Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side Sim: The Confounding Symptoms

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Bonner (Assistant Chief Medical Officer) in Side Sim: The Confounding Symptoms

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side Sim: The Confounding Symptoms
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
It was a few weeks after Solal had asked Alexis every question about pets and why people have them as well as his meet and greet with Frigga. Several more letters had been exchanged with V’alura, not that he spoke much about that, though he had mentioned she was sick lately. His tiredness had gotten worse since then, now he wasn’t making it through full workdays without a large amount of caffeine, considering because of his Vulcan biology, caffeine had little effect on him. Even the placebo effect was better than nothing.

That day, he was working in his office. He’d woken that morning with a temperature of 93.5… a two-point-two-degree raise from the Vulcan ‘normal’ temperature of 91.3. His throat was scratchy but he’d just taken an over-the-counter cold medication to hold himself over through his shift and taken himself off patient duties. The cold meds were only a six-hour remedy though, and already beginning to wear off, so as he worked, he tried to hide a cough he could not get to go away, on his sixth cup of caffeinated tea, which he usually never, ever drank. Caffeine kept one from being calm and relaxed.

~ Solal

Alexis was always aware of things going on around her. It was just a matter of whether or not her brain deemed those details significant. So at first she didn’t notice that Solal was acting different. They spoke frequently about patients and duty rotations and various things work related. Once or twice he mentioned his sibling and that she was ill. Somewhere in the caverns of her brain she registered he was drinking a lot of tea more tea than usual and he seemed…tired. They were similar that way, on duty anyway. However it was Solal taking himself off duty that drew her attention. There was a shuffling around of assigning appointments. It wasn’t a problem, but when Alexis checked the reason and it was because Solal had taken himself off patient rounds because he was feeling unwell she got up from her desk and went to see him.

She found him in his office and knocked on the door frame. “Dr Solal.”

Bonner

Solal thought he was doing a decent job hiding his symptoms. The tiredness could be explained away. But he wouldn’t risk paitent health, if he had an unknown infection he could absolutely not be around potentially immunocompromised patients. So he had taken himself off duty. It was the logical thing to do. He was surprised to see Bonner at the door to the office, knocking on the frame. “Doctor Bonner? Did you need something?” His voice was level as ever, but the dark, green-tinted circles under his eyes gave away his tiredness, his face flushed lightly green with fever.

~ Solal

“I saw you took yourself off patient duty because you were feeling ill. Protocol requires I come to take a list of your symptoms incase it’s something that spreads.” Alexis’ gaze traveled over him and her brain quickly took in the data. The flush told her a lot. The dark circles that his body wasn’t getting enough sleep to heal. “You are feverish.”

Bonner

“I cannot risk patient contact until I know what it is and if it is contagious.” Solal was familiar with the protocol, though he had entirely forgotten she’d have to take a list of his symptoms. He considered his options. Clearly, she had already gathered his fever, and it would not be difficult to check ship logs to see he’d had to request the cold meds - he didn’t bring any and he didn’t know anyone to ask personally. Honesty it was. “Fever of 93.5, general malaise and fatigue, cough, nasal congestion, headache. I can do paperwork and officework, but with those symptoms I knew I could not be anywhere near my patients.”

~ Solal

Alexis gave a firm nod. She wasn’t worried about Solal breaking protocol or putting patients at risk. This was simply a formality. She jotted down his symptoms on a PaDD that she never seemed to be without. “Have you taken anything for the symptoms? Would you like me to do an exam or have you conducted one yourself?” That was frowned upon but was expected. Doctors made the worst patients as the saying went and they all thought they could diagnose and treat themselves. Even Alexis.

Bonner