Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in So… This Is It

Posted by Ensign Dradvia (Medical Officer) in So… This Is It

Posted by Civilian Sisnil Zoi (Intelligence Consultant) in So… This Is It
Posted by… suppressed (108) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
He woke up almost 10 hours later. He seemed sleepy as he woke up, glanced around the room, and then reached for the glasses Dee had replicated and put them on.

~ Zoi

Dee was back long before he woke up. She had just finished prepping his hypos when he woke up. “Well, hello sleepy head.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “Hey, Dee.” He almost stretched and then remembered that would be a bad idea. “Can we try taking the force field off now?”

~ Zoi

Dee smiled at him, her expression showing how much she loved him, and momentarily hiding how poorly she slept and the night terrors that chased her.

“Hmmm…” Dee’s face screwed up in thought as she gave him the next dose. “Well, we didn’t have to increase the force field while you slept, and the tremors seem to have almost subsided. I think we can try again. We’re still going to go slow though. I don’t want to shock your nervous system. Do you want to sit up some or lay down?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Let’s do it laying down first,” Sisnil said. He hated how slow all this was, but the price of pushing it was high.

~ Zoi

“Okay.” Dradvia side stepped to the controls and set a gradual release over 10 minutes. “Why don’t we start with your hands. Flex your fingers, try to make a fist, pretend you are typing.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil tried to flex his fingers. The motion brought back the burning pain, his fingers not flexing all the way as they normally would. Then he tried the fist. More pain, and his fists wouldn’t close all the way. Finally he tried pretending to type. It was no wonder, eyesight aside, he’d had trouble typing the movie name before. His finger movements were jolty, not precise, and they didn’t move as much or as easily as they should.

~ Zoi

“Okay, relax, well stop.” Dradvia slipped her hand into his. “I’m going to lift your arm, bend the elbow. You don’t do the work, I do, alright?” She waited for his answer.

Sisnil nodded, wrapping his fingers carefully around her hand.

Then she carefully lifted his arm, just level with his abdomen and then gently pulled his arm away from the bed. She watched his face, the k12 indicator, and paid attention to any twinges or spasms. She didn’t push far, just trying to give his body some gentle stretch and movement.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

His face tensed and then untensed occasionally as she moved his arm, the k12 indicating that it was indeed hurting and occasional spasms seemed to align with when his face tensed. Sisnil saw she was watching and said, “It’s not too bad, Dee, it’ll get better.”

~ Zoi

“I know,” she smiled gently at him. “There is no avoiding the pain right now, but it doesn’t have to be excruciating. I just don’t want your muscles to lock up from being held still.” She gently bent his elbow and rested his hand on his stomach. Dee moved around to the other side and repeated the process with his other arm.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil focused on breathing while she did. When she was done he tried to make fists, but it was just as bad. “I thought when the poison was gone I’d be better.”

~ Zoi

“It’s not all gone yet. 33 and a half hours left. Then we’ll do neural regeneration. Then we can see how bad it is. Don’t give up.” She rubbed his arms gently. “Heat might help.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “Okay. Let’s try heat.” He chuckled and shook his head, “I almost– almost wish I could sleep for the next 33 hours.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia set an hand over both of his. “If that’s what you want, we can do that.” She let him think about that as she moved over to a storage cabinet. She came back with an extra blanket. This one was heated. She wrapped it over him and turned it on so it that it warmed him and helped relax the muscles.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Thanks.” There was a short silence and then, “No. I mean, I kind of do want that, but I can’t.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia nodded. She got it. Though if he was that tired and hurting, she wished he would. She knew why he couldn’t. “Are you hungry?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He nodded. “Yeah, a little. But I need to sit up to eat.” He smiled, but he was obviously embarrassed. “You’re gonna have to help me, huh?”

~ Zoi

“Maybe.” The 10 minutes was close to being up. Dradvia asked, “How are you feeling with the forcefield coming off?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“There’s pain, but it’s not like it was.” Sisnil said. “It feels good to be free again.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia nodded, “I’m sure. Okay, so do you want to try and sit up? Or wait a few minutes?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I want to sit up,” he said. “What’s for.... Uh, meal?”

~ Zoi

“Hmmm well what do you think you can handle?” Dradvia pressed the controls and slowly raised him to 30 degrees and stopped. “How’s that?”

