Posted by Lieutenant Commander Bethany Kovra Gadi (Chief of Security) in side-sim: New Rhythms

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Aasrel Izei (Chief Medical Officer) in side-sim: New Rhythms

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Bethany Kovra Gadi (Chief of Security) in side-sim: New Rhythms
Posted by… suppressed (23) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Once past the airlock, Bethany relaxed. She stopped in the corridor and put a hand on his shoulder. “I am so sorry, Aasrel. I didn’t expect to see anyone who knew me. That’s my fault. I put you in danger. I’ll never forgive myself.”

Bethany

Aasrel shook his head. “You couldn’t have known it would happen. We’re both fine. Don’t worry about it. I’ve faced worse than an angry Cardassian and his Nausican assistant.” He walked with her, leading her back towards medical. With a teasing look, “I did say no running.”

~ Aasrel

“I’m too experienced to make such a careless mistake.” She nodded accepting that the Borg were much worse than Vaec. “He’s dangerous because he has a temper and he’s strong and he’s dumb. He can’t conceive of a fight that doesn’t involve fists or guns.” She grinned and bumped her hip against his. “Well I had to decide. Run and be a bit sick or die. I mean there was the chance of a fist fight, but that seemed worse than running.” As they got to the lift she paused. “See you later?”

Bethany

“You’re coming with me,” Aasrel said as the lift doors opened. He pulled her into the lift with him. “You didn’t really think I’d let you get off without a medical check after all that excitement, did you?”

~ Aasrel

She was yanked into the lift, “What??” She sighed and just grinned. “No, I didn’t. I feel fine, really, but I won’t protest.” The lift started to move. She leaned against the wall and sighed. “How did I get an El-Aurian neurotransmitter? I’m Betazoid and Human.”

Bethany

Aasrel gave her a serious look. “I was going to wait until we got back to Sickbay to have this conversation… I want to do DNA testing. Then I want to scan your brain… Specifically, the part that processes sound.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany looked perplexed as her brows drew together. “Sound? I’ve never had a problem with my hearing.” A DNA test. “DNA requires a blood draw right? You can run the test without me there?” She sighed. “And the scans? I can’t be stuck in sickbay.” She held up a hand, “I know, I know I have to be careful, but we’ll be leaving soon to follow the cruise ship. We have to be ready.”

Bethany

“If I’m right, you always have, and never knew it.” Aasrel said. “The blood draw will be quick. But you’ll need to rest for half an hour afterwards. The scans will take a little longer but you won’t be here all day.” He gave her a concerned look. “I want to get these scans done so I can fix you. You’re getting worse. I don’t want to lose you to this.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany nodded smiling softly. “I know. Look, I need two hours baring a ship wide emergency. I need to check in with my department and on a few other things. Let me do that, and I will make sure I won’t be needed the rest of the day. Then I can check in when they are done. Will that work?”

Bethany

Aasrel nodded. “Deal. Meet me in sickbay in two hours. Except the check-up. We’re doing that now.” The lift doors opened and he headed towards Sickbay.

~ Aasrel

“Yes Doctor,” Bethany purred, just to tease him, as she followed him into sickbay and sat down on a biobed. “I’m all yours.”

Bethany

Aasrel got a medical scanner and did a detailed scan. When he was satisfied with the results, he nodded, his gloves fingers brushing against her arm for a moment. “You’re still okay. You can go resume duty.” He said. He still looked concerned, but less so.

Bethany proffered his hands ungloved, but even still the touch left a warm tingle behind. “Just okay?” She snickered and hopped up. “I’ll be back. Try not to miss me too much.”

While she worked, he looked at what he’d looked up on the station. He was more and more convinced he was right. How else would the el-aurian neurochemical for empathy have ended up in her brain? Why wasn’t it going where it was supposed to though? And could it be fixed? He needed to confirm his theory, then he’d need to consult with Th’rethiss on how to fix it. On his arm, there was still no reaction to the sample of Bethany’s psilosynine. But there was still most of a day before the test was considered conclusive.

~ Aasrel

Bethany checked on some programs she had set up in the electronic warfare room, then stopped at her quarters to change. Then she headed to her office to check in with her shift leads and go over plans and basic contingencies. She reviewed their performance on the boarding simulations on the holodeck and made some adjustments to the program. The only good thing Blue did was give them a schematic of the ship so they would be very familiar with the layout when they arrived. Then exactly two hours later she reentered sickbay.

Bethany

Aasrel had the equipment he needed set up for her. He led her to the biobed and sat her down. “Ready?” He asked. He started with the blood draw. Then started the brain scan. It was a fancy sort of brain scan that showed what her brain looked like. “Hold still.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany slipped her coat off and laid it on the table before laying back on the biobed. She took a breath before she answered him. Yes, she wanted answers, but… she sighed again. “Yep, ready.” The hypo tingled as he drew the blood, but it didn’t hurt. Her eyes scanned all the equipment. She contemplated all the programmingvthat would go I to making each piece work. Like the day before and the nanites she seemed to keep asking questions that required long answers. “So what does all this stuff do?” She waved her hand to encompass everything. Then he told her to hold still. “Sorry.” She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing and being still.

