Out like a Light

Posted on 03 Aug 2019 @ 9:11pm by Captain Jonathan Reynolds & Lieutenant Commander True Keading & Lieutenant Syvar MD

Mission: Mission 1 - In the pale moonlight ...
Location: Captains Quarters
Timeline: 22:30
2155 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Syvar ran, as if his life depended on it. While a fit and healthy Vulcan male of his age, he was still out of breath when he reached the captain's private quarters. His eyes were big as saucers, his normally sparkling green eyes dull with pupils dilated beyond belief. He looked bedraggled and was wearing his pajamas rather than a uniform.

"Captain!" he yelled, slamming the door with his fists instead of pressing the chime. "Captain!"

Jon very lost in the blond counselors gaze and beautiful lips, jumped as someone started hammering, not the chime for pete's sake but actually hammering his door down.

"What in the goddesses name?" he muttered. As the banging kept on going he looked apologetically at his companion. "Stay right there. Please don't go anywhere," he said both concern and protectiveness in his voice. What if this was a nutcase?

Getting up and walking to his door. This better be important he thought to himself, "Come,"

Nearly punching the man as the door slid open just as he was about to pound it again, Syvar almost stumbled inside. "Captain...it's the doctor she's...she's..." The young man was panting for breath and nearly beside himself with fright as he tried to form a coherent sentence.

Jon narrowly avoided a punch in the gut and exchanged an even more concerned look with True. He just caught the Vulcan as he entered his quarters. "Calm down …. errr …. " He hadn't met the man. "Easy … "what's going on? Are you alright?"

"I just went to sickbay... I woke up all tangled up because of these dreams, and I found the doctor.." The words just tumbled out as Syvar tried to catch his breath. He didn't even notice that the man didn't even use his name. "She's unconscious...I can't wake her." It didn't even occur to him to summon the EMH, in his aready upset state, he wasn't thinking straight.

"Why don't you take a seat," he said walking him to the couch. Oh damn he had to lose his seat next to his date. But that said this poor guy was pretty disorientated not to mention frightened. "Do you know any basic first aid?" he asked True. Some counselors he knew, like Liam did have some basic knowledge.

"Yes, I took it in the academy, have only used it a couple of times since then." One was of course on the Yorktown, but she didn't want to tell Jon that the man had died. Of course his injuries were too severe to save him with virtually no power on the bridge.

=^=Reynolds to sickbay. Can you get someone to check on Doctor …..=^= he looked at the Vulcan. "Which doctor?"

"Hope, Doctor Hope," the youth stammered out. "I'm a doctor too...I just..." He hesitated. "I was asleep and then I woke and wanted to speak with her and then..." He shook his head in disbelief. "I got her on a bed then ran here..."

"Take a deep breath Syvar and let it out slowly before you hyperventilate. Did you check for a pulse or scan her . . . anything?" True had gotten up and had an arm around Syvar. "Let's walk there so we can check on her. And you can see that everything's probably all right."

"You catch that sickbay," Jon said the comm. still open. "Check on Dr Hope. We are coming your way with another patient to check over." He followed both of them out and asked, "More nightmares?"

Syvar nodded. "I dreamed I was back in school... I was an outsider as a child, the only Vulcan in a class full of Humans. They called me freak, and many other nasty things." He was still heaving in lungs full of breath, though trying to get it back under control. He wasn't having much luck with it. "They said i should've died too, and there was something very eerie about the situation, as if it was more grim than I really recall it. It was frightening and then I woke up."

"Yeah I experienced something similar. It seemed to be happening to most of the ship," he said. "It seemed like you were really there yes? But your not now. Your safe and no one thinks your a freak. If they do tell me and I'll personally court-martial them."

The young Vulcan drew in a deep shuddering breath and nodded. "They don't have to tell me, i can see it in their eyes," he murmured.

True thought that was a really nice way of comforting him. "I seem to be the only one not dreaming. I wonder why that is." She frowned slightly. "Seriously Syvar, what happened in your childhood had no merit over what happens now. The people on this ship don't see you for anything other than what you are, a good person."

"I've heard them call me child doctor...I've been mistaken for a child. Several times now. Ensign Gruber from engineering... Lieutenant Crabtree from science.." Another deep breath. "We should look after Doctor Hope... I didn't take any scans I just made her comfortable and ran here. I'm sorry sir, I wasn't thinking straight, I abandoned my duty and came here."

"You were stuck in a nightmare. No ones holding that against you. I'm more concerned about getting you right, checking in on Dr Hope and …" he looked at True, "We need to figure out what's causing these nightmares.

They seem to be ramping up in volume the closer we get to …… " Jon's face changed suddenly thinking connecting dots. "That unknown object they want us to look into."

It only took True a moment to realize what he was thinking. "Do we stop . . . see if somehow changing the shields helps? If we get too close to it and people don't wake from the dreams we aren't going to be any good to anyone."

Eyes widening, Syvar looked from one to the other. "What do you mean... are you saying someone is causing us to have these nightmares? Why weren't we briefed on this? I didn't know anything about this.. medical wasn't informed. I mean the staff wasn't informed."