“Want to sit up more?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Uhm, let’s wait,” he said, his voice strained like he was in pain.

~ Zoi

“Okay.” Dradvia sat down and set her hands over his. She glanced up at his K12 reading. “Do you want the forcefield? So it can help stabilize you?” She knew the answer was probably no, but she had to offer. “Count your breaths and try not to tense up.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He shook his head, “Maybe if it gets worse.” His K12 showed his pain should be 7/10. He was quiet, trying to count breaths as she’d said.

~ Zoi

Dradvia nodded. “I can always lower the bed to help too.” In her books, the heroine always kissed the hero when he was hurting or injured. It made them forget how bad they felt. Dradvia wondered if it was really worked that way, but she didn’t think she could do it.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No,” Sisnil said. He grinned at her thoughts, “You know, I’ve never been kissed by someone I actually loved, so I don’t know.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia had to stop herself from saying she hoped he found out one day. There had to be someone else out there who could love him as much as she did, but could love him better than she could. She knew Sisnil wasn’t toying with her by saying he loved her, but he could find better than her.

She berated herself for her thoughts. It wasn’t fair to him when she knew she could never… “Well, that would be the fastest way to have me removed as your doctor,” she said instead.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shrugged, “No one else is here. What am I going to do, report you?” He chuckled at the thought. “And Dee, stop thinking there’s someone better than you. There isn’t. No one in the fleet is going to trust me and everyone in the Syndicate can’t be trusted.”

~ Zoi

There were plenty of people in and out. It just happened to be quiet right now. They only had 3 rooms to sickbay, storage/lab, Tessan’s office, and here - the main bay. “There are good people that aren’t part of either, Sisnil. You don’t have to settle.” Oh she hated saying it, she knew he didn’t think that. She didn’t want him to see her as ‘settling’, but when he left, she wanted him to be happy. He would never be happy here. She wouldn’t survive in his world. She didn’t want him to blame himself when something bad happened to her.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Settle? Dee, I’m not settling. If I didn’t want to be with you, all I had to do was not spend weeks gaining your trust.” Sisnil said, looking at her.

~ Zoi

“I know. I just…” Dradvia shrugged self-consciously. She felt special knowing he’d given all that time to know her. It made her sad too, knowing how long it took, and there was nothing for him to show for it. It was everything for her, but so little in return for him. Oh, Sisnil would say it wasn’t so little. He would list off all the things she gave him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Dee, you’ve been sitting there for three days, and you don’t think you offer me anything?” Sisnil pointed out.

~ Zoi

Dradvia shrugged, “I love you. Where else would I be? But your Eli would do the same. You’ve said so.” Any decent doctor would. It was just more personal for her.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Any doctor on a ship like this would assign a nurse to watch me,” Sisnil replied.

~ Zoi

“Maybe for the flu, but not for this. At least… they shouldn’t,” Dradvia admitted. She looked down at her hands, twisting her fingers around each other. Her voice was non existent; Dradvia’s mouth mived but no sound came out she was so quiet. He wouldn’tknow except for her thoughts. “I just… you’re leaving. You’re going back to your family.” She blew out a sad breath. “You’re amazing. No matter what’s happened before or what will after, I want you to be happy. You deserve someone to share it with, that’s just for you. This universe is awful, and,” Dradvia closed her eyes careful not to squeeze them shut so the tears didn’t fall, “I want you to have someone to laugh with when it’s good, and someone to keep watch when it’s bad.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil reached for her hand. “Dee, that’s you.” He looked at her and smiled sadly, “I’d never have taken you for naive, Dee.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia shrugged, “Maybe I am naive. My experiences have been very tainted.” She shrugged again to give her voice a chance to steady. “But I can’t go with you, and you would be, you are, miserable here. I just… I want you to be happy when you can. If wanting that for you makes me naive, then I guess I am.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No, that’s sweet. It’s… Well… After this, do you really think I can go back?” Sisnil asked.

~ Zoi

Dradvia turned her palms up, “I don’t know. I never thought I’d be rescued, but I was. I suppose if it is what you fear… we could alter your appearance.” She sighed, “I don’t know if you can Sisnil, but I hope so.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“No way.” Sisnil said immediately. “I can’t change how I look.” He shrugged, “I just don’t know anymore, Dee.”

~ Zoi

“Well, first you have to get better. Then we can figure it out. If anyone can, it’s the best pirate in history.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “Thanks, Dee.” He said. “Let’s try going up a little more now.”

