One Stepped Out of the Cuckoo's Nest pt1

Posted on 10 Jan 2013 @ 1:37am by Lieutenant Commander Pola Ni Dhuinn M.D. & Ensign Jessica Wilson M.D.
Edited on on 10 Jan 2013 @ 2:05am

4,658 words; about a 23 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4, Medical
Timeline: MD 15 1547 hours

[ON]

He should have known the medical center on the ship would be smaller, less shiny, less bright than what he was used to after he'd spent the last three days in the much smaller security office. But somehow it was still a disappointment. He wanted large. He wanted bright. He wanted shiny.

That was familiar. Why couldn't he have at least one good thing that was familiar, instead of the normal crap he had to deal with from people?

"I'm looking for the doctor," he said to somebody at random, the empty hypospray held tightly in white knuckled grip. "I require medication."

Looking up, Pola noticed the man speaking to one of her nurses, his voice travelling across the area, showing his abruptness. Moving away from the biobed she had been running a diagnosis on. With time running out before they were due to leave, the CMO wanted to ensure that her sickbay was at an optimal operational status. As the last mission had shown them, the volume of patients they would need to handle in emergencies meant that they could afford for nothing to go wrong.

"Lieutenant....any medication requests will need to be approved by our Doctors. I just happen to be free if you don't mind seeing myself."

Jeremy turned and repeated to himself Dr. Pola Ni Dhuinn, Lieutenant, Chief Medical Officer. "Doctor, I have standing prescriptions. They're..." the hand holding the empty hypospray tapped his thigh while his face looked puzzled. "In my medical file? I'm pretty sure, yes, in my medical file. I think that's where McFarlan put them. I have prescriptions in my medical file." Now he held out the hypospray toward her. "Please refill my medication."

Linking her fingers behind her back, Pola kept a soft smile on her face as she indicated towards a nearby bio bed. "I'll tell you what. Take a seat, I'll have a review of your file and see what we can do. You can also take the opportunity to get to know the rest of our sickbay staff in case you should ever need aid from one of them." Over Jeremy's head, Pola caught the eye of her new intern Jessica and indicated for the woman to join them.

Jessica had watched the exchange with some interst until she noted the chief medical officer gesture to her to come over. She nodded and placed down the PADD she had holding next to her patient and walked over.

"Yes, Doctor?"

Jeremy glanced at the bed and shook his head, still holding the empty hypospray to the doctor. "No, Doctor, I don't need to 'get to know the staff' or to have a seat. I just need to have my prescriptions filled. Fill them." He blinked as he watched the other person walking over. There was something here...something that he was supposed to do. Something. He shook his head trying to remember. The presence of the other person was confining. To keep his free hand from beating his thigh he put the hypospray in it as he pulled out his PADD. He nodded as he read the screen. "Please. Fill them, please." He wasn't sure that sounded right but it was what his PADD said so it must be correct.

He flicked the screen while frowning. He looked up at Jessica. "I don't remember you. You're not listed on the crew manifest that I have. Are you authorized to be on the ship?" Despite his best intentions, his fist began beating a rhythm on his thigh. He tried to keep himself neutral, but was still showing a very dark disposition.

"I...I've just been assigned here, Sir," Jessica replied. "I arrived yesterday."

Jeremy let out a deep sigh as he turned back to Dr. Dhuinn. To anyone of normal disposition, it would be a clear dismissal of the new doctor. "Doctor, my medications?"

Subconciously what Jessica did next was a natural reaction to Stone's own dismissal of her, she frowned and looked at her superior.

"Doctor, this man is clearly unstable," Jessica commented. "Should I bring up his latest Psych report?"

Jeremy turned back to glare at Jessica. "Who do you think you are? I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were a fully licensed and qualified psychiatrist. I thought they taught that diagnosing a patient required more than than thirty seconds of work. No, you may not bring up my 'psyche' report. You are not authorized to view any of my medical files. What you are authorized to do is to leave this area now. I will be monitoring whose access codes are used to view my information and if it is you, be sure that I will file all appropriate civil and criminal charges."

Turning away from Jessica again, "Doctor, is this the type of medical services I can expect aboard the Galileo? Insults? I came in for a simple request, to have my prescriptions filled and I'm subjected to this...this..." he took a deep breath to keep himself under control. "insufferable child?"

Pola had been watching the exchange with interest. First of all, she was interested to see how Jessica would manage with a difficult patient and secondly, this was her first opportunity to meet the man who had seen fit to sack Cyrus.

