Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

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Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

May 28, 2019, 03:31:31 PM

The lighting in the segregated section that contained the bed that Lorad occupied was turned down low so that when the Reman awoke, he would not be assaulted with light beyond comfortable for his species. Such was the way it was when Lorad finally opened his eyes and stared up at an unfamiliar ceiling.

“Where am I?” he wondered. The last thing he remembered was the pain beyond anything he had ever felt before that raged throughout his entire body. A pain that had begun to give way to a thousand voices, all speaking at once and saying the same thing in a language that he didn’t know. Those voices had grown louder and louder until they were all he could hear, eclipsing even the pain until everything went silent and he felt no more.

Until now.

Managing to turn his head slightly, his body stiff and weak, Lorad was able to see the walls of the area he was in and recognised them as the holographic segregations in the Theurgy’s recovery ward; the same area where he had gone to when Samala had been awoken. Not that he knew when that was.

“How long was I out?” Lorad wondered to himself idly, trying to hear anything beyond the walls. But all was silent leaving nothing for Lorad to do but lay his head back and stare at the ceiling.

Re: SD: 57559.47: A New Chapter Begins

Reply #1 – May 29, 2019, 10:27:39 PM

It had been a busy few days in sickbay as the medical staff had been swamped with wounded, luckily they had managed to deal with most patients now, at least as far as surgery's had gone, with several patients only needing minor operations, who had since been discharged. Then there were others who hadn't been so lucky and had required major surgery or surgeries in some cases and it was those who were in the recovery ward now. Most patients were sleeping and given what they had been through wouldn't be waking up any time soon, still Jovela was making her rounds, making sure everybody was fine and comfortable, at least that had been the plan until she had been summoned to treat another patient, leaving her check of the recovery ward until now, only an hour later than planned.

Making her way into the area, she had her head down, reading patient information on her PADD, not that she necessarily needed too considering she had been present for some of the operations the patients in here had had and of course because she was the head nurse so it was her job to know what everybody had been through.

Lifting her head up from the PADD, she glanced around the room, her eyes scanning the patients, not surprised to see that they were all asleep, which was a good sign, the body always did heal quicker when resting so hopefully it would help all of them. Her eyes the drifted over to the one section of the Recovery Ward that had been seperated from the rest. Not because the patient behind the walls was contagious but because the lighting had to be lowered there given the fact the patient in there was a Reman and sensitive to light.

Making her way over to the area, she carefully stepped inside, making sure not to let too much light into the room, even though it the room wasn't pitch black dark or anything, she didn't want to cause anymore discomfort to the main in the biobed, not after what he'd already been through.

What she hadn't been expecting however was to see said man awake and staring up at the ceiling silently. "You're awake." she said as she made her way over to the Reman's biobed, coming to a stop at the side of it. "Hello Lorad." she said, in her soft, comforting nurse tone. "You're on the Theurgy in Sickbay's Recovery Ward." she told him, knowing from previous experience that Where am I? was usually the first thing patients asked when they woke up, so she opted to tell them right off the bat since it both got it out of the way as well as hopefully keeping the patient calm before they started to panic over waking up somewhere they didn't recognise.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she glanced down at the PADD, pulling up Lorad's notes, keeping her face neutral as she glanced at all the information on him and what he had been through before looking back up at him "Also if you could tell me what's the last thing you remember?" The nurse added. Given everything he had been through, flat out telling him what had happened and what was necessary to save his life could be a shock, remembering might help lessen that while also being a good way to test his memory as well, both of which were important if they were going to get the Reman back on his feet.

Re: SD: 57559.47: A New Chapter Begins

Reply #2 – June 03, 2019, 12:07:33 PM

He had heard the muffled footsteps beyond the walls of his segregated section before the entry section had opened to admit the female Human that now stood beside his bed. Greeting him by name, she confirmed what he already knew, he was in the Recovery Ward on the Theurgy. The next two things she said, questions both, caused almost the exact opposite reactions in him.

“They really need to ask something besides ‘how are you feeling?’ to someone that is just waking up after not expecting too. Glad to be alive, what happened? Why did you save me?” Lorad mused to himself, still staring at the ceiling and not yet acknowledging the woman’s presence. Rude perhaps, but Lorad needed a moment to gather his thoughts. “And then asking me what I remember last. I remember the pain of almost dying. Of wanting to die. Of begging for it. I’m sure that is something that everyone would love to hear said aloud.”

“I feel like I should be dead,” Lorad said in Reman, addressing and looking at the woman for the first time. She had about the same height and build that his sister did as far as he could tell while lying down. “The last thing I remember? Pain. Pain and then voices,” Lorad said, again speaking Reman without realising it.

“Where is Bila?” Lorad asked, still looking at the nurse, his gaze locked. “And my sister? Where is Samala?”

