Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Nytha’rae of Vael’Lume (Chief Science Officer) in Sickbay – Check-In

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Finn Grady (First Officer) in Sickbay – Check-In

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Nytha’rae of Vael’Lume (Chief Science Officer) in Sickbay – Check-In
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Sickbay was brighter than the corridors outside, the light clean and clinical in a way that made Nytha’rae’s bioluminescent markings glow faintly against her will. The air carried the sterile scent of recycled breath and antiseptic too sharp, too empty of life.

She paused just inside the threshold, tail curling once behind her as she took in the room. Biobeds lined the far wall. Monitors pulsed with quiet readouts. A pair of nurses moved between stations with efficient, practiced steps.

Nytha’rae approached the nearest intake station and inclined her head.

“Nytha’rae of Vael’Lume,” she said softly. “I am here for onboarding physical evaluation.”

The nurse glanced up from her padd. A Bolian woman, calm-eyed and unhurried. “Welcome aboard, Lieutenant (jg). I’ll get you checked in.”

The padd chimed as the nurse confirmed her identity and assignment. Her gaze flicked briefly to Nytha’kae perched at Nytha’rae’s shoulder, then back to the screen professional, curious, not unkind.

“All right,” the nurse said. “If you’ll follow me, we’ll get you settled on a biobed. The doctor will be with you shortly.”

Nytha’rae followed, footsteps soft in her flexible footwraps. The hum of the ship threaded through the quiet of Sickbay, a low vibration that set her bioluminescence into a restless shimmer. Nytha’kae shifted, tucking his wings closer as they passed a diagnostic alcove that emitted a brief, high-pitched tone.

The nurse gestured to an empty biobed near the back, partially screened from the rest of the room.

“You can wait here,” she said. “If you need anything, just let me know.”

Nytha’rae inclined her head in thanks and stepped up onto the biobed, settling carefully so her tail was not pinned beneath her. The surface was cool and unyielding beneath her, far from the living warmth of Vael’Lume’s bark and vine. She folded her hands loosely in her lap and focused on her breath, slow and measured.

The nurse drew the privacy screen partway closed and moved away, her footsteps fading into the soft rhythm of Sickbay.

Left alone, Nytha’rae let her senses drift outward. The lights were too bright. The air too dry. The hum of the Chimera pressed through the bedframe and into her bones. Nytha’kae crept from her shoulder to the edge of the biobed, claws clicking softly on the metal as he peered around the unfamiliar space, his jewel-toned glow dimmed to a cautious ember.

We wait, she thought, steadying him as much as herself.

The biobed’s surface was still cold beneath her palms. Somewhere beyond the thin partition, voices murmured, instruments chimed, and the ship went on being what it was vast, prepared, and utterly indifferent to the small, living thing waiting quietly at its heart.

Lt JG Nytha’rae

A few moments later, an ensign wearing medical blues poked his head around the corner looking rather frazzled. He offered a weak smile.

“Hello, there… have you been helped yet?” he paused briefly, then sighed. “No, of course you haven’t because I haven’t helped and you I seem to be the only doctor on duty today.”

He stepped up next to the biobed and took a few calming breaths. “My apologies for the wait… I’m Doctor Goode, what can I help you with? Are you injured?” His eyes finally focused on the small creature on Nytha’rae’s shoulder and widened slightly. “Ummm.... either of you?”

NE Goode - A doctor

Nytha’rae inclined her head in a small, respectful greeting, careful to keep her movements slow so as not to startle the already-frayed calm of the space. The doctor’s fatigue was visible in the way he drew breath, and she adjusted her presence to meet the moment.

“I am Nytha’rae of Vael’Lume,” she said gently. “This is Nytha’kae.”

At his name, the small dragon lifted his head, jewel-toned bioluminescence rippling once along the edges of his wings before settling again. Nytha’rae raised one hand slightly, palm open, a gesture of reassurance.

“We are not injured,” she continued. “We are here for our check-in. Baseline evaluation, as requested by intake.”