~ Zoi

She gave him a gentle smile. “Anytime.” She set her hand over the controls and the bed slowly started moving. “Tell me if it goes to fast and when to stop.” Hopefully before it was too much.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil reached a hand toward her when he needed to her to stop. “Okay, Dee,” he said, voice tight.

~ Zoi

The bed stopped and Dradvia adjusted the warming blanket over him. “Focus on something else.” She wished she could do something to distract him. “What do you want to do first when you get out of here?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil thought a moment. “Train. Write a holoprogram, maybe. Play with Simon.” He said.

~ Zoi

Dradvia smiled, “Maybe all three? Create a new training program so you can teach Simon what to do at the same time.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil grinned, “Training for Simon? I like it.” he said. He was taking deliberately slow breaths and he opened his hand for Dee to take.

~ Zoi

“He’s smart, and he probably won’t leave your side once he sees you.” Dradvia knew she didn’t want to. Leaving to get sleep like she promised had been one of the hardest things she’d ever done.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “You think? I think he’ll want to play.” He said. “When do you think I can see him?”

~ Zoi

“Oh, I know he will want to play, but only if you are around.” The poor kitten was sad. Dradvia tried to play with him, but he wasn’t interested. He ate, but didn’t beg for food. She was worried about him. She didn’t know enough about cats. “I think tomorrow, after we know the poison is completely out of your system.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

That seemed to brighten Sisnil a little bit. “Good! He needs that. Cats get almost as attached to people as dogs and other pets.”

~ Zoi

Drasvia giggled very softly, “I think his person is just as attached as he is.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled and shrugged. “Do you?” He said playfully.

~ Zoi

“Oh yes,” the words whispered out, a confession. Dradvia was attached. Sisnil had become everything to her. Walking into his quarters to find that note… It had devastated her. She had felt something begin to break inside. Simon too, as he cried and crawled into her lap. Dradvia had known Sisnil was leaving, she had thought she was prepared. She hadn’t been.

Then that desperate plea for help. Dradvia was running on numb at the moment, so it didn’t all catch up to her.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sunil had meant did she think the cat was that attached, so the loving, whispered confession took him off guard. He smiled and squeezed her hand. It wasn’t much of a squeeze. “I love you, Dee.”

~ Zoi

Using her other hand, Dee carefully helped him wrap his fingers around her hand. Steady but gentle. “I love you, too.” The words still frightened her. Their whole connection was confusing and overwhelming and unknown. However, Dee was too honest, too open to lie or ignore now that she knew what her feelings were.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled, “I can die fulfilled now,” he said.

Dee vehemently shook her head. “No. No dying,” There was a sterness and fear in her voice and her emotions. She understood he was being himself, not serious, but… but she was afraid of losing him.

“When I… When my heart stopped, and I saw you, that’s what you said.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia swallowed, her eyes latched on to his, though he probably couldn’t see her expression clearly, he could feel it. Surprise, fear, a twinge of hope. Had he heard her thoughts then? “I just kept thinking that I loved you, not to give up.” Well and begging him to hold on for Noril and Vash and his crew. For Simon, and maybe, just maybe for her as well. Even if he didn’t stay with her, to come back and live. She needed him to live.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Maybe I did hear you,” He said, and squeezed her hand. “I saw you, and you said you loved me, and then I saw my ship, and they were all waiting for me.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia had heard that sometimes, when people were near death they saw loved ones who died. Seeing the living, well, maybe the theories that it was the mind coping and not real, were more accurate. She didn’t know.

“I’m sure they are. They are looking for you. You’ll get home somehow.” She didn’t know how. If what they suspected was true, then she didn’t know how he would get home now. She knew Sisnil wouldn’t give up, and she would help him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shook his head and shrugged. “Yeah. I’m sure they are.” He didn’t sound hopeful. It wasn’t that he didn’t think they were waiting, it was that he’d lost hope in going home.

~ Zoi

Dradvia smiled, tried to ease his worry. “Well nothing can be done until you are better. Until then, I get a little more time with you.” She wasn’t even aware of the mix of loss at his leaving and utter joy in having that time that was in her voice.

“How are feeling?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled and squeezed her hand again. “A little better.”

