Doctor's orders (Part 1 of 2)

Posted on 20 Oct 2012 @ 1:41am by Lieutenant Commander Pola Ni Dhuinn M.D. & Chief Warrant Officer 4 Cyrus Kiwosk

2,106 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: Vega Colony - Med bay
Timeline: MD 02 -- 1647 HRS

ON:

After his meal with the diplomatic officer, he made his way to where his quarters were apparently assigned. He was a CWO, so he hoped that meant he was double bunking or hot bunking with anyone on the duty roster. People had a tendency to snore and Cyrus was already not sleeping well. He didn't need to add one more problem on that front.

He dropped off his things, but didn't bother to arrange anything yet. There was still much to do. He needed to make sure that he got at least most of his check list done today. He had already seen the Commander, and Parker wasn't here until tomorrow, so he figured the next best one to see would be the doctor.

Glancing down at his PADD in his room, he briefly got his bearings to where the doctor's officer would be. Medical normally had a big sign around their department anyway. He threw his entire plan out the window after reading that the Medical bay would be outside the ship and near Vega. Sighing he readied himself to leave the ship and head back into the colony.

He started off and made his way to the Medical bay without incident. It wasn't long before he spotted a high ranking officer in the med bay.

He looked for a nurse or another part of the medical personnel who wasn't busy and spotted with luck the officer ranking on a one lady's uniform.

The roster said her name was Pola Ni Dhuinin . It sounded awefully irish or scottish in his mind. The last name would be a a disaster should he try to pronounce it so instead he went first name first.

"Dr. Pola? CWO Kiwosk, A pleasure to meet you. My orders say something about a physical? Is this a body check, or am I going to be breaking out into pushups and a beep-test as well?" He joked, then shrugged his broad shoulders. "What do you need me to do Doc."

Leaning against an empty biobed, Pola looked up from the PADD in her hand, smiling softly as she took in the brown eyed man infront of her. She had a sudden wonder if the slight babbling was nerves, but put it to the side until she had opportunity to observe him more. "Just Pola is fine, sounds funny when you add Doctor infront of it. And your own first name Mr. Kiwosk?"

"Cyrus. Just Cyrus. Nice to meet you Pola." He rubbed his hands together and sighed. He rubbed his hands together and took a deep breathe inward. "I don't know if you have reviewed my medical record." He passed her the PADD.

"I assume you have questions regarding it?" He kept his voice cheer, but his eyes lost their warmth as he remembered the flash and burning of the grenade, the screams of the prisoners.

Seeing the change in his body and eyes, Pola waited a moment, trying to judge the best action. Reaching out her hand, the Doctor laid it gently on Cyrus' arm. "Cyrus...you ok?"

Cyrus's eyes snapped back into focus, only then noticing Pola's arm. He hadn't even noticed her stepping closer. "Wha? Oh, yeah I'm okay, I'm still recovering from what happened on the Fitz." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and then took a couple steps towards the a biobed. He leaned up against the bed and smiled.

"I was on a mission with the marine detachement on the Fitz against some Dominion Remnant forces. Everything was going well, until we were on our way back." He turned his head so he was looking at her directly, his eyes staring intently at the irish doctor.
"We stepped into an ambush. My CO ran forward to take the heat off of us, but there was still too many. Just when we were about to break free some Vorta threw a photon grenade into a group of prisoners. I was the only one close by...." He took a steadying breathe. His massive arms began to tremble, so he folded them against himself. "The grenade was cooking...maybe 3, 4 seconds? I grabbed the grenade, held it to myself and ran. I got maybe 5 steps away from the group when the grenade went off. I don't remember much, but the Fitz's doctor said that for all intents and purposes I should have been dead."

He chuckled bitterly. "Saved the prisoners though."

Noticing the shaking in his arms, Pola re-established eye contact with Cyrus and just watched him for a few moments. "Cyrus...How long ago did all of this happen?" Not knowing the guy long, the Doctor suddenly found herself worried at how easily he seemed too be upsetting himself.

He looked at her calmly and replied in an even tone. "Maybe three months ago? Not long, and I was comatose for 10 days afterwards." He sighed and unfolded his arms. "I know you've seen the shaking, and symptoms of Flashbacking, and I'm not going to tell you I'm one hundred percent fine or that I'll walk it off, but I will say that the worst of it is over." He swallowed hard and pressed on. "I've been going to therapy about the whole ordeal, and I've been prescribed a sleeping aid for the nights I can't stop thinking about it. I have the pill case here actually..." He reached into his pocket and passed her the pill bottle.

"Dr. Antioch said that the shaking comes from remembering trauma, it only happens when I have to recount the story. Each time it gets easier, it was just a lot and he said my body and mind were still adjusting to the entire ordeal."

He looked at her reassuringly. "I am okay for work, and it's not like I sit around and stew over it all day...well, at least not any more." He joked.