OOC: AlyFox, could Jovela summon Bila in your next post please.

Re: SD: 57559.47: A New Chapter Begins

Reply #3 – June 03, 2019, 05:03:29 PM

Keeping a watchful eye on her patient, Jovela studied him to make sure that everything seemed to be okay with him so far, looking for any signs of discomfort, distress or problems from his surgeries, not seeing any so far, nor was he screaming in agony which was always a good thing, but then again maybe he had a high pain threshold or something, she didn't know but hopefully he would speak up if he were in pain.

The Head Nurse waited and watched as the Reman remained silent, continuing to gaze at the ceiling completely ignoring her for the moment, not that Jovela would take it personally, the man had damn near died so giving him a few minutes to collect his thoughts was nothing she was going to rush him on. When he eventually did start speaking to her, it came out in fluent Reman causing Jovela to wonder if he was doing so intentionally or if he didn't realise it, which could potentially be a problem. At least the Universal Translator was working so she could still understand him, otherwise this would be a very awkward situation.

At his first comment that he felt like he should be dead, Jovela couldn't help but nod "I'm not surprised, you went through quite the ordeal, you're lucky to be alive." she said softly "Evidently the universe isn't done with you it would seem, if you believe in destiny and that sort of thing." she added before moving on to his next statement. Pain was a given naturally although not necessarily something Jovela would have wanted to felt given what she knew the man had been through. "These voices, do you remember what they said? However given the circumstances don't worry if you can't."

It didn't really surprise her when he inquired about people he knew, it was generally something most patients asked about, albeit after their own status. Normally Jovela would have started telling him what he had gone through by now but given the extent of his injuries and surgeries, having someone he knew for support might well be better to have around before breaking that news.

"I'm not sure where Bila is right now, but I can summon him for you if you would like." she said before tapping her combadge =^="Nurse Jovela to Lieutenant Izar, Lorad is awake and asking for you, could you come to the recovery ward please."=^= the Risian said, never letting her gaze leave his. "As for your sister I'm afraid I don't know where she is at the moment, however I do know that her name wasn't on any of the casualty lists so she did survive our encounter, would you like me to summon her here as well?"

With the time to spare while waiting for Bila to arrive and to find out if Lorad would indeed want his sister present, she took a moment to run her eyes over his form, so far everything seemed to be normal that was a good sign. "While we're waiting how do you feel? Are you in any pain? Discomfort? Anything feeling out of the ordinary?" She asked before softening her voice "Also you're speaking Reman right now, I'm not sure if that's intentional or not, but if it isn't then that might be something we need to check, just to be safe." she added "I'm not going to lie to you Lorad, your injuries were quite severe and required several surgeries, I can tell you about them now before Bila arrives or we can wait until after? It's entirely up to you." she told him.

If there was one thing you could say about Jovela, it was that she cared for her patients above anything else and she knew that different patients reacted differently to any surgical news, both for them and for you, even more so when you didn't know your patient that well, which she certainly didn't in this case, so the best option would be to let him decide and go from there.

Re: SD: 57559.47: A New Chapter Begins

Reply #4 – June 06, 2019, 08:47:24 AM

He knew she would ask the moment he had said he had heard voices. Of course, they would want to know about someone coming as close to assimilation by the Borg as he had, hearing voices. But he didn’t want to talk about it. Not now. Maybe not ever.

He listened as the nurse, Jovela he heard her say her name was, summon Bila to the recovery ward and then told him that as far as she knew, his sister was not on any casualty lists. Not knowing how much time had passed since he had been treated. It could be hours, days, weeks or even longer. But Jovela seemed confident that his sister was alive and well, although unsure about her present whereabouts. Lorad could live with that for now. Once he was released, if Samala hadn’t come and seen him by then, he would track her down.

What came next, as they waited for Bila, was the usual battery of questions that doctors, and nurses wanted answers to. It didn’t matter if they had the best equipment in the Quadrant, they still asked the very same questions. Where does it hurt, how much, does anything feel different?

“I don’t know how I feel. Numb?” Lorad answered, still speaking his native language. He was tired and his mind still hadn’t cleared fully. “My head feels foggy. Thoughts aren’t clear,” describing the feeling as best he could. “Nurse Jovela, I’m Reman. I speak Reman. My Standard isn’t good,” he stated, thinking that a Reman speaking Reman upon waking up would be normal. He knew his injuries would be extensive; he had seen other Remans as far along in the assimilation process as he had been and the injuries they had had.

“I’ll await Bila.”

Re: SD: 57559.47: A New Chapter Begins

Reply #5 – June 06, 2019, 11:06:50 PM

Att: @AlyFox @Stegro88

Bila entered into recovery ward almost fifteen minutes after he received the summons. The call had caught him unexpectedly, just as he had come out of the sonic shower. So when he introduced himself to the nurse and the reman, he didn't wear his usual uniform but a black trill tunic. The dark garment made him look paler than ever, but somehow the slight reddish undertone of his skin was more prominent.

