The Not So Perfect Afternoon

Posted on Fri Mar 18th, 2022 @ 2:47pm by Lieutenant Xavier Leiko & Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki & Jerant van Rijn

Mission: With Gleaming Eyes
Location: Triage Site, Ithaca II
Timeline: MD04: Afternoon
4029 words - 8.1 OF Standard Post Measure

The afternoon was quiet, lazy. The two men were busy occupying themselves at other ends of the shuttle. Xavier was near the cockpit, reading a PADD, the odd cough breaking the stillness in the air; Jerant was on his bunk, snoozing lightly, doing his best to heal his body in the most natural way possible. Outside, the sun was shining and the sky was blue and clear. In the distance were the sound of birds in the trees, their songs unfamiliar but pleasant. They were joined by some unknown animals that were clearly native to this land. They sounded a bit like horses, but their calls were sharp and higher-pitched, still, not unpleasant. Every now and again the sounds of people talking outside would float their way into the small craft, but even they had a singsong quality about them, as though they too were taking a break and enjoying this perfect afternoon.

Xavier's PADD went flying across the shuttle and hit the bulkhead with a loud CRASH! It tumbled to the floor, clearly no longer functioning.

"I can't take it anymore," Xavier said, getting up out of his seat in such a hurry that he nearly hit his head on the angled ceiling that surrounded the cockpit. "How long do we need to stay here, cooped up like fenckles?"

The other Betazoid bolted upright at the crash of the PADD, his first thought being that perhaps Xavier had collapsed again and had perhaps hurt himself in the process. Despite the lack of energy he flew from the bunk and rushed forward, concern plain on his face as he came to a stop, leaning heavily on one of the chairs. He relaxed a little as he saw his companion was fine -insofar that was possible in their current conditions- and his eyes travelled to the broken PADD on the floor. "I don't know," he answered softly as he caught his breath and crossed the distance to stand next to Xavier. "Hopefully soon. If this wasn't the safest place for us, and them, to be, then surely they would've moved us by now." While he was no medic, thanks to being in near constant attendance to someone with a medical degree, he had picked up bits and pieces along the way. Not enough to make any sensible remarks, but enough to know that sometimes patience was the best way to go.

He glanced towards the door. "Perhaps we can open the door and just bask in the sunlight a bit, while staying inside? Surely the shuttle has some sort of safe perimeter as well?"

"Well of course we can open the door," Xavier retorted back, clearly still angry. "We can join the dying Metis outside. They don't even need to bury us out there, just let our bodies rot away in the same spot where we fell, give us back to this godless planet. It won't matter that we came here to help these people. It won't matter about our long and dedicated careers to Starfleet. Kane will send a copy and paste letter of condolences to our families and then the ship will go off to their next mission. Without us! Xavier who? Jerant who? We. Won't. Matter!"

"Now who's being all negative," Jerant nodded as he closed the distance between them even more, just about forcing Xavier to look at him. He searched his face, seeing but not sensing the anger. "There's no point in expending energy on something we can't change. The doctors are working hard on a cure, we have to trust that they will. We're not in isolation because we'll get any sicker by being close to Metis, at least I don't think so. We are, so we won't make others sicker. This critter no doubt mutated after infecting us."

He offered a weak smile as he lifted his hand to touch the other's cheek in an effort to be of comfort, and hopefully divert the anger. "Who knows, maybe in a few months we'll laugh about this. Maybe this'll have us come out stronger, and we can face anything after facing death. Right?"

Xavier swatted the man's hand away from his face. He didn't want to be comforted, he didn't want to be fixed. What he wanted was to be back on Betazed, he wanted to be in a familiar place where he could die in peace. He wanted to see the dancing glow at lake T'zorti right before the sunset and the moon came out to begin the night watch and to hear the soothing gunts of the vizca during mating season. More than anything, he wanted his dad. Xavier wanted to be told that everything was going to be okay, he wanted to hear one of his dad's terrible jokes as he tried to lighten the mood or long stories that never had an end or any point to them.

"I'm sorry Jerant, but you're not helping. I know you're trying to but..." Xavier trailed off, not knowing how to end his sentence without offending the man who had shown him nothing but kindness.

Jerant bit his lower lip as his hand was swatted away. "Tell me what you are thinking," he begged of the man, "how am I to help if I don't know what you are thinking?" By this time, he was solely speaking in their native language, as if he wasn't remembering Federation standard. "I hate seeing you like this, and I'd love to know what I can do to cheer you up." He took a deep breath as I'd to draw courage from somewhere. "Please... what can I do?"