As soon as she perceived a possible threat, she still kept her distance but watched Jeremy carefully. Not knowing the man, she couldn't be certain that any anger he radiated wouldn't turn into violence. "Lieutenant...Doctor Wilson has every right to have access to your file. It's a requirement that all of our doctors are capable of accessing a file incase an emergency should present itself."

Shifting her weight, Pola easily continued, giving no opportunity for an interruption. "She also asked my permission, I have the authority to allow her access to medical or psychological records. Counselling falls under the remit of medical. Every medical officer has the basic training in psychology as we need to be able to handle difficult patients and be able to identify issues before they arised."

Pointing to Jeremy's still tapping hand and general posture, Pola kept her own relaxed and her voice still soft. "Your body language right now is very threatening and the general tone of your voice and insistance in ordering us to do what you want is aggressive. Jessica has every right to investigate further."

Jeremy glanced to where Dr. Dhuinn pointed and scowled at the offending hand. He quickly put it behind him, holding both hands behind his back. "I am not threatening," he muttered. "I am...agitated. I am...frustrated and this child is not making either condition better."

Jessica had been personally hurt by the scathing tone of the officer, she wasn't used to this kind of thing after all, but she had to retain her professionalism, she could break down later.

"With respect, Lieutenant, you come into a sickbay clearly agitated and demanding medication, this is exactly the kind of behavior we are trained to look out for," Jessica explained as calmly as she could. "You are correct that I am not a psychiatrist however I am an MD and as such my responsibility, and those of everyone in this office, is to the safety of our patients, I feel, and I suspect that the doctor will agree with me, it would seem to indicate that there is something the matter that warrants further investigation before we issue potential damaging drugs."

"Of course something is the matter!" Jeremy said, starting to lose what little composure he had to start with, which wasn't much. Cardassian sympathizer still rang through his head and he wasn't anywhere closer to getting rid of it. "I take medication to help manage my...condition. Medication that is prescribed by fully qualified psychiatrists, not some little girl playing at being a doctor!" He turned back to Dr. Dhuinn. "There are no exigent circumstances here, she is not my doctor...absent both circumstances she has no rights here. I do not consent to treatment from her - who has obviously judged a complex situation based on thirty seconds and apparently her love of medical drama holovids. I am not unstable. If I were unstable then I would not be in the position I am in, nor in this uniform."

Jeremy sighed, feeling his own tenseness. The registering of that let him know that the situation was too far out of hand already. He rubbed the crown of his head while taking several deep breaths. "It was a simple request, Doctor. The prescriptions are in my file. It would have taken any competent physician thirty seconds to fulfill the request but instead I'm subjected to insults and petty vindictiveness." He stopped himself to take several more deep breaths. "I apologize, I seem to have wasted my time in coming here. I thought I was dealing with professionals in the Medical department."

Jessica managed, barely, not to step back like his words had hit her like a knockback blow, but she did feel the blood rushing to her cheeks in a blush, and only her own self-control stopped her eyes from welling up. She had spent the last twelve years of her life, more than half of her entire life, preparing to be a doctor and now... NO she mentally shook herself, she could cry later, now she was in the middle of a showdown and needed to at least appear strong.

He started to walk for the door but then turned. "Doctor, I understand you're in a relationship with Chief Kiwoski which I can only presume underlies this hostility and insultive treatment toward me." He shook his head, his jaw clenched as he looked away. "I made a mistake. I..he...our communication wasn't clear! I'm sorry for that and it's been rectified. But how much am I going to have to suffer from this crew for making a mistake?" He looked at the empty hypospray in his hand and shook his head as he set it on a counter. Obviously he wouldn't be able to get medical treatment, to include his prescriptions filled, aboard this ship. He looked at his PADD. "I'm sorry I inconvenienced you."

"Computer, lockdown sickbay, authorisation Ni Dhuinn two zero alpha gamma."

As the doors closed before Jeremy could exit, Pola stayed in the same relaxed position she has maintained this whole time. "As of star date 66005.2678 Lieutenant JG Jeremy Stone has been medically removed from his position due to showing an inability to control himself and posing a possible threat to the people around him."

Locked in! Trapped! NO ESCAPE NO ESCAPE NO ESCAPE! Jeremy closed his eyes and held his breath, feeling the sudden rapid acceleration of his heart beat, unaware, however, of the sweat breaking out across his body. It's just a door, I'm not trapped, he told himself, trying to make himself believe it. Next will be the restraints. You know what happens after that...what they do after that. You're trapped!

