Star Trek: Starbase 777

Hundreds lay on the floors or in biobeds. With all different kinds of wounds the officers were sorted by what kind of wounds they had sort of though it didn't matter Marcus was down to only a few civilans and Starfleet officers with medical training. Several had perished assisting the injuried to sickbay. There was only the arm flash lights were the best they had for light right now. Much of the medical equipment was damaged in the attacks. The doors to the med bay were on the floor they had snapped off completely and lay on the ground infront the main sickbay.

Marcus wiped his brow with a shaky hand. His other arm hung useless at his side, the shoulder joint out at an unnatural angle. He looked down at his patient, a bolian who he just started operaring on to put a chest tube in. His breathing was ratlgged as his own ribs were broken, but he soldiered on as one of the few.medical staff who could still work. He paused for a moment to let out a raspy chuckle. "Great first day on the job Corvus."

Two medics walked in with another injuried patient that had plasma burns all over their body. The bolian he was working on took their last few breaths before finally passing on. There wasn't much Corvus could do to save them, they were just to far gone.

"Ah fuck..." He closed the half lidded eyes of the bolian and looked at the medics. "Put them there and start with the dermal reflgenerator. I'll be over soon."

She entered into the sickbay before instantly scanning for the tall male she was intimately familiar with, “Marcus! Put me to work. I’ve been cleared to assist.”

"Oh...hi Hanna..feeling kinda garbage right now so...can you work a dermal regenerator on those plasma burns? I need a minute."

6

She levelled her gaze at him before gesturing to a bed, “Get on that. Take some painkillers. I will take care of these burns then I’ll help your shoulder. You just let me know what I need to do and I’ll follow your directions.”

He shook his head, "I don't need a bed. The crew needs the beds, and the painkillers. Just...take care of him he's more seriously injured."

1

Her tone held no room for arguing, “Sit your ass on that bed before I zip tie you to it again. We both know I don’t have the knowledge of medicine you have, only a practical level for patching up enough to get them to you. I need you not delirious in order to assist me and in order to do that, I need my CMO to be in at least working order. So you’re gonna sit and heal up a bit before we get further into this shit.”

He slowly sat down with a groan. "We're the same rank...you don't get to order me around," he said softly, but he sat down all the same. "My shoulder is dislocated...you'll need to pop it back in."

The plasma burns were very bad. Most of his uniform was now seared with the officers skin.

Marcus shook his head as he went to get up from the bed. "Hanna please, he needs help."

5

4

She glared at him to remain where he was. “I will do your arm in a moment. For now, I will help this man.” She took the dermal regenerator from Marcus’s hand and stood beside the man. Checking his pulse in one hand, she monitored him for shock that could potentially be more life threatening than the burns in this moment. She activated the regenerator and started to apply it to the worst of the injury, attempting to stabilize the areas that needed attention most.

He would sit in a rolling chair roughly and roll himself over to the biobed. He began to stabilize the man's airway and internal injuries. While he was seated he was tall enough to reach the surgical controls. If Hanna were to look at him, he'd give her a half smile, "in my defense I'm not standing."

1

She gave a slight huff before looking at him again, “I would throw a shoe at you if I had the inclination to at the moment. You’re lucky he takes my full attention.”

2

1

"Love you too," he said as he got the man sedated properly and under control.

2

She continued going over his injuries with the regenerator, careful to lightly pull the clothing away from the skin where she could to minimize further surgery. “What do I need to do to your arm to give you a hand again?”

Marcus grimaced as he faced Hanna. "It's out of the socket. I need you to push it back in." He took her hands with his good arm and placed them on the spots he needed. "Now push until you feel a pop and use your pretty muscles."

She moved swiftly to his side before pushing strongly against him, quickly and firmly, “I’ll give you a pass for calling my muscles pretty because I think you’re a little delirious from pain, but you do that again and I will show you what pretty muscles can do in a spar, Marcus.” She did however say this with no malice and even placed a kiss on his cheek. “Alrighty, what’s next, boss?”

He grunted in pain and grimaced for a moment with his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulder, relieved that it was in place and functional, though with soreness. "Next is we need to get those who are able back on their feet and those who are not fixed so they can. We have a lot of work ahead of us commander, so consider yourself a medic and grab a tricorder. If anything is beyond a basic patch job, yell and I'll be over to help."

She nodded, a wave of nostalgia rushing over her as she remembered a moment when they were stranded on a mission, the two of them trying to patch up ensigns and lieutenant junior grades into a state that they could be evacuated in. She got to her feet before moving from person to person, checking vitals and ensuring they could get up and move or assist in moving others to areas where they could have easier access to treating their wounds.

Marcus worked quickly, getting the worst of the casualties either healed or off to the side where they could be processed by the morgue. He stayed away from Hanna as to not too her off that his ribs were broken. She'd make him sit out the rest of the mission until he was healed, but he couldn't. He needed to do his job. He did his best without the most advanced of his technology, relying on older but safe and sound techniques. "Just like old times right commander?"

She noticed him keeping his distance and just knew he was hiding some other injury from her, but she was up to her elbows in trying to stop bleeding. "Marcus... I don't remember you being the one hiding your injuries for the sake of the mission. Just promise me whatever it is won't make you pass out on me, cause I will ditch this ensign to catch you."

"I won't give you that satisfaction don't worry. I hope to God we get rescued soon though. Can't keep this up." Marcus sighed and took a small breather, holding his side.

She recognized the stance as she had done that many times, "You broke your ribs didn't you?" Letting out a sigh she had a slight tone of worry, "Don't stress yourself too much. Direct me for what needs to be done, Marcus. I'm here to help you."

"Hanna. Most of the medical staff are dead. You're not a doctor. I can't direct you to do surgery, I just can't. If you can heal me while I work then do it, if not then let me work."

She recognized that this was very much their only solution, but she nodded her head. "Alright. But promise me you'll get patched up proper when we're stable?"

"Cross my heart and hope I don't die." He sealed up a major laceration on another crewman and hung another runit of plasma. He worked seamlessly and efficiently. He had to, for if he stopped he'd probably pass out from his injuries. Adrenaline kept him going, adrenaline and the hope of rescue.

She was swift at his side, passing him supplies as he required them and helping to do a physical check of the person they were treating, making verbal notes about any bleeding, lacerations, or other injuries she found. "I couldn't lose you again, Marcus."

He chuckled and winced, coughing and turning to spit some blood into the floor. "I'm too much of a stubborn old goat to die Hanna, don't worry. Just keep going. Don't let an injured yet ruggedly handsome doctor out work you."

1

She frowned as he spit up blood, her concern bleeding into her expression as she picked up the pace, stretching her medical knowledge thin. "You're not allowed to die. If you do, I'm going to Juliet it."

Marcus frowned and took a moment to surveyor the scene. it was almost academic the way the various sickbay rooms were set up. One room for the overflow of dead from the morgue. Intensive care set up for the worst of the worst in one of the rooms, the rest were divided into the medium injured and the 'meh,' those who were least injured. He closed his eyes once they saw the morgue room, his breathing labored and rapid. "Hanna...if I stop I don't know if I can get up again to continue working."

She looked at her guy, her eyes softening, “Marcus. If you need to stop, stop. I can keep things going for a little bit until support comes.”

Marcus felt the ship shudder as they were being towed back to the station. He allowed himself the smallest of smiles. "Thank goodness." He sat down heavily on one of the beds and looked at Hanna. "I think we made it."

She paused what she was doing to look him over, “Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

He smirked. "Hanna... Not while we're on duty."

2

Her expression didn’t change before it clicked in her mind a blush hinted over her cheeks, “Marcus! You know what I meant!”

3

He laughed, which was a mistake with his ribs. But all the same, worth it.* "Just stay here with me?"

She nodded her head as she let one of the more qualified medical ensigns take over after she finished doing a field bandage on this patient. She moved the wheelie chair over to his side of the bed, reaching out a hand to hold his with hers. "Marcus... you're going to be okay. And if you need some physical therapy, we could go together?"

"I think I'll just need some rest." The beeping of ventilators and biobeds echoed through the sickbay, a moment of peace and quiet. "Not the best first mission was it?"

She frowned as she looked at him, “It really wasn’t. But perhaps we saw the true colours of those we work with.”

He nodded before closing his eyes, drifting off to sleep until the ship docked at the star base.

She didn't leave his side for a moment, her hand firmly in his.

Marcus was working in sickbay on calibrating the bio beds. After the events of the attack on the station and the ship, he wanted to personally assist with the repairs to sickbay and to install some improvements to the diagnostic equipment. He currently sat at one of the biobeds, padd in hand as he downloaded some software to the computer.

Louisa just got finished with her shift of patrolling the ship and decided to come to sickbay to get herself examined so that she could serve fully, it should be relatively quick, at least she hoped as much. She entered the sickbay and looked around for a doctor to evaluate her.

Marcus heard the chime from the door and looked up. He saw the officer and stood, taking a step forward. If this person was injured at least some of the beds worked. "Hello Lieutenant, what can I do for you?" He offered with a smile.

"I'm looking to get myself a medical checkup, sir, or doctor. Which is it that you would prefer?" Louisa asked, noticing the fact that the doctor was a Lieutenant Commander, she was unsure of which he preferred to be addressed by. She also awaited direction of where to sit down if she was going to sit down for her medical checkup.

"Not a problem. Doctor works just fine, I only push my tank when I have to. I'm Dr. Marcus Corvus cmo of what's left of the ship. Please have a seat on one of the working biobeds and we'll get started ma'am."

Louisa approaches a biobed and gets on, sitting up and waiting for instructions. "I just realized, I should probably tell you my name so you can find my file. Lieutenant Louisa Christina Maria Lucero."

"Ah thank you, oh I see you here. You're the new CSO, pleasure to meet you. We could have used you recently with the attack on the ship, I'm sure you've heard. I do have a few quick standard questions to get you cleared. Shouldn't take more than a few minutes." Marcus sat down in his rolling chair and wheeled himself over, his body still a bit sore from his injuries. He tapped a few keys on his padd. "Alrighty, first question. Have you been outside federation space in the past 6 months?"

"I was on the ship, I just didn't have the ability to do anything with where I was, unfortunately. I heard about the court martial over what happened, I had no idea about the plans by the executive officer." Louisa tried to get a bit more comfortable on the biobed, she never really liked the appearance of hospitals, always gave her an uneasy feeling, but she had forced herself to get mostly used to it, but these beds were still uncomfortable. "I have not, last time I got back I got tested for any viruses or pathogens or whatever else and was all clear."

"Excellent. Too bad you couldn't help, we could have used your talents. In the end we're mostly ok and the ship will be good as new soon. Next question, do you have any medical issues not listed in your file and do you have anything you'd like to have looked at today?"

"I can't think of anything specific. No issues have popped up as of recent with my body or mind, so I don't think so unless your scans find there is something wrong with me. Hopefully they don't though." Louisa said, briefly crossing her fingers and giving a smile for good luck that there would be nothing wrong with her.