As soon as he reached the sickbay he paused, utterly lost. Although there was far less activity than the last time he had been there, at the aftermath of the Battle of the Apertures, the hybrid was not familiar with the facilities. For a few minutes, he stumbled back and forth, unwilling to annoy either the health workers or the patients, but without the slightest idea of where to go. Finally, when he was about to squeeze his communicator to try to contact nurse Jovela again, he saw a segregated section, which hid the biobed from view with darkening panels. If the reman was somewhere in the deck, he had to be there.

With a resolute strides, he made his way over there and entered the section with gentleness, not wanting to bother the patient more than necessary. Obviously, he was met with an almost sheer lack of light, even though there was enough to glimpse some forms and silhouettes. He had inherited good eyes and bad ears from his unknown father, as a result of which his pupils quickly adapted to the poor illumination. The first thing that caught his attention was the petite figure of the nurse. So far he had not dealt with her, so the chemist adopted his most polite expression to approach her, not knowing how she would react to his presence. After all, Starfleet was riddled with Dominion War veterans, and many of them had no fondness for gray and ridged faces. "Nurse Jovela, I presume?" he greeted, with a mischievous smile gleaming through his sparse beard. "Sorry for the delay, how can I help you?" he continued, as his gaze moved from the woman's face to the figure that lay on the bed. The hybrid kept the smile and placid gesture on his face, but he shuddered internally at the reman's condition. Guilt knotted again in the pit of his stomach, like so many times since he had treated the soldier with the ORE. "Hey buddy" he said to Lorad, "You look like crap" he bluntly remarked. It made little sense to whitewash the truth. Lorad looked worse than when he was about to join the Collective.

While waiting that patient or nurse explained the reason for his presence there, Bila leaned his hip against the biobed, and placed over it the padd he had brought with him.

Re: SD: 57559.47: A New Chapter Begins

Reply #6 – June 13, 2019, 03:34:43 AM

Since Lorad had opted to wait until Lieutenant Izar had arrived before being told what had happened to him and what the medical team had had to do to keep him alive there hadn't been much to say. She certainly wasn't one for small talk, especially with people who she didn't really know and from the impression she got the Reman wasn't too big on it either, leaving the two in silence.

"I'm just going to give you a quick scan while we wait if that's okay, just to make sure you're healing is on track and progressing the way it should." she said as she grabbed a medical tricorder and scanned the Reman, nodding when all the readings looked to be the way they should, it didn't hurt to check after all.

The head nurse had been so focussed on the data being displayed on the Tricorder that she had failed to hear the sounds of any doors opening or the footfalls of the man approaching until she heard the man's voice and looked up, seeing a very Cardassian looking man standing there with a mischievous smile on his face. She would have assumed the man was indeed a Cardassian if it wasn't for the telltale Bajoran nose ridges running down his and silently thanked the universe that she had spotted that before making a bad mistake.

Smiling back at him she nodded "You presume correctly." the Risian replied and waved off his comment about the delay "It's no problem at all." she added as the Lieutenant turned his gaze to the Reman and couldn't help but smile a little at the greeting he gave the other man, only something a friend would say to another friend, especially one who had been through what Lorad had.

"As for how you can help, well Lorad immediately asked how you and his sister were and requested your presence when he awoke and requested I wait until you arrived before I informed him of what happened to him and the procedures he required to treat him." she answered, giving the Cardassian/Bajoran hybrid a warm smile "Plus it's always nice to have a familiar face around when you wake up in Sickbay."

Re: SD: 57559.47: A New Chapter Begins

Reply #7 – June 20, 2019, 04:07:38 AM

Bila’s reaction to Lorad’s appearance even in the reduced lighting did not instil a large degree of confidence in the Reman’s hope for his recovery. He thought he remembered fragments of what had happened to him while he was being treated by the Hybrid’s device. But what he saw in his memories were not pleasant images and he hoped that it was his mind taken flight to somehow cope with what had happened to him.

“Thank you Bila,” Lorad remarked in Standard, his voice echoing in the confined space occupied by the three of them. He had struggled for a moment to remember the words correctly but had made the deliberate effort to speak in a language the two of them would understand. Still though, more complicated speech required his native tongue and he would have to rely on their translator to program to be accurate enough.

“Nurse Jovela, awakening in a medical facility, while unpleasant, is preferable to being dead,” Lorad remarked, trying to shift in the bed to get more comfortable. As he did so, the sheet covering him shift and what little light there was in the room glinted off something. Looking down, Lorad saw a metallic prosthetic where his right hand and forearm once was. “Not a dream after all.”

“How bad?” Lorad asked, knowing they would understand what he meant. How bad were his injuries?

