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Day 06 [0824 hrs.] Morning Has Broken

[ Ensign | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] @Auctor Lucan
 
“So beautiful.” 
 
Deep, resonant, those two words were spoken by a voice familiar and desired.  She could feel the hand slip into hers, his skin dark compared to her pale, smooth in contrast with the lines of age that had crept over them.  Hers clung close to what little muscle she had left, time having whittled away strength, and now that skin was more a thin veil over what was left of her, and with his gentle grip, his warmth seeped into her hands, fingers now perpetually cold.  Avaya turned her smile to settle upon the young man at her side, his squared jaw softened by a carefully trimmed beard and dark eyes that were always filled with the light of a smile.  Her own fingers curled about his, her grip stronger than it should be. 
 
Her hands were used to work, used to manipulating and fashioning the clay into the forms that she saw in her head.  Yet, as the years passed, her body lost its strength.  There, before her, a piece that had taken her twice as long as in days past stood upon the windowsill.  It was a simple design, for she had little ability left to construct the more complex pieces that had marked her youth.  It had already been a year since her last, and now she sat as the sun rose over the crest of the horizon, gold and orange stretched at the seam where the field of flowers met the sky, purple and pink splashed over the clouds that hovered further away from the great star’s reach, a thin, foamy blanket that beheld morning’s arrival.
 
And the little sculpture greeted it, made in the form of a young woman, her face tilted toward that dawn, arms stretched above her, hands splayed.  There was tension in her body, naked, vulnerable, her smooth lines arched to greet the day with great expectation, her mouth parted, eyes wide in wonderment.  Simple.  Nothing like she had done in years past, and all she could manage as her age continued to rob her.  She heaved a sigh, unwilling to release the hand that held hers, his content to remain in her hold.
 
“It is…simply this.  I have done better.”  The other hand, free from the gentle grip of the man, waved dismissively at the object that remained silent and awestruck at the sight before it.  She felt the gentle press of his lips against her skin and she sighed again.
 
“It is beautiful too.”  Javis smiled, the light brightening in his eyes with the gesture and he stretched out to gently caress her cheek.  “And this is exquisite in its simplicity.” 
 
“You never did have a good eye for art.”  Avaya chuckled and leaned to rest her head upon the strong shoulder that he offered, and he shifted to draw her closer to him, the sun slowly ascending higher into the sky. 
 
“I know beauty when I see it.”  His breath caressed her forehead and a kiss followed. 
 
A third sigh escaped and Avaya watched as the light overcame the backdrop of the form, blurring her lines and surrounding her with spearlike rays.  “It will be the last.” 
 
“Perhaps.”  Javis murmured.  He did not like to think of it, and she knew that.  He did not wish to ponder the inevitable.  But whether or not they did consider it, thought of, mulled over it, the time would come.  For now, though, they could bask in the moment, and enjoy the quiet of the morning, the trickle of birdsong and the rustle of the wind that offered a melodic accompaniment. 
 
The sun climbed higher, easing up over the curves of the sculpture's hips. It glided over the arch of her back and caressed the slender limbs flung upward.  Then it slid into her grasp, the hands placed just so, the space between them just right for catching the flaming sphere between them, and for a moment, the little figure held a star in her hands. 
 
Breathe.
 
The light was gone.
 
Breathe.
 
Not gone.  Simply cut off.
 
Breathe.
 
Where was Javis?
 
Where were the birds?
 
A whirl of something.  Of sound.  A deep thrum that underscored it. 
 
This was not Trill.
 
Kizra’s eyes fluttered open, the ceiling above her greeting her, metallic, cold.  Inhaling deeply she blinked, her eyes fogging, then clearing, then fogging again. 
 
It wasn’t Starfleet Academy.
 
Another breath.  Two.  Three.
 
The USS Theurgy.

Explosion.
 
Sickbay.

A shadow appeared, features masked by the fog that had overcome her sight for a moment, her body still uncertain as to whether it wished to remain awake or fall back into unconsciousness, her mind trying to shake off the veil that clouded it.  She blinked again, and the fog cleared away to reveal the details of the form that hovered over her. 
 
 
 

Re: Topic: Day 06 [0824hrs] Morning Has Broken

Reply #1 –
[ Ens. Vinata Vojona | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Elyria
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Standing over the biobed, Vinata's large and black eyes rested on her when she came to. The biobed had alerted him about how the science officer was waking up, so he had made sure to be there when she stirred.

"Ensign Kizra Tos? Can you hear me?" he trilled in his light voice, not wishing to alarm the Trill by touching her. Instead, he smiled, and then check her bio readings so that she wouldn't feel too awkward, being stared at when in such a vulnerable state. "You are still aboard the Theurgy. You were hurt while the ship fled Earth, and you have been in stasis for an extended time. Your injuries were severe, threatening the life of both you and the symbiont, but there is no cause for alarm. The surgery was successful, and you will be making a full recovery. Perhaps I should say 'both of you' will."

