Falling's Not The Problem

Posted on 20 Nov 2012 @ 8:48pm by Commander Andreus Kohl & Lieutenant Scott Parker

968 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4, Sickbay
Timeline: MD 04 - 1504 hours

[ON]

The replicator in the medical chief's office gave off a slight glow when a mug of tea materialized inside of it. Andreus Kohl darted in the office just long enough to grab something to drink, and as it turned out, not even that long. He reached out his hand for it, but--

A computerized chirp called out to indicate an incoming communication. "Transporter Room Two to Sickbay," announced the voice of the Transporter Operator. There was the slightest edge of concern to her voice.

"Kohl here, go ahead," said Kohl. Instinctively, irrationally, he cocked his head back, favouring the ceiling. He began to back out of the office in preparation.

"I have a request for a site-to-site transport from a security officer in Vega Colony," continued the voice of the Transporter Operator. "But it's not on an emergency frequency."

Kohl passed by a supplied cabinet on his way into the intensive care unit. He palmed a medical tricorder as he padded further into the ICU. Kohl said, "Biobed three is available."

"Understood, Sir. Energizing."

The familiar hum and shimmer of the transport array filled the area around the bed as blue coloured lines drew together to form a full-bodied shape. It took mere moments for the man to materialise but Kohl was accustomed to the situation and merely waited patiently. Eventually he was face-to-face with a human male, a yellow-trimmed security lieutenant, who winced slightly but nonetheless offered his colleague a sheepish smile.

"Sorry for the theatrics," the man offered, propping himself up with both of his elbows, his eyes wandering to his bootless foot. "They wanted to book me into the colony but it seemed kinda' appropriate to head back here."

Kohl could only smile back sheepishly as well. His body was tense. His heart was racing. He'd been psyching himself up for bloody triage-- not this. Kohl stared at his patient, just stared at him for another few heartbeats. Then, he raised the medical tricorder and began the emergency scans. He checked for cardiovascular distress, not that the patient was showing any of signs of it. When the tricorder confirmed his vital signs were stable, Kohl had calmed down enough to ask wryly, "Where did you loose your boot?"

"Storage section eight gamma in the colony's supply bay." The officer pulled himself up into a sitting position and sighed. "Fell off a junction ladder and hit a crate full of something on the way down. It's definitely not broken but, well, it twisted like a bitch. Hurts like one too."

As he moved closer to the biobed, Kohl grimaced at the sound of that. He introduced himself with, "I'm Lieutenant' Kohl, Nurse Practitioner and Galileo's ACMO." --Kohl flattened a palm on his chest and came to stand beside the biobed-- "Do you mind if I examine your ankle, Lieutenant...?"

"Parker - Scott Parker," the human seemed to scold himself. "Sorry, Kohl, I guess I'm still meeting new people. Suppose these aren't the worst circumstances. Sure, take a look, that's why I'm here."

Offering an askew smile, Kohl shrugged at the circumstances of their meeting. He had certainly lived through worse ones. He rubbed the palms of his hands together to warm them up and began a careful, manual examination of Parker's ankle. "Tell me when it hurts," Kohl asked.

"Agh, shit!" Parker reflexively yanked his foot backwards, which caused him more pain. Kohl had placed his thumb right on the ankle tendon and the shock had been unexpected. As he settled again, he winced apologetically. "Yep, right there - definitely twisted when I hit the ground. Seems to hurt when there's pressure on it."

When Parker pulled back, Kohl's face contorted into a pained wince. Through gritted teeth, he muttered, "Sorry." Recent experience had taught Kohl precisely what that pain felt like. As he picked up the tricorder he'd laid on the foot of the bed, Kohl had to ask, "What sent you climbing down storage section eight gamma in Vega Colony's supply bay?"

"Call out from security operations, the enlisted staff didn't want to sign off on a grade three crate. With today's promotion ceremony, I thought I'd go down and do the work myself, let Rhodes and Rice relax. I was about half way down the cat walk ladder and I - stupidly - jumped the last couple of rungs. Landed badly."

"I did the same thing on the way to Galileo," Kohl said. It came out in a quick excited breath, because the only thing that loved company more than misery was stupidity. Holding the tricorder closer to Parker's ankle, Kohl said, "Well. Not the same thing. But I busted up my ankle like this, bounded up the shuttle ramp too quickly and my foot slipped."

"Ouch," Parker said, letting out of a soft whistle. "Doesn't get more awkward than that, I bet."

"No," Kohl said wryly, with a shake of his head. "No, it really doesn't. That always seems to happen to me. There's never a heroic story behind my injuries." After taking one last look at the tricorder, Kohl considered Parker's eyes. Kohl stated, "As for you, your symptoms are consistent with acute peroneal tendinitis."

The security chief quirked an eyebrow. "So it's a sprained ankle?"

"Well..." Kohl replied vaguely, as he stared into the middle distance to think about it another moment longer. "Uh... yes. Yeah, I'm going to take a blood sample to have the computer design an injection using your body's own platelet-derived growth factor. It will speed up the tendon's healing time. I'll mix in an analgesic and an anti-inflammatory, and you'll be good to go."


[OFF]

Lieutenant Scott Parker
Chief Security Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Andreus Kohl
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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