"Doctor," Jeremy said, his voice gone very cold, "I assure you that I am controlling myself to the best of my ability considering the numerous provocations I've had to suffer today. I am not a danger to anyone, to include myself. You, however, are now creating a situation that is exceeding my limits of control." He turned to face Pola. "I have been without medication for several days, I am subjected to a Commander that has decided I'm worthless, a crew that think's calling me a Soup Nazi is funny, and your boyfriend who thinks it's perfectly acceptable to call me a Cardassian sympathizer." He worked hard to keep his tone and inflection under control. "When I try to get my medication I'm further insulted and subjected to hostility by someone who is clearly biased in her opinion."

He took a step back, forcing himself to keep his hands behind his back, palm to back to make sure they didn't clinch to fists. "But, you have trapped me here and that..." he stopped for a moment, dark, dangerous eyes glaring at her. "That is beginning to exceed my limits. I will become very dangerous, very hostile, very combative. In the process I may hurt others. I may hurt myself." His vocal control was beginning to slip and he took a step forward, his glare still fixed directly on her. "Please," (almost a whine, almost a beg), "I don't want to hurt anybody. I don't want to hurt myself. If you're concerned about safety of anybody aboard this ship, including yours and mine - and that child over there - then release the lockout on the door." He took another step toward her, keeping well aware of the rest of the room, ready to respond to any slight act that he considered provocation or further attempts to trap, cage, imprison or restrain him. But that awareness also let him know that he had closed the distance between him and the doctor.

Forcing himself, he took two steps away from her. "Doctor, understand I'm not threatening. I'm warning. Keeping me trapped is..." he swallowed hard. "I become very irrational when trapped."

Without moving her focus away from Jeremy, Pola directed her next statement to Jessica. "Doctor Wilson. Please move to my office and do not come out unless I indicate that it is ok for you." There was no question that Pola's words were an order, something was extremely wrong here and it went far deeper than a simple hypospray. At the same time, she couldn't risk her staff.

CMO's Office

Jessica didn't like where this was going, the man had gone from insulting language to outright threats, the fact that she had just been ordered out of the room only underscored the threat that this man posed. She never the less nodded her consent and disappeared into the office. This wasn't how she had envisioned life aboard a Starship. Ever since that encounter with the Starfleet Doctor all of those years ago she had seen Starfleet Officers as proud, upstanding individuals... this went against everything she had thought she had known about Starfleet and she didn't like it one bit. Although she was a doctor she was also a young woman of only twenty-two who had never found herself in this situation before, especially when it went against everything she thought she knew about Starfleet.

It was therefore hardly surprising that as soon as she was inside, she tapped her combadge.

"Security, this is Doctor Wilson," Jessica said quietly. "I need a security detail to Sickbay."

==^==On our way, what's the situation?==^==

Jessica hesitated, she hoped that all of this would be solved and if that was the case this guy was the CSTO and when all was said and done she didn't want to ruin a career. If the situation calmed down... In any case she made a decision.

==^==We've got an aggressive patient, Doctor Dhuinn has locked the door and relieved him of duty, you'll need to get that door open when you arrive==^==

Sickbay

Jeremy closed his eyes for a moment and let out a long sigh. "Thank you," he said, noticing the young woman in the office. It didn't make her safe...only safer for the moment. "But you really should unlock the doors." His tone had grown colder, now almost malevolent.

Pola moved back a few steps until she could lean against the biobed behind her. Watching Jeremy closely, she curiously wondered why her only feeling was one of concern for the man himself. "We both know that I can't do that, Jeremy. How about you tell me what this is really about?"

"This is about you UNLOCKING THE FRELLING DOOR!," he shouted, noting that the entirety of his control was almost gone. The voices whispering in his head were almost in control, slithering, dark voices that whispered the things they'll do to him. New things, old favourites. The smell of rotting flesh filled his nostrils, coated his tongue. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He grabbed both hands, keeping them behind his back, despite how they wanted to slip into his pocket. Through gritted teeth he spat out: "I can't..." he looked around Sickbay, looking for other hostages, other victims, other targets. "Doctor, either unlock the doors or kill me." His hand did slip into his pocket, his fingers closing around the small but effective personal phaser.

