Early bird...

Posted on Sat Aug 6th, 2016 @ 6:02pm by Commander Hades,MD & Lieutenant Shrivol Thr'elanon

1,355 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 92 - More Questions than Answers
Location: Sickbay.
Timeline: MD04 0500

[ON]

It was a long night of research, Shrivol hadn't researched that much in one night since medical school. He managed to go back to his quarters and take a long shower and freshen up. When he returned to sickbay a nurse handed him a large coffee. She learned how he liked it, black coffee with 4 shots of espresso. He took a few long sips before walking up to his patient that had caused the most concern.

"Doctor Hades, I see despite your best efforts you managed to rest." Shrivol said with a smile. "I feel there should be an award for Doctors who try and make good patients."

Hades threw his head back and laughed. It felt good. It had been a long time since he really laughed. It softened his features and made his eyes sparkle. "As you told me last day resistance is futile." He smiled as he hopped off the bio bed. "Good as new and I can get right to work."

He studied the CMO. His smile faded a bit as he noticed shadows under Shrivol's eyes. "Is everything okay? You look like it was a rough night. Why didn't you wake me? What can I do to help? Did something happen to one of the patients?" His mind was gong mile a minute. He started feeling bad for taking the day to sleep away.

He silently cursed himself. Shrivol had his own patients and he'd taken Hades' patients while he was resting. He felt guilty but he'd return the favour. He'd send Shrivol home to rest and he'd work a double shift to make up for yesterday.

Shrivol shook his head as he signed the discharge order. "No, doctor, I am fine, thank you." he said before taking a long sip of coffee and heading to his office "I was doing research on Romulan, Vulcan and El Aurian physiology. I didn't sleep well before but thankfully Andorian's are accustomed to sleeping little, and let's face it being a physician helps in that as well. I will just be drinking a lot of coffee." Shrivol had a suspicion that Hades was blaming himself for the lack of sleep. "Trust me Doctor, it had nothing to do with you being injured. I already feel you trying to blame yourself."

Hades smiled as he followed the CMO to his office. "Am I that obvious?"

"If it makes you feel better my great great grandfather was not Andorian but Aenarian, a subspecies of Andorians but who are telepathic. I have mild telepathic abilities. But in all honesty yes, you were a little obvious." Shrivol said giving a crooked smile.

He chuckled. "Well I shall endeavour to be more mysterious." He grinned as he sat down. "Romulan I get. We got lots of them here and it's not going to be easy treating them but Vulcan and El Aurian...I don't have a big ego but something tells me that it has to do with me."

Shrivol sat down a PADD and laughed slightly. "Being a member of both those races you would assume correctly." Shrivol leaned back in his chair holding his cup of coffee. "I was curious about what happened when you...well when you suffered that tragedy. I remembered something about vaguely similar incidences happening to several mixed species that have a moderate to high degree of telepathic ability."

He sighed and motioned to the chair. "Can I sit?"

"Please do." Shrivol said.

He sat down. "I don't know.... it was like I was fine, a bit sad, depressed but given the circumstances...then I put the dishes to try and everything went black. When I finally woke up a month later It was like...I was awake, aware, but I couldn't move It was...I can't explain it." He shook his head. "It was like my body was dead and I was alive, there were periods where my mind lost consciousness even though my eyes were open."

He rubbed his temples. "Work was what woke me up both times."

"I understand that, work provides a different type of stress." Shrivol pressed a few buttons on his desk and a small hologram of a brain structure appeared. "Doctor, partially its emotional and partially chemical. This is a reconstructed brain of a Vulcan/Betazoid, this animation shows that when they experience a traumatic event this is what happens." The hologram showed the brains neurons going into overload. "It is what many would call a nervous breakdown, but that term doesn't do it justice. What you experienced by all computer simulation would be much worse. As you know El Aurians are extremely telepathic, even compared to Betezeds."

Shrivol paused to take another sip. "Understand, I am not trying to diminish what you went through, I was worried you would go through that again and I needed to figure out how to treat that. It appears that after a period of time the hormones that cause this change, and your emotions and brain chemistry focus on something to repair itself. In your case, work."

Hades smiled. "Can I use that to make you let me work two shifts back to back daily?" It was a bad attempt at humour he knew but at least this was making sense to him.

Shrivol laughed. "I don't think you can bank on it, the issue is there is no cure currently. I haven't even formulated a treatment plan, we just have a starting point on what causes it. As for shifts, we will see how it goes."

Hades smiled. "Good to know I'm not batty and I can send that to my sister and tell her to put it in her pipe and smoke it. She's been after me to seek help with a counselor so it doesn't happen again. And before you say it I will be seeing a counselor...just not Starfleet."

"I guess I can be obvious too, I think it's the antenna that does it." Shrivol said as he stood up and went to the replicator and ordered another coffee. "Don't discount Starfleet counselors, I know of a few that are good. Just make sure it's someone you are comfortable with, please."

"I will for sure." There was a silence between the two. It was the first awkward one they had. "Shrivol...I..."

"Yes?" Shrivol said in between sips.

He sighed. "I'm sorry about last night if I dumped all that on you. I really appreciate the ear. You know as a rule I never open up to colleagues or anyone really or even seek friendships but I do count you as a friend and...I'm sorry if I was a mean cuss I'm just not used to being taken care of."

"Don't be sorry, sometimes we have to be able to open up, I needed to know what exactly happened in case it happened again. I know how you feel about opening up about the tragedies in our past." Shrivol said taking a longer sip as though he was trying to think of what to say. "I am glad you felt you could share that with me." Shrivol felt a small shiver up his spine as he thought back to his own tragedies.

"That goes both ways you know. Thank you for sharing with me." He thought a moment. "There is a guest lecturer tonight speaking on herbs and the power of ancient Vulcan healing. Feel like tagging along?"

"I would love to, if I can I have some things I have to take care of." Shrivol smiled "tell me Doctor, do you like Romulan Ale?"

He smiled. "Love it. I should go myself I have few patients to see myself and I should take a shower. Shall we meet here at 1800 hours?"

"That will work. I hope your patients tell you the stories of the bad blue doctor." Shrivol said jokingly "I will see you then, Hades."

He laughed. "You have a better bedside manner then you think." He smiled. "See you then." He turned to go.

[OFF]

Dr. Shrivol Thr'elanon
Chief Medical Officer

&

Dr. Hades
Assistant Chief Medical Officer

Stabrase 400

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