"So far everything is looking normal. Now, rate your sleeping, eating and exercise habits. "

"I'd probably give sleeping a six out of ten, eating a seven out of ten and exercise a 9 out of ten. I could definitely improve but I feel good with my current routine. I do try and steer away from any 'addictive' foods if you could say that, I often drink coffee, eat lots of biscuits, stuff that you can eat a lot of without noticing."

"I'm a bit of a caffeine addict myself, so no harm done there. You could improve on your sleep though, try to get as much as you can. Last question and we're finished, are you currently sexually active and if so are you taking appropriate precautions?"

"I know I could, sometimes I just stay up later, and I still like getting up early for a shift or an exercise routine. I am going to try and improve." Louisa said with a smile, showing she did take the doctor's advice seriously. "Regarding my sexual activity, nothing at the moment, although I did arrange a date with a handsome engineering officer. I don't know where that will go, but I will take the precautions if it gets sexual."

[D] Marcus was prepped and ready in sickbay, now fully repaired and ready to go. Hopefully there would be other ships other than his for 4000 people, that could be a lot of casualties.

Considering the information that Voxellus had been injured, the Lieutenant was beamed directly to sickbay where the medical staff had been given a quick heads-up.

Samantha hadn't taken out the knife yet, letting it sit there to make sure she wouldn't bleed out. Sometimes pain was needed to survive. That she learned all to well during her time in Special Ops. Life sure isn't pretty.

Nolan had been notified that the Lieutenant would be beamed up. Immediately, he was at her side. He wasted no time. “Please, sit down, Lieutenant.” He helped her to a biobed. “Show me the wound.”

She gave a nod and pulled her hands away from the knife that was stuck in her body. "Kept it in... Halts bleeding..." She said quietly. She wasn't looking all too well.

A very displeased Ughaz'udan materialized in sickbay very shortly after; damn you stab wounds! He hated those intensely, especially stab wounds that made him unable to fight. He hated being less than he knew he was. Nonetheless he sat down on a biobed and waited to be attended to in silence.

Austin was beamed to sickbay. He was still passed out from being stunned. His right upper arm was mangled and his back was covered up and down with deep scratch wounds.

He turned around at the sound of another person arriving. “Oh, no, another stabbing wound? I’ll be right with you. Do me a favor and follow Lieutenant Voxellus’ example; do not remove the weapon!” Then, he returned to Voxellus with a warm smile. “Alright, what do we have here… Very well, please lie down very carefully.” He gave her a quick scan. “I’m happy to report you were lucky. No organs harmed.”

"Yeah, I noticed..." She gave a light, strained chuckle and layed down carefully, keeping her hands on the wound and applying some pressure. This wasn't the worst she endured, but this wasn't the best either.

He registered that Whidbey had been beamed aboard. “Oh, no, this isn’t good…” He gave Voxellus an apologetic smile. “Give me a moment, I’ll be right with you. Apply pressure.” Then, he went to Whidbey and carefully heaved him onto a biobed. Despite Nolan’s thinness, he managed to summon enough strength to position the unconscious Lieutenant on the bed. He started running quick scans, then returned to Voxellus. “Alright, here we are. Here, take some pain killers. I’ll remove the knife. I need you to try and keep still.” Carefully, he started removing the weapon. He already had the bandages prepared.

Beginning to regain consciousness Austin started loudly groaning as the pain began to reintroduce itself to him.

Nolan looked up at his other patient who’d started groaning. Quickly, he started using the dermal generator on Voxellus’ wound. It didn’t take too long to close it, as it had been a clean cut. “Good thing you didn’t remove the knife, quick thinking,” he praised. Finally, he was done closing the wound and he explained, “This will prevent further blood loss, howeverIt’s not fully healed, so please stay in bed for now.

21:56

He then hurried to Whidbey. So quickly, he nearly tripped over his own feet. Way to make a professional impression, but he had other things to worry about. Quickly, he pulled out a hypospray and gave Whidbey a pain killer. “This should help in a second,” he promised. Then, he started inspecting him. “What happened, Lieutenant? Where are you hurt?” He saw that his back was scratched open, but the patient always knew best what exactly their problems were.

He rolled a little bit. "Shoulder... Back."

She gave a nod and leaned back in her bed, groaning a little. Oh, how much she'd do for a regenerative factor at this time.

“Good, thank you,” said Nolan. So, the Lieutenant could hear him and understand him. That was indeed a good sign. He started using the dermal regenerator on Austin as well. Oh, those were some nasty wounds… They weren’t clean cuts, so they were more difficult to deal with. “This might burn a little,” he warned before applying some cream to Austin’s back. Then, he proceeded with the dermal regenerator. This way, the process was quicker.

Austin winced hard at the pain in his back but otherwise let out no other sign of his pain.

“You’re doing really good,” said Nolan, trying to be reassuring. “Can you remember what you were doing before you were beamed here? Who stunned you?” He wanted to take the Lieutenant’s mind off of the pain and also check whether any memory loss had occurred due to the stun.

"The shrapnel is from a Grenade I had to kick. The scratches are from some crazy merc and... I got stunned by my own ensign!"

“Oh,” said Nolan, surprised. He focused on the dermal regenerator. The skin was slowly closing. “How did that happen?” Distraction usually helped when one was in pain, so he kept up the conversation. He was increasingly sure that the stun had done nothing to harm the Lieutenant’s brain.

"Uhm... I think the captain of that other ship has some kind of physcic powers."

“Very good, Lieutenant, it’s nice to hear that your brain is working well,” said Nolan with a smile. He was done closing the cuts and healing the shoulder. However, that wouldn’t erase all pain at once. “Stay lying on your stomach for now, so you don’t damage the new skin.” He applied another cream. “I’ll check in on you later, try not to stir too much.” He then went over to Ughaz. The Jem Hadar had a stabbing wound as well. “Let me see your foot, please.”

He held up his foot; his pants had gone slightly orange from the blood leaking from the wound.

Wordlessly, Nolan began to clean the wound. Then, he said, “How much pain are you in, Lieutenant?” He needed to know whether a hypo was required.

"Enough pain to keep me from walking properly." He replied. Maybe he wasn't aware of the existence of the pain scale.

“I’ll give you a hypospray, it should relieve some of the pain.” While he was saying this, he ran scans on whether or not the weapon had pierced Ughaz’udan’s bone.

[Comms] “Commander Styre to Sickbay. Status report on incoming injuries aboard the Eventide.”

Apparently the Klingon had been strong enough to penetrate the skin between his scales, pierce his flesh and lodge the blade a few millimetres into the bone and cartilage. Ouch.

[Comms] Nolan sounded a little stressed, but still in complete control as he answered, “Sickbay to bridge. We have three injured officers here so far. Two of them have stabbing wounds, one of them has injuries on his back. Nothing lethal, but not exactly just a scratch either.”

Austin started trying to get up. He wanted to be with his people.

[Comms] “Understood. If you need any assistance we’re still here. Styre out.”

Immediately, Nolan ran over to him (nearly tripped and fell again) and pushed Austin back down with a gentle hand. “Lieutenant, I must insist that you stay in bed.”

He frowned at Nolan. "I need to be with my people... they need me."

He didn’t have time to respond to the Commander, as much as he wanted to. He sighed. “Lieutenant,” he said, “I know you want to help, but you need to stay.”

He continued to frown. "For how long? I need to debrief my people."

Nolan’s soft, gentle voice now suddenly turned harsher, “We shall see. I have a patient sitting over there with a blade in their Talus. Another one is lying over there in severe pain. I can’t also put up with a patient who refuses to follow my orders. Now, either you stay in bed and wait until I have taken care of the others, or I shall knock you out with a sedative. Understood?”

He kept frowning hating to be in bed. "Fine."

“Good, I’ll be with you soon,” he said, his tone immediately gentle again. He returned to Ughaz’s ankle and gave a worried look. “Looks like the blade lodged a few millimeters into your Talus. Nothing we can’t fix, but it’ll likely take some time until you can walk again.” He gave the Lieutenant a hypospray and then he removed the blade. Quickly, he applied pressure with a bandage to stop the bleeding, then he started closing the cut.

If Austin had been unhappy with being confined to bed rest Ughaz'udan looked even more so. A Jem'hadar deprived of his ability to walk, to fight, to fulfill the purpose he was born to do, was no Jem'hadar at all. So what was he now, a burden covered in scales? Thank the Founders (or other applicable deific entity) that he stayed silent and begrudgingly grunted his acceptance.

He was grateful the Jem’hadar accepted his fate with a grunt and let him do his work. He disliked having to force patients to listen to him. Healing the sinews and scales of the Jem’hadar required some changes to the parameters of the dermal regenerator. Nolan managed it all quite well. He closed the wound and then looked at the Lieutenant. “Please don’t stand up for now. I’ll be with you shortly and we can talk about crutches,” he promised and then went back to Voxellus. He would just keep rotating like this, going from one bed to the next.

Crutches. Wonderful. Now he'd need a walking aid too. Better and better. He resigned himself to laying back on the biobed and staring up at the ceiling in silence.

“How are you feeling?”, he asked Samantha, “How is the pain?” While he asked, he also ran a scan.

"I've had worse." She said with a pained chuckle. "But a mild sedative wouldn't be that bad right now." She said as she rubbed her head a little. "Same goes for a deep tissue regenerator."

Nolan nodded and gave her a hypo. “Right. Come, let’s get you over here.” The deep tissue regenerator was a bigger machine that couldn’t be so easily moved, so Nolan had to take Samantha to one of the beds that were already equipped with one of these regenerators. He offered to put an arm around her to steady her.

She gave a nod and got up, resting on the Nurse's shoulder as she slowly walked over to the bed with the machine. The pain was awful, that was for certain. But at least she's shown her worth out there. She did what she could.

He helped her lie down. “Easy,” he said and then carefully positioned the machine. “Care to tell me how this happened?”, he asked conversationally and powered up the machine. It always took a moment.

While the nurse was away Austin snuck out desperate to get to his people his arm still hung down.

He found the bed he was sitting in before and gestured for her to sit in the nearest bed to him which was empty.

She sat down stiffly on the nearby biobed and waited for a moment before standing back up. "Since I'm here I might as well help the medical staff."

"Sit down for a second ensign I can see that leg is still hurting you."

"I'm fine Lieutenant, I'm better than you at least."

"Ensign, please you need to learn you aren't invincible."

"Says the Lieutenant who still wants to debrief his away team after being stabbed by shrapnel and several other things, that need to be healed. I'm not invincible, I know. But at least I can help them, I'm well enough to help."

"You need to accept help ensign a nurse can help you! Ensign would you like to take a guess as to why I put you on my A team in spite of your young age?"

She grew quiet and frowned before sitting back down. She didn't agree with him, that she knew but...he was her Commanding Officer.

"Well ensign... I see great potential in you. You have all the makings within you to be even better then me or any other security officer on this ship but, your experience betrays you. You still have a lot to learn and I'd like to be able to help teach you that. That's why I wanted to debrief you so quickly."

She stays quiet, she was inexperienced. She could recall every single thing she did wrong. Every single thing that she could have gotten right if she had the experience.