Xavier saw the desperation on Jerant's face and wondered if his own face had that same look. He needed a punching bag, but Jerant was too nice for that. "I need my telepathy back," He said, using Federation Standard, anything to keep that connection at bay right now. "I need to be cured. I need to get out of here. If you can help me, then please do."

"So do I," Jerant answered, "my suggestion to just open the door and stay here stands. I'm sure there's some safe zone around us. Maybe we can contact the doctors and ask them on how their progress is?" He was at wit's end on how to help. He could tell something was going on, years of dealing with someone deaf had taught him to read body language like any other and he could tell Xavier was very tense. "How can I help you relax?" He finally asked, "or at least be less tense?"

As mad as Xavier wanted to be it was hard to keep it up with Jerant, and he knew there was no point fighting it. He let out a huge sign and allowed his shoulders to slump slightly. He placed his hand on the side of Jerant's face, stroking it softly with his thumb. Jerant's eyes were warm and inviting and in that instant, Xavier knew the only way in which this man could help him. As he moved in slowly, eyes beginning to close, there was a loud audible cough behind them...

Michael beamed over to where some of the infected were being held. In particular two of the Athna's crew members who were infected were being held. He and Lieutenant Bailey with the help of Lieutenant Denlorr had developed what they hoped was a cure. The only problem was that it wasn't tested on any living patient. He checked to make sure that his hazard shields were active and in working order before stepping inside. "Well Lieutenant and Mr Van Rijn I have good news and I have bad news. The good news is we have worked out a cure, or so we think. The bad news is we have not been able to test it on a living patient as of yet. So it would be up to you... Would you like to be the first? Of course I cannot force you to do this, and I must reiterate that we do not know what this could do you you fully."

Jerant turned and cast the doctor a look that seemed a mix of relief and annoyance. Obviously, something had been about to happen and it had clearly been interrupted. Yet relief won it from annoyance, for now. "A cure?" He glanced back at Xavier, relief turning into hope. "Oh I'd gladly be a guinea pig if that means for us to get out of here and out there in the sunshine. We can get outside, if we do this, yes?"

"Hold on," Xavier said, putting his hand on Jerant's chest and pushing him back slightly, "we obviously have questions. Like how certain are you that this cure will work and surely you have done simulations? So what was the outcome of those?"

Michael decided to address Jerant first. "If you do this and it works you will be allowed out and in the sunshine..." He turned toward Xavier. "Lieutenant you have the right of it and as such I am not going to beat around the bush. This is a highly untested and experimental treatment. However, it has done well in simulations and in practice on dead bio material. In both cases the patient as it were made a full recovery. However, I do want to caution that simulations and tests on cadavers does not living matter make. So anything can happen."

"This is what we want isn't it?" Jerant asked, casting Xavier an imploring look, "we'll be as closely monitored as we are now, and we have a chance of getting better. What have we got to lose?" He turned to Ki. "I want to do it."

"What have we got to lose?" Xavier repeated back at Jerant. "Only our lives. Did you hear the doctor Jerant, did you? He hasn't even tested these on living cells but he's happy to try it out on two sentient beings? Is this really how Starfleet practices medicine?" He asked, turning to the doctor. "Using an officer and a civilian as lab rats?"

"We have nothing to lose," Jerant answered patiently, "if we don't, we die anyway. How many times have we passed out just like that in the past two days? No energy? Barely able to get up at all? Our memories are going Xav, we forget what we did just minutes before." And his point was well proven by the fact that he was solely speaking his native Betazoid language, as he had been for the past few hours. "I want to live, I want to be able to spend more time with you, out there." He pointed out the window, but the movement seemed to unsettle him as he lost his balance and fell against the bulkhead. "I want that cure."

"Lieutenant Leiko this is indeed how Starfleet practices medicine when there is no time to follow the tried and true procedures. If you are not treated according to our best timetables you have anywhere from three days to a week to live. If I had more time I would preform more tests, replicate cells and see how they react. The fact is if we wait too long this virus could mutate again, and all the work that we have done would have to be restructured to suit the new virus. Unfortunately, if I want to save the officer and the civilian I am going to have to cut corners. So the best I can do to preserve life is to offer the options to the patients. The choice is your Lieutenant..." Michael set the case down and opened it as he spoke. Inside was a series of hyposprays, some phials of a purplish liquid and a medical tricorder. He began to set everything up to give the medication to Jerant.

"Please," the civilian begged of his friend, "we have to do this.. and.." he swallowed, briefly looking away. "I don't want to lose you."

