Posted by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Chief Science Officer) in Where Does Comfort Grow?

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Where Does Comfort Grow?

Posted by Lieutenant Achilleas Petrakos (Chief Science Officer) in Where Does Comfort Grow?
Posted by… suppressed (56) by the Post Ghost! 👻
It had been a couple days since the Ogawa had finished their last mission and about that long since Achilleas had recovered from his head injury. He was on medical for a bit longer but at least he was discharged from medical. He’d had what felt like a lifetime looking at the sterile ceiling of the med bay and so he’d promised to take it easy if he could rest in his own bed. The problem with that is he was only in his quarters for a day before he started going stir crazy. So he took a leisurely stroll through the corridors before he found himself at Solal’s quarters.

CSO Petrakos

Solal had been put in medical after the incident with Achilleas. Since then, a lot had happened, most notably, the cause for his condition found. He was still being treated but likewise had been released back to his quarters where he was on strict orders to rest and take it easy. When he heard something at the door, he said, “Enter.”

~ Solal

The doors parted and Achilleas just stood there. It had been a bit since he’d seen Solal. He hadn’t seen him since the accident in these very quarters. He took a couple steps inside and let the doors close behind him. “Hey.”

CSO Petrakos

Solal sat up quickly. “Achilleas.” He said. There was more emotion in his voice than he’d like. “Have you recovered?”

~ Solal

Achilleas chuckled wryly. “For the most part. I’m supposed to be resting a few more days but they let me go back to my quarters. I thought a stroll would do me some good and found my way to you.”

CSO Petrakos

“Why?” Solal asked impulsively, having not gained his control back. He was a lot better than he’d been, though.

~ Solal

“Why what?” Achilleas asked back with some confusion. “Why was I wandering the corridors when I should be resting or why am I here?”

CSO Petrakos

“Of all the places you could walk to, why here? I am the one who hurt you.” Solal clarified, fighting hard to keep emotion off his face.

~ Solal

“I don’t think you meant to.” Achilleas said with a soft smile. “Accidents happen and I don’t regret trying to stop you from hurting yourself. It was just bad luck.”

CSO Petrakos

“You had a skull fracture, Achilleas.” Wow, he sounded more like his adoptive parents than ever. He took a deep breath and centered himself. “I am thankful you were trying to help. I was not myself. I still do not feel like myself.”

~ Solal

“Well… I can empathize with that. There was a year when I wasn’t my self so I can relate.” Achilleas moved further into Solal’s quarters before he was stood close. “Mind if I sit?”

CSO Petrakos

Solal shook his head and gestured for him to sit. “An apology is in order. Regardless of my mind state, actions took place that caused you significant harm. For that, I am sorry.”

~ Solal

Achilleas sat with a slight sigh. “Apology accepted. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t do it again but I’m likewise not going to let the possibility it could happen keep me away. Friends sometimes hurt friends though I think that’s mostly emotionally.”

CSO Petrakos

Solal nodded. “I’m… It is… interesting you still want to be around me.” He said, struggling to phrase his words in an emotionless way. “Back on Earth, people were… less forgiving.”

~ Solal

“From what you said you were still a child.” Achilleas said slowly. “Children and adults both are less forgiving when children get hurt. I’d like to say I’m a tad bit more mature than that plus I think you’ve likely beaten yourself up enough that my adding on would be pointless.”

CSO Petrakos

“To beat oneself up is an emotional… action,” he said, struggling to find the right word. “You are a tad more mature.” Had he slightly emphasised the word ‘tad’?

~ Solal

Achilleas shrugged but then grinned at Solal. “A tad is good enough for me. I’d rather not be so overly mature that I take everything much too seriously.”

CSO Petrakos

Solal had missed Achilleas far more than he’d admit. He lay back and took a deep breath. “You don’t take things seriously enough.”

~ Solal

“A great counterbalance to you then.” Achilleas said with a chuckle that then changed into a wince of pain.

CSO Petrakos

“Are you okay?” Solal asked. His voice was full of concern - irritatingly.

~ Solal

“Yeah, yeah.” Achilleas waved a hand to alleviate Solal’s concern. “They said I’d have lingering and recurring pain for awhile.” He searched around in a pocket before he produced some medication which he took one of.

CSO Petrakos

”....Okay.” Solal’s thinking wasn’t fully in order yet, he wasn’t supposed to be doing medicine. Brain teasers, mind games, meditation, those things would help.

~ Solal

“How have things been with you?” Achilleas asked after he put the pain reliever back in his pocket.

CSO Petrakos

“I am recovering,” Solal answered evenly. “It’s chronic. It will always affect me. Just not as severely.”

~ Solal

“That is great news!” Achilleas said with an enthusiastic smile. “If you had to rate it how less severe is it?”

CSO Petrakos

Solal gave him a look. “I can breathe without assistance.” By assistance, he meant constant medical support. He was still on medication for his lungs.

