Putting things back together
Posted on Wed Apr 5th, 2023 @ 9:41pm by Lieutenant Junior Grade Howard Goldberg & Lieutenant Commander Alyssa Maren & Lieutenant Commander Hermia O'Rourke & Petty Officer 1st Class S'kaadaar & Chief Petty Officer Sara MacCallum & Petty Officer 1st Class Kimba Rossi & Sergeant Azure Thompson
Edited on on Tue Jul 4th, 2023 @ 9:54pm
2,175 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Episode 13 - Crooked River
Location: Sickbay - Deck 5 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD007 0400 hrs
Azure led an anti-grav sledge holding Ensign Mignon Mejia.
"Doc, Ensign Mejia has cut off foot, while under the influence of ketamine. I've stabilised her by stopping the bleeding and giving her intravenous fluids."
"Okay, move her to the surgical bed." Hermia said. "Do you have the foot?"
"Doctor, I have it here in this stasis chamber." S'kaadaar said.
"Good." Hermia said. Then she said. "Howard prepare Ensign Mejia for surgery, and start her on 400 micrograms of Naloxone for the ketamine. I'll examine the foot."
Howard had been watching the Ensign's vital signs. They were lower than they should be but they were holding steady. Which at the very least is a good thing. When Hermia gave the orders he nodded. "Yes Doctor." He raised the surgical shield and keyed in some orders. "Starting 400 micrograms Naloxone. Preparing the open wound. It appears to be a jagged cut but clean. No sign of infection."
Hermia took the stasis chamber over to a scanning station and removed the foot. The scan and her visual assessment of the foot showed very little degeneration. She then returned it to the chamber while she prepared herself for surgery.
"Mac, scrub up, you'll be assisting Goldberg and I." Hermia said.
"Aye, Doc." Sarah said and did as she was instructed.
Alyssa followed Azure and Mignon into sickbay but stayed out of the way. She needed to be close to find out how the operation went and how Mignon was doing before she was comfortable going back to her quarters--if she went there at all. She still wasn't feeling herself. However, her first priority was to her friend and fellow scientist.
Noticing Alyssa, Hermia sent a telepathic message. Don't worry Alyssa, we'll do the best we can for her.
I know you will, Alyssa replied back. I just feel...responsible. She could admit that much, telepathically, to the doctor. While she knew there was nothing she could do to prevent any of what happened, she was the senior officer and should have done more.
"Kimba, escort Commander Maren to a biobed where she can see what we're doing and start her on a 400 micrograms of Naloxone."
"Yes, Boss." Nurse Rossi said and then approaching Alyssa said. "Ma'am, if you'll follow me to a biobed I can begin your treatment." Seeing the Science Chief's expression, she added. "Its not far and you'll still be able to see your friend."
"Thank you." Alyssa followed her, even though she still felt that she needed to make sure Shayla and Sha'Zen were taken care of first. Her foot began to tingle and feel...detached. Maybe she did need this now.
Hermia had already sent Nurse Zarl to treat Sergeant Kunadt in Marine company.
Alyssa picked up the thought from the doctor and nodded. Thank you. Knowing that, she left the doctor alone to work on Mignon.
"Doctor O'Rourke... the Ensign's blood pressure is dropping with unknown cause." Howard spoke up above the alarm that had indicated the drop in blood pressure. "The wound is stable no sign of bleeding." he continued his report. "I advise that we get this surgery underway right away."
"Okay, give her 5 units of Betazoid O-neg." Hermia said. "Azure would you monitor the Ensign's life signs?"
"Yes doctor, transfusion underway. I have also taken the liberty of having security check with the Betazoid crew population. We only have so much blood on hand, and if we need more it would be prudent to have a donor identified." Howard said as he monitored the blood transfusion. He was at ease and rather enjoyed this kind of work. Emergency medicine was one of his specialities.
"Of course, Doc." Azure said freeing Goldberg up to help with the surgery.
"Okay, let's begin." Hermia said. "Mac, bring the foot over." She said to the nurse. "Computer, secure the right leg of the patient in surgical bed 1."
"Aye," Mac said retrieving the amputated foot and put it in place. The bed's force field prevented it from moving.
Hermia moved herself into place. "Microsuture." She said holding out her hand.
"Microsuture." Mac repeated and placed it in Hermia's hand.
Activating the device, Hermia used it to stitch the severed ends of the arteries and veins back together allowing blood flow to return to the foot. "Azure, how's her blood pressure?"
"Improving, Doc." Azure. said.
"Good." Then turning to Goldberg. "That's the blood done. So, Howie, how do you feel about reattaching half the nerves, while I do the other half?"
"It would be my pleasure Dr O'Rourke." Howie said as he picked up the nero-regenerator. "I am beginning with the superficial peroneal nerve. Then I will be heading anteriorly." He activated the device and on the screen in front him Howie could see the nerve beginning to regenerate and knit to their severed ends. Once the nerve was completely reattached Howard saw a small electric bolt fire. "That is one nerve that is active. The brain has accepted the reattachment. Moving on to the next one."
Alyssa half listened to the conversation going on around her. The shot she'd been given helped, but she knew it would take more than just one injection for her to fully come to terms with what happened on the planet. She also had a report to file, but that would wait until she felt more like herself and Mignon was recovering.
"Great work, Doctor." Hermia said to Goldberg as she worked onto the other nerves. Due to their closeness to the medial and lateral malleoli, this was dangerous, delicate work, one error and Mignon would loose sensation in her foot, or be in constant pain.
The CMO wielded her neural re-generator with the precision of a practised professional. This wasn't her first reattachment, she'd performed quite a few during her secondment to the Marine Corps.
