Not The Food But The Content (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 26 Aug 2012 @ 10:49pm by Lieutenant Kiri Cho & Lieutenant Commander Pola Ni Dhuinn M.D. & Commander Andreus Kohl

2,951 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Episode 01 - Project Sienna
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4, Medical Laboratory 01
Timeline: MD 08 - 0518 hours

Previously in "Not The Food But The Content":

Hearing the doors open from where she'd been walking back from her office, Pola was glad that she had managed to time that well. Under one arm she carried a container containing the ration bars which Ansen had given her for Kiri. Smiling softly she walked across to where Kohl and Kiri were gathered. "How's everything looking Andreus?"

"The rest served her well. Kiri's arm is much recovered. I was just about to retrieve the nanites," Kohl said. He used the controls on his tricorder to began the sequence that would instruct the nanites to congregate. He looked to Pola, and once he managed eye contact, he nodded that she should go ahead. Kiri seemed ready.

And now the conclusion...


[ON]

Since she was the subject of two experts, Kiri remained silent. There was nothing she could add that would be of any use, though she did wonder what was inside the container.

Moving over, trying to still stay slightly in the background, Pola leaned back against the bulkhead, within watching and hearing distance. It Kohl busy with the nanites, the Doctor realised she had best just jump into this. "Kiri...I believe there was some issues earlier in relation to a concern that you were dehydrated. Do you have any idea how this may have happened?"

Given time to think and from what she was told Kiri had a fair idea of how it had happened, still she was uncomfortable, feeling defensive. Her voice wobbled slightly, "I had a lot to do prior to the attack, I went to bed but then it happened. I didn't have time to stop, I wasn't hurt that bad." The fact she felt guilty was clear but it wasn't from not taking care of herself, "I didn't account for the the injury increasing fluid loss." If it wasn't for that, she'd be fine. One of the things she made sure of that she drank a huge amount of water each day, over two litres easily, it had just been an unlucky combination to her.

Hearing the wobble in Kiri's voice, Pola resisted the urge to go over to the scientist knowing from previous experience it would make her more uncomfortable. "You didn't do anything wrong Kiri. The reason I need to talk to you is to see if we can find a way to fix what went wrong so you don't need to worry about it happening again. You realise we aren't giving out, right?"

Kiri still didn't understand why it was so important, she took care of herself, she'd make a mistake. That was something she hated but she wouldn't deny it. Confused more than anything now she answered, "I'll try not to let it happen again," There were normally two points in the day, one in the morning and one in the evening where she drank a litre of water with a large glass at another point.

Kohl divided his attentions between Pola's words, Kiri's reactions, and navigating the nanites in Kiri's arm via his tricorder. He looked up when he could feel Pola's eyes on him. He caught the meaning in her glance.

Looking across at Kohl, Pola had to restrain herself from letting out a sigh of frustration. Kiri really needed to be handled with kitten gloves and sometimes it really was trying, especially in situations such as this where time wasn't on their side. "Kiri Id like you to try something new for me. I know you prefer to just eat ration bars so I have here some new ones I'd like you to try which contain a better nutritional value than ordinary rations. You can use one of our sensors if you'd like to take a look before hand."

Kiri still looked rather confused and questioning towards the doctor but nodded her head. The bars she took had everything she needed, vitamin to mineral, calories to fibre, to take more than that was more than she needed to be comfortable. She'd spent weeks scanning herself every day perfecting her requirements until she reached the perfect amounts. This was something took as an order though, the question the creeped out was very soft, like a confused child, "How does food intake affect blood fluid volume?" That after all was the problem she'd suffered from wasn't it?

"A number of issues counteract each other to cause the end result as being a lower blood fluid volume. Firstly, the standard Starfleet issue rations are high in sodium as the body requires it, but continuous exposure to such high concentrations means in the long term you can have serious health issues. Because sodium acts as both a mineral and an electrolyte in the blood, it helps maintain a fluid balance within the blood, too much sodium results in a lesser amount of fluid. If you switch rations, the one I'm offering contains no salt and a lesser portion of sodium, allowing your body to better regulate." Pola looked down at the PADD in her hand as the double checked the information she was saying.

Finally Kiri was starting to understand a little, she hadn't explained herself, it didn't really occur that a standard ration would cause problems. It was lucky for her then that all that scanning and testing had lead her to reduce her rations in areas like that and increase them in others. All this trouble was her fault then, she was making them go to all this effort for something. Looking guiltier than before she started to twitch her fingers, "Sorry, but I don't eat standard rations," She glanced up for just a second before planing her gaze firmly on the ground, "I reduced the sodium and calories, fats and a few other things to suit my needs. Sorry, I should have said."

