Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: The Reckoning

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

(snip)

Rand held his hand when he reached for hers and then he was squeezing it. Squishing the life out of it. She didn’t say anything; she just let him keep squeezing. She leaned over and whispered in his ear. That she loved him, that he should really watch the last movie on the disk. That as soon as he got back to his quarters he could have all his notes from Kelmao. That they would look at the pictures she took.

Elbbirt looked up, he didn’t like how fast Roman’s heart was beating or the way he was breathing. “That depends on how quickly your body adjust to the return of feeling. A day give or take.”

Roman wasn’t sure he was going to last a whole day like this. The pain was so intense, he barely registered what was being said to him. His face was beaded with sweat. Rand’s touch barely seemed to register, as if the pain was simply all his brain could process. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on something other than the pain. He didn’t want pain meds. He had to hang on. He couldn’t have the Kelmao notes if he had the pain meds.

Rand tried to reach his other hand but couldn’t from where she was, so she rubbed his arm and shoulder and kept talking to him, but he didn’t seem to hear her, or maybe his mind simply couldn’t focus. Randy shared a glance with Elbbirt, the rest of Alden’s body was twitching from the pain and if they let it go on much longer his mind would shut down and he’d pass out. But that wouldn’t stop the pain, he would just be unaware of it. And this kind of physical stress was not conductive to helping Alden get past his previous trauma.

Roman was grinding his teeth and the monitors sounded like a galloping horse and his breathing was strained and the bones in her hand might bruise…or break. She whispered into his ear, “Roman, take the pain meds.” She hugged him, it was awkward from where she was standing but she did, holding onto him. She looked at Elbbirt, “He’ll start coming off the pain meds once it’s under control, right?”

Elbbirt nodded, “That’s the plan. Get him comfortable and his body out of danger of shock and then start lowering the dose.” Rand squeezed his shoulder. Elbbirt knew he was in pain, and he was dangerously close to his body giving out from the pain, his heart, blood pressure, respiration, were dangerously high. He wanted Alden to consent to the meds, to know he needed it, but he didn’t think that was going to happen. “He can’t leave until the pain is under control and his vitals are normal.”

Roman gave a little shake of his head. He did not want pain meds. Not even now. It was awkward from the angle she was at, but she hugged him. He wanted to hug her back but his hand refused to unclamp itself from the side of the biobed. The other one was still hanging on to her hand. Couldn’t leave where? Of course he couldn’t leave. He couldn’t move. Couldn’t think about much else, either.

This was ridiculous. Rand, if she could get her hand away from Roman, was going to give him the meds herself and they could all yell at her later. He was going to pass out, she could tell from the way he was hyperventilating and his heart was going too fast. And he might not notice but she noticed the looks that Elbbirt and Randy were giving each other. She stared hard at Randy till he looked at her, “Just give it to him.”

He didn’t notice their looks. He did hear her try to get Randy to give it to him, and he gave another little shake of the head. His stubborness was truly rediculous. Roman tried to let go of her hand, he was sure he was hurting her, but like the other one, his hand would not let go.

Rand leaned back into him and lowered her voice to his ear. “Just rip the band-aid off, Roman, and take the meds.”

Rand

The heightened vitals were making him lightheaded. Roman couldn’t make himself look up but he could hear the biobed’s monitors. His fresh clothes were now sweaty. Everything was way too high. He was either going to pass out, or… Rand was leaned into him. Whispering something. If it wasn’t taking everything he had to stay conscious, to keep from screaming or crying or something, he’d have groaned. That’s what he told her when she broke her ankle. And he still didn’t want them. But much longer like this and the pain alone might kill him. Finally, without any idea how much time has actually passed, he gave a small nod, a subtle sign of consent for the meds. “Okay.” Even with the meds, he felt like he was still going to be in pain. But at least it wouldn’t be this much.

~ Roman

Elbbirt grabbed the hypo and gave it to him. Right now Alden was getting half the full dosage. It should work quickly and with Alden’s pain tolerance it might be enough, but if his vitals didn’t go down Elbbirt was going to give him more. Rand leaned into him. “That should help, just breath with me, Roman.” She put her free hand over his heart and tried to get him to breath, but she couldn’t help but notice how the rest of his body had been reacting to the pain. There was no reason for him to choose pain, and watching was breaking her heart.

Rand

The medication was fast-acting by design, and it was just another few moments before it took effect, his body relaxing some as the pain level dropped. Rand leaned into him again, her free hand over his still rapidly beating heart. Roman tried to slow his breathing, to breathe with Rand, but his body still refused to cooperate. At least he had some freedom over his mind now. Rand looked upset. He was still too distracted to realize it was because he was in pain. He was still far from relaxed, still in the worst pain he’d ever had in his life, but it was a fraction of what it was a moment ago. He didn’t want it, but it looked like he was going to need the rest of the dose. While his mind could tolerate his current pain level, his body seemed to refuse to, his vitals still reading way too high, refusing to cooperate with his attempts to breathe slowly with Rand.

~ Roman