Posted by Civilian Jal’na of House Duroc (Head of Physical Therapy - Sacred Heart Hospital) in Eela’s Apartment- Processing (TMODJ)

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Eela’s Apartment- Processing (TMODJ)

Posted by Civilian Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi (Governor) in Eela’s Apartment- Processing (TMODJ)
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She snorted. “Understatement, my friend.” Eela drew in a deep breath. “I’m devastated,” she said, her voice wavering. “And angry, and a little lost. But it’s different than a couple weeks ago with Cory. This is… so much more, in part because it’s not just me. And the very real public piece of this not far from my mind. And everyone wants me to be grieving but I’ve barely wrapped my head around what happened yesterday. Not just Dash, but the Kuskaaritz too. She turned her head to look back at Jal’na and reached for her hand. “I felt his death, Jal’na,” she said, not even trying to hide her anguish. “Not his feeling but what his body felt. And the memory of it is so strong I can’t tell the difference between my own pain and discomfort and his. And then every time my stress increases or I re-experience the event, that causes me to tense and that is making my own physical issues worse.”

She dropped Jal’na’s hand and sighed. “The reality is that I have today to do what I need to be as okay as I can be and then tomorrow I have to be working. Even today I need to go see Mathis. It’s not an option. Caridee will be by soon, probably before you leave, so she’ll take another scan and see where my neurotransmitters are at and I guess the three of us can discuss how to manage between now and when I am back to normal.” Assuming there was such a thing. But if there was anything Eela Dasca was well practiced at, it was adjusting to new normals.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Jal’na hugged her carefully. “I am so sorry, Eela. And yes we do expect you to grieve. Grief is a process though, and it’s different for everyone. Allow yourself that process. You’ll be no good in your meetings if you don’t.” She took out a tricorder and scanned her back. She grunted in disapproval and sympathy. “If you are really going to insist that you work, then I’m going to increase the setting on your brace. There is swelling and compression.” Jal’na moved behind her and slowly and very carefully worked the muscles into relaxing.

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

She sighed, even as some spots were clearly bothering her. But the odd part that even Eela could identify was that it wasn’t always where her problem areas were. It was in moments like this that she was really starting to think that Hannah’s proposal was the right way to go, even if she couldn’t even wrap her mind around that process right now.

Jal’na took note of those areas, and was curious. She made specific mention of them and how her body reacted just incase it was connected to what Eela had experienced with Jones.

Eela breathed through the pain, trying to relax her body as much as she could. “I think I need distraction. Tell me about you. I heard there was a bit of drama with a certain sister of a friend of ours.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

The Klingon woman grunted, “Heard about that did you? Girl came out of nowhere, with a paint can of all things. Broke my nose, knocked a couple of teeth lose and bruised my jaw. I really thought Urg was going to kill her. I’ve never seen him like that.”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

“I can see that of him. He’s a very passionate person and if he was directing that in defence of someone he loved, well…” Eela took a deep breath. “She is very fortunate she is not in many pieces I should think. But how are you? I can how it could be a rather unsettling event.” Not just the violence itself, but the reason for it. She had no doubt Jal’na could handle the injuries, but sometimes things could strike deeper.

“It’s just another day.” Jal’na laughed, “I’ve been hirt worse by patients. I wish it had not happened with Tenkiller’s sister. Our families are close, and Yavia is my dearest friend. But,” she shrugged, “it did and now we just have to deal with it. Lucky for her it happened on Oed soil and not the embassy.”

“Oh, for sure,” Eela said. “We have enough jurisdictional issues as it is. That would have been a nightmare for everyone. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“It is not a situation I would want to encounter.” Especially after what happened with that young house member who had been in Star Fleet. “I am fine. Honestly it caused more damage to my dress.”

“Could you work on the back of my head?” she asked softly. Normally, Eela never made requests during her sessions. She trusted Jal’na to work in the way her body needed and gave feedback as they went along, but she never asked for anything specific. This was different and the instinct was one she was trusting.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Jal’na lifted the head rest higher and wrapped a warm towel around it. The center was open for Eela’s face. “Rest your head there and let it have your weight.” Her hands moved up to Eela’s neck and started there and then moving into her scalp. “Your daughter is here. I did not get the chance to meet her at the Gala. How is it to see her?”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

She smiled within the opening. “I didn’t realize how much I missed Caridee until they arrived. I was very fortunate that despite my running around with the diplomatic corp, I was able to be there for their wedding and also the birth of Alais. But a lot has happened, so while I am so glad they are here, we have a lot to work through. In the end though, I am just so grateful that she was there yesterday. If not…” Without the knowledge of what was happening to her, things could have been so much worse.

“Things have a way of working out.” She squeezed Eela’s shoulder reassuringly.