"Azure, how are her vitals?" Hermia asked.
"Stable, Doc." The Andorian replied.
"Good." Hermia said. She turned to Goldberg. "Now, the nerves are done, let's work on reattaching the bone."
"Yes Doctor." Howard replied as he turned his attention to the severed bone. "This is going to be a tough one. The bone has been hacked and is jagged where the sever was made. He knew that this would be an intense operation. Reattaching a limb is hard, but when it has been severed for as long as this one it could be impossible.
Hermia looked at the edges of both the foot and the leg. "You're right we're going to have to smooth both ends to get a good fit."
"Mac, we're going to need a pair of osteoregenerators." Hermia said.
Nurse MacCallum retrieved two of the requested instruments and handed one to each of the doctors.
"Howie, I want you to smooth the bone on the leg end, I'll do the same to the foot.
Howard took one of the osteoregenerators and went to work on the leg end of the sever. In a matter of minutes the bones was smooth and ready to be reattached. "I am ready on this end." Although he wondered what Hermia would do about the ankle joint, how to restore it.
"Mac, osteoregenerator." Hermia requested.
"Osteoregenerator." The Head Nurse repeated and placed it in Hermia's waiting palm.
Hermia adjusted the settings on the instrument and went to work. She had to smooth it to fit, but leave enough spars for the osteoregenerator stimulate new growth when the two parts were joined back together.
Once she was done. She said. "The big moment, well first anyway. Let's see if they fit together."
"I am attaching the anterior talofibular ligament now." Howard began to work on the small piece of tissue. About two minutes later he popped his head up. "It looks like the tendon has reattached and appears that it would work. I am proceeding to the anterior calcaneofibular ligament."
Once all the ligaments were attached, Hermia adjusted the Osteoregenerator to its main setting and used it to fuse the two severed ends back together.
Now all that was left to do was repair the Achilles tendon, regenerate the muscle and skin tissue and suture it back together.
As if on cue Howard spoke up. "Dr O'Rourke the Achilles tendon is reattached. Blood flow to the tendons has resumed." He was pleasantly surprised as he did not think this would succeed and yet here they were. All that was left was for Hermia to finish up.
Hermia allowed herself a small smile. "Mac, dermal regenerator." She requested.
"Dermal regenerator." Mac repeated and placed it into the CMO's waiting hand.
Hermia used it to reattach the muscle tissue and seal the skin.
"Okay, all done, good work ladies and gentlemen."Hermia said.
"Computer, activate healing field on surgical bed 1." She ordered.
There were a few beeps and a transparent purple tinged field appeared over Mignon's unconscious from.
Howard turned to Hermia. "Congratulations Doctor. A reattachment like that is rarely successful. Now the Ensign has a long road of rehabilitation ahead of them. I am going to scrub out and head to the emergency ward and assist where I can." He left the surgical area with a feeling of accomplishment.
"Okay, but don't forget to get a bite to eat, before hand, I can't you collapsing in the ward." Hermia said. "And consider that an order."
"Great work, both of you." Mac said. "I'll clean up."
Alyssa was not going to leave until she knew Mignon was successfully through her surgery and resting. Even so, it was hard to sit and wait. She pulled out her PADD and began to review the data from the mission to help her understand more of what happened.
"How are you feeling, ma'am?" Kimba asked Alyssa. "Is your mind clearing?"
"Slowly. I'm still not back to normal, but I don't expect it to be a quick recover," she replied.
"Good." Kimba said. "I can raise the dose, if you like."
She thought about the way the drug the Romulan woman gave them had messed with her mind, with the minds of the others, and what it caused Mignon to do. She had to admit, if only to herself, that she was still afraid the urge would return. "What is recommended? I don't want to take too much and have it cause other problems." But she really wanted to be back in her right mind again.
"The most common side effects are headache and joint or muscle pain. Light headedness is less common. You're responding well to treatment, so if you want to remain at this dose, its fine." Kimba said. "I just thought I'd give you the choice."
"I appreciate it," the scientist said. "I'll stay where I am for now, but if I think I'm sliding, I'll come in for help."
"As you wish, ma'am." Kimba said and continued to monitor Maren's condition.
Alyssa watched her go and closed her eyes, letting the ambience of sickbay flow around her. She felt more stable than she had when she got here, and she had every expectation of continuing to improve. But a part of her wished a certain Klingon was around. But since he wasn't, she might spend some time in the vertical garden.
When she was sure the doctors had Mignon settled, she went over to them. "How long will she sleep?"
"Its hard to tell, she's been through I lot, but I'd say between 12 and 24 hours." Hermia said. "We'll monitor her condition and let you know if there are any changes, Alyssa."
The scientist smiled. "Thanks, Hermia. Could you let me know when she wakes up."
"Of course." Hermia said.
"Thank you. And thank you for the excellent work you did." Alyssa smiled. "And for letting me wait here. I couldn't get back to the lab until I knew Mignon would be okay. That's nothing against you. Just that...it's been a rough few days, and I still feel responsible for my team."
"I understand, I'd feel the same in your place, and I have before." Hermia said. "If you need anything, just let Nurse Rossi know."
"I will. Thanks." Alyssa gave her a quick hug. "See you later!"
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Junior Grade Howard Goldberg
Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Hermia O'Rourke
Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Chief Petty Officer Sara MacCallum
Head Nurse, USS Pioneer
Petty Officer First Class Kimba Rossi
Nurse, USS Pioneer
Sergeant Azure Thompson
Corpsman, Team 1, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Petty Officer First Class S'kaadaar
Security Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Commander Alyssa Maren
Chief Science Officer, USS Pioneer
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