Incoming
Posted on Wed Feb 26th, 2020 @ 1:59am by Lieutenant Junior Grade Howard Goldberg & Bones EMH Mark V & Lieutenant Commander Hermia O'Rourke & Lieutenant Junior Grade Zhara Rynn & Sophia
Edited on on Wed Feb 26th, 2020 @ 2:02am
2,540 words; about a 13 minute read
Mission:
Episode 9 - Empok's End
Location: Sickbay - Deck 5 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD005 0930 hrs
Zhara and Sophia made another round of counseling. While they would be helping out in sickbay, there was also the potential of less-wounded people needing psychological help. Zhara wanted to be ready for anything. When she was satisfied, she and her dog headed for sickbay to help them prep.
Howard Goldberg was in his element. He was one of the docs on the Pioneer that loved emergency situations, after all he went to school for emergency medicine. As such he was given charge of triage. Thankfully at the moment there were no patients to triage. However, Goldberg knew that would all change in a matter of a day or so. The scuttlebutt around the ship was that the counter offensive would be launched soon, and heavy casualties were expected. "We are going to need extra dermal regenerators." He called out to one of the of the nurses, it was the most used tool in situations like this.
The counselor and her dog walked into sickbay and looked around for someone to tell them where they were needed first.
Richard's pale eyes scanned his home away from home, sickbay, as he arrived from the bridge His tricorder was affixed to his utility belt along with other devices he used on a regular base. The medkit he was carrying was clutched tightly as he drew in a breath, "Comptuer activate the EMH."
The Sick Bay's holoemitters hummed to life as photons swirled and created a being. The EMH or Bones as he liked to be called emerged. "Well now, what seems to be the problem?" He said his greeting with a smile and southern gentlemanly manner. The EMH stood just next to Dr Ballston.
"Going to need your help Bones," Richard said as he looked at the hologram, "we're about to get a lot of company."
Bones looked around Sick Bay and saw all of the staff hard at work. If you asked him his services were not needed in an empty Sick Bay. Sometimes I hate being a computer program. "Isn't it always something." The EMH shook his head from side to side as he sighed and headed for a bio bed, where he would take up a station.
Hermia entered Sickbay, she'd been overseeing the conversion of Cargo Bays into auxiliary medical centers to mange any overflow. She acknowledged those present with a nod and prep'ed herself.
HE glanced around again looking rather determined, "alright team we have a convoy of ships escaping Empok Nor and it looks like we will be under fire."
He glanced around again making eye contact with his entire staff and continued, "every overflow area will probably be needed and we will need to away teams to be ready to transport. We have no idea as of yet how severe the injuries are but Empok Nor has taken severe damage."
Kalen took Richard's speech as his cue to leave. Kalen was a doctor but not Starfleet. This was not his fight and in fact he felt like he would be best suited elsewhere. Quickly and quietly he made his way toward the door.
"Where do you think you're going, Dr. Jacobs?" Hermia asked spotting the man make for the door.
Jacobs smiled sheepishly as the doors to Sick Bay swished open. "Forgive me Dr O'Rourke but I figured as a civilian it would be best for me to get out of the way and allow you all to do what you do best." He nodded and turned toward the open doors again. So close and yet so far.
"Well consider yourself under Secondment to Starfleet until further notice." Hermia said.
Kalen rubbed the back of his neck, a small look of both fear and excitement ran across his face in an instant. "Dr O'Rourke with all due respect I was brought aboard because of my knowledge in genetic experimentation. I have no practical experience actually practising medicine. So, while I would love to help I doubt I will be of much assistance." Truth was he had never actually practised medicine. He was deathly afraid of treading into that water in this situation. Although his face did not show the fear, it showed his trademark confidence.
"He can always help me with triage," Zhara suggested.
"Yes, triage. Do you think you can handle that Dr. Jacobs? Its like playing God. That should appeal to you." Hermia replied.
"And," Richard added crossing his arms while he turned to face Kalen, "if you think to skip out of here doctor is a good idea you can figure out the decore in the cell you will be calling home."