He sighed. "Will you allow me to debrief you?"

She looks up at him in surprise. "And ignore all the other officers still back in the debriefing room? I'm not the only one who was there. Four officers died Lieutenant. We need to debrief with everyone else."

"I like to debrief each of my A team officers individually, go over the mission get their thoughts, though let's be honest I'd much rather discuss with you there as opposed to here."

"Yes, Sir." She sighs.

"First off, how do you feel about your own performance. Be honest, I won't hold anything here against you."

"It was adequate, Sir." She replied truthfully. "I did well enough to keep everyone together but there were many mistakes I made that I hope to correct in the future."

"I am glad you gave an Honest answer. You however fail to recognize the many great moves you made if it was not for you that Ferasian would have had my number."

"I'm aware of that Sir, but I could have been better. I could have tackled you out of the way or something else that could have resulted in less damage. Not only that but when we were in Engineering, I failed to tell any of you that I was going up to attack from the top, I had no back up or real plan. I could be dead by now, and you would be too by default. My performance with the Lethean wasn't the greatest either. Trying to use the batleH was a mistake, I should have pulled my knives out of the gorn and used those as I was more comfortable with them than the batleH." She reported thoughtfully.

"I am glad you recognize all of that. You actually bring up what I believe to be your chief fault during that mission. You far too often broke team cohesion that should come partially over time but of course you will need additional training for that. The other issue I noticed is that you take a lot of risks. You need to trust your team and your team must trust you and thats hard when you are breaking formation to pick up a batleH."

"Too be fair...the batleH was right in front of me...I mean, Yes Sir. I'll be more careful next time with team cohesion." She nodded.

"Ensign I like the determination and virtue you showed in spite of the mistakes you made. I still believe you to have more potential then any officer I have ever seen which is why I'd like to make you an offer."

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"I would like to offer myself to you as a mentor. You may say no but I hope ofcourse you will say yes."

"I accept." She nodded.

"Also... please do not phaser me ever again. Though I forgive you for doing it on this occasion only."

"Of course Sir, unless it's absolutely necessary. Like this time was for example. Also, I apologize for the high stun, I didn't have enough time to switch it." She says sheepishly.

"You are forgiven but, you owe me a spar to make up for it." He laughed a bit.

"When your healed...right?" She raised an eyebrow.

He jokingly paused for a second. "Yes..."

"...Right!?" She prods suspiciously.

"Jessil? Do you mind if I call you Jessil. One more thing you'll need is my sense of humor." He said with a grin.

She laughs. "That's a funny joke, you calling me Jessil...cause you know it's Ensign Emin."

"C'mon Emin we aren't on a first name basis?"

She gasps dramatically, in a joking way "I feel so attacked right now, since our first names are our family names and all."

"How about a nickname, my old squad used to call me blackjack because of how I used to take risks, allthough I think you might deserve that more then me now." He laughed.

"Sure, if you can come up with something that isn't sulik." She shrugged.

"It will take a little bit of time but I'll come up with something." He chuckled thinking back on his last squad.

"Copy that, Sir." She nodded. "Just hope it's something good."

"You don't need to call me sir, at the very least whidbey is fine."

"Why can't 'Sir' be your nickname?" She jokes.

"It makes me feel like my dad." He chuckles.

"Welp take it up with Starfleet Academy then." She suggested, again, jokingly.

He laughed. "You know I transfered to a station because I figured there'd be less of this kind of action. Look like I got the the opposite of what I was asking for but, that's fine."

"Yeah, not exactly the same for me. I mean, I'm an Ensign though so it makes sense."

She waits for a nurse to come over to check her scratches and burns out, resisting the urge to help.

He helped her lie down. “Easy,” he said and then carefully positioned the machine. “Care to tell me how this happened?”, he asked conversationally and powered up the machine. It always took a moment.

@Nurse Nolan Swift | NPC (@Deleted User) - jump "Oh, you know." She bit in her teeth as she layed down on the bed. "We were in a fight, I took out one too many of the opposing people so they ganged up on me. This is their way to say goodbye, I suppose." She chuckled a little.

"Oh, you know." She bit in her teeth as she layed down on the bed. "We were in a fight, I took out one too many of the opposing people so they ganged up on me. This is their way to say goodbye, I suppose." She chuckled a little.

@Lieutenant Samantha Voxellus | SEC (@Sam┊Georgia┊Jasmine┊Ken) - jump “I see,” he said. The machine started humming. “And what did you have for breakfast today?” He wanted to distract her. He was about to turn on the deep tissue regenerator and he knew from experience that it stung quite a bit, in the beginning. They say it helps not be thinking about it too much.

"The usual toast with jam and a cup of tea. Light yet a sturdy breakfast." She smiled a little and layed her head back down on the bed, just waiting for the machine to do its work.

Nolan changed some last settings and then turned on the machine. It seemed like the Lieutenant was quite used to the procedure. He’d skimmed her medical record and knew that she’d been through worse. He gave her a smile as he said, “Pretty healthy, Lieutenant, that’s commendable.” The machine started doing its job. “You may experience slight stinging pain, however it looks like you already know what to expect. This may take a moment. I’ll return in a bit. Call if you need anything.”

"Me and this machine go way back, so I'm very familiar with how it works." She gave a slight chuckle and simply relaxed. "Thanks. I appreciate it."

Nolan gave a gentle smile and nodded. Then, he returned to Ughaz. “Alright, Lieutenant. The bleeding is stopped, I did some work on your tissue and sinews, but the bone will have to heal the old fashioned way,” he explained. “How are you feeling? Do you experience dizziness, confusion or fatigue?” While he asked this, he paid attention to Ughaz’s breathing. He wanted to make sure he didn’t suffer from the symptoms of blood loss.

"I experience very much anguish at being unable to go into combat in which I thrive. In which I am meant to be." He answered tersely but somehow also dejectedly. Dark brown eyes averted from the nurse, cast downward at the floor, hid absolutely none of the disappointment he felt inside at being reduced so, it was almost pitiable. "In addition to aching in my foot. Though I suppose that is but part of the healing process."

Nolan placed a soothing hand on the Lieutenant’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine, Lieutenant, it’s not a dishonor to be injured. It is a sign of a battle well fought.” He smiled. He’d had to do this oftentimes with Klingons. “You will rest your ankle and it will grow even stronger than before, so you will be able to fight even better. Now, I will give you crutches so you can get around. You can do tactical work, such as advising the bridge crew. However, you have to refrain from physical training and combat for at least ten days. After that time, you should check in with me and we’ll see how the healing process is going.”

"Very well." If anything he looked more dejected now, more lifeless than before, deprived of life purpose. "Tell me something, human, how do your people and your allies stand the impact of being... reduced... so? Becoming less than you should be with injury or sickness?"

“Everyone deals with it a little differently,” said Nolan as he went just around the corner to get crutches. Then, he returned and proceeded, “When people are smart, they allow themselves a break, and rest. They shall return from it with newfound strength. You have to understand that it’s not your physical performance that defines who you are, Lieutenant. You are far more than that. Nurture a healthy relationship to your body, give it time to heal, practice… gentleness.” He smiled as he said this to a Jem’hadar. “You will find that this will strengthen you in new ways, help you fight new battles within yourself and without. See the healing process as a battle that is fought with care and time. Now, try these, please!” He handed him a pair of crutches. They were quite simple and sturdy. He’d guessed the size.

Ughaz'udan really only cared for the last part. His people did not do breaks. His people did not do gentleness. Hell, his people did not even do 'nurture a healthy relationship to your body'. To do any of those things was to show weakness; to become less than you should look to an enemy. But fine. If he would have to fight this metaphorical battle within himself and win in order to get better and go back into the battlefield, fine. He would simply do with minimal protest. With some effort he swung his legs over the bed and eased himself onto the crutches, which for a six foot five scaly giant like him looked a little too small. "They feel... awkward." He reported dumbly. "And unsteady."

“Hmm…” He looked him up an down. “One moment, please.” He vanished and then returned with some crutches that were a little bigger. They should fit the Jem’hadar better. He took the smaller crutches from him and said, “Walk like this.” He showed him. “It will be an excellent work out for your biceps, triceps, and back muscles, you will see!”

He'd had the said workout every single day for the last two years odd of his life. Go into battle, fight, come back, train, go into battle, rinse and repeat non stop. So when it came to walking on crutches it came to him with no problem at all. "How long will I be expected to be using these... things?"

“The way you walk is looking good, Lieutenant. Ten days at least, I’d say,” explained Nolan. “We can’t have you damage or strain the bone while it’s still in the healing process. In ten days, you can come back and we can talk about whether you’ll be able to toss them. Who knows, maybe you’ll already be able to train after that period of time. This, however, depends mostly on how much rest you give your foot,” he said insistently and looked at the Lieutenant with a firm gaze. “I will have you know that I cannot allow you to walk without the crutches until the ten days are over. You cannot under any circumstances train, or engage in combat in these ten days. Should I find that you disobey these orders, I will have you restrained to the sickbay for at least a week. Understood?”

"Yes." A begrudging yes, but a yes. "I understand perfectly." Which hardly meant that he was happy about it; it showed prominently in his body language. "Thank you for your assistance."

Nolan saw in his eyes that though he wasn’t exactly happy about the situation, he seemed to really take Nolan’s orders seriously. “Good,” said Nolan, “If you need anything, if you feel that the pain is increasing, or if something happens, don’t hesitate to come to me. Now, other than that, I’ll see you again in ten days.” He smiled up at the Jem’hadar. “You’re dismissed from sickbay, Lieutenant. Take care.”

Ten days. Two hundred and forty hours. Catch him counting the seconds or minutes till the day he could come back and have this infernal... whatever the hell this was... reexamined. Well, fine. Count and fight it was. He'd fought worse than a blade in his ankle and lived to tell the tale. With some difficulty he made his way out of sickbay in complete silence.

After being dropped off in sickbay by the Captain, Vialara had found one of the free biobeds and was now being looked over by one of the nurses.

She waits for a nurse to come over to check her scratches and burns out, resisting the urge to help.

@C] Ensign Ena Anor (@Deleted User) - [jump Nolan noticed the people who had newly arrived. He looked over to Lieutenant… Whidbey, was his name, wasn’t it? He was seemingly engaged in conversation with an Ensign. Samantha was still lying underneath the deep tissue replicator, apparently quite relaxed. That much was good. He noticed the new Ensign and walked to her. “Please, Ensign, tell me where you are hurt.”

After being dropped off in sickbay by the Captain, Vialara had found one of the free biobeds and was now being looked over by one of the nurses.

@Lt. Cdr. Vialara Dreaxa | MED (@Vialara Dreaxa) - jump Ava waited for the nurse who was looking over the Commander to leave and then she walked up to her. “Hello, Commander, how are you feeling?”

"Better now, Lieutenant. I'm all good again, it was mainly just the own damage I had done to myself that was my biggest issue." She smiled and slid down to the edge of the biobed "You didn't come all the way down here to check on me did you?"