Having looked at the patient's service record when she arrived in the Recovery Ward, Vinata knew that she was a chemist and that she had been a part of the Theurgy's original crew prior to her injury. She had merely served for two days while Thea was orbiting Earth before the investigation into Starfleet Command had been compromised, and they had to flee through the Alpha Quadrant.

"When Thea passed Jupiter Station, the ship dropped out of warp so that Ives and the Senior Staff might contact the commanding officer of the station, but Command had got to them before they did, and the ship was fired upon. An EPS conduit was overloaded right next to you, and you suffered a severe shrapnel injury to your abdomen. Doctor Nicander and the medical team serving here at the time was hard pressed for time and methodology to save both you and the symbiont, so you were put into stasis until a time where you both could be granted medical care that would save you both."

Coming to stand next to Ensign Tos once more after checking the readings, Vinata put his hands on the hips of his skirt-variant uniform and wished to make the patient more comfortable. Being right out of surgery, she was just wearing a blanket, so he decided to screen off her biobed with a holo-curtain. While tapping the controls to energise it, he made sure to introduce himself. "I'm Vinata Vojona, Head Nurse. I can say right away that you won't recognise me, since I came aboard while you were in stasis. How are you feeling?"

While listening, Vinata went to collect a newly replicated uniform and some standard issue undergarments from a little storage locker next to the biobed. He had yet to tell the scientist how long she had been in stasis, since the poor thing needed to get her bearings properly first.

Re: Topic: Day 06 [0824hrs] Morning Has Broken

Reply #2 –
[ Ensign | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

"Ensign Kizra Tos? Can you hear me?"
 
The voice was gentle, calling ot her, quite the contrast to Javis’, whose resonance had faded into the background, a voice of the past, one that could only be heard in the memories shared.  Blinking again, she realised the person above her was a medical officer, an Ovri, blue of hue with highlights of a warm brown and spots not completely unlike her own - if larger.  His dark eyes were warm, almost soothing to gaze upon, especially for the young Trill who blinked up, trying to clear her mind of that persistent fog.
 
“ You are still aboard the Theurgy. You were hurt while the ship fled Earth, and you have been in stasis for an extended time. Your injuries were severe, threatening the life of both you and the symbiont, but there is no cause for alarm. The surgery was successful, and you will be making a full recovery. Perhaps I should say 'both of you' will."
 
Kizra inhaled deeply, but she could feel Tos, sense the memories.  He was still there - yes, even as the words that assured her of his survival came, she still reached out, just to make sure.  She had to make sure.  But he was there, safe and sound. 
 
“Both of us.”  She murmured.
 
He moved away, and her head turned, eyes following him.  He was something she could focus on as she pushed through to full, completely consciousness and cognizance. 
 
"When Thea passed Jupiter Station, the ship dropped out of warp so that Ives and the Senior Staff might contact the commanding officer of the station, but Command had got to them before they did, and the ship was fired upon. An EPS conduit was overloaded right next to you, and you suffered a severe shrapnel injury to your abdomen. Doctor Nicander and the medical team serving here at the time was hard pressed for time and methodology to save both you and the symbiont, so you were put into stasis until a time where you both could be granted medical care that would save you both."
 
Save them both.  One hand reached up to linger over her abdomen.  Shrapnel.  Explosion.  Pain.  There had been that sudden sensation, sharp, knife-like that sliced into her.  Had she screamed?  Her mouth had opened, but she couldn’t remember if a sound had been uttered - nor could Tos. 
 
She remembered the smell of smoke.
 
She remembered the cries of others.
 
She remembered the blaring of alarms.
 
She remembered the flashing lights.
 
But she could not remember if she screamed. 
 
As she removed her hand from beneath the blanket that covered her and lifted it, dark blood marred the smooth skin, coated it in thick viscous fluid, read, almost purple in hue in the pallor of the lights, trickling down her wrist and arm in tiny rivulets.  She blinked, and it was clean, the memory overtaken by the reality.
 
"I'm Vinata Vojona, Head Nurse. I can say right away that you won't recognise me, since I came aboard while you were in stasis. How are you feeling?"
 
Why would she?  Kizra had only been there a couple of days, and most of that time was spent getting to know the science department - not so much the people, but the tools that would be available to her.  Oh she’d had introductions, memories of that clear in her mind, but she’d not had any time to really *know* anyone, even if they had been aboard when she arrived. 
 
It took a moment for the question to process.  Rubbing her fingers together, as if to be certain the blood was gone, Kizra turned her gaze back to the Ovri as he set about gathering items that she knew were for her.  Underclothes, a uniform.  Slowly, she sat up, lightly clutching the blanket to her as she let that gaze finally wander. 