Smiling slightly, Pola moved her hand away from his shoulder, using the same hand to take the tablet case. Typing a sequence along the edge, she read the text which started to scroll. "These are pretty powerful. Are you finding that your having to use them much?"

He shook his head. "In the beginning I was popping one a night, now it's every six to seven days. I try to tire myself out so I'm not thinking about it when I go to sleep. Antioch said that the doctor I saw, which I guess he was implying you, would be able to suggest whether or not I would need a dosage adjustment." He stopped and chuckled at the doctor. "I guess that means I'm not a junkie, means progress if you ask me."

"Well doc, what do you think? i was hoping to go on a lower dose myself, whenever I take those things it's like getting punched by a Klingon."

Smiling slightly, Pola found herself slightly struggling to keep up with the enlisted speech as he seemed to talk so fast and say so much all in one go. Giving herself a moment, she seperated out all of the points which were important for her to address. "We'll its good news that you've alot less of a reliability on the medication for being able to sleep. My preference would be to reduce the dosage, especially giving the side effects you are experiencing. Can you tell me something...are you currently on anyother medications? Medically prescribed or something you maybe taking yourself?"

He shook his head. "No I'm not. Never liked the idea of recreational drugs, and this." He gestured to the pill bottle. "Is the only thing I have."

Leaning back against the biobed behind her, Pola picked up a nearby PADD as she started to input some details. "I'm going to reduce the strength of the medication to 3/4 of what it is now. I don't want to try anything too drastic as it could have knock on effects. If that goes well we can decrease the dosage further after that."

He shrugged. "That sounds good to me." He couldn't help but break out into a smile. "Well I hope that you get your medical bay back on board the ship!" He looked around. The Vega Colony medical was well stocked and had plenty of supplies. "It must be feel odd not working on board the ship."

Putting away the PADD, Pola grabbed a nearby tricorder as she looked up with a smile. "Well, in all honesty, I'm glad to be away from it for abit. Last mission had us stressed to the hilt in sickbay. It seemed that we'd manage to clear the backlog of patients only to have something else happen and everyone flooding back to us again. As much as I like the medical profession and being a Doctor, the strain can take its tole." Realising how much she'd said, the Doctor rubbed her forehead. "Sorry...that sounds very negative."

He chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, a little bit. Sounds like I'm not the only one that has stuff on the go...go to know." He walked over to her and leaned up against the same biobed.

"Don't worry about it, you guys had a rough go, your ship looks like cheese and I have to say, the Commander looks like she was hit with a train. Negativity would be normal for anyone." He looked at her and gave her an easy nudge with his shoulder. "Doctor's make me nervous, never liked them, don't like needles, pills, you name it." He stopped to look at her for a second. "It's a thankless job, it's like being a marine in a way. If you're needed, most times it's never good." He sighed and smiled at her.

"I know it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyways. What ever happened on the ship, those people are alive because of you and are pretty damned grateful. People like me who end up in the med bay owe doctor's like you so much." He got up from the bed and rolled his left shoulder, stiff and tender from his recent stay in a medical facility.

Suddenly fighting back tears, Pola closed her eyes as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Letting his words sink in. His words hit closer to home then she would have expected, her mind for so long now having been kept away from memories of Kate. Shaking her head suddenly, she forced herself to look up ontime to see Cryus' movement. "Is your arm causing you alot of pain?"

He turned to look at the doctor, seeing the pain in her eyes, he stopped his shoulder rotation. "Doc..." He whispered, unsure what to say, he walked back to her until she was right in front of him. He gently rested his hands on her shoulders and smiled. "Whatever it is, it must be hard. We all go through it. I'm not going to ask what happened, because, if I were in your shoes I probably don't want to talk to someone who's a total stranger." He brought his hands back down to his sides and gave her another smile. "So I'll say this instead, if you ever need a break or you need to get away, you come find me. We'll head down to the mess, and grab a drink or eight. You are irish right, technically by default that means you can drink me under the table." He chuckled at his own joke.

Laughing slightly, the strain was still evident in the Doctor's voice before she attempted a smile. "You realise that as your Doctor, I should be discouraging you from drinking alcohol given the situation but..." Pausing as she placed her weight on her hands, placed on the biobed, she looked up at Cyrus with a slightly stronger smile. "...that would be nice. Not sure about drinking you under the table but certainly, just getting away from sickbay for an evening would be nice."

"And get away you shall, you just let me know. I'll come get you or meet you somewhere. " He grinned and winced as his shoulder twinged. "Either way, everybody needs to unwind after things like this, yourself included. I'm holding you to it!" Cyrus pointed a finger at her mock-accusingly. His shoulder groaned in reply and he was forced to cut his clowning short.

"As for your other question, yeah. My shoulder is still bothering me. It's still tender, but it's been irritating me non stop."

[TBC]

Lieutenant JG Pola Ni Dhuinn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

CWO Kiwosk
Security/ Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

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