This is Not Right

Posted on 23 Apr 2017 @ 6:24pm by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Ambassador Soral Varro & Petty Officer 1st Class Eviess

4,409 words; about a 22 minute read

Mission: Episode 14 - Statecraft
Location: IKS DuJa'Q - Eviess' Quarters/Medical Bay
Timeline: MD 07, 1426 hrs

[ON]

Varro looked on helplessly as Eviess slept. He checked on her one more time and then stepped outside. Varro tapped his com badge. "Varro to Sickbay."

Allyndra recognized the voice and replied, =^=Yes Ambassador, what is the problem? That injury of yours acting up?=^=

He sighed, "No. It's doctor Eviess. She's ill. At first I thought it was something like a cold. She has nausea and dizziness and has thrown up a few times. She has chills, is pale, sweaty, and now she has a fever. Something is very wrong. She cannot even keep water down. She refuses to come in. Will you come?"

Allyndra listened wondering what might be the matter. As soon as Varro finished she replied grabbing her medical kit =^=On my way ambassador=^=

"Thank you," Varro said.

She made her way trying to think what might have happened. The symptoms sounded like radiation poisoning. Well hopefully she could figure something when she got there. She arrived at the assigned quarters for the ambassador and rang the chime.

"It is Allyndra, sir" she announced.

Varro hit the button that would open the door. What Allyndra saw was a completely tired and pale Varro. He'd been taking care of Eviess all night. He looked disheveled and tired and worried. His Vulcan calm had flown the coup a long time ago. He all but pulled Allyndra along.

He lead her to the room where Eviess lay shaking in the grips of fever. "Please...help her." Varro said.

Eviess' eyes popped open. She looked at him. "I....I....I'm okay."

Varro made it to the bed in two huge steps. He sat down and took her hand. "Please Evie. Let her help you."

Eviess reluctantly gave a nod. Maybe Varro hadn't figured it out but she'd do anything for him. It was at that instant that she discovered how much she'd fallen in love with him, a man that could never love her. Tears formed and began to spill from her eyes.

Stricken with a sudden unexplainable form of panic. Varro reached for the handkerchief he always carried. "What hurts... Evie..."

She looked helplessly unable to say anything.

Varro turned to Allyndra and the words he spoke came out as a desperate plea, "Help her, please."

"I will do what I can but first off, what are the symptoms?" she asked either of them. She figured Eviess should know more. The question was left there as she fished in the medical kit. There was a tricorder of sorts but a lot of the output was in Klingon which she did not understand. The only saving grace was the levels of bodily functions were pretty much standard.

Eviess struggled to get the words out, "Nausea, chills, fever, vomiting, loss of fluid, I have not been able to drink water. I have...a rash. Lower back. I've had two blackout episodes where I woke up on the floor."

Varro looked horrified. "You didn't tell me that..." Something about what she'd just said, the symptoms, bothered him. It was like he knew there was something that was key there but his brain would not function. He tenderly held her hand. "What's wrong with her?" He asked Allyndra.

Eviess smiled. "He's so impatient for a Vulcan."

Allyndra manged to get the tricorder readings and interpret them. "All you say is correct as far as I can figure but there seems to be elevated levels of T-cells, neutrophils. It is if your body is fighting off an foreign object. " She did more scanning trying to pinpoint the reaction. "Here we go, there is some sort of something just below the skin on the back. Shallow....it appears to be an implant of some sort."

Varro's head snapped up at that. Of course! The rash and the implant. "Stay here. I will return quickly." Varro headed out the door. He had to find the General.

Eviess looked on after him and then turned to Allyndra. "He's making a fuss. I will recover. In fact I should just get up." She made an attempt to rise.

"No you are not going to recover, here take a look at this." Allyndra showed the results. "You know enough to recognize graft vs host disease. Not only does it affect the area but several major organs can receive long term damage."

"Yes but it can be removed. There is just added risk." Eviess said, her physician's mind kicking in.

"Yes there is. This thing is quite entangled with some spinal ganglions. Sorry doctor but surgery is indicated and the sooner the better." Allyndra showed the scan.

Eviess sighed, "I trust you Allyndra. I know you will do your best." She smiled weakly.

