Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Head Case

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

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: Head Case
Posted by… suppressed (19) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Roman made sure it wasn’t very long he let go of her for and then squeezed her tight when he put his arms back around her. He hated seeing her like this. Randy was right, she wasn’t even recognizing him. She seemed to only respond to Roman’s touch. He worried about the side effects of it, not that he thought it would put her to sleep but other things. There wasn’t much time to think about it just then, though. Rand needed something. “Give it to her, then. She needs it.”

~ Roman

“I’ll be right back.” Randy left moving next door and grabbing his med kit where he already had a sample of the medicine. When he’d learned about it he had procured some thinking of Roman. He scanned the information and adjusted the dosage for Rand.

Returning he sat down next to her, quietly explaining to her anyway what it was and what it was for, and why he was going to give it to her. He gave her the hypo and then set his tricorder up. He shrugged at Roman. “There is nothing in it that she’s allergic to, but I’d rather be sure. I don’t know how long it will take. The directions say to administer 15 minutes before going to bed. It can take longer for the brain to enter REM sleep.”

The medicine worked a little like an anti-anxiety drug and it didn’t take long for that part to take effect and Rand’s breathing to slow, and then to stop trying to bury herself against Roman. It took about 20 minutes before Randy watched as eventually her eyes closed. The tricorder showed her pulse and BP had both lowered to normal and her neurological readings were slowly getting there.

Even as Rand started to relax and stopped trying to burrow into him, Roman kept her held tight to him, not wanting to let her go. Eventually her eyes closed and she felt much more relaxed against him.

Randy nodded and looked at Roman, “It’s probably safe to let her lay down again.” He looked around and spotted the kelpie on the floor and lifted it. “If you need to get up before I get back, put this on her back. It’s heavy, so it might help.” He adjusted the tricorder and set it up to run scans and then he prepped a hypo. “At this point if she was going to have a reaction we would know. Just in case I set the tricorder up to alarm at any signs of an allergic reaction. If it goes off, give her this then call medical.”

Roman lay her back down, pulling the blankets back up over her. He nodded and took the stuffed toy and set it nearby. Then he nodded again to Randy’s directions. By now it was unlikely anything would happen but Roman would agree it was better safe.

Randy was being a worry wart and Rand would be perfectly fine on the medication and would sleep without disruption for several more hours. “Try to rest too. I’ll be back before your shift.”

Randy

Roman checked the time, sighed, and nodded, then settled in next to Rand. He’d already decided to pull a Rand that night (not that he knew she was doing it) and not go back to sleep. It was too likely his nightmares would wake her and she didn’t need that right now. But he’d lay next to her, he knew how much that helped.

~ Roman

Rand slept and didn’t move except for uncurling, stretched out and more comfortable in sleep. Her breath became deeper and more even. There was no indication that any dreams bothered her or was feeling any pain.

The medication seemed to work perfectly. The rest of the night, she slept soundly. Roman was very relieved. He didn’t sleep the rest of the night. He stayed awake, cuddled quietly into her while she slept.

Randy returned half an hour before Roman’s shift started. He brought breakfast (sausage biscuits and orange juice) and Roman’s tea with him. Never quite as good as Rand’s, but passable. He knocked quietly at the door. Loud enough for Roman but hoping not to wake Rand.

He set t he tray and his PaDD down and brought Roman the tea. “Double strong. Thought you could use it.” He slipped from his own cup. “I’ll have to send the reports to your computer. Shrine is going to call me sit with her while I meet with Rogers. How is she?”

Randy

Roman sat up carefully and pressed the control for the door to let Randy in. He took the tea with a quick “Thanks” and began drinking from it. “She slept quietly the rest of the night. No more dreams. It was a lot better.” He answered Randy’s question.

~ Roman

Randy nodded, “That’s good. I am going to keep her here today. She won’t make lunch. It won’t be a pleasant day for her. I’m going to try and work with her to recall, while awake so the dreams don’t bother her so much. I’ll keep her on the medication for now. The nightmares and lack of sleep aren’t good for her, not anyone really.”

Roman nodded, wishing he could stay with her. “I’ll stop by when I can.” Then he had to get ready and leave for his shift, so, still drinking the tea Randy had brought for him, he was quickly ready and out the door, stopping briefly to say bye to Rand.

