But, I Didn't Feel A Thing! [Backpost]

Posted on 16 Feb 2024 @ 6:42pm by Lieutenant Leland Hawksley & Ensign C'Tirr K'Ruuras & Master Chief Petty Officer Alexi Michelle

2,419 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: S3 Episode 5: Diplomatic Incident/Hydaransz Again (Incidentals)
Location: Tomcat Medical Bay
Timeline: After Diplomatic Incident/Hydaransz [Backpost]

[ON]

Alexi had finally come down off the battle rush and realized she was in pain sometime during the ride back to the Tomcat and the pain in her leg was growing. By the time they docked, she wasn't sure she could stand, but she somehow managed to not only stand but walk to the sickbay to get checked out. Walking into the area, a sheen of perspiration and the gritted teeth were a clear indication that all was not well with CPO Michelle. But Ze was in greater need of care so she lowered herself to a seat to wait.

From the inner section where those restricted to medical were placed there could be heard a deep growl and a voice. "I want out of here. I can't stand being cooped up in medical. My muscles will strengthen if I'm out and about." C'tirr appeared, braces on his legs and lower back. He hobbled on crutches and a determined set to his face. He thought he hid the pain of the exertion though his tail flicked in time with the throbbing.

The nurse spoke softly trying to coax C'Tirr back to his biobed. Unsuccessfully. As the Catian was proving to be extremely stubborn.

Hawksley walked in nearly bumping in to the bulk head of the entrance of Sickbay. He was experiencing issues with his right
eye of his cybernetic implant. He certainly could wait. He noted that there sounded to be a Caitian within the triage bio beds room just through the doorway.

"C'tirr was in a compromised state. And for the feline race, mobility was crucial. Leland felt bad hearing C'tirr having to endure the injuries he had.

Hawksley had glanced around the corner to view C'tirr, only catching a brief glimpse of him being attended to on one of the Sickbay Bio Beds. This was when Leland turned to see Michelle who was patiently waiting outside the triage room.

She had several wounds, which had looked to be lascerations through her uniform in various places. He wondered if they were the result of a shrapnel blast. "Alexi..." Hawksley took the seat nearest her. "Has anyone seen you yet?" Leland questioned. She was not looking well given her body temperature in shock, she was starting to sweat from obvious pain.


Alexi had heard the shouting from within sickbay and had inwardly cheered the Caitian on. But she was feeling a bit tired now that her own fight-or-flight rush was over. She had barely noticed when Leland had almost walked into a wall on entry. Her heart was beating so hard she could swear everyone in the area would be able to hear it. She closed her eyes as she fought not to pass out on the floor.

She heard her name and slowly opened her eyes and turned them towards the person speaking, "Oh, Lt Hawksley, it's you!" She took a deep , steadying breath before she continued, "Mission didn't go as well as planned. Think I might have been a wee bit... damaged."

Dr. Hawthorne strode in. She had just come on duty. Her eyes landed on the two people in the lobby and she stopped, changed direction, and moved to the woman bleeding in the chair from multiple wounds. "You follow please. Let's get you look at.". Melody couldn't fathom just why the nurse hadn't taken Alexi back immediately. Then she heard the commotion from the other room. She'd deal with that soon enough. For now she guided Alexi to a trauma bed and began an immediate examination. "I'm doctor Hawthorne, can you please give me your name for the records and an explanation if you can of what happened to you." She was already programming the bio bed for scans and waved anther nurse over. "Are you allergic to any medication that I need to be aware of before treating you?" She pointed the nurse towards C'Tirrs location. The nurse nodded and headed off already familiar with what the doctor expected in regards to their runaway patient.

"Chief Petty Officer Michelle, Alexi Michelle," she replied with a slight slur, her voice barely above a whisper. "What happened?" She queried herself, "I think the exploding conduit may have done some damage." She took a few steps then swayed on her feet, "Umm, algeric," She mumbled, totally mispronouncing the word, "not... no." She sort of crawled up onto the biobed, happy to lie down, "Funny, Didn't hert musch when it went boom."


