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

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side-sim: The Reckoning
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Rand knew the moment the adrenaline wore off and the full force of the meds hit him. His hand relaxed on hers and she had to fight the urge to groan and flex her hand. Then his jaw finally relaxed and his breath got deeper, and he blinked several times trying to keep his eyes open. Randy was only a moment behind Rand in noticing as the machines registered his lower vitals. Everything dropped. Randy stuck his head out the door for Elbbirt who was running Alden’s blood work. Elbbirt wished the levels were safe, but Alden would have to stay on the anti-toxins a bit longer. He was relieved when Randy told him things seemed to be getting better.

Rand took the cold cloth to his face again, and then draped it across his neck. She brushed at the hair at his temples, just trying to be soothing. “How are you feeling now? Is it tolerable?” She didn’t ask if it was better, he probably didn’t know that yet or feel like better was even a word that could be used. Rand wished he would doze off, just for a bit. She could do her next round while he slept and be back before he knew it. Plus sleep would let everything settle.

Tolerable was a good word. His leg still felt like it was being torn to bits, worse than on Kelmao, but much much better than before the meds took effect. The pain was still a lot to handle but it was easier now. His hand relaxed on Rand’s, still a tight grip but not painful anymore. His breathing had grown deeper and more regular and that helped, too. He nodded to answer her question. “Tolerable. Still worse than at the sinkhole,” he said. He still wanted to make it up to his quarters but even with the crutches he wasn’t sure he’d make it all the way up there with this much pain.

The sink hole was bad. Rand knew it was. She still wasn’t sure how they had managed to make it back to the tree line. Survival instinct? Numbness from the cold? Half addled brains? They were lucky.

Elbbirt glanced at the vitals and nodded to himself. “I think we can hold here for the dosage. Unless you think the pain is too much Cmdr. Then I can give you a bit more.”

Rand

Roman shook his head stubbornly. It was tolerable, everything had gone down. He was at the absolute minimum necessary dose. He thought about changing his mind. He almost missed the neuro block. It had been numb and that felt weird but at least it wasn’t like this. But no. He could tolerate it how it was. That’s all he needed. Even with his leg still hurting so much he had to fight to keep his eyes open. Finally he just couldn’t do it any longer. His eyes drifted shut, his breathing evened out and slowed a little more, and he was asleep.

As soon as he was asleep Randy and Elbbirt pried her hand loose from Roman and Randy took her out of the room to take care of it. It wasn’t a pretty sight. “Alden has no idea how tough you are does he?” Rand grinned, “He isn’t exactly a light weight, Randy.” Randy nodded, “He should have passed out long before Elbbirt was done. This is going to be a hard recovery for him, in a lot of ways.” Randy worked quickly, it was mostly some bruising and jammed finger joints. Nothing too bad and nothing requiring medication. Then Rand left. She met up with Franks to feed the animals again and she took half an hour to really observe them and take notes and put effort into it. She helped Franks figure out how to do a full department requisition. Then it was drinks and meals delivered. A check in with the chef about meetings and requests from Rogers, and then she was in her office for a bit going through communications and reports from command and filtering them to the correct departments. Then she headed back to sickbay.

Roman slept for nearly three hours. When he woke up, the pain was unchanged. Still barely tolerable. At least he wasn’t focused on where he was. Careful not to move his leg at all he looked around the room for Rand.

~ Roman

Rand was in her chair, beside the bed, she was holding his hand, but she looked like she might be sleeping. When he moved she opened her eyes and looked at him and sat up. She wasn’t sure what to say or ask so she leaned over and kissed him, and then answered the one question he probably wanted answered, “Almost 3 hours. They haven’t given you anything else except a round of the anti-toxins. Elbbirt thinks that might be the last one.”

Rand

Roman’s hand was in hers and he wondered if she’d been there since he fell asleep. She had looked like she was asleep, and he felt bad for waking her up. He knew she hadn’t had much sleep the night before. She leaned over and kissed him, and then she answered the questions he hadn’t asked yet. Rand always anticipated his questions. There was one she missed though. “How much longer will I have to stay here?” He sounded groggy, it was the effects of the pain meds.

~ Roman

There wasn’t anyone else in the room and Rand sighed slightly, sure that Roman was going to argue but she was going to try anyway. “Well Elbbirt originally said as soon as they established your medication dosage and you were ready to try and get up. But…well…” she squeezed his hand and bit at her lower lip before continuing, “Roman you’re hurting, really hurting, and I’m not sure you should try and use the crutches. If you wait till after my evening rounds, the corridors will be clear, it’s always dead that time of day, and Randy and I can take you with the wheel chair and you don’t have to risk hitting your leg and hurting more.” She didn’t think Elbbirt would stop him from using the crutches as long as he could stand up and not get dizzy and pass out. She also wasn’t going to suggest more medication. Now that he could kind of think straight, at least while not moving, she knew he would refuse and it wasn’t an argument she wanted to have with him now.

