Making the Rounds

Posted on Thu Mar 28th, 2019 @ 8:55am by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD

1,690 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 97 - Cultural Exchange
Location: USS Pegasus
Timeline: MD5 (prior to hard truths)

Emerging for the turbolift, adjusting her grip on the medical kit slung over her shoulder, Doctor Corrigan headed towards her last visit of the round. With the medication in play, those who were no longer asymptomatic or contagious had been allowed back to their own homes or guest quarters aboard the Pegasus for bed rest.

Countless studies had demonstrated the benefits of recovering at home and, if nothing else, it meant people were not tripping over each other in sickbay. It just meant house calls. Lots of them.

Her last visit, though, was not to one those recovering from the outbreak. But rather a strain of Vulcan flu.

Pressing the door chime she took a deep breath to calm herself as she waited on an answer. Freya Ross was non only a counsellor and a Betazoid but she was also the person who had decided to break up the fight which had almost broken out on the planet. Carolyn had not seen her since then and she was not entirely sure if that was good or bad.

Freya was sitting on the sofa with her feet up, to save herself getting up she called for whoever was at the door to enter. She looked up from the book she was reading as Doctor Corrigan walked in. "Doctor....what can I do for you?"

“Just a quick check in to see how you are doing,” Carolyn explained as she pulled a medical tricorder from one of the side pockets of the kit bag. “I was making rounds and thought I’d stop by to save you a trip to sickbay.”

"Thank you, that's very considerate" Freya motioned for Carolyn to take a seat. "I...apologise for events in the ICU during the outbreak. I didn't intend to make you feel like I was criticising you."

“You were just trying to help,” Carolyn replied, sitting her kit down on the seat. “If I sit I will actually fall asleep on your couch and that would be unprofessional. How have you been feeling? Are your symptoms any better? Worse? The same?”

"A little better I think." Freya smiled. "I don't feel quite as rotten as I did."

“I’ll do a scan to confirm, just in case,” Carolyn told her as she knelt on the floor in front of Freya, activating the medical tricorder.

"Is there a way to determine whether someone has been....subjected to unwilling intercourse?" Freya looked at Carolyn. "I'm not talking recently, I'm talking years ago?"

The question was so unexpected, Carolyn's fingers hesitated, poised over the tricorder as she finalised her scan. "Yes," she confirmed, looking up at the woman, "although with the more time that passes it becomes more difficult."

"Can a scan be run?" She clenched her fists. "The patient is...me."

Closing over the tricorder and setting it aside, Carolyn frowned, her voice soft and full of concern when she spoke. "For whatever happened, I'm sorry. And if you need to talk about it, I'm here."

"Thank you" Freya nodded. "I'm not 100% certain exactly what happened yet but I think....I was raped." She paused for a moment, just the sound of the word was a frightening one.

"A deep tissue scan may still work," Carolyn told her, "although I can't make any guarantee. But it should show any scarring or tissue damage that wouldn't show on a regular physical. However, it is something I need to do in Sickbay."

"I understand" Freya nodded. "I want to get it done as soon as I can."

"Understandable," Carolyn commented, begining to stow her tricorder away back in her bag. "Has something else happened to make you ask about this now?"

"I didn't remember until now. I've had a fear of being approached from behind for years, Kaden has always helped me cover it up in the field by watching my back for me. We recently started working on me getting over that fear. That's when my nightmare started." She frowned. "A nightmare of someone....forcing himself on me." She took a deep breath. "I need to know for sure if it's true and if there's any damage. I want to have a baby with Kaden when he's ready."

Carolyn smiled softly, "sounds like you have a good friend there. And if you are concerned it may harm your changes of having a baby, we can definately set your mind at ease about that with the scans I'll run. Would you prefer someone to be with you? Your husband or a friend?"

Even as she asked the question it made her think of James and she pushed the thoughts quickly aside. Because thinking of him made her think of all the hours - through good and bad - he had spent getting her through the worst period of her life. Which made her think of why he had to do that, which spiralled into memories she did not want to share unwillingly with a sick patient.