"Sophia's a good guard dog," Zhara suggested quietly to the two doctors. "In case we get busy."
Sophia wagged her tail, her lower jaw-dropping in a semblance of a smile.
There was a faint smile seeing the dog. He nodded and raised an eyebrow, "yes Sophia is a great dog to have around."
He tilted his head and started again, "remember these survivors are going to be hurt in more than just physical ways so try to be as respectful and supportive as you can. They've lost everything, possible loved ones so..." Richard's words were cut short by the computer relaying a message.
"Sickbay, this is Chief K'Jen in Transporter room 1, I hope you're prepared, because we are going to be transporting wounded immediately to your location." The Axanar Transporter Chief reported.
The internal comm speakers in Sick Bay chimed up, it was the voice of Captain Malbrooke. "Sick Bay we have the first group of wounded. Coming in from the Ottawa. You also have walking wounded en route. Get everyone back to duty as soon as possible. Bridge out." The channel went dead as quickly as it had turned on.
Without delay four patients materialized onto the bio beds. They with various forms of plasma burns and screaming in pain.
Zhara immediately went to the least injured, who was mostly conscious, and smiled. "Hello there. I'm Doctor Rynn. You're safely aboard the Pioneer." She took her medical tricorder and scanned the patient. "Doctor Jacobs, can you get a hypospray for his pain, please?"
For the first time in a long time Kalen was a stranger in a strange land. He knew that Richard was right if Kalen did not help he would be looking at reprimands from the medical board to say the very least. He saw the people materialize and immidiately his ears were filled with a cacophony of screams. Kalen was more comfortable in a lab then treating people. However, Zhara's request snapped him out of what was going on in his own head. Without thinking, almost in a daze he grabbed a hypospray of Morphenolog and placed it to the patient's neck administering the pain killer.
Zhara nodded her thanks. She hooked the patient up to the biobed scanner so his vitals could be monitored and flagged him for treatment.
As the patients began materializing Richard briskly headed over to a patient and started his scan. The tricorder gave off a series of chirps and beeps as the physician looked at the unconscious Arkenite. The man's skin was discolored and broken in several spots due to the extent of his burns. Taking a hypospray of Bicaridine from his toolbelt Richard administered a dose sufficient to relieve his pain and then glanced over at Kalen.
"Kalen," Richard began, "would you begin this man's dermal treatments."
He bit his lip as if he was about to say more and turned around to see another patient.
Still in a fog at the surrealism of what was happening. Kalen nodded in acknowledgement of the Chief Medical Officer's request. Before he knew what was happening he picked up the dermal regenerator and tended to the man's wounds. At the moment Kalen Jacobs was out of his league. The only thing that was holding him together was the thought that he did not want Talli to see him fall apart at the seams.
Richard nodded towards him and gave Kalen a faint smile, "hang in there, it gets easier."
He gave the patient another once over and nodded, "he's unconscious, primarily due to the pain." He raised an eyebrow, "though he's more of a walking ethanol bottle at the moment, I'd say gin."
"We'll have to detox him before we can treat his injuries in order to avoid complications." Hermia said.
Zhara left the more seriously-wounded to the doctors and focused on those who would need to wait, offering them pain relief and a listening ear. One or two were eager for someone to listen to them tell their story. When possible, Zhara pulled up a seat and listened and offered sympathy.
The controlled chaos of a Sick Bay in turmoil had taken hold fully. Snippets of orders, and groans of pain could be heard. Above all of the noise the voice of Bones rang out. "Damn it Balston I am an EMH not a marathon runner..." It was the kind of colloquialism that Leonard McCoy was known for. One that was referencing the sheer amount of patients and injuries that they were facing. At the moment Bones was reattaching an arm to a Bolian.
Hermia had a nurse set up the detox, while she went to attend to another patient.
Goldberg stood at the front of sick bay with a tricorder. Being a specialist in Emergency Medicine, he was charged with triage. Two nurse flanked him and as the walking wounded came in they were scanned and sent to an area of Sick Bay for definitive care."Send the Tellarite to surgical, Ensign Jenkins gets the dermal re-generator." He said as he tossed the tool to one nurse who walked away with Jenkins.