"Damn!" Xavier screamed with as much strength as he could muster. He looked between the set face of the doctor and the pleading eyes of his friend. The news of a cure shouldn't feel this heavy, he had dreamt about hearing those words since the day he had fallen sick, and now it was mixed with fear and half-truths. He couldn't help think that the doctor had dozens of Metis out there, they could be his lab rats, see how they react. He instantly felt a wave of guilt, those thoughts weren't becoming of a Starfleet officer, and for the first time, he was relieved that Jerant couldn't hear his thoughts.

"Do me first," Xavier said to the doctor, his eyes determined and his jaw set. "I'm the Starfleet officer, it's my duty to make sure this works before we try it on civilians."

Michael nodded in agreement. "Agreed... This is a series of injections, each given about 15 minutes apart. If this cure is working on you we should see results in a tricorder scan almost immediately. Full cure and return to normal would take two days, as the virus must be eradicated from the body. Are you ready?" Michael spoke to Xavier and prepared the three hyposprays. He also laid out his tricorder and set it up to record at the press of a button. Despite all his bluster Ki admired Leiko in this moment. The Lieutenant had done the most Starfleet thing Michael had ever seen someone do, by taking the cure first. Ki took a mental note to place a commendation on the Lieutenant's file.

"Just do it," Xavier said, a hint of anger in his voice, "before I change my mind."

Jerant felt torn as he held his breath and watched his friend. Part of him just wanted to hold him, while the other part of him warred with that feeling, thinking that might just not be a good idea. In the end, he just took Xavier's hand and held it between his own. He said nothing at first, but watched the doctor anxiously as he worked. "Don't wait until he has all the doses, I don't want to wait. The sooner we know this works, the sooner those poor people out there can have it too."

Michael pressed a button on the tricorder. "Trial one living patient. Lieutenant Xavier Leiko..." He loaded a hypospray with the purple fluid and pressed it to the Lieutenant's neck. However, the Doctor spoke again before pressing the trigger. "...Once the first dose enters the bloodstream you are going to feel dizzy and fatigued. This would be as expected. The drug has to slow your metabolism down to make the virus think you are dying. This will send the virus into a hibernation like state and we can attack it with the next dose." When he finished speaking Michael pushed the trigger and immediately turned his attention to the tricorder.

The word 'dying' didn't sit right with Xavier and he felt a spasm of nausea threaten to embarrass him in front of the two men. "No running commentary please," he said gruffly, after swallowing hard several times, "I'm trying to focus." He could feel his hand getting clammy from Jerant's touch and in a way he wished the man would give him some space, however he was also glad that he was there.

Having watched anxiously, and when noting untoward seemed to happen, Jerant turned to the CMO. "Now me," he all but demanded. He was scared, very scared, but he felt he needed to put on the brave face, needed to do this too. He squeezed the hand he held, then let it go as if somehow knowing Xavier needed some space. Still, he did remain close, just not too close.

"NO!" Xavier shouted, looking from his friend to the doctor. "That wasn't the deal. Once we have established this works, then we do the civilians, not a second before. That's an order," he added, clearly starting to feel delirious and dizzy as the doctor had predicted.

"That's exactly the deal. You said 'do me first', but I have the right to want this too and I said I'd be a test subject first. You can't order me Xav, this is my life on the line, and I want this too." His expression changed, desperation now mixed with anger. "I want this. What if I don't have this long to wait and see if this heals you?" His dark eyes turned towards the CMO. "Please... me too."

Michael's eyes were glued to his tricorder as it scanned Leiko. The man's vital signs were slowing and all seemed to be going as planned. "Jerant I understand your need and want for the cure. However, this is an untested and delicate procedure. Please give me a few more moments to make sure that the Lieutenant's second dose goes according to plan and then I will give you the first dose. As the words left his mouth Xavier's vitals dropped to a barely survivable state. A bead of sweat appeared on Ki's forehead as he gave the patient a head to toe scan. Viral activity had slowed and it was hibernating. In accordance with the Lieutenant's request he kept the running commentary to typing into the PADD. As he pressed the second hypospray to the Lieutenant's neck. "Administering the second dose now, this is when we will know."

Nodding slowly, Jerant watched his friend anxiously. While Xavier hadn't wanted a run down, it now left the other Betazoid wrought with worry for his friend. "How do you feel?" he asked, his voice an anxious whisper.

Xavier turned his head slowly. He was trying his best to focus and remember what exactly was going on. "I don't feel so good," he managed to mumble, before he crumpled to the floor, unable to hold himself up any longer.

Michael's eyes were glued to his PADD. The Lieutenant's vital signs were low but holding steady. At cursory glance one would think Xavier dead, and Michael hoped that it did not slip into that realm. The troubling thing at the moment to the Doctor was that the viral presence within the body had not decreased, it had not increased either. But, no decrease meant that the "cure" was not working, at least not yet.

