Posted by Lieutenant Tandra Mika (Chief Mental Health Officer) in Sacred Heart Hospital- Comfort for the Small Ones

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Sacred Heart Hospital- Comfort for the Small Ones

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Sacred Heart Hospital- Comfort for the Small Ones
Posted by… suppressed (12) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Eela ran her hands over the cream coloured soft jersey cardigan, smoothing invisible wrinkles. Mostly she was a tiny bit nervous, not just because she hoped a family would be okay with her, but because she knew this would bring up a lot of memories. But they weren’t all bad. There had been some poignant moment with her premature son that she wouldn’t trade for anything, even if her life at the time had been an utter mess.

Moving through the hospital to the NICU, Eela was dressed more casually with her favoured stretchy black pants and a simple blue t-shirt. Babies could get messy at times and she wasn’t afraid of that. But she also was keenly aware of making sure everything she wore wouldn’t introduce potential allergens. Even her hair was pulled back into a tidy french braid, a far more serious style than people were used to seeing from her.

Approaching the nurses station, she gave the nurse on duty a wam smile. “Hello, I’m here as a volunteer. I was told to check in here first? And someone is meeting me here as well.” Mika worked at the hospital a lot, so she suspected that despite her technically being off-duty, she was somewhere around and would be here in due course.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

The nurse smiled. “Of course Ms. Dasca. If you will step into the antiseptic entry and change into scrubs.”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

“Of course,” Eela said, moving through the entry. She found the change area and a pair of scrubs her size and went to change. She came out looking at ease, or as at ease as she could. Spying Mika, she smiled.

Mika was at the hospital. Séan walked her down from the psych floor and left her at the check in desk, before returning to his own duties. Mika smiled at Eela when she saw the lieutenant governor. “Eela, it’s good to see you.”

“Hello, Mika,” Eela said.

She smiled at the nurse. “Nurse Hartwell. I’m just here to accompany Eela while she volunteers.” She stepped up to the nurse, already in scrubs (she must have changed in her office?) and signed in as a visitor to the NICU. Normally, still possessing medical credentials, she would have free access, but while off duty, she was a visitor.

~ Mika, CMHO

“Is there anything else you need me to do before I meet the family?” Eela asked.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

The nurse smiled, “No. Just head to the family room down the hall on the left. There is a sign.”

Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO

Mika smiled. “Thanks.” She turned to Eela, “You ready?”

~ Mika, CMHO

Eela nodded as she drew in a steadying breath. She wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from here, since this was a new experience for her. She hadn’t had this as a parent of a preemie. She had been on a starship and just was there all the time. It wasn’t like she had anywhere else to be, and there was always someone else around when she needed a break. And yet, as she walked to the family room, there was a strange feeling that swept over her, as if she might be having this experience as a parent all over again, even though the setting was entirely different.

Still, as she and Mika arrived at the family room, she pushed away the odd sensations and letting calm sweep over her as she stepped in to meet the family.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

A man looked up from a table strewn with PaDDs. “Ms. Dasca. I am so glad you are here. The family you were to meet couldn’t make it. Their daughter had to have an emergency procedure and they are with her. However, I have another child who is desperate need. Her father is in a coma and her mother passed right after labor. A horrible accident at a mining facility.” He shook his head, “Our volunteers have been rotating to help, but the child has failure to thrive. We need someone consistent to spend time with her. Would you be interested?”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

Her breath caught in her throat, even as she forced herself to relax. That poor child! “Of course!” Eela said. “I’d be happy to help her.” Eela cast a glance at Mika, wondering how she was taking in this turn of events.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Mika smiled passively. “I’m up for whatever you are,” she said. She looked at the man, “I’m sorry to hear about the families. Both of them.”

