Problem

Posted on 03 Nov 2014 @ 3:18am by Petty Officer 2nd Class Eva Kovalev

1,487 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD -20, 1400 hours

ON:

Equipment lockout procedures exist for a purpose. The idea is to ensure that equipment is powered down and no one can accidentally power a device while technicians are inside machinery. For starfleet engineers, that procedure is ingrained from the earliest days as almost everything aboard a starship can injure or kill if proper lockout procedures are not followed.

Eva had followed the correct procedures, the EPS relay she had to replace was properly locked down in the system, the upstream & downstream taps isolated. The final part of the procedure was to de-engergize the relay by grounding the unit through a downstream tap. However something went wrong.

One moment Eva was reaching in to the console holding the relay, the next moment she was sitting on her seat, approx six feet away from the console, her uniform sleeve singed and her hand blistered from the sudden release of energy. Grabbing a small spray bottle from her kit bag, she quickly sprayed the injured area with an anesthetic spray most engineers carried as part of their kit bag. EPS burns were extremely painful and the spray helped ease the pain while she made her way to sickbay.

[[Sickbay]]

Walking into sickbay, clutching her burnt hand, Eva motioned to a nurse.

The nurse in turn motioned to a nearby male wearing a teal uniform. "Doctor Mercy is available," she told the incoming patient.

At the sound of his name, Naois sighed and turned around, putting down the PADD and stylus he was holding to complete his small inventory. "What can I do for you," he said, though his tone was not nearly as friendly as the gest of the words implied.

Eva nodded as she moved to a nearby biobed. "Minor little oops with an EPS relay. Busy safeing the unit for replacement and it discharged." She smiled up at the doctor expecting the usual vulcan emotionless demeanor, that infamous deadpan expression, only to see what seemed like more just a hint of annoyance. Eva'd been around enough Vulcan's to know something was amiss with the man.

"Minor little oops?" the half-Vulcan queried as he followed her, grabbing a tricorder and a dermal regenerator on the way. He took her hand in his and studied it, while running the scanner over the damaged skin. "I see you have done some self-healing," he stated, turning her hand over. His skin was hot to the touch, as he held her hand lightly. "Looks like at least some engineers have a brain before running off to sickbay."

"Just some anesthetic spray to numb the hand. I know better then to try and fix anything, especially injuries to the hand."

Something was definitely off about about Naois. Eva'd had brushes with him before but this was uncharacteristically moody for any Vulcan. As he looked over her hand, Eva glanced up at him. "You okay Sir? You seem a bit off today, not your usual cheerful self."

Eyes narrowing suspiciously, he watched her as he worked to heal her burns. "I am fine, " he lied, answering a little too quickly. "Is there any residual pain?" the doctor asked when he was done with the dermal regenerator, "can you move your fingers like you normally do?"

Eva flexed the hand a little. Some residual stiffness she'd normally work out with a stress ball but the motion was all there. A little bit of phantom pain leftover from the damaged nerves, easily addressed with a hyospray of tryflorapan. "I've been down here for a few of these before. I'm usually given some nerve blocker as the hand get's really itchy for a day or so afterwards." She paused. "Seriously tho Sir. Are you sure your okay? I've worked with enough Vulcan's to know something is amiss."

"It should not itch as I healed your hand," Naois replied stiffly, "and since you do not posess a medical degree I would have you refrain from diagnosing me." Even though the situation was getting dire, he would not just address it to someone he barely knew anything about.

"Yet the hand itches. I know my own body doctor, and it should be documented in my case file." She paused. "One also doesn't need a medical degree to know a Vulcan is out of sorts when his usually calm emotionless demeanor is replaced by irritability with a patient during what is normally a simple outpatient treatment." Eva paused. "I've also been around enough Vulcans to have a pretty good guess what is bothering you but I'll keep my diagnosis to myself."

"Including half-Vulcans?" Naois snapped at her. "I am half Human, I am not a follower of Surak. And what, pray tell, is bothering me?"

"Computer. Activate biobed privacy filter." Eva waited until she heard the chirp before she continued. "My roomie in basic was part Vulcan so trust me, Surak or not, you tend to be quite emotionaly grounded. For you I know because I've seen you interact on this ship with patients before. But between being escorted from the Callisto for suspected intoxication, which I suspect you weren't, and how snappy you are at me right now Sir. I'm going to guess that you are going through the opening stages of the Vulcan Pon'farr." She paused. "I went though it with that same roommate."

Naois gave her a pointed stare as he listened to her explanation, grateful that she had thought of the privacy field because the last he needed was for gossip to start with others overhearing. "These are no longer the first stages," Naois all but whispered, "And I have no time to return to Vulcan." THe fact that he was speaking with a female did not even get him to think she might be suitable. He had no idea how to go about this, the last time, he had Valeia, and they had already been dating when his Time had come. His first Time. Now, this second one, he was alone, and scared of what he would face. "I do not know what to do," he added.

Eva nodded quietly. She knew what he needed but wasn't sure if that would be welcome. "Can I suggest something doctor? And please take what I am about to say as someone who wishes to help, nothing more. I know you need a physical outlet for some of the symptoms. I also know that the best outlet for that is to spend close physical contact with a women." Eva paused. "I've done this before for a friend, so if you want, I can provide that for you."

Surprise flickered across the Vulcan's features; out of all the possible answers and suggestions, this was the least he expected. "I need more than a physical outlet," he explained, looking away in embarrassment. The subject was taboo, not spoken about to outsiders. "I need to mate... and it is not without consequence to the female partner, more so if she is not Vulcan."

"I understand. Vulcans are stronger than Humans so some injury is to be expected. I also am aware that for Vulcans, the Pon'farr typically produces a child. With a non-Vulcan that is not guaranteed though, my own body being proof to that as I've never been pregnant despite assisting in Pon'farr once before."

"You are a hybrid," Naois pointed out, "it is not unusual for a hybrid to have more difficulty. My late wife, she was Betazoid." He rubbed his sweaty palms together, watching her. "Are you certain about this?" he asked her, taking the smallest of steps forward. He was in no position to refuse her offer, if he did, he knew he would die because, what were the odds of finding someone else who would be so selfless?

"I am certain." Eva smiled. "I also think that it would perhaps be best if we finished up my hand and continued this discussion in private once we're off duty. I suspect some may be wondering what we are discussing as a hand isn't a major deal that requires a privacy screen."

For the first time since meeting her today, Naois cast her a small but genuine smile. "That would depend on the nature of the conversation. Doctor - patient privilege is held in very high standard Petty Officer," he chuckled, "for all they know, we are discussing one of your delicate natures. Meet me in my quarters at seventeen hundred hours. I will find somewhere for my children to stay for the next day or two."

"I will be there. And thank you, for the hand I mean."

"You are welcome." He inclined his head towards her ever so slightly as he deactivated the privacy screen. "You should not overuse it," he added as a last second advice, and parting words.

OFF:


JP between:

PO2 Eva Kovalev
Engineer
USS Galileo
[PNPC Min]

&&

Lieutenant j.g. Naois Mercy
Medical Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

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