Scarface

Posted on 28 Nov 2023 @ 6:47pm by Lieutenant Aria Rice & Petty Officer 1st Class Ember Locksley

2,349 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD 19, 1115hrs

[ON]

Aria let out a breath as she walked into Sickbay, blinking at the lights. She was getting used to it. It was amazing how quickly her eyes had gotten used to the dimmer lights of a Klingon ship and how slow the adjustment to the brightness of a Starfleet vessel was going. But she wanted to be here, to get the physical reminder off her face. Having killed someone was...a big deal, and she was sure she'd have to deal with that eventually. Right now, she just wanted to get through the day.

"Lieutenant Rice," Ember smiled from her place by the biobed, closing down the results she'd been scrolling through. "I didn't know you were back. Welcome home."

"Thanks," Aria said and looked at her, rocking on her feet for a moment. "I...are you okay? I heard you got..." Hurt. But it didn't sound good. But what else was left. "That you got assaulted in a sickbay escape." She hadn't had the time to chase up any details, not with everything going on. But she woman was in front of her now, so she might as well ask.

Ember glanced down but kept her smile up, shaking her head as she moved around to pull a tray across to the biobed. She felt embarrassed, that it had already reached Aria's ears. "He was affected by something that happened on the away mission, but despite his erratic and aggressive behaviour, he wasn't made safe," she shrugged lightly, looking to her. "I'm more concerned about that though..." she motioned to the scar on Aria's cheek.

Aria let out a breath, watching her for a moment. "I just want the scars removed," she said after a moment. "I received medical attention on a Klingon ship, but they're much more into the...patch up so you don't die approach as opposed to healing." Which explained why her ribs still hurt she supposed. And she was covered in bruises and minor cuts from when she had been training. "Do you want me to undress?"

"If you take your jacket off and come and lie down, I'll give you a full scan," Ember motioned her over with a reassuring smile, patting the bed. "I don't know if you've tried it yet, but you're probably not going to be comfortable on your nice soft bed for a while...."

Aria did as told, easing herself down with a grimace. She pushed the discomfort away. Like a dancer, you floated through it. "Klingons aren't known for the softest beds. But their robes are proper lush."

"Did you manage to bring one back with you?" Ember teased her softly as she moved to the control panel, bringing the arch up around her to start the scan off.

"Yes," Aria smiled at it, because of course she had and it was brilliant. Etisa had great taste. "It's a bit big but I like it. Means I can curl up in it."

"If you ever want it adjusted, give me a shout," Ember smiled gently at the look on Aria's face. It was more like the old Aria she had seen around. "I'm a pretty good hand with things like that," her eyes went back to the screen though, to start following the results coming in.

"Good with a needle, Doc?" Aria asked with a small chuckle. She looked at her, studying her. They had never really had a conversation beyond pleasantries. She had been injured after the Trial, Aria seemed to remember. Confined to sickbay.

"I had to be. I grew up out in the wilds, away from modern civilisation," Ember chuckled softly, glancing to her with a small smile of amusement. "I had to do something to keep myself looking decent."

"I might have to take you up on that," Aria laughed before she forced herself to stop, because the ache had worsened when she laughed.

"Where does it hurt?" Ember asked softly and knowingly, watching her fully now rather than the readouts, concern in her eyes.

"Ribs," she admitted before she let out a breath. "Actually, I feel like a walking bruise, Doctor. I got patched up but the Klingons like to think some suffering is good for the soul."

"They wear their wounds as badges of honour," Ember agreed with a small smile, looking at the last of the readings coming through. Before she did anything, she reached for a painkiller, pressing it to her neck to help with the ache. "You've been through a battering, Aria, no wonder you're in pain. I'm going to fix your ribs before we do anything else. This must have hurt to breathe, you should have come here as soon as you arrived," she chastised, but gently, and with a weak smile as she reached for the osteo-regenerator to start work on her rib. "Try and stay still please."

Aria stilled, considering the words for a moment. She could argue. But it seemed pointless. Instead she frowned, at knowing that she would soon just feel like herself. She was looking forward to it. Get rid of some of the physical baggage from the last days. Realising that she was being rude by being silent, she swallowed. "There wasn't time and...I can ignore some pain."

"But you shouldn't need to," Ember said softly, but she gave a small smile, to show it wasn't a full telling off as she started to heal the damaged ribs. "You'll be surprised how much easier it will be to breathe..."

"I have a vague memory that air was good," Aria said softly, with a small smile. "Like...vague vague. Sleep's good too, I seem to recall...just been a bit busy." She looked at the doctor, swallowing. "I love your hair."

Ember glanced to her face with surprise before smiling warmly, shaking her head lightly. "I wish I had your courage, to change my look, lots of vibrant colours. It matches you."

"It's because my real colour is a dull brown. No, if I had your colour I wouldn't be changing mine," Aria said, smiling back to her. "I am not feeling that vibrant right now though."

"I don't blame you with this litany of scrapes and knocks," Ember replied with sincerity, shaking her head gently with empathy for how miserable it must have been. She reached for a hypo to help with the inflammation of tissue now that the ribs were properly healed. "This part at least should be feeling better now. You'll need to take it easy for a couple of days though," she warned as she reached for a regenerator to start on one of many of her contusions.

"Thank you," Aria said as she breathed, deeply, and it felt good. It felt right. "Oh, that is better. I swear, I am never tussling with a Klingon again. Except when my life is at stake, because...sort of like this living thing."