~ Mika, CMHO

The man nodded, “Yes, it’s sad, and very difficult. We are very hopeful for little Rose though. We have a specialist who arranged to come in via holographic interface to guide the doctors here through the procedure. She wouldn’t have been able to make it in time otherwise.” He turned off his PaDD and walked around the table. “If you’ll follow me.” They walked down the corridor and then turned left and then right into a room. It was a heart wrenching sight. A small neonatal biobed was against the wall, with a small baby wrapped in a blanket, with tubes and monitors connected all over. There was a fully stocked nursing station, a small chiller, and a bottle warmer. There was also an easy chair. The nurse in the room looked up from checking the baby and smiled. “Oh, Yuri, did you find someone?” she sounded hopeful.

He nodded, “Yes, Ms Dasca has agreed to look after her.” What was even sadder was every other room they had passed had a name on the door. This child didn’t. The nurse looked at Eela hopefully. “She won’t eat. We are feeding her through a tube, but she really needs to eat on her own. She doesn’t look at anyone or respond at all. Poor thing doesn’t have a name, yet. I call her muyal sometimes. It’s what my mom called me when I was a babe.” She stroked the baby’s head. “I just can’t call her Jane. It seems so dismal.”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

Eela gave a sad smile. “I agree, she needs to be called something meaningful. I might have something of my own I could call her too while we interact.” She glanced at the vitals and despite the challenges the baby was having, she looked otherwise healthy. She also knew the medical staff would have already discovered if the child’s issues were due to a medical reason. Approaching with a calmness, Eela reached out and brushed the baby’s cheek gently with the back of her hand. She watched the monitor to see if there was a change. Nothing.

And suddenly there was a determination in her. In some way, she understood, and maybe, just maybe, she could help this baby girl find her way.

She stroked the soft down of the baby’s head. “It’s so hard, isn’t it? To feel so lost, so adrift. One moment you’re going one way, towards what you think will be something good, and the next moment everything is different. And nothing feels good. And everyone can tell you it’ll be okay, but they don’t know that. They can’t guarantee that. No one can.” Eela rested her hand on the baby’s torso, careful of the weight, but firm enough to make solid contact. She exuded a deep air of understanding that was more than just emotion, but a projection from her own experiences. “But you know what, sweet girl? The unknown doesn’t have to be so scary. Because you’re not alone. That I can promise.” Another swell of determination rolled through her. Yes, her and this baby had a lot in common just now, even if on the surface it didn’t seem like it.

After getting the low-down on which tubes and monitors were doing what, Eela looked at Mika. “It’s so strange, but I remember how to do this, even after all these years.” The baby was already wrapped in a blanket, so Eela dragged the rocker right next to the bassinet and reached her hands underneath, her mind tracking each lead and cord to know where they would go as she lifted. Pulling the baby up with confidence, she tucked her feet and arms in against her chest, and, holding her steady with one arm, reached down with the other to steady the glider.

Soon they were settled and Eela had the baby nestled with her head near her shoulder and she rocked gently, making sure to not stress her own body out. “Jourin was so tiny. He was two months premature, which wasn’t as bad as it could have been. But I had been under so much stress after finding out the Borg had killed my parents that we guessed that was a contributing factor.” It had been difficult (after she had surfaced out of the grief enough to not just be numb) to not feel guilty. She knew it wasn’t her fault she went into early labour, but there was a part of her that had never let it go, especially given how difficult things had been for her when Jourin was a newborn, including the subsequent postpartum depression.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

As she continued to rock, Eela hummed a lullaby. It slipped out without intention but it made her smile. “I always thought lullabies were one of the sweetest traditions. So many cultures have their own version. Just a quiet song to soothe a child to sleep. It makes me think of my parents. And I’ve heard Caridee humming and singing to my granddaughter, the same song I sang to her. I never taught it to her either,” she said, still smiling.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Mika grinned then, stepping over next to Eela. “My mom had a special lullaby she liked to sing us. All about the stars.... I wonder if that’s why I joined Starfleet.” She said. “Babies are so small…”

~ Mika, CMHO

“You’d be amazed what small things can influence our desires later in life. I wouldn’t discount a simple lullaby for making you curious about what’s out there,” Eela said.

She could feel the baby relaxing and smiled. Eela looked up at Tandra. “Have you been around babies?”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.