[Show/Hide]

Re: SD: 57559.47: A New Chapter Begins

Reply #8 – June 20, 2019, 07:30:44 PM

Jovela had remained silent by the side of the bed, allowing the two friends to talk and would do as she was asked and wait for the Reman to ask about his injuries. At least he was speaking in standard now and not Reman, that was something although he had told her that his standard wasn't good so if he shifted back to his native language at some point the UT would still allow for fluent conversation between them.

She turned her attention back to Lorad when he addressed her by name and smiled at his comment. "Well I certainly can't argue with you on that Lorad." she said, watching as he shifted in the bed to get more comfortable and felt her heartrate quicken slightly when the bedsheet shifted and she caught the metallic glint of his new arm, the one he certainly hadn't known about now was and wondered how he was going to react.

For the moment he remained calm, that was a good sign and before she knew it, he asked them two simple words. How bad? Taking a moment Jovela glanced over at Lieutenant Izar before glancing back at Lorad.

"I won't lie to you, it was pretty bad. We honestly wasn't sure if you were going to make it at first." She began, her voice remaining soft, something she had honed over the years when it came to talking to patients about such serious matters. "To start with, since you've already spotted it, you lost an arm from the elbow so we had to replace that as you can see. You'll have the same usage out of it, with the same range of movement as normal, however you will have a stronger grip so it might take you some time to adjust to that."

The head nurse paused briefly to give the Reman time to examine the arm and test it out if he wished before continuing. "You also lost your left eye, which we had to replace with an implant. Beyond that you lost a part of your liver, which will eventually grow back over time and your left Kidney during the assimilation process. You also suffered damage to your lungs, liver and stomach. All of this over stressed your heart which simply couldn't take all the damage so that too had to be replaced with an artificial one."

Having finished explaining all of his injuries and what had been done by the medical team to save his life, she paused for a moment before speaking again. "I'm sure this might be a lot to take in but with proper care and maintenance you'll make a full recovery, however you should know that one day you may need to have your heart replaced, it's not a given since each replacement is different but it's something to be wary of and inform your next physician after all this is over. It will of course be in your file but it's always better to play it safe and let them know just to be sure. I should also point out that we do have councillors avaliable should you wish to discuss what you've been through." Jovela finished.

Honestly the Reman didn't exactly strike her as the type who would go and visit a councillor but she wouldn't be doing her job properly if she didn't form him of such. With the news delivered all she could do now was wait, see how he reacted and answer any questions he might have.

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #9 – June 24, 2019, 01:21:53 AM

Att: @AlyFox @Stegro88

When the Reman turned towards him and thanked him in Standard, Bila felt his heart shrink in his chest. "You're welcome Lorad. I just wish I could have done something... sooner," he muttered with a reedy voice, averting his eyes. There was truth in his words, he trully wished he hadn't spent so much time finding a solution for the civilian assimilation, but circumstances, time and his own lack of knowledge about the process had worked against his will. Still, he was grateful for Lorad's words. He wasn't used to receiving gratitude. Or at least not because he had saved someone else's life. It was an overwhelming and delightful sensation at the same time. So while the patient and the nurse exchanged information about the extent of Lorad's wounds, the hybrid stayed one step back, in silence.

As the nurse narrated the damage he had suffered and the measures that had been taken to fix them, Bila's hazel eyes moved through the man's body, looking for the outward signs of what the Reman had lost, tracking the narration of the pain he had suffered. And that he would still have to suffer through. "Nanoprobes had begun to replace much of your organs, and as soon as I deactivated the natites, they acted faster than I expected," confessed the chemist, intertwining his slender hands in front of his body. He glanced at Jovela for a split second, wondering how the nurse would interpret his next words, but finally he mustered his courage and addressed Lorad again. "It may seem right now that a life under the protection of the Federation isn't your best option, but there is place for any good man there. Like you and... Samala are" he hesitated for a moment, recalling the mercurial young woman. He knew that the hybrid girl must have felt confused and lost ant the moment, but if he had to measure her character on the basis of what he had seen in her brother, she was a good person too, someone reliable. But she was still young, and volatile. Too much.

"Prophets have saved you for some a reason, Lorad. Your present might now look pretty grim, but there is a purpose to all this suffering. A greatest plan." He assured in a soft voice, while he gently patted the Reman's shoulder, with the awkwardness of one who isn't used to share comfort gestures.

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #10 – June 29, 2019, 02:57:01 PM

Listening to Jovela and Bila speak, Lorad slowly ran through the injuries he had sustained and what they had done to repair him. Perhaps he should have said heal, but when you are replacing parts with cybernetics, repair became a more apt description in his opinion. And he wondered how he would feel, after the shock wore off. He had no illusions that he was definitely in shock, he was too calm after being told everything, too in control of his emotional state. Fact was, his emotional state was non-existent; he wasn’t feeling anything.