”Well… not only, no,” said Ava and shook her head. “I wanted to ask you to tell me about your experience, Commander, if it’s not too much trouble. From a scientific point of view, I would like to try and make a guess on what kind of being could have attacked you like this.” She looked a little worried. “However, if you need rest right now, I will come back later…”

"No, no. I'm fine, Lieutenant." She gave her a reassuring smile. "It was a rather intense feeling, losing control of your own body, having to fight your own limbs from doing as they wanted." She paused for a moment in thought, before continuing. "There was a voice, quite a deep voice, it was strong. Kept telling me to shoot the captain. Did the team encounter any telepathic species aboard the mercenary vessel?"

Ava nodded as she listened, then she said, ”I honestly don’t know, but I’ll ask right away.” She opened the comms. [Comms] “Lopez to bridge,” she said, “Did the away teams encounter telepathic species aboard the mercenary vessels?”

She looked at Ava, hearing the conversation. "I killed a few Remans, if that helps?" She was still laying on the bed like a good little patient, though she really hoping this would be over soon.

Ava turned to Samantha for a moment. “That totally helps! Thank you, Lieutenant.” She smiled and waited for the bridge to come in.

[Comms] “I spoke with the captain of one of the vessels, I presume he was the individual that possessed the telepathic abilities, however I cannot be sure as we have yet to debrief the away team. I presume his telepathic ability is short range.”

[Comms] “We’re talking about more than just telepathic abilities, Captain, we’re talking about mind control. I know of no records of Reman mind control. Do you know what race this Captain was?”

[Comms] “No I do not, he wouldn’t even reveal his name. However the list of telepathic species who possess such ability, is quite short. We could inspect the warbirds for traces of DNA left behind, particularly the bridge.”

[Comms] “Excellent idea, Captain. I would be grateful if you could send the results of the scans and the debriefing to my PADD, Sir. I’m determined to find out who did this.”

[Comms] “Well, you were on the bridge at the time if this entire event, so I’m inclined to invite you to the debrief if you have the opportunity to do so after we’ve completed our time here.”

[Comms] “Of course, Captain. I shall be there. That’s all from me.” (edited)

[Comms] “I’ll notify you soon enough, Caddel out.” The line was closed.

Ava nodded and closed the line as well. Then, she returned to Dreaxa. “Commander, could you tell me again about what you were feeling? You said you felt out of control. And you heard a voice. Was there also empathy telepathy? Did you feel emotions that weren’t yours?”

"Eh, yeah. I felt... frustration when I missed the captain with my shot. As if whoever was in my head wasn't happy with the outcome." She looked over at Sam as she spoke up. "Remans have been known to possess telepathic abilities, I think there might be a few cases in history of things like this happening. I'd have to look it up further, but it is possible."

She gave a slight nod. "My sword should have some DNA on it from a handful of species. It's somewhere in engineering of the warbird I was on. I dropped it before I was beamed out." She then stayed silent to think for a while. Maybe there was more to it, but she had to recall it first.

”I find it hard to believe that a Reman could do this. Remans are known to have telepathic abilities similar to Vulcans and Betazoids, but this was mind manipulation! Lieutenant, was there anyone else who injured these Remans and whose weapons are aboard the Eventide now? I’d like a sample.”

"As far as I know I'm the only one who used blades, the others used phasers." She grimaced a little. "Sorry-"

Quickly, there was worry written all over Ava’s face. “Are you okay?! Should I get a nurse?”

She chuckled a little. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine. I'm just sorry I don't have my more info for you." She smiled a bit before something came to mind. She shimmied a little and pulled the knife on the back of her belt, offering it to Ava. "I stabbed a few people with this, might get you started."

Ava’s eyes lit up. She took the knife very carefully, as though it was a gem. “Oh, you’re an angel! This will definitely get me started.” She grinned at her and then gave a grateful nod. “Thank you!”

"No problem!" She gave a smile and a nod back to her. "Just don't cut yourself with it, it's pretty damned sharp."

”I’ll be careful.” Ava requested a clean box from one of the nurses and placed the knife inside it. She’d take it to the lab. “Again, thank you, Lieutenant.” She turned to Dreaxa again. “Now, I have a few more questions to you, if you don’t mind.”

She nodded and gave the woman a smile. "Ask away, Lieutenant. I'll answer to the best of my ability."

”Okay, so you said you lost control, like he took over your body, but you were able to restrain yourself to some extent. Correct? How was that? You were mentally able to fight the attack?”

She nodded, and spoke up again. "Correct, I feel me being Betazoid helped significantly with that, I was able to form some sort of mental wall. If it wasn't for that I don't think I could have stopped myself."

Ava nodded. “Well, looks like telepathic abilities can be a blessing and a curse,” she said, sounding like she was speaking from experience. “Any guess on why this person attacked you and not anyone else?”

She looks up after overhearing the conversation about the Reman. "I'm sorry to interrupt but, are you two talking about the Reman Captain?"

Ava turned her head to look at the Ensign who’d spoken up. “Hello. We are, yes, in a sense. We’re talking about the telepathic attack on Commander Dreaxa, here. I have my doubts about whether it could have been something a Reman would be capable of doing. But, please, if you have any information, I’d be delighted to hear it.” She smiled and gave an encouraging nod. “I’m Ava by the way, extraneous science officer. I’m trying to find out more about whoever did this.”

"Ensign Emin." She nods. "I think I do have some information actually, I was one of the officers who went over to the I.K.S. Vak'ok Guz. When we were there, we encountered the Captain, a Reman who was able to control us as well."

"Both of us actually saw him face to face he almost made me shoot Ensign Emin here."

Ava’s eyes widened. “Control you?” She looked at the other Lieutenant who had joined as well. “Both of you you? Can you describe it?” She sounded pressing.

"It felt like..." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Like I had to listen and obey whatever the Reman projected into my mind."

"Uhm yeah. There was a real violent pain in the back of my head and then... I couldn't really control my actions. Before I knew it I had a phaser pointed at her head."

”Did you hear his voice in your head? And were you able to fight back?”

"Well... the ensign here was very quick to stun me so I can't really say much in the way of being able to resist."

"Fight back? I think I tried, but I still couldn't move a muscle. It was like he had complete control. But one thing to mention is that when I shot Lieutenant Whidbey, he seemed a little unnerved and surprised, like he could only focus on one person at a time."

Ava pulled up her pointy eyebrows. “Ah, I see. And you’re absolutely sure that it was the doing of this Reman Captain?”

"He talked to us like he was the one doing it and I seemed to have snapped his connection with Lieutenant Whidbey when I stunned him."

"Most certainly he was controlling us almost for his own entertainment at times."

Ava frowned grimly and nodded. What an abominable thing to do… “I see,” she said, “Thank you for telling me. This means we can be pretty certain that it was this Reman Captain who attacked the Commander as well. He didn’t say his name… Neither of you happen to have a sample of his blood, do you?” She wasn’t exactly hopeful, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

"I can't say I do... sadly."

Ava nodded, only slightly disappointed. “Hm, it’s alright.” She looked at them. “You said you both went face to face with him. Are you absolutely sure he was Reman? What was he like?” (edited)

"He was Reman, definitely. He had grey mottled skin and dark sunk in eyes. He had those ears too, you know. The pointed ones like Romulans and Vulcans? Except they pointed out more then Vulcan sand Romulan ears."

”I’m quite aware of Vulcan ears, Ensign, I see them every morning in the mirror,” noted Ava, tucking a strand of hair behind bespoke ear. “Well, anyways, you seem to be definitely sure. That’s… strange. I’ve never heard of Reman mind control.” The next sentence, she muttered, deeply in thought: “Maybe if I can look at the scans again, I can pinpoint his location… I’d have to cross reverence the data with the time and place where you encountered him…” She looked up. “That’s it! Ensign, may I have a hair of yours? And can you tell me the time and place when and where exactly you encountered the Reman Captain?”

Austin gave Ava a confused look begging her to explain.

"Um sure." She plucked a strand of her hair from her hand and passes it to the junior lieutenant. "We were on the second enemy ship so, the IKS Vak'ok Guz." She also tells the time frame in which they had encountered the Reman.

She looked up from her bed and looked around to see if the nurse was around. When she spotted him she smiled and gave a quick cought. "Is this thing done yet?"

Nolan came to her bed and checked her with a scanner. “I can let you go now and you’ll have two more days where I suggest you don’t strain your upper body or I can let you go in ten minutes and you’ll be good to go. It’s your decision.” He smiled friendly.

"Five minutes and one day?" She said with a begging smile, half-teasing, half-serious.

Ava took the hair from Jessil. “Thank you, Ensign. Can you tell me which deck you were on when you encountered him?”

"Five minutes and one day?" She said with a begging smile, half-teasing, half-serious.

@Lieutenant Samantha Voxellus | SEC (@Sam┊Georgia┊Jasmine┊Ken) - jump Nolan chuckled. “Alright. That should work, however I insist you check in with me in two days.”

"Sure thing, bud." She smiled and layed her head back down, getting a bit more comfortable.

Ava took the hair from Jessil. “Thank you, Ensign. Can you tell me which deck you were on when you encountered him?”

@Lt. JG. Ava Lopez | SCI (@Deleted User) - jump "I was on the bridge at the time so Deck 1." She nodded.

Nolan set the tissue regenerator to an auto shut off after five minutes. “You can go once this shuts itself off. Take care and remember the check in.” Then he went to tend to other patients.

He waved over the nurse. "Am I good to go now?"

Nolan came over. “Let’s see, Lieutenant…” He did a full scan. “Your shoulder is looking good, however your back needs a deep tissue regeneration as well. Come, follow me to Lieutenant, um, Voxellus’s bed.”

"Allright." He walked over to Nolan and then layed down.

She snickered.

"Oh hey, seems like I'm getting company." She chuckled a bit and shook her head. "Ah well, I don't mind."

He smiled happy to see her again. "Hey Sam, how are you feeling."

Nolan positioned the second regenerator over Austin’s back, happy to see that Whidbey and Voxellus seemed to be happy to see each other. “This may sting,” he said to Whidbey before turning on the regenerator.

"Is that all Lieutenant?" She turns back to Lt. JG Lopez. "If that's all I'd like to change and take a shower after everything that's happened."

"Apart from being stabbed, punched and thrown around. Yeah, I'm perfectly fine." She chuckled a little and layed down. "What about yourself, Austin?"

”That’s all yes. Thank you for the information and your, eh, hair,” she chuckled, “I might be able to find out more about the DNA of the strange Captain with all of this information. Please, I don’t want to keep you any longer.” She smiled. “Good to have met you, Ensign.”

"Nice to meet you too Lieutenant. Contact me if you have anymore questions." She nods at her before leaving the sickbay.

He laughed in return. "Well... aside from taking some shrapnel to the shoulder, getting my back scratched to high hell, and getting mind controlled and then stunned... I'm doing perfect."

"Guess I should've been stabbed later. Might've prevented some of that with a quick slash of my sword." She smiled a little and chuckled a little. "Speaking of which, did you ever retrieve it? My sword, I mean."

