Posted by Commander Thraz sh’Kellirathras (First Officer/Chief of Security) in Sickbay- Sunrises on Risa

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Leah Hart (Nurse Practitioner/Counseling) in Sickbay- Sunrises on Risa

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Leah Hart (Nurse Practitioner/Counseling) in Sickbay- Sunrises on Risa
Posted by… suppressed (20) by the Post Ghost! 👻
About twenty minutes after the initial call to the Sentinel, and after organizing patient transfer info and ensuring patient safety, Leah, Dr. Hunter and Nurse Montri arrived in Sickbay with their security escort.

“Leah, we’re going to put you in the recovery room where we can monitor your progress, okay? I know it’s not as private as we’d all like, but it’s the best we can do right now,” Sylvia said.

Leah simply nodded. She had said little since they started to get her discharged into the Sentinel’s care, but Hunter knew their colleague and friend was processing a lot. She patted Hart’s shoulder and then got her settled into a bed.

“Can I sleep?” Leah asked, her voice so much smaller and quieter than everyone was used to.

“Soon,” Sylvia said. “I want to make sure there aren’t going to be any more seizures and we just need you without the substance in your system for awhile longer. After that, if your vitals are still stable, you can sleep.”

She sighed and Leah nodded as she pulled the blanket up over her more.

~Leah Hart, NP

Bump

Rende entered the medical bay and looked around before approaching the small desk. “I wanted to come check on Lt. Hart. Can she have a visitor?”

Cpt. Asam, CO

Dr. Hunter nodded. “She can. We need to keep her awake a little while longer to ensure she is in fact remaining stable, but after that we’re going to let her sleep.” Sylvia rose from the desk after adding Leah’s charts from the hospital to her Starfleet medical record. “She’s cognizant and showing no deficits from the neurosurgery, aside from some typical memory loss. But if you notice anything odd in her speech patterns or facial movements, let me know right away.”

Moving to Leah’s beside, Sylvia gave her friend a soft smile. “You have a visitor.”

Leah took in Rende for a brief moment and gave a small nod. Of acceptance or permission, either could be true.

“Another fifteen or twenty minutes, then you can sleep,” Hunter said, answering the unspoken question.

As the doctor stepped away, Leah let her gaze settle on the blanket covering her body. “I’m sure you’ve hears what happened,” she said simply, directing at her comments at Rende, though she couldn’t quite bring herself to look at the captain. “Fortunately, I can read my own charts, and with Kreed’s approval of course, I should be back on my feet and ready for duty in a couple days, barring any complications.”

~Leah Hart, NP

Rende shook her head, “None of that, Leah. You’ve been through a physically and emotionally traumatic experience. I’m not worried about you rushing back to duty. I’m worried about you recovering.” Rende pulled up one of the stools and sat. “Would you like to talk about it. I’m told I can be a pretty good listener.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

It would have been easier to just fall into all the expected roles and exchanges, to be Nurse Hart. Except that she was the patient now and it had been a long time since that had last happened.

Though she turned her head towards Rende again, it took several moments and a deep breath before Leah could lift her gaze to her captain and her friend. New friends though they were, Rende knew just a touch more about her complicated personal life than most. Her lips parted and she inhaled air that would have been followed by words, but it was the thin layer of despair that floated off of her before it touched her eyes that spoke volumes.

“I just… I don’t know what to think. And I hate not being able to remember enough clearly to piece it all together. I know what people are going to assume happened, but the reality is that it might not be that at all. People here don’t know me that well so discount the possibility that it was just a weird confluence of events that ended badly.” Even though she had told Kreed that she agreed that she wouldn’t have distursted her instincts, she didn’t know what happened once Daro entered the scene. Yes, they had complicated history, but… it was Daro. He was a force in her life she still didn’t fully understand, even if she had taken pains to excise him from it.

~Leah Hart, NP

“The mind, as you know, is a tricky thing. Add chemicals to that, and lost memory can be tricky. We’re going to do everything we can to determine what happened. I promise.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

Leah didn’t doubt that for a second, and so she gave a tiny nod.

Her silence spanned several breaths and each was wrapped in the ifs and buts. “Rende, have you ever been drawn to someone you know might totally wreck you but you can’t help but step towards them anyway?”

~Leah Hart, NP

Rende had a long life, longer than Leah realized. “Yes,” she answered simply.

