Surgical Reunion

Posted on 15 Mar 2017 @ 2:27pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

3,119 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Episode 14 - Statecraft
Location: IKS DuJa'Q - Deck 9, Sickbay
Timeline: MD 02 - 1815 hrs

[ON]

The door to DuJa'Q's small sickbay parted for Lirha when she approached. Adorned in her colorful warrior's uniform, which contained traces of Orion ornaments, her appearance was about as unorthodox as it could get for an active duty Starfleet officer. Over the past few days, she'd found herself slowly acclimating to the lifestyle aboard the Klingon battle cruiser. Such luxuries as holodecks and arboretums were a distant thought to her now, for no type of amenities existed on ships designed purely for war.

As it so happened, this was also her first time setting foot inside the vessel's infirmary. For a starship as big as a Constitution-class, its sickbay was roughly about the same size as Galileo's, which was in essence, tiny. Not that she'd expected much different, honestly -- Klingons didn't place much emphasis on medical treatment. To die in battle was the ultimate goal of every warrior that served aboard their starships which meant the presence of large recovery and surgical facilities was counter-intuitive to the doctrines and philosophies of the Empire.

Lirha stepped forward while taking in the sight of two small biobeds and the myriad of red and orange computer terminals lining the walls. She looked around, searching for a familiar face and an opportunity to take care of her needs.

Allyndra was all but napping on one of the beds. She had not realized until the ship was in motion and the routine had caught up how much she had not rested. Everything from trying to hold a crew together, meld a new one, fight even if politely with the administrators of the colony, plan subterfuge and still patch people up, how that had taken more hours then she cared to handle. So when the sickbay doors opened she did not even get up.

"Yes, what can I help you with?" The voice was tired and she held her eyes closed for one or two more blessed seconds.

"Doctor Warraquim," replied Saalm after hearing the familiar voice of the Akkadian. It seemed like months since she'd last seen the woman, and it was a pleasant experience to speak to her again. "I hope I am not interrupting."

There was that voice again and this time clearer. She knew that voice and sat bolt upright as her eyes flew open. She turned and looked regarding the apparition before her. "We do not believe in ghosts, nor do you appear quite as some cultures suggest. That leaves perhaps a clone or other sort of doppelganger! Either that or my mind has finally snapped after all that has happened and I am relieving myself of duty immediately!" Allyndra then made shooing motions with her hands. "Away figment of my imagination!"

Lirha held a hand out to try and calm the doctor. The woman's apprehension was justifiable, and she wanted to approach her carefully after seeing her reaction. "Doctor, it is me. I promise..." she said, stepping forward slowly.

Allyndra slid off the bed still eying the apparition. "I was informed that you were killed with the explosion of the computer core and the administration of the colony said I was the senior most surviving officer of the Galileo. Either they lied or there is something else going on. Let us say for now that I accept you are not a clone, a hologram, a shape shifter or something else and you are exactly are who you say you are, what happened?" Allyndra slowly reached for a medical tricorder as well.

"I understand your skepticism. I know it must be...difficult to see me again," Saalm began. Her story of survival was of the most improbable nature and it would be hard for many of the crew to immediately understand or come to terms with. "Commander Medara and General Ko'raH were no doubt the ones who concealed my presence. In part, because I instructed them to," she revealed. "After ordering the crew to abandon ship on Galileo, Ensign Alexander and I stayed behind to oversee the execution of the self-destruct sequence. At the last second, one of the general's Birds-of-Prey acquired a transporter lock and attempted to beam both of us off the ship. I...managed to make it. But the ensign did not," she said solemnly, her eyes drifting to the bare metallic floor of the medical bay.

"I was badly injured when I arrived on the general's vessel and was put into a medically-induced coma until I could be ferried to Kreanus. I don't remember any of the journey, only that I woke up in a rehabilitation room with Sub-commander S'anara watching over me," Lirha continued. "She explained my situation to me and that of Galileo's crew. She provided me with the casualty reports, surviving personnel records, and frequent updates on the crew's health. It was a relief to know the crew was alive, and while I asked to rejoin them, the Romulan administrators had...other plans for me."

Lirha cleared her throat and clasped her hands casually behind her back. "I was made aware of the predicament Kreanus was facing involving the Klingon incursions. It was much earlier than either you or the other commander. Ban, I believe? Medara and I talked at length and with S'anara's input, they appealed for my assistance." It was difficult to describe her internal thought processes during the days-long exchanges with the two Romulans, or specifically why she'd ultimately agreed to assist them. "I was...hesitant and uncooperative at first. To assist Ko'raH in any capacity after what he had done to myself and our crew seemed unconscionable. But I was still a Starfleet officer -- an admiral and a member of the Federation's flag staff -- and I had a sworn duty to help them. If not solely for their benefit, then for the safety of the Federation and it's relations with the Klingon Empire. It was also the only chance I could think of for us to be reunited as a crew and return to Earth."