"I got stunned and was beamed off before I woke up. I'll have someone whos still on the ship get it." He quickly commed someone to go retrieve it.

Ava cut in: “Lieutenant, once the sword is back on the ship, would you mind terribly if I took a look at the blood? You might not have injured the Captain, but maybe the DNA of the other Remans will tell us something as well.”

Nolan let them talk. Then, he said to Whidbey: “You’ll have to stay in this position on your back for twenty minutes minimum. Unfortunately, the wounds have covered quite the big area. You’re lucky your spine wasn’t damaged, it’s only muscle and tissue.”

"That is fine Nurse, thank you."

"Sure, knock yourself out! Just know it's seven-times folded steel, also known as hella sharp. Drop it on your toes and you'll loose your toes, got it?" She smiled and looked at Ava. "Just keep it holstered as much as you can."

”I wouldn’t even want to keep it in the lab, just scrape some blood off.”

"Then don't cut your fingers on it." She chuckled a little. "I mean it, it has a nasty bite."

Ava nodded. “I’ll be extra careful.”

[D] The regenerator over Samantha beeped and then stopped humming. “Right, Lieutenant, you’re dismissed from sickbay,” said Nolan. Then he turned to Whidbey. “You just stay put, I’ll be back.” He vanished to help other patients.

She smiled and got up, stretching a little. "Guess I'll see you in two days, nurse." She grinned and gave a quick salute before walking towards the door. "I'll talk to you later, Austin. Stay safe." And with that she left.

He smiled to Samatha. "You to ensign."

Ava turned to Dreaxa again. “Commander, one more question I’d like to return to. Do you have any guess on why you were the one attacked and not anyone else? Or anything else you think might be relevant for my… investigation?” She gave a lopsided smile.

"That's Lieutenant!" She called back before actually disappearing.

"I don't have many ideas. Perhaps the fact that I was a telepath made it easier to connect to me? But it didn't exactly work out for them." She gave a gentle chuckle.

Ava nodded. “You’re quite right.” She looked down at the box in which she had Samantha’s knife and Jessil’s hair. “Okay, I will comm the bridge and then head to the labs. Thank you for your help.” She smiled at Dreaxa, Samantha and Whidbey. “I’ll see you around.”

"See you around." He had felt the pain from the regenerator and was still hoping to get out soon.

After bidding her goodbyes, Ava left the sickbay.

"See you around." He had felt the pain from the regenerator and was still hoping to get out soon.

@Lieutenant Austin Whidbey | SEC (@Austin┊Del┊Jack┊Jerry) - jump After twenty minutes, Nolan returned to Whidbey. He ran a quick scan and then turned off the regenerator as he was happy with the results. “Very well, Lieutenant, you may stand up. How are you feeling?”

He stood up and began stretching his right shoulder. "I'm feeling in tip top shape nurse."

Nolan raised an eyebrow. “Are you just saying this to get out of here as quickly as possible?” He ran another scan, just because. Better safe than sorry.

He rolled his eyes jokingly and then laughed. "I might have a little bit of soreness in my shoulder but that's really it."

Nolan nodded. “Right. Lieutenant, I’m happy to report the scans are looking good. I must insist you don’t work out or engage in any form of combat in the following 24 hours. Don’t strain your shoulder or back. It would be a pity if you were to immediately ruin all that new tissue. After those 24 hours, I actually encourage you to pick up work out and training again, so you can strengthen the new back muscle tissue.” He smiled as he added it all to the Lieutenant’s medical record. “Well, then, you’re dismissed from sickbay. Take care and come to me should you feel any pain or unease.”

"Yes Nurse, it was good meeting you. I'm sure you'll see much more of me." He shot off a pair of finger guns and left.

“We should hope not,” muttered Nolan, half-serious and let the Lieutenant walk off. He then tended to other patients. There was always enough work to be done in the sickbay after a battle.

The young Romulan Lieutenant made his way in with a perfectly ironed and maintained uniform. His hair, grown out slightly. He looked like he was in search of a doctor or nurse for his physical, patiently stepping off to the side until a doctor decided to address him.

Nolan noticed the newcomer after a few moments. He finished whatever he’d been doing and then came up to the Romulan with a gentle smile. “Hello, Lieutenant, what do you need?” His fluffy, pink hair bounced a little as he walked. Now that he’d taken care of most of the aftermath of the rescue mission, he was a little more relaxed.

“I need a p-physical, please. I need to be cleared for duty,” Karvak asked, stuttering a little before nodding to the nurse, confirming his request. He noticed the pink, bouncy hair and disregarded it. He wasn’t there to talk about the man’s hair. Karvak’s accent was also mellow, human.

Due to the stutter, Nolan assumed the Romulan might be nervous about the check up. He tried to look encouraging and he put a soothing hand on the man’s shoulder. “Alright, no problem. Come up and sit down on the biobed please. Would you tell me your full name?” He pulled out his PADD to access the Starfleet medical records.

“Keventh Kennedy Karvak. Lieutenant,” he replied. Karvak wasn’t nervous, it was one of his small character quirks. He was thinking of something else and stuttered, another word about to come out before. He noted the hand and found the sickbay staff to be rather friendly. He sat down on the bed. As for his records, it showed that he lost fingers on his right hand during an attack... two stumps on that hand where fingers once were. Other info would need to be gathered in a scan. “Your name, Nurse?”

“Nolan Swift,” said Nolan in a friendly tone. Then, he proceeded, “Your record shows you’ve lost two fingers. Looks like it’s all healed over nicely. Do you feel that way? Do you ever experience any phantom pain or such?”

“At times, I feel an itch and cannot scratch it because the fingers aren’t there. No pain. It would be nice to have some fingers there again as the incident forced me to become left hand primary,” he said, basically asking if anything could be done at this point. It had been a few years since he last asked and he wondered if tech would allow it. If not, he would still be fine.

Nolan nodded. “I see. Well, there are… ways. You could get a sort of prosthesis, however it would involve a lengthy process of sculpting and determining whether we can line up your nervous system with it. There’s different options. If you’re interested, I suggest you make an appointment with a doctor who knows more about this kind of things than I do. Would you like me to send you some contacts to your PADD?”

“Yes, please. That would be very good, Nurse. May as well get the ball rolling...” He said with a somewhat optimistic smile. Upon closer inspection, however, Karvak appeared to have a pink substance near the corners of his lips. Frosting. Strawberry frosting.

Nolan nodded and forwarded a list of contacts to Karvak’s PADD. “Very well, let’s move on with the examination.” He stepped closer to start a scan, however he stopped as he noticed something. He squinted his eyes. “Lieutenant, is that… Is that some kind of left over food around your mouth?”

He kicked it off with his tongue unceremoniously. “I had a treat before I arrived here and forgot to use a napkin. My apologies,” he took his handkerchief to dab his mouth off in case he missed anything. He looked back at the nurse, blushing slightly from his mistake. Or his thought mistake.

Nolan’s mouth curled into an amused smile and he raised his eyebrows. “Alright… Well, why don’t we start with that, then. Tell me about your diet, please.” His tone was still gentle, though he was noting something down on his PADD. ‘Patient likes sugar.’ (edited)

“Balanced. I am on the high end of a healthy weight. I eat protein, veggies, pasta... well... what my mother used to make and I stay healthy. I don’t follow the food pyramid but... what are you recording?” Karvak asked.

“I’m recording what you’re telling me,” he explained gently. Then, he asked, “What did you have to eat today, Lieutenant?”

From a very good memory, he recounted his choices of food that day. “Two bagels for breakfast. One a queso bagel and the other a sesame seed bagel. For lunch, I had a steak... potatoes, and some green beans and carrots. Then I had two donuts,” he recited. “One raspberry jelly filled and the other strawberry frosted.”

Nolan nodded. “You seem to have a bit of a sweet tooth. However, what you’re telling me isn’t troublesome.” He smiled as he took down some notes. “What did you drink? Generally, what is your stance on alcohol?”

“I drank water. I don’t agree with alcohol’s taste. If I wanted that I could go the Vulcanoid way and eat chocolate, since we get drunk off of the cocoa extract. I avoid that, too...” He replied. “I don’t drink.”

Nolan nodded again and took it down on his PADD. “Very commendable. Talk to me about your work out routine, please. What do you do to keep fit and how often?” He looked up at him with an open, expectant expression.

“I exercise for thirty to sixty minutes a day. Pushups, walking, and more. I swim on the holodeck... though those holodecks give me headaches. I don’t know why or how... but I do keep active,” Karvak replied, resting his hands on his knees.

Nolan listened attentively. “Thirty to sixty minutes. Good, that adds up very well with your diet. Have you ever talked to a doctor about your issue with the holodecks? Do you experience headaches also in other frequent situations?”

“Simply put, I grew up in Colorado, if you know where that is. I hiked constantly and didn’t enter a holodeck until I was sixteen. I swam in mountain creeks, collected rocks... I don’t need to see a doctor about holodecks. They feel unnatural because they are. Do you know if they have a pool on the starbase?” He didn’t answer the second question because he believed his justification was sufficient.

“I see,” he nodded, “And I agree, the environments on the holodeck are fascinating but never quite the real deal. I regret to say, I don’t know whether there are pools on the starbase, however I know that there is an environmental ring.” He smiled. “Maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for there. Now, you mentioned your childhood twice already, I’d like to talk about the medical history of your family. Are there any illnesses that ran in your family?”

“I mean... I was mostly raised by humans. Medical history of my mother is a blur because she was killed right after I was born. As for my father... clean health all the way down the line. Nothing runs in my family,” Karvak’s father was never around. He was mostly raised by a human woman with a flair for sweet hospitality. Karvak is a momma’s boy.

“That’s good to hear.” He didn’t ask any further questions about the Lieutenant’s family. What was his name again? Karl? Kurvok? Eh, he’d refer to him as Sweet Tooth in his mind. He took a quick note down and skimmed the records again. “Your medical record shows you have all your shots as well.” He gave a pleased smile. “Now, would you lie down, please? We’ll get a read on your blood pressure and your electrocardiogram.”

“Hmm. I don’t have the hormone shot but I have been refusing it annually. Figured that’s under ‘optional’.” He leaned back and looked up, yawning as he did. He loved lying down. “What does this entail? Besides the blood pressure test.”

“The hormone shot is indeed optional,” he said and then answered the question; “Just a quick scan.” He took out a scanner and held it over Sweet Tooth’s body. He moved it up and down. “While we’re at it, tell me, is your bowel movement regular?” He’d asked this so many times, it wasn’t even weird anymore. His tone remained friendly and professional. (edited)

“I use the restroom regularly. Yes. I did try Romulan food, though... it sucks and is bland as hell. Constipated me, too... rule of thumb is stick to human dishes. They’re yummy,” he said nonchalantly, very chatty. This was his work environment after all. His social issue lied with approaching others to talk. When someone else talked to him... it was nice.

Nolan smiled, happy that his patient seemed to be feeling comfortable. He read the results of the scans: heart activity and blood pressure. While he did so, he asked conversationally, “Are you sexually active?”

