A visit

Posted on 18 Jan 2016 @ 9:34pm by Lieutenant Tuula Voutilainen M.D.

912 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3 - Naois' Quarters
Timeline: MD10, 1900 hours

[ON]

It was a few days after she had removed Naois' hand, and now Tuula was rolling down to his quarters to see him for the first time since he was discharged. She wanted to make sure that he was doing well and was handling the emotions that came with the loss of a limb. In her lap was something special; an ornate black box, about the size of a travel mug. It was something that she hoped would brighten his spirits a little, as she knew he probably needed it.

Outside the door, she took a deep breath and pressed the chime. "Hello?" she called out, "Dr. Mercy?"

"Come in!" Naois was sitting curled up on the couch, his right arm resting in his lap while with his left he was holding a PADD. The light of the device reflected oddly against his face, giving his normally greenish complexion a somewhat greyblue sheen. He offered a small smile as Tuula rolled in.

"Doctor Voutilainen," he greeted formally as he sat up, "what can I do for you?" He was in sufficient bright spirits today which was likely due to being filled with medication that battled his lingering pain.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," replied Tuula as she rolled up across from the couch. "I... I got you a little something..." she added, handing the box towards Naois.

Letting it drop into his lap and bracing it with the stump, Naois pulled the lid off of the box. He looked up at her in surprise as he lifted the small item up. "A tricorder?" he queried as he tried to flip the shiny black instrument open. It did so easily and when he saw the controls he noticed why. His blue eyes misted over as he dropped the tricorder in his lap and reached out to her. "Thank you...."

"It's custom made," replied Tuula, leaning forward to pat him on the shoulder. "Designed specifically for one-handed operation. And look," she said, pointing to the tricorder, "I engraved it myself. I hope I got the calligraphy right..."

Turning it over, the hybrid's eyes widened and he nearly let the device drop from his hand in surprise. "You did," he managed, resting it in his lap to run his fingers over the engraving. "It is beautiful Tuula...I do not know how to thank you... "

"There is one thing you can do..." started Tuula. On the back of the tricorder she had engraved it with a rod of Asclepius, the old Earth symbol of medicine, and the Vulcan letters "IDIC," short for "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations."

"What is that?"

"I want you to keep on living. I know more than anyone how hard it can be to go through a severe, life-changing injury," said Tuula, looking into his eyes. "But you can't let it hold you back. I want you to to continue enjoying life. To get back to your career, your family, and everything that is important to you. And if someone says you can't do something, I want you to tell them where they can shove it. Okay?"

Naois nodded in promise, though curiosity touched his features. While he was half human, that didn't mean he understood all Human emotions and idioms. "Where can they shove it?" he asked carefully, not sure he even wanted to know.

Tuula smiled. "I believe the rectum is the medical term."

"Ah.." Naois gave her a thin smile. "I intend to see a counsellor when we reach starbase, someone independent. I cannot do this alone, will you help me through this too?"

"I'll be there," said Tuula in a reassuring tone. "If you ever need a shoulder to cry on or someone to talk to..."

"I appreciate that. I just need time...to readjust. How long did it take you to accept the change?"

Tuula thought for a moment. It was a difficult question; on one hand, you never truly get used to it. She would still run into difficulties every day. But after a while, she was finally able to move on -- finish her medical degree, advance her career, and start living again.

"It took a while," admitted Tuula. "But fortunately, I had Jaana by my side. I don't know what I would have done without her..." she admitted, trailing off, sighing as she thought of her sister struggling with her eating disorder. She would now need to be the big sister and support Jaana in her struggles. "You have Eva; I know she'll support you. And the children..."

"My children are still on Starbase, I do not know when we will be reunited. But you are correct, I do have Eva and she is extremely supportive. I would be lost without her."

"You have a wonderful family," said Tuula in a warm voice, remembering how much fun she had with the children. "I'm sure the EBH has them well taken care of, and I know they'll help in your recovery."

"I am grateful for Raven's existance," the counsellor replied softly, looking down at his lap, "she is a wonderful creation Tuula. Treasure her..."

"I will," replied Tuula. "And you make sure you take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," Naois echoed in promise, "thank you for coming to see me. I really appreciate it. Thank you."

[OFF]

Lt j.g. Naois Mercy
Counsellor
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (J.G.) Tuula Voutilainen
Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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