When heading through the lobby Nurse Martha spotted Leland and glancing towards C'Tirr's location he asked the engineer. "Do you need to be seen by the doctor?"

Leland turned to the nurse, his cybernetic implant having difficulty focusing on visuals and coordination. His eye was sending non-descriptor data that was deleterious to his visual cortex. This bioneural sensory input was degrading due to Hawksley experiencing the plasma radiation that had exhausted in Main Engineering during the Tomcat’s skirmish.

It wasn’t uncommon for his cybernetic eye to need recalibration. The only issues of concern were his vision and coordination which only got worse as the minutes passed. Having bumped into a few bulkheads along the way to Sick Bay, Leland was a bit embarrassed. The sooner the plasma effects were neutralized, his implants would be functioning and new. This could only be done with Sick Bay equipment.

“I need to see the Doctor, but…” Leland didn’t want to sound needy when he knew there were serious issues with C’tirr and Michelle. “I can wait as long as necessary. I’ll sit in here out of your hair. It is my cybernetic right-side implant. It is damaged."

"Alright, I'm going to have you go ahead and have a seat on biobed four for me just through the back there and I will be right back for you." Martha said with a reassuring smile then cringed as anther crash and growl came from C'Tirrs room. "Please excuse me a moment" she headed off quickly, "Ensign Kuuras! You stop that immediately! Get back into your room your making a ruckus! The doctor will have me take your crutches again if you keep it up." Trailing behind her.

Leland nodded as he then followed through the entrance hitting a medical cart that was next to a bio bed, causing him to trip to the floor. Embarrassed, his hands held him upright. He paused, shaking his head, and refocusing his effort. He then held to the side of the medical cart and got back up. Tugging his engineering tunic, Leland haphazardly placed the items back on top of the med cart. “Sorry. Sorry!” Leland spoke to nobody particularly.

Ooh the doctor was considering a whole lot more then that. Thankfully she was too busy to go give the upstart a piece of her mind. The scans had finished and revealed the extensive amount of damage done to Chief Petty Officer Alexi Michelle. Her records had come up once the name had been inputted. Not that doctor Hawthorne needed the comparison to see the obvious damage. "Adrenaline is a wonderful thing. Still I'm going to give you something and then we will patch you up alright." Her voice was tender and warm. As she responded to Alexi's statement. Melody grabbed a hypospray and loaded it with a strong pain killer and antibiotics. She'd then begin to clean and patch up the damage done to the poor woman.

Alexi nodded mutely as the doctor spoke. She barely felt the sting of the hypospray but immediately felt the effects, the pain receded to almost bearable levels. Alexi took a deep breath, the first she'd been able to take since the injury had decided to make itself known, "thorry to be sooo mush trouble. Bedder at dis I was." Even to her own ears she knew what she was saying sounded odd, but she just could not figure out why. A few moments later she found herself closing her eyes and drifting away to a semi-unconscious state.

Leland sat on one of the biobeds, fuzzily wondering if he could take the medical tools and complete the task himself. He was suited for it. However, the biocybernetics eye implant would need a doctor to understand its visuals. Leland felt like he was taking space in Medical. He rarely had been too Medical at all and was happy about it.

Alexi was reliving the mission in her not quite conscious state. Her hands and fingers jolting every once in a while as if she were still working her scanner or weapon. In her mind she was in the corridor where the conduit exploded and her whole body jerked, sending a wave of excruciating pain through her leg. Her face paled as sweat beaded on her skin. Her body stiffened as a moan of pain escaped her lungs.

Leland couldn't help but notice the pain and mental anguish that Michelle was going through. He felt bad for her. She was being attended too, but Leland felt she needed someone to sit with her and perhaps just be beside her in her state. Being alone with those thoughts and flashbacks of the away mission she had endured in itself would be hard.