It was a standard sickbay, but she could no longer see, for the curtain he’d erected now blocked her view, so she was met with blank, pale walls.  Once again, her gaze returned to the person assisting her.  “Right. Explosion.  Sickbay.” 
 
Reaching up, she pressed a palm against her head.  The fog was lifting, surely, if slowly, and she shook it as if to dispel the rest of it so she could think more clearly.  They had fled Earth. That’s right…something about…
 
“Infested…” 

Re: Topic: Day 06 [0824hrs] Morning Has Broken

Reply #3 –
[ Ens. Vinata Vojona | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Elyria
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Seeing that the patient was well enough to sit up, Vinata was relieved, and nodded after she spoke.

"Yes, you're in Main Sickbay. The Recovery Ward," he trilled in confirmation, and inclined his head in confirmation. Since she might like privacy from his black eyed gaze whilst she got dressed, Vinata stepped through the photonic screen and came to stand right outside of it. His voice carried through the holo-screen, even though they would no longer be able to see each other. He folded his arms underneath his breasts and cocked a hip, thinking about what he might say to her in regard to the enemy.

"So you heard about what the original crew of this ship discovered about Starfleet Command before you were hurt?" he asked rhetorically, since if she knew the name put on the possessed Admirals, she would know the barebone, early take on the enemy. "Indeed, the Captain of the ship I originally served on also learned about them, and we rendezvoused with the Theurgy to try and figure out a way to deal with the threat posted to the Federation. Long story short, the Infested has sent many ships after us, and I serve here - the USS Harbinger now destroyed. It has been a long voyage for many of us, with merely half of the Theurgy's crew remaining - the roster being refilled by other ships that join the cause and continue the mission."

Taking a deep breath, Vinata knew there was no delaying what the patient needed to hear since he had already said as much as he did. "It has been six months, Ensign Tos," he said quietly, thinking about his own personal hardships through those months and the people he'd lost. People dear to him or passing acquaintances. There were, however, good news.

"We are not without allies any more. The Klingon Empire has recognised the truth, and High Chancellor Martok is working with Captain Ives to address the threat that Starfleet Command and other Infested pose. The USS Oneida, led by Captain Jackson, is on our side. We also have an officer working in Starfleet Headquarters that go by the codename King that is literally spying behind enemy lines, and work to send support our way. The truth is spreading, slowly but surely, and we are no longer fighting alone. I have not been this optimistic for a long time."

Turning his head, Vinata wondered if the patient had gotten dressed yet, or if he were to remain outside for a wee bit longer.

Re: Day 06 [0824 hrs.] Morning Has Broken

Reply #4 –
[ Ensign Kizra Tos | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] @Auctor Lucan


Infested. 
 
The word was nasty and conjured a horrible image.  Illness, sickness, plagued by something within, not a symbiote, not a being that would work together, that cared for each other, that had a mutually pleasant existence.  No, this was something entirely different, a creature that sought to end life, not experience and grow with it.
 
The word had been used during the sudden flight.  Kizra had only gotten the barest bones of an explanation for everything that was happening, and had been the term given.  Infested.  She hadn’t had time to think about it, ponder it, wonder over how such a thing could have happened, particularly in Starfleet, particularly with Starfleet Command. 
 
"Yes, you're in Main Sickbay. The Recovery Ward," The nurse’s gentle, musical intonation was soothing and calming, but he exited in order to stand outside of the energized curtain that shielded her from the view of others around them.  Oh yes.  Clothing.  She should get dressed, shouldn’t she?
 
Kizra swung her legs over to the side of the bed and sat a little straight, slow in her movements, uncertain of her ability to remain upright, but she did feel stronger than just a few moments ago.  Looking down, she wriggled her toes, then slowly slid off of the bed. 
 
"So you heard about what the original crew of this ship discovered about Starfleet Command before you were hurt?"  Kizra nodded, then realised he wouldn’t have been able to see it, but before she could say anything further, the man continued.  "Indeed, the Captain of the ship I originally served on also learned about them, and we rendezvoused with the Theurgy to try and figure out a way to deal with the threat posted to the Federation. Long story short, the Infested has sent many ships after us, and I serve here - the USS Harbinger now destroyed. It has been a long voyage for many of us, with merely half of the Theurgy's crew remaining - the roster being refilled by other ships that join the cause and continue the mission."
 
Infested. Starfleet command.  Another captain, another ship, a threat to the Federation.  And that other one destroyed.  It was a lot to take in, and even with all the memories of the past lives of Tos, it still sent her head reeling.  Was it true?  Could this be some strange story made up to deceive her?  But why would they do that?  That didn’t make sense either.
 
Nothing made sense.
 
Kizra’s head hurt .
 
