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All away missions carried a degree of risk, but some were more dangerous than others. The mission to Thoros VI carried a 78.28% probability of bodily harm, and a 23.94% chance of fatality. Unfortunately, despite those odds it was necessary for Captain Picard to send a team to the surface. The planet’s largest nation had been hit by a series of devastating earthquakes, and the Enterprise had been tasked with providing relief. A simple mission, if it weren’t for the war that ravaged the continent. The conflict had been waging for nearly four years with no signs of slowing. As the captain had explained, both sides believed themselves to be in the right, and therefore felt justified taking any action— no matter how costly.
In the end, the Captain selected Data, Geordi, Doctor Crusher, and a dozen ensigns to deliver the first batch of supplies and begin coordinating the effort to rebuild. Despite the substantial risk, the first day went smoothly. The ruling council accepted the supplies graciously, and Doctor Crusher spent her time organizing the distribution of medicine and supplies while Geordi and Data were tasked with reviving the nation’s power supply. It was challenging work, but rewarding. The main power station was enormous, and had suffered damage to several areas. They stayed late into the night replacing regulators, rerouting couplings, and rewiring circuits, although Data could have worked all through the night if he wanted to.
The next day was much the same. There were reports of a battle to the north of the city, but the council assured them that the city itself was well defended. No army had ever breached its walls. Nonetheless, when Captain Picard sent them down, it was with phasors and a caution to stay alert. They were not to get involved in the conflict itself, but they were obligated to defend themselves if they had to. With any luck, it would not come to that.
On the third day, when Geordi had taken a break for lunch and Data had taken a break to keep him company, the bomb went off.
Data only processed what had happened after it happened. They had been sitting on the stairs outside, taking a break from the stale, ozone-charged air inside. Geordi was eating a sandwich, and listening to Data explain the criteria on which purebred cat shows were judged. He had just reached the controversy regarding the addition of the Vulcan hairless breed when searing heat and blinding light and deafening noise threw him like a doll across the field, along with pieces of concrete and cabling and broken metal. It was not the explosion that rendered Data’s systems inert, but the contact with the unyielding ground.
When Data’s systems came back online, his first thought was for Geordi. Human bodies were far less durable than his, and Geodi had been sitting 0.36 meters closer to the focal point of the explosion. Data tried to sit up, and was only able to raise his head and shoulders. He frowned and attempted to sit up again. This time he caught a glimpse of his legs, laying at an odd angle to his body. He could not feel them.
“Geordi!” Data called, looking around him as best he could. The side of the building had collapsed. Flames leaped out of the hole. People inside screamed and shouted. Figures, silhouetted by the hazy smoke, ran back and forth. Data could not pick out Geordi among them. “G̴̢̡̰̙̥̫̹͖͖͍͌́́̈́͑̽̕͜͝͝ͅę̴͔̺̹̳̱̰̳̩͍̳̖̙͈̪̌͐͊̀̅̓̔̑͌̀̓̉͑̐o̶̧̺̬͈̺̘͛̂̑̈̍̌͝ṙ̵̟̟̣̻̩̪͐̉̂̃̇̅̌͛̈̀̒́d̶̢̮͙̬̲̳̜̫̱̹̤̜̪̘̟̐̊͊̇̂͛͌̽̎͝͝͝ḯ̸̧͍͚̪̟͓̲̤̣̈͐̄̽̑͊̀̈́͊̅͛̓͘͘͠͝ͅ!” His voice sounded strange and distorted in his ears, as though he could not modulate his vocal chords properly.
“I’m here!” Geordi’s voice was raspy, but strong. His footsteps quickly approached across the pavement, only to stop just outside Data’s field of view. “Oh my god! Data, are you alright?”
Data ran a quick diagnostic on himself. “It ą̶̱̞͊̋̊͜͝p̸̢͍̺̳̼͉̘̲̹̤̙̬̩̝̖̓̏̓̇͜p̷̡̳̜̗̲̭͍͌͛̄͗̆͌́͗͒̓́͗̐̓̂͘͠ę̶̼̹̫̪̙͉̙̣̻͓̩̀͊̐͌̀̽͊̏̏̑̒̈́̚a̶̢̲̪̹̟̯̝̠͉͍͍͒̈́̆̉ͅr̴͎͙̦̝͉̦̩͉͎̝͎͙̜̼͘s̸͖̖̉͆I have been bisected by the explosion.”
“No shit!” Geordi moved fully into view, his hands hovering over Data’s torso. He looked distressed. “Don’t worry. I can fix this. I can fix you. I just need tools. Tools. I need a duotronic probe, and— and a hyperspanner, and—”
Geordi was talking extremely fast. His hands, normally steady and sure, shook as they probed the torn edge of Data’s torso, just below his belly button. He was scared, Data realized. He had never really seen Geordi afraid before. The experience was not a welcome one.
He needed to reassure Geordi. Data placed a hand on Geordi’s arm. Geordi looked at him, breathing short and hard. Sweat trickled down his face, mingling with blood from a cut above his eye. He needed medical attention. Data kept his voice even, even as his words mangled themselves on his tongue. “All of my primary systems ą̷̡̝̫͉̠̫̰͇̭̓̂̋͆ŕ̸̢͖̞̮̘͚̜̣̩͚̥͕̼͕̤̟̓̀̏̊̓̈́̄̊́̑̂̀̕͝͝ë̷̱̘͙͖́̓̍͗̉̓̔͝ intact, so I ä̶̭̺̥̫͙͎̩̳̖̟̬̬̱̖́̊͗̀́̌́m̵̝̞̣͚̯̻͖͈̪̪̗̣̤͉̒̽̉͌͜ ̷͕̈́̇̓̿̓i̶̢̨͔͑̒͆̊̔̐͑̅̓̍̀̀̊̐̕͠n̸̤͔̉̇̏͋͊̚͠ no immediate danger. However, I think you should know that I cannot feel my legs.”