"Kiri do you realise how dangerous it is to be messing around with sodium in your body? If you rations result in you not getting enough of the mineral you could end up doing serious damage to your neurological capabilities. You really are messing with something which requires an extremely precise process of adjustment." Moving her hand, Pola pulled it back through her hair. "Ordinary rations are high in sodium as sodium in the body is such a vital component. Also if you in a position where you have to rely on rations then you are going to be moving around a lot, sweating more and therefore needing your sodium replenished."

Kiri was under attack still, she didn't understand, she had explained, she didn't understand these points either. If that was the case, how was it any different from eating food? Random amounts of calories and minerals, adapting to what her body told her it needed. Feeling aggression though she wanted to shy away, to cry, she started to shake a little where she stood. Her voice was as confident as she was, "I, the matter I take in, it, it's matches the average requirements for a Trill of my size, and height, in every respect, some are more than that. I'm very careful." Her eyes flashed to Kohl before fixing back on the ground, she already said yet. What did she do wrong?

Kohl was torn. He was spotting stolen glances left and right, but he didn't know how to help Pola without souring Kiri on the health care system aboard Galileo, and he didn't know how to help Kiri without arguing with his department chief at a delicate stage of their working relationship. At first, he had retreated all the way to the mobile biobed in the laboratory. He had busied himself at the controls, while Pola and Kiri debated the finer points of nutrition. When Kiri looked to him again for assistance, Kohl could only think to diffuse the situation by saying, "Kiri, I need your arm."

Kiri would much rather be poked with needles and have fluids pumped though her than carry on here. With a submissive glance to Pola she marched quickly towards Kohl, holding out her bare arm rather gingerly. She knew he had already seen it, but really didn't want anyone to. She remained silent though, waiting for his instruction.

When Kiri presented her arm to him cautiously, Kohl asked her to lay her hand flat on the biobed. Once she had done so, he changed the setting on the tricorder and waved it over her hand. "Can you tell us," Kohl asked softly, "a little more about the process you use to evaluate your nutritional intake from the ration bars?"

Trying to choose her words carefully each of them stuttered slightly, with nervous looks towards the doctor every few seconds, "I researched the average requirements of Trill at the age of seventeen months. Then I measured my own, using a monitoring device for a month I checked how many calories I burned in total and each active hour. Then I continued doing so until I stabilised my weight to a sustainable amount and that my mineral and vitamin levels were also normal for a Trill." There was no escaping that her internal biology was different. That it was better at extracting protein than a human but worse at making use of tougher fibre. That sugar storage was quicker but breaking it down was slower, that she needed more fluid and a hundred other things. But for her, it was perfectly healthy.

Every time Kiri provided an example of the consideration she had put into her nutrition, Kohl nodded to demonstrate his listening. He put his tricorder down on the biobed, and he kept his eyes on Kiri. He could feel Pola watching them; he didn't need to look at her know it. With a sheepish grin, Kohl said mildly, "That's more thought than I put into my own replicator requests," and he nodded. He looked down at his tricorder, only then, to check on the progress the nanites were making in Kiri's arm. When he looked up, he squinted slightly and he rubbed his temples with the heels of his hands. "Kiri, I can't remember... You were just telling me... Your training and your experience, they're in biology, yeah?"

Kiri gave him a look as if he had just asked her if the hotdog jets were backfilled with squirrels. Quickly returning to normal she shook her head slightly, "I, specialise in Astrophysics, Physics, Mathematics and Computer Programming. But I had to do modules of Biology at the academy as a science officer, and I did diet and basic cellular function at school." She hadn't told him that had she? Kiri couldn't remember. What she did know was that she was starting to get hungry, she also wanted to get back to work.

"Basic cellular functions and mandatory biology, right," Kohl said, acknowledging what training she had in the subject-matter of nutrition. Speaking with his hands, Kohl swept a hand towards her, as he asked, "Based on your training, would you feel capable of designing a nutritional plan for somebody else? For me, perhaps?"

Trying to work out where this was going she answered, her hands remaining quite still, "Yes, I think I could given time and access the the appropriate species data." Giving a tentative glance towards Pola Kiri turned her full attention to Kohl, he wasn't been aggressive, he was moving a lot though.

Furrowing his brow at her in consternation, Kohl brought his hands gently down on the biobed. That wasn't the answer he was expecting. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised," Kohl said softly, but still sounded puzzled. "This, exactly this, is why we're concerned. We don't feel-- I don't feel like your specialties in computer programming and astrophysics make you capable of making an informed decision about managing your nutrition through technology. A health care provider is best equipped to monitor your physiology and make recommendations for your long term health, no?"

