Posted by Civilian Yavia Crockett (Nurse - Sacred Heart Hospital) in Unforeseen Developments - Starting Over

Posted by Lieutenant Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Unforeseen Developments - Starting Over
Work. Work provided focus, work provided purpose, work provided exhaustion. It didn’t matter if the work was duty related or chores. Both allowed Sharah to work herself to exhaustion. Exhaustion was the only thing that brought sleep. The delta wave machine and the alpha wave inducer couldn’t be used on a regular basis. She convinced herself that things wouldn’t be so bad if she could just sleep. Today’s endevours had started early, leaving her quarters in the Fleet district to return to the hospital. Appointments and patients and collaborations and research. Tenkiller had been as good as his word. His team kept security on the ward tight, and there was no more interference. A perverse thought crossed her mind, that she wouldn’t mind a circus down there today. It would fill the hours. Then after her shift she put time in with the botanists or on her own private research. Some nights she worked so late she didn’t bother to leave the hospital. She slept on the couch in her office. As long as Eraras and Elbbirt didn’t notice it was okay. They were still after her about working too much, after the protests.

Today she was in the biochemistry lab. Her shift had ended…some time ago. She had spent all afternoon and evening the day before in the various gardens for the hospital and for the Fleet compound. Now spread in front of her where flowers and herbs galore. She was mashing them, steeping them and extracting the oil. Beside where she was working she had beeswax melting and in another pot she was adding the crushed herbs and oils to the melted wax. That she was then pouring into tin cans, letting them set and cool before putting the lids on. She had a rather impressive stack of different medications. When she was waiting she was making up jars of dried tea. Dr Zarath would be proud. That thought brought the first smile she had had in days, but it was short lived.

The only problem with her little plan? Exhaustion made the noise louder and more painful. She gave herself a small shrug. Her life would always have pain. She’d known that since she was old enough to understand what the doctors told her parents. It was the only way to get to sleep. Lack of sleep slowed down cognitive functions, could cause hallucinations, and other issues. She couldn’t afford that with her patients. Sharah felt ice travel down her back and turned to look, but she was alone in the lab. “As soon as I start yawning, I’ll go to bed,” she promised no one in particular.

Fayth, SFCMO

Yavia was manning the main nurses desk in the security ward. She only had a few more hours to go to her 12 hour shift. Temple lumbered back in. She’d gone to refill some of the medication vials that were low. Yavia looked up at her as she stopped at the desk. “I tell you what, Crockett. Fayth is a machine. She doesn’t stop. When she’s not doing rounds she’s always working on something. Works as hard as us nurses. I like that.”

Yavia grinned, “What’s she up to now?” Temple muttered as she opened the medication locker, “Biochemistry lab. Making some of those primitive medicines she’s always going on about.” Yavia huffed, “Hey, they might harken back to older medical practices but they are still sound. Fayth has made quite a name for herself, and her papers and programs have saved lives.”

Temple waved a hand at her, “Yeah yeah I know. Just seems…unnatural.” Yavia rolled her eyes, natural medicines being unnatural. Was Temple even listening to herself. The older nurse bustled about and into Holloway’s room and Yavia’s gaze turned upward focusing on two floors above her where the biochemistry lab was. She shook her head. When she got off her shift she found Fayth still in the biochemistry lab working. She walked in a shook her head. “Sharah? Don’t you think you’ve worked enough hours this week?” She took in the red rimmed eyes, the dark circles and general pallor of exhaustion. “Have you slept at all in the last few days?”

Crockett, SHNurse

Sharah felt Yavia approaching before the door ever opened. She sighed before the door opened. She knew Yavia and Ilena meant well, but she wished they would leave her alone. She didn’t have the heart to tell them that though. It would upset them, and she couldn’t be mad knowing it was coming from a place of caring. “Yes I have slept.” Sharah responded without looking up. “Check my medical records. I have never slept well.” Well that was a lie, she had slept well with Markus around.

Yavia felt the wave of heartbrokenness that came off the woman in front of her. She reached out a hand, trying to pull her into a hug. She was slightly successful before Sharah ducked under her arm and started cleaning and putting things away. Hearing the question form in Yavia’s mind, “Before you ask, I have plans…errands to run tonight. Maybe some other time.”

Yavia wasn’t going to give up that easily. “I can go with you. There is this new confectioner that opened. I heard they have an amazing molten chocolate cake.”

Sharah didn’t want anyone to go with her for this. “No thank you. Besides, aren’t you supposed to meet Tenkiller tonight? Didn’t I hear you say that to Ilena and Eraras earlier?”

“Come with us. Really, it’s okay.” She had no idea if it was or not, but if TK had a problem with it, he wasn’t the man she thought he was. “Come on,” she conjoled gently.

“If I finish early I’ll meet you.” Sharah had no intention in doing so, but it would make Yavia leave her be.

Sharah had finished in the lab and returned to her large empty quarters. They were so empty and cold. She picked up Hope, her cherry bonsai tree and carried it over to the sink. The water bowl had to be refilled, and from the looks of the tree she needed some plant food. Sharah took much longer with the task than necessary. She was putting off her call. After the protest she knew she needed an appointment, but she had put it off. She didn’t want to examine it too much. Now, well people were still upset over the shuttle attack, and her own emotions mixed with everyone else’s made a counselor necessary. This was the first time she had ever wanted to avoid an appt. She hadn’t spoken to anyone since the Viking, and that was far too long. Her console beeped, alarming, reminding her she had asked for the appointment, and it was too late to back out.

She sat at the console and turned it on, waiting for the connection.

Fayth