Looking down at his hands, Lorad couldn’t help but compare the differences between the two. The left was the arm he had been born with and was familiar with. But the right, the right was cybernetic, artificial. They hadn’t even covered it with anything. It was just, there. Raising it up, Lorad examined it as he rotated it about. He could feel through the ends of his fingers, even the strange feeling where his head said his claws should be but weren’t. He would miss the claws but also knew that several tasks in his day-to-day life would be easier without them.

“Bila,” Lorad said softly in Reman, not that you could tell from the sound of his voice. “I know nothing of these prophets. And the only great plans I have ever known, were the Romulan one wanting to completely enslave my species, and the Reman plan to somehow, one day, escape the Romulan plan. I doubt I will live to see the latter and hope I never see the former.”

“As to a councillor,” Lorad continued, looking over at the nurse. "How would talking to someone change that fact that while my blood may be Reman, the heart that pumps it around my body is Reman no more?”

“Now, may I have a mirror?”

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #11 – July 06, 2019, 11:45:58 PM

Jovela had started busying herself around the bed while the two men talked, not that she had much to do really, eventually ending up essentially fiddling with a few things on the shelf nearby. However the Risian couldn't help but over hear their converstation and while she didn't fully understand the Bajoran Prophets and their ways, she understood the desire to believe that everything happened for a reason, be if religious faith or faith in the universe. Jovela didn't know what to believe, it was certainly nice to thing that everything happens for a reason but sometimes it was hard to believe that, which is probably why they called it faith.

Of course unlike most religions, the Prophets actually were real, although whether they were actually God or just energy beings that lived inside a wormhole was another matter entirely but that wasn't a discussion that Jovela ever wanted to get entangled in.

She felt bad for Lorad that the only plan he ever knew was one of slavery and the Reman's plight to escape it, nor the fact that the enslavement was not only continuing but that Lorad himself seemed to doubt that he would ever see the day his people were free, that was a sad thought.

The nurse had turned to face the duo again by the time Lorad turned to address her and and opened her mouth to reply when she realised he'd actually flawed her with his logic. "Uh...well I suppose it...it won't in that regard...." she muttered and turned to glance over at Bila beside her for a moment. "...It's more that some people after going through a traumatic experience such as yours, especially when limb replacement is involved can take a psychological toll as well as a physical one, in which case a councillor can help you process those feelings and emotions and help you to come to terms with the changes in your life. Or for instance they would tell you that just because your physical heart is no longer Reman, that to some it's what you believe inside yourself that makes you Reman, regardless of whatever biological or mechanical thing pumps your blood and as long as you continue to believe the same things you did before that you're heart is still Reman, just a mechanical one now, if that makes sense." she tried to explain.

Granted Jovela was in no way a psychologist but that sounded pretty good to her if she did say so herself. "Of course not everybody needed to see a councillor, nor is it always mandatory, if you need or choose to is entirely up to you it's just my job to let you know that." she finished.

When the Reman asked for a mirror, she turned around for a moment and retrieved one from the counter behind her, already knowing that at some point he would ask for one. Turning back on her heel, the head nurse took a few steps forward and handed her patient the mirror. "There you go, as I said we tried to make sure to keep the implants to as small as possible so that you retained most of your features." she said as she took a few steps back to return to her place beside the Cardassian/Bajorian science officer.

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #12 – July 07, 2019, 07:38:45 PM

Att: @AlyFox @Stegro88

Bila could understand the desperation that filtered through the reman's words. The feeling was there, even though the UT gave Lorad's words a flat, emotionless tone. He had seen it many times before, at the refugee camp. And later, when they had fled to the Federation space. He himself had felt that there was no Fate for him and that, if there was one, it was some kind of twisted prank scripted by a heartless deity. But now, despite the guilt and pain for the lives cut short too soon, for his own mistakes that had killed one of his peers, despite... all the misfortunes that had happened, Bila knew that there was an ulterior motive for everything. There had to be.

"You may not know of the Prophets, my friend, but they know of you." He adressed Lorad, his voice soft but firm, a spark of belief flashing in hazel eyes. "There are more plans for you in this Universe than what the Romulans have planned for your people. Believe, Lorad, it doesn't matter if in the Prophets or in another deity, in luck or destiny or the concatenation of events in the Cosmos. Whatever the case, everything happens for a reason," he explained resolutely.

At that moment, the patient turned to nurse Jovela, explaining why he didn't believe that a counselor would be of any help in his case. The woman began to answer in a choppy way and, at a certain moment, her voice faded and she shifted her brown eyes towards the hybrid. Bila smiled her back and nodded. He agreed with her words and he knew she was on the right path. Maybe Lorad didn't want to hear what she had to say. Not at that moment at least, but it would do him good. Maybe later, when he had time to digest everything that had happened. So the chemist waved his hands to invite the nurse to keep talking, giving her his silent support.

