Seeking Answers

Posted on Sun Jul 3rd, 2022 @ 10:13pm by Lieutenant Xavier Leiko & Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki

Mission: Character Development
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Set right before "Welcome to the Hotel Toram...ifornia"
1320 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Xavier had had enough of playing the guessing game and knew it was time for him to seek professional help. He generally had no ill-will towards any medical staff, being physical or mental. In fact, he highly respected what they did and the amount of compassion they had, especially compared to most Starfleet officers who avoided blue uniforms like they were the Bolian fever plague. But for some reason this, whatever this was, felt too personal, a bit too close to home. Xavier wanted answers more than anything, but it was also the truth that had stopped him from visiting sickbay in the first place.

Xavier walked through the double doors of sickbay and looked around for Doctor Ki. He hadn't seen the man since their time at the triage site on the surface, and if the Betazoid was being honest, he really didn't particularly want to see him again. However, he needed help and Ki was sworn to do just that. Thankfully, most of the staff were enjoying shore leave so it didn't take long to find the doctor. "Are you busy Doc?" Xavier asked, half hoping the man would say he was so Xavier had an excuse to leave.

"Not at all Lieutenant. Is there something wrong?" Michael's words said that he was free however, the tone of his voice said that he was not. In truth he was free but he found people walking into Sick Bay to disturb his diagnostics. That which he liked more. And so his curmudgeonly attitude came out fully.

"Are you sure?" Xavier asked, he had detected the tone underneath the words and he was eager for a reason to chicken out of this visit. "I can come back when you're more, available?"

"No, it is fine. Have a seat and tell me what is going on. Is there anything that I can get you? Some warm Sake perhaps to calm the nerves. It seems that you are a tad frazzled." Michael said as he strode toward the replicator. He planned on a having a cup of Sake himself it always cleared his mind. He didn't have to be a Betazoid to sense that there something fairly big on the Lieutenant's mind.

"No, no thank you," Xavier said, wondering if it was good that the doctor was drinking while on duty. He waited for the man to return from the replicator before he dived into the reason for his visit. "The reason I'm here Doctor is that my telepathy still hasn't returned since I got sick on the planet. I thought it was temporary, but it's been weeks now and it feels as clouded as when it first started. I feel deaf, like part of me is missing. I need you to fix me."

"hmmmm... The telepathic part of the brain can be a finicky thing. It is possible that there is something wrong, however, it is equally possible that it just needs more time." Michael began and then took a medical tricorder out. "The first thing that I can do is run a brain scan and compare it to scans that are on file before you were on the planet. Perhaps I will find something there."

Xavier winced when the doctor mentioned that the brain might need more time, he didn't want to hear that, he didn't want to compute that. What he wanted was for the doctor to say: ah my mistake, I forgot to give you this hypospray, all better now and for Xavier to feel like himself again. Trying to stay optimistic, though still nervous, Xavier nodded his head and hopped onto one of the empty biobeds. "Run your scans Doctor," he said as calmly as he could.

Michael scanned Xavier with the medical tricorder and had the results sent to the computer. Within moments a side by side comparison of the scans that he had just made and scans that were made prior to the incident could be seen on the screen. Michael stood there for a long moment with his hand on his chin as he examined the results. After a few minutes he spoke. "I am sorry Lieutenant I cannot see any differences here. According to these scans there should be nothing wrong."

Xavier's head drooped, that was the exact opposite of what he wanted to hear. "Run them again," he said, a note of defiance in his voice. "Clearly something is wrong with your scanner, do the tests again!"

Ki ran the scans again at Xavier's request and again the results came back that there was nothing wrong. "It still looks as if there is nothing wrong. I will tell you what, I will have Engineering run a diagnostic on the medical systems. However, in the meantime can we discuss the possibility that this could be psychosomatic. It could be that you are having these symptoms as a result of the trauma from the planet."

Xavier swung his legs off the biobed and made his way over to the main diagnostic console. He pressed a few buttons and ran a self-diagnostic, the results came back negative; everything was working to peak efficiency, except him apparently. He turned back to face the doctor with a sigh. "I wouldn't exactly say it was very traumatic doctor. I went to a planet, got sick, got cured, end of the story. That's the day in the life of a Starfleet officer isn't it?"

"True but what is not a day in the life of a Starfleet Officer is dying. You left out that part in your little summation. The cure killed you and then you were brought back to life. That has to cause trauma whether you know it or not." Michael was not usually this worried about his patients. However, this case had piqued his interest and now he had to solve this puzzle.

"I try not to think about that part," Xavier said honestly. "It breaks the illusion that I'm immortal," he added with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "If your theory is right, what can I do? How can I fix this?"

"For now the only thing I can suggest is some rest. Not total rest... Go about your duties but find time to relax. In the meantime I will go over these scans and see what I can find. I will also see if Jerant is affected. I promise you I will figure this out." Ki was empathetic in his response, which is something rare from this doctor.

Xavier's shoulders slumped so low, that they were at risk of falling off his body altogether. This clearly wasn't the answer he had wanted to hear but he was powerless to change the outcome, and if there was one thing he wasn't good at, it was being powerless. "Understood," he replied flatly. "Can I ask you to check the medical database, there has to be a case like this previously documented? I know it might take some time and we're meant to be on shore leave, but I really need some hope right now Doc."

"Without doubt I will check the databases and see if there is anything that can relate..." Michael began and then his usual aloof demeanor changed to something more akin to a regular a doctor, something more empathetic. "...Xavier I am a Diagnostician, it is where my passion lies. I promise you I will not rest until we figure this out."

Xavier let out a long breath he didn't realise he was holding, resigned to the fact that for now there was nothing he could do to restore himself to the way he was. "Thank you Doctor," he mumbled, his voice heavy and tears threatened to spill from his dark eyes. "I appreciate it." Giving the man a curt nod he left sickbay possibly feeling worse than when he had entered.