Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: The Follow-Up

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: The Follow-Up

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: The Follow-Up
Posted by… suppressed (19) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Roman was busy. Luckily. Even when he wasn’t busy, he had “something to do”. He made sure not to neglect Rand, like he had in the past, but for the past week, he had been working as much as he could, filling his vacant time with either reports he was “behind” on, or meetings he had been putting off. He was running out of those meetings. Notes though, and experiments, and… departmental reviews. Those he could fill infinite time with, and that was his plan. It had been just about six months since the attempt on his life, and he knew what that meant, and he wasn’t looking forward to it. He hadn’t stepped foot in sickbay since that day, unless he absolutely had to, as XO. And even then, he would spend as little time in there as he could, and then quickly leave. He knew Randy would eventually remind him, but he hoped Rand didn’t remember. He could put it off longer if it was just Randy bugging him about it.

~ Roman

Rand was doing better, but some things still slipped through the cracks. Normally she kept track of everything. But when Roman was released from sickbay and his treatment plan was set up, Rand had been still having trouble remembering the day of the week, much less keeping up with the tasks for the next day. Their roles had reversed, now it was Roman keeping track of Rand’s appointments and the medication she needed. Making sure she took those meds and made her appointments with Elbbirt and made her OT appointments too. A long term side effect of her concussion was her balance and coordination was off. When she’d been cleared to run again…it had taken one day before that was stopped. Simple yoga stretches were stopped too because she kept getting dizzy and falling over. Dr Sovak was working on helping her with her vestibular and proprioception senses.

Rand’s memory wasn’t quite what it was before, but the more she worked the better it was getting, though she still had progress to make. Even though it frustrated her and made her really sad, reading lines was helping. Though she couldn’t see that, Roman and Randy could. So Rand had no idea that Roman had an appointment coming up and that he’d missed it several times already. Elbbirt nor Randy wanted to ask Rand about it because they weren’t sure how stressed out it would make her.

So Randy showed up in the gym, at Rand’s OT appt. Roman usually went with her because afterwards she seemed to really struggle. Rand had a bad habit of using the sessions as a marker of her failure rather than her improvement. He entered the gym and looked around.

Randy

Roman showed up to all of her appointments, if he could. Every time, like she would do for him. He was glad she was doing better and he often talked to Randy about her progress. When Randy showed up in the gym, Roman was sitting near the edge, watching Rand. He did not seem to notice Randy. He had a PaDD with him, to read, but he was currently more focused on Rand.

~ Roman

Randy made his way over and sat down. “How’s she doing today?” Today Savok had her on the balance board for the first time. Rand clearly remembered Roman having to use this thing for exercises for his leg, and her trying it out once and falling on her face. She’d laughed at herself then, today she was upset. Frustrated and looked like she might cry. The board was making her dizzy. The only thing she had to do was stay on it for 30 seconds at a time. Her internal equilibrium was so off, it wasn’t happening. Savok assured her it would be difficult today, but would get better. She needed to practice, but should not do so alone for her safety. He was so annoyingly calm and matter of fact about it. Nodding every time she fell like he expected her to not do better, and then he would offer her both hands to help her up and get back on the board.

Randy

Roman made a face and shrugged. “She’s frustrated with it, like always. She’s getting better though. I’ll take her to the galley afterwards, a little food up in our quarters usually helps her mood.” He smiled slightly and glanced at Randy. “I used that same board, for my leg. She kept reminding me it would get better, that I was doing better. But she won’t believe the same thing coming from me.” Then he chuckled slightly, “Then again, I suppose I didn’t either.”

~ Roman

Randy gave him a look, “I think I remember you voicing your frustration that she was so adamant you were getting better, but you knew you weren’t, and you didn’t want to disappoint her.”

Roman smiled and shrugged. “That might’ve happened too.” He rubbed his leg as if remembering, “The balance board hurt though, when I started.”

He watched as Savok let go of her hands and Rand tried to balance. She was fine till she moved her head, got dizzy and fell again. “She might believe it once she is cleared for full duty again.” He watched, recognizing the look on his sister’s face. She was ready to run away and cry. It took a great amount of will power to not go over and talk to her, help her calm down. This had to be between her and Savok. She had to trust he would make sure she got better. “Speaking of being 100% cleared from medical, you missed your appointment.”

Randy

Roman was watching her as well, and had a similar desire to go and help. But he’d already been told he wasn’t allowed to do that. He had to let Doctor Savok and Rand do it. Randy’s words sent a spike of ice through Roman’s stomach that caused it to flip and drop. He visibly tensed. “What appointment was that? Don’t I have a month left on that? Or two… or three?” Why did Randy always have to ambush him for these things in places he couldn’t get away from? He had to just focus on Rand…

~ Roman

Randy did it that way because Roman didn’t leave him a choice. “You know good and well what appointment. That’s why your reports look like novels, your personnel reports have more similies and metaphors than Shakespeare and you have started three full experiments in different labs, and my favorite…schedule 3 extra counseling sessions with me.” He wasn’t looking at Roman, but watching Rand. He flinched as she went down again and Savok caught her. No new head injuries.

Randy

Roman looked like he might cry out for her when she went down, but then Savok caught her and she was safe. He grinned as Randy laid out the evidence Roman was avoiding the appointment. “I need those sessions!” He shook his head. “I can’t go. I can’t. No way. I… I know Elbbirt can’t do the scans without sickbay but I can’t go there.”