“Kaden is...stressed out enough about this as it is. I’d rather do this part on my own.” She offered a smile albeit a tense one.

"Well, one thing I can tell you right now is that the flu is well under control and it doesn't look like you need anything other than some more bed rest. We can go now or I can meet you in Sickbay in the morning. Whatever you want, I can work around what works best for you."

“I want to do it now” Freya looked at Carolyn with determination. “If my dreams are real then I want to know for sure.”

"Okay, lets go," Carolyn told her, slinging her equipment bag back over her shoulder and heading for the door.


(USS Pegasus, Sickbay)

"Through here," Carolyn said as she led the way into Sickbay. The atmosphere was noticably calmer now than it had been just a few hours before, most of the beds now vacant. Ignoring these, she guided her patient towards the far corner of sickbay, shaking her head as one of the nurses approached.

When they were within the immediate vacinity, she activated the privacy screen so that curious eyes could not observe.

"Just lie down on the biobed and I'll programme what we need," she told Freya.

Freya nodded appreciating the privacy Carolyn was giving her from the rest of Sickbay. She lay down on the biobed but couldn’t help but feel extremely tense.

"Just relax. It wont hurt but you do need to hold as still as possible, otherwise it will take twice as long," Carolyn assured her as she manipulated the controls, keeping one eye on the scanning from as it automatically moved into position. "Ready?"

“As I’ll ever be” Freya nodded and looked at the ceiling uncertain whether she should have asked for Ariana or Kaden to accompany her.

Carolyn made some final adjustments and initiated the scans. "Five more minutes, you are doing great" she told Freya, remembering all too well how these could be both boring but frightning. Knowing you were relying upon a scan to tell you what direction your life was going to go. But equally she did not know the woman well enough, or really at all beyond what happened in the ICU.

"Okay, all done," she announced, pressing a command to retract the frame. "You can sit up if you want, just give me a second to analyse the results."

Crossing to a small workstation she called up the imaging, manipulating it to enhance the image.

“What does it show?” Freya looked at Carolyn with concern.

"There is some very mild scarring," Carolyn told her as she walked back towards the biobed. "So there is evidence of trauma. However, beyond that, I cannot tell you exactly how or when. But from the scar tissue and what little you have said, I would say is consistent with your memories."

Freya nodded somehow it was a relief to know she wasn’t going crazy but at the same time it confirmed her fears. Right now her mind was concentrating on what she needed to know the most. “What about...having a baby?”

"Now that, you do not need to worry about," Carolyn told her with a reassuring smile. "From what I saw, there would be no issue at all conceiving or carrying a baby full term. But I do strongly recommend speaking with someone about your experience and to help you work through this. I know your husband has been helping you but sometimes it is more helpful to speak to someone who isn't as close to you."

“I...intend to” Freya nodded. “Somehow I’d love to be able to shout and scream about it but right now I can’t.” She sighed. “As a Counsellor I’d be telling my patients to just take it slow, I guess I have to take my own advice.”

"Easier said than done sometimes, we make the worst patients," Carolyn grinned as she deactivated the privacy screen. "But the screaming definately helps too. Very cathartic. But whatever you need, just let me know."

“Thank you for this. I know we didn’t exactly start off on the right foot before, I can only imagine how hard it’s been for you and all the doctors during the outbreak.”

"I think everyone will be just glad to get home," Carolyn observed. "And it's my job, you don't need to thank me. Now, you definately need some bed rest. I can give you something to help you sleep?"

“No thank you” Freya smiled. “If I’m under the influence of something it’ll just make me afraid of not being able to wake up if I have another nightmare.” She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ll just go back to my Quarters to bed, I think I’m tired enough to sleep without any help.

"Perfect," Carolyn smiled. "Now go, before they end up giving you a shift in here."

Freya smiled and nodded. “Might I suggest you get some rest as well. You’ve earned it.” With that she headed for hers & Kaden’s Quarters.

OFF.

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