Geordi looked at him. Then at his legs. Then back at Data. His eyes widened behind his visor. “Data,” he said slowly, his voice shaking on every syllable. “They’re not attached.”
Data nodded knowingly. “Yes. T̷̫̻̯͍̤̟̖̣͆̾̓̌̽͐̒̉̂̒̃̇̽̔̉͠ḧ̴̪̥͓͚̠͖̤̙͖̘̖̮́͛̑̒̈́̒͆̊̕͜ͅã̵̡̨͙̖̮̭̯̘̩͔̼̪̦͖̠̣̊̇͑̂͌͋͆͘͘͘t̶͇̜̠̍̏͂̍̅̒̀̑̚ was an attempt at humor, to diffuse the tension.”
Geordi opened his mouth, closed it, and finally dropped his head. His shoulders shook. Data had never seen Geordi cry, but it was not something he ever wished to see. “I apologize î̵͚̪̐̋̿͑̐͌̈́͗͌̕͝͝͝ͅf̴̭̰̣̱̥͒̎̀̅̾̓̐̌̒̈́́͛̀̂͌̎ I have caused you further distress.”
“No,” Geordi said, and only then did Data realize that Geordi was laughing. He must have sustained a head injury; Data needed to get him to the Enterprise right away. “It’s okay. I’m just…let’s just get you back to the ship.”
“A wise course of action,” Data agreed.
Geordi pressed his comm. “Lieutenant La Forge to Enterprise. Two to beam up. Or…three? Two and a half?”
“Commander?” Came the tinny voice on the other end.
Geordi and Data exchanged a look, and then Geordi dissolved again into hoarse laughter.
Data pressed his own comm. “I̸̥͍͉̰̓̓̄͐̓̈́̒̆͛̃̾̉́̎͘͜͝ ̸̺̍͐̌̊̌̌͂̇h̶̢̙̣̖̹̊̎̈̍͑a̶̢̦̠̱͔̦͇̭̤̞̝͓̲͌̈́̈́͐͛̆̔̑͜͜͝ͅv̶̡̺̝̱͚̭̩̬̘̆́͛̓́͝͠ȩ̸̥̬̠̤̘͇̞̮͇̭͋̍̕ been rendered incapacitated, and Lieutenant La Forge r̴͎̮̯̒̀̔̈́ẻ̵̺̭͕̹̞̾̎̋̑̈́̎̚q̴̨̧̡̻͍͙̗̥̼͉̈́̓̂̋̃̃̈̉̆̾̓ư̸̠̓͛͌̐̓̎́̈̈̈́̀͆i̶̠̿̃́̐̉͜r̶̭͖̪̜̩̼͈̰̟͚͈̬̄̓̓̀̈́̕ĕ̶͙̣̖̗̜̪͈̪̤͇̻̹̟̽̾̊̎̆̊̽͂̈́̈̔͗̆͘̚̕ͅş̷̧̡̹͎̮̺͖̦̰̞̳̩̘̞̜̩̓̓̅̈̽̀͆́immediate attention.”
“Understood.”
Bright energy swirled around them, and then Data was lying flat on the floor of the transporter room, and a swarm of blue shirts separated him and Geordi.
The process of reattaching his legs took twenty three hours and fourteen minutes. Most of it was done by a woman from engineering whom Data had never spoken to before. She worked in silence, but she had a steady hand and followed Data’s guidance to the letter. Geordi would have approved.
Although they were in the same medical bay, Data could only catch snatches of Geordi’s condition; stable, lacerations to the face and hands, mild burns along his shoulder. But Geordi would live, and Data contented himself with that until the next morning, when the lights raised and the Doctor Crusher came in to check on them both. A kind gesture, considering Data had no need for medical attention.
After she had gone, Geordi appeared over Data’s bed. Data sat up— taking the time to note every pull of muscle and stretch of skin involved in the motion. “You should be in bed,” he chided. “Doctor Crusher wanted you to rest for at least twenty four hours.”
“I am resting,” Geordi replied, despite evidence to the contrary. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I am functioning within normal parameters.”
Geordi nodded. “Good. And your legs?”
“I have regained full use of my legs,” Data said. “Although, I still do not have sensation in my big toe.”
Geordi looked at him long and hard. Data had always prided himself on his poker face, but he must have given something away because Geordi, chuckling, broke into a grin. “Did you make sure it was attached?”
“Perhaps, later, you can help me run a full diagnostic.”
“Only if you buy me dinner first.”
Data nodded. “Consider it a date. Now, I believe Doctor Crusher will be upset if she returns and finds you violating her orders.”
Geordi waved him off, but returned to his bed. Data lay back on his own, stared up at the ceiling, and wiggled his toes. He had never had reason to fully appreciate the sensation, until he had experienced its lack. It was an uncomfortable experience, made even more so by Geordi’s distress. But if Geordi shared the sentiment, he did not let on. It became a shared joke; whenever he stubbed his toe, or Data caught his hand in the turbo lift doors, one would say to the other, “Is it still attached?” Every time, without fail, Geordi would grin. For that alone, Data decided it was worth the small price of temporary dismemberment.