She sighed and unclasped her hands, then spread them in front of Warraquim. "And so...I agreed to help them and command this battle cruiser on our journey. I would not trust anyone else to lead such a mission."

Allyndra looked down at the tricorder as Lirha spoke. It indicated readings consistent with what she remembered, readings that would be difficult but not impossible to duplicate. The one thing she did note was that the admiral was no longer pregnant. Indications were that there had been damage in that area and either the administrators or her own body had spontaneously aborted the fetus. If nothing else, that alone would be devastating. She knew the pain of not having any Katareth return. She put the tricorder down and then stepped forward holding out her arms.

"I am so glad to see you and so sorry for your loss," Allyndra said with heartfelt emotion tingling her own voice. She took another step and brought the Orion into an embrace.

Lirha returned the hug albeit solemnly after the mention of her lost children. The emotional struggle she'd been through over the past several weeks had forced her to partition her feelings of anger and pain in favor of the mission at hand. But occasionally, her makeshift barrier broke down and those painful feelings overwhelmed her. "It is good to see you as well," she said in return. "I have not fully healed from my wounds despite the many weeks. Kreanus' medical technology is...lacking. Can you help me?"

Allyndra let go and smiled. "Physically maybe, though Klingons prefer to die in battle, if they can not they want to be ready for the next 'good day to die' so the medical equipment is quite good. As to the mental portion, I have not done counseling for quite some time. I know the pain personally, but come let us have a look."

Moving over to the nearest biobed, Lirha reached down and began to remove her warrior's sash. She placed it at the head of the bed to reveal her skimpily clad torso, then undid her belt's ceremonial buckle in order to slip her leather pants down to her knees. She presented herself to the doctor for examination and solemnly displayed the large surgical scar, which ran from the middle of her abdomen, across her outer hip, and down the first six inches of her outer thigh.

"Commander Medara informed me of my injuries. When they found me, I had severe internal ruptures and bleeding that necessitated removal of my...fetuses. My hip was fractured in multiple places along with my femur. The Kreanus doctors tended to me but there is still much pain. I fear the wounds have not been fully repaired."

Allyndra made a cursory examination and shook her head. "I do a better job on a pet then they did on you. Still I do not think things have gotten too far that we cannot do better. This might take a bit of time though, like several hours, do you have it to spare?"

The Orion nodded with a sense of relief. "Of course. Unless I am interrupting your work with another patient?" She looked around the sickbay but didn't see another soul present.

Allyndra made that musical chuckle. "All of my patients.......all well look there are none, so I guess I have you for a little bit longer. Let's get you prepared and settled on a bed. You realize I am going to have to give you a bit of sedative just to take your mind off things. I do not have to put you under since I can do this with spinal block."

Lirha began to eye the doctor apprehensively once the mention of sedatives came into the picture. She'd been doped up on some sort of Romulan cocktail for the majority of the first week she'd been on Kreanus. The thought of returning to that hazy and distorted version of reality was not comforting. She shook her head then said, "I would prefer to not be sedated. I have duties to attend to and I must keep my mind clear." Lirha did hop up on the biobed, though, albeit somewhat gingerly with a wince. "Will I need surgery?" she then asked.

"I can do some things to help but to fully correct is going to require more extensive work. I understand your point of view...admiral, general? I am not sure which it is anymore."

"General. For now," Saalm answered. "I apologize for the adoption of the title but it's necessary to give the semblance of authority among the Klingon members of our crew," she tried to explain. "But when we are in private...such as now, you may simply call me 'captain'," she added. Lirha still wondered what medical procedures were in store for her but trusted Warraquim to do what was necessary. "Once you have tended to me, perhaps it will be best to synthesize a pheromone suppressant as well."

Allyndra laughed lightly, "Oh forgive me captain, but seeing a bunch of Klingon warriors go at each other sounds like a good spectacle. However, it will not accomplish the mission so of course. Now then, I will not be able to do much without the sedation but it should keep things from getting worse."

Lirha narrowed her eyes and gave Warraquim a steely-green look. "Doctor, I have been through more physical and mental pain in the past three weeks than most have endured in their lifetimes. Whatever you need to do to mend me, do it and do not worry about my comfort. That is an order." She was well beyond that stage, and while she appreciated Warraquim's concern for her comfort, if the dingy biobeds of a Klingon battlecruiser were to be her surgical ward, then so be it.

Allyndra shook her head, not so much in disagreement but in that she was not going to subject the admiral to more then needed no matter what she said. She was pretty sure she could get a good deal done without too much discomfort but long term was something that would require more work.

"Very well, let's get you back in fighting form and without sending Klingon warriors into a fit of mating lust as well." She said the later with a light tone hoping to reset the mood lighter.