As Jal’na worked, Eela felt her heart race and breaths quicken. It wasn’t that she was in pain but something was happening and it was hard to explain, but after a moment it settled into her brain. She understood that the mind-body connection could cause the body to crystallize mental and emotional distress in a physical way. A shudder swept through her body and she started crying silent tears even as her body was reacting. “I’m okay,” she whispered to Jal’na as her body tried to release the stress and trauma it had been holding from just before Dash died.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“You are not,” Jal’na stated in a voice that wouldn’t tolerate dissension, “that is okay. You have all of us to take care of you until you are.” Jal’na looked over her shoulder as the door opened. She nodded quietly yo Karilan and continued her work.

Perhaps she should have phrased it as she was okay to keep going. Whatever was happening seemed to be necessary.

The door slid open and Karilan came in. They weren’t as talented a telepath as as Eela or as many others; but they were Deltan and were emotionally connected to Eela. They looked around, nodded at Jal’na, and then laid down on the floor, sliding under the table so they faced Eela through the face rest. “Hello. Fancy meeting you here.” they said and smiled a warm smile at Eela. “Tell me what you feel. Don’t hold it in.”

Karilan

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

There was so much that it was hard to find a place to begin. “There are parts of my body that hurt that shouldn’t. And it doesn’t make sense until I remember that because of combat skills, I can create a mental map of what likely went down, because I know the order of his injuries.” She took a shuddering breath. “And as much as I don’t want to know or remember any of this, at the same time someone gets to bear witness to his experience. It’s that same idea from earlier that I expressed to you, where I hoped he knew he wasn’t alone. And maybe it brought just the tiniest bit of comfort even if he didn’t really understand we were still connected. And I’m angry, Karlian. All I can say is that if they figure out who is responsible, you all might have to lock me in this apartment.” She surprised herself by the vehemence behind her words and that just made her cry more. “And that thought doesn’t make me feel like a very good person, even if it’s understandable.”

“Good people want justice, Eela.” Karilan said, looking up at her. “‘In the absence of justice, vengeance is it’s closest companion.’” Karilan said thoughtfully. It was a quote from a speech given on the floor of the Klingon High Council almost two years by Jal’na’s husband.

Jal’na didn’t smirk but she registered the words. She had heard it after the fact of course, but it was one of those things as Lady of House Duroc she needed to know of their history.

Eela closed her eyes for a moment and continued. “I’m also struggling with the feeling that the canar is both the source of my distress but also saved me too. All of it became so bogged down with… heaviness.” She opened eyes again, breathing through a wave of pain. “I know I’m going to have to work through that, especially with those involved in its use, but it’s hard to go back to how it was before. Each canar crystal becomes attuned to the Haliian that wields it. the more you use it, the more it resonates with you specifically. I have some work to do before I feel comfortable letting it be a part of my spiritual practice again, but it’s like we talked about yesterday: I might need to use it in small, low-risk ways in order to make it a positive thing again.

“That is a future Eela problem, not a ‘now’ Eela problem.” Karilan said and set their fingertips on her Eela’s cheek. “Let that go, just for now. You have bigger issues at hand.”

“Maybe,” she said. Her ability to compartmentalize had been rather compartmentalized in the last day.

“And if that all wasn’t enough, I’m conflicted. I know my feelings about you, and they certainly more close to the surface than I prefer right now, but I don’t want you to think that their recent evolution is just me seeking comfort in some selfish way. That they aren’t genuine.” Truly, the kiss this morning was a simple next step after their increased connection they day they picked out outfits for Karilan. “And all of this is just a lot and I’m overwhelmed, and this is just the last day. That’s not factoring in Cory, my back issues and the future of that, all the Vren stuff, and my work obligations. I mean…” She laughed bitterly. How much could one person take at a time? She felt on the edge of something, but it wasn’t broken. What is was though was hard to see.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Karilan made shook their bald head and said “And that is another thing that is for the future. Right now, we are doing what needs to be done to get you back on your feet and working… because that is what will heal you the most. You and I are fine… regardless. And we can and will talk about that after all of this has settled. Until then, we will just do whatever moves us as right and needed for the moment. Okay?”

Karilan

She took a couple steadying breaths before she finally fixed her gaze on Karilan, taking in not only their certainty, but their calmness. She breathed it in and while her body was still sore, she felt something ease within.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Karilan smiled at her, again brushed her cheek with their fingertips, opening themselves up to her so she could feel their support and love.

Jal’na did not disturb their conversation but continued to work. She supported Eela’s bodybthrough gentle stretches. She was not pleased with the amount of resistance her body was giving to things it knew how to do.

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

“Breathe, Eela…” Karilan said calmly and softly. “This is a moment, be in it, but know that it will pass. And know that you are not in it alone.”

Karilan

And she did. Eela closed her eyes again and stopped trying to will her body to relax. Whatever it was going through was not something she could force to shift.

After a couple minutes, she opened her eyes. “I sort of wish Dash had been left handed. But at least it shows he fought back. Got in a good strike, if my knuckles are any indication,” Eela said with a fair bit of pride.

