Faithful friends are hard to find

Posted on 30 Mar 2016 @ 4:22am by Lieutenant Wilhelm Von Haeften & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim

1,904 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3 Sickbay
Timeline: MD 94 0500

Gamma shift, it was the least favourite of most. It was that time on the ship when most personnel were asleep. Since it tended to be the least popular it was also the least crewed. One could say that it was primarily skeleton crewed.

However, to others, that was preferred. The quiet time, the time to sit and think and contemplate. Whether it was on the mysteries of the universe, the arcane past or even just one's life, there was almost always time for such things.

The machines did not know time, well not as the beings that worked them did. They were steadfast, working at their task not knowing if it was day or night even an artificial day and night that passed on the ship. Allyndra had not given up yet on the moving of her remarkable powers of self healing. Though the data that the mirror Tuula had obtained had been put away in the archives on Akkadia, she had read them and remembered some of the work. The fact was that it had to do with the DNA scissors, the restriction enzymes that took out foreign DNA.

Wilhelm Von Haeften stumbled through the doors to sickbay. His eye was starting to swell and his lip was cut. His hand was on his left side, and his steps were uncertain.

"Hello your worshipfulness. Glad it's you manning this post tonight and not someone else. Mind if I see you about all...this?" the German asked, waving his good hand at his form to indicate his meaning.

Allyndra turned at the tone and address knowing immediately who it was. She was taken aback by the appearance of the Chief Science Officer. She got up and indicated for him to lean on her. "Should I even inquire into what science experiment lead to this? Mating habits of Klingons perhaps?"

"You're a laugh a minute your worship. To be honest, this is because I thought with my testosterone and not my brain; I decided to take it upon myself to defend a lady's honor...turn's out I had to defend it from four fellows instead of one. Needless to say, they hurt me more than I hurt them." the CSO said.

Allyndra got him over the bed and helped him up. "Obviously it was not enough to curb your impertinence." She said that though in the tone that she was not that offended. "Alright, Willy," she thought to goad a bit back, "let's see what damage has been wrought right after I get some anaglesic on board." She got a hypo and dialed in a dose but then pressed it to his arm.
"So while I get a full assessment of the damage care to tell me the tale and I promise not to say anything to anyone, doctor patient confiidentiality is at play here."

Wil hesitated, but decided he trusted Ally not to tell anyone. Plus, it wasn't like he no longer had the Skipper's permission to pursue a romance on board.

"If you hadn't heard, Petty Officer Williams and I are...seeing each other." He said, wincing slightly as the hypo hit home. "I heard through scuttlebutt that a freighter jock named Wallace flirted with her. I called upon him to calmly tell him that the lady was spoken for. He proceeded to...question her loyalty to our relationship. So I decked him, and consequently caught a good beating."

Allyndra just shook her head, the light in sickbay just catching the blue metallic highlights. "It is no wonder on our world it is the females in charge." She smiled though indicating that it was a bit of joke. Her tone then grew serious.

"The bruises and some of the contusions I can pretty much handle but from the scan you have one broken rib and a cracked one as well. While the osteo-regenerator is good it is not quite that good and the deep muscle bruises are not going to be easy to treat. Considering we have briefing soon, I am not sure Command is going to be very pleased with a department head that was brawling like an enlisted man. I might have a solution but you may not like it."

Wilhelm sighed. "Go ahead."

Allyndra chuckled in that odd musical way. "My we are trusting aren't we. Very well, I will get things started and then we can work on your obvious ones. The whole thing might interest you though. It involves taking some of my DNA and integrating it into yours. I have had some luck with the experiment transfering some of my regenerative abilities to others but the effect does not last. The recipient's own DNA repair mechanisms always edit it out eventually. Still...." she winked. "Might be as close to you as I can get."

Wil thought that maybe she sounded bitter. He felt bad about having not agreed to a relationship with the doctor, but it did not feel right, what with her still mourning her husband...again? Plus, carrying children further complicated the issue, and Wil felt that if he had tried to court her at that time, he would have been taking advantage of her.

Not long afterwards, he and Rebecca had hit it off and started their own relationship, and so, here he was.

"Are there any side effects?" Von Haeften asked.

"Not that there has been observed so far other than one heals quite a bit faster," Allyndra replied. "Of course who knows maybe you might grow wings, or find yourself seeing into the uv spectrum." The later she said with as straight a face as possible but she was nowhere near a good poker face player.

