Frequent Flier

Posted on Wed Oct 30th, 2024 @ 4:22pm by Captain Malcom Llwyedd & Lieutenant Commander Kataxes & Lieutenant Jackson Smith

2,039 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Interlude 1 Gamma Quadrant
Location: Firebird - Sickbay
Timeline: 28th of August, 2396 - 0130

[ON]
Jackson stumbled through the dimly lit corridors of the Firebird, his body aching with each step. The adrenaline that had fueled his relentless pursuit of Gorlab had long since faded, leaving him with the raw, gnawing pain of his untreated wounds. His vision blurred, the familiar surroundings taking on a hazy, dreamlike quality.

He leaned heavily against the bulkhead, his breath coming in ragged gasps. It had been two days since the SCIF raid, two days of ignoring his injuries in favor of tracking down and confronting the treacherous Ferengi. But now, the toll of his recklessness was catching up with him. The blood loss had weakened him, and a fever raged through his body, making his skin feel like it was on fire.

With a supreme effort of will, he pushed himself away from the wall and continued his unsteady journey towards sickbay. It was the dead of night, and the corridors were eerily silent. He hoped, and prayed, that the medical staff would be absent, allowing him to seek treatment from the Emergency Medical Hologram without attracting unwanted attention.

The doors to sickbay slid open with a quiet hiss, revealing a dimly lit room. As Jackson had hoped, it was deserted. He staggered towards a biobed, his legs threatening to give out beneath him. "Emergency Medical Hologram, activate," he croaked, his voice barely a whisper. "I need assistance."

The EMH materialized a few feet from the biobed that Jackson was leaning against. "Please state the nature of your medical emergency," he said and pulled out a medical tricorder and began examining the patient.

"Hey, long time no see," Jackson rasped, a weak attempt at humor escaping his lips through a fit of coughing. He winced, clutching his side as a wave of pain washed over him. "I believe the emergency is a bit... obvious," he managed to say between coughs, his smile more of a grimace.

The EMH nodded without looking at Jackson. "Yes, Lieutenant Smith arrives out of sorts, again. You know in my databases there is a phrase from centuries ago that fits you. Frequent flier," the EMH said and assisted Jackson onto the bed.
"But never you fear. I will, obviously, right what ails you." The EMH frowned. "You're running a fever of 104 and you've lost twenty percent of your blood volume. How did this happen?" He asked as he loaded a hypospray and injected Jackson with a strong, fast acting antibiotic mixed with a mild pain reliever.

"Would you accept, I tripped and fell?" Jackson quipped, a wry smile playing on his lips despite the obvious pain etched across his face. The feigned innocence in his voice did little to mask the underlying exhaustion and the toll the recent events had taken on him.

"From you, I would," the EMH said with a smirk. "Lieutenant Smith, did you know that you have visited my sickbay forty-seven percent more often than any member of the crew?"

Jackson winced slightly as he shifted on the biobed, the pain meds only partially dulling the sharp jolts that shot through his body. Despite the discomfort, a mischievous grin spread across his face. "Yeah, things have been a bit slow with the whole boring six-month assignment," he replied, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "But things are definitely looking to get very exciting."

He chuckled, the sound strained, and met the EMH's gaze with a twinkle in his eye. "If you're lucky, we'll be seeing a lot more of each other."

"Hopefully not," spoke a voice from the opening doors of the sickbay. Lumbering in was Kataxes, in their full atmospheric suit that gently tapped the top of the door as they entered. Glowing orange eyes surveyed the two, and the Chief Medical Officer clanked and clicked with metal-covered spider like legs right up beside the EMH.

Kataxes examined the biobed's diagnostic cover for a moment, glowing gently orange inside their suit for a moment of thought. "I see the Emergency Medical Hologram has taken care of you. How are you feeling?" They reached idly for their equipment as they spoke, a calm feminine voice through mechanical speakers on their suits and the disturbing creaks of stretching glass language muffled within.

Jackson's gaze flicked toward the newcomer, taking in the impressive atmospheric suit. A flicker of curiosity crossed his features - what did the CMO look like beneath all that protective gear? But the thought was quickly dismissed. He didn't need the complications of explaining his injuries. With a forced grin, he swung his legs off the biobed. "Feeling great," he announced, a touch too brightly. "The EMH took care of my minor scratches. Good as new."

The only part of the CMO's actual body visible was through the large viewport in their suit, the strength of starship transparent aluminum, where their shoulders and head made of a red-orange crystal peered through, with burning yellow eyes glowing from inside the sharp head shape. The rest was all covered by metal. Delicately reaching for their medical tricorder, the doctor began a quiet scan. "That is good to hear, though I am uncertain why minor scratches warranted a visit. Is the sickbay a comforting place for you, Lieutenant?"

Kataxes paused. "We have not yet been formally introduced, to my knowledge. It is a pleasure to meet you, and perhaps make your acquaintance if I might keep you for some small amount of time."

Jackson flashed a charming grin, the picture of nonchalance. "Doctor Kataxes, a pleasure." He gave a slight shrug, feigning casualness. "Things have been a bit crazy around here, haven't they? But I'm sure you're used to it by now." He winked playfully at the EMH. "Besides, I'm in good hands. The EMH here is a miracle worker."