Allyndra heard the door open and turned to see the general. "She must be here for a reason."


Elsewhere on the ship

Varro made it down the hall and into the lift and up to the General's quarters in record time. He knew it was late but he rang the chime several times and pounded on the door.

"Yes, enter," came Saalm's reply from within her chambers. Sitting at her desk while reviewing a data stream of recent sensor logs and intelligence reports, the Orion general's attention was focused on the monitor in front of her. The banging on her door, however, didn't go unnoticed and forced her to look up from her current work.

Varro entered quickly. He found the General at her desk. Looking pale, disheveled and very un-Vulcan, Varro walked up to the General. He was out of breath, "I need your help. Bring that device you have, the implant is leaking...something's wrong. She could die."

Something looked astray when the diplomat stormed into her quarters. Varro's breath was labored and his skin didn't look right to the Orion. Everything about him reflected a sense of urgency, but when she listened to his words, she couldn't determine what the problem was. "Ambassador," she greeted. "Please, calm yourself. What is this about?" What implant? she thought to herself. Who was he referring to?

Varro took a shaky breath, "Evie...Doctor Eviess. Her implant, it's causing a reaction. We have to get it out."

Eviess...the Klingon medical officer? Lirha hadn't seen her in quite some time but knew she was aboard the DuJa'Q. Concern for one of her crew filled her thoughts. "What implant?" she then asked. "Have you taken her to the medical bay or contacted Commander Warraquim?"

"Warraquim is with her. The implant in the back like you removed from me." He said. "Please you have to remove it." Varro was getting desperate. He was just a breath away from throwing her over his shoulder and taking her to Eviess.

Lirha suddenly understood what Varro was trying to tell her. Somehow, it seemed, there was a complication with Medara's sub-dermal tracking implant and she her make-shift device she'd used on Varro two days ago was now in need of use. With a nod of understanding, she put her work on standby, stood from her chair, then reached into one of her desk's drawers to retrieve the instrument. "I will do my best. After you," she said, knowing he would lead her to sickbay as quickly as possible.

There was not much talk as they rode the lift. Varro in fact led her to Eviess' quarters. "She wouldn't go to sickbay." He said as he imputed the code to open the door. He led her to the room where Eviess looked more pale then a Cardassian. Varro knelt by the bed. "Evie..."

She opened her eyes. "You came back."

Varro gently pushed aside a lock of hair that had fallen over her face. "Of course I did. This is the General, she'll help. I need to turn you over." Gently he turned her to her side. He looked at Lirha. "Please help her."

Allyndra turned when the door whoosed open showing Varro and trailing in on his heels Lirha. She was not sure what the general might be doing here but that might become obvious later.

"I have given her some medication but the device needs to come out, like days ago".

Allyndra tapped the device wishing she could read the symbols displayed but again she could figure out roughly what they indicated. "I am getting a graft vs host indication but that is not all. The device seems to be very intertwined with the dorsal spinal root here and here. Cutting it out could result in paralysis."

Lirha looked at the ill Klingon with concern and stepped forward to inspect her. It was good to see Warraquim in the room and tending to Eviess -- she no doubt knew much more about what was happening than Saalm could deduce. "I believe it could be one of Medara's tracking implants," she explained, knowing that the she'd never revealed their presence to the doctor beforehand. Then she frowned when she realized she might be of limited use to the poor Klingon. "I can disable the implant with a narrowband EM pulse," she continued, shaking her head with uncertainty, "but I do not have any tool that can physically remove it."

Allyndra looked up, "Not sure that will solve the problem but might help with a bit of the problem. Go ahead and let me take a look at the results."

Unclipping her makeshift neurotransmitter device from her belt, Saalm waved the instrument briefly over the lower portion of the Klingon's spine. It took a bit longer than expected for her to detect and decode the transmission frequency, but finally she was able to acquire the signal. She tapped several commands into the display in order to re-modulate the EM field she was about to emit, then gave Eviess a brief warning of what was to come.

"Petty officer? I'm going to attempt to disable the transmitter that was implanted in you on Kreanus," the general began. "There will be some discomfort in the form of a mild shock." With that, she pressed a command into her device and sent a series of invisible pulses into the invasive Romulan technology.