Rand

Roman recognized the look on Rand’s face as soon as he’d asked the question. She had something to say and she knew he wouldn’t like it. She seemed to hesitate after the but, and then she squeezed his hand and bit her lip. He thought she was going to say Doctor Elbbirt decided you have to stay. Instead she suggested that he wait several more hours till she and Randy could take him in a wheelchair. And since she said after her evening rounds that meant he would be waiting alone.

But she seemed really worried the way she said it, like she really didn’t want him to cause himself more pain trying to hobble upstairs on crutches. It wasn’t like she didn’t have a point - he couldn’t move it without wanting to scream and he was still laying in bed, not trying to drag it up to his quarters without knocking it into anything. But he was still reluctant to let Rand and Randy push him there in a wheelchair. Elbbirt wouldn’t stop him, that he was confident of. Elbbirt had waited to give him anything for the pain until he specifically consented, even when it had become dangerous. Though he knew the principle of informed consent, he felt like Elbbirt wanted to make a point about the necessity of appropriate medication. He didn’t want to upset her again, either. Finally, he answered carefully, “I don’t know that I want to wait that long.”

~ Roman

Rand nodded, “Okay.” She didn’t blame him. She wanted him out of sickbay probably almost as much as he wanted out. She wasn’t going to argue with him. She settled in next to him until Elbbirt and Randy came in. “Well Cmdr, do you think you want to try and get up and go back to your quarters? Do you want to try and eat first?” Randy figured Roman would want to leave and not put it off at all. “You’ve got your choice of locomotion.” He pointed at the crutches and then a wheel chair.

Roman nodded to them. “No, I just want to go.” He was too prideful to choose the wheelchair. He pointed to the crutches. Then, scrunching his face in pain he swung his legs over the side of the bed.

When they were ready to go he looked at Rand, “Why don’t you take all his stuff on ahead and make sure he’s got a clear way to move around without bumping into stuff in his quarters.” Yep Randy was sending her away. If Alden collapsed or got hurt she didn’t need to be in the way. She’d want to help and it would also upset her. So he was doing his big brother thing. Elbbirt looked at Alden, “Whenever you’re ready.”

Rand and Randy

Soon they were ready to go, and Randy sent Rand away. Roman understood why. Watching him, especially if it didn’t go well, would be distressing to her. Roman was balanced on the crutches and ready to go. He nodded to Elbbirt. “I am.”

The walk was far from incident free. The pain made it difficult to focus on balancing on the crutches like he’d practiced with Randy. He kept jamming his foot into the floor. He’d narrowly avoided falling over. Each incident made the pain worse. When they got to the lift, he leaned on the wall while they waited for it.

~ Roman

Elbbirt went with them, once they were on deck 3 half way to his quarters Elbbirt almost made Alden stop. He was going to fall again if he didn’t slow down. Then he seemed to catch himself, without landing on his foot this time. Finally they made it to the door. Apparently Rand was in her office because she appeared from across the corridor and she appeared at his side. Between Randy, Elbbirt, Rand, and Roman his quarters were crowded. Along with the pain he was in he didn’t notice the surprise in his quarters. They got him settled and Randy and Elbbirt were leaving. Rand looked from Roman to Randy to Elbbirt and stopped Randy. “When does he get more?” Randy patted her shoulder, “I’ll be back when it’s time.” Then they left.

There were too many people fussing over him and it made Roman uncomfortable. Each time he nearly fell two or three sets of hands reached for him. His leg hurt and he was grouchy, and this close to telling everyone to back off when Rand appeared out of her little office. He did not notice what was different about his quarters between way too many people trying to help settle him in on his bunk and the throbbing, tearing pain in his leg worsened by the disastrous and long walk to deck 3. The quarters was larger than a junior officer’s but still really only made for one person. Four was a crowd. Soon he was settled though, and Randy and Elbbirt headed for the door.

Rand sat down in a chair next to him and placed the cold compresses on his leg. She fussed over him being very careful, but trying to make him feel more comfortable. Finally she couldn’t stand it anymore, “I might have something that will make you feel better.”

Rand

Finally everyone else was gone and it was just Rand fussing over him, covering his leg with a compress and messing with his pillows and blankets, trying to make him more comfortable. “Really, Miranda. I’ll be fine.” He said at last. The cold from the compress was helping a little, at least. He looked at Rand questioningly. She looked excited. “What is it?”

~ Roman