Keeping it together

Posted on Sat Jan 18th, 2020 @ 4:15pm by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD & Commander Hades,MD

1,724 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 102 - The Rising Tide of War
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD2 0830 hours

“Do my eyes deceive me or is the vision of beauty before me none other that my favourite fellow physician, the always delighted to help Doctor Elle Reid?”

Having just entered sickbay, Elle Reid rolled her eyes as she turned to face the owner of that voice. Folding her arms across her chest, instantly suspicious with the overly warm welcome, Elle arched an eyebrow before warning, “I am not doing you paperwork. Ever.”

“As if!” Mendez protested with a wounded expression. “As if I would take advantage of you on your first day back. No, no...”

Putting a hand around her shoulders, he guided her towards the doctors lounge. “Besides, we are too short handed for that. How are you? Sure you are ready to be back?”

“Yes...” she assured him, eyes narrowing. Definitely up to something.

“Great!” He smiled broadly as he led her into the lounge which was jam packed with medical students. “Meet our medical students. They are all yours!”

With that he ruffled her blonde hair and made an exit before she could say a word. While no psychic, he saw another slap in his future. On his way to start on rounds - another mundane task he avoided like the plague - he greeted Counsellor Monroe. Technically the scan Doctor Harris has ordered finished in the early hours of this morning but he had waited before telling the woman she could visit. Someone needed rest around here.


——— half hour later ———-

“Doctor Harris?” Mendez said as he entered the office their acting CMO was using, quietly approaching the desk. He felt bad, since by the look of things his colleague had fallen asleep studying- he twisted his head to read some of the text - something. He recognised Vulcan script but that was as far as it went.

Still.

“Doctor Harris!” He said louder, shaking his shoulder. “We have a problem. And then you need to go to sleep. in an actual bed. Have you been in Sickbay all night?”

Harris jolted awake. He'd been at this all night. He'd split his time between sitting with Carolyn and reading up on possible ways to help her. Mendez' voice jolted him awake. "I'm up! I'm up!" He shook his head already on his feet. "Carolyn! Is she alright? What problem?"

Mendez almost jumped out of his skin at the suddenness of Harris’ movements. “Sit down and I will tell you,” he said, pointing to the seat. He perched on the edge of the desk. “Carolyn was awake when I got here so I let Counsellor Monroe in to sit with her for a bit.”

Anticipating it, he put a hand on Harris’ shoulder to push him gently back into the seat when the other man tried to get up. “I’m not done.”

I just had to sedate her. From the readings it seemed she was most definitely remembering something but she was screaming bloody murder for it to stop. I don’t know if it was memories coming through or downright hallucinations but from the spike in adrenaline, heart rate ... She was terrified. I had to step in, but it is mild - it won’t harm the baby and we will have another five minutes or so before it eases off.”

He waited for a punch in the face for sedating her.

Harris' face flushed red and he took a few steadying breaths. "Let's go. When she wakes up I want her ready to move."

“Now?!” Mendez asked, “is that wise? What about Doctor Hades?”

He could, the surgeon thought, be talking to a wall or an especially green about the gills cadet for all the good it would do. For Harris was up and heading out of the office as if he had never spoken. With a groan, Mendez pushed off the desk and hurried after him.

"And the scans? What did they show? And why were you reading Vulcan... something?" he asked, amazed the older man could walk so damn fast.

Harris turned. "She has a memory block on her mind. It's....not a common procedure but I can help her. As for Hades..."

Harris stopped short as they entered the room and found Hades there. "Hello Boys."

“Fu -“ Mendez clamped his mouth shut, gulped and seemed to almost step behind Harris. “Doctor Hades is here, isn’t that great Doctor Harris?”

"My eye." He crossed his arms. "Why then hell haven't I been told about this! You came yesterday and you told me she was off duty resting! Does that look like resting? Then you!" He pointed to Mendez. "You told me she was in surgery. My daughter said there was shady things going on here."

Harris sighed, "Hades we..."

"Why isn't she on Terafeperine!"

Harris looked at Mendez. "Well...they could damage the baby."

Hades eyes narrowed. "Baby? What baby?!"

Mendez leaned in to Harris, his voice low as he spoke up, “went to take your lumps, huh? Resting?”