The EMH frowned at both Jackson and his replacement. "I am not capable of performing miracles," he said. "I am capable of treating patients, even those who are determined to injure themselves over and over again." The EMH inclined his head at the other doctor.

"Commander Kataxes, if you have not, I strongly recommend you review Lieutenant Smith's medical record. He has had a statistically improbable history of damage during his time on the ship."

"I see," Kataxes replied after a momentary pause. "I will review it, but I do not necessarily see an issue with an extended medical record, beyond the novelty of an anomaly."

The doctor looked from the EMH to Jackson, glowing faintly. "Recent events have been particularly dangerous. I suspect I will not be able to offer any words of caution that the Emergency Medical Hologram has not already spoken to you. Instead, I would just suggest being open with me. I am here to practice medicine."

Jackson let out a soft chuckle, the sound tinged with a touch of self-deprecation. "They sure have been a bit dangerous," he admitted, his smile fading as he considered the recent events. "And likely to continue that way for a while."

He shifted his weight, a fleeting expression of vulnerability crossing his face. "I'll do my best about being open and honest, Doctor," he said, his voice sincere. "But... well, I'm Intel. Honesty doesn't come naturally to me."

A flicker of curiosity returned to his eyes as he studied Kataxes. "I've had a varying degree of luck with CMOs," he confessed, a hint of amusement in his voice. "But I'm willing to give you a chance. What would you like to know?"

"My people are honest by nature, and indeed by biological restraints. It would be preferable if you could be entirely honest with me," Kataxes said again, to put a button on their point as diplomatically as possible. They tilted forward slightly as if to bow their head.

Rising again, Kataxes stared with an unreadable, alien expression on their crystalline structure. "Please, tell me about your medical record. The parts that are of concern, even to the hologram. Why does your extensive medical record strike the hologram as... requiring miracles?"

Jackson's curiosity flickered, the idea of complete honesty a tempting novelty. But the weight of his secrets, the layers of deception he'd woven, quickly extinguished the impulse. He offered a regretful smile.

"Sorry, Doc," he said, his voice laced with a playful apology. "You don't quite have the security clearance for complete honesty. You are, after all, part of the exchange program." He let out an exaggerated sigh, his usual defenses snapping back into place. "You'll just have to settle for my fanciful, made-up stories for all my injuries." His carefree demeanor returned, a mask hiding the turmoil within.

"But I suppose I can give you the highlights," he offered, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I've been mind-f-, uh, subjected to extreme mental manipulation. Had a fun little mind meld with a Vulcan—that was interesting." He shuddered, a fleeting glimpse of the trauma resurfacing. "I've been hit with blasters and stabbed more times than I can count. Broken ribs, concussions... those are practically a Tuesday afternoon for me." He chuckled, the sound a bit too loud, a bit too forced. Even to his own ears, he sounded slightly unhinged.

He paused, taking a breath to compose himself. "Okay," he said, his tone shifting to one of surprising sincerity, "let's talk about my current injuries." He decided on a new tactic, a delicate balance between honesty and evasion.

"I took a blaster shot to the shoulder," he admitted, gesturing towards the hastily bandaged wound. "Got caught in the blast wave of an explosion. And there are a few... slashes scattered about." He flashed a grin, the mischievous spark returning to his eyes. "Oh, and being the stubborn idiot I am—which the EMH can attest to—I patched myself up on the go with staples and glue. About thirty hours ago." His grin widened, a playful challenge in his gaze. "Now, I could spin you a wonderfully false story, but in deference to you and your... truthfulness," he emphasized the word with a playful wink, "I'll keep the lying to a minimum."

"...Thank you," Kataxes managed, after a long pause. They looked to the hologram with a bit of newfound comradery in assessment. "Your ingenuity is... appreciated. Not everyone would be able to patch themselves up in an emergency situation, especially without proper medical equipment. Whether that is a 'stubborn' part of you or not, it is impressive. Please, do try to request help from the medical team as quickly as possible in the future."

The Tholian studied Jackson's wounds for a few minutes more, glowing faintly with untranslated comments to themself.

"Is there anything else I should really know about, Lieutenant?" Kataxes finally asked.

"Thanks," Jackson replied with a nod, appreciating the sentiment behind Kataxes's words. "I have nothing further to add. I'll try my best to get here quicker, but sometimes circumstances require action, and you deal with the consequences later." Like hunting down a Ferengi who thought he could get away with betrayal, he added mentally, a grim satisfaction flickering across his face.

He flashed a grateful smile at the CMO. "I do appreciate you patching me up here, Doc," he said, his voice laced with sincerity. "Gotta get back to saving the universe, you know." He finished with a lighthearted chuckle, hoping to downplay the seriousness of his injuries and the dangers he faced.

The EMH snorted. "One of these days, Lieutenant, even my... our considerable medical skills might not be enough to put you back together again. Report to sickbay if anything worsens or you have new symptoms from your injuries. Dismissed," The EMH said.

He was not surprised at how quickly Lieutenant Smith departed Sickbay.

"My advice to you, doctor, is to expect many more visits from Lieutenant Smith. He's what we call a frequent flier," the EMH said with a frown.

[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Kataxes
Chief Medical Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Lieutenant Commander Emergency Medical Hologram (NPC by Llwyedd)
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

Lieutenant Jackson Smith
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Firebird NCC-88298

 

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