~ Roman

Randy glanced at him then back at Rand, “Yes you can, and she’ll go with you. It’s not like last time with the stress tests. These are just basic scans. Much easier.” Randy shrugged, “You’ve been on the meds awhile, it might be easier. Also, you know she will remember or find out eventually, and she will blame herself and her recovery. That you were spending too much time caring for her to take care of yourself. Not true, but you know that is how she will feel.”

Rand

“He doesn’t need stress tests this time? I thought he did.” That would make it easier but not much. Not enough. “I know she will. But I can’t do it.” He knew it wouldn’t be easier. The meds helped him with a lot but he felt ill thinking about going. He’d promised he was never stepping foot there as a patient voluntarily after he’d healed from the phaser burns.

~ Roman

Randy nodded, “You haven’t needed your rescue hypo in a month and a half, so Elbbirt feels that a detailed scan should be enough to make sure all the cardiac tissue has healed properly.” Randy sighed, he knew it was hard for Roman, and he would prefer not to. “We could do it over night, when it is quieter, fewer people. Maybe....a very lowdose tranquilizer to take the edge off, just for the appt.?” Roman needed to do this for his health but also his career. This could impact promotion and duty stations.

Randy

“I don’t want to keep Rand up late.” As he’d found out after the phaser burn thing, she really liked going with him. And he did need her there. “That wouldn’t mess up the test?” He asked, about the low dose med to chill him out for the appointment. His health he still had issues with ignoring and writing off but he also knew it could affect his career. If things didn’t heal properly there were certain positions he couldn’t hold.

~ Roman

“We could make it for the night before your and her day off.” Randy shook his head to the second question. “We are scanning the tissue to ensure it healed. We aren’t working your heart so it won’t affect the results. You haven’t needed your rescue hypo in a month and a half and passed all your PT evals, so no need for stress tests.”

Randy

“That’s not tomorrow but the next day.” He had been planning to claim he was so busy he needed to work it. His hands clenched into fists, just from the anxiety of thinking about it. “That’s probably best.” Though the waiting would drive him crazy. “Okay.”

~ Roman

Randy nodded. “I will bring the pill by tomorrow. Take with dinner the night of.” Randy was watching Rand, “Oh no…” He knew that look.

Roman sighed and nodded. “See? I do need those extra sessions.” It was a joke, to lighten the mood, but he did look upset with himself. At Randy’s ‘oh no’ he looked up at Rand.

Rand kept falling, and it was quite obvious to Savok it was time to switch gears. He suggested some yoga poses, those were great for both Rand’s goals. She was unsteady and kept shaking her head. Her expression wasn’t angry but frustrated and....confused. She was talking to Savok but refusing to get up and try. Savok was perplexed and turned looking for Alden. Rand was speaking Gaelic and Savok didn’t understand her.

“Tha mi dizzy. Chan urrainn dhomh. Tha mi dol a bhith tinn.”

Rand

Roman stood and went up to them. The first thing he did was hug Rand because that made them both feel better, then he looked down at her. “It’s just a little longer. A little more today. Okay?”

~ Roman

Rand leaned on him heavily, the room was spinning and he seemed stable and solid. She didn’t understand why Savok wasn’t listening to her. He said to tell him if she got dizzy. She was unaware she’d slipped into Gaelic out of frustration and nerves. “Tha mi dizzy. Chan urrainn dhomh. Tha mi dol a bhith tinn.” She repeated herself to Roman. She was going to be sick if she couldn’t sit down. She was frustrated, but she was supposed to complete her sessions, even if she was failing horribly. She just couldn’t. She was so dizzy she was sick.

Savok raised a brow, “What is she saying?”

Rand

“She’s dizzy, she feels like she’s going to be sick.” Roman hugged her when she leaned against him. “When she starts speaking Gaelic that’s usually when her head isn’t doing well.”

~ Roman

Savok seemed undeterred. “Then this would be a good time to work on how to recover from those symptoms.” Looking over at Randy, “En Farquharson bring that large red wedge please.” He turned to Rand. “Now, Rand you need to sit. If you are dizzy let someone help you if you can. You should not lay flat, but recline.” He took the wedge and put it behind her so she could. “Now pick a point in front of you and keep your gaze on that point. It should be stationary, not a clock or video or similar.” He reached down and tapped her leg, “Don’t cross your limbs. Let them rest in alignment. It will allow your proprioception sense to balance out.” He nodded once, “Good now you will count breaths.” He started to explain, but Rand knew how to do this. It was like when she would squeeze Roman’s hand so he would breathe with her.

Rand

Roman sat by her and held her hand. He recognised from Savok’s explanation that he was describing what Rand already did, for herself and for him when she squeezed his hand. He kept his focus on Rand and Randy, not the doctor. He could be stressed later, like Rand did. He had to, so he could be there for her now.

~ Roman

Rand breathed, feeling frustrated and sad and scared. Being told to lay just this way, be still, just breathe. Not allowed to sit up or lay on her side, which would help her stomach. Don’t upset her body’s rhythms. She had flashback of being in the hospital. It made her grip Roman’s hand, not in rhythm, but painfully. She wanted to go back to their quarters. She didn’t want to stay there any more.

Savok looked down at her, “En., when the dizziness has passed you may get up. We are done for today. Continue your exercises from last session.” Then he left, leaving Roman and Randy alone with her.

Rand

Roman let her squeeze his hand as much or as hard as she wanted to. “Are you feeling any better?” He asked, after a few minutes. “When you’re ready to get up, do you want to get food from the galley or go straight up to bed?”

~ Roman