~ Zoi

“Good. Thirsty or hungry?” She was willing to let him eat a little more, just nothing heavy that might sour his stomach.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Thirsty, a little,” Sisnil said. He looked at her, “I’m just… Glad you heard. And came. Wasn’t sure you would.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia reached for a cup of water with a straw on the table and held it for him. Her brows pulled in confusion. “Of course I came. Why wouldn’t I?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil took the straw in his mouth and sipped a little. “I’m Syndicate, I was meeting Syndicate contacts. You had good reason not to.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia’s face burned with cold as the blood drained from her cheeks. “I… I didn’t think about that.” He was hurt, he needed her. She hadn’t thought about danger until she found that back passage. She never thought about it being Syndicate at that time. They were supposed to be there to help him.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “I’m glad you ended up safe. I’d rather have died than you get caught.”

~ Zoi

“I’d rather you be alive.” No, she didn’t want to get caught. She would never survive, but Sisnil being alive was more important to her.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil squeezed her hand as hard as he could, which was depressingly weak. “You have to live, Dee, okay?”

~ Zoi

Dee smiled at him with a little shake of her head. “So do you. That’s an order from your doctor.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I already fulfilled that one, didn’t I?” Sisnil said and smiled.

~ Zoi

“Yes,” Dee bent over on her stool, her forehead briefly touching his. “You have to stay that way.” She offered him more of the water and then put a show on for him again.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil drank the rest of the water over time. “I’ll be here, Dee. Promise.”

~ Zoi

She looked over at him. Hesitantly, her fingers threaded with his. “I know.” She watched with him, in between lab work, reports, scans, and the occasional need for help.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

She would know it was a good sign the poison was almost gone if she noticed he’d drifted into a light sleep on his own. His eyes shut, his breathing evened out. The slightest movement woke him up though and he blinked and glanced at her. “Did I miss something?”

~ Zoi

Dradvia hated she woke him. “No, you were asleep. It’s time for your next dose. I didn’t mean to wake you. I was using the numbing spray.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil shrugged. “That’s okay.” He smiled. “Almost done, right?”

~ Zoi

“Three more including this one,” Dradvia smiled. He was sore, hurting, in pain, weak, BUT he wasn’t dying anymore. The stab wound had healed well and now that the poison was nearly gone it was healing faster. She took the blood sample and took it to the computer for the results. “How are you feeling? You fell asleep without the sedative.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“I think my sight might be a little worse,” he said. “Other than that it’s all about the same.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia wheeled the occular analyzer over and set it up. “Just stare at the light like before. The machine will do the rest.” She also set the biobed to run a full neurological scan, and then a detailed scan of his occipital lobe.

She checked the computer for the results of his blood work and prepared the hypo as well.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil did as she asked. The results showed further ocular nerve degeneration and severe occipital lobe damage. It was as if the poison had sat there and chewed threw them until there was almost nothing left of the nerve. The brain damage was the same, as though the poison had sat and eaten away the connections and cells in the occipital lobe.

His vision was worse judging by the sight tests. The glasses she’d made were probably too weak now, and by estimation his sight was likely extremely limited.

His blood work showed the level of poison was where it should be, almost gone.

~ Zoi

Dradvia prepared the hypo and gave it to him. She replicated a different pair of glasses for him. “Here, these should help. I talked to Tessan. He is going to review the options and then will give you his recommendation after we get scans tomorrow.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil tried them, they did help, but it wasn’t clear. At least he could tell what things were. “Okay. So once I’m clear, things will start moving more, huh?”

~ Zoi

“Yes,” she moved the equipment out of the way. “It’s just too risky to try before it’s gone.” More than anything, Dradvia wanted to start treatments. Heal him now. But she knew the damage could be much worse if they didn’t wait.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded. “What did the tests say?” He asked her. He reached for her hand again. “It’s okay, Dee. Won’t be long, now.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia didn’t want to tell him. He was already discouraged, and she didn’twant to make it worse. “The damage to your occipital lobe and optic nerve has gotten worse. The poison seemed to just collect and stay there.”

“The amounts are less than .5% now. Almost gone. The treatment is working.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil patted her hand gently. “I see. It’s okay, Dee, I’m not giving up on you.”

~ Zoi

She hated giving anyone bad news. She especially felt sick telling Sisnil. She couldn’t fail him. “We’ll do an in depth eye exam at your last dose. I’ll get you fitted for better glasses and then we can talk about the different options.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil nodded. “And then we’ll be able to test everything else, too, right?”