Her tail eased into a neutral curve behind her as she waited, bioluminescent markings holding a calm, steady glow.

Lt.JG Nytha’rae

“Ah, well of course I can handle that for you… both… I suppose?” he looked again at Nytha’kae. “I might just have to pull up some records from your home world. I haven’t had the… well… opportunity to encounter one of these animals before.”

He pulled up some information on the computer terminal and glanced over a few files, nodding to himself. Then focused back on Nytha’rae and Nytha’kae.

“Ok, crash course complete,” he activated the biobed and grabbed a medical tricorder from a nearby table. “Just a couple scans if you don’t mind, this shouldn’t take very long at all. While I’m doing that, Lieutenant, any issues I should be aware of?”

NE Goode - A doctor

“I have no wounds that require mending,” Nytha’rae said evenly. “Only the weight of travel.”

Nytha’rae sat on the edge of the biobed, posture upright, feet resting lightly against the deck. The bioluminescent lines along her throat held a low, steady glow. At her subtle gesture, Nytha’kae settled along the raised rim beside her, wings folding close to his small body as his jewel-toned light dimmed into a calm, resting pattern.

The tricorder passed over Nytha’rae’s shoulders and down the line of her spine.

The display registered a stable cardiovascular rhythm, elevated only slightly from baseline. Neural activity along the para-sympathetic nerve stems showed smooth, repeating waveforms. Bioluminescent output fluctuated in soft, controlled pulses that matched her breathing cycle.

When the tricorder shifted to Nytha’kae, the readings mirrored.

His heart rate aligned within fractional variance of Nytha’rae’s. Neural activity along the paired nerve stems beneath his wings displayed the same oscillation pattern as hers, offset by only milliseconds. The bioluminescent output across his wings brightened and dimmed in near-perfect synchrony with the glow along her throat.

As the tricorder moved back and forth between them, the two sets of readings continued to align autonomic rhythms stabilizing in tandem, the paired nerve stem activity rising and settling together.

LT.JG Nytha’rae

Dr. Goode stared at the readings with slight fascination. “Wow… this is… new for me. I have questions…”

He opened his mouth as if to ask those questions but then stopped short, realizing that perhaps a boarding exam was not the place for it. The doctor also realized that perhaps it wasn’t Nytha’rae’s job to satisfy his curiosity about these things.

“Ummm… I mean you seem… both of you that is.... seem healthy. I’m sure I can find answers to my questions elsewhere. I bet a little bit of rest will take of that travel weariness so do try not to overdo it the first couple of days,” he said with a shy smile. “And we are always here if you need us.”

NE Goode - A doctor

Nytha’rae remained seated on the edge of the biobed, posture relaxed but attentive. The soft glow along her throat shifted slightly warmer as she watched the doctor studying the tricorder display.

Beside her, Nytha’kae tilted his small head toward the device, the jewel-toned bioluminescence along his wings giving a brief curious pulse.

Nytha’rae inclined her head.

“You may ask your questions,” she said gently. “Curiosity is not an offense.”

The glow along her cheekbones brightened faintly as the tricorder continued to scan.

The readings remained steady—cardiovascular rhythms between the two still aligned within narrow margins. Neural signals from the paired parasympathetic nerve stems continued to oscillate in synchronized patterns. Each small shift in Nytha’rae’s bioluminescent output was mirrored moments later by a corresponding pulse from Nytha’kae’s wings.

Nytha’kae stepped lightly along the edge of the biobed, settling again beside her hand.

“We have nothing to hide from those who seek understanding,” Nytha’rae added softly.

LT.JG Nytha’rae

Dr. Goode’s face brightened, the hunger for knowledge plain on his face. “Wow… yes… so I notice your neural signals are aligned and in sync, how does that happen? Is there a telepathic bond? How do you get bonded? Is this something that happens in youth? How aware are you of each other?”

He paused for a moment, realizing that he had just blasted the other officer with a ton of questions, took a deep composing breath and then focused back on the other officer with a smile and waited for her to answer.

NE Goode - A Doctor