Standing, she took up the uniform he offered her, the typical hue denoting her duty post as science.  Slipping into it, she smoothed out the material and rather wished she had a mirror.  Outside the curtain, she heard the intake of breath before he continued even further .  "It has been six months, Ensign Tos,"
 
Dizziness slammed into her and Kizra immediately stretched out a hand to catch onto the bed and remain upright.  Six months.  She was in stasis six months!    And what of her parents?  What of Trill?  What of her friends?  If the infested had truly taken the Federation, were not all the worlds in danger?  Who *were* these infested?  Was this all right?  It couldn’t be real.  Could it?  It seemed more like some horror holoprogram that she’d been thrust into. 
 
"We are not without allies any more. The Klingon Empire has recognised the truth, and High Chancellor Martok is working with Captain Ives to address the threat that Starfleet Command and other Infested pose. The USS Oneida, led by Captain Jackson, is on our side. We also have an officer working in Starfleet Headquarters that go by the codename King that is literally spying behind enemy lines, and work to send support our way. The truth is spreading, slowly but surely, and we are no longer fighting alone. I have not been this optimistic for a long time."
 
Allies.  The klingons.  Chancellor Martok.  The words and names all swam in her head.  Kizra pushed herself up, a little more, but still required the support of the bed.  Inhaling deeply, she called out softly.
 
“Computer, end programme.” 
 
There was a chirp.
 
“Cannot comply, no programme currently in session.” 
 
No program currently in session.  So she was not on a holodeck and this was real.  This was happening.  Straightening again, Kizra took one hesitant step, then another.  She wasn’t as steady as she would have liked, but hopefully she wouldn’t go tumbling to the ground.  Stepping through the photonic curtain, she emerged back into the land of the living, and took a deep breath.  “I need a console.” 

Re: Topic: Day 06 [0824hrs] Morning Has Broken

Reply #5 –
[ Ens. Vinata Vojona | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Elyria
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When his patient suddenly appeared through the holo-screen, Vinata was startled and quickly moved to catch the other Ensign - her steps unsteady enough for him to immediately regret turning his back towards her.

"Easy, easy," he trilled worriedly, black eyes wide. She seemed to be quite taken by what he'd told her as well, so there was no way of knowing for Vinata if her unsteady gait was due to shock of lingering weakness. Perhaps a mix of both? Either way, catching her closest hand with his webbed four-fingered one, and putting his other on her shoulder to steady her, there was mild chastisement in his tone - undermined further by his smile. "Not so fast. I will get you a PADD so that you can access Thea's database and look at the mission logs. Please, sit down?" 

Either way Tos would have it, Vinata still deactivated the holo-screen and tried to explain as best as he might. "I am sure you are worried about friends and family back home, right?" An educated guess, since Tos was not the first patient they had thawed, "See, Starfleet Command has denied us access to the Federation database, so you can't access much at all in terms of public records. King, our spy, has helped give us some data-updates, but he can't very well send all public records. Furthermore, Thea is denied access to the subspace communication relay network as well, so we're relying on short-range communication with our allies. We're only able to correspond with King through an encrypted comms buoy, using a pulsar to get the subspace signal through. I know, I know this is a lot to take in, but you must calm down."

Standing in front of Tos, Vinata put his hands on her shoulders and looked at her, smiling and speaking soothingly. "Take a deep breath, and relax. You are safe. I know that our friends and family are reported safe as well, because the media coverage around them prevents Starfleet Command from whisking them away somewhere." Vinata wanted to stress that further, and removed his hands from her shoulders. He took a breath, and smoothed down his skirt over his hips. "You understand? The public eye keeps them safe, even if the image the media is painting us in makes us look like traitors. Whatever they might, or mightn't, think about you won't matter, because the truth always prevails. That is something the Ovri elders say. It is wisdom to take comfort in."

Looking at her, judging whether or not she might run off again, Vinata picked up a PADD and gave her the access she needed, so that she could start looking at the mission logs and the crew roster. Compassionately, he handed it over to her.

Re: Day 06 [0824 hrs.] Morning Has Broken

Reply #6 –
[Ensign Kizra Tos | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | USS Theurgy ] @Auctor Lucan
 
Vojona’s hand was warm as he grasped hers, an act of kindness and compassion and consideration of the state Kizra was in. Her mind  had started to clear, but there was still a brush of haze, almost a protective measure against the flood of information with which it had been met in the course of her waking.  Her own fingers reacted by curling, five around four, taking strength from his strength, and allowing him to steady her.

Breathe.
 
As the veil lifted, the mind rushed to try and fill in the gaps.  Infested.  Starfleet Command was infested.  And they had fled.  People had died.  Her friends, her family, they were all in danger. 

Mom.  Dad.
 