~ Zoi

“Yes, we’ll test everything then and begin treatments.” That reminded Dradvia she needed to make sure the EMH PT program was updated. “And you’ll see Simon tomorrow.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “Good. Never should’ve gone to that station, or it wouldn’t be like this.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia shook her head. “No. You had to try. If you avoid things out of fear and what ifs, you’ll end up like me. That’s not you. You’re brave.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “Yeah, brave, like the one that rushed down there after I’d been attacked, alone, to help me.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia shook her head, “I didn’t know you had been attacked. I just knew you needed help.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “Yes, your big bad pirate needed help. Like that’s not a bad sign.”

~ Zoi

Srasvia shrugged shyly. She hadn’t thought about it like that. She hadn’t thought at all. He needed her and she went. Honestly, she thought, before she found him, it was heartbreak on her part. Wishing he was staying. “Everyone needs help sometimes. You don’t have a lot of choices here.” He would have reached Noril or his crew if that had been possible.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled again and shrugged. “Let’s just be glad I lived.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia looked at him like he was the sun in the center of her universe. “I am. Never doubt that.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Never forget it’s thanks to you that I did,” he replied. “How do we want to burn time till this is done with?”

~ Zoi

Unease rolled over her. She knew Sisnil meant it, but even after all this time, praise scared her. She was beyond relieved that he was okay, rhat she was able to help him. She was just broken.

“Not just me. Everyone in Sickbay helped.” She couldn’t have done it without them. “Mostly however you want as long as you don’t over do it.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“So, no long walks around the ship followed by intense training?” Sisnil joked, looking at her.

~ Zoi

Dradvia gave him that look. “You can’t even get out of bed with help, but you are welcome to try.” She knew he couldn’t, but after she said it, she realized she probably should not have said that. Man was dangerously stubborn.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Wanna bet?” Sisnil immediately replied, proving her right. He was dangerously stubborn, and irritatingly contrarian.

~ Zoi

Dradvia took two steps back. “I don’t gamble, but you do.” If he needed to try, well she probably shouldn’t let him, but a little stretching would be good after 4 days.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil was able, through sheer force of will and the help of his stiff and unwilling hands, to move his legs over the edge of the bed. But as soon as he tried to scoot off, (which he also had trouble with), and his legs had to support something, he ran into major problems: mainly, that they couldn’t.

~ Zoi

Dradvia was instantly beside him. “I’ve got you.” Her arm wrapped around him, steadying him and eased him back against the bed. Kgnan appeared to help her. Once Sisnil was stable in the biobed he slipped away as silently as he had appeared.

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil wrapped an arm around her to hold himself up. Soon be was back on the biobed. The pain wasn’t as bad as he expected, but the weakness was worse. He grinned at Dee, “So do I win or lose that one?”

~ Zoi

Well she had said he couldn’t get out of bed without help. Turns out it was staying out of bed and getting back in that he needed help with. She sighed dramatically. “Yes, I suppose so.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

He laughed. “Let’s call it a draw.” He’d been able to get out of bed, barely, and he didn’t think it was a good idea to try twice. So was it really a win?

~ Zoi

Dradvia thought so. Since he wasn’t screaming in pain or totally collapsed or fainted or cardiac arrest, it was a win. “Okay, a draw. What else do you want to try?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

“Not that again,” he admitted. His muscles were twitching from the use, and the remnants of the poison. “Didn’t feel too good.”

~ Zoi

Dradvia nodded. She prepped a hypo with a betablocker and pain meds. She pressed it to his neck and then gently rubbed the spot. She pulled the heated blanket over him and helped him get as comfortable as possible. “It will get better. It may not seem like it, but that is significantly better than I expected.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled. “Too bad the same can’t be said for my eyes.” He said, readjusting the glasses. “I think I’m still weak, but most of the pain is the poison.”

~ Zoi

“Your eyes will get better.” Dradvia didn’t say perfect because she didn’t know. Every case of someone surviving echtallin poisoning documented life long damage. “There is a lot we can do and try.”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer

Sisnil smiled, but it wasn’t a hopeful look. “It’s okay, Dee. I’m fine, okay?”

~ Zoi

“Okay.” She wouldn’t push. “Another show? Do you want to eat?”

Ens. Dradvia, Medical Officer