Randy spent most of the morning sending reports back and forth to Roman and the other department heads. Rand was still asleep when he left to meet with Rogers and Shrine sat with her. Rand woke up after Randy returned. She was shivering and stiff. She was cold from the towels and where they had made her clothes damp. He helped her to the bathroom. She took a warm shower, put on dry clothes, and then sat at the table with him where he made her eat.

It was a long day and Rand didn’t want to talk. She was upset that Randy wanted her to take something every night, but he did convince her. It was a long process. Mostly Rand remembered the light and heat. The klaxons and a roaring sound that Randy was sure was the sound of the explosion. Eventually she made Randy leave. She needed quiet and space and him not to hover so much. Randy had to do rounds anyway, but he made sure she had her comm so she could call him or Roman if needed. He let Roman know as well she was in their quarters but he had his duty shift, but he doubted she would venture out.

Rand was curled up on the bed, not really dozing, but mentally exhausted. A script open on her PaDD but unable to make herself read it.

Rand

Roman was only able to visit briefly over lunch and then he had to go back to work. When he was finally off shift he came back up to their quarters and sat down by her. “How are you doing?”

~ Roman

His brief visit over lunch was welcome. Rand was ready to punch her brother and that wasn’t like her at all. Randy understood it was just a defensive reaction, but it allowed him to leave and give Rand a small break.

She looked like she might be asleep, but she wasn’t. When he sat she moved over into his arms, her head on his shoulder. “I think I might be sick.” It was just snippets, flashes of details that made no sense, but the clearer they became her stomach churned and her head pounded with a headache and her throat burned from trying not to scream.

Rand

Roman hugged her when she leaned on him, trying to comfort her without knowing what to say. When he was… remembering things, there wasn’t really much more she could do than be there with him. He hoped it wouldn’t take long for this to pass for her. Finally he said “I’ll stay as long and as much as I can.”

~ Roman

Rand didn’t want him to say anything because then she might have to tell him everything she and Randy had talked about. It wasn’t that she wouldn’t tell him, she just didn’t want to talk about it more. Not now, nor ever, but especially not right then. She moved her head a little. “You don’t have to. It’s bad enough I can’t work and…” her hands moved in that all too familiar anxious ringing, she got quiet, and her shoulders heaved as her breath got harsher.

Rand

Roman took hold of her hands and shook his head. “I won’t stop working, I can’t, but this is going to be hard for you, and I won’t let you do it alone.” Then he hugged her again, tight. “You’ll be back to work soon, anyway. Remember? Randy said this means you’re getting better.”

~ Roman

Rand curled her fingers around his hand letting the warmth quiet the nervous habit. She closed her eyes as he hugged her. “I’m not sure remembering is better. It feels worse, I feel worse.” Randy had said it was good, her memory coming back. She had thought maybe she’d remember her lines…but it was all still a blank. She felt better knowing Roman wanted to stay with her because it was hard, but she also felt guilty. “I…I keep waking you up.” She ached knowing that, that he was losing more sleep because of her. Even though she willingly did the same for him when he needed it.

Rand

Roman kept hugging her, pressing her to him, her head against his chest. “You feel worse now but you won’t. It’ll get better.” He shook his head, “Don’t worry about that.” He didn’t want to worry her but his nightmares were bad and he wasn’t doing much sleeping anyway. At least he had something else to focus on. “Didn’t you do the same for me? Wouldn’t you do it again? Don’t worry about it, okay?”

~ Roman

Rand had told him the same thing, when she convinced him to talk to Randy. That it would feel worse, seem worse, at first, but then it would get better, or at least easier. She knew that. She knew how the process worked. She nodded only a little because she was pressed so tight against him she couldn’t move much. It made her smile slightly and then settle back against him. “Of course I would,” she pulled her hands out of his and wrapped them around him to hug him, squeezing tightly and then sighed. “I don’t know how to stop worrying.” She sounded so sad and distraught over that statement it was kind of cute.