Cpt. Asam, CO

Leah closed her eyes and could vividly remember that first meeting at a night club. Daro was weirdly shy around here, but it might have been something to do with the fact that Leah had strutted onto the dance floor and danced and he was admittedly not the best dancer. Her friends had made it even worse by telling him she had competed.

When she had returned to her friends and saw this dark haired man with eyes like hers, there was something about him she just couldn’t put her finger on. From then on it had been something of a whirlwind and they had become a long-term couple in a way she hadn’t bene expecting. “I loved Daro. Hell, I might even still be in love with him. I know that. And I know I was right to end things. I just… I don’t know, I think a part of me isn’t surprised he’s back in my life. Because it’s him, and us. I moved on, but did I really? I don’t know. And here we are.”

~Leah Hart, NP

Rende nodded. “It can feel like that. But Leah, he isn’t back in your life, it was not ‘us’ the two of you. He allowed you to be drugged and you have no memory what happened. That is not a consensual partnership.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

The word ‘allowed’ created a strange sensation in her that she both understood and couldn’t fully qualify. “I would agree,” she said slowly, one hand gripping the blanket. Inhale. Exhale.

“But that assumes I didn’t take it willingly, Rende.” Leah turned her gaze on the captain. “It’s not an assumption we can have. Because…” She sighed. How to explain. “You all don’t know me that well yet. And that’s okay. But Daro and I did a lot of adventurous stuff together because we understood each other’s need for it. Taking psilocybin was actually on my list. Partly because I was curious, and partly because as a mental health worker it’s important to me to understand the many different treatments out there. Micro dosing of hallucinogen’s can be a powerful help to those dealing with trauma that isn’t treatable in other ways. Though I clearly didn’t take a micro dose, but that’s beside the point.”

~Leah Hart, NP

“No, it’s not, Leah. If this was something on your list to do, you do not strike me as someone that would go over their safe limits. And your service record indicates that you are well trained and highly responsible. You would not have accidently over dosed yourself. Of that, I am certain.”

Rende paused for a breath, “And I don’t know you very well. I agree, but from what you have shared with me, I don’t believe you would have willing engaged in such activity with Daro after you worked so hard to break cleanly with him. No matter what. Perhaps I am wrong, but I don’t believe that is you.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

It was more or less the same conclusion that Kreed had offered. Her lips trembled even as she pressed them together. Leah lowered her gaze and she tried to swallow but it was like her throat felt stuck. It wasn’t like she hadn’t been in difficult situations before that had devastated her, but this felt different. As she opened her mouth to say something, a chocked laugh erupted. “Well, isn’t this just great.” It was all so absurd so really did feel like laughing as if it might perversely make her feel better. She knew it wouldn’t though.

~Leah Hart, NP

Rende shook her head, “It will be alright. If this was your choice, there is no harm in that. If it wasn’t then we will find that out too. Then we will proceed accordingly.”

Cpt. Asam, CO

Sure, that was a very practical way of approaching everything and Leah couldn’t disagree in principal. The issue was that the situation Rende presented was a binary one and Leah knew there was a third scenario which she wasn’t sure she could wrap her mind around or accept. “And if we can’t determine either for certain? Then I will never know and I’ll have to figure out what to do with that.” It was easy in this moment, after the initial panic had passed, to approach this the way she might with a patient of hers. Perhaps it would make it all easier, or perhaps not, but for the moment it was how she was coping.

~Leah Hart, NP

Rende nodded, “That is a possibility. Then you will have to determine whi you trust more? Your instincts or Daro?”

Cpt. Asam, CO

Wasn’t that just it though? With Daro, she knew she was more apt to go a step farther than she might on her own. She had trusted her instincts about him and broke off the relationship, but there were too many unknowns between now and then. She had questions, and she knew regardless of what happened with any investigation, she had a sister to confront. Joys. “I guess we will see,” she said softly.

~Leah Hart, NP

“That’s all you can do. Right now, you need to rest and listen to what your doctors. I’m going to let you rest, but I’ll come back and check on you later.” Rende stood and stopped to speak to the doctor. “Please let me know how she’s doing. If there is anything she needs, tell me and I’ll make sure we get it.” Then she left quietly.

