When it rains it pours...
Posted on 25 Oct 2025 @ 2:50pm by Lieutenant Commander Sandra Boren
1,050 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Fractured Accord
Location: USS Arawyn Sickbay
// Sickbay :: Arawyn :: Recovery Ward //
As Riah entered the ward, she stepped to LtCmdr Boren’s biobed station and spoke in a normal tone of voice. Since the curtains were drawn closed, she did not want to intrude without announcing herself. The curtains, while providing a sound-deadening quality, did not completely eliminate sound, but muffled it. By standing close to the curtains, Riah's voice would be easily heard. “Cmdr Boren? It’s Dr Amberlyn. Are you available for a consultation?”
"Yes, Doctor, please come in," Sandra replied.
Riah slipped through the panels of the curtains and entered the quieter space. “Good evening. How are you feeling, Commander?”
"Doctor," Sandra nodded in greeting, "I'm pain free in my leg, but I am feeling light headed, and have a mild headache.”
“I’m not surprised. We noticed during the surgery that your blood pressure seemed erratic, and checked the concussion. There was a very small bleed happening. We corrected it immediately and that likely left you with a headache, but I’m surprised the pain has persisted through the meds,” said Riah, taking a look at the onscreen chart. “Ah, it says here you declined your last dose. I’m not surprised there either, either your 1/4 Vulcan constitution. I know you probably prefer to use your mental discipline, and that’s probably good in your case. But I’m still concerned about the headache.” The doctor pulled a small tubular scanner from her lab coat pocket. “May I?” she asked, not willing to invade the woman’s personal space without permission.
"Of course, doctor," Sandra replied. She had wondered herself what was going on, headaches were rare for her.
The scanner ticked rather than beeping so as not to be confused with the number other beeps in the medical department. “Well, this is interesting. There is still a minimal leakage around the bruised tissue. I think this may be a blood issue.” Again Riah studied Sandra’s chart. “Ever have any history of anticoagulation?”
"Not that I am aware of, Doctor, what does this mean? Can you stop the leakage with a dermal regenerator?" Sandra asked.
“It means for some reason your blood is thin enough to permeate the tissue surrounding the brain, under the skull, slowly leaking blood and fluid into the space between the brain itself and the bone. I’m not showing your blood to be that thin on the rest of your scans however. I’m going to run another diagnostic scan and do some more research. I’m wondering it this doesn’t relate somehow to your hybrid blood type. It’s a slow bleed, but I can’t allow you to leave sickbay until we find the exact cause and solution. You get some rest. The bio-scanner at the head of the bed will monitor the bleed and pressure and alert us to the increase in accumulation. I’ll be back when I have finished that diagnostic and let you know immediately when I discover anything. If you need anything, you ring the call button. Don’t get up and walk around without assistance, including going to the bathroom. Understood?”
Sandra raised an eyebrow as the doctor spoke. It would be the first time that being half Betazoid, one quarter Vulcan and one quarter human might have been a disadvantage. Until now, she had only seen the advantages. She nodded, "understood, doctor."
// Two hours later //
Riah returned to Sandra’s bedside with a mixed report. “I ran a diagnostic relating to the Bropilion inoculation you received before the mission to the surface. Bropillonisium has a rare side effect of anticoagulation, but that is usually in connection with an external contusion, bruising or difficultly in stopping bleeding of an actual cut, a dermal injury. I’ve never encountered or even read about it happening in connection with an internal head injury or concussion. It does have to do with your hybrid blood type. In have prepared an injection here which should temporarily slow down the bleed, and we will continue to periodically chase the bleed with the tissue regenerator. That is basically painless, but I can’t allow you to leave Sickbay. It requires constant monitoring. But you cannot continue on the blood modifier indefinitely. We need to get you back to the hospital on Starbase 369. I want you to continue to call for someone to walk you to the bathroom, as this might cause dizziness. We don’t want you whiting out and dropping on the floor. I will talk to Captain Corbin about transporting you back to the Starbase right now. Any questions before I give you the injection?”
"Understood, it does sound that a cure is not available just yet?" Sandra asked, "how long would it take before I can get back to work?”
“Rest is the cure for a concussion,” Riah replied. “But I’d return you to duty as soon as we can confirm the bleed has been corrected. Until then, I’m afraid we have to monitor you here constantly. Once I’m satisfied your are concussion is stable, and your bone regeneration has been completed, I can assign you a brain function monitor, similar to a cortical stimulator, to wear, which would alert you to any changes in pressure, which would indicate there is fluid or blood leakage. That could happen today, or next week, or not until we return to Starbase 369. I will permit you to make contact with your department though with a PADD and comm, run things from here, to whatever degree you can trust your Second. I’m sorry, but that’s the best I can do, at the moment.”
It took all her control not to show a frown, she was not happy, but she understood the risks. "Thank you, doctor."
“I’ll have a tech bring you that PADD and anything else you need, like a chair beside the bed and a little portable tray table to serve as a desk, so you are not stuck sitting on the ward bed,” Riah assured her.
"That will be much appreciated, doctor. It will not do my muscles much good if I stay in bed all day."
LtCmdr Riah Amberlyn, XMD
Chief Medical Officer
LtCmdr Sandra Boren
Chief Engineering Officer
"Everything fits, otherwise we'll make it fit!"
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