Bethany

Aasrel finished taking the images of her brain and turned the scanner off. Then he smiled at her, coming around the biobed, took her hand, and pulled her up. “You’re done. With any luck this’ll be the last or near the last round of testing. I think I saw what I was looking for but I want Th’rethiss to check my results.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany waited for him to tell her more, but he didn’t. She told herself to be patient. That there was no point in getting information that was half formed. If he needed to consult Th’rethiss first she would wait. “Okay,” she nodded, her constant grin and upbeat attitude slipping a little. “Am I okay to go back on duty for now?”

Bethany

Aasrel checked briefly who was around them before taking her in his arms and hugging her. “It’s going to be okay. I just don’t want to get your hopes up.” He squeezed her gently. “We’ll know soon. I promise. Remember your promise.”

~ Aasrel

It was the main med bay, people were still around. Bethany knew they would notice; she didn’t care. She hugged him back. “I know, and I appreciate that.” She laughed. “I won’t forget, and if I do, I am sure you will remind me.” She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on. “See you later,” it was half statement half question.

Bethany

Aasrel nodded to answer the question. “See you later.” He consulted with Th’rethiss on the scans, and then spent the rest of the day going about regular work. When his regular shift was over, he went to his quarters to shower and change, then went looking for Bethany.

~ Aasrel

The Broken Dawn’s security chief was sitting in her office, a plate of half finished food next to her and all the screens lit up. One showed the airlock, another sensor readings around the ship, others videos feeds of the different training simulations going on. She was scribbling bites with a stylus on her PaDD and working something on her terminal as well.

Bethany

Aasrel poked his head into the office. “You still busy?” He asked. “Taking it easy?” He spotted the half finished food, “Eating?”

~ Aasrel

Bethany waved him in, “Just taking notes on this last simulation.” Her eyes stayed on the screen as she made a few notes and then sent it off to Torrek. She looked up at him and smiled. “Done now. I have been here at my desk all afternoon except for one small incident at the airlock. All I did was stand there and talk. I swear.” She looked at the food and shrugged. “I got caught up in a project. Forgot to finish it the last bit. You done? How’s the test on your arm?”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled. “Good.” He went in and stood by her desk. “I’m done. There’s not too much going on on the ship medically lately. I was right about your brain.” He grinned then. “You have the El-Aurian structures in the sound processing center for your brain for their form of empathy.” He shrugged, “I’ll never understand it. Hearing the emotions, or at least that’s what I read. But that’s why you’re producing that neurochemical.” Then he lifted his arm and pulled up his sleeve. It was the left. There was no redness of any kind inside the marker circle. “So far, it’s clear.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany just sat there and stared at him for a long time. She didn’t even glance at his arm. She couldn’t process it. She’d been taken to all kinds of doctors that first year when her father had suspected something was wrong. No one ever ever said her brain was…was… “What??”

Bethany

Aasrel smiled, a gentle and compassionate look, and came around the desk next to her. “I don’t know why the el-aurian neurochemical isn’t going where it’s supposed to, but this is what’s wrong, Bethany. It’s a lot, I know, but it’s good news. I’m still waiting on the DNA results, but I think we know what they’ll say.”

~ Aasrel

Bethany nodded once, slowly. Of course it would be in her DNA. That kind of thing didn’t show up with out it. Unless she had undergone some weird surgery, but that hadn’t happened. That she knew of. She couldn’t write her uncles and her father wouldn’t answer her letters anyway. She didn’t have any other family she could ask. Not that she could reach them right now. It was good news? They knew what was wrong. She couldn’t seem to get her voice to work.

Bethany

Aasrel took her hand in a comforting gesture, letting her process. He wanted to remind her that meant that if he fixed her, she would probably be at the least empathic. But for now he just sat quietly with her.

~ Aasrel

Bethany didn’t want to be empathic. She wanted nothing to do with being even remotely like her father. It was childish and stubborn. She knew that, but it was still how she felt. And did Aasrel say that El-Aurians hear emotions? What did that even mean? And it wasn’t like she could look up on the computer information. And going back on the station wasn’t a wise idea right now. “So…you just take the glands out? That will stop it?”

Bethany

“I could do that, but it would be preferable to get the el-aurian neurochemical flowing properly rather than remove the glands. But, Bethany… You’re going to be empathic either way.” Aasrel said quietly, still holding her hand. “Once the el-aurian neurochemical isn’t blocking your paracortex, the psilosynine will do its job properly.”

~ Aasrel