Awakening

Posted on Wed Jul 28th, 2021 @ 5:31pm by Lieutenant JG FalenvralLi Zh’kyhrihr & Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki

Mission: By Artemis' Bow
Location: USS Athena - Sick Bay
Timeline: MD-03 After Life in a Box
1433 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Li had woken up with enough hangovers to know that this wasn't one. That stuffy, sweaty, throbbing feeling was being cruelly mirrored by a tinny, achingly empty shivering in her brain. She opened her eyes, then immediately corrected that mistake. She was in sick bay though. She'd seen that much. "Ah, Doc?" she called out, keeping her eyes closed while curling her fingers and toes, testing for sensation.

The surgery was a success but it had been sometime, longer than normal for FalenvrfalLi to wake. Michael had made sure to keep a sharp eye out on the patient as she rested. Her vitals were strong and everything seemed to be going well. He was sore relieved when he heard her weak voice call for the Doctor. "I am here Lieutenant. I am Dr Ki and you have been through much the past few hours."

She opened one eye slightly to peek in the direction of the voice. "Hours?" She rasped, not so much curious about the timeframe as trying to work through what had happened. It was a struggle to recall many details, but a few stuck out, ending with her bright idea to lock themselves in boxes to be blown out into space. Well, at least they'd made it back to Athena. Or at least she had. "The Captain? And The Counselor?"

"Both are well and returned to duty. You suffered a brain injury while in the void. We had to operate to save your life, and you have been in recuperation ever since. But I need to know how you feel? Head injuries could be finniky so we have to make sure..." Michael said with a smile. He began to take scans of the Andorian officer with his tricorder.

Sinking back against the bed, she breathed more easily then dared to open her eyes again and watch the doctor make his scans. "I feel like crap but not broken I guess." She lifted her head, turned it and tilted it trying to get a feel for her balance. "Thanks for the patch-up Doctor. . ." She winced and looked intensely at him for a moment. "Doctor. . . I know you said your name but, honest, it's just an overwhelmed by the situation thing not a brain injury thing that I don't remember it. Unless we've met before. I haven't spent any time in sickbay since I came on board but you don't even look familiar."

"I just arrived yesterday. I am Dr Ki the new Chief Medical Officer. When I boarded you were away on mission and when you came back you were in no shape to meet anyone. However, I am glad to make your acquaintance and that you are healing well. You did give us all quite the scare." Michael said with a broad smile. "Out of curiosity what prompted yourself, the Captain, and the Counselor to thrust yourselves into the void?" He was extremely curious.

"Doctor Ki," she said, pushing herself tentatively into a seated position. "Okay, well it's good to have you on board just in time to unscramble my brain." She put a hand up to her head, running it along the side of her scalp and through her hair to see if she could feel anything. "As for the why... that's... that's sort of my fault, I guess." She swung her feet over the edge of the bed, feeling the urge to pace while she talked, but even she didn't feel up to rushing herself just yet. "We were on the station looking for contraband. Ran into this barrier I had no clue how to get through. Then a door locked behind us and I had no idea how to unlock it. Then I think the compartment started losing air and I... I sort of suggested we stow ourselves in cargo containers and blow out the side of the hull."

"Well it worked as it got you all safely back to the Athena. However, it also served to give you a subarachnoid hemorrhage. That is you were bleeding on your brain. I am glad to meet you, and glad that you are ok." Michael began as he took his final scans. "Listen, do not rush getting up. Recuperating from major surgery such as what you had could take days. We do not want to rush anything. Sounds like the three of you had an eventful time over there. We Doctors usually do not get to participate in the fun stuff."

"I guess a brain bleed is a good excuse to take a little time off, barring some sort of emergency." She lay back on the biobed and looked up at the ceiling, tapping her thumb against her side. "This was sort of my first experience with "the fun stuff". Until I got here it was mostly just flying shuttles and runabouts from point A to point B. That had its own challenges sometimes, but I never quite felt so much like I was being asked questions I didn't know the answers to that could mean the difference between success and failure - life and death." She turned to look at the doctor. "Do you actually feel like you're missing out on the "fun"? I assume you take satisfaction in cleaning up after our fun."

"There is some satisfaction in cleaning up the fun. However, no I do not really feel like I am missing out. I am diagnostician, and as such my undiscovered country is the uncured disease. I would rather be in my lab attempting to cure the incurable then doing anything else." Michael spoke a little whimsically he longed for an missed those heedy days at Starfleet Medical with the Diagnostics Department. Then he added with a little more of a bitter tone to his voice. "Alas, the fleet has better plans for us don't they."

"Dreams and needs will strangle each other," Li quoted. "It sounds like you were the one with dreams. The Fleet needed you here. I hope we don't present too many exotic diagnostic challenges for you, but I'm glad we have you. Maybe we won't keep you too busy to indulge your dreams too." She stretched restlessly. "Does my recovery have to be here? I'm happy to chat, but I feel like I could probably sleep off this headache better in my own quarters unless you really need to monitor something."

Michael smiled at the kind words and was glad to have had the opportunity to make a friend. He took a cortical monitor off the instrument cart. "I do not see a reason that you should not return to your quarters to rest. However, the first 24 hours are the most critical. As such you will wear this cortical monitor so if something happens Sick Bay will be alerted immediately."

"You got it. That thing... beeps or whatever and I'll come right back here." Li did her best to lay still while the monitor was put in place. "And I'll try not to get up to too much fun until tomorrow."

"See that you don't. For if you have no fun, then I get to have my fun." Michael said with a smile and a motion toward the door. "Well Lieutenant perhaps our next conversation will be under better circumstances."

"I look forward to that." Li stood carefully, balance seeming fine, extremities responding normally, her headache not feeling any worse. With one last nod, she left sickbay and walked slowly to her quarters. It was hard not to recall each decision she'd made on her first real away mission. Wonder how it might have gone if the Captain had brought someone more experienced. If she could have made better suggestions to help them get out of there more safely.

It was no sure thing that she'd be getting any sleep when she lay down in her bunk but the opportunity to try was robbed by the klaxon of a Red Alert. Presumably, her medical status meant she didn't actually have to report to her assigned battle station but she couldn't just lie there knowing that everyone else was rushing to prepare for... something. Couldn't just stay in her quarters and not even know what was going on. She reached up and brushed her fingers over the little cortical monitor then stood and donned a fresh uniform jacket.

When she got to the bridge, she found an inconspicuous, empty console from which to review readings and catch up on what was going on. "Hopefully," she told herself, "I can just sit here and keep my mouth shut and avoid any more 'fun'."