Rand

Roman smiled, reminded of when he’d had his phaser injuries and had missed her constant worrying. “I know.” She had been right, about talking to Randy, at least once he had started cooperating with therapy a little more. “You just have to talk to Randy.” That one was weird to say. Roman still had not breached the topic of that in their sessions, but they were making slow progress towards it.

~ Roman

It was strange having Roman say the same things to her that she had said to him. “When did you get so smart?” A laugh sounded at the edges of her voice, a clear indication she was teasing him. She knew she had to talk to Randy more than just that day. She didn’t want to, she understood why she didn’t want to, but she knew it was what she was supposed to do. According to Randy she was also supposed to take this new medicine, prazosin, to help her sleep better. Her fingers twisted and bunched in the back of his shirt. “Randy…wants me to take this medication to help me sleep…” She really didn’t like sedatives. “He said it will stop the nightmares.”

Rand

Roman laughed too and looked down at her. “When you taught me to be.” He said softly, still smiling. He felt her grip onto his shirt and he hugged her again, sighing softly. “I know. Randy said it’s not a sedative, that it just relaxed you and…” Roman did any remember exactly. “You should take it. It seemed like it helped a lot last night.”

~ Roman

Rand was quiet considering that. She was really worried about taking the medicine. Randy said it was new and didn’t know a lot about it, but had read the report on the studies and the results were very good. “But…what…what if it doesn’t actually stop the nightmares? What if it only keeps me asleep through them? I think I’d rather wake up.”

Rand

Roman nodded, he’d rather wake up than be stuck in his nightmares too. But he didn’t think it worked like that. “I don’t think that will happen. Randy also said people were able to wake up for emergencies or things like that, so it must not keep you asleep. Just prevents the nightmares.” He shrugged, “I don’t know how but last night you went right back to sleep after having it with no further problems.”

~ Roman

Shifting a little, Rand tipped her head back to look up at him. She looked uncertain and like he held all the answers. “Do you think I should take it? Would you?” That wasn’t a fair question, and one she normally wouldn’t ask him. She needed the reassurance though. It had been an emotional turbulent day.

Rand

Roman looked down at her and hesitated a long moment. “Miranda… you know how much I don’t like meds.” He sighed softly and thought for a long moment and then continued, “If… if I weren’t… the way I am… and it would help I would do it.” He nodded definitively, confidently, “I think you should take it. You’ll be able to sleep.” And she wouldn’t wake him up. Roman would rather her wake him, but he also knew she felt bad for waking him when he was already having trouble sleeping.

~ Roman

“Okay,” but she looked rather sad about it. She knew Roman wouldn’t want to take it. He didn’t take anything, but if he had said no he would have a reason, and she could use that reason to avoid it. He didn’t give her a good reason to refuse. So she took it, but the first night she fought to stay awake, afraid of being trapped in the nightmares and waking Roman. She dozed some but would jerk awake to stare at the black ceiling.

Rand

Roman had been struggling to sleep. It took him a while to fall asleep and he was waking multiple times per night. When he woke he’d peek at Rand and see if she was asleep, and if she wasn’t, he’d hug her and tell her to go to sleep. It was a long night but she didn’t wake him with one of her nightmares and he was happy for that.

~ Roman

Rand managed to stay awake all night. When Roman caught her awake, she closed her eyes and waited for him to go back to sleep. When he left for his shift she took a toy out and played with Pipkin until Randy arrived. She knew they would be spending the day discussing what she remembered. He asked her how she slept and she only replied ‘no nightmares.’ It wasn’t a lie.

She developed a headache very early and ate very little, it souring in her stomach. Randy offered to give her something for both, but he wouldn’t let her stop talking. Thinking a change of scenery might help Randy suggested they go to the Galley to eat, but Rand was suddenly overwhelmingly afraid to leave the room and go out into the corridor. “I’d rather stay here. The headache is making me dizzy. I....I don’t want to fall.” She wasn’t fooling Randy at all, but he let her stay and went and got a tray to bring back.

Rand

Roman was busy (and tired) all morning, and didn’t make it back to check on her until lunch. When he did, he brought lunch with him and stayed for as long as he could. It was only a little over a half hour and he spent it sitting with her mostly. Then he had to go back to work. He was back a little late after his shift, but when he got there he sat down with her, hugged her, and asked her, “How was your day?”

~ Roman