A Need for Assistance
Posted on Thu Apr 11th, 2019 @ 1:44am by Lieutenant Commander Angus Murphy
Mission:
The Fool's Odyssey
Location: Marga III, common town
Timeline: 2 years after being abandoned (stef's perspective)
2070 words - 4.1 OF Standard Post Measure
Having just celebrated his twenty-first birthday, Stef was feeling more confident every day. He had secured a position as an apprentice with the local veternarian, and he'd been actually thrilled to be accepted. He was making friends and he had even, with Razmi's help, found a place to live. She was still his best friend and he spent a lot of time with her, but there was nothing more between them. If anything she was a mentor, but nothing more.
Having felt out of sorts for a few days now, the Vulcan walked into the doctor's office, knowing he was somewhat of a curiosity to the local people. Some had ventured to the tourist resorts, but most had never really left the area and to them he had been the first alien they'd ever seen. "Good morning," he greeted pleasantly, "I was hoping to see the doctor. i have been feeling unwell, and I am not certain if I contracted anything, or whether it is something I consumed."
The woman at the front desk of the sleepy little medical office looked up from a packet of actual papers she had been reading. If she'd been caught off-guard by the Vulcan's otherworldliness, she gave no reaction, but instead smiled warmly like a fresh ray of sunshine captured in humanoid form. She folded the packet closed. "Well, we can't have that," she said before twisting her long dark hair up into a messy bun atop her head and standing up. She beckoning the man to follow her back to an exam area.
"I'm Svara, by the way. So how long has this been going on and what exactly is going on?" she asked, sounding concerned as she motioned him up on a little sturdy table. The exam room was simple, adorned with hand-drawings of various interior organs and muscular-skeletal systems.
"I am Stef," he returned the introduction while climbing up on the indicated table, marveling at the drawings. "I have been experiencing nausea, headaches, a general lack of energy, cramp...I have difficulty holding down my food too." He mustered a small smile as he gestured up at the anatomy pictures. "Those will not help you," he added, "my internal makeup is a little different." He gave her a quick run down of Vulcan anatomy and physical parameters so she wouldn't be too shocked in case she needed his blood pressure.
As he explained, Svarra took out a simple device from a drawer. Like a monaural headset, she placed one end against her ear and held the other end up. "This might be cold," she warned him as she slipped it under his shirt and listened to various points along his back as he breathed. She listened for a long moment, moved the scope, then listened a bit more. "Mmmhm. Well, the good news is that you're probably not going to die, but you might feel like it in the next few days," she said, almost apologetically as she coiled up the primitive stethoscope and put it away. "It's what we call grippe. Everyone gets it at some point in their lives, usually though when you're like... 2 or 3 years old. Adults have a much harder time with it."
"There's no medicine or herb for grippe," she further explained. "Just rest, plenty of water, cool compresses... I hope you have someone who can help you because it sometimes ends in a short coma. You'll need to be watched after."
Stef shook his head. "No, I live alone," he answered, though he briefly considered asking Razmi to help out. But she had her farm to run so he could hardly ask her. "The rest and drinking water I can do," he added thoughtfully, "I can still study while I am in bed. But I do not have anyone to stay with me or check in regularly." He looked worried. "If this usually affects your children and your adults suffer more, is there a chance it may affect me not as bad, considering my blood chemistry is different? My entire physiology is different from yours." Surely she had noticed the lack of heartbeat as she listened to his lungs?
"All evidence to the contrary so far, but I like your optimism," she gave him a soft look of concern as she washed her hands in the small sink in the corner and patted them dried them with a disposable linen towel. "I'll tell you what, Mister Stef. I'll walk you home, you'll give me a key, and I'll come by and check on you every day. 'mkay?"
"That is acceptable," Stef answered, offering a small smile. "You can call me Stef, I see no need for mister, it makes me feel a little old." He stood from the bed, balancing himself for a moment. "What happens if I do pass out?" he asked. He knew what it was like to be stuck in a bed, had even experienced being held in a sleep state after an injury, but this was new to him. Normal illness, like a viral infecton, was not something he had ever experienced like this.
"It's just your body forcing you to take it easy, so that it can repair itself," she reassured him, sensing he was uneasy about the prospect of being alone. Of course, it must have been completely alien science to her -- how could she be so sure of a diagnosis without a biobed, medical tricorders, or even a blood scan?
"Come on," she wrapped her hand along his inner elbow for steadying support. "Let's get you home and into bed, Stef."
Taking the offered support, Stef let himself be walked home.
Svara had made sure he was settled comfortably before she returned to her sleepy little medical practice for the rest of the day. She returned later that evening with a container of fish broth with vegetables she'd procured for him at the local market and ladeled it out into a shallow bowl, which she brought to his bedside along with a spoon and a fresh container of water on a lap table.
