Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side-sim: The Reckoning

(snip)

Randy looked at the display. “About 10-15 minutes. Once the regenerators are done with this round. He also wants you to be mostly awake. So how tired are you feeling now, with the anesthesia and pain meds?”

“Like perhaps I could go for a nap, but I don’t need one,” he said, unsure how to relate how tired he was into words. Roman realized when Randy mentioned ‘in ten to fifteen minutes’ that Roman hadn’t the slightest clue what time it was. “How long has been? What time is it?”

Rand answered, “You went in at 2200 and it’s 0900 now. The surgery was really long, and then you were asleep for awhile afterwards.” She held onto his hand hoping the time didn’t make him more disoriented or stubborn. He had to get better which meant he had to be calm and cooperative, and not freak out over how much time he was there.

“You can have something to drink, water or juice to start with. If it stays down we’ll move on to something more substantial, maybe ice cream,” he grinned as Rand looked up clearly interested. If Roman didn’t know it yet, a constant supply of ice cream was the quickest way to distract Rand from anything. “Cold drinks usually help you wake up, clear the fog some.”

Roman did not know that, ice cream had not come up between them. He didn’t miss Rand’s eagerness at its mention though. He did not feel hungry or thirsty just yet, but if it would help him finish waking up… “Tea isn’t on the menu yet, then? Shame. Suppose I’ll take the cold water then.” He certainly wasn’t as interested in ice cream as Rand, but it wasn’t that he didn’t like it or anything. “If you’re worried about things staying down, wouldn’t dairy be a poor choice?” He questioned.

Randy shook his head, “Nausea after surgery has more to do with the thickness/heaviness of what you consume than what it’s made of. Now if you’d had surgery on your digestive system, then it would be a consideration.”

Roughly 12 minutes later Elbbirt walked in just as the regenertators beeped the end of their cycle. “Ah Cmdr. I’m glad to see you’re already sitting up. We’re going to take some images while we talk, see how everything looks.” He turned to Rand, “As for you, you and I are going to talk later.” Rand sat up a little straighter, eyes wide, “Randy said I could be in here!” she blurted out. It was everything Elbbirt could do not to laugh. “Right he was. But reinjuring that same broken ankle…tsk tsk. I don’t like it. We’re going to have to have a long look at your foot. So you hop along back to your biobed and I’ll talk to you in a few.”

“But my 12 hours are up.” She looked at Roman and then Randy. She didn’t want to leave. Elbbirt could do whatever he wanted with her and her foot as long as she could stay there. “So they are, but I still don’t have your report on what happened yet, which is very unlike you.” Rand looked like a fish out of water. “I’ve been in sickbay. It’s on my PaDD from the landing team.” Elbbirt nodded, “Well we will send someone for it. In the meantime scoot, confidentiality and all that.” He looked at Alden, “Unless, of course you don’t mind if she stays Cmdr.” Randy turned away hiding a grin while he got the lens ready. Elbbirt was a devious old man.

Rand

Roman nodded. He wondered if Elbbirt already knew how the process of getting him sat up had gone. He glanced at the lens. “More images?” He protested. He must have been feeling more like himself, his defiant, argumentative side was showing itself again. Rand blurted her permission to be here and Roman had to smile a little. At least she drew attention away from him for a moment.

Elbbirt went about what he was doing, Alden’s attitude not phasing him at all. It made his work more difficult but the return of Alden’s attitude so soon after waking up was a good sign. “Of course more images, how else will we know how the sessions are going and how you are healing. I’m not a super hero from 20th century Earth comics with x-ray vision.”

He gripped her hand tighter when Elbbirt told her to ‘hop along back’ to her biobed. Roman didn’t want her to go anywhere either. He still didn’t seem like he liked being here but he was certainly more relaxed than if Elbbirt made Rand go away. Elbbirt turned to Roman and asked if he minded if she stayed. He didn’t know Elbbirt already knew, but they had decided already it wasn’t a secret. They’d even been on a public date before the landing party. Roman answered confidently. “Certainly she can stay, all she likes.” He almost added she’s my girlfriend, but he wasn’t sure Rand would be comfortable with that declaration. He was sure Elbbirt wasn’t the type to go spreading rumors, so he wasn’t worried about it.

Rand was so relieved she wasn’t leaving she didn’t even worry about how or when Elbbirt found out. She settled back into her chair and reached for his hand again. But not for long. Randy came and scooted her and her chairs out of the way. “Need room to move the imager around,” he explained to her and then said something softly in Gaelic. It made Rand turn red and look embarrassed, but she mouthed off back to Randy so it must be okay.

As the images and scan results were taken Elbbirt explained them all to Alden making sure to be clear and concise. And leaving time for Alden to ask any questions he might have.

The images, when they were taken, would show marked improvement in his leg. The surgery had successfully removed all of the irreparable and dead tissues, and it seemed the transplanted blood vessels were doing their job well. Blood flow looked good. The tissue graft had begun to bind to the surrounding tissues, but the damage to the surrounding tissues was making it a slow going process. If they looked for it, there was a lot of neural activity, it was hard to tell exactly what was going on, but his body screaming ‘pain’ was probably an accurate description. Some of the nerves were damaged from the lack of blood flow, and from everything else that had gone on in his leg, but with any luck, they would heal. His body had broken down some of the smaller clots, but many were still visible when scans looking for them were taken. The neural block was placed and doing exactly what it was supposed to do, none of the pain impulses (or any impulses) from his leg were reaching his brain, preventing him from sensing the pain.

It would probably take two to three or so days for the potassium and myoglobin to drop to an allowable level, longer to be gone completely. A lot had built up because of how long the dead muscle had been left to decay, and how much dead muscle there had been. The medicines, one which would bind with the excess potassium and neutralize it and the other to help his kidneys function and protect them while they tried to filter the myoglobin, were keeping everything stable. His kidneys were under stress, but not being damaged. His resting heart rate was still high, currently sitting just over 100, but that wouldn’t be a problem if it didn’t stay higher than that, besides mild symptoms of a rapid heart beat. His heart rhythm was regular besides being fast, so that was good. Because his heart beat was still fast, his breathing was a little fast, as it had been before.

With the rate the graft was binding to his leg, and how his heart and kidneys were acting, he would need to continue to take it easy at least the next few days. Overexertion would slow the healing process, keep his body in its current condition longer. Anything to push that heart rate up would be both dangerous and ill-advised. And of course, moving that muscle would be a bad idea all around. The attachment to the existing tissue was new and tender, easily broken, which would set back his progress. The nerves needed time to heal, time to rest. He needed to be letting them do that.

~ Roman

“The neuro-regenerator is confined to sickbay. So from the looks of these scans, as long as the next two sessions go well, that one will be done. Then we can work on removing the nerve block and finding a pain medication routine that works. One where your body stays relaxed and doesn’t tax itself, but with as few side effects on you so you are comfortable. So....” he looked at the scans again, “a day and half. Then you can finish bed rest in your quarters. The dermal regenerator is portable, but that will take at least a week. More if you move the leg too much. It is also very important to keep your heart rate down until all the toxins are out of your system, but that’s just another couple of days. Any questions, concerns, complaints?”

Elbbirt