Ember laughed softly, but with good nature at the way she had put it. As if she had gone out of her way to antagonise Klingons up to this point. "I wouldn't keep promises that I can't keep..."

"Then you're a better person than I am," Aria said quietly, with a small smile as her eyes met Ember's. "I feel I promise a lot that I do not know if I can keep."

"Do you deliver?" Ember asked softly, but kept her eyes averted and on her work as she smiled gently.

Aria considered it for a moment before she swallowed. "I'm not sure," she finally said. "I suspect I will never really know."

"Then I'd say that you deliver," Ember reached to touch her jaw, gently moving her head so she could get a proper look at the scar on her cheek. "People make sure you know when you don't."

Aria flinched at the touch but forced herself to stay still. She let out a soft breath, closing her eyes. "I suppose so. How...have things been for you?" And then she grimaced, because she knew the answer.

"Things became a bit...chaotic when the away teams returned," Ember admitted with an arched eyebrow, but left it at that as she lifted a regenerator to start work on the scar. "I don't know the full story of what happened out there, but it seems to have been...impactive."

She opened her eyes, staying still as she let out a soft breath. "Welcome to the standard stuff we get involved with. If it isn't something like this, it's the Borg, or tribbles, or any weird and wonderful thing. For a brainy science ship, we seem to get the sort of situations where I feel like we need to call on a bigger ship."

"It certainly feels like there's enough chaos out here to warrant a stronger 'fleet presence," Ember admitted easily, her eyes focussed on her work though. "We can't solve everybody's problems by ourselves with one small, understaffed ship."

"No, but we'll try and then something goes horribly wrong and people get hurt," Aria said, swallowing at the idea. It was what had frustrated her, that the tiny ship had been sent into a situation where they were ill-equipped, especially with so few crew. It had been stupid. She hoped Tarin had objected but somehow, she doubted it. "It'll get better though." She added the last with some optimism as she tried to convince herself.

Ember glanced to her eyes at that, thinking over her conversation with Leon. It didn't feel like it would. Her experience of Galileo so far had been a non-stop grindstone with no opportunity for the crew to catch their breath. "Really? Because they didn't even give us a real shoreleave at the station, despite everything we've been through," she said quietly, shaking her head.

Aria let out a breath at the words. "No, they haven't," she said, her voice quiet. "We were meant to have some but that didn't happen. I got to hope it gets better though, or else I'm not sure how I'll function."

"With 20 cups of coffee a day?" Ember teased with a soft smile, taking care with how she healed the cheek, wanting to leave it flawless. "Speaking of which, you need to take it easy the next few days, let your body catch up with the treatment."

"Chance would be a fine thing," Aria said softly, with a small smile. "Once the system test is over, perhaps I will have some time. I have a lot to catch up with though. Is there...anything you can give me, to keep me going so I don't have to take it easy?"

"That's really funny, Aria," Ember said with a playful lilt to her voice. "You think I was just suggesting it for fun, rather than giving you an instruction as your doctor," she met her eyes with meaning.

Aria chuckled, an almost bashful smile coming to her. "Best you tell the Captain that, because I doubt she'd take it into consideration," she said, sighing. "I'll handle it. Somehow. After the system test."

"Oh, I will," Ember assured with a playfully sweet smile. "And I'll log it into your notes too. She switched the regenerator off before taking the tricorder to run another scan in case she'd missed anything. "How is that feeling now?"

Aria sat up slowly. She started to make faces...a smile, a mouth, puckered lips...a whole range of facial expressions. Then she settled and nodded. "Feels..." she reached to touch her cheek, where the scar had been, finding instead smooth skin. "...normal, I guess. Maybe a little bit of...stiffness? But it doesn't hurt or pull anymore."

"It will feel sensitive for a couple of days, maybe a little tight. How about the rest of you?" she asked with a small smile, taking a moment to admire the work on her face.

Aria shifted her body, the lack of pain making it worth it. "Sort of bruised, but not painful," she admitted and gave her a smile. "Trust me, it's like a thousand times better than earlier. Klingons are...very much in the 'stop the bleeding and that's it' camp of medicine."

"And wear your scars as tokens of your battles?" Ember asked softly, even if her smile was knowing as she folded her arms across her middle and let her hip rest against the side of the console.

"That's the Klingon way apparently," Aria said and got out, stretching her body. She bent down, touching her toes, then stretched up again before she went on pointe...as much as her Starfleet issue boot allowed her to anyway. She settled back on her feet and lowered her arms, rolling her neck. "That is a lot better."

Ember laughed softly at the display, shaking her head fondly with the spirit of the woman. "Well, that is certainly the first time someone has demonstrated a most excellent bras en couronne as a test of my work."

"Catch me on the holodeck on a good day, I'll show you what I still remember," Aria said lightly before she nodded. "Thank you...for your help. Blake must have known I'd feel more like myself if I looked more like myself."

"It does tend to follow, in my experience at least," Ember tilted her head with a gentle smile before moving to start tidying up. "But be sure to return if you get any further pain, okay? And that wasn't a cute suggestion, I mean it," her smile was fond all the same.

"I will," Aria promised before she smiled, and the smile did reach her eyes this time. "Thank you, Doctor. I didn't realise how bad it was before it was gone."

"No problem at all, it is what I'm here for," Ember replied easily, sincerity in her eyes as she watched her with approval at seeing the change in the way Aria carried herself. "Don't forget that," she teased softly.

[OFF:]

Dr. Ember Locksley
Medical
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Lieutenant Aria Rice
Chief Security Officer
USS Galileo-A

RSS Feed