Shaking her head, Pola carefully picked up a PADD on the biobed, accessing Jeremy's file. "Instead I will do this. I will administer a small dosage of your medication and then, Jeremy, you are going to talk to me. I'm not letting you out of this sickbay until you tell me what precisely is happening. Counselling matter or not, I wouldn't be doing my job as your Doctor if I didn't help find a solution beyond medication."

He wanted to scream but instead he moved quickly to the wall and punched it. Then punched it again until he heard the crack and felt the pain rush through him. He closed his eyes and almost moaned. "Doctor, do what you want," he said, putting this hands behind his back again, not realizing he kept the phaser in the one hand. "But, please" (now it was a beg and he hated himself for it...but he would hate himself more if he wound up hurting someone), "unlock the damned doors!" He flexed his hand, sending a fresh wave through him while he stared at Pola. "Please!"

CMO's Office

Jessica watched as the officer got even more agitated to the extent that he was punching a wall, it was at that point that she noted the small object in his hand, she could only think of a few things that looked like that, so she tapped her combadge again.

==A==Security, Wilson, be advised that the patient appears to be armed==A==

==^==Copy==^==

Sickbay

Pola flinched as she heard the wall being hit, she wouldn't prevent it, the singular sound of bone crunching against the surface would be similar to nails on a chalkboard to anyone.

Quickly she evaluated the situation, spotting the phaser in his hand, her eyes returned back to Jeremy's face. "Jeremy...I will give you your medication. I will treat your hand and you will talk to me. I cannot let you out of here and put the crew at risk of you snapping at any stage."

"I don't want out!" he screamed. "I just don't want to be trapped!" He hit the wall again, leaving a bloody smear on it. "I can't...I'm...I've become dangerous...but..." he looked at the doors, "As long as I'm trapped, I can't..." He looked at his hand and considered the phaser in it. "I won't be taken prisoner again."

Taking a calm step forward, Pola knew that she needed to stop Jeremy from hurting himself further but she didn't want to spook him with a live phaser still in his hand. "No one's going to take you prisoner. Listen to me Jeremy..." Keeping her face completely calm, she took another step forward. "..I'm here to help I promise."

He shook his head, arming the phaser with a thumb while forcing his hand to remain at his side. "That's what they said," he muttered, "the spoonhead doctors. That's what they said!" He fought with himself, to keep the phaser pointed away from Pola...or Wilson. Or himself. "Unlock the doors," he said, losing the battle and raising the phaser.

Taking another small step forward, Pola held her hands out in front of her to show she wasn't a threat. "And then what Jeremy? Once you manage to get the doors unlocked, and you leave here, what will you do? We need to repair you're hand. Get you some meds. You need to stay here for all of that."

"Okay," he said. "Fine. Yes. Just...the doors...open them."

Outside Sickbay

==^== Security to Wilson, what's the situation? Where's the subject?==^==

==A==He's got the Doctor at phaserpoint by the biobeds on the right hand side... You should know that this man is Lieutenant JG Stone... ==A==

The two looked at each other, gripping phasers. "Is she serious?"

"You know he's a nutcase," the other said.

"Or, perhaps this is some sort of test?"

Sickbay

Completely unaware of what was happening outside of the doors, Pola's concentration was entirely focused on Jeremy in front of her as she took another step closer, she could now reach out and touch his arm. "Give me the phaser first and then I will open the doors."

He looked down at his hand, noticing the small phaser in it, then back at her, clearly unsure what to do. It was the only weapon he had, if he gave it up then he didn't have anything. But there was still a part of him riding the wave of pain that still had some control and didn't want to hurt her. It looked like he was on a Starfleet vessel but...looks could be deceiving.

But...if they could transport him from the ship he was on just this morning, into a prison, then they would have discovered the phaser anyway and this was...a prop. A toy. A false sense of security. If not, then he was trusting her to keep her word and not trap him.

He held his hand out, palm up, fingers as open as he could. There were other ways to kill. Other ways to die. If his trust was wrong. But, if it were right, then the doctor had to understand now that she could never, ever restrain him like this. "If you lie to me," he said, "I'll kill you." There wasn't even a hint of humor or threat - all promise.

Keeping her eyes on his, Pola had no doubt about the sincerity surrounding his words. As she reached out, she took the phaser from the centre of his hand, pulling it away slowly before taking a step back. "Computer. Unlock sickbay, authorisation Ni Dhuinn two zero alpha gamma." Pola still kept her eyes on Jeremy as she heard the computer respond to her words, still conscious that the man was down on record as not being fit for duty.

