Posted by Civilian Sharah Fayth (Director of Medical and Social Services) in PRSIM- Echoes from the Stars

Posted by Civilian Jewel Stone (Police Detective Inspector) in PRSIM- Echoes from the Stars

Posted by Civilian Sharah Fayth (Director of Medical and Social Services) in PRSIM- Echoes from the Stars
Posted by… suppressed (12) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Mary listened as the woman described her situation, “It sounds like things have been very hard” she responded. “What makes it unsafe, if your life is in danger you can claim exigent circumstances and these little crimes you have commited will go way.” she noted, if the woman was in danger it would change things a lot.

=^= “A335, status” =^= came the call of a dispatcher over her radio. =^=”335. clear scene, show me busy with suspect”=^= dispatch would leave her alone now for while.

~Constable Blackwood

The Klingon doctor and the nurse had been quiet through the exchange. However, Ok’jiv was not happy with Stellaris’ readings. “Constable Blackwood,” she said turning to fully face the woman. “More questions will have to wait. We need to see to her medical needs. You will wait outside.” It was an order, but a kindly given one. This was nothing new for a suspect needing medical help. “I will let you know when you may come back in.”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

Blackwood gave the woman’s arm softly and smiled. “Ofcourse doctor I’ll wait in the hall” she said, and then walked out into that hall grabbed a chair and sat outside the door. She was hoping the wood at least keep her overnight so she could figure out what was going on.

~Constable Blackwood

“My name is Ok’jiv,” the old Klingon woman said. “I am an obstetrician. And this is Nurse Elaine. Is it alright if I give you a full exam?”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

Stellaris gave a small nod. She really did want to know if her baby was okay, but at the same time she feared the worst and that made her anxious. Her eyes looked uncertain, but she let the Klingon do what she needed.

Still, her gaze flicked between the OB and the nurse frequently. She didn’t want to think badly of them, but at this point true trust was a luxury she could ill afford., adn they were strangers.

The exam would reveal some issues. The baby was small (weighing around 500 g- half the weight that would be expected for a Human baby at 28 weeks) but not quite as small as had appeared at first glance. However, there was definitely signs of intrauterine growth restriction and all parts were smaller than expected. The cause seemed to be placental insufficiency, though the maternal low weight could be a contributing factor, as well as Stellaris’ anemia.

The amniotic fluid was lower than it should be (likely due to the mother’s dehydration and the growth restriction) and the fetal movements were fewer than expected for this stage of pregnancy. The baby seemed to be otherwise healthy and had all the expected brain and structural develoment that they would be looking for at this stage, but the fetus was just very small.

~Stellaris

Ok’jiv didn’t smile. A Klingon smile could be unnerving, but her look was comforting. “Do you prefer to go by Stellaris?” Elaine worked about the room helping Ok’jiv with whatever she needed, and made sure Stellaris was as comfortable as possible.

Something didn’t look right. She checked for signs of malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies, and based on what Stellaris had said, Ok’jiv looked for signs of abuse in the last year.

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

Prefer? Well that was a question, now wasn’t it? She’d been Stellaris for so long now that her brain could scarcely wrap itself around. “Stellaris is fine,” she taking deep breath and relaxing. Gods she felt tired. Now that she had stop moving and the initial adrenaline rush had worn off, she could barely keep her eyes open.

The woman was definitely malnourished (she had dry flaky skin, low body weight, lower than expected muscle mass and fat percentage). She was low in Vitamin B12, iron, and folate, while other nutrients were low but not as bad as the other. This wasn’t just not eating one particular kind of food, but based Stellaris’ body, she had been not taking in the needed nutrition for awhile.

There were signs of previous injuries, though most were much older. However there was a hairline fracture that was not properly healed in her left ulna. It was healed now, but there was a bit of scar tissue around said healing.