Cpt. Asam, CO

Dr. Hunter nodded and moved over to Leah. She took up the spot where Asam had vacated and gazed at her friend. They were still new friends and getting to know each other (most of the med staff could say more or less the same) but it hurt to see her colleague in such quiet pain. There were no words that would make any of it better.

“Your vitals are good and there’s no sign of seizure. If you want to sleep now, you can.”

Leah nodded.

Sylvia patted her arm. “I’ll be here if you need anything at all. And I know Kham will be along soon too. We’ve got you Leah, no matter what.”

She drew in a deep breath and gave another nod. “Thanks, Sylvia,” she said softly before she rolled onto her side, drawing the blanket tightly around her. Closing her eyes, she could feel the deep fatigue in every part of her body. There’s was nothing more she could do, so Leah surrendered to to sleep.

~Leah Hart, NP

Awhile later, Kham Montri and Sol McMahon returned from the surface. Seeing that Leah was asleep, they moved off to the CMO’s office where they could talk without disturbing her.

“Vitals?” Kham asked.

“Stable. No more seizures. I think our guess about it being the psilocin was correct,” Hunter said. “Did you get her stuff?”

Montri shook her head. “Not yet. The constabulary wanted to look over her room undisturbed as a potential scene first. Once they give us the okay I’ll go pack up her stuff and bring it back.”

“What a mess,” Sol said. The med tech ran a hand through his hair. “At least she’s safe and out of immediate danger. Though if that Daro guy somehow gets to come around, keep me away from him, will you?” In his mind, even if had been a mutual decision, he had let Leah come to harm and while she had made it through, she could have easily died from the head injury or the overdose.

“Noted,” Sylvia said.

“I’m going to go check on her,” Montri said. “I… I know she will need her space but I also don’t think she should be alone right now.”

“We can take turns keeping watch,” Sol said.

“Agreed. Where’s Kreed?” Hunter asked.

“when I left he was in a patient room alone with douchebag asking him questions,” McMahon said with a smirk.

Sylvia quirked a brow. “And there was something left of him?”

Sol snorted. “Apparently. But Constable Malia was just outside so I don’t think he was in too much danger. Definitely some, though.”

The three chuckled at the thought of what Kreed might have done if there hadn’t been law enforcement outside the door.

Kham stepped out first and moved quietly over to Hart’s bedside, watching the readings in the bedside monitor. Satisfied that they looked okay, she pulled over a stool and took up sentry duty over her friend.

~Leah Hart, NP

A little while later, Leah shifted into REM sleep. But a few minutes later, the monitors alerted the staff to a heart spike. Leah cried out and sat up abruptly, swaying. Everything was swirling in bright colours, but there was the distinct feeling of solid ground under her tiny feet. She had tiny feet. She stumbled and strong arms caught her. They were warm. Comforting. But everything was still spinning and she couldn’t see where she was going. Just the swaying green branches.

Except Leah was still on the biobed and Kham was holding her so she didn’t fall off. “BP is 150 over 90. Pulse 143,” Sol said.

“Leah, you’re on the Sentinel. You’re in Sickbay. You’re safe,” Nurse Montri said.

“Spinning! Everything is so bright!” Hart said, gasping for air. But Kham placed a hand on top of her head and that seemed to help, well, at least her emotions.

“You’re having another flashback. I know it’s uncomfortable,” Sylvia said. “It should pass soon.”

Leah nodded but then regretted it deeply. Tears slipped down her cheeks. “I was walking somewhere. In my heels. But not well.”

Her friends exchanged looks. “Just take deep breaths,” Montri said. Leah leaned against her, taking solace from her friend’s presence as the colours continued to swirl, though they began to slow down.

~Leah Hart, NP

Thraz stood in the hall waiting for the crisis to finish, he had questions for Hart, but they would have to wait until she was stable. He took a seat reviewing the case. There were two gaps he wanted to understand more, the time in the hotel room, which was significantly long. And her time at the club. He was also curious about where her ‘date’ went when he went to look for her.

Commander Thraz sh’Kellirathras,
Executive Officer, USS Sentinel

After a minute, the flashback dissipated and Leah took a deep and calm breath. She nodded to Kham. “I’m okay.”

Satisfied Hart was okay, Dr. Hunter moved to go see if Dr. Kreed had returned yet. Outside the recovery room, she she stopped. “Cmmander,” she said to sh’Kellirathras. “Is there something I can help you with?”

~Leah Hart, NP