"Easy, easy," She could hear the worry in his musical voice.  "Not so fast. I will get you a PADD so that you can access Thea's database and look at the mission logs. Please, sit down?"
 
Sit down.  She didn’t want to sit down, she wanted to find answers.  Vojona had given her answers, but she had no details, she needed to find out everything, what had happened, how had it happened, how could something like that happen.
 
I am sure you are worried about friends and family back home, right?" She was.  Very much so, particularly her parents.  "See, Starfleet Command has denied us access to the Federation database, so you can't access much at all in terms of public records. King, our spy, has helped give us some data-updates, but he can't very well send all public records. Furthermore, Thea is denied access to the subspace communication relay network as well, so we're relying on short-range communication with our allies. We're only able to correspond with King through an encrypted comms buoy, using a pulsar to get the subspace signal through. I know, I know this is a lot to take in, but you must calm down."
 
Thea.  The ship.  That was right.  Six months . Six entire months.  She’d been asleep that time - well, not truly asleep, technically in stasis.  And for six months, her parents had no idea what had happened to her, and she had no idea what had happened to them.  Were they in danger because their daughter was a crewmember of the USS Theurgy?  If they couldn’t access the records or use the communications network, how could she check on them?  How could she tell them she was okay and not alert Starfleet command?  That was, if it was really infested.  Was it? 
 
"Take a deep breath, and relax. You are safe. I know that our friends and family are reported safe as well, because the media coverage around them prevents Starfleet Command from whisking them away somewhere."
 
He withdrew his hands from her shoulders and suddenly Kizra realised that she had sat down somewhere in the dizzying array of thoughts that had whirled through her mind, and the motion had gone unnoticed until Vojona put some space between them.  "You understand? The public eye keeps them safe, even if the image the media is painting us in makes us look like traitors. Whatever they might, or mightn't, think about you won't matter, because the truth always prevails. That is something the Ovri elders say. It is wisdom to take comfort in."
 
They were safe.  Her parents were safe.  Supposedly they were safe.  Vojona reached for a PADD and tapped upon it a moment before he handed it to her.  There, on the screen, data was presented, noting the various logs and other information that was now available to her.  She had six months to catch up on.
 
Six months. 
 
Vojona had no reason to lie, but Kizra also had no reason to believe him.  Everything he had told her was almost preposterous.  Absurd.  Insane.  It was as if she was caught in some sort of fantasy.  It was…it was…
 
“This is a nightmare.”  That had to be it.  A nightmare.  She hadn’t really gotten injured and been placed into stasis for six months, only to wake up and find out that she and the rest of the crew were not considered criminals.  She hadn’t just come back to the land of the living to discover that she was now on the run through no fault of her own and yet would be punished for the sins of others.  Except it wasn’t a nightmare.  No dream, either good or bad, had ever been this vivid.  Memories, yes.  Sometimes those haunted her dreams, but they manifested themselves in a different way.  She could recall those with a clarity that only hosts could as they communed with the symbiote within them, turned to those who had come before and what wisdom and knowledge they had stored.  But there was nothing any of her previous hosts had experienced that could have ever prepared her for this. 
 
“I don’t know.”  Kizra muttered.  “It’s too much.  I keep thinking I’m in some sort of programme.”  The commentary wasn’t exactly directed at Vojona.  Instead, she half waved the PADD as if trying to gain some understanding from someone else, some sort of vision.  “Some holonovel about an evil version of the Federation in a…what was that word?” 
 
Her eyes lifted and she blinked at the Ovri, then reached up with her free hand and ran it over her face  She needed time.  Time to read, time to process, time to catch up on the last six months of life that had passed her by.  “I will read.”  She stated finally, then levelled her gaze at the nurse.  “But I don’t want to do that here.”  She didn’t want to remain in sickbay.  She’d just woken up there, she didn’t want to stay.  She wanted to be in her own quarters.  After six months, though, did she even have her own quarters? 

Re: Topic: Day 06 [0824hrs] Morning Has Broken

Reply #7 –
[ Ens. Vinata Vojona | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Elyria
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"That is perfectly understandable," Vinata trilled to the newly thawed patient and smiled compassionately. "I will send a requisition request to the Quartermaster on Deck 10 and make sure you are given quarters, where you shouldn't just read but also rest, mind you. I will also ask him to retrieve your personal items out of storage and have them delivered to your quarters as soon as the requisition is accepted and you get personal access."

Saying as much, Vinata folded his arms underneath his breasts and nodded towards the PAD Ensign Tos had been given. "In the meantime, you can remain here in wait for Doctor Rez to come by and discharge you. She will likely set you on light administrative duties to begin with so that you have enough time to reacquaint yourself with the shop and get appraised on the current state of the mission. I..." he said, and looked towards the deck with his black eyes, blinking. He had great empathy for how she felt, since his time aboard the Theurgy had indeed been - betimes - a nightmare. "I know that all of this might seem bleak to you, and that it's overwhelming. The encounters with this enemy have been difficult, as you will read, and the feeling of being a lone ship on a mission against all odds have been difficult. We have had, and lost allies over the past six months. We have been subject to grievous losses... but also great victories."

