Dislocation Station
Posted on 10 Aug 2021 @ 5:38am by Lieutenant JG Harper Matthews & Lieutenant Syvar MD
Mission:
Picking up the pieces
Location: Sickbay, USS Andromeda
1576 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure
Harper had been working out by herself in her quarters. She liked to do that to de-stress, not that she was stressed but it was a good head clearer. Thankfully she had holo-emitters in her quarters that were able to chop and change the equipment she needed for maintaining her body.
She had been pushing herself a bit too far on one piece of the equipment and lost her grip, and fell. This resulted in her dislocating her shoulder and in dire need of medical assistance. Sure she could have called medical to her but she wasn't one to call people away from their duties when she was able to walk.
So, she walked to Sickbay.
She had a small layer of sweat on her body which donned a small tank top and tight fitted shorts. Her hair was also tied up into a ponytail with a few strands loose from exertion. Harper was asked several times on her way to Sickbay if she needed assistance, her shoulder clearly dislocated and drooping down below a normal level.
Entering Sickbay she looked for someone to assist her.
"Oh my!" A young voice exclaimed from nearby, and shortly after a young Vulcan emerged, instantly yet gently leading her to one of the beds. Gentle and concerned green eyes gave her a quick once over as he helped her up. "What happened?" Syvar asked as he produced his tricorder.
Harper smiled softly, albeit behind a slight grimace due to her discomfort. "Funny story really... I was doing some weight training and lost my balance a little. The weights were above my head so I guess I kinda twisted as I moved and forgot to drop the weight..." she said nodding to her shoulder.
"That isn't a funny story," Syvar scolded as he put down his tricorder and gently probed the injury. "Do you want anything to help you relax before I pull the joint back into place?"
"Kinda funny... I mean I was rolling on the floor for a bit, minus the actual laughter." she quipped back. It was a defence mechanism to help shield herself from how much pain she was actually in. "Nah just pop it back in. It's the same shoulder that always goes." she answered.
"It always goes?" Syvar asked in the hope of distracting her, "what did you do to it the first time?" As he spoke and hoped she would answer, he braced himself and her arm, and with a swift yank pulled it back into place. He moved equally quickly to catch her because he knew she had to be beyond pain now, without sedatives to relax the muscles.
"Ehm think it was 2380, I was 14 and surfing in the Coral Sea. Hit a dodgy riptide and---" the noise of the pop was always too loud. The moving of bone to socket, the pull of her ligaments all rose into a symphony of pain and tension. "Son of a bitch!" she yelled and turned her head to the side as the pain continued. "Not that funny now..."
"Obviously," Syvar said as he continued to steady her. "I can treat the injury, I can even fix your shoulder into place for a while but ultimately, I'd recommend you undergo surgery to shorten the tendons and have it properly fixed into place again. You'd have to speak with Doctor Kuroka though, as I'm not a qualified surgeon."
"I guess the more it comes out the worse it'll get?" she asked. "I mean this must be the 5th time it has happened in 16 years." She added.
The Vulcan nodded. "Yes, the more it happens the less the tendons will be able to heal. And if you do consider surgery, you'll have to realize that your shoulder will need to rest." He took note of her yellow top. "Operations, engineering or security?" he queried. "And uhm... what's your name?"
Harper nodded in response the the Vulcans nodding. "Well I just got here, I'm Harper Matthews." She smiled noting the yellow in her tank top that made him ask the question she was about to answer. "Ships new Security Chief. Doctor?"
"Syvar," the Vulcan smiled, offering a gloved hand in greeting. "Welcome aboard Miss Matthews. And I'm just a doctor here, no chief or anything. Probably not for a great many years at that. But my mate is the first officer." He smiled proudly at that revelation.
"Nice to meet you Syvar. Being a Doctor is amazing though, you don't need to be a chief of anything to have my respect." she smiled softly as her pain began to level out. "Commander Fox is your partner?" she asked with slightly wider eyes. "Nice." she nodded in approval. "Very good looking woman. I've only just spoken to her when I came on board but she seems to be a nice woman."
"She is my mate," Syvar corrected, feeling the word 'partner' didn't do what they shared any justice. "We are married," he added for clarification, "and looking forward to welcoming our first child in a few months. I also don't have any desire to be chief, I was for a while.. acting chief I mean and I felt inadequate for the task. I don't have nearly enough experience to be chief." He paused as he continued to treat her shoulder. "You may wish to disrobe if I am to secure the joint for now," he suggested softly.
"Yeah, life partner." Harper shrugged forgetting for a moment that she'd hurt her shoulder. "Mate is not a word I use, sorry. Means the same thing to me." she almost defended herself even though she did not truly need too. "As to being Chief I suppose it just depends as you say how you feel in the role as well. I sometimes feel like I've not had enough experience either and if you look at how long I've been in Starfleet most would probably agree." she thought out loud.
"You want me to take my top off?" She asked hoping at the least he'd put up a protective screen or something.
"Lowering the strap might suffice, if you can slip your arm out?" Syvar said as he pulled up the privacy screen and studied her for a moment. "How long since you've graduated the academy? For me it's barely been two years..."
Harper nodded as she used her other hand to pinch the strap and slide it down her off her shoulder and down her arm. With a little wiggle it now rested under her arm so Dr Syvar could do what he had to. "I think it's been 3 and a half years for me." Harper said as she scrunched up her nose in thought.
Keeping his hands gloved to minimize skin to skin touch, Syvar used old fashioned sports tape to fix the joint into place. "You may wish to use a sling for a day or two to minimize usage," he advised when he was done and gently helped her to put the strap back onto her shoulder. "And no solo weight lifting," he added, "that is dangerous."
"Let's hope there are not angry boarding parties that come one during that day or two." she joked a little. "That's my phaser arm."
She looked at her now bandaged up arm and sighed. "I'll keep my weight training to the gym then I think, maybe be a little more careful with heavy things above head height. Usually its just lighter stuff I use but I must have been feeling adventurous today."
"There is nothing wrong with being adventurous, as long as one is careful," Syvar commented dryly, stepping back a pace or two to admire his handiwork. She was now donning bright pink tape across her shoulder, which should offer her some range of movement but should help keep the joint in place. "Perhaps find a partner to help you during your adventurous moments?"
Harper raised an eyebrow as a racy thought ran through her mind. "Yeah, a partner for adventurous moments sounds like a good idea." she said looking at the fashionably pink tape, it made her smile softly as it reminded her of how her mother used to look after her. "Looks nice, little tight but I think I'll cope."
"it's supposed to be a little tight, otherwise it wouldn't restrict your range of motion or even support it at that. If you need help changing it, let me know though it should hold for a few days. Assuming you use sonics and not water showers."
"I do love a real water shower, but I will use the sonic one for the next few days so I don't get anything wet." Harper smiled. "Thank you Doctor." She added, he had been very efficient and she was seen to rather quickly.
"You don't have to thank me ma'am," the young doctor answered, "and you're welcome. Come back in a few days if it keeps bothering you."
"Good manners cost nothing." She said rising from the bed. "I'm sure I'll be alright, but if I have any problems I'll let you know." She smiled as she was about to set off once more.
"Alright. Take it easy though," Syvar advised, "nothing strenuous or you'll tear that right up."
"I'll try to be careful." Harper said as she left the room with a slight skip in her step.
Ensign Syvar
Medical Officer
pnpc Aidan
Ensign Harper Matthews
Chief Tactical/Security Officer