~ Solal

“That doesn’t tell me anything.” Achilleas pointed out. “I’ve seen you gasping for breath before. Out of 10 is it needs intubation bad or better?”

CSO Petrakos

“If it still required intubation I would not be talking to you, I would be sedated in sickbay,” Solal said. “I suppose it’s a 5, then.”

~ Solal

“Clearly 10 is the extreme end.” Achilleas smiled. “Would it be fair to say you were at a 7 or 8 before?”

CSO Petrakos

Solal considered for a moment and then nodded. “Breathing felt inefficient. As if each breath brought a tenth of the air in.”

~ Solal

Achilleas raised an eyebrow. “I’d seen it when it was especially bad but that sounds downright torturous.”

CSO Petrakos

“My body attacks my lungs, the inflammation causes the breathing problems.” Solal said with a shrug.

~ Solal

“You’ve explained the mechanics of it before.” Achilleas replied as he was still thinking of how it might feel. “The feeling of it though is more what I empathize with.”

CSO Petrakos

“Why does describing the feeling change it more than the mechanism that creates it?” Solal asked.

~ Solal

“Hmm… I guess it’s similar in a way to when you might burn a finger.” Achilleas mused aloud. “You could say that you’ve lost sixty percent of the use of your finger because of a burn but it’s easier relate to the pain of the burn diminishing your functionality.”

CSO Petrakos

“Sixty percent functionality is objective. Pain isn’t.” Solal replied. “Loss of functionality is a better measurement.”

~ Solal

“A subjective frame of reference is much easier to understand though.” Achilleas said. “In medical terms you could have two patients with heart conditions where one presents with more symptoms, or subjectively worse feeling, while the other’s heart is functioning worse objectively but subjectively they feel fine. Would you only treat the underlining condition but not the pain?”

CSO Petrakos

“That would be considered cruel,” replied Solal. “But it has nothing to do with the underlying condition.”

~ Solal

“Well the pain is directly tied to the condition and often times pain is a good gauge for a condition’s progression. The fact that your discomfort is less is a good indicator that your treatments are helping.” Achilleas countered.

CSO Petrakos

This was logical to Solal. “I am…” He nearly slipped up again, “It is relieving to be in possession of my mind.”

~ Solal

“Now that I can completely relate to.” Achilleas said with a grin. “Being uh, under the influence of a musical inducing fungus was not my shining moment.”

CSO Petrakos

“At least the fungus was the reason,” Solal replied. “My body could do this to me again anytime.”

~ Solal

“That relapse I had has me fearing that it could happen to me again.” Achilleas shook his head a bit forlornly. “The point though is that I know what it’s like to not be in control of your mind.”

CSO Petrakos

Solal nodded. “I am not fully recovered but am far more in control than I was.”

~ Solal

“That is fantastic!” Achilleas replied with a broad smile. “When you’re up for it we should do another concert.”

CSO Petrakos

“If that will make you happy then I will do it,” Solal said. It was a sign of guilt he still felt about what happened.

~ Solal

“It would make me happy. It’s been awhile since I played.” Achilleas nodded. “Are you interested in it though?”

CSO Petrakos

“Yes,” Solal said, simply so Achilleas would do it.

~ Solal

“Okay cool.” Achilleas said, not really picking up on Solal’s guilt or wanting to make amends. “Have you eaten yet? I probably should since I took that medicine for my head.”

CSO Petrakos

“No,” Solal replied. “If you should then let’s go.”

~ Solal

Achilleas nodded and then stood. “Do you need my help?”

CSO Petrakos

“No,” Solal replied, though he’d have said no regardless. He was stubborn that way, and with his mental control weak, stupid human emotions like stubbornness reared their ugly heads.

~ Solal

“Then I suppose we should go find some food.” Achilleas said on his way to the door but then stopped. “Where do you think we should go? The observation deck?”

CSO Petrakos

Solal nodded. He would never admit it, but there was something… Calming about the vastness of space, the stars twinkling all around. “The observation deck is an ideal choice.”

~ Solal

Achilleas nodded his head then lead on the way out the door and down the corridors. “Have you talked with V’alura lately? How is she doing?”

CSO Petrakos

“She is better.” Solal replied. “Still recovering. Same as me.”

~ Solal

“Has her improvement been similar to yours?” Achilleas asked as they entered a turbolift and took it up a couple decks.

CSO Petrakos

“Yes. Different in some ways, but she is on the path to recovery.” Solal shrugged. “She seems more worried about me than herself.”

~ Solal

“Her acceptance of the human side of her and the emotions that come with it will do that.” Achilleas grinned at Solal’s nonchalant attitude over his sister’s worry. “I’ve been very worried about your health and your mind for awhile now.”

CSO Petrakos

“You and V’alura share the same affliction,” Solal said, making a lighthearted shot at their shared humanity.

~ Solal