of orbit and she was falling fast. Geordi was not comforted knowing that, given the dimensions of the holodeck, falling into the wall was just as bad as falling to the floor.
Tasha's ice screws detached, and she felt her stomach drop as she grasped at nothing as she fell away from the ice.
It took Data 0.0023 seconds to calculate the pressure he would need to push off the ice with and the angle at which to jump to reach Tasha. He knew the impact would likely hurt her, but it would be less so than her falling into the wall.
As they collided, he grabbed her by the waist and with his other hand, pulled her against him to protect her head. Data noticed the ice was also collapsing around them.
As they made contact with the wall, he heard Chief O'Brien cry out as his shoulder dislocated. Geordi landed a few feet away with a sickening crunch but made no noise. Data moved with lightning speed to brace himself on one knee and cover Tasha as the ice collapsed around them.
Something was wrong, but before Data could begin to theorise the Enterprise righted itself. The four friends found themselves sliding along the wall as they hurled into the ground along with remnants of the collapsed ice.
Even though it was a holodeck program, the ice was real and the weight as it crashed into the floor was felt on every inch of their bodies. Although Data could not feel pain, he was able to process the weight of the ice and the pressure the fall had placed on his endoskeleton.
It was all over in a matter of seconds, and Miles breathed a sigh of relief.
"Data," Tasha said as she tried to collect her bearings.
Data was clutching her tightly against his chest, his hand on the back of her helmet.
"Data let go," Tasha instructed as she suddenly felt very suffocated.
Data eased his grip and Tasha tried to look around but found they were encased in the snow and ice.
"Computer end program," Data said.
Nothing happened.
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Several meters away, Chief O'Brien was conscious and alert, but he knew the familiar feeling of a dislocated shoulder.
"Chief O'Brien to the Bridge," Miles said as he tapped his combadge.
There was no response.
He next tried ending the program but there was no response from the computer. He was still trapped in the ice.
Miles tried to ignore the panic that was beginning to rise in his throat. He would need to stay calm and figure out a way out of this.
Something had happened to the Enterprise. At the very least, she was no longer out of control. Not only was Miles worried about what had caused the sudden freefall, he was concerned that their communication seemed to be down.
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"Lieutenant Yar to the Bridge," Tasha said. She gave a small cry of pain as she tried to tap her combadge but found her wrist was broken.
Data looked down at her quizzically.
"I think my wrist is broken," Tasha replied as she looked back up at him.
Data tried to contact the Bridge but there was no response.
"It appears whatever caused the freefall has also disrupted the holodeck functions and our communications," he said as he assessed the situation aloud. "I must locate Geordi and Chief O'Brien."
Tasha nodded as her mind ran through possibilities. The situation could be that some kind of external disruption had caused the problem. It could have damaged their systems causing the holodeck and communication issues. It was also possible the Enterprise was under attack.
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Data used his internal spatial calibration to determine the direction in which he would need to dig to reach the top of the compacted snow and ice.
"I will create a path and then come back to collect you," he explained as he looked at the ice above them and then back down at Tasha.
"I think I can crawl out behind you," Tasha informed him. "Geordi and Miles could be hurt. It will be best if we both look for them.
Tasha felt a sense of loss of both warmth and protection when removed his hands.
She could have been seriously hurt if he hadn't caught her – even though she knew she was going to be sore on the side where they'd made contact. In motion, he had no ability to control the pressure with which they collided. Her left side was going to bruise but she was grateful for his quick thinking.
Data burrowed through the snow with Tasha close behind. It took him only a few moments to reach the top. He reached back and pulled Tasha up to the top with her good arm while she cradled her broken wrist against her chest.
Looking around, it was quickly evident that both Geordi and Miles were buried somewhere in the compacted ice.
"GEORDI? CHIEF?" Tasha called out.
"It is unlikely they will be able to hear us as the snow will absorb and dampen the sound waves," Data stated as he looked around.
"Computer end program," Data tried again.
Just as before, nothing happened.
Data's eyes began flit back and forth rapidly as he attempted to determine the best way to find his friends.
"I will not be able to determine their precise location but based on the angle at which we fell I can narrow down the search parameters," he said quickly.
Data detached the long ropes from their harnesses. With the speed of his Android body, he quickly tore the rope and secured Tasha's harness to his own with a short half-metre piece of rope between them.
Tasha looked down at it and the back up at his face.
"What's this?" she asked.
"If we begin to fall again, I will need to ensure we do not get separated in the process," he explained.
Tasha nodded. It was good thinking.
They moved a few meters away to where Data believed they would locate Geordi and Chief O'Brien.
His mind was overcome with thoughts about the various possibilities they could encounter.
Geordi and Miles could be trapped.
They could be trapped and injured.
Given the pressure of the compacted snow, it was also possible they would run out of oxygen before Data could reach them.