The front door opened and Caridee stepped in, the guards having been told to let her and Cort right in so Eela didn’t have to get the door each time. “Morning,” she called out.

“Down here,” Eela said.

Caridee moved down the hall with a bag slung over one shoulder and her six month old in her arms. She could see her mother with Jal’na. “We’ll be in the kitchen. Take your time.”

Eela couldn’t help but smile, especially being able to sense that precocious mind of her granddaughter.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Jal’na nodded to the woman who looked like her mother. The child was so small and precious. She studied her intently for a moment before laying a warm towel over Eela’s back and walking around to face her. “You are not going to like my recommendation.”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

Karilan slid out from under the table and stood up, listening.

Eela pushed herself up just enough to fold her arms over the headrest. “What are my orders?” she said, with only the barest hint of a smirk. Her rehab was serious business but there was always some trepidation when something required extra measures.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“No work, at least not in person. You shouldn’t be sitting straight up, period. It would be best for you to be supported in this position as much as possible. I am, honestly concerned about putting your brace back on.” Jal’na said. “Your brace is supporting where it us supposed to, but will cause problems where you are hurting now and that in turn will cause problems else where. I would really like to put you in an anti-grav room until the new problems have resolved. But I know own you won’t do that.”

“I strongly suggest, if you must work, you do it via comms. You should not be moving around too much. An anti-grav chair with a harness would be durable I suppose.”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

Karilan thought for a moment and then said “We both know she isn’t going to not work. So what about a compromise?” and they looked back and forth between the two. “You could fit her with an exoskeleton like the ones used for paraplegics. Those are designed to take, what, seventy to eighty percent of the wearer’s body weight and distribute it to the standing surface? And the newer models fit under clothes, so there wouldn’t be any publicity issues to speak of. Would that work?” Karilan was no doctor, but as an Engineer? Few were their equal.

Karilan

Her mind was an instant flurry of thoughts underpinned by a swell of frustration. “An exoskeleton would still not move as smoothly and it takes time to learn how to function with one. I don’t need long term solutions because this is temporary.” She pushed herself gently upright and bent her head from one side to another, testing how that felt. It was definitely a bit better than before. “I just need time for my body to remember that it didn’t go through what Dash’s did. I’m not working today, but I am supposed to go see Ambassador Mathis, as a kindness, and also because she’s meeting with the Vren Ambassador tomorrow. But if you’d prefer me to be resting, I can talk to her from here.”

She closed her eyes, quelling a thread of panic that she wasn’t sure of the source. When she opened her eyes, she looked at them both with determination and resignation. “The compression is always going to be a problem. The progress we made up until yesterday was, as my orthopedic surgeon made clear, is as good as I’ll ever be. Do I hurt right now? Yes? How much of it is my own? I don’t know and I might not for a couple more days. I’m not going to go out of my way to make it worse if I can help it, but the reality is that I had a referral to a specialist who has given me a permanent option. If we’re really talking about antigrav chair and exoskeletons, then I might as well agree to have her cut out my spinal fusion and replace it and go through the weeks and maybe months of hell that that rehab will be and be done with it. If we’re not ready to talk about that, then we need to be realistic.” She looked at Jal’na. “You want me to do time in an anti-grav room? Fine, we can book an hour or two as needed, but you must understand that the second I leave this building I am, publicly, in mourning, and I will have to deal with the press and everyone else. At the end of the day, all of this isn’t about me. It’s about the death of a man who was vital to major things happening on this colony. I cannot afford to be distracted in public. They will allow me leeway, but only so much if it looks like I can’t do my job. I think we can all agree that that is not what we want to happen.” She was exceedingly calm despite the tension she was feeling and Eela forced herself to breathe deeply. She also had talked to absolutely no one about the proposed spinal surgery. Cort knew she had an appointment with a specialist but she hadn’t said what it was about. She had told no one, not even Kenzo that this was an option on the table. She figure Sharah might know as her primary care provider, but other than that she had been sitting on these details until she had been ready to consider it properly. Was that now? Not likely.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Jal’na gave her a look that was very typically ‘Klingon’. Which was very out of place for the physical therapist. “I am not suggesting the suit, your friend is. I suggested the chair. Not as a permanent treatment, but to get you through this, to prevent worse damage. I cannot make you not work, Lt. Gov. It is my recommendation you do not, or at least as much from home as possible. You can do as you will with it. Warm compresses and gentle stretches every 60 to 90 minutes. I will increase the settings on your brace. I will send Reesa over tonight for an extra session.” There was an edge to the woman that was unusual, but only apparent because the other two people were empathy.

Jal’na collected Eela’s brace and laid it out on the table and took out her tools.

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

Karilan looked at Eela and, very calmly, “And none of the options either I or Jal’na have mentioned are mandatory. They are just that… options. We are simply trying to help and give you an avenue to do what it is you need and want to do until you are better.”

Karilan