Taking a deep breath, Vinata couldn't help but give voice to the empathy he felt for her. "Personally, I... lost my sister, leaving me as the only Ovri aboard. She's not dead, but she'd no longer aboard - having attempted to return to our people and warn them about the hidden enemy in Starfleet Command. I... have not heard from her since. "

A short time later, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard through the holo screen, and soon enough, another Trill emerged through the photonic curtain. She was blonde, and wearing a white medical coat, and she soon enough introduced herself. "Ensign Tos?" she said with a small smile, "I am Doctor Amelya Rez. Nurse Vinata sent me a notification that you're awake. May I take take some readings of you, please?"

Vinata stepped aside to let the Doctor do her thing, but he couldn't help think about Rez' previous host and the ship's former First Officer - Edena Rez. While Amelya had been the Chief Medical Officer of the Harbinger, she had changed a lot since inheriting the Rez symbiont...

Re: Day 06 [0824 hrs.] Morning Has Broken

Reply #8 –
[ Ens. Kizra Tos | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan

"That is perfectly understandable," Vinata’s pleasant trill was accompanied by a sincere smile.  The combination was indeed soothing, or at least it would be for someone who hadn’t just woken up after six months in status to find that everything in her life had been turned upside down.  "I will send a requisition request to the Quartermaster on Deck 10 and make sure you are given quarters, where you shouldn't just read but also rest, mind you. I will also ask him to retrieve your personal items out of storage and have them delivered to your quarters as soon as the requisition is accepted and you get personal access."

So she didn’t have quarters.  She shouldn’t have been surprised.  After all, what use would they have been during the time she’d been in stasis?  And if they’d not time or ability to help her and Tos in the beginning, they also hadn’t necessarily known how long it would take until they could. 

Six months.  That’s how long.

And during that time, life had continued on, if far different than expected.  Now she was returned to the land of the living, so to speak, and thus she would now require a place to stay.  Perhaps it was a good thing she hadn’t exactly settled in completely before everything.

Everything…

Kizra reached up and rubbed a hand upon her forehead.  It was all a lot to process, but already she felt that intense desire to leave, to get out of sickbay, to seek out all that she could, and not just accept what she was told in that moment.  She needed details.  There was more to the story and she wanted to know what that was. 

Crossing his arms beneath his bosom, the nurse inclined his head and silently indicated the PAD that was in her other hand. "In the meantime, you can remain here in wait for Doctor Rez to come by and discharge you. She will likely set you on light administrative duties to begin with so that you have enough time to reacquaint yourself with the shop and get appraised on the current state of the mission. I..." The Ovri paused as if in some sort of distress, or perhaps he too was pondering the magnitude of what he had just shared with the Trill.  His eyes slipped away from her and settled elsewhere, blinking.  "I know that all of this might seem bleak to you, and that it's overwhelming. The encounters with this enemy have been difficult, as you will read, and the feeling of being a lone ship on a mission against all odds have been difficult. We have had, and lost allies over the past six months. We have been subject to grievous losses... but also great victories."

It was bleak.  So very bleak.  Even though he indicated that not all was grim, not all was lost, her mind couldn’t help but reel.  He tried to reassure her, and she appreciated that, but everything was just so sudden and she still couldn’t help but wonder if, perhaps, she hadn't really woken up.  Perhaps she had been injured, but now she entered into the stuff of nightmares.  He inhaled then, perhaps dealing with his own nightmarish thoughts. 

"Personally, I... lost my sister, leaving me as the only Ovri aboard. She's not dead, but she'd no longer aboard - having attempted to return to our people and warn them about the hidden enemy in Starfleet Command. I... have not heard from her since. "

She was not dead.  She could be dead.  She could still be alive.  But how was he to know when no news was forthcoming?  Kizra wondered how she herself could be certain she was not dead when the reality to which she had awoken was presented as an antithesis to what she had known before. 

How much time had passed?  It wasn’t long.  They’d been there, conversing, however brief and stilted it might be, at least on her part.  Another form entered, footsteps tapping a quick rhythm against the floor.  Someone else passed through the energy curtain and Kizra found herself face to face with another Trill.  "Ensign Tos? I am Doctor Amelya Rez. Nurse Vinata sent me a notification that you're awake. May I take take some readings of you, please?"

She smiled, a kind smile, a bit of light in the darkness, the same sort that Vinata had offered, but it still felt uncanny, unreal.  Could she take readings?  Did Kizra really have a choice?  Did it matter? 

