Scrap Metal

Posted on 23 Feb 2015 @ 12:27am by Petty Officer 3rd Class Vermeer Talbot & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Alexion Wylde

1,400 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD -26, 06:50 hours

ON:

Vermeer sighed as he rolled his shoulders, rubbing his face. He was tired. He was actually tired. Lack of sleep. He kept himself busy when he couldn't sleep though, with his tinkering. He ran a hand over the back of his neck, brushing against the hardness there...a little souvenir from when he came here the first time. As a Borg.

And this was of course a check up on all that. He still had bits and pieces left in him and it was good to make sure they weren't malfunctioning. Because no one wanted that. Just in general...to make sure nothing was killing him. He smiled when he entered sickbay, spotting Wylde...who had helped him so much the first time around. "Doctor Wylde..."

Alexion looked across to him, setting the PADD down as he moved to him with a slight grin. Vermeer had spark and cheek. He kind of liked it. "Talbot....how have you been? It has been a little while...."

"I know, it's entirely my bad...just been distracted," Vermeer chuckled, moving to his side. "I've been doing alright. What about you though? Patched any machine men up recently?"

Alexion shook his head with a small smile, letting out a soft breath. "So I have plenty of time to take a look at you, come on," he motioned for him to join him at the far biobed. "How have you been feeling?" he asked, meaning it in the physical sense. He had done his best when removing the borg implants from the young man, but there had been a few pieces he had decided to keep as they were, at least until Vermeer was physically fitter to get through the more complex surgery. He would have to look again, to see if he was able to remove them or if they were safer remaining as they were.

"I'm..." Vermeer hesitated before smiling weakly. "I haven't been sleeping well." Which was true enough, his roomie's new baby had an impressive set of lungs. "Just that stuff. I'll be fine though, just...tired and grumpy with it. It's made my body ache around the implants."

"Well of course it has. You are human, you need your sleep," Alexion tsked at him, shaking his head with a clear frown of disapproval as he tapped the bed for him to lie down. "You heal in your sleep...if you do not sleep, you will not heal as well. Perhaps I should give you some sleeping hypos."

"Something strong so I can sleep through a crying baby," he said as he got on the biobed and eased down, frowning. "Just...feels like the walls are closing in a bit. Metaphorically speaking, I know walls don't close in..."

Alexion watched him with concern for a long moment before finally bringing the arch up for a thorough scan. "You need to look after yourself," he said firmly. "You know that you are not fully back to where you were before the borg assimilation."

"I know," Vermeer admitted, frowning as he closed his eyes. The headaches and blurred vision when he overstrained was a reminder of his brief time with the Borg. As a borg. "I just don't like thinking about it, you know? When I said I liked machines, I didn't say I wanted to become one!"

"I know," Alexion said quietly, frowning as he shook his head with a sigh. "No, I do not know, but I can imagine and dislike the thought," he gave a wry smile, tilting his head to him. "Right now, our priority is to keep you as fit as possible so your body can handle the implants we had to keep in you. I will write a recommendation that you are moved to...quieter quarters for your health's sake."

He looked at him with surprise, frowning at it. "And you...can do that?" he asked, the frown easing as he gave him a small smile. "I mean, I'll sleep anywhere. It feels like I can anyway. I am not picky."

"Well I cannot make it happen, but I can write a recommendation for a room change based on your medical needs," Alexion shrugged lightly. "It will either be granted or not. I can give you some sleeping meds to keep you going all the same, but we shouldn't rely on that for more than a few days, especially with your implants."

"I appreciate it," Vermeer said, with a small smile as he relaxed. "I mean, you know how it gets. A bit...wibbly wobbly and all that. I don't mind pills though, or hypos. Sleeping through the screaming would be dandy."

Alexion nodded with agreement, reaching to get one ready for him to take with him. "Use it before you want to sleep. Short term use only though," he said firmly, looking back to the scan results with a soft sigh. "Yes, I can see where the pain centres are for you. Let's get you some painkillers while you are here. You are recovering well from both the implants and the surgery, if that is reassuring? There are localised areas of discomfort where the remaining implants are. We can relook at whether it is possible to remove them via surgery if you like, but it is still too soon. And it would result in more...trauma for you. It is your decision."

Vermeer considered it for a moment before frowning, touching his own side as he considered it. "No," he finally said before shaking his head. "No, I don't think...I don't need..." he met his eyes and smiled weakly. "We can just leave them. I am happy to leave them."

"Happy might be a strong word, but I can understand that," Alexion replied, honestly. He'd been butchered enough to get the borg implants in the first place. Now that he was himself and starting to recover....why would he want to put himself through more. "Have you been to a counsellor?"

He met his eyes before rubbing his wrist to his hip, shrugging. "I've been busy..." he said before shaking his head weakly. "No. No, I...suppose I fell a bit through the cracks. On purpose."

"Shocking," Alexion replied with a deadpan voice, shaking his head lightly. "Go to one," he planted his hands on the side of the bed to lean close to him. "Do not think about it, do not question it, just go. Worst, you have lost an hour, best, you might feel better. You went through a trauma...not just your body, but your mind too. I can only treat this bit."

Vermeer nodded weakly, frowning as he met his eyes for a moment. "I...will think about it. I just don't want to be labelled as the 'insane' one...you know?" he asked Alexion.

"You wouldn't be," Alexion shook his head lightly, watching him with honest eyes. "They are used by most people at some time, whether they like it or not sometimes," he chuckled at that, a slight wink showing itself.

"Okay...I'll drop by, see what I can do," he said and chuckled softly, rubbing his own jaw for a moment. "But...I'm okay, right? Mostly a person and not a borg?"

Alexion nodded with a small smile at being able to say it with certainty. "A person. All you with just a bit of scrap metal left behind."

Vermeer laughed warmly at the words, nodding at how it sounded. "Scrap metal. I like that idea instead...better than being 'the one who got Borg-ified...'" He touched his arm, with a warm smile. "So...I am good to go then? More or less?"

"For now, yes," Alexion gripped his forearm to squeeze in return. "You will need to come back for check ups, and more sleeping medication in a week if you want it. I'll book you in and send a notification when you're due. No excuses that way," he said, but with a small, knowing smile pulling at his lips as he updated his medical file.

Vermeer nodded, holding his eyes at the words. "Good...I appreciate it. I really do. And I promise, no excuses. Book me in!" he grinned, watching him playfully. "Although I can't promise what state I will be in..."

OFF:

PO3 Vermeer Talbot
Engineer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Devin]

MWO Alexion Wylde
Doctor
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

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