Relapse?

Posted on Wed Apr 10th, 2019 @ 3:15pm by Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne & Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD

1,349 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 97 - Cultural Exchange
Location: Ariana's Quarters
Timeline: Day 7 1300 hrs

Ariana was sitting in her quarters, to say she was feeling rough was an understatement. Her nose was streaming again! Her cough was sounding chesty and she was starting to sound pretty wheezy too. She hit her comm badge and tried to sound calm as dye spoke. =/\= Monroe to Sickbay....I need to see someone in my quarters right away! =/\=

In Sickbay, Carolyn glanced up as the comm system came to life. Hades was gone for a little bit so she figured her answering this call would be perfectly allowed. "=/\= Corrigan here, I'll be there in a few minutes. What's wrong? =/\="

As she asked the question she handed off the last of her reports to the passing nurse, mouthing her thanks as she moved to collect a medical kit. The counsellor had only left sickbay a few hours ago and it was surprising to hear her call.

Ariana took a breath before answering. =/\= I'm not feeling at all well =/\=

"Should I get Dr Hades to join you when he gets back?" Lynn asked.

Carolyn shook her head as she headed for the door, grinning. "I'll call him if I need to. Just let him know that I'll send him my report through so he can do all the follow ups in the morning."

Heading to Monroe's quarters, Carolyn had to admit that being on a Starship was much easier than a starbase at times like this. Pressing the door chime, she waited for the counsellor to answer.

To save getting up Ariana called Carolyn to answer. As she did so Ariana looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry..." She coughed sounding very chesty and wheezy. "I'm having a hard...time breathing!"

Quickly crossing to her, pulling out a tricorder, Carolyn frowned, "when did this start?"

"I've been...coughing on and off since...I left Sickbay" Ariana was looking tired. "I've been feeling...a bit off for a couple of hours." She looked at Carolyn concernedly.

"You did get that we wanted you to tell us as soon as things like this happened?" she chided gently. She frowned, studying the readings for what seemed like forever to poor Ariana. Finally she opened the med kit, preparing a hypospray. "I know your file doesn't suggest any, but honestly, this reads like a reaction to the medication earlier. Which makes sense, given the pregnancy and then the exposure to the Fever. This will take a few minutes to work and I'll stay with you until we know it's settled down."

As she pressed the hypo to Ariana's neck she offered an apologetic smile, "sorry. Kind of ruined your good mood I guess?"

"Not at all" Ariana offered a smile. "So if this...is a drug reaction, it won't have harmed...the baby will it?"

"Her vitals are reading nice and strong," Carolyn promised, letting Ariana see the tricorder readouts. "I'll ask Dr Hades to run a few blood tests tomorrow, just to make sure there isn't anything else you are now allergic to. It can be quite common in pregnancy and you may find it passes after she is born. It might not. My sister couldn't touch chocolate after having her little boy.

"I think she traded up though," she added with a grin.

"No chocolate you must...be kidding!" Ariana offered a smile. "What would I do without chocolate!!" Her breathing was starting to ease it was slow progress but she could definitely feel the difference. "I'm starting to feel...like a right pain in the neck!" She smiled. "Taking up your time."

"I was pushing my luck still being in sickbay anyway," Carolyn confesed, administering another does of antihistamine and keeping careful track of the progress. "My boss has this crazy idea I'm spending three days doing nothing. And no, not kidding. I'd have died, myself. No hot chololate? That is not a life worth living... how does it feel now?"

Ariana took a more relaxed breath. "It's easier to breath. I feel better too." She offered an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier, I never gave it a thought. I will obey every instruction from now on I promise!"

"Good," Carolyn said, unable to stop herself from laughing as she tried to mimic what Hades would say. "I'll get you some water. I know it's a pain but hyrdration is very important."

Ariana smiled. "I will drink plenty of water, I just don't want to spend all day in the toilet!" She giggled.

Carolyn grinned, shaking her head as she returned from the replicator with a chilled glass of water, "can't argue with that one but the point still stands. And part of you being on reduced duties was for you to be able to take some time looking after you so don't waste the opportunity."

"I won't I promise!" Ariana nodded as she took the glass and sipped her chilled water. "Whoa little one..." She smiled at Carolyn. "The little one is finding the water a little chilly!"

"You really don't need to worry about this parenting thing," Carolyn told her, grinning. "If you could look in a mirror right now. I know you are worried, but no matter what, Dr Hades and I will be with you every step of the way. If it involves changing the baby, that's his department though."

Ariana grinned. "I'm sure he'd love to hear you say that! I'm just....having a few emotional problems right now and before you say it I know I have good friends and great medical staff to go to!"

"I know we don't really know each other," Carolyn offered, 'but I can stay a little longer if you want to talk about it? And yes, I entirely appreciate the irony, thank you."

Ariana grinned. “It’s just...first I lose my husband, then by a cruel twist of fate one of our twins!” She paused, she could feel her emotions starting to well up inside her again. “It just feels like...the universe is trying to take everything I love away from me!!” She looked at Carolyn with tears in her eyes. “If anything happened to my baby I don’t think I’d ever recover.”

“Hey, no,” Carolyn said softly, offering her a rare hug and trying to stay composed herself. “No crying. You are a tough lady, strong enough to cope with anything. But you are not losing this baby.”

Aeryn offered a smile as she wiped her eyes. “I...I’m sorry. Like I said I’m an emotional mess! Call it hormones or just me. At least I’ll have Freya and Kaden to stay with when we get to the station, I’ll be living with them for a few months.”

“Sounds like a very good idea,” Carolyn told her. “Some company and some help all rolled into one. “

Ariana nodded. "Indeed, I'm actually looking forward to it!" She smiled. "It'll be like being with a proper family."

“That was a proper smile,” Carolyn pointed out with a grin. “See, no need for those pesky hormones.”

Ariana actually grinned at that comment, a proper grin. "Thank you Carolyn, you're as good a friend as you are a doctor!"

Carolyn couldn’t hide her surprise at the comment but managed to recover quickly enough, joking “in that case, best friends forever?”

"I would like that!" Ariana grinned. "A true friend is hard to come by hence why I appreciate all those I have so much.

“I think those hormones are kicking in again,” Carolyn teased, not entirely sure what to say.

"I think they are so maybe I should let you escape before I start something something else soppy!" Ariana smiled. "I feel much better now."

“Your readings are looking good so I will but if you feel unwell at all, you call sickbay. Agreed?”

"Agreed!" Ariana nodded. "I will be a model patient I promise!"

"Can I get that in writing?" Carolyn asked with a grin.

Ariana laughed and just for the fun of it threw a soft cushion at Carolyn as she headed out of the door.

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