Clearing his throat he straightened up. “Well as I’m sure you know the reproductive cycle of humans already, I will skip to the part where there is the hormone HGC in her blood. And as for my little white lie... I have no defence other than you are also our patient. And technically, she is resting. Though I would perhaps keep a distance. I didn’t want to keep the restraints in place once she was sedated.”

It was a childish strategy, throwing so many things Hades could get furious about all at once. But it was in a vain hope that Harris could either escape an inquisition or Hades would not specifically ask who the father of the baby was. Perhaps, not unreasonably, he might assume it was Liam.

Hades sighed, Kalani had been on him being patient. "Alright. Restraints? Why restraints?"

“When with Counsellor Monroe she became ... unsettled. A memory, hallucinations I do not know,” Mendez explained. “Screaming in agony if the nurses touched her. They had to restrain her, she landed a few solid kicks before I sedated her.”

Hades' eyes narrowed. "You two should have come to me the moment this happened!" He bellowed. "Fine. The other obvious question! Who's the damned father?"

There was a long silence. Mendez looked at Harris, gesturing with his eyes towards Hades in a ‘go on’ gesture. When that didn’t work he but both hands on his shoulders to nudge the other man forward just a step, “be brave,” he whispered.

Harris shot him a mean look. He straightened with a confidence he didn't feel. "I'm the father."

Hades just stared.

Harris tried again. "I'm the father."

Hades threw his head back and laughed. He shook his head. "This again! I realize you're trying to lighten the mood but. Seriously like anyone would believe that. Put you and Carolyn in a room together and medical would be needed to ID who killed who first."

Harris looked at Mendez and gestured with his hand. "See."

Mendez has expected... something else. Not laughter. “Gotta be a big bruise on the old ego,” he consoled Harris before looking at Hades, “I ran the differentials myself. Doctor Harris is the father.”

Hades' eyes narrowed. "No...."

Harris sighed, "Yes. It was one night. I...For her it was nothing I've had feelings for Carolyn for a while now. That's why I antagonized her. I felt she deserved better."

Hades smiled. "Excellent!" He slapped Harris on the back. "Now we just got to make sure she doesn't miscarry and get you both married and I won't have to airlock anyone."

Medez stared at them, “since she cannot say it for herself, you are being insane! This isn’t the Stone Age. People don’t just get married because a one night stand led to a pregnancy. And I suppose you are happy with his plan to just take her off the station as soon as she wakes up?”

Hades glared at Harris. "Off station?"

He sighed, "Yes. She has a Vulcan memory block but it's more then that. It's done incorrectly. If it breaks down she could die or go insane. We need the colony scientists and medical staff."

Hades sighed. "Alright." He looked at Mendez. "Get her ready to travel. Now my daughter says you both think that her grandmother did something to her or that her overdose was the result of grandmother dearest."

“Something was off, Counsellor Monroe seemed sure she knew more than she was letting on, guilty even but about what?” Mendez shrugged as he headed to an equipment locker and got to work. “Doctor Harris ordered me to pass on the details to a Mr Nivar. All I could tell him was that there was blood under her nails, Vulcan. Or maybe Romulan. A hybrid? I don’t know.”

"Fine. I'll take care of that snake. Harris get her to the colony. Being that you're the father and Carolyn is the mother the genetics might cause a Miscarriage see what the scientists can do and if they can do anything. Also as soon as she's doing better turn on the charm. I want you both married. Clear?"

Harris sighed, "Yes sir."

"Good." He turned to Mendez. "I had several medieval options open. I could have chosen lots I choose a happy wedding. You go tell dragon granny that her license to work on this station is revoked. If she has questions you send her to me. As of right now, I'm cleared for duty. Objections?"

Mendez looked whiter as a ghost as he shoved an equipment bag into Harris’ arms. “No, Sir,” he replied, resigned to how useless an argument would be. “I promised to keep Counsellor Monroe updated. What do I tell her?”

"Absolutely nothing. You tell her it's confidential."

“Understood,” Mendez nodded, slipping out of the room and leaving the two men alone.

Hades looked at Harris. "Go to it. I've got to see Michael."

Harris gave a nod. He walked over to Carolyn and gently kissed her forehead. "It's going to be alright."

Hades who'd turned at the door smiled. Richard had never been in love. Perhaps it was time. He was a good man and Carolyn...well she was a good woman. Time would tell how this all worked out but he hoped they that would be happy.

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