Open Heart Surgery (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 09 Jul 2014 @ 2:11am by Commander Andreus Kohl & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

1,670 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD 05 - 2345 hours

[ON]

Rather intently, Kohl was staring at the LCARS display; starting into it, one might think. Earlier into his half-shift, he had raised the display up to his eye-line from where he sat behind the desk of the Chief Medical Officer. His black and grey uniform jacket was hanging on the back of his chair, and there were two separate mugs of tea -- both gone cold -- littering the desk itself. Kohl was staring at the LCARS display with such intensity, that the slightest noise at the entryway to the office caused him to jump in his seat and breath out a startled gasp.

Gamma shift, it was actually that quiet time on the ship. Oh, there was crew and things still went along but it tended to be minimally staffed. Her shift had started a little while ago but Allyndra had slipped back to her quarters for a moment to grab that book she was translating. She had thought to work on her research but she just could not quite find the focus and needed to pass the time.

Entering sickbay, her eyes caught a movement in the office and then as she focused further noted a figure she had not seen in a little bit. "What brings you here so late?"
she asked and moved toward the office.

"Doing my part to support Beta shift, of course," Kohl replied. He affected a faux-cheeriness, given his bleary-eyed and startled welcome to Allyndra. "I suppose I haven't stayed for a shift hand-off in a while..." Kohl's shifts in Sickbay these days were largely volunteer, and largely at his own discretion, in order to balance them with his other responsibilities.

Allyndra did not have to look far to note that there was absolutely no one occupying any of the beds currently. "Hand off? I would say that it appears that there is little to keep you doing notes so late." She thought a moment and realized that sounded harsh.

Taking a different approach, "I must say it is quite nice to have you filling in again. So is there anything I need to be aware of from your shift?" Allyndra suspected that Kohl was here for something other than filling in patient notes but if he wanted to talk he would and if he did not she would not pry.

Kohl squinted at Allyndra, and then he looked down at the desktop. His gaze bounced from side to side, as if he were looking for a PADD, but there were no PADDs on the desk. Even on the LCARS panel, there were only notes and tricorder readings from a single patient and Kohl had been ensuring they were retained in the patient's medical records. As he fumbled around, searching for an answer, Kohl could only say, "Uhhhhhh..."

He cleared his throat, and then he leveled his gaze on Allyndra. He met her eyes, and there were expressions of guilt and relief behind his sapphire eyes. "No," Kohl said, and he chuckled a couple of "heh"s. "I really don't have anything to report."

There was from his reaction obviously something that he had been working on but Allyndra played diplomatic and ignored the rather obvious attempt at subterfuge.
"That is good. Some research then? Anything you care to share?"

"No, not really. It's been classically routine tonight," Kohl replied. At first, he sounded pleased with himself, pleased with that kind of night, but then his smile turned wan. That didn't really explain why he had stayed until the very end of the shift. To fill the space between them, he said, "A couple of engineers with scrapes, and a preventive check-up."

"Very well, continue, I am going to the lab," Allyndra nodded her head in the direction of the small medical lab just beyound the office. "Take all the time you need and if there is anything you know where I am."

For thirty seconds, it seemed as if Kohl was going to out-bluff her. He chewed on his lower lip and Allyndra moved towards the door. And then he blinked. "How did your away mission go today?" Kohl asked.

"Not as well as I had hoped. At lot of odd readings, some heard voices," Allyndra did not mention the odd figure that resembled her long dead husband. She laughed suddenly, "all as elusive as bunch of tribbels. How about yours?" She thought it only polite to ask.

"It was like the mine was trying to murder us all," Kohl replied. Despite the hyperbole of his words, his tone was even, almost thoughtful. "My phaser overloaded and our tricorders gave out. We didn't have any sensors by the time we found the bodies..."

"Bodies?" Allyndra's attention was focused hard now. "I did not hear of any bodies. Why was I not informed?" She knew that though she was on a different team, such a discovery should have given her notice and autopsies performed.

"We couldn't bring them out with us," Kohl said, and there was an awful lot of guilt in his tone. On Argelius, one certainly didn't leave remains of people scattered in a cave. He met Allyndra's eyes. "Our equipment was failing, bit by bit. Lieutenant Stace ordered us out."

Allyndra was at first upset but then she nodded. They had had their own equipment problems. Finally she nodded, "Understood, it is an interesting phenomenon perhaps instead of reading I should be turning my mind to all that has happened. "

Allyndra paused and then walked over to Kohl to lay a slim fingered hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry to hear. I am sure that the best that could be done you did. I have seen your mettle and work and would not question your ability or work."

"That's the thing. That's how upside-down I am right now," Kohl said. It came out like an entreat, even though he hadn't explicitly asked for anything. He looked up at Allyndra, and he said, "Once we were faced with death and disaster, I felt relief. I was scared for my own safety, obviously, but I was relieved all the same. It's all of the other away missions that have been giving me an ulcer."

Allyndra set her book down and pulled a seat. This was interesting and it was obvious that Andreus needed someone to talk to. "I think it is what we trained for and what drew us...Andreus." She used his first name. She knew it was her rule here but that was duty not something more personal.

"I think we are drawn to that, to somehow fight against death in our own way and it is what brings us alive. I know I lost my purpose, my focus, my reason for living when my husband died. It finally took going off world and learning something new but then that is me. What are these other worries my friend?" Allyndra put a hand out.

"It's this mission," Kohl said. The tension was becoming apparent in his facial features. He clasped his own hands over the hand Allyndra outstretched across the desk. "Terraforming is a light-year outside my experience. When we were in transit, I had an opportunity to be a leader, even a researcher, and it felt gratifying. I was excited about my new career. But now I'm supposed to be studying rocks and soil, and I don't know what I'm doing."

The hand was surprisingly soft and warm and she just let the simple sensation savour in her mind for a moment before answering.

Allyndra nodded. She was different, she was always frightened by how easy sometimes things came to her. That left over from long ago still lingered in the genes. "That I can understand, something that is new and with little knowledge. However, I am sure you will understand. Perhaps," Allyndra pursed her lips a moment as she thought, "approach it as though your rock and soil, was a patient with a disease. At least perhaps that might help you focus on what is needed."

"I worry about that, though. The entire approach is fundamentally different than what I know," Kohl said. He frowned in concern, but then he let that feeling pass. "In medicine, we're trained to act. We treat the patient with a disease. But in pure science, it's far preferred if I don't interact with the subject of my study. Attempt to understand what the subject is like without the interference of our own intervention. We look for the most non-invasive methods of observation, because even observation itself can change a subject."

"But you are also trained to diagnose as well. You have a patient presented with which you are going to have to figure out what the underlying cause or disease is with symptoms presented. Tests then performed and then act. Your rock and soil present something to you, you are not exactly what it is telling you so you then test and see what those tests tell you. Anyway, I must say I do envy you a bit as to all the fascinating areas that you will get to study and learn. You will do well."

"Allyndra..." Kohl started to say in response, but he trailed off. He had wanted to speak, but he was overwhelmed by a wave of calm. Even more so, he was surprised by the sparkly feeling inside of him. Sounding in awe, he said, "You truly are a creature of beauty."

Allyndra was surprised at the statement and it showed on her face. It took a moment or two to get her composure. "Perhaps I should do a medical scan? You appear to be having a hallucination." The words sounded scientific but the tone belied both a bit of humour and a bit of nervousness at the same time.


[OFF]

To Be Continued...


Lieutenant Andreus Kohl
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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