Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: Matters of the Heart

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: Matters of the Heart

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: Matters of the Heart
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Roman smiled slightly at Rand’s sigh. She was just as tired of it as he was. When Morgan walked in, Roman nodded. He gestured out the door, “The good doctor says it’s healthy for me to walk, like out in the corridor. Can an escort be arranged?” He was grinning, hoping she’d say yes.

~ Roman

Did Morgan want to agree? No she did not. Did she realize that they couldn’t keep the XO locked up in a safe room forever? She did. “After shift change. Fewer people in the halls. Does that work for you?”

Morgan headed for the door so she could arrange a few things but paused. “It really is good to see you feeling better Cmdr.” Then she left.

Morgan

Roman nodded. He could wait that long. He’d want Rand to do it in the safest way possible, if it were her. But he was glad she’d said yes at all. He was very very tired of the inside of Sickbay. To her last comment he smiled and nodded, “Thank you.”

~ Roman

Morgan returned as promised. Randy passed on going, saying he needed a break from the English, but in reality Rand and Roman would probably have more privacy to talk in the corridor and Morgan following than in that tiny room with him or the other medical staff always around. Instead he stayed behind in the room and started cleaning it.

The walk wasn’t too slow, Roman had regained a lot of his energy and Morgan had arranged for Gorshin to have tea made when they got to Galley. Nothing more than a drink because Morgan felt a meal would take too long. She wasn’t sure what she would do when Alden was released, but today she could control the circumstances. Roman wasn’t winded nor was heart working too hard when they returned. Although Rand couldn’t help but ask him if he was sure.

Roman had assured her he was, he was starting to feel better and that was making him restless. Roman appreciated his tea being ready when they got to the galley. It had been nice to spend time outside Sickbay, and he’d put up a little bit of a fight when it was time to go back.

Morgan said she would try to arrange for another walk the next day, but she was assigned to Rand all day, as the yeoman had a very busy schedule the next day. Morgan arrived to meet Rand at 0600 and they were to be gone until lunch. Around 1130 hours the whole ship suddenly went to red alert.

=/\=Emergency Teams to Deck 3 section 5, Emergency Teams to Deck 3 section 5. Fire suppression systems engaged. Emergency Teams to Deck 3 section 5=/\=

Rand

Roman hadn’t been thrilled about spending most of the day alone in Sickbay, but there wasn’t anything to do about it. Rand had to get her work done. He was watching the lab feeds and reading through his XO reports (that was as close as he could get to ‘being in his lab’ and doing his normal work stuff) when he heard the emergency call. That was the section with Rand’s office and virtually nothing else. Immediately he was getting out of bed, intent to make it up to her.

~ Roman

Randy’s head snapped up from where he was reading, “Rand.” He didn’t exactly shout but there was enough feeling in the word, and then, “Tracy’s with her.” He was moving out of the room. He half expected Alden to be right behind him. In fact Randy didn’t even stop to tell him to stay put. That was a futile effort he felt. He wouldn’t stay if he was in Roman’s place.

Grat on the other hand heard the call and saw Randy move out of the room Alden getting up as well. “No Cmdr you stay put. That’s the ship’s automatic all-call. There will be enough chaos without excess people. We have no idea how bad it is. Stay put.” He looked at the guards and then left, following Randy, Temple in a quickstep behind him.

Rand

Everyone he was even remotely comfortable with was leaving, leaving him all alone in Sickbay. Even if it weren’t for Rand being in trouble he wouldn’t be comfortable with that. But she might be hurt up there and scared, and he hated that idea. She needed him.

She did need him, but Rand was in no condition to know that at the moment. She wouldn’t want him hurt running after her either though.

He was up to his old, stubborn antics. Ignoring Grat’s advice to stay put, he stood and headed for the door, giving the guards a look. “They’re releasing me tomorrow anyway. I’ll be fine and out of the way. But I’m not staying here.”

~ Roman

~ Roman

Ward stopped him. “Sorry Cmdr, you’ve not been cleared and we have no idea what’s happened up there. Besides the chaos going on is a good way to get you out and unguarded. I’m under orders not to let you go anywhere unescorted but also not leave your room unattended either and I’m here alone. I can’t ignore my orders. If Yeoman Rand is hurt they will have her back her quickly. If she’s not part of it, she’ll hear the klaxons and come here or comm you right away. She wouldn’t leave it for anyone to worry needlessly. Same for Lt Morgan.”

“I’ll be fine. But I have to see.” Roman argued. “She hasn’t commed yet, no one has. They’re clearing me tomorrow, what difference will one day make?” I’m the end though, Ward couldn’t budge and Roman wasn’t going to get someone in trouble by going anyway.

Beyond them sickbay was setting up for an emergency. They hadn’t heard yet what was wrong or what to expect but they were efficient and prepared. However, while they waited there was no call from Rand or Morgan.