And there were other questions.  So many questions, yet in that moment, she could not find a way to bring them to the forefront, to give them voice.  She wanted to scream, shout, throw things, but her body warned her that it had only so much energy to spare, and much of it was currently engaged with simply processing all that she had been told.  Was it possible that so much could go simply into thinking?

Most certainly.  Especially with news of such magnitude.   Could she take some readings, the doctor asked? Did it matter?

“Yes.”  That was it.  A single syllable, the only word she was able to speak at that moment.  The woman was given permission, and thus the readings were taken.  The light whirring of machinery was far slower than that of her thoughts and Kizra’s gaze fell once more to the PAD.  So much…so very much.

“If I may, doctor, I would prefer to retire to my quarters.”  That would all depend on those readings, Kizra knew.  Was she now of sound body?  Could she say she was of sound mind?  Something in the back of her mind really hoped that it was all still a dream, some sort of illusion, even a hallucation.  Deep within, she could almost feel the stirring of Tos and she sighed softly.

“I know.  I know.”  It wasn’t a dream.  She was reminded of that.  She knew what reality was like, how memories could be very much like visions, but this was far too real.  A nightmare come true. 

Glancing up, she saw the expression and shook her head. 

“Just thinking aloud.”  She murmured, then exhaled.  When the newer sounds of the machinery that actively searched and checked every aspect of her health ceased, she inquired again. “May I be dismissed?” 

She really hoped the answer was yes.

Re: Day 06 [0824 hrs.] Morning Has Broken

Reply #9 –
[ Lieutenant Amelya Rez | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Elyria
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Amelya Rez entered the treatment area in her uniform, her white coat trailing slightly behind her with every step that she took. She’d gotten the message from Vinata and answered the call almost right away, having only been sequestered away in an office, going over some research. She had picked up a medical tricorder on her way in, and was ready to go, simply waiting for the patients approval.

Amelya let her eyes fall onto those of the other Trill sat before her. It was a look she’d seen before. One of…shock. Instead of jumping directly into the scanning, Amelya pulled a stool over towards the woman, and sat herself down on it, placing a hand on the woman’s shoulder.

“I understand that this must be…” She trailed off, for a moment at a loss for words to even describe the situation Tos found herself in, “Alien.” She swallowed, and set the tricorder down in her lap. “I just need to make sure that you are safe, before I send you out, okay?” She smiled a warm, comforting smile before she slowly rose back up to her feet. Not only did she have to account for the physical trauma that the woman had endured prior to being placed in stasis, she also had to take into account the mental status of her patient. Just as one wouldn’t perform an extreme cosmetic surgery on one in the right mind, Amelya didn’t plan on sending someone in a bad state back to the total isolation of crew quarters.

Amelya removed the probe from the medical tricorder and began running it around Kiera, taking as many readings as she possibly could. “Are you in any pain or discomfort?” She questioned, quizzically raising an eyebrow as she tapped a control on the tricorder, changing from the resonance wave to a cardiac electricity monitor, studying each wave of the woman’s heartbeat.

“I know. I probably would want to go to my quarters too but we have to do this.” Her attention shifted slightly as she seemed to speak to someone…else, in the room. Amelya swallowed and stowed the tricorder probe, instead reaching for a different one on a nearby instrument tray. It paired seamlessly with her tricorder and she started to scan the woman’s abdomen, getting some readings of the symbiote itself.

Working on another symbiote always seemed so…strange to Amelya. She figured she ought to be the expert in what to expect after a joining, or how to properly care for a symbiote and while she certainly had the training her own joining had been so flawed. Even then, she had no memories. She had no experiences. She was still effectively little more than Amelya Duv, simply serving as a vessel for the symbiote that was housed in her own gut.

“You-“ She paused, studying the woman for a moment. “You can. Your readings look fine to me. Your isoboramine levels are a little low, nothing alarming. I’ll give you something for that before you go. However, I want to hear from you if you feel anything wrong at all, okay? I’m going to give you some medication to take in the case that you do end up needing it. One is just an analgesic from any leftover soreness or pain, the other should just settle your mind if you feel yourself…spinning out, so to speak.” She smiled at her gently once more and dipped her head, looking over at Vinata.

“Can you prepare two syrettes please, one of Hydrocortiline ten percent in normal saline and three CCs of Cortical Analeptic and another of low dose Melorazine?” She smiled gently, then reached for a hypo spray, inputting the dosage information for the medicine for the symbiote, “This is just Benzocytazine, it’ll increase those levels and likely make you feel a little more comfortable. I’m also going to be placing a consultation to counseling, you don’t need to go if you don’t need to but I’ve found that sometimes they can be helpful, even if you just want a little small talk.” She bowed her head, and waited for any questions.