“No,” he replied. This answer was unusually short for him, this topic was one he didn’t care for. His blood pressure and heart activity was normal.

“Very well, your scans are all looking good, Lieutenant.” He smiled and indicated with a nod and a gesture that Sweet Tooth could stand up now if he wanted to. “Just two more questions. Firstly, please tell me about your sleeping schedule. Secondly, just tell me if there’s anything else you’ve noticed in terms of your health, such as irritated skin, unusual pains, etc.” (edited)

“Sleeping schedule is good. Eight hours a night. And I don’t find anything unusual about my health,” he reported to the nurse, checking the watch on his wrist. “I need to report in to duty officially and take my post.”

Nolan nodded. “Very well, that all sounds really good. You’re fit for duty, Lieutenant.” He smiled and gestured at the door. “If you do need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

10:01

He saved all that data in Sweet Tooth’s file and sent it to the Starfleet memory banks.

“Awesome. Thank you for the physical, Nurse. Was wonderful meeting you,” Karvak hopped off of the bed and extended his hand to shake. His right one with the missing fingers.

Nolan took it with a friendly smile. They shook hands and he nodded. “It was nice meeting you as well. Let’s hope you don’t see me in this setting all too often,” he chuckled. “Have a good day.”

“I can only hope. Jolan tru,” he replied with the typical Romulan farewell, butchering the pronunciation. He smiled slightly and left.

Entering the sickbay the computer powered up the deck and she began assigning nurses and med techs to duties, herself prepping a critical care and triage.

She shivered a bit grabbing a lab coat for warmth. “I understand environmental controls but this is ridiculous… have we really not figured out level by level heating!”

2

Many of the officers were pleased with the sudden shift in temperature. Sighing in relief.

She gathered the nurses and med techs. She wished she had a more senior officer but there wasn’t so it was her job to keep them prepared. “Alright, we are gonna keep sickbay divided to two sections… 5 beds for intensive care, 5 for in and out. We will be assigning medical techs to each level to set up a medical station. I’ll be working with the critical patients, the rest I can count on you to handle it. You are StarFleet… some of the best in your fields. I have the utmost faith in you. So let’s get to what we do best, saving lives, one hypo at a time.” (edited)

The medical staff nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.” They didn’t exactly have a CMO to look up to at the moment, so she was quickly made acting CMO in their eyes. And they went to work.

Despite the situation she smiled. Watching them work together gave her all the hope she needed as she went and set up the intensive care setups.

Hoping to lift the crew spirits she came up with an idea. “Computer, play Little Talks by Of Monsters And Men… circa 21st century.” (edited)

22:58

She walked to a replicator and replicated a copy of her violin from the Starbase. Putting it to her shoulder she began to play along with the music, sitting up on the biobed.

She set down the violin as they entered what they could expect to be dangerous territory and stood near a console ready to work.

While she waited she connected her PADD to the console and reviewed the plans to a personal project.

She stood as a sudden thought occurred to her… “Nurse, have we received the information on the borg? If so cross reference it worth known assimilated species.”

“I’m looking right now…” Nolan checked for the information.

“Thank you, please direct it to the display when ready.” She walked over to the wall display and began moving around items, looking for something in particular. “Computer, list all known humanoid species on primary display.”

“Acknowledged, please be aware that due to the extensiveness of the list, a standard scrolling setting is applied. If you wish to go in depth on a certain species, please speak the name or touch the display.” It began scrolling all known species, rather slowly so that Odessa could specify or tap when she wanted to stop and look at a specific one.

As the list scrolled she tapped on several species of different physiology to compare.

As the ship hit turbulence she fell backwards grabbing a biobed on the way down. “Holy Hannah who the hell is in control of this ship… a gerbal!”

21:53

She stood back up fixing her dress and resuming her research. ‘If I can figure out a similarity between majority of the borg… perhaps there is a means of disabling them in one sweep.’

It didn’t take long for crewmen to come in, most were just bumps and bruises. But an officer had come through the door on an anti grav lift. His chest has collided violently with one of the railings in engineering his heart had begun to swell uncontrollably and his breathing erratic as well as his life signs.

Nolan rushed to help the patient onto a biobed.

“Nurses take those crewman, bring the officer here and get him on a bed!” She walked over to the bed and set up a X-ray. She administered anesthesia and applied a personal life support system.

22:03

She put the life support display up in the screen and examined the internal injuries, most noticeably the heart. “Computer record.” She looked to a passing med tech. “Find an artery and apply a vascular regenerator. We need to slow the internal bleeding and hopefully bring down the swelling.” (edited)

Nolan assisted where he could, taking care also of the other officers who had minor injuries while Odessa was busy with the swelling heart problem. (edited)

“Medical record, administering 55 cc’s of Pulmozine, and 30 cc’s of Lectrazine” She administered both hypos.

The computer had evaluated and transferred the information to a monitor above the bed. It was clear it had nothing to do with the arteries in fact the walls itself in the right ventricle were constricting. While the blood was backing up in the left ventricle. The monitor flat lined, despite the medication being applied, they had no effect.

“He’s coding. Nurse grab the Chloromydride and bring over the Cardio Inducer.” She tried to keep her calm as an example for the others. Panic could become deadly for the patient.

Nolan’s big green eyes looked slightly panicked, but he was unusually steady in his movements when he brought over the Chloromydride and the Cardio Inducer. “Here, Doctor.”

“Thank you. I need your help here Ensign.” She applied the hypo and lifted the lid of the bed applying the Cardio Inducer. “He appears to have suffered blunt force trauma to the chest.”

“Damage to the heart muscle? A cardiac arrest?” Nolan’s mind was running, but he was surprisingly calm and collected.

The computer applied the correct charge to the man’s organ. He jolted a couple of times, and the monitor responded with that erratic beep again for the ECG. The swelling persisted, and was accompanied by an excess amount of fluid in the pericardium.

“Doctor, should we make an incision and try to drain some of the fluid in his pericardium?”, Nolan asked.

She looked around the room at the flood of people. The nurses were handling the situation so she turned to Nolan. She tied her hair back and grabbed a lab coat. “Prep him for emergency surgery. Computer activate sterile field.”

22:32

She pressed her combadge.

Nolan was quick to set everything up and bring the patient to the surgical suite.

[D]The Andorian entered sickbay with a blue hand holding her forehead. She had been sitting at her console when the turbulence had hit and had thrown her head first into her console hard, thankfully she didn't hit her antenna on it. She had ignored the growing headache for as long as she could until it had gotten so bad she couldn't focus. She entered and looked around sickbay for a doctor or even a nurse to get some painkillers

It made it so, the field was brought online but fluctuated. As power was routed, the field would be strengthened.

She stepped out of the surgical suite into the sickbay and almost regretted it as soon as she saw the crowd of people again. She approached the Andorian. “What can I do for you Ensign?” She grabbed a tricorder from a table.

"I uh... hit my head on my console. I have a bad headache. Can you just give me some painkillers and send me on my way?" She said in a halting tone, one hand holding her forehead "My apologies."

She took the tricorder and scanned the andorian. She read over the readings and nodded. “Nothing major it would seem, I’ll get you back to your duties.” She walked away and came back with a Metorapan hypo. “This should kick in fairly quickly.” She presses the hypo to her neck releasing the medication.

"Thank you. It was beginning to get pretty bad... at least I didn't hit my antenna..." She said with the edge of a thankful tone. "Am I good to go ma'am?"

"Ready and better then when you came in. I'll notify them you are returning." She gave her a smile and set the tricorder down. "If anyone down there needs to be checked, send them up."

"Will do ma'am. Thank you." She said with a dip of her head before standing and turning before leaving sickbay

She returned to assisting the Engineering and Operations personnel who came in.

Having returned to the sickbay and having checked once again on the officer who’d damaged his heart (they seemed stable), Nolan was now bustling about, helping wherever he could, tending to bruises and small wounds.

[D] In the last hour, she had narrowly avoided 3 head on collisions, dropped 16 hypos, tripped over 4 non existent rocks, and dropped a coffee. All in all it was going better then she expected.

[D]Weber, who had totally not just been [d]ed over here to the ship for some character development ~~only reason he's here~~, walked into sickbay. He had a small gash above his right eye from where he was thrown into a door frame from the turbulence. It was obvious that it had been there since the turbulence and he had simply elected to ignore it. He paused and looked for a doctor as if nothing was wrong, still basically at attention, arms at his side.

He walked into a scene of nearly 10 crewmen and women all with similar injuries… in fact you would have thought the whole engineering department was here. As she wrapped up with a patient she approached Weber. “Let me guess, you got into a fight with a Klingon World Champion?”

"More like a door frame but if it makes you more confident about our chances of survival that is fine for you to think." He said casually as he nodded to her, he was still standing at attention basically

She sighed, not a German on this ship with a sense of humour. she led him to a biobed and had him sit. “All right, let me look it over. Any pounding pain, burning pain?”

"Mild headache, nothing new. I just came to get it cleaned up at the repeated recommendation an ensign" He paused "And an Lieutenant Junior Grade." That was the only reason he showed up, he could care less that the ensign wanted, it was the Lieutenant who made him show up.

“Right well thankfully someone up there has a brain.” She took a tricorder, and began to scan checking for any fractures from the impact.

"It is not bad enough to warrant a trip to sickbay." He said firmly before going silent and staying silent until spoken to

“Oh shush… you are just tying to look strong in front of your coworkers.” She set down her tricorder and took a dermal sterilizer running it across the would to clean it.

"I have had much worse happen to me and still gone on to run my morning PT ma'am. A small gash is nothing." He said with a firm tone before once more going silent

“You know, at least you speak your mind… that’s a good quality.” She took a autosuture and sealed up the gash. “There, all better. On Earth I would give good patients lollipops, fortunate for you the replicator is broken.” She joked.

He gave her a small, half-assed chuckle for the benefit of the doctor "I see... How are you doing doctor? I have some rudimentary medical skills that can be helpful if you need them."

“We are a bit overwhelmed, running on emergency power and what not. If possible try to handle minor situations on your deck. There’s medkits at all corridor intersections.” She put away the autosuture and grabbed him an ice water. “Here, drink this.”

"I understand. I will do what little I can." He said with a casual nod as he took the water and took a large sip of it "Anything else ma'am?" He asked as he continued to drink it

“Not unless you wanna hang out here.” She smiled and assisted a nurse with a question quickly. Turning back she continued. “How are things going up there?”

"Things are going alright, the borg have people slightly on edge." He said casually. He had thankfully not lived the life of having to deal with the borg. He felt oddly detached, he was thirty five yea... no. Twenty years old and had never heard of them before his first year at the academy "Other than that everyone is doing well."

“Well stay strong, don’t the the crewmen see you let your guard down, otherwise they will will too.”

He scoffed briefly "I thought you knew me better than that ma'am. I never let my guard down." He said firmly

“It’s… never mind… I’m wasting my breath.”

"Probably. It has been a long time ma'am. How are you and Heinrich doing?" He asked as he finished the water, he managed to not start to call Heinrich 'the augment' this time.