Eviess cried out. If that was mild she would have hated to see a full shock. The pain and burning were unlike anything and being a doctor she knew it was from the way her body had enfolded the chip.

Eviess took the pain and shock better then Varro. He looked half way to passing out.

Minutes passed and Eviess managed a weak smile. "I'm okay."

Once Varro heard that he stepped outside. Things that he was feeling were illogical.

Eviess turned to Allyndra and Lirha. "Thank you both...I guess he next step is surgery."

"Yes, the problem is I am not sure about doing it on this ship. I will if need be. I can give you some immuno-suppressive drugs which will help until we have better facilities. Personally, I would feel better waiting but you are in the driver's seat."

Eviess thought about it. "Let's do the surgery."

"Very well," Allyndra replied neutrally. She turned to the Ambassador. "Sir, if I might prevail upon you to help her to sickbay?"

Varro had come back in just in time to hear Eviess ask for the surgery. He gave a nod to the doctor and before anyone could say anything he swept her into his arms and motioned for Lirha and Allyndra to go ahead.


Medical Bay

Allyndra begin to set up but said, "Ambassador if you would be so good as to set her face down. General," she was still not used to the title. "If you would be so kind I would like you to be present as well. This is technology I am unfamiliar with."

"Of course," replied Saalm. She stepped forward and placed her makeshift transmitter disruptor on the table to the side within reach should she need to use it again. "It's been a long time since I underwent my Academy medical training, but I will assist you in any way."

Varro gave a nod. "Just call me Varro Doctor."

Varro sat Eviess on the table. He felt a slight tremor in her body. He knew that being a doctor she knew what could go wrong. Again a helpless feeling washed over him. He shelved it for later examination.

"I'll be fine," She reassured not sure if she was trying to convince herself or Varro.

Varro gave a nod and helped her lay down. He held her gaze as Allyndra worked to put her under. When she was asleep Varro looked over at the Doctor. "What can I do to help?" He was never good for sitting around and somehow this time it would be worse. He had no clue if she would ask him to stay or banish him from the room so that she could work in peace.

"You can monitor her vitals," Allyndra replied. She tapped the monitor and showed him the current levels. "If you see this or this change drastically let me know. I am going to be too busy trying to untangle the nerve and the probe."

Varro raised an eyebrow. "Very well." He sounded calm but he was anything but calm on the inside.

She spared a glance at the general. "General, there is a crash cart there. If the patient stops breathing, or we have convulsions or heart failure get it please."

Looking over to the the medium-sized medical cart, the Orion general pulled it closer to her in order to examine the contents. Some of the various Klingon medical devices and instruments looked foreign to her, but many of them she could functionally deduce by comparing their shape and digital displays to that of Federation equipment. "I understand," she finally replied after a few seconds of re-familiarization.

Allyndra got started after verifying that Eviess was sufficiently under. She got the sterile field prepared and then made the first set of incisions going efficiently but slowly. Periodically she glanced at the board but mostly she depended on her ears to hear the changes and also Varro to let her know if things she had pointed out where changing. The general knew enough as well though if the device which she was slowly exposing had any surprises she needed the general for that.

Varro kept his eyes on the readings...for the most part. Every now and then they drifted towards Eviess and her face. The cauldron of emotions that was stirring in him was almost overwhelming and he was afraid to classify any of them. He wiped sweat off his brow and returned his eyes to the readings.

Smooth and steady for the moment. Part of him wanted to know what was being done, another part did not. "Doctor how is the procedure going?" He asked, his eyes still glued to the display.

"Slow, this thing was implanted with no concern about it removal." Allyndra knew he was concerned but the talk took her focus away. One had to gently disengage the probes wires entwined around the neural masses.

As she undid one bit, she could hear the beep beep beep suddenly speed up. "Readings please!" she asked without looking.

Varro's eyes widened. "The readings spiked and then dropped!" Varro tried to keep the panic out of his voice.

Allyndra made a face but continued. "Watch this next one," she admonished as she teased one convoluted connection out of place.

Varro was comforted when he saw the readings go back up. Not half a minute passed when her readings spiked again. His heart plummeted much like the readings on the screen. An erratic sounding alarm when off and the display showing her heart went wild. "Doctor! Her heart!" He didn't even try to keep the panic from his voice.