Laying down on her back to submit to whatever procedures needed to be performed, Lirha tried her best to let out a breath and calm her nerves. The session wouldn't be pleasant and there would be a good deal of physical pain, but it hopefully wouldn't be anything she couldn't manage in small doses.

Allyndra got started. The admiral had changed but then nearly dying and loosing one's babies would change anyone. Time it was said was the healer of all things but some things still could pick things open quite easily.

As she worked she thought about her own losses and how they had faded over time and she began to sing lightly. She sang in Akkadian about how the Twins showed the gods that love overcame all adversity.

There was little in the way of breaks in between the pain Lirha was currently experiencing. Every now and again Warraquim would shift her surgical focus to a slightly different area of her lower body which brought with it new and uncomfortable sensations. The singing was a welcome break to help take her mind off things. "You have a lovely voice, doctor," Saalm commented in between gritted teeth.

"Thank you, but I am only average. You should hear some of the trained singers. Well ad...general, I think we are done here for as much as I can do. Hopefully there will be less pain."

Lirha's entire abdomen and upper legs now throbbed as the nerves beneath her skin adjusted to the procedures that'd been performed on her. Gingerly, she raised her head to look down at herself and noticed the deep scar she'd received was no longer present. The Orion let out a groan of pain when she tried to sit up, then collapsed back down to catch her breath. Maybe an analgesic would have been a good idea, in hindsight.

"Easy, easy, not so fast. I could still give you something if you wish." Allyndra helped the general to sit. "You have never experienced the Blood Kiss have you?"

"..Blood kiss..?" Saalm wondered out loud. She couldn't think of any sort of medical procedure by the same name so she shook her head lightly to indicate her lack of familiarity with it. "I don't believe so."

Allyndra smiled, and then flashed those sharp inner teeth for a second. "There are components in the bite that provide....let's just say a soothing effect. It does not dull the senses and in fact enhances certain ones while dulling pain."

Lirha took sight of the Akkadian's teeth and a shiver ran through her spine. She couldn't quite remember how, but now that Warraquim had explained it, she thought she might have been familiar with the method and its effects. She tried to think back but had trouble recalling.

"I suppose," she swallowed, "if you think it will help alleviate the pain."

"Oh I know so..." Allyndra replied looking into those beautiful green eyes. She then took Lirha's hand and turned it to expose the wrist and then with a kiss like one would give a lover she made the bite. She was easy, delicate even and knew that the sting would only last a moment. The tiny taste of the bit of blood was exotic. There was richness, fullness to it with to her palette sweet undertone touches. She could drink this forever, but she would not, just the tiny taste. Still her hearts beat faster and she could feel an erotic sensation spread.

It felt strange at first to Saalm; a light pinch on the inside of her wrist, which seemed to quickly subside. She could feel Warraquim's lips on her skin that was soon accompanied by a very pleasant and warm wave of euphoria that started to wash over her. When the doctor sucked gently on the tiny wound, Lirha let out a contented sigh and closed her eyes, her body suddenly becoming relaxed and numb to the pain that she'd felt mere seconds ago.

Allyndra wanted to continue, the taste was exotic but a little voice someplace inside told her that it was best to stop. She let go, reluctantly. She took several deep breaths. "A most interesting feeling. You Orions are exotic in more than looks."

"I've been told that same thing for much of my life," Lirha casually said. Aside from the obvious green skin, her species and society was notably different from that of the other major races in the quadrants. Most of it was probably attributed to the lack of familiarity with her kind, for Orions didn't often settle on non-Orion colonies.

Now that the pain had subsided, the general felt much more comfortable and slowly sat up to dangle her feet over the side of the biobed until they touched the floor. She felt slightly refreshed and strangely tranquil which was both surprising and calming. "Perhaps you should synthesize some of your body's compounds to use as an analgesic," she suggested somewhat light-heartedly.

"I suppose but then I never get to be close to others. I am glad you are feeling better general." Allyndra gave a slightly amused look. "Given enough though it can induce erotic and while I would not mind kissing you perhaps this is not the best time nor on this ship."

"Perhaps when we return the Federation and our court martial have concluded...then we will have plenty of time to indulge each other," the general winked. That was, of course, if they ever managed to get home and weren't first killed or sent to a penal colony by the Klingon Empire. Lirha got back to her feet and stretched slightly, feeling the strange sensation of post-surgery tightness but without the pain. She felt better but it would no doubt be some time before she was fully recovered. "I should leave and tend to my other duties, now. I'll return in a day or two for another," she added, giving the Akkadian a nod of thanks before departing the sickbay.

“Very good general, try to rest when you can.” Allyndra nodded. The formality having come back between them again.

[OFF]

--

GEN Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
IKS DuJa'Q

Cmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical and Second Officer
IKS Duja’Q

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