An Impossible Task

Posted on Sat May 9th, 2026 @ 4:20am by Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus & Lieutenant Endymion Tox

2,833 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Preservation Instinct
Location: Deck 07 | Sickbay - Chief Medical Officer's Office | USS Ontario

Ezmy's brow furrowed. She was not a new nurse, she was a nurse that had been there long enough to understand that the good doctor was a rather scary man. Short tempered and prone a good bellow fest he was classified, by the staff, as somewhat unapproachable so when the nursing staff had something to discuss with him by, say going over the head of the head nurse, they drew lots and she had drawn the short end of the straw.

She sighed as she stared at the hall that would take her to the CMO's office. Okay Ezmy. You can do this. You are Esmeralda De Legon. You are a strong woman who takes not crap, even from a fire breathing CMO. You can do this.

She sighed and headed to Doctor Marcus' office. Once there she rang the chime and waited her heart pounding in her chest.

Aaron sat at his desk playing Pong, an entertainment game from the 1980s. The sound of the door opening distracted him just long enough that he dropped the ball in the game. "Gorram it. What do you want? Have we run out of band aids already?"

Ezmy squared her shoulders and entered. "Um...Doctor can I have a moment of your time." She walked in and sat down as if he'd said yes. "I know you're um...scary and all but can you like shelve that and listen?"

Aaron tossed the game controller on the desk and turned to the nurse. "Is someone dying, or better yet dead? There better be some sort of fun in this for me." He said with little show of caring in his mannerisms or tone of his voice. Fact was he rather liked the scary reputation that he had.

"Well...no...not really but something is wrong. Um...you know how mid week we always do proper inventory and Nurse Tox has us deep, deep, deep clean everything even though it's clean already?"

"Oh sure." Aaron said flatly. There was nothing else for him to say. He wanted her to get to the point already. That was the problem with being feared. No one simply cut to the point around you.

"Well usually we, like, blast music and dance and make a good time of it...sept...this time there was no music. It felt like a silent death march and Nurse Tox hasn't spoken to anyone other then work stuff in, like, three days and he looks terrible!"

"Well either they had a really good time, or a really bad one." Aaron said with a smile. He popped a couple of candies into his mouth and smiled. "I do not want it said that I am not a benevolent overlord. Send Tox in here and I will have a chat with them. See what I can do. Of course I will report back all the juicy gossip."

Ezmy squealed. "And they say you're mean. You're a sweetie!" She stood so fast and ran out to get Tox.

In this situation there simply was no way for Aaron to win. Well more accurately there was no way for him to win to his liking. Fact was he had no interest in talking to Tox, no interest in the gossip, or anything save for his work. However, if the cogs in this machine were not well greased the machine would cease to function, and Aaron knew that. So, he had to bite this proverbial bullet and grease a cog as it were.

A few moments later Tox shuffled in looking, unlike himself. He was scruffy, with dark circles under his eyes and he stood inside the door. "Ezmy said you wanted to see me Sir?" He said uncharacteristically professional whereas before he would have breezed in and made some sort of comment that was fun and unprofessional today he just stood staring off into the distance seeming lost in some idea or memory.

"Have a seat." Aaron began and pointed to the chair in front of the desk. "So, are you going to tell me if it was a good time or a bad time? Or am I going to have to simply hack into your logs. There is only room in this Sick Bay for one curmudgeon and I called dibs, so out with it."

His brows furrowed. "I'm not following..."

"Listen, you don't have to be a Counselor to know when someone is having romantic troubles of some sort. So, either they rejected you, or accepted you and it wasn't that good. Because with a puss like that something is going on. So, since Ole Thorny is missing, I am going to have to do her job. Out with it. Why the long face?" Aaron reached into a drawer at his desk and pulled out a decanter and two glasses. Generous measures of an auburn liquid was poured. One of the glasses slid across the desk and stopped in front of Tox.