When she fell silent for a while, Izar took the word. His face still had a placid expression, the tiniest of smiles on his lips, his browridges slightly raised in a compassionate gesture. "As for the counselor... perhaps you don't see it now, but it will do you good to talk to someone who will help you reconcile with... well, with the way you are now. You're not the only one who needs assistance in reconciling features of oneself that seem at odds with each other." Bila chuckled softly, a laugh where there was more irony than humour. "Or the counselor could give you a hand so you can learn to cope with everything that has happened in the last few days." Then, the chemist hesitated for a moment, in silence. He raised his hand to touch the jewel that adorned his ear. The earring played a metallic, musical jingle. When its pleasant echoes faded, the hybrid spoke again. "I myself have an appointment with Counsellor Ejek tomorrow," he finally confessed. "I-I c-ca-can help you make an appointment with her if you -ou want," he suggested as he stuttered half of the words. Perhaps he was going too far by offering that kind of help, but, after all, Lorad was a civilian, and he wasn't sure how familiar he was with Starfleet's procedures. "Or we can look for another counselor, if you prefer. I recall there were a couple of Vulcans and a human in the department..." Bila glanced at the nurse in search of confirmation. After all, he was a recent addition to the starship, and she could provide more information about their crew and the services they could offer. "... one of them must suits you."

"And as for not being a reman anymore, cos your heart isn't 'reman'... What am I then?" he asked then, the challenge inherent in his voice. "What am I if my heart is Bajoran but my brain is Cardassian? My right arm belongs to one species and the left to another? What about your sister, Lorad, can you draw a line which divides what belongs to one species and what to another in her body?" Bila chuckled loudly before the mental image evoked by his own words. It was a hilarious nonsense, even more so knowing the half-reman's volatile nature. "In any case, Jovela is right: the fact that your heart is made out of material or other doesn't determine who you truly are, my friend, it's something deeper than that." He added with a pat on the patient's wide shoulders. It was an awkward gesture, since Bila wasn't too keen on physical contact, except with only a few people. But he and Lorad had endured enough in the few hours they had known each other to put up with the effort of overcoming his natural discomfort. "You may not have had to ask yourself what makes you yourself, what you think you are or what you want to be to this moment, but for some of us it's something we have to ask ourselves every time we look in the mirror," he added with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. The gesture bristled the scruffy beard that garnished his slender jaw.

At that moment, Jovela took a step forward, bringing Lorad the mirror he had requested. Izar stepped back. Holding his breath, he witnessed how the reman held the reflecting surface in place and.... he was incapable to remain silent any longer. "Well well my dear, I welcome you to the select club of the exotic faces. I can assure you that it attracts more glances than you expect," he said in a jocular tone.

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #13 – July 15, 2019, 12:34:06 PM

After seeing what they had replaced his arm with, Lorad had some hope of what his face would look like with the new eye that they had given him. It couldn’t be that bad, he believed, given that they were the vaunted Starfleet of the Federation. They were the epitome of medical science with techniques second to none. And knowing and trusting in this knowledge, when Lorad looked in the mirror, the reflection caused his already chilly demeanour to cool even further.

“Am I not Borg now?” Lorad wondered to himself as he examined his new likeness. Truthfully it wasn’t that much different than it was before the battle. He was paler, almost Reman-norm in fact, but that would change when he got his strength back. And then there was the implant. His left eye, and the socket around it, had been replaced with something that Lorad believed was more akin to Reman battlefield treatment than to vaunted Federation skill. “Is this me?”

He had seen similar visages before, both on the Borg cube and in his nightmares afterwards. Fellow Reman that had been assimilated and in varying stages of augmentation that were pressed into battle against him. He fought them each time the dream came, sometimes with his knife, other times with his bare hands, but he always lost, the feeling of twin tubes piercing his skin being the final moment before he startled awake. Ironically, he now knew that what he believed those tubes would feel like was very different to how they actually did.

But, he was alive. That was something wasn’t it?

“Thank you Jovela for your work,” Lorad said in Reman, addressing the female even as his mind roiled, his eyes never leaving the mirror. “If these are the small implants what are the large ones? How much of me would be left?” Shutting his eyes to block out what he was seeing, Lorad set the mirror down on the bed, wondering how people would see him now, even as he himself saw a Borg.

“Bila, Remans do not believe in anything. How could we? What deity would allow a species to suffer as mine has for so long? For what reason? That deity would not be deserving of adoration,” Lorad reasoned bluntly, opening his eyes to stare are the hybrid. “Am I really opening both eyes or is that just a memory?” “Bila, belief in a higher purpose may help you, but it does not me. If your prophets know of me, then they should treat me as a cautionary tale on what happens when you mistreat those that trust in you.”