~Stellaris

“Well Stellaris,” Ok’jiv said sitting down so she wouldn’t tower over her, “you are severally malnourished and dehydrated. You are lacking vital nutrition that you need as well as your body. You are anemic, which can happen in pregnancy, but by 28 weeks this should have balanced out. You and your baby are under weight.” She held her gaze gently. “When was the last time you had a decent meal?”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

She dripped her gaze, focusing on her belly. Stellaris placed her hand on her bump and rubbed across it slowly. “Ummm, awhile,” she said softly. “I had something to eat four days ago, but it wasn’t a lot. I’ve been trying to so hard but…” Tears slipped down her face and it all just felt too much. An unbearable weight she could no longer hold up. Some days she just wanted to curl up in a ball and ignore the world.

Stellaris turned her gaze to the doctor. “Have I hurt my baby?” she whispered.

~Stellaris

She had been without food for a lot longer than that. Ok’jiv was certain of it. She wasn’t willing to push right now. She seemed to fragile now. “Your baby is a little under weight, but other than that it is perfectly healthy. Now, we’ve started fluids, and we will keep you on them for a bit. Nurse Elaine is going to start a vitamin supplement regimen for you. Then we are going to get you transferred to another room. Then you can have whatever you want to eat.”

“Okay,” Stellaris said.

Elaine walked over with a hypo. “This is a vitamin supplement. Is it alright if I give this to you in your arm?” Elaine was older and gave off a grandmotherly vibe.

“Would you like to see your baby, Stellaris?”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

The truth was, she was scared to see her baby. For her reality to really hit home. She couldn’t ignore any of it anymore, clearly. It wasn’t that she had tried so intentionally, but sometimes survival means focusing on just the few tiny things you could manage. And yet, hearing the heartbeat in the ambulance made her want more. “Yes. Yes I would.”

~Stellaris

Ok’jiv lifted her shirt just a bit and set an hand scanner over the small swell of her stomach. She moved it around a bit, the sound of the hart beat filled the room, and then she turned the screen toward Stellaris. On the screen was a perfectly formed baby. A small nose, little hands that were grasping at nothing, legs that were curled up with 10 perfect little toes. The mouth was moving like the baby was trying to nurse and the stomach was moving up and down. “See. These movements show the baby is practicing for life outside your womb. How to nurse and how to breath.”

Her mouth fell into a small o and Stellaris was transfixed by the sight of her beautiful child. They were so tiny, so impossible delicate, and yet they were also okay. They were strong. “It’s amazing,” she whispered.

“Would you like to know the gender?”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

She sucked in a breath nod nodded. “Yes, I think I’d like that.” In the beginning she had had so little choice anything and had been forced to accept what she was given. But now? At least in this small moment she could make better choices (even if they were tiny) that were good for the both of them.”

“I don’t know if it makes a difference at all, but I was really ill at the beginning. The nausea was terrible and for a couple weeks I threw up so much. But then it got better and it was fine. But I didn’t have access to a doctor after that. I couldn’t risk it.”

~Stellaris

Ok’jiv nodded. “Extreme nausea can happen early in pregnancy. I’m glad that it was subsided for you.” She moved the scanner around until they had a full frontal view of the baby. “Ah, there you go. A beautiful baby girl.”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

Her breath caught in her throat as she got an even better view of her baby… her baby girl. “Ohhh,” Stellaris said, tearing up. “She really is beautiful, ins’t she?”

Elaine smiled, “Yes she is.” Ok’jiv shared a smile over Stellaris’ head.

“You said she was too small. Can we help that, or is it too late? And will she make it?” Stellaris said, trying to wrap her mind around all the potential complications. She knew so little about pregnancy. Hell, she wasn’t unintelligent in any way, but she had not had any schooling past age sixteen.

~Stellaris

Ok’jiv turned to her, “Yes, we can do something about that. There are all kinds of risks with pregnancy, but from what I see here I see no indication that she won’t be born perfectly healthy. I’m going to have you admitted to the hospital until we can get your weight up and resolve the other health issues to make sure you and your daughter are healthy.” Leaving the scanner in place, Ok’jiv gave Stellaris a moment to watch her daughter.

She relaxed at that pronouncement and nodded, still watching the screen.