Jeremy turned and collapsed against the wall, cradling one hand to his chest, the other covering his face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he sobbed as he continued a slow descent until he was sitting on the ground, head buried in his knees. He breathed freely, easily, the tightness of his chest immediately gone. Some of the dark, slithering voices remained, trying to convince him it was still a trap but they were easily shut out now. "Thank you," he said, unable to look at her, shame filling him in that he had come even that close to hurting her or anybody else. Thankfully, he told himself, nobody did get hurt this time.

Ensuring that the phaser had its safety enabled, Pola quickly rushed across to Jeremy's side, moving to her knees by his side as she placed her hand against his shoulder. "Come on...let's get you fixed up and I kept the end of my bargain, you need to keep yours."
Outside Sickbay

Readying the door bypass, the Senior turned back to his partner. "Okay, I'm set for stun, you're on kill. But, you don't fire unless absolutely necessary, got it? Last thing we need is to kill our boss because of a test."

The crewman nodded as he gripped the phaser tighter.

Nodding, he opened the door, moving to the side as he waited for it to fully open before he and his partner made entry.

Sickbay

Jeremy looked up as the doors opened, his chest loosening even more. But...he shoved Dr. Dhuinn to the side as the two security officers came in, their phasers pointed directly at him. They were shouting at him.

"Get down! Down! Get down!"

In a smooth motion, Jeremy raised his hands and went onto his knees. Slowly he lowered his hands behind his head.

"On the ground!" the senior officer yelled.

"Okay," he said, any indication of his near breakdown gone as he watched the officers, puzzled by the arrival. "Okay." He slowly went down onto the ground. He kept awareness of others around him, the officers, judging their approach, their tactics, his ability to overcome them - evaluating heir performance.

Senior officer nodded to his junior partner. As they practiced, the junior officer moved in, removing a set of restraints as he cautiously approached. Jeremy remained still, his jaw clenched and eyes going dark, but otherwise keeping himself controlled. This was just an exercise...it was just an exercise...it wasn't real. His hands were grabbed and thrown behind his back while the restraints were applied. He kept himself from crying out when his injured hand was cruelly manipulated.

The junior officer grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to his feet. "Where's the weapon?" the officer demanded.

Jeremy stared at the still armed officer but said nothing. He hoped Dr. Dhuinn and her new assistant were prepared for immediate medical treatment.

Pola suddenly saw red as she moved to wrestle the one currently holding Jeremy by his collar. "Let go of him now or I will have you thrown in the brig!" It was extremely rare that Pola threw around her rank, but she'd seen the fear in the man's eyes when he'd been locked in sickbay, now he was being locked into shackles and unnecessarily man handled.

"You!" Pola pointed at the other officer, "Unlock the restraints now. The records clearly show that this man is my patient, I will not have him mishandled in my sickbay."

"Doctor," the crewman said, turning Jeremy toward the wall. "We were called here for an out of control, violent patient with a weapon!" he nodded at Jeremy, from everything that has happened over the past few days, the Security chief certainly fit the bill. "Our job is to protect the ship from all dangers, including your patients if they become a danger."

Jeremy remained quiet, watching and waiting. The junior officer lost his situational awareness. He had a hand on Jeremy, but no control. He obviously thought that a restrained prisoner was incapacitated. Though the doctor was trying to resolve the situation, Jeremy knew his own control was gone, he was coasting on just a desire to keep from hurting people at this point.

"Alright, kid," the senior said. "Let him go." The senior didn't seem happy, but somewhat more pragmatic. "We knew this could be just a test. No sense getting yourself in Dutch over it."

"Senior!" the crewman said, looking between Dhuinn and the senior.

Jeremy clenched his jaw, as he shifted. The crewman didn't react.

"Let him go, kid," the senior repeated as he powered down his phaser. He nodded to the security chief. "We'll hear about this later."

"Yes," Jeremy muttered, "you will." He had clenched his fist, having the pain to keep him distracted which in turn helped him to stay in control. He clenched his jaw to keep from crying out as the restraints were removed. He turned slowly, glaring past the two officers to the stupid girl hiding in the office. This entire situation was her fault...from her first incompetence to right now.

The senior grabbed the crewman and they both left Medical.

[TBC]

Lt. Pola Ni Dhuinn, MD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Ltjg Jeremy Stone
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Jessica Wilson, MD
Medical officer
USS Galileo

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