Happy Deanna Troi Day! LLAP

I've gone through all her belongings, I've read her journal for the last five years. And other than the fact that I'm not married yet, nothing bad seems to have happened to her. 

Flowers of all hue - and without thorn the rose.

Isn't it better to remember her like that? I just found out I had a sister I never knew. I'd like to learn what was good and joyous about her - to celebrate her life, not mourn it. 

Milton was speculating that in heaven, roses wouldn't have thorns. 

Mother, you're supposed to be avoiding telepathy.

Mother, don't start. 

Mother, stop it. 

What's wrong?

It's more than that. I'm sensing some very erratic emotions from her. Even the clothes she's wearing are unusual. They're so subdued. 

Oh, I don't know what got into me. Ohh... please, tell Will how sorry I am. 

It's a neurotransmitter involved in telepathy. 

No. I want to help you. Why did you delete parts of your journal? Did something happen to you you don't want me to know about? 

Are you talking to me from Sick Bay? 

You're not Captain Picard. 

You have to. You can't hold it back. It's killing you. 

Mother? Can you hear me? Please come back to me. Please. 

How? How can I help you?

You have to let it go. 

You have no idea! No idea what this is like. How can you know what it's like to lose something you never had?

People come to talk to you about things they want to reveal. As ship's counselor, you have to get them to talk about things they *don't* want to reveal.

You have no idea how frightening it is to... to just be here, without sensing you, without sharing your feelings. 

You know what the worst part of this is? And I've seen it happen to so many patients. 

The way other people change. How they start to treat you differently. They walk on eggshells around you. Sometimes they avoid you altogether. Sometimes they become overbearing - "reach out a helping hand to the blind woman". 

Is this how you handle all your personnel problems? 

Right now, I feel as two-dimensional as our friends out there - in the universe, but barely aware of it. Just trying to survive... on instinct. 

It's all right. They're home. We were wrong. The cosmic string was never dangerous to them; it was the one place in the galaxy they most wanted to be. 

I never fully appreciated how difficult, and how rewarding it is to be Human. But I had a lot of help.

A little. You were right, though. There is something to be learned when you're not in control of every situation.

By the way - the next time you call me 'aristocratic'... 

I know Klingons like to be alone on their birthdays. You probably want to meditate or hit yourself with a pain stick or something.