“Well… I…” To be honest she wasn’t sure… she had always been sure of herself and what she did, but now… she wasn’t sure of everything. She second guessed herself every which moment.

"I see... it won't get any easier. Erin and I... we had the same problems you two will." He said with a slightly strained tone when he used her name

She took a moment from the rush of the sickbay, sitting next to him on the biobed. “It was so much easier with Angela…” She pronounced it with a hard G as most Germans were accustom. Despite the commotion of the room she was calm and it was expressed through the gentleness of her accent. “We worked together, went to school together… it just worked. But Heinrich is different. How do you make something like this work with someone who has seen the world come and go over and over, has seen every possible outcome of good and bad?”

"I don't know, I haven't even tried since she died... but you just need to go day by day... enjoy your time. You do not need me to remind you that nothing is permanent. You two remind me of me and... Erin. You will be fine." He said with a pause before using her name, his tone strained. He quickly lost it and spoke that last part confidently

“It’s like… we have these beautiful moments, where everything just seems right, you know? But then… then there’s the moments where you wonder what you are doing wrong?” She took his glass of water taking a sip. “Sorry…”

"Don't worry about it. I'm used to sharing canteens and camelbacks." He said with a shrug "We uh... had the same problem... at least you two are assigned to the same station. When you can be called away at a moments notice for months at a time its hard. Its not you, it's not him, its just a thing you have to work through." He said awkwardly

She sighed. "That's just it. Heinrich is... hard to talk to. Like, you can say a million words and only get 5 back... I've meet toddlers with more of a vocabulary."

"Thats how grunts are. We... don't connect with people. We see things no one else does. We're trained different and live differently. Only time I feel safe is in my quarters. While you feel safe across the entire station, could be something like that for him, being silent is being safe?"

"I hardly feel safe floating in space... but in a manner of speaking I understand. I just wish there was a way to connect better."

"If I had found one I would share it with you ma'am. Never will now though. I'd say your best bet would just be there for him but don't go and make it all about him. Let him know how you feel..." He said awkwardly "Thats what... Erin... did it and it helped us out before... you know..."

"But.. How to I tell him how I feel? I can't even muster up the courage to carry out a full conversation without eventually letting the conversation die..." She took another sip of the water that should have been his...

He ignored the water, he only was drinking it because she had said to... but nodded "You just say it... Erin and I were friends for years before we started dating. That makes it so much more awkward... you need to just get it into the open." He said with a semi firm tone

[COMM] "Ensign Boheim to Doctor Steiger."

She looked at Weber and then around the room of people... 'Awkward timing much...' She set the water down standing and fixing her dress before pressing her commbadge. "What can I do for you Ensign?"

[COMM] "Even though the ship is at red alert, I have a question that involves the current crisis. Would you please join me in the tactical hub? Or would you prefer I come to sickbay?"

He went silent and waited for her to finish

She looked around the packed room, 2 beds occupied by incapacitated nurses, 1 nurse and 2 med techs desperately moving people out as soon as possible. "Ensign, perhaps you should come here..."

[COMM] "Very well. I shall be down momentarily."

He stayed silent still

She released her commbadge and looked at Weber... "You give me advice about talking to Heinrich but when his name is brought up you turn into stone... I think you need the help at the moment... not me..."

"Is it not still rude to interrupt conversation?" He asked with a slight hint of confusion

"I think there is more behind that look than not wanting to interrupt..."

Heinrich walked in. Standing in the background, as he had gotten closer and then walked in. He raised a brow as he looked at Weber and Odessa.

He shrugged from his sitting position on the biobed "Whatever you say ma'am." He said casually, there was still a slightly strained tone.

She gave Weber that silent nod and gave him a pat on the shoulder. She walked from around the bed and over to Heinrich. She avoided showing her happiness in seeing him around all the personnel filling up the space, and instead showed only professional mannerisms. “Ensign, what is it I can do for you?”

"After a report I read, I have come up with some recommendations to prevent some of the species 8472 powers if they appear on the ship. This includes telepathic prevention, I need to know if that would affect other species on board. Vulcans, betazoids, etc."

He remained sitting there, waiting to be dismissed, some small part of him said to leave now but the majority of him said to remain where he was and give them a few minutes before leaving

She walked over to a wall console. "Explain... You wan't to prevent the Borg from using telepathy?"

"Negative, I want to prevent 8472 from using telepathic powers that they have as a weapon in their arsenal. This would prevent other species from using telepathy. So I need to know how it will affect the behaviors and or what not."

"I see, well it very much comes down to the frequency on which they communicate to each other. If it does not match that of current known telepathic species, it should have no major effects on our personnel. They might experience loss of focus or occasional telepathic loss from fluctuation but nothing dangerous? However the Borg are a cybernetic species... with their ability to adapt we can never be sure frequencies won't eventually line up." She tapped away trying to pull up known serving telepathic species.

"I wasn't trying to effect the borg at all. I know they can adapt and change frequencies. However, I was thinking more of blocking all frequencies."

She turned to look at him. "Heinrich, my degree is in clinical medicine... those are machines for all practical purposes..."

There we’re over 6 officers serving aboard who had telepathic ability. Including the man on the table which previously had the swelling heart. It turned out he happened to be Betazed. With his current condition, who knew what such a ‘dampener’ could do to his body.

"Mm...very well Doctor." Heinrich stood there thinking.

"According to the computer we have six officers on this vessel capable of telepathy... one is lying on that bed over there in an induced sleep..." She gestured to the engineering officer. "My primary concern here is the risk it carries not only to telepaths but to everyone on this ship. My knowledge of the borg physiology is null... borg are not a species, they are several assimilated species... which means we can't rely on one Borg to judge the rest..."

"Well..if this does not work, that will leave us with Ballistic Weapons if we can manufacture them, or gas."

"Well, we have an almost universal gas, but getting the gas on a Borg vessel will be next to impossible..."

"I'm not worried about the borg, I am more worried about this ship. The borg can take care of themselves."

"Well I can listen to suggestions and give my input, but I'm afraid my knowledge will only get us so far." She turned around to look at the sickbay... without looking to him she spoke. "Look at it, we aren't even there yet and I'm treating injuries... We are taking a Intelligence, Science vessel into what could be a warzone... on what? The word of a Borg "ambassador"?"

"Sadly this is the only vessel at the station. You'd think a station like ours would at least have an escort class, something like the Defiant."

“I’m digging for an ounce of hope… anything to tell me we aren’t making a big mistake.”

"Doctor, humans make mistakes all the time. Even now, everything we do is a mistake in some way, shape, and or form. What you must do is look on the bright side of the situation, if there is one that is."

“That last part isn’t helping Heinrich.” She said flatly.

"Apologizes doctor. Look on the bright side though, we are not dead."

still waiting to be dismissed

Heinrich looked at Oskar for a second. He gave him the 'you can leave' eyes.

3

Weber didn't see him seeing as he was basically sitting at attention, knife hands resting on his knees, head forward.

"Ensign, you are free to leave I so believe. IF you do not further require any more medical or phycological attention."

He looked towards Odessa as if to wait for her confirmation. Which he was, she was the doctor he was under the care of at the moment

She looked over and nodded. Her brain was running overtime.

20:26

“Actually wait… I would like you to stay for a minute. Nurse. Do me a favor and monitor him for a few.”

20:27

She turned to Heinrich. “Okay. We are square one. You want a medical opinion on a tactical solution… I’m going to try to help.”

He nodded and went back to sitting at attention

"I was just seeing if there would be sideaffects, but you have given me the information I need."

"Heinrich, I understand what you are trying to do, but I don't know if I trust them." She walked away for a moment and back, then away... then back as if she was thinking. "It.. it feels wrong... even if it's right..."

"I do not follow what you are trying to say."

If the nurse was indeed monitoring him he would had a slightly increased heart rate but otherwise he was basically fine

"Why are we trusting the Borg, to lead us into a war with more Borg?"

"To get rid of Species 8472, but yes Doctor. Now I understand, you do not trust the borg. Neither do I. Those mechanical robots should be eradicated instead of being allowed to be alive. They pose quite a threat to everyone."

"How do we know it's not an elaborate plan?" She sat at the nursing station resting her chin on her hands thinking.

"The borg seem much like Vulcans, they are not exactly capable of...lying. Twisting the truth though..that is...." Heinrich paused for a moment. "Also technically lying but some of it is truthful."

She muttered into her fists. "Yeah, the part about leading us to them..." She scoffed at the idea but was caught off guard by a nurse asking for her authorisation to administer a medication. She tapped the PADD authorising it and returned to her thoughts, staring at the little caduceus model on the desk.

"I'm sure the people on the bridge will make the right call."

21:27

"Put some...." Heinrich was trying to think of the word he was looking for. "Faith." He finally said. "Put some faith in the bridge crew and the Captain."

"I have plenty of faith in them..." She sighed and stood up from the desk walking back around it up to him. "I have faith in every member of this crew. But I also have doubts. I doubt everything I do, that Lieutenant over there..." She gestured to the Engineering Lieutenant attached to the Cardio Monitor... "Is only here because Ensign. Swift was there to keep me focused... because Nolan took the initiative... not me. He could be dead right now Heinrich. I'm hoping my doubts are wrong... I really am. I would give up my position at Starfleet if it meant my doubts would be one hundred percent invalid."

His heart rate flashed on a spike for a second as he winced but quickly returned to normal. He really, Really , shouldn't have talked about Erin so much. He tried to force away thoughts of the past and focus on the here and now

"Doctor, you are quite capable, your talents are quite..extraordinary. Perhaps you just need to talk to a counselor about your doubts that you have."

"I would rather not talk to a counsellor just to hear they same response they always give." She gestured to a nurse to assist a incoming fall injury and glanced over at Weber for a moment but looked back to Heinrich after she saw it steady. "I won't hold you any longer Heinrich. I wasn't much help anyway." She picked up a PADD and began to sign off on all the current patients.

"It is quite alright doctor, no need to apologize." Heinrich nodded. He was noting Odessa's reactions to stuff he said. He was trying to learn how to be a better....friend, a better...partner. It had been a long time since he had been someone's..partner. The word was like a knife in his head. "I apologize that..I wasn't much help with your problems."

She avoided looking at him or anyone for that matter. She just wanted this whole thing to go away. She wanted comfort, to know that they would be okay. Something no one could guarantee. "That's quite alright. Like you said, a counsellor is better suited to help me." She stood facing away from him, moving around items on the wall display. "Besides, I'm just one person. I can't expect you to be able to understand my problems when you have 400 years of your own."

"You lost someone close to you. I lost someone close to me."

She didn't respond for almost a minute. Still walking around the room without looking at him she broke the silence. "StarFleet let her die Heinrich. Do you know what that does to a person... to see your childhood heroes let the love of your life die in front of you?" Her voice was choked but she held back any will to break down and cry. She couldn't let the other junior officers and crewmen see her break down. They were looking up to her for guidance and if it took every last breath she would give it to them.