Everything felt heavy, it almost felt like Xavier was paralysed. His brain was shooting messages all over his body; to his head, his arms, his fingers, his feet, hell even his eyelids, nothing wanted to work. He knew he was going to die on this planet, from the moment he had become infected, but he didn't know it would be at the hands of a Starfleet doctor. He hoped that his dad and brothers knew that he loved them dearly, he hoped his mother knew it too and he kind of hoped that when he was gone, a small part of her would miss him. He doubted it though.

Too slow to react, Jerant missed as he had reached to catch the collapsing man. Which might've been just as well because he wouldn't have had the strength to hold him up. "Xav!" He shrieked in panic, crouching at his friend's side, grabbing his hand once more. His other touched Xavier's cheek, briefly as he searched the man for signs of life. "What's going on! Do something!" He shouted at the doctor, while he shook his friend n a manner that was somewhere between gentle and rough, perhaps a mix of both. "Xav, say something...please! Please, don't die on me!"

Xavier pulled all the strength he could muster to focus on his friend. He gave Jerant a smile, a peaceful smile, the kind of smile one gives when they knew it would be their last. "Jerant," he managed hoarsely, each syllable clearly taking a lot of effort. "This... this is your fault." Xavier's eyes closed and his head lolled.

"What? No, no!" Weak and pale as he was himself, Jerant went even whiter. "No, no, don't die!" He leaned forward, remembering a certain fairytale. "Stay with me," he whispered as he gently kissed him.

Michael kept his eyes on the tricorder and did not acknowledge the emotional Jerant. A small and melodic tone chimed from the tricorder. Ki smiled broadly "YES!" he exclaimed. Now the cure was doing exactly what he intended it to do. The viral presence was decreasing exponentially. The Lieutenant was well on his way to being cured. However, this was the crucial moment. The Doctor had to bring Xavier back from death at just the right moment where the virus was gone. "Viral output at 50 percent and falling... 30 percent... 20 percent... 5..." He quickly loaded a hypospray with Cordrazine and pressed it into the Lieutenant's neck. The sweat on Ki's brow showed the stress that he was under. Although that was the only indication. Xavier's vital signs immediately began to rise and stabilize. He was back in the world of the living as it were. "Welcome back Lieutenant and I am happy to say you are cured."

Xavier felt as though he were floating, it reminded him of his zero-g training back at the academy. He felt great, as though there wasn't a care in the universe, nothing mattered. Not his career, or his responsibilities, or Starfleet, or Ari, nothing at all. Just as he was enjoying the feeling, he was yanked back to reality. He could feel the pounding of his heart in his chest, the beads of sweat that made his hair cling to his forehead, the warm air, the presence of people near him. He opened his eyes slowly, cautiously. "Did it work?" He croaked.

"Seems so," the other Betazoid answered, relief audible in his voice. He looked pale and at the end of his strength but he continued to hold Xavier's hand. Lightly so, given his lack of physical strength. "Glad to have you back," he added softly, before slowly turning his head to look up at the CMO. "Now me," he said firmly.

Xavier tried to squeeze the man's hand back but he lacked the ability to do so right now. "I'm happy you're here Ari," he said. "I love you so much. But I just need to close my eyes now, so tired..." He mumbled as he trailed off, completely fatigued from the events of the day.

Jerant just smiled, thinly so as he was apparently taken for someone else. He couldn't really blame the man now could he? Even if being mistaken for a past lover did sting. He felt the light squeeze and took comfort in it instead, keeping expectant eyes on the CMO.

Michael wiped the sweat with the back of his sleeve and prepared the hyposprays for another round. "Ok Jerant... lay down on the other bed." Ki gestured to the other bed in the room and waited for Jerant to lay down and relax. The stress and intensity of the situation began again. But, about an hour later Michael watched as the viral output numbers for Jerant began to drop. The cure worked but Michael knew that with the number of patients that needed the cure, he would have to figure out a way to speed the process up. "Welcome back Jerant. Please just relax. Now for the both of you I am going to leave you here for the next 24 hours for observation. You can step outside for some air but do not venture far. If everything checks out you can return to the ship tomorrow."

Xavier stirred but didn't take the doctor's words in, he was well on his way to recovery and feeling better than he had done in days. The only thing that troubled him was he was very aware of how quiet everything still was; he had zero sense of anyone around him emphatically or telepathically, complete silence. He hoped that this would return soon, otherwise how would he go on? Would he even be Xavier Leiko anymore? He eventually drifted into a deeper sleep, but the dreams were constant and full of worry.