"You look a little dehydrated," she commented upon seeing him. "You're not drinking enough. Here, sip on this. The minerals from the ocean and the nutrients from the vegetables will help."
Though a vegetarian, Stef didn't argue with her regarding the offered broth. He had learned some time ago that sometimes he just needed to ear what was available. "Thank you," he murmured, obediently eating the broth even though he still didn't like the taste or texture of fish.
A day later, Svara blotted Stef's forehead and neck with the cool, damp cloth and aroused him from what seemed like an uneasy sleep. He was warm, which somehow assured her that the illness was running its typical course. She smiled down like an angel upon his ill, frail-looking face. "Good morning," she said softly as the sun streamed in behind her. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?" She didn't want the conversation to be about how he felt, she already knew it wasn't well, so she purposely steered clear of that. "Who's Beata?" She asked, almost sounding amused as she rung out the cloth in a large bowl of water.
A look of pain crossed his face at the mention of her name. "Beata is..." He shook his head, correcting himself, "..was my girlfriend on the Majestic. We were only just dating when I was left behind." The cool water was welcome as he felt like he was burning up. By now he was unable to get up unassisted and there was no way he could even focus on his studies. "I had a picture on my PADD, but it does not work anymore." He smiled sadly as she hovered by his side. "As it has been two years, I doubt I will ever see her again. I am trying to move on."
She nodded understandingly even though she knew very little about his background or even, really, what the Majestic was. She knew her world was small compared to a lot of foreign visitors and she was okay with that limited scope. He would be on his way soon enough, just like so many others that passed through her town. Svara dabbed the rewetted cloth along his neckline and opened his tunic to wash his chest.
Stef closed his eyes, sighing softly. "I am not going anywhere," he clarified her unspoken thought. "They are not coming back, it has been two years since they left without me." His voice trailed off as he drifted off into sleep, exhaustion getting to him.
Feeling the sunlight fall onto his face, Stef worked himself up to a semi state of wakefulness. It took a few minutes before he became fully aware of his surroundings and noticed he felt not as weak as the prior days. As the sun was still very low in the sky, Stef assumed it was very early in the morning.
Struggling to sit up, he looked around his room then ventured out of bed to cross his living room towards the bedroom. A rabbit-like creature scooted away, while a little bird twittered softly as a greeting. He stopped short as he saw Svara lying curled up on his sofa, a soft blanked partly covering her, and partly having slipped off onto the floor. Feeling well enough to detour, he picked up the blanket and pulled it back up to cover her. Smiling, he ran his hand over her hair, watched her for a moment and then started to continue his slow trek to the bathroom.
Svara, a light sleeper and someone who rarely slept in past sunrise, lifted her head to see the Vulcan walking away. She made a soft sighing moan and pushed herself upright. It had been a late night the night before as she had kept vigil over the worst part of his illness. "Your fever broke last night," she said, "I hope it was alright that I stayed here..."
"Of course you are welcome to stay here," he told her, "I would not turn you away after you took care of me." He paused in the doorway, having heard her soft moan. "Are you alright?"
"Mmhm, yes," she nodded and smiled, glad that he was up and on his feet. She stood up herself and folded the blanket loosely into quarters. "You should take it easy for a few days. Get your strength up and then I can see you in the office maybe in a few days."
"Of course," the Vulcan replied. He disappeared into the bathroom for a couple of minutes before appearing in fresh clothes and damp hair. "I have no plans for any activities, but I do need to study." He paused. "Would..." He faltered, hesitating, clearly out of his element here. "Would you have dinner with me? Tonight? Or is that too soon?" His cheeks flushed. "As a thank you, for taking care of me."
"Oh," a shy rose color flushed Svara's cheeks a bit as she was caught offguard, "you don't have to do that," she said hesitantly, "but... if you want to and feel up to it, I would like that."
"I want to." There was no hesitation now, his face a picture of seriousness. "I will order food, I do not believe I have the energy to cook myself, but if you can be here after visiting hours?" He was visibly pleased with her acceptance.
She smiled warmly, clearly pleased as well, and played with a curl at the end of her long, sun-kissed brown hair. "Alright," she nodded, "that sounds nice. I can bring more fish stock. I know how much you liked that." She let go of her curl and touched his arm lightly, casually, as she threw him something of a toying smile and then headed toward the door.
Watching her go, Stef started to say something, then stopped himself, not wanting to hurt her feelings. "Sounds lovely," he lied, "I will see you tonight." As she left, he curled up on the couch with one of his books. One of the free roaming birds landed on his shoulder, tweeting softly. Stef smiled. "Soon," he told the bird, "it is not yet feeding time."
Svara
Local resident
pnpc Murphy
Stef
Stranded Vulcan
pnpc Lhaes