His boss was being nice? That threw him for the mother of all loops. His boss was also perceptive. He sighed as he took the glass. "That's only part of the issue. Let's start with the medical. My Isoboramine levels are dropping again. Not as bad as before but they drop to 75% and then go up. So that's been causing sleep issues. The parasite seems to think that in my sleep I need to relieve other life times. Annoying at best. Then as for the love life. I've loved someone since the academy without seeing their face and I met them and they are them and so much more. In addition to the sweet, caring, kind person I know, there is a person who challenges me and makes me want to throttle them and has this prince of the underworld look like a Vampire goth with pointy ears and I just....froze. Now I’m thinking am I good enough for him? What if he's disappointed?" He sighed.

"Ah, young love..." Aaron began and rested his head on his hands like a teenage girl getting the best gossip. He decided to start with love as the medical is easy for Aaron, it was what he knew. "...So, if I have this right there is two people. One from the Academy who is not on this ship, and one who is on this ship. You like both and do not know which one to choose. Am I correct?" Then he added almost as an afterthought. "We will deal with your medical issues secondary. That is an easy fix."

"Well it was until I found out that they are one in the same. Xavier is Pluto. It's....a lot to take in. And to be honest I'm ready to just chuck the love thing out the airlock."

Aaron leaned back at his desk and kicked his feet up. "Now, that is something you are going to have to wrestle with. I mean even I have not chucked love out the airlock. The way I see it if they are the same person, and you like both. Then my friend there is no problem. The pain you are experiencing is most likely anxiety over rejection. Much like you are thinking of throwing love out an airlock, you are going to have to toss caution into the wind and see what happens. I have it on good authority that Xavier digs you too." Aaron's omnipresent mischievous grin broadened. "Besides if it does not work out we will spread the worst rumors. Everyone believes me, I am a doctor. At least that is what it says on my file."

Tox smiled a little. "You're really good at this. If I wasn't afraid you'd bite me I'd hug you."

Aaron grabbed his cane and pointed it at Tox. "No touchy." When he was sure that there was no hugs inbound he put the cane back down. "Someone has to do Thorny's job. I may as well show her how it is done."

Tox smiled. "Well how about the medical side of things. As much as I wish you could figure out how to safely remove the parasite I am forced to carry I'll settle for my Isoboramine levels to stabilize. I don't have the Flu anymore so they should be stable."

"I have a thought. What is the symbiote if not another organ. It is possible to reject organs. So, I wonder if it is possible for a body to reject a symbiote. Additionally, if it is possible what do we do?" Aaron's tone changed from one of snark to one of inquisitiveness. He was genuinely curious about this.

He sighed. "It's possible from what I know. And I prefer parasite to organ. Organs can be useful parasites are not." He said. "Usually the commission is tasked to make sure that the host is okay but my joining was...different." He wondered how much to tell the doctor and then decided he might as well. "Ugg. I’ve never told this story to anyone other then Pluto er... Xavier as it appears. My joining was a bit...unorthodox. I was looked at by the commission, and they grudgingly accepted me even though I begged them to find another host for this vile creature."

Aaron cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. He had called Trill symbiotes things such as parasite, and vile creature. But he had never heard a Trill mimic those sentiments. "Well, if you want me to help medically, I am going to have to know. So, go on."

"Do you want the long version of the short version of the story?"

"As much as I may regret this. Give me the whole sordid tale. If I am going to make any sort of diagnosis and treatment than I should know." Aaron leaned back in his chair. He slid open a drawer and pulled out a decanter and two glasses. Two generous measures of the amber liquid was poured and one glass slid across the desk to Tox. "I know I am going to need this, and I am pretty sure you are going to need it as well."

He snorted. "Whisky? Perfect. The parasite hates it. Worth it tough." He took the glass and sat back. "When I was on Trill I was tested for joining compatibility. My mother insisted on all her children being hosts. We all qualified. I, however, made it clear that I did not want to be joined to her to the family, to the commission. I was rejected from the program on that basis. They said if a host rejects joining there is no point. YAY me." He said the last two words dryly.

"My mother could not take no for an answer and insisted on having gatherings of people to convince me that joining was wonderful. I met Tox and his wife... er Volen Tox, the previous host that is. Tox er...Volen Oh hell I why honour the little beast." He said pointing to his stomach area. "Tox wanted me as a host. He usually picked his own. I refused. The party ended. That night I received my acceptance to Starfleet Academy."