"Ermm no relax," Jon said carefully. "I'm saying something is causing it and it might be the unidentified object Starfleet have sent us to investigate. There was no brief as we had no intel and I might still be barking up the wrong tree. Its just a working theory at this time."

He took Trues questions onboard and snapped into Captain mode. "We can change the shielding yeah, see if that does anything. I'll speak to Lilura. I don't want to pull the mission unless we have something concrete. I think perhaps I need to call another staff meeting. But in the morning let you get some sleep. Let everyone get some. Hopefully nice sleep."

Syvar hesitated, his inexperience showing with said hesitation. "We could drug everyone," he suggested, "once they go to bed, make sure they have eight hours of uninterrupted, deep sleep. Dreams occur during REM, maybe we can make people skip REM sleep.... But first we need to take care of Doctor Hope... need to find out what's wrong with her."

"I admire your enthusiasm Doctor but lets keep that as a potential plan b. We don't know how many are affected. Is it random? Are staff going to have repeated dreams? Will I have another tonight? Theres too many unknown variables for me to okay drugging everyone at present," Jon said calmly.

"What are your thoughts?" he asked the blond counselor?

"Hmm, if this gets worse Syvar might have a point. Some people won't be able to function and might actually injure themselves and others. But as you said we don't know it's the cause it's speculation at this point. I'd say just keep doing what we're doing and let as many of the crew rest as we can until we get there."

Jon nodded. He had a gut feeling that that thing was involved somehow.

"Here we go sickbay. Wheres Dr Hope?" he asked.

Syvar moved over to one of the beds, which the still form of the chief medical officer was carefully laid upon. "She wasn't responding. I shook her, I called her name.." The youth's cheeks coloured a darker shade of green. "I even tried slapping her," he admitted, "but she won't wake. I didn't try anything else, I panicked sir."

True hurried forward and leaned over to put her fingers on the other woman's neck to check for a pulse. Her own heart was hammering pretty hard now as no one seemed to be around and obviously this woman's needs had not been taken care of.

Finally coming a little to his senses, Syvar grabbed a tricorder, detached the wand and waved it across the woman's body. "Looks like she won't be waking up any time soon. All her readings are low, as if she's in a super deep sleep."

Jons jaw was clenched. This was his second senior officer in a coma. If he were a superstitious man he might think there was a curse at work.

"Make her comfortable, get as much information as you can doctor and check on the rest of the staff. That no one else is in the same situation," he said tightly. He felt like he was failing at keeping his crew safe.

"I'll look after her," Syvar promised, though he looked a little daunted at having to scan everyone. "S-sir..are you putting me in charge of sickbay?" he asked carefully, wanting to make sure he understood right.

"Yes," Jon said simply, "You are now acting chief medical officer." He sensed the panic before it betrayed his face. Jon clapped a hand on his back. The man needed this shove. A chance to step up. "You have got this doctor. I believe in you. No more panicking."

"I'll try sir," Syvar promised, trying to recollect himself. "Uhm...perhaps I should get dressed....I might as well if I'm up now..."

"You'll be fine Syvar. Call me if you need anything." True turned back to Jon. "I guess I should get back in uniform as well."

The Vulcan shook his head. "No ma'am, I'll be fine. You should go back and enjoy your evening ma'am... I'll be fine now, I promise. I'll get a mild sedative to help me settle my anxiety, and then I'll be fine."

Jon nodded at the Vulcan. For a Vulcan he reasoned he was rather emotional. That had only just factored into his head. "Okay doctor. Good night," Jon said he walked slowly away from the Vulcan and turned to point a finger at him. "Remember you have got this."

He turned to True. Discreet, the word popped in his head. That was going to be something to get used too. The Vulcan once he had calmed down would likely put two and two together finding the counselor in a pretty dress in his quarters but he knew Vulcans were good at discreet. Or certainly hoped this one would be.

True was right though they had to get back to work. And he wanted her to get some rest too. She had said she was tired. "If your heading back, I'll walk you out counselor."

"Thank you sir," she said giving him a small smile since her back was to Syvar. "Duty calls," she said once she was outside sickbay. "I'll let you know about that holodeck program."

He nodded. He should really walk her back to her quarters, he wanted too but that if seen wouldn't be discreet and right now he was feeling an overwhelming sense of needing to go check Eddie was fine then beat himself up that another officer was in a coma a week in to the Andromeda's first mission. Perhaps hitting a punch bag a few times would make himself feel better.

"I look forward to it," he managed a small smile. "Try get some sleep. I will see you in the morning."

He left her to get the turbo lift as he decided where he needed to go first. No one was around so he quickly grabbed her hand gently before she stepped in fully. "I hope you don't get a nightmare. If you do and you need me Tru ….." he offered simply.

She almost argued with him. After all, she felt as chief counselor that she should be awake and helping people if needed. But he was her commanding officer and if he said it was all right to get some sleep then maybe it was. "I'll be fine, I'm sure. But thanks." She kissed him on the cheek and stepped into the lift.

OFF:


Ensign Syvar
Acting CMO
pnpc Aidan

●●● Commander Jonathan Reynolds
Commanding Officer
USS Andromeda


●● Lieutenant True Keading
Chief Counselor
USS Andromeda