Encounters

Posted on Mon Aug 12th, 2019 @ 3:47am by Lieutenant Sandra Adamson
Edited on on Mon Aug 12th, 2019 @ 9:15am

Mission: For Whom The Bell Tolls
Location: Deck 6
Timeline: MD06, 1200
1985 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

The interior lighting cast a cold glow over the corridor just outside the planning room for strategic operations. Foot traffic was higher than usual due to the proximity of lunch. Nearby, a few scientists peered into the upper levels of the arboretum, studying the upper canopy of the taller trees growing within. People darted in and out of their quarters, joining in on the cacophony of noise that was heard everyday on a living, breathing starship.

The rhythmic sound of boots on deck plating marched its way down the corridor as Asher made his way towards the planning room. Working in close liaison with the strategic operations officer in control of the sector, it was his job to ensure that those with the bigger picture in mind knew exactly where, when, and what the Majestic would be doing.

Imperceptible to most, a slight interruption in the environmental lighting caught Asher's attention just long enough to distract him as he approached a corner in the corridor.

Stef was slowly traversing the corridor. Left hand hanging loosely at his side, his hand still wrapped tight in a bandage, he was carrying a medium size pot confined between his chest and his right arm. The pot contained a big-leafed plant which he was supposed to deliver to the planning room. Why he was ferrying plants was beyond him, but since he'd been in the arboretum at the time, it gave him a slightly welcome distraction.

"Are you alright?" Asher looked down as his attention was snapped back to his immediate vicinity by an impact with something. His reflexes were fast, but not fast enough to save to the pot from falling to the ground. "Here, allow me to help," he said, extending an arm to help the young Vulcan.

The Vulcan grimaced as he was knocked back, the pot falling from his grasp as he flailed his arms to keep his balance. He failed and fell back onto the deck, trying to catch himself as he fell. He cried out as he felt something snap in his right arm, a jolt carrying up to his shoulder, the pain all but nauseating him. "No," he managed, not quite sure how to accept the hand up with an injured left hand, and a possible even worse injury on his right. "I cannot get up," he added slowly, his voice laced with pain.

"Lie still," the Bajoran ops officer stated as he produced a tricorder and began to scan. The initial readings indicated a few different ailments, ranging back in time up to two days prior. "Odd. I was barely knocked you off balance and yet you have a broken arm and quite possibly some tearing in your right rotator cuff. Never mind that, would you like me to escort you to sickbay?"

Gritting his teeth, Stef nodded. "That might not be such a bad idea," he said through still gritted teeth. His eyes betrayed the level of pain he was in, and that he lacked the ability to properly control it. "Can you help me up please? I should be able to walk."

"I am not certain this is wise, young Vulcan. Site to site transportation may be..."

"No...I wish to walk, it will be a distraction to my pain and will give me a chance to try and control it," Stef objected firmly.

"As you wish," Asher took no offense to the outburst. If anything, he was sympathetic - the level of pain was plain to see. "I will return for your potted friend after we see to your safety. Now prepare yourself," he bent down and assessed the best way to assist a man with injuries to both upper limbs. "I am going to help you using the good part of your left arm. On a count of three. One, two, three!"

Stef nodded, bracing his feet as he was yanked up by his left arm. He cried out, leaning heavily against the man once he was up on his feet. His left shoulder however was showing an odd protrusion and his eyes were watering. "Perhaps..." he breathed, "perhaps transportation is wiser after all..."

An alarmed look spread across Asher's weathered features, indicative of the fact that something was out of the ordinary to him. The amount of force he had used would've been appropriate even if it had been a small child he was helping, let alone an adult. It was as curiosity to be investigated later. The concern was evident in his voice as he tapped his commbadge.

=^=Ensign Trenin to transporter chief, two for site to site transport immediately to sickbay. Inform medical we have a serious injury.=^=

A few seconds passed before the familiar pull of the transporter yanked them through time and space. As his vision stabilized, Asher searched around for assistance as he gingerly supported Stef's weight.

"Doctor, nurse, anyone?"

Sekat noticed the arrivals but wasn't quick enough on his feet to get to them in a hurry. "Sandra!" he called out, moving to clear a bed instead. "I need your help!" He gestured towards the Bajoran supporting the barely conscious Vulcan youth. "Put him on here."

"Yes doctor," Asher moved to comply, "though I will warn you, I suggest we move at a slow pace. I will explain further when we have more time, but any amount of force seems to aggravate the young man's injuries," he explained to them as he slowly inched forward. "Any amount of force," he restated for emphasis.

As the Bajoran approached with his charge, Sekat moved to a more strategic position beside the bed to help lift the young man onto the bed. "So I see," he said as he examined the clearly visible protrusions on the youngster's arms. "What happened?" he asked as they eased him onto the bed.