Looking from the monitor, back to Eviess, then to the panicked diplomat, Lirha quickly began to search in the cart for the one device she felt would be most pertinent. Heart problems usually meant the muscle tissue needed to be coaxed back into operation, and so she retrieved a small, dark brown pistol-like instrument from the cart and entered in a charge setting of four millijoules. "Cardiostimulator," she announced, holding it out for the doctor to take.

Allyndra shook her head. She needed to keep the surgical instruments in hand but just cleared the patient. "You must do it," she replied.

The pointed end of the cardiostimulator that contained the two separate electroprongs was promptly placed into the Klingon hybrid's back, just above where her eight-chambered heart would be. Lirha's hands were steady, but she nevertheless felt a flush of anxiety and nervousness that she was unaccustomed to. "Clear?" she asked, looking both to the doctor then the diplomat.

Allydnra nodded both to encourage the general but also that everyone was clear and that the paddles were in the correct position. She turned her attention to the monitor.

"Four millijoules...now!" Saalm said while pressing a button on the device to activate it. Surges of electostimuli surged through Eviess' body causing it to repeatedly twitch, then the pulses stopped.

There was the jump and then it seemed the heart steadied and she nodded, "Very good, let us get back to work." She spared another glance at Lirha, "I am going to recruit you for the medical department." She then started her work and told Varro, "Third graph over is blood pressure. Please watch that one closely."

A wave of relief washed through the Orion when she saw the cardiopulminary readings jump back to life on the red and orange Klingon monitor. She let out a quiet yet deep sigh of relief, then placed the cardiostimulator back on the cart. "My pheromones do have a calming effect..." she replied with an attempt at humor to lighten the mood.

Varro said nothing. Her pheromones might make people calm but it wasn't working for him. He was coiled and wound up. He looked over where Allyndra had said. "So far so good."

It was still slow work and so far nothing more had happened but as the last the entangled device came off the panel above begin to shift its measurements wildly. On the table Eviess began to shake violently and Allyndra dropped her instruments to restrain her.

"READINGS!" she shouted.

Varro was no doctor but he tried to describe what he was seeing. "Her heart seems okay....her breathing is a bit...unsteady." He said. "She's....Doctor!" Varro's own heart began to hammer. "She's not breathing. She has stopped breathing!" Just as he'd finished saying that the heart monitor screamed. "Her heart stopped!" Varro took two steps towards the bio bed.

"NO! NO! NO!" Allyndra shouted. She turned Eviess over and thumped her chest. "NO! You are getting away from us that easy! Lirha! On the cart find a hypo marked netinaline and administer now!" She switched from thumping to pressing on the chest to artificially massage the heart and try to keep some circulation going.

Staring wide-eyed at what was suddenly happening, Saalm tried her best to decipher the readings on the biobed's display. Despite being fluent in Klingon, however, her lack of advanced medical knowledge made her feel flustered and not in control -- a feeling she'd unaccustomed to as a commanding officer and Starfleet flag officer. "I..." she started to reply, her green eyes now darting across the cart for the instrument she'd been instructed to use. "...Have it," she quickly added, finding the unfamiliar-looking hypospray. She quickly retrieved it then checked the labeling to insure it was the correct one that contained Netinaline.

"Two CCs of Netinaline," the Orion called out to confirm while checking the preset dosage level. She pressed the tip of the hypo into the side of Eviess' neck. A soft hiss could be heard.

"Varro! Breath into her!"

She didn't have to tell him twice. He'd been CPR certified. He tilted her head slightly checked the airway and when he'd counted about 30 compressions from Allyndra he administered two breaths. With each breath he watched her lungs fill. "Come on..." Thirty more compressions, two more breaths, no response. Varro prayed inwardly to every force in the universe. One breath....two.... no response.

What was in essence just shy of a minute seemed as if it was an eternity to Varro. He was about to breath again when he heard Eviess gasp. He watched the readings and saw she was pulling in air. He'd never felt so much relief.

The monitor above began to beep and make sounds and Allyndra looked. She saw that while the beat was not quite as steady as she would like, things were appearing to settle into something more normal.

