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

(snip)

Solal shook his head and gestured at the computer. “Can’t focus. Too tired.” The tone of his voice gave away his frustration which was unusual for him. “I’m cough trying to write a letter cough to V’alura.” He took a sip of the water and then, “She has been unwell lately.”

~ Solal

Alexis sat down on a stool. Normally she wouldn’t offer, but the subject of V’alura was difficult for Solal and he had confided in her before. “Would you like help with it?” Alexis blinked slowly at him once, her brain racing along far too many tangents. Even Alexis couldn’t have said what prompted the unusual interest in a stranger. “I am sorry to hear she was sick. What was wrong?”

Bonner

The tests showed immune response around his lungs, mostly fighting the pneumonia, but there was some damage to the lungs in the process. The more abnormal result was the concentration of immune response around his kidneys, which had absolutely nothing to do with the infection. It had been noted that he had not asked for help reaching the rest room very many times, a symptom that might have gone unnoticed had he not been in sickbay.

Alexis got up and walked over to a quieter area of sickbay. “Devick,” Bonner called out and waited for the nurse to come over. “I want a Serum creatinine, GFR, and BUN blood tests. I want a CT scan of his kidneys. Then a urinalysis, urine protein, Microalbuminuria, and ACR. When I’m done get started on those.” Devick nodded and hurried off to prep for the different tests.

His medical history was extensively detailed with dates of childhood vaccinations and illnesses, as well as how the illnesses were treated and how long they lasted. Childhood injuries serious enough to require a visit to a doctor were also listed along any treatment used. He was overall a rather healthy child, with no hospitalisations or major illnesses. No abnormalities were noted.

To Alexis’ interest would be the results of a 23 year old genetic test - running common debilitating genetic diseases, like Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Bendii syndrome, among others. All negative. It also listed his exact genetics: he was indeed 50/50 Vulcan/Human, there was a region of Vulcan listed as his likely origin and several earth regions, mostly Scandinavian and western European. Notably, unlike his adoptive parents, the results showed scarcely little French heritage. But that was all the genetic testing that was done. It was general and fairly vague. The Segals had seen little point in doing more than that.

Later in the day Alexis sat down to look over the information. She scanned every single detail included in the genetic study. The test was looking for specific things, and it often happened that the doctors missed other things because they weren’t looking for it. Then she made a subspace connection to the Vulcan Medical Council to see what they knew about the general genetics and health of people from the region it was concluded Solal’s family was from. She then did the same with Earth. Most she knew, but it didn’t hurt to double check.

Solal hesitated a long moment and then nodded. The letter was already late and he didn’t want to worry V’alura. If he tried to write it, it might not be sent until he was over this infection. He thought about Alexis’ question for a moment. “She was… tired. And she was getting ill more.” He was trying to remember but his mind did not want to focus. “In her last letter, from what she wrote, I believe she was having shortness of breath. I figured she was coming down with a flu.” The truth was, by now, she was sicker than Solal was. Unfortunately, information could only be conveyed so quickly with letters.

~ Solal

Alexis’ brain kind of exploded at that point and was running too many scenarios to count. She had several things to look into, when she was done speaking with Solal. She turned the computer and began to type for him, when the date of V’alura’s letter caught her attention. “Solal…how long have you been having trouble staying on task?”

Bonner