Stef stirred, his face draining of all colour as they tried to make him comfortable "Alecx..." he breathed, coughing slightly before losing consciousness altogether, his breathing shallowing.

Sandy heard Sekat calling for her. She immediately came out with a tricorder. She then saw Stef. She hurried to the bed and started to scan. "This isn't good," She exclaimed, "what happened? I am reading multiple fractures." She looked to Sekat. "We have to stabilize him before the fractures spread out." She turned on the bed monitor and got his stats on the screen. She started to get medical tools and then helped Sekat stabilize Stef. "You need to give him something against the pain." Meanwhile she went over his bone structure and his x-ray imaging to construct a treatment for him.

Sekat nodded as he pressed a hypospray against the boy's throat, noticing the instant formation of a bruise. "Ensign, what were you doing when you encountered him? What sort of condition was he in?"

Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Asher reconstructed the events as accurately as possible in his mind before speaking. "Doctors," he began, "I was walking towards the planning room on deck six when I noticed the lights flicker for just a moment. That distracted me for a split second, just long enough to me to bump into the young Vulcan there. I assure you that there was no great impact, just two people running into each other.

"The young crewman already had an arm in a sling," he continued after taking a moment. "He was carrying a potted plant with his other arm when we collided. He was knocked to the floor as a result, and that's when my scans showed the injury to his right arm. Despite my initial protest, he insisted on attempting to walk to sickbay. I tried to help him up, but alas, my assistance seems to have only further harmed him and for this, I am truly sorry," the Bajoran hung his head. "For your records doctor, I am Ensign Trenin Asher."

"Thank you for the explanation, ensign," Sandy said as she noticed the bruise on Stef's throat. "She looked to his stats again. "He is bleeding internally, one of the fractures has pushed out, it is damaging his insides." She looked around. "Nurse! Prep the surgery room now." She looked to his stats. "Never mind, moving him would be disastrous for him." She showed her findings to Sekat. "Stef's bone structure seems to be decaying, I am uncertain why. We have to treat him while we got him stable. I have to fix these fractures and stop the bleeding. Can you assist me?" She looked to Sekat.

Sekat nodded. "I will prepare." He looked to the Bajoran. "Can you assist me in preparation? I will require assistance back to this bed as my cane will not be allowed within the surgical field." Usually he would ask a nurse but since the man was here already, and probably would refuse to leave until after surgery, Sekat reasoned he could use the distraction. "I am certain Crewman Stef will be fine."

"Of course doctor, I am happy to help in any way I can," Asher nodded. He followed the younger man as he prepared for surgery. The frantic pace didn't ease his building sense of trepidation, but being given a task certainly helped, even if it was simply a distraction.

Sekat looked up at Sandy. "Someone should alert Miss Lauryl... and send someone to look after his child."

Sandy just looked at Stef as she said, "Send nurse Patterson for miss Lauryl, I am sure miss Lauryl can take care of the child. If she can't, have the child brought to Tarria. This is going to be a delicate operation. We will need to focus on it. We will need a full operation staff and inform security and the bridge no one is to enter sickbay. Nurse Patterson can set up a temporary sickbay in one of the medlabs for the urgent cases with one of the other doctors on duties. I am going to scrub in, keep the patient stable."

Sekat turned to the Bajoran who was assisting him. "You inform security and the bridge," he suggested, "I am needed here." He stepped through the sterile field once he was properly dressed up and moved to the patient's side. "The EMH can see to other urgent cases," he told Sandy, "our priority is with him. And I am not sure we can even operate, because a mere touch may cause further injury."

"I know," Sandy said as she walked back in to the sterile field as she was fully scrubbed in. "But I have to stop the internal bleeding or else he is going to die." She looked at the operation tools on the trey next to the bed and she sighed. She never had a case like this. She looked to the monitor as the rest of the operation team walked in.

"Understood doctor," Asher nodded, his pace hurried by the gravity of the situation. He turned and gave one last glance before disappearing around the corner.

"Right," Sandy started, "This is how we are going to do it. Doctor Sekat will assist me at the bed. You all will do exactly as I say. We can't afford any mistakes. I want eyes on the monitors at all times." She looked to her team. She took up one of the tools. She looked to Sekat. Her eyes were looking intensely. At this moment she was a doctor. This was what she worked hard to do. "Computer, lights, temperature." The lights dimmed a little as the room temperature cooled down. But she wasn't shaking. The tool in her hand was steady and stable as she just nodded to Sekat.

She then turned to Stef again to start the operation.

::TBC::

Lieutenant Sandra Adamson
CMO, USS Majestic

Lieutenant j.g. Sekat
medical officer
pnpc Lhaes

Crewman Apprentice Stef
yeoman/animal caretaker
pnpc Lhaes

Ensign Trenin Asher
Strategic Operations Officer
pnpc Sullivan