She nodded, "Good work you two. I am going to recruit you for ER medicine." She smiled. "Alright let us get her wound closed and keep an eye on her. Come help me shift her over so I can close and then we can wake her you."

She indicated to Varro to help her get Eviess turned over again and looked at Lirha. "I am going to need clean surgical instruments. That cabinet over there." She nodded with her chin. "They should be labeled, I need a neurological probe, tissue regenerator and dermal patch." They were all in Klingon which Allyndra could not read, but she knew what each was by sight. At least Lirha could read Klingon so it should not be too hard.

"Sterilize your hands, and glove first before handling," she admonished. "Varro keep an eye on those readings again please."

Varro did as he was told. He kept it together for Evie. It was for her. The sight of blood was already affecting him causing him to feel dizzy and nauseous. He helped Allyndra turn her to a position that was best for closing the wound.

Said surgical cabinet wasn't exactly a cabinet, but rather a series of compartments embedded into the bulkhead for the purpose of housing various devices. Lirha quickly walked over and inspected the Klingon glyphs that were displayed on the inventory data terminal immediately to the side of it, then opened one of the compartments to retrieve the necessary items. The sterilization counter was nearby and it only took a few steps before the green-skinned general was in front of it.

She tapped a single command into the terminal to activate the hand cleanser. A small, focused wide-beam of red phased energy began to emanate from the focal point, after which Lirha put her hands in front of it to allow the concentrated beam to strip the very outer epidermal layer from the skin on her hands.

Returning to the doctor with surgical gloves now on her hands and holding the requested medical items, she placed them into a sterilized bin on the counter next to the biobed.

Things seemed to go quickly and the readings stayed steady enough. Allyndra held out a hand and said, "Dermal patch please." She took it from the general and then sealed the final bit of wound. The patch would keep the wound closed and eventually just dissolve away as the skin healed itself.

She took a hypo and pressed it gently to one arm. "There that should bring her around, a friendly face would probably help ambassador."

Varro nodded still feeling a bit dizzy. He stood back a bit and watched as Evie opened her beautiful eyes. It was slow and it took her a while to focus but she was okay.

When she saw him she smiled. Finally convinced that she was going to be okay Varro let the dizziness overtake him and passed out cold on the floor.

The sound of someone going to the floor pulled her attention away and Allyndra saw that Varro was not there. She moved around the table and fetched a hypo, tricorder and towel. She put the towel under his head and then checked to make sure he had not hurt himself in the collapse. Other than a possible few more bruises, he would be fine. She checked him over with the tricorder. The infection was still there but it seemed to be healing so she pretty much figured that the trauma of the last few moments had been a bit too much. She gave the hypo and patted his arm and turned to look at Lirha, "I think our ambassador is not going to make a good ER person after all." She laughed lightly.

The hypo roused Varro enough to get up and get to a chair, with the help of both Allyndra and Lirha.

Allyndra watched the monitor for a second more and then nodded and moved away toward Lirha. "Well general, excellent job. Help get these instruments cleaned up and we will give those two a bit of space."

With the back of her gloved hand, Lirha reached up and wiped several beads of sweat from her brow that had managed to accumulate under the stress of the surgery. She'd always appreciated the fast pace and diligence of medical officers, but had never before had to assist with surgery while under pressure. She'd just gained a bit more appreciation for what Starfleet doctors had to go through on a daily basis. "The petty officer is fortunate," replied Saalm, "that I was able to deactivate the device before we removed it. I will have to speak with Medara after this and make sure it doesn't affect anyone else in a similar way."

"My personal feeling is that she not only deactivate but if possible remove every last one. One small problem at a critical time could be fatal for more than the person." Allyndra got the instruments clean up as she mused. "Well I think things are fine here. I will keep you informed and I should go check on our patient and the ambassador. Again, thank you for your help."

"Of course. As I said, we were lucky. It may not be the same way next time. Keep me informed of any other medical problems...any similar symptoms that might arise from other members of the crew," Saalm said before turning to depart.

"Yes general," Allyndra replied and returned back to check on her patients.

[OFF]

--

GEN Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
IKS DuJa'Q

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

Ambassador Soral Varro
Diplomatic Officer
IKS Duja'Q

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