"Yes." Heinrich paused. "Yes I do." Heinrich sighed. "I watched as...Genesis's pod malfunctioned in front of me...how they tried to save her for a brief second, but then just said there was nothing they could do. I almost strangled one of the doctors aboard from my restraints, thus they put me in the brig."

She turned her head to the side for a moment stopping her work. She could just see him from the corner of her eye. "And yet you are here. At the root of your heartbreak." She turned to face him, about 5 feet away. "If our problems could be solved, they would. But they aren't and we have to live with them. I don't want my past to be resolved. It makes me who I am..." She once again glanced around at her surroundings. "It just has it's side effects. Side effects I'll have to learn to live with."

"You are sounding like I was on March 14th, 2412."

She turned back to her work once again speaking to him without looking at him. "I'm simply speaking my mind."

"IT is much more then speaking your mind, you are dealing with the past that is now coming back. I have to deal with this every day, and so does." Heinrich looked at Weber. "Ensign Weber." Heinrich looked back at Odessa.

He had obviously heard Heinrich use his name by how the very, very, VERY slight slouch he had quickly disappeared

She walked in another direction to another console. She spoke out loud across the 10 feet of distance and remarkably no one was listening in. “And you’ll live with it for ages to come. Which is why you don’t need my problems.” She walked past him to the other side of the room placing data chips into a filing system. “And with that in mind I won’t be putting my problems on you or Oskar any further.” She turned around suddenly to look directly at Heinrich. “I’ve been offered a position at StarFleet Medical Command. My answer is due in two Earth days. I’ve decided it’s in the best interest to remove myself from the situation I’ve created here.”

That got a reaction from him, he had been staring straight forward and his head and turned towards Odessa with confusion when she said she was going to be leaving

Heinrich blinked a few times. WAs he dreaming? Nope...wasn't dreaming. She's being for real. "YOU'RE WHAT!?" That got everyone's attention in the room. All eyes were on him now. He looked around, giving a very death stare to each of them to mind their own business. Before approaching Odessa "You're serious?"

He probably was the only person not staring at Heinrich, his attention on Odessa

“I’m sorry Heinrich. I don’t see another choice. “ She stood there an air of sadness in her gaze, as if her world was turned upside down. And it was… she turned it that way. “I am no use to a Starbase if I can’t even help myself.”

"You are doing plenty ma'am, More than I have. You just do not see it." He said firmly, breaking his silence now as well

Heinrich looked back at Weber for a second, then returned to Odessa. "Oskar is right, you have done more then both him and I have done."

“Please don’t try talk me out if it. You both have centuries ahead of you to do something for the world. I have what… 30 years?” Her voice was extremely choked but she still held back tears. But regardless any hope of working at the moment was out of the question.

"I have less than you do ma'am..." He said firmly. "I uh..." He started awkwardly "Don't want to lose a friend..." He finished just as awkwardly

"And I...." Heinrich awkwardly paused. "A lover."

4

3

2

4

She went to speak but no words came out. It was like having a brick wall put up in front of you. And then it stopped, slowly turning into a stabbing pain in her chest. It was like a knife being driven further and further into her heart. She fought to get the words out. "I... Heinrich... please... please don't do this to me... I can't... I can't put you through this burden... through my burden. Why... why would you tell me this now!" She staggered herself over to a table, leaning against it... the stabbing harder, and harder... she blinked once, then twice... hoping it would all go away... but it didn't...

2

He was already up and moving to her side when he stopped mid-step, this was better for Heinrich to take care of, and he looked to him with a almost friendly look. One that was clearly ordering Heinrich to take care of it

"There was...no easy way to tell you. I could not come to terms with myself to tell you. But when I heard I was losing you. It was like a knife through my heart. I could not sit by while you made a terrible decision. It seemed like the right moment."

1

He made sure he was clear of Odessa's view before pointing to Heinrich and then pointing to the place in front of Odessa and making a walking motion with his fingers before returning to his seat like he had ben before, sitting in the exact position as before

The sickbay had become increasingly quiet. Anyone who was no longer in need of care vacated the area which left just the nurses and the sleeping Lieutenant. The nurses gestured to Heinrich that they were heading out leaving Weber, Odessa and Heinrich. "I can't do this to you Heinrich... I care way to much for you... more then you could even begin to comprehend." She remained leaning on both palms against the table, refusing to look him in the eyes, afraid of the pain it would cause. "When you ran after me that day in the Infirmary... I had known. I told myself that if there was anyone that would replace the void left in my heart, it would be you. But at what cost?! Ripping your heart to shreds every day, a little at a time? Tearing apart our lives with my own instabilities?! What cost is to great?!"

He got up and once more repeated his silent statement to Heinrich before moving to Odessa, setting a hand on her shoulder for a second, and taking his leave, he wouldn't request to be dismissed this time...

"Genesis and I made a pact long ago when we married. We would do things together no matter what. We would suffer, we would cherish memories we made, we would be happy together. If there is anyone to replace the void I have been missing since Genesis. It would be you. I made myself a promise to not let you escape. I am holding that promise."

3

4

She was hyperventilating and she was processing his words... She wanted more then anything to be in his arms, to feel his comfort... but she couldn't let it happen... she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she broke out into tears... the same tears she cried when she lost her... she turned to face him but she didn't approach him. "Heinrich... I love you... but I can't... it would destroy me... know ... knowing the burden that we both carry..."

3

4

3

"We will carry it together, we will pick each other up. That is what a relationship is."

5

She tried hard not to go to him, she tried to stand her ground. She didn't want that transfer... she didn't want to leave... but she didn't want to hurt him. But with any book, words can change the whole direction of a story. She approached him, leaning into his chest... cause that was about the height she could reach... and just wept... she no longer knew why she cried... but it didn't matter. She just wanted to feel him, to feel his comfort.

4

Heinrich paused for a moment. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, gently hugging her.

She choked up for a moment before melting into the embrace... through a series of sniffles and the muffle of her face in his chest she muffled something. "Lassen Sie nicht los" (Dont let go...) She adjusted her head to rest against him as she continues to speak through her sniffles. "Wir können es klären... Versprechen Sie mir, dass wir das können." (We can work it out... you promise me we can.)

3

"Anything can be worked out if we work together." Heinrich stood still, continuing to embrace her.

2

She stood silent for a moment. Her brain had shut itself down, focused on one thing and one thing only. After a moment she began to chuckle softly into his embrace. "Heinrich? Welche Sprache ist das?" (Heinrich? What language is that?)

Heinrich raised a brow. "What language? The one you are currently speaking?"

She looked up at him for a moment confused... she had defaulted to German, her comfort language... then she chuckled a moment again. "Englisch... Ihr sprechendes Englisch." She was silent for another moment sniffling one last sniffle. She seemed to have calmed down in his arms. "Heinrich... Hast du wirklich... sorry... did you really mean the things you said... this isn't all just a horrible dream?"

"You may pinch me, but I do not believe this is a dream. This is quite real, and I do not lie anymore."

1

She nodded with a soft smile. "That's all I needed to hear." (edited)

1

"I should probably get back to work."

She held on to him tightly, refusing to let go until the last possible minute. When she finally let go she stood in his arms looking up into his eyes, wiping away her remaining tears. "Liebe, bitte kehre in einem Stück zu mir zurück. Versprechen??" (Love, please return to me in one piece. Promise?) (edited)

"I did promise that before."

“I want to hear it again. I want to know you’ll come home.”

"I promise that I will come back in one piece."

"Good, now if I'm not mistaken, it's your time to shine..." She took him by the cheek pulling him into a kiss before letting him go. "For good luck..."

1

Heinrich nodded as he made his way out.

She made her way to the Nurses desk and plopped into the chair. 'What the hell just happened?'

02:52

She looked over to the door of the CMO's office and chuckled... muttering to her self. "Keep dreaming Dess... keep dreaming... not after this fiasco."

[D] Unwilling to face her fellow officers she resorted to hiding on the ship and finding anything to do. She replicated a full compliment of medications and stored them, prepared the sickbay for any contingency… read and did paperwork she had yet to do… ram diagnostics on critical systems…

She was still working alone in sickbay. (edited)

She sat down at a nurses desk and pressed on the terminal. "Computer, Personal Log..."

Finishing her log she leaned back in her seat folding her hands in her lap.

She resumed her mundane tasks, but unlike usual she was silent… she didn’t sing, she didn’t hum, she just worked. In fact it was so quiet in the sickbay that you could hear the hiss of the life support systems pumping oxygen into the air.

After a little bit she left with her PADD and her crushed dreams.

She put the Ensign down onto a biobed and looked around the room. “Whoa, the sickbays on starships really are tiny. Sure am glad I don’t work on one of these.” She whispered.

[D]The Ensign piped up from the biobed. "You should visit a hospital ship sometime, I did a while ago. Those damn places have sickbays that span multiple decks in all directions..."

“Now that’s paradise. But you should be resting. Don’t get up for a while.” She said, putting on a bit of a stern voice.

[D]The Ensign did a mock salute and laid down in the bed. "I can happily do that for you." Barely even 30 seconds later he was fast asleep.

She left the Ensign to sleep, going back into the hallway.

She was chilling in Sickbay, not knowing where else to go. She had dug out her stress ball from her bag before, and was now messing with it.

The hybrid eventually made his way to here. Images of those monsters flashed in his mind. He quickly tried to focus on something else to distract himself, now wondering if there were more out there like Kerutep.

Hearing someone come in, she looked up. “Hello, what brings you in here?” She said.

"Uh. Probably to see if anything else can be done for the antenna." The antenna that had been injured was notably short, almost hidden into his fluffy hair.

“Oh, that looks painful. I haven’t dealt with this kind of thing in a long time, but I remember training with electrical stimulators and things, which should accelerate the antenna growing back.” She went and grabbed everything she needed, and gestured to Voris to sit on one of the biobeds. She attached the stimulators and started them up.

He went to sit on the biobed. "I hope I never have to do another mission like that.." Not to mention, he felt not only himulated that one of his antennae got cut off, but the fact he took off one of his prosthetics in front of multiple people.

“I’d say you should rest a few days. I know I am.” She told him.

"I will... try to. I'm going to need therapy for this." He folded his arms. "I can't sleep without the image of those... animals... from the lab."

“Sorry, I’m not qualified for that. I’m a Pathologist. But yea, I would advise going to therapy.” She said, pushing her glasses up her nose again.

"Would you happen to know a counsellor on the Starbase? I haven't been there long enough to familiarize myself with the medical staff."

“No, I don’t. I’m pretty new myself.” She frowned.

"Ah..." He looked down to the floor. Well. He was a doctor after all, he could prepare himself a hypospray to help him sleep.

“So, anything else I can do for you?” She asked.

"Eh... I don't think so." Voris said flatly. "I've tried to sleep but I can make myself a hypospray for that."

“Seems like a good idea. You should probably head back to your quarters for that, though.” She detached the electrical stimulators and set about sterilizing things.

"Yeah. And thank you." He got off of the biobed. Voris gave a quick glance to Halcyon's direction before leaving to the corridors.

“Party time.” She said, walking out to go to the mess hall.