Wil quirked his eyebrow at the Akkadian, clearly not taking her seriously.

"Ok, what do you need me to do?" the German asked.

"Lay back and look handsome," Allyndra said and then headed back toward the lab area. She returned in a bit with several hypos. "I am going to have to make a few injections especially in the most damaged areas. If you can spare the time, I would like to keep you for observation for an hour or so and that will tell me if the treatment is working."

"I suppose I can do that." Wil replied.

Allyndra pushed the hypos to the most affected areas and went to the new nurses station and got the stool and brought it over. "Care to tell me a story or do you just want to stare at the ceiling? Time passes faster with talking."

"What would you like to know? I could tell you about the time I caught an Academy classmate getting...uh...'pleasured' by his wife in our barracks. Or the fact that I was engaged once...almost..." Wil trailed off, unsure of what stories Ally would find 'exciting'.

Allyndra smiled and listened. "Whatever you would like. The later sounds more interesting to me then the former. Oh I am not a prude not by a long shot, and most think our Irsemia houses are a bit unusual. Your people would call them a sort of public brothel. Childhood, growing up, anything you wish," she glanced at the monitor and nodded. The treatment was working and though she had promised Tuula she could not help but remember a bit of that ill gotten data. It would still not be permanent or long lasting but for these injuries should be lasting enough and work enough. An hour or so she figured correctly.

"Well, I was almost engaged to a gal I dated in high school, Mina was her name. She broke it off when I went to the Academy; turned me down cold." Wil said.

"Just because you wanted to further yourself? If you do not mind me putting on my old Counselor's hat, I would say that she needed a better perspective and perhaps things worked out for the best. How is your new relationship going if I can ask? And as I said, I consider us friends that is all."

"I was not trying to suggest otherwise." Von Haeften stated. "As for Mina, she told me she did not wish to be an officer's wife, waiting for me while I galavanted across the cosmos. I heard she eventually married some pleasant fellow who worked for NBMF." he finished, mentioned the New Berlin Merchant Fleet.

"I see. Still a sailor after all, it seems she ended up with a gallivanting fellow after all. And here you are and with a new prospect if what I hear through the people that filter through here is to be believed. Surprising what people talk about with doctors to deflect from their own problems." Allyndra laughed at that. It was that light musical laugh that she had, almost like a bird.

"Oh? What are they saying?" Wil asked, intrigued by what gossip flies around about him and Rebecca.

"Just that you two seem to be smitten with each other." Allyndra nodded her head and sort of pointed with her chin, "and from the results of your defense it would seem that the gossip is true. Now then, care to sit up and see how things are? I will get the dermal to get rid of the obvious bruising."

Wil did as he was asked. "Will it sting?" the German asked, somewhat nervous no matter how many times he saw a doctor.

"No silly," Allyndra replied getting the regenerator and taking a seat again to work the obvious. "So tell me mein freund, how do those ribs and muscles feel now?"

"I feel like I could make love for a week non-stop...is that bad?" Von Haeften joked, a deadpan expression on his face. "Actually, I don't feel any different...should I?"

Wil tried to move the affected areas, as well as touch them gingerly. His brow furled in thought and fascination.

"They...tingle slightly, like I poped a blood vessel but...different?" he waved his hand dismissively. "Regardless, it definitely feels better than when I came in."

"And we will have you looking much better as well in a few more moments." Allyndra replied. "At least you should not raise too much suspicion at the meeting of the department heads and not frighten your poor lover to death either." She went to work and it only took a bit of time. She looked up at the chronograph. "Well not bad for two hours time, enough for you to get a change and freshen up. Now scoot and see you again in a bit."

"Yes Doctor." Wil said with s light bow of his head. "and thanks Ally."

Allyndra just shook her head, she was either never going to get him to just say her name or he delighted in the fact that she had told him they never shortened their names. It was no longer worth correcting and she just made shooing motions with her hands. "You are welcome, faithful friends are hard to find. Now go on, you have someone waiting for you."

Wil could not decide if her last statement was said with a trace of sadness or not. He decided it best not to think about it as he curtsied teasingly to her before taking his leave.

END

A JP by:

LCmdr Allyndra illm Warraquim
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

&

Lieutenant JG Wilhelm Von Haeften
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

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