“And we both know what separates me from you, and my sister, Bila. You both may be hybrids, children of two races that do not easily coexist; but I was born Reman. I grew up, fought, struggled and bled as Reman. And it was my heart that got me through that. No matter what I experienced, my heart kept beating,” Lorad argued, his voice never wavering in its strength or tone; firm, full and flat. “Whereas your heart is still yours, made up of the best parts of your parents; mine is no longer mine. Instead it is cold, lifeless and synthetic. My Reman blood may still pump around my body, but at my core, I am no longer Reman.”

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #14 – July 22, 2019, 06:40:39 PM

Att: @AlyFox @Stegro88

It wasn't the best way to reassure Lorad, to give him hope even though it was his ultimate intention. Even so, he didn't change his face, he kept his smile serene and his expression calm. Lorad's words hurt. They were really a kick to his faith. And although he knew that the reman's intention was not this, his words were quite insulting for him. As a believer, as a hybrid and, above all, as the one who had pushed Lorad into the situation he was in, even if it had been to save his life. In spite of this, in spite of everything, he didn't change his expression. Because Bila was an excellent poker player, and he knew when he had to conceal his cards. Because if there was something intrinsically Cardassian about him it was that ability to think one thing and show another, hiding what really lurked in his mind. A useful skill in Cardassia. And also out of it.

"I believe your core is more than an organ bathed in green blood, my friend. You can't reduce what make you yourself to just flesh and bone" he insisted for the last time. "But perhaps I'm not the best one to try to instill that idea into your head, being the one who has prostrated you on that bed," he added with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He turned to the nurse, so Lorad wouldn't have a chance to answer and he let his mask crack slightly. "I'll fetch his sister, I think I'm doing more harm than good here," he suggested.

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #15 – July 24, 2019, 10:52:10 PM

Jovela remained silent in nervous anticipation as she watched the Reman take the mirror and look at himself. You could never be too sure how a patient would react to such news and even if they accepted the verbal report, actually seeing the physical could be entirely different when they eventually saw their own appearance in comparison to what it had used to look like.

Jovela observed Lorad as he examined his reflection, noting everything that was the same about himself and everything that was now different. She couldn't read the Reman, who had remained pretty stoic in his reaction, unlike most patients she had had in the past who had gone through such procedures. On the one had she wished more of her patients were like him but on the other hand, it was a little disconcerting since at least when they were reacting in some way you had a rough idea of how they were going to eventually react, be it panicing, being angry, being scared or suicidal even, giving you a chance to prepare or grab a sedative or something but to have nothing, that was something else entirely.

Eventually however Lorad spoke, thanking her for the work even though he did not change his gaze from from the mirror. Smiling she gave him a small nod. "You're welcome, I hope it's not too bad for you, as I said we did all we could to keep everything to the bare minimum." she replied. Jovela didn't add that she would pass on his thanks to the rest of the medical staff who had operated on him, she didn't think the Reman would mind...or possibly even care if she did or not, but she would anyway.

More relaxed now that she was pretty certain Lorad wasn't going to freak out and rip sickbay apart, she did little more than wait as the two friends spoke. While she didn't do much eavesdropping on the conversation, she couldn't help but wince slightly at the Reman's words. She knew how deeply Bajoran's took their religion and while she was certain that Lorad hadn't meant to insult his friend or his faith it certainly sounded like he had. For Izar, the man showed no outside signs that he was offended although given how he had spoken about his faith to Lorad a few moments earlier, it wouldn't have surprised her if he had been.

The head nurse did agree with what Izar had said though about the core of a person being more than an organ and that you shouldn't just reduce yourself to just being flesh and bone and found herself nodding subconsciously in agreement. It was then that the Cardassian/Bajoran hybrid turned to look at her that she saw his mask crack slightly, like she had thought Lorad's comment and cut a bit too deep, inadvertently or not and Jovela couldn't help but give him a look that was a mix of apologetic and sympathetic.

"I'm not entirely sure I would agree, some people just have different feelings about who and what they are, which is fine. Personally I agree with you, I too believe that we are more than just the flesh and bone that makes up our physical body." she said, glancing to look at Lorad. "I'm not a religious person myself but that doesn't mean I think we should define ourselves just by our organs. There are many things that make us all who we are and unique and while I've never had my heart replaced, even I did I wouldn't let that redefine who I am or where I came from. I was born on Risa and raised with Risian beliefs, none of that would change just because something inside me was changed to something else. Personal morals and beliefs are a big part of that too, more so than a biological organ that pumps blood. That's all your friend is trying to say. I think it should be something to at least consider even if you don't necessarily agree right now, you might realise later on that who you are at your core is still the same person given some time." She said.