The nurse seemed to be lost in memory. He took a sip of the drink. "I was excited. Happy. Needing to leave Trill to start my life. I packed to my mother and father's melodic yelling and swearing about how I was disappointing the family. I didn't care. I wanted off Trill. I booked my shuttle flight a week later. "

I left on the shuttle with my family all of a sudden playing supportive and loving when they were anything but and then off I went. About a day into the travel the shuttle stopped. The Co-Pilot, Volen's wife, came out. She was also a Nurse with the symbiosis transplant team. She seemed shocked to see me. Good acting. I asked what was happening. She said this was Volen's last flight he had some terminal condition, she never said what. Anyway they had a host lined up on Trill but the Tox parasite was unstable and Volen was dying sooner then they thought. It turns out I was the only unjoined trill on the shuttle."

He snorted. "Stupid me." He sighed. "Trills are trained to think of these parasites above themselves so when she suggested a temporary joining until we get to Trill to stabilize Tox. Trill was a day away and Trill was sending a secondary pilot that would be here shortly. I was hesitant but knowing that it takes 3 days to bond I said okay just for the trip. Reluctantly I agreed.

The joining happened and the moment that little shit connected with my brain I KNEW! this was all their plan. I began to protest. Something was off with the joining, I was resisting, and I passed out. Went into shock." He paused.

"Four days later I awoke on Trill in the Symbiosis commission hospital being told that the Joining was permanent some stupid thing about the shuttle not working and them having to fix it. I told them that Volen, his wife, hell even my parents had planned this because Volen wanted me as the next host." He sighed.

"They were going to investigate. Volen's wife was dismissed and my family was investigated but there was no proof the were involved. Volen and his wife acted alone apparently. I was also told that I was stuck with the parasite until the Host died and the symbiont moved on." He sighed. "So I left Trill and told them that there would be no future host for Tox. I would be the last as I was not going back there when my life was over. I, the host would die, the parasite with me." He shrugged. "Since then they have been trying to get me back on Trill but I refuse. I've resisted every attempt." He paused. "So there you have it."

He took another drink. "A shotgun wedding of sorts and frankly, I would very much like a divorce." He studied the doctor. "Can you help me find a way to make that happen doctor?"

The sheer thought of sticking it to the Trill commission and discovering a way to sever a symbiote and a host without either dying made Aaron actually tingle. This was a challenge if there ever was one. "I can certainly try. But, this could certainly end your life. To the best of my knowledge there has never been a Trill separating from a symbiote where the Trill lived."

"Well we'll figure it all out as we go. Either we'll figure it out and I'll be rid of the parasite or you won't and I am stuck with it. I just...I'm not me since this joining. I get glimpses of me." He snorts, "You'll probably think I'm insane but the only time this thing shuts up is when I'm writing to Plu...er...Xavier. When I was writing to him it's like the real me emerges and the parasite is quiet. And not that I've met him...well the parasite goes silent when he's around. I swear I feel a spike of fear from it and it goes away, I can't feel any link with it. Those times I feel like for a moment I’m me." He was silent. "So you'll help me?"

"Lieutenant... I get to possibly solve something that is unsolvable and something will most likely die. It sounds like a hell of a good time to me. I'm in. Just do me a favor try not to be so morose around everyone. I would hate to get the reputation for caring around here." Aaron said as his voice oozed with sarcasm.

Tox snorted. "Awww I always knew you were warm and fuzzy in that grumpy shell." He grinned and paused looking at the doc. "Thanks Doctor Marcus." He ran a hand down his face. "Honestly I feel better now that you're on the case."

"Yeah, yeah. You can get out of my office now." Aaron said with a smirk, then something occurred to him and he downright smiled. "Wait a sec there is something you can do to make it up to me if you want. Make sure that Thorny knows that I helped you. I am sure that will put a good knife in her back. That and it would please me greatly." He laughed. The laugh was a cross between amusement and something a supervillain may have done.

He shook his head. “You are a unique individual Doc, don’t ever change.” He walked to the door. "Actually I like your Thorny as a friend but somehow I may just request you as my counselor." He didn't look back to see the look on the Doc's face but he called back, "And I want a cute nickname too!"


Lieutenant Commander Aaron Marcus
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ontario

&

Lieutenant Endymion Tox
Head Nurse (NPC)
USS Ontario

 

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