Getting better and better

Posted on Wed Jan 8th, 2020 @ 9:25am by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD & Commander Hades,MD

1,271 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 102 - The Rising Tide of War
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD1 1646 hours

Well that went... badly.

Fairly confident he had no future in espionage, Doctor Mendez retreated back to Sickbay. Sure his adventure had earned him some grey hairs and expecting a very angry Klingon to hunt him down. As it was, it was Nurse Epson who found him right as he rounded the corner.

And she greeted him with a slap to the face that left his cheek stinging. “Julia?!” She said, half accusation half fury. Before he could say anything she stormed off. “And in case you didn’t realise, we are done!”

Rubbing the side of his face he groaned. The day was just getting better.

Walking the long way to ICU to give himself a chance to regain his cool calm composure, he tracked down Dr Harris. “If he were a superhero,” he announced, “I’d say Hades spider senses are tingling. I told you he’d be suspicious of me being there. And Nivar? Scary.”

He shifted so he could see the monitors. No obvious change from when he left. “Are we waiting out the sedative? Or did you want us to run anymore tests? I’m on duty for another few hours, use me.”

Harris sighed. "Hades is always suspicious. His daughter was here asking to see Carolyn. I had to tell her that she was in surgery. That girl is so like her father I could have swore Hades was here glaring at me."

Harris adjusted a few controls. "The sedative is almost out. I've kicked grandma out for the moment." Harris looked up. "Nivar took the reports though?"

“Yes and gave me something to stop Hades spying on the place,” he confirmed. “How did dear grandma take it? Can’t imagine she went quietly.”

"No but I pointed out that she hand Hades had a deal. He'd left details of it and that I could, now that I am Acting CMO, pull the plug on her research."

“Wish I had seen that,” Mendez smirked. “Okay, her being in surgery was also the reason I gave Hades. I already said you were on shift tomorrow. At least we got our stories straight.

“So, What was the memory test you mentioned?” He asked. Outside of his natural habitat of the OR he was happy to defer to Harris and his wider experience.

Harris took an empty PADD and keyed in a few details. "Use the Doverin Scanner." It was a new kind of scan. "Have you ever run one?"

“Never,” Mendez admittedly, shrugging, “I’m a surgeon.”

Harris sighed. "Alright." He reached into one of the medical storage places. "It looks like a neural stimulator but it's a bit bigger. Attach it to the center of the forehead. Key in Red, Green, Blue, Green. It will begin a deep scan. It's meant to scan for any memory gaps, It's also designed to scan the neural connections to tell us if something is off. The scan takes twelve hours. Do a blood test and make sure that the sedative is out of her system completely before starting it." He tossed Mendez the instrument.

"I hate to say this but we need Hades back."

“I thought we didn’t want him back?” Mendez asked as he pocketed the device. He called up Carolyn’s chart, ordering blood tests at fifteen minute intervals. The second the sedative was gone, they would know and then he could start. “Even if he seemed quite determined I don’t think Kalani shares the sentiment.”

He sighed. "Yes well Hades is determined and while he needs rest, and this is no offense to you, if anyone can pull Carolyn out of this its him." He began to walk. "I'm going to go see Carolyn. I'll see you in there."

“I’m not offended,” Mendez assured him and it was clear he genuinely meant it. “I do however see a certain physiotherapist that I wish to avoid. I shall go check the recent bloodwork and meet you in there.”

With that, he was off at a pace that would have put a sprinter to shame. Several of the nurses nearby just shared a knowing look, grinning as they turned to the physio and pointed to the room were Mendez had sought sanctuary. Only one noticed where Dr Harris was going, “call if you need anything, Doctor.”

Harris waved.

Inside the room, Nurse Ashleigh was checking all of the vital signs one more time and updating the medical chart when she heard the door to the room open. “Doctor Harris,” she offered with a polite smile. “We are down to 20 percent oxygen and vitals are holding steady, sats holding at 88 percent after a slight dip. I was just about to run another blood test but if there is something you need first?”

"No. Take the test. Then maybe you can do me a favour."

“Of course,” she nodded, quickly drawing a small sample of blood. She glanced over at Harris, “what do you need?”

"After the test can you bring up information from the Vulcan databases on Medical memory blocks. Have it brought up in the spare office. I just don't feel right sitting in Hades' office.

A slight frown crossed the nurses face but she nodded, “of course, Doctor.”

Taking the sample with her she hurried out, leaving Harris alone with just the familiar sounds of the monitoring equipment for company.

Harris sighed and sat down by the bed. He took her hand in his. He'd secretly harboured feelings for her for months now. What happened between them had been...perhaps a dream for him. Oh she didn't feel that way about him and she probably thought their night together was a mistake. Hell the whole reason he'd been so standoffish to her was how he felt. He didn't want her to know to worry about it to feel weird around him.

He gently kissed the inside of her wrist. "I will get you though this. I promise you that. I have some ideas I just kind of wish you were here to criticise them."

There was only silence until the door opened.

“This is how gossip starts,” Mendez warned, rubbing his still stinging left cheek. “I am beginning to realise how painful gossip can be. How do women slap so hard?”

Harris laughed despite all his worry. "You do know you can anesthetize your cheek. With all the slaps your receive might be beneficial." He looked back at Carolyn and gently brushed the hair from her forehead. "Gossip be damned." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Alright. I have some reading to do and you have some tests to do. I promise to issue a no slap order on your behalf."

“That’d be appreciated,” Mendez grinned. “Counsellor Monroe wants to stop by when Doctor Corrigan wakes, any objections? I can insist she waits until after the scan is complete if it may impaired the results.”

"Yes. Wait till the scan is done." He headed towards the door. "Alright. I should get back." He looked at Carolyn once again and then was off.

Mendez sighed as he watched the other man go. About to point out they were now two surgeons down without Carolyn or Hades. He thought better of it. They could reschedule elective procedures, focus on any urgent cases. Ordering the nurses to come wake him the second the sedative was out of her system, he went in search of somewhere he could get an hour or two of sleep. Sure things would get worse before they got better.

He just hoped it didn't involve any more of the nurses...

OFF.

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