Working quickly, Data began to dig. He stopped every so often to listen for any sound.
He would lean down and place his ear against the snow, straining his audio receptors for any sign of life.
"Data, look!" Tasha said as she pointed to a small bit of movement about a meter from where they were digging.
Data rose quickly. In two strides, he dropped to his knees again and began digging furiously when a hand shot up from the snow.
Data gripped it firmly and in one motion pulled Chief O'Brien up through the snow.
Miles let out a cry of pain as he was yanked upward by Data and found himself laying on the ice.
"Boy am I glad to see you," Miles said with a grimace and he rolled to his back.
"Are you hurt?" Data inquired.
Miles nodded.
Data let go of Miles gently. He ripped another piece of rope and quickly attached himself and Miles.
"Good thinking," Miles said.
"Computer, end program," Tasha tried again.
"We must find Geordi," Data said quickly as he resumed digging.
As they dug, Tasha glanced over to look at Data. They were all worried about Geordi. And no matter what anyone said about android's being incapable of feeling, she could see Data was scared in his face.
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They did find Geordi.
And it broke Tasha's heart to watch Data when they reached him.
His yellow eyes had gone wide with fear and there was an unmistakable hitch of his breath.
It took Data less than a second to analyse that Geordi had suffered no major spinal damage. He quickly ripped another piece of rope. His hands moved quickly to secure Geordi to the rest of the group. He then delicately cradled Geordi's head in hands.
"Geordi?" Data asked softly as he knelt beside him.
Miles tried to reach the Bridge again but there was on response.
"Data, can you tell physically where the arch is located without calling it?" Miles asked.
"Yes," Data said as he carefully examined Geordi for injuries.
After a momentary assessment of their present location, Data determined they would need to dig through 4 meters of the compacted material to reach the arch. Data calculated that working at his maximum efficiency, it would take him thirty-eight minutes to reach and clear the arch for Data to manually open it.
The environmental conditions of the holodeck were starting to take effect on the three humans. Despite their cold weather gear, the frigid temperature was beginning to seep into their bones.
"You two should stay close to Geordi and try to keep each other warm," Data instructed.
He worked to quickly clear the snow as his thoughts spiralled – what if he couldn't get Geordi to Sickbay in time? What was the precise nature and extent of Geordi's injuries? The thought of losing Geordi's companionship was an unacceptable emptiness.
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"Riker to Data," the combadge chimed suddenly.
Data stopped and sat back on his knees. Tasha and Miles looked at each other as relief swept over the pair.
"Commander, please have transporter two lock onto my signal along with Lieutenant Yar, Chief O'Brien, and Geordi La Forge on holodeck two. We need to be transported to sick bay immediately," Data instructed.
Data cradled Geordi as they dematerialised and re-emerged in sick bay.
"Please doctor," Data said in a panicked voice. "He is injured."
The medical team helped to detach the four from each other and removed their helmets. Data carried Geordi to an examination table.
Lieutenant Selar escorted Chief O'Brien to another examination table and set about tending to his dislocated shoulder.
Nurse Ogowa tried to direct Tasha to another examination area to care for her wrist, but Tasha stopped her.
"Please step into the secondary examination room and I'll be right in to take a look at that wrist," she said pointing to the doorway to the left.
"Not yet," Tasha said.
Doctor Crusher ran her medical tricorder along Geordi as she assessed the extent of his injuries.
"He's got moderate head trauma and he's broken his left leg," Doctor Crusher explained. "There's some internal bleeding but there doesn't appear to be any spinal damage."
Data briefed Doctor Crusher on the incident and what type of pressure had been placed on his body from the compacted ice.
"What happened to the Enterprise?" Tasha asked.
"We encountered some kind of force that redirected the ship," Beverley explained. "They're still working to determine what caused it."
"We should get to the Bridge," Tasha said as she looked at Data.
"Your wrist requires attention," Data said as he maintained eye contact with Tasha.
"We need to get to the Bridge," Tasha said seriously.
Data put his hand on her shoulder and directed her to the secondary examination room.
"You will ensure your wrist is treated and that is an order, Lieutenant," Data said.
Tasha nodded hesitantly acknowledging his order. She sat down on the exam table.
Data gave her a short nod before turning to leave. He took a step and then stopped suddenly.
Turning back, he looked at Tasha.
"I'll stay with him," Tasha said as she read his thoughts.
He was scared for Geordi. She could see it in his eyes.
He was at her in two paces.
Data laid his hands tenderly on either side of her face and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head.
It only lasted three seconds, but Data closed his eyes and soaked in the sensation - the scent of lavender from her soap, the cool of her skin from the frigid air on the holodeck, and the soft feel of her hair as it brushed against his lips.
Tasha felt him pull away.
Stepping backward, their eyes met.
"I'll stay with him," Tasha repeated softly.