Hawksley carefully ensured he was out of the Doctors' and Medical staff's way as he took a stool seat and rolled up beside Alexi's biobed. "Alexi. It's me. Leland. You're going to be ok." He spoke with calmness. He wanted to take her hand into his to calm her down, but he was unsure that would be appropriate at the time.

Alexi could hear a gentle voice calling through the haze of her mind. Her head turned towards the sound slightly as the images seemed to fade away. A different memory surfaced and a song played in her mind and she hummed it. She was still mostly out of it, but if Leland was listening closely he might recognize the tune, even if Alexi was a bit sloppy on the delivery.

Hawksley paused listening intently to Alexi. He wasn’t quite certain, but he could tell she was beginning to hum a tune. The tune sounded simple, yet it seemed to relax her. It was funny. How humans resorted to their happy places, happy memories, and tunes in times of traumatic situations.

Leland felt he had caught on to the tune as he slowly began to grin and sing with Alexi. Gradually, he allowed himself to join her music, not overpowering her but accompanying her, calming down it felt.

Alexi relaxed as she heard the other voice singing alone. When the song finished, she sighed deeply and shifted slightly on the bed. Her eyes fluttered a little and a smile crossed her face. slowly her eyes opened, and she saw Leland sitting close. "Thank you," she whispered, "but, I bet the last jam session was more fun."

Hawksley had chuckled. As he smiled. He was happy to keep her mind off of her pain and the situation, even if it was something so simple. "Tell me. What are you going to have to eat once you get out of here?" Everyone had a comfort food, a food that was a reward. Keeping her mind focused, Leland hoped.

Alexi lifted her eyebrows. That was a question she had not expected. She didn't really have to think about what she wanted as a huge smile spread across her face, "A nice prime rib, end cut, sweet corn, and a huge baked potato smothered in lots of butter. Would be better if it were my Da's cooking but I'll take what I can get." Her smile turned to a slight frown, were you hurt bad? I know you came in about the same time I did.

Leland smiled at Alexi. She had the same comfort meal that he would request. There is nothing better than a thick, juicy, seasoned steak with all the fixings.

“When you get out. Me and Lilliana would love to have you over for dinner with us. I will cook.” Hawksley smiled, almost smelling the steak.

He didn’t want to talk about himself when everyone else was in for much severe medical situations. “I am in for my cybernetic eye, left eye.” He pointed. “Breached radiation EMF can tend to wreak havoc with the inner workings from time to time.” He smiled.

“I will be fine.”

Alexi nodded, "I am glad it is not serious. I hope they get that fixed for you ASAP." She paused a moment before addressing the invitation to a meal, "Are you sure? I mean I hear you are expecting. I don't want to put any pressure on your wife to have a guest. Don't get me wrong, I would love to accept, but I would like your wife to know about it first. I don't want to make a bad first impression just barging in for dinner."

“You are very polite you know that.” Hawksley gruffed with a chuckle as he sat back, leaning against the bulkhead, relaxing himself resigned to the fact that he would be waiting for a while in the sick bay. Not that it was a bad thing. Seeing others work a different department was somehow comforting.

“I will speak to Lilli. No worries. Lilli enjoys company. We don’t get. Well. I don’t think we ever have had dinner guests. You would be, I guess, our first!” He thought about it. “And don’t you worry. I will do the cooking. I like to cook. And I will even clean the dishes, you and Lilli can relax. I think Lilli would really benefit from having another woman around the house.” Leland affirmed.


Alexi smiled, "That would be very nice. I look forward to meeting Lilli." The meds the doctor had given her were making her sleepy now that the pain had somewhat subsided. Her eyelids became heavey and she finally closed them. "So tired,"she mumbled after a few seconds, "thank you." She took a deep breath and then mumbled, "lucky woman." The she finally succumbed to a more restful sleep.

Leland smiled. It was times like this that he was happy to be on the Tomcat with such good people.

[OFF]

Ensign C'Tirr K'Ruuras
Security Officer

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