When the Tellarite arrived, Hermia examined him. Although Tellarite were a physically robust species, this man had sustained multiple crush injuries, like he'd been slammed into a solid object with considerable force. There was also internal bleeding that she had to get under control. The Surgeon erected both the stablization and sterile fields on the biobed and with a nurse assisting got to work. "Remember," She said to the nurse. "We're looking for bleeds, his other injuries can wait until he's stable."
While Zhara focused on triage, Sophia went to those who could use some comfort. Sometimes a dog was just what someone in pain needed. She sat next to a man who felt like he was grieving and put a paw on his uninjured arm to get his attention, then licked his cheek. For a moment, he did nothing, then he began to pet her. She moved closer and sat next to him so he could reach her more easily.
Richard glanced up from his patient and watched as more wounded materialized, “ok let’s move them though, “I don’t know how many were expecting.”
"Aye sir! You heard the man... If you aren't dying you are waiting..." Goldberg's voice called out over the din of noise.
Bones simply shot a stern look toward Ensign Goldberg, and then one for Richard as well. "You know in my day we would be a little more polite about the sick and injured..." He finished reattaching the arm that he had been working on. "Next patient..." Just as he called the Pioneer rocked and shook with weapons fire. Bones fizzled out of existence for the briefest of moments. This lapse prompted another look from Bones toward Richard. "Looks like you may be one doctor down shortly. Like I said I am an EMH not a marathon runner."
Richard steadied himself as the bay shook, "Understood Bones and yes that was poor bedside manner."
He tapped his COM badge, "Ballston to Engineering, can we secure power to sickbay and the holo emitter?"
"It's on the list Doc. We will try to get to it as soon as Engineering out." Came the voice of the ACEO.
Kalen was lost in the chaos of it all. Unsure of how to proceed or even where he was supposed to be. However, as the battle progressed he found his legs. He kept telling himself to remember his training. Happiest dealing with the non critical patients he jumped into that role. As he patched up a head wound on an irate Klingon who wanted nothing more then to return to battle. Kalen noticed Talli working diligently, he wondered how many people would have to see her when the day was done. Kalen was unsure of the answer to that question, but he knew that he would be in to see her. And for once it would not be to flirt with her.
Sophia rubbed against Kalen in a gesture of encouragement before moving on to another patient.
For Richard, everything was like a recurring bad dream. The faces changed but the harm done to others was still the same. He had found one of the incoming patients and had begun a neural scan, what he found was more akin to a shaken watermelon and although the Bolian was still alive there wasn't much hope of recovery. The Azzian took in a breath as he reached for a hypospray, "administring Cortical analeptic," he announced as he looked up from the patient, "he's going to need CPK enzymatic therapy, set him up in room 18."
"Yessir!" A nurse responded and took the patient as ordered. Ensign Goldberg sent one final patient to Richard as red tag. The patient needed immediate attention. It seemed that some console shrapnel had found it's way into the patient's chest cavity. "Ladies and gentlemen I think we have done it. That seems to be the last of them for now." He called out, as he breathed a short sigh of relief.
Zhara looked around. Everyone was asleep or being treated. No one felt like they needed a counselor. Even Sophia was curled up out of the way, sleeping. She did one final lap, cleaning up, then woke Sophia. "Come on, girl. We'll come back tomorrow."
She nodded to the doctors and nurses on her way out. "Well done."
Richard quickly set up the surgical screen and glanced around, "well done," Richard mumbled as he glanced up at the COM display from the biobed, "I'm not sure if this is all the wounded...."
A Joint Post By:
Lieutenant Commander Richard Ballston M.D. PsyD
Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Hermia O'Rourke
Assistant Chief Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Tallida Ovaa
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Lieutenant JG Zhara Rynn
Counselor, USS Pioneer
Ensign Howard Goldberg
Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Dr Kalen Jacobs
Medical Officer, USS Pioneer
Bones (EMH Mark V)
Emergency Medical Hologram, USS Pioneer
Sofia
Therapy Dog, USS Pioneer
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