Sixth Sense

Posted on 03 Aug 2015 @ 7:27pm by Lieutenant Oren Idris Ph.D. & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

1,335 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD01 - 2035hrs

[ON]

As he came back into consciousness, the first thing to hit Oren was a light wave of nausea, making the overhead lights spin. Blinking against their harshness, he finally raised a hand to try and block his view. Focusing his vision to the best of his abilities, Oren took in the room around him. Sickbay, he realised, watching the familiar sight of doctors rushing to and from injured patients. The air felt heavy, adding to the feeling of dread that filled Oren's stomach. Groaning, he tried to push himself into a sitting position.

"Oh no you don't" Allyndra used a slim fingered hand to push gently. She had heard the rustle of clothing. "You have a head injury sir. The last thing we need is a bout of nausea."

Despite making a disgruntled teenager noise, Oren went back down. "I'm already nauseous," he complained, bending his wrists, which felt awkwardly tense. "And my head feels....strange."

"I cannot give you anything quite yet. There has not been time to do a full evaluation and medication right now maybe dangerous and in either case we need to keep you awake. Describe how your head feels," Allyndra said using a medical tricorder. The other biobeds were filled currently and this was what she had.

Lickig his lips, Oren focused for a moment to try and concentrate on the task at hand. "Um...I don't know how," he admitted but tried again. "When I speak to people, sometimes I get this feeling, like an instinct, about what they might say but not what they actually say. I mean, I'm not psychic or anything. It's just this feeling like anticipation. This feels like that but constant. Like something is stuck and it's making my head feel sick."

Allyndra was intrigued. There was no psychic indications in the young man's record but what he described seemed to be similar to what Betazoids sometimes said. Allyndra wondered if this could be another example of synesthesia. She was curious now. "So what do you think I might say right now?" She asked.

Oren looked at her, trying to focus but felt his headache get worse. Not that focusing ever did anything. If he was being honest, his understanding of his El-Aurian empathy was secondhand at best.

"I don't know...I can't control it and I'm not psychic," he repeated, swallowing down another small wave of nausea that made his vision blur. "I know you're worried about your other patients, but that's hardly me telling you your future."

Shifting on the bed, Oren tried to get into a half-seated position to get more comfortable. "Other people are better at describing how I make them feel," he added with a shrug. "I just feel nauseous but in my brain and it's hitting my stomach, like something is pressing on it. Like a bad feeling, you know? Like something terrible has happened or is going to happen."

Allyndra watched closely still monitoring. "Well that something bad has happened there is no doubt. I am not sure about pending, let us hope not. Anyway," she gave a wane smile. "I think I am safe enough to go ahead and give you something for the nausea. The scans do not indicate any brain swelling so no concussion that I can determine."

"I'm not sure if I'm relieved or even more anxious now," Oren admitted, watching Allyndra move the tricorder around.

Allyndra tried to reassure him. "Physically other than a small scalp hematoma. I wonder..." she thought for a moment. "Does the room seem to spin or just that things feel off?"

"Off..." he replied quickly, hoping to know what was happening to him. He was starting to feel nervous about his condition. He'd never been seriously ill in his entire life so this was definitely a new development, especially if he wasn't suffering from a concussion.

"It's like that feeling when your ears are congested or you have an inner ear infection. That kind of sick," he clarified.

Allyndra nodded, she suspected something and dialed in a new medication. She pressed it to his arm, "This should help," she said and then mentally added 'I hope'. "I believe you are suffering from a sort of spatial gap. Think of it sort of like transport sickness, that feeling that you're not quite here."

"I wonder where I could've gotten that from," Oren said flatly, giving the doctor an amused look as he felt the medication hit his bloodstream. He waited then, hoping it would alleviate his illness. After a few moments, he did feel better, but still not quite right.

"I feel...Well, I don't feel sick anymore," he admitted.

"That is good. As far as the other, perhaps the bump just joggled your parietal lobe. Now let's get that hematoma taken care of." Allyndra gently pushed him down. "If you feel sick again go ahead, the floor cleans easily." She prepared instrument that would remove the blood and clot that had formed between the skin of the scalp and his skull. "Just talk to me, about anything, best if you try to stay awake."

"Um..." Oren began awkwardly, staring at the instruments in Allyndra's hands. Since joining the Galileo, he'd seen a lot more of Sickbays than he had previously in his entire career. What was it about Starfleet and getting hurt?

"I don't really know what to say. Are there many casualties?"

"Yes, a few serious but much more bumps and scrapes," She replied as she worked the tissue regenerator. "The loss of gravity seemed to be the big culprit. Perhaps I shall have to teach some 'flying' lessons once we have the time." She hoped he got the joke.

Oren smiled, but tried to remain still. "I'm not sure any training would prepare us for things like this, but I know I'd be grateful for any help with zero-gravity. I've never experienced it before."

"i think I am going to suggest it to the Captain once there is time," Allyndra went to work. It was going to be a relatively simple task and not painful. "Excellent, there we go, turn your head a little to right please." Soon the wound was cleared and healed up and she nodded to herself. "There how does that feel now?"

Reaching up with one hand, Oren gently poked at the healed wound carefully. "It feels a little tender," he admitted, moving to sit up fully. "But my ribs still hurt and I still feel a little queasy," he explained. "But otherwise, I feel alright. Thank you, doctor."

"There is slight bruising there but nothing that won't be fine fairly soon. I will prescribe anti-naseua medication. I am also putting you on light duty as well. If the queasiness persists please come back."

Oren nodded, watching Allyndra nervously. "You don't thinks it's something....bad, right? Like, some hidden illness that'll kill me in a few hours."

"If it is then it will be something that we have never seen before and you will be one for the textbooks!" Allyndra chuckled to indicate that it was a joke. "No, everything looks fine, some rest is all."

Oren nodded, trying to smile at the doctor's joke but not quite managing it. What if she was right? What if his case was unique? He knew a lot of details of El Aurian physiology was still very much a mystery so what if this was one of the cases where that lack of knowledge was important?

Before he could drive himself insane with any more 'What ifs, Oren decided on leaving. "If that's all, can I go?"

"Yes of course you can however if there seems to be something else or your feeling gets worse come back. Perhaps we can figure out what is bothering you."

Forcing a smile, Oren nodded. "I will. Thank you, doctor."

[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Oren Idris
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

LCmdr Allyndra illm Warrquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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