Turning back to Izar though, she gave him another look and nodded "I understand, she's more than welcome." she told him, hoping that he would see that she understood that Lorad's comment had insulted him and that was part of the reason why he wanted to leave, hopefully her empathy for him would at least help lessen the blow a little.

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #16 – August 03, 2019, 04:36:05 PM

It wouldn’t be until later that Lorad realised that what he had said to Bila had hurt the Starfleet officer in a way that he couldn’t understand and wouldn’t until later. But when he did realise it, he would find the Bajoran/Cardassian hybrid and find out what he had to do to make it up to him. Until then, Lorad would continue in ignorance of what faith really was, even if he didn’t realise that he was exemplifying it.

“I will find my sister,” Lorad said in Reman, shuffling himself to the side of the bed. He once again noted that he needed to find someone to help him with his fluency in Standard. “If Samala has the PADD from the cell, then it is best that I am the one that finds her first. We will have much to discuss.”

Standing slowly, his body weak from everything that had happened but his will forcing it to move, Lorad began to walk towards the entrance, ignoring any objections from the two. Unfortunately, his willpower was stronger than what his body could withstand at that moment and with a thud and crunch, the Reman’s strength gave out and his body crumpled to the floor.

“Or not,” Lorad thought as darkness claimed him once again.

OOC: That's it for me. Feel free to finish it out as you will. Whomever goes last, please add a ~FIN~ tag and I will let Auctor know that he can lock it.

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #17 – August 04, 2019, 03:00:35 PM

Att: @AlyFox @Stegro88

The unexpected nurse's encouragement made Bila stop and look at her closely... That act of selfless supportiveness... It was a glimmer of hope in the dark days he had been involved since waking up during the Asurian attack on the Cayuga. A mimic of the solidarity and understanding that defined Starfleet in Bila's mind. One of the corners of his mouth curved slightly as a token of gratitude. Just a little, hardly noticeable. But the smile was there. The chemist hesitated for a moment, looking down and staring at his own hands. He closed and opened them, stretching his slender fingers for some second, hesitating. And finally, he clumsily took Jovela's hands between his own and patted hers. In an awkward and somewhat uncomfortable way, like someone who is not entirely familiar with the gesture. "Thanks..." he muttered softly, before he took his cold hands away from the risian's. All in all, Bila was a cold-blooded man, due to his Cardassian blood, and he knew that his contact was often defined as 'unpleasant'.

He had something else to say but, just at that moment, Lorad decided unilaterally to stand up and be the one to go in search of Samala. "Hey, hey hey, buddy, take it easy Lorad," Bila asked,as he stepped away from the nurse and leapt behind the Reman. He attempted to stop Lorad, clinging to his arm, but it was like the bajcardie was trying to stop a meteor with the sheer force of his arms and his will. Completely impossible. Despite being convalescent after having faced Borg's assimilation and several major surgeries, Lorad was much stronger than Bila, so he dragged the chemist without much difficulty around the Recovery Ward. And almost without being aware of his useless attempts to stop him. Luckily or unfortunately Lorad's adventure as a reman man, strong and self-reliant, with a backpack hybrid on his back, failed to go very far, and he fainted after barely taking a few steps. He dragged Bila, a medical trolley and several bulkheads with him in his fall. The chemist, for his part, was only able to release a small high-pitched cry to try to put a stop to the whole situation. Obviously, Bila failed.

OOC: Aly feel free to put a FIN here

Re: Day 01 [1900 hrs.] A New Chapter Begins

Reply #18 – August 12, 2019, 12:16:14 AM

Jovela caught Izar stop and look closely at her, wondering why her words of support had surprised him so, watching as she saw what just might possibly have been considered a teeny, tiny barest hint of a smile curve in one of the corners of his mouth before the man looked down at his hands, flexing them for a second before somewhat clumisly and awkwardly taking hers, patting them and muttering a thanks at her, causing her to immediately smile at him. "You're very welcome."

However before either of them could say anything else, her patient decided to announce that he was going to go find his sister and get up. "Wait I wouldn't do that yet you're in no condition to..." she managed to get out before the Reman stood up. Then all the Head Nurse could do was watch as that Bajoran/Cardassian hybrid tried unsuccessfully tried to stop the Reman, instead finding himself being pulled unceremoniously behind the other man as he tried to make his way out of the recovery area. Under an other circumstance Jovela would have found the scene quite funny, but given the fact she knew Lorad should not in any way be up and about, made the whole thing anything but funny.

What happened next came as absolutely no surprise to Jovela as after only a few steps the Reman collapsed to the deck unconscious, hearing a small high pitch cry come from Izar. Making her way over to the two fallen men, she helped Izar to his feet. "I need some help in here!" she called out, watching as several other members of the medical staff rushed into the room, immediately noticing the unconcious Reman and making their way over to get him up and back into his bed.

~FIN~