“Stellaris, I want to ask you a serious question. I am aware you have no reason to trust me or Elaine, but we do want to help you. You said you couldn’t risk seeing a doctor. Are you in danger? Should we register you under a false name?”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

She cast her gaze out to the door, where on the other side the constable was waiting. Blackwood had asked her a similar question. Stellaris looked back at Ok’jiv and then Elaine. “Can you?” she asked na small voice. “I didn’t know that was an option.” Closing her eyes, she felt the tight ball of anxiety within her surface and pushed it back down. When she opened her eyes, there was nothing short of terror within them. “Stellaris isn’t my actual name, but they might find me using it. I didn’t think to give a different name to the police the first time. Please, they will take her from me. I can’t let that happen!” Her heart rate spiked on the monitors. “They can’t have her!” she said, placing her hands over her belly as a fierce expression took over the one of fear.

~Stellaris

Ok’jiv put a hand over hers. “You will be safe here. We can use an assumed name. I know people who can keep you safe. We have… ways of making that happen. Would be be okay if I had someone come talk to you about it? If you say no, that is absolutely okay, and we won’t speak to anyone else about it.” The old Klingon drew herself up, “I promise you. No one will take your child from you.”

The OB was so sadamant that Stellaris wanted to believe her, desperately. But the reality was that is she went to jail, then she could still lose her baby. Then again she wasn’t entirely sure how serious her situation was or wasn’t in that regard. Still, she nodded to Ok’jiv. “Okay,” she said softly, letting herself trust these people who had bene nothing but kind to her so far.

Ok’jiv patted her hand reassuringly.

“Now what name would you like to go by, or would you like us to make one up?”

Stellaris shook her head. “Just make one up. It doens’t really matter I don’t think.”

“Well Sarah Jones it is nice to meet you,” Elaine said. “Does that work? Everyone will call you that.”

“I will not tell Constable Blackwood anything you don’t want her to know. I do need to let her know we are admitting you and transferring you.” She nodded to Elaine who went to the door and opened. “Constable Blackwood, you may come back in now.”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

The constable said she could help Stellaris is she was in danger. Well, she very much was! Could she trust the police officer? She really didn’t know, but at this point if she wanted to survive and wanted her baby… daughter to be okay, then she needed to trust more than herself. “You can tell her what I told you,” she said to Ok’jiv. There, whatever happened now, happened.

~Stellaris

Blackwood heard her name and entered the room, she looked at the doctor and nurse and then at Stella’s. “How is our paitent?” She asked, hoping thst the doctor could admit her to give her and Holt time to figure out what was going on.
~Constable Blackwood

“I am admitting her for long term care. I need you to step back out with me to sign the paperwork while Nurse Elaine helps her change.”

Thank goodness she thought following her out of the room and taking position where should could see the room. “I was hoping to here that she needs to be in here not a jail cell.”

Ok’jiv motioned outside while Elaine got out a gown. Ok’jiv led Blackwood across the hall to a private room. She left the door open and turned so the constable would have a clear view of the door to the room and be able to watch. “She has given permission for me to speak with you, but her safety is of the highest priority.”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

She noded ” something is definatly not right, did she give you anything I can work with?” She paused.. “i have a contact at MCD who is willing to take a look when he gets a chance”

~Constable Blackwood

“We are admitting her under a false name. Stellaris isn’t her real name either, but she wouldn’t tell me her real name. She’s running from someone. Someone she is terrified will steal her baby and harm her. There is a history of long term malnutrition going back years.” Ok’jiv said.

“We have someone here who specializes in such cases. I would use caution asking others to help. The more people are involved the more likely things slip out. And quite honestly, as starved and dehydrated she is, she is not in her right mind. The instinct to protect her baby along with the disorientation…” she left that up to interpretation.

“I get that but he already knows and knows how to be discrete. He will most likely come here first to talk to her and you,” she said giving her her contact information and DS Holts. I got scans so hopefully they will lead somewhere. “

“Now I know she has to be under guard because she is under arrest. I can take her to the security wing, but I would rather put her in maternity. However a visibly armed guard will upset the other parents.”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

“Maternity is fine, ill need to go over a few things, and ill need the alias, but ill keep it out if the paperwork for now” she said looking at the room. “She is not in that much trouble with us at this point, just some fines she cant pay. If she flees it ill get worse for her ”

“Any thing else she told you or that I should know before I go talk to her?”

~Constable Blackwood