Kiri's heart sunk somewhat, "Yes." Pouting slightly, "I didn't feel it was required, I have passed every medical check and test since I started. I feel fine, I haven't been sick." Of course there were people better at it than her, there was at everything she could do. It was all just a matter of numbers, inputs and outputs, a machine, she provided everything the experts said she needed in their work. It wasn't like she had made it all up from scratch, she had used their research and published papers.

"I agree, you are in fine health and you have put a lot of care into maintaining a healthy diet. I'm not questioning that," Kohl said, giving her the credit that was due. "What concerns me is the risk inherent in manipulating the body with technology. Replicated food is as good as the real thing, as far as our bodies can tell, but none of our bodies evolved from eating ration bars. Furthermore, we don't know the long term health effects of maintaining a diet with ration bars. These risks are certainly manageable, they're not insurmountable, but they're better managed with the oversight of medical officers, don't you think?"

"Yes," More reluctant this time, it was true but she didn't want to waste their time. Every diet choice was better with experts, but no one else seemed to have that choice. Looking at the box she had been given, "I'll try them, I will." She had said so, though she wasn't sure how good they will be. It was a loss of control, not something she wanted but there didn't seem to be a choice.

"You're still welcome to make your own adjustments," Kohl said, "but Doctor Ni Dhuinn and I are looking to make it more of a partnership, for the sake of your long term health." He looked down only long enough to make another adjustment on his tricorder. He considered Kiri and he said, "I'm going to transport the nanites out of you arm now."

Doing as he asked, Kiri wondered if that was the problem all along. The worry that the transportation might hurt or cause some damage was clear on her face as she asked, "Would you want to review my standard ration content?" It was on the ships replicator system, anyone could order if if they wanted.

At that point, Kohl looked to Pola when he said, "I don't see why not." --Pola didn't interject with any explicit disagreement-- "Our aim is to offer our expertise in a partnership, not to tell you what to do. We have some experience with introducing artifice to the body. And with removing it." As he spoke, Kohl initialized the micro-transporter in the surgical support frame, and he transported the nanites out of Kiri's arm.

Kiri watched with morbid interest as she answered rather flatly, "The name is Cho yi yi," Doing her best to hold her arm as still as possible was hard, the tension hurt her shoulder and her feet were starting to have pins and needles. When the process seemed to be at an end she asked worriedly, "Are they all out?"

Kohl opened his mouth as if he were about to speak, but then he double-checked his facts on his tricorder's display. Once the sensor readings showed the nanites were all where they were supposed to be --inside a medical storage cartridge-- he nodded at Kiri's question. "All gone."

Kiri nodded her head in thanks with a small smile, "Thank you," Followed by a small sigh of relief. Now she looked at him expectantly, not sure what to do, or say.

Having realised very quickly the Andreus had managed to establish a close rapport with Kiri which the Doctor herself had failed in doing, Pola had been content to just sit back and allow her Nurse the lead. He was asking the right questions and, more importantly, he was getting the answers that they need. With the nanites now removed, she double checked the scan on the skin tissue, satisfied the repair was complete. "How are you feeling now Kiri?"

"I feel fine," She answered, still looking rather uncomfortable. Physically she was fine but she didn't like the feeling she still had of her diet being attacked. Being told she didn't know best or she couldn't take care of herself. While they were worried about her, she quite feel it. She just wanted to eat and get on with her job.

Kohl changed the settings on his tricorder to affect a full body scan of Kiri. He raised the tricorder and moved it towards her. He allowed the tricorder to cycle through its scans, while he watched Kiri's posture and facial expression.

Kiri didn't mind being scanned, things were still silent though. Remaining quite she kept still, her back straight, hands in her lap holding the box of bars. Without words she felt that she was something of a specimen, closing her eyes for a moment before returning to watching Kohl.

Entrusting the scans to Andreus, due to Kiri's familiarity with the Nurse, Pola activated a monitor close by and programmed it to show her the scan results. Taking a moment to sort through and compare, she nodded her head in acknowledgement of what she saw. "Everything looks good Kiri. Just minimise your use of that arm for 12 hours, where possible. Its just as a precaution as the tissue is still so new."

Kohl offered a small smile to Kiri. "That means you are discharged from Sickbay," Kohl said encouragingly, "Officially, this time."


[OFF]


Lieutenant JG Pola Ni Dhuinn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Andreus Kohl
Nurse
USS Galileo

Ensign Kiri Cho
Science Officer/Sensor Specialist
USS Galileo

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