Roman was stuck in this stupid little room, in Sickbay, alone, and no one was comming him to tell him what was going on. He started pacing the room, walking quickly from end to end of it. Finally, ten minutes later, he had to sit back down onto his bed.

About 15 minutes after the call went out Randy appeared with Morgan. He led her into the main bay and left her with a female nurse to take her to a private room and get her burned uniform off and start treatments. Randy wanted to stay with her, but he wanted to be with Roman when Rand arrived, be there with Rand too. He was being pulled in too many directions. He walked into Roman’s room, and slumped down on the edge of Roman’s bed, head hanging, hands laced behind his neck. He looked shaken, pale, small. “Her console was rigged like your machine. Morgan pulled her away before she touched it, but it exploded. The blast knocked her into the corridor. She’s unconscious.”

Finally Randy came back, with bad news. Roman started to ask if she was okay, when Grat and Temple came in.

He stopped there as Grat and Temple came in, Rand on the stretcher. Her neck stabilized, her hands, forearms and abdomen burned, and she was still unconscious. “She hit her head really hard when she was thrown, but Grat said her heart is okay.” Grat and Temple moved her to the extra bed, Temple turning on the monitors. “Randy get the burn kit....Randy,” Grat said a little louder. Randy nodded and moved around to the other side of Roman’s bed and grabbed the kit and brought it over Temple who opened it and got to work. Grat gave her a hypo and they started cutting her sleeves off and half her uniform top to get the burns cleaned.

Rand

Roman gasped when he finally saw her. He only half heard what Randy was telling him. He should’ve been with her. He should’ve been there. It wasn’t a logical thought, he couldn’t have been there, there was nothing he could’ve done even if he were, and the explosion would’ve probably made him panic whether he were hurt himself or not. But it was all he was thinking, that he should’ve been able to protect her. He watched as they worked, cleaning and treating the burns. All he could do was wait anxiously, out of the way, and try not to be a distraction. It was hard for him. He felt trapped and scared, but it was his worry for her that had him staying still and quiet, waiting.

~ Roman

Randy watched on, grabbing equipment as needed, but not being allowed to help was killing him. He couldn’t leave, but he wanted to know if Tracy was okay. He should be there with her. He should have been with Rand. Why hadn’t they checked her office? Why hadn’t he, Randy, put that together? Seen the potential pattern in the behavior? He’d failed her. The burns alone wouldn’t cause permanent damage unless she got an infection. The blow to the head was bad though. He could smell the faint acidic odor of vomit. That must have happened as they moved her, that was bad.

Grat took an old fashioned pen light and lifted her lids, flashing the light across her eyes. He gently probed around her neck and head. He pulled an infusion unit out and hooked her up to it. The extra hydration would be necessary for her concussion and the burns. Then he rolled several towels and put them under her neck and turned her head to keep it off the large lump that had formed.

“Level 4 concussion. Second degree burns on hands, forearms, and abdomen.” Rand’s skin in those areas were bright red and almost shiny looking. Glancing at the monitors Grat shook his head. “Randy come help roll her. Careful…hold her still.” Temple held her head still while the two rolled Rand. Grat was busy at her back a moment and then they lowered her to her back. Randy resumed his spot beside Roman. “Nerve block. He can’t give her pain medication because of the concussion.”

He glanced at the monitors. Her heart rate was up, but considering the K3 indicator said she was in a lot of pain he wasn’t surprised. The shock to her system was enough for that. Her blood pressure was high as well, but there were no signs of cardiac distress. It had been 20 minutes, roughly, if she was going to have another stress cardiomyopathy it would have happened by now. “Randy, get me a gown.” That was Temple.

Her uniform was cut and beyond repair. It was a slow meticulous process to remove the fibers from the burn on her arms and across her stomach. With the nerve block in place they could move faster, but it was still a time consuming process. Randy wasn’t happy she was still unconscious, but that also meant she wasn’t aware of what was going on. “Cmdr? How are you doing?” Grat asked, concern and compassion in his voice. Alden’s monitor wasn’t screaming at them, but he didn’t want anything to happen to Alden either.

Roman didn’t respond outside of a small nod when Randy spoke. He just wanted her to be okay. They were pulling the material out of her burns. He remembered the process from his own burns three years ago. He’d been awake and on pain meds. He was almost glad she was out while they cleaned them.

He did not look up when Grat spoke to him. Instead he just shook his head. “I’m fine. Please, just help her.” His voice shook as he spoke. She was hurt because of him, because of his family. He hated them more than ever for that.

Finally, they finished cleaning the burns and the regenerator was set up. It would run for at least 20 minutes before they would wrap the wounds. Grat and Temple left leaving room for Roman and Randy to sit with her.

Rand

Finally they were done and left Roman and Randy alone. Roman stood, grabbed the chair Rand usually sat in, put it by her bed and sat down. “I want them caught. I should have been there… Shouldn’t have let her go.”

~ Roman