Re: Day 06 [0824 hrs.] Morning Has Broken

Reply #10 –
[Ensign Kizra Tos| Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @BipSpoon 

Kizra hadn't quite expected the gentleness of the doctor, though really, should she be surprised at all?  The nurse had been nothing but, so why would the doctor not follow suit?  Perhaps it was the way she took a moment to pull that chair over and actually sit down.  The effect was to take the power away and put them on the same level. She was there, eye to eye, as a peer, as someone who cared, had a concern, yes as a doctor and about her physical well being, but also more beyond that, beyond the toll upon the body. 

Was there a toll on the mind?  Surely there was at some level.  After all, it wasn't every day that someone woke up from six months in stasis to find their entire life was upside down and inside out.  Everything had changed, and there was no other recourse.  There was no way to contact friends or family.  She was stuck out there, just like the rest of the officers on the Theurgy, fighting a war that was very one sided, their allies few and far between. 

And was it her war?  Was it the truth?  It seemed so...so out there.  Alien.  That was the term the doctor had used, and yes it was indeed very alien.  Foreign.  Unfathomable.  How could this happen?  How could this go so unnoticed?  Was it true?  Or had they for some reason simply kidnapped her along for some strange demented ride?

That seemed even more far fetched.  Why should she doubt their word?  Still, she wanted to seek for herself, the answers in the database.  And yet even that as limited as it was only what was on the computer and not through the entire network. 

Conspiracy.  Was the conspiracy really at Starfleet Command?
 
She had been asked a question and Kizra realised she hadn't answered it.  Shaking her head, she pressed her palm against the side of her brow.  "Just a little foggy still. And...just weird in general."  As if her body was her own and yet not her own.   Their own . Her own.  Both.  Neither. 

“I know. I probably would want to go to my quarters too but we have to do this.” There was a movement, a shifting of something, of her thoughts perhaps, as if she were trying to remember something.  She was Trill.  Was she joined?  Not all were so, indeed not even most of her people, so to assume that all Trill she encountered were joined was a thing of folly.  But the way the doctor's pause stretched, something filled it.  One probe was set aside - why?  Was it ineffective?  Not the right kind?  Such a mistake was odd for a medical officer.  But when she connected it to the tricorder, then began a scan of her belly, Kizra realised it must be specifically to determine the health and well being of Tos.

“You-“ The Doctor hesitated, her green eyes lifting to meet Kizra's own before she continued.  “You can. Your readings look fine to me. Your isoboramine levels are a little low, nothing alarming. I’ll give you something for that before you go. However, I want to hear from you if you feel anything wrong at all, okay? I’m going to give you some medication to take in the case that you do end up needing it. One is just an analgesic from any leftover soreness or pain, the other should just settle your mind if you feel yourself…spinning out, so to speak.” And there was a smile, a slight incline of her head and the doctor turned her attention to Vinata. 

Wrong?  Let her know if something was wrong?  Everything was wrong, wasn't it?  Nothing was right, it was all a jumble, twisted and turned into a complete and utter chaotic mess.  Yes, of course, she was referring to physically, no Kizra was not going to say anything. 

"There's nothing to say."  Those words weren't for the doctor, nor for the nurse.  They were given to someone else, directed another being, one unseen.  Kizra hardly notice she said them, the syllables soft, murmured, and maybe even indistinguishable to anyone who wasn't paying careful attention.  It didn't matter.  The doctor had something to say to the gentle nurse who still hovered nearby.

“Can you prepare two syrettes please, one of Hydrocortiline ten percent in normal saline and three CCs of Cortical Analeptic and another of low dose Melorazine?” There was another kind smile and a hypospray taken.  Before Kizra could even ask, the doctor launched into an explanation.   “This is just Benzocytazine, it’ll increase those levels and likely make you feel a little more comfortable. I’m also going to be placing a consultation to counseling, you don’t need to go if you don’t need to but I’ve found that sometimes they can be helpful, even if you just want a little small talk.”

Then her head bowed and for a brief second, Kizra wondered if Doctor Rez had entered into prayer.  Perhaps she was communing with a symbiote that she did have.  Perhaps...perhaps Kizra needed to stop trying to figure the little things out and focus on the bigger ones.

"I will consider that." And she would.  Would she?  Maybe. In truth, Kizra was more likely to ponder the questions on her own, seek out the answers on her own.  And yet, she was curious.  Was anyone left that she knew?  In truth, she'd hardly had the opportunity to get to know anyone.  Two days before it had all happened, and most of that time had been spent getting acquainted with the science labs, reading up on the experiments an information that had been gathered.  She'd been far more interested in the scientific exploration being processed than in the people themselves.  And now?  She was starting all over again, wasn't she?  Had it mattered if she'd known anyone?  Did it matter now? 

"If I am allowed, I think I will be more comfortable in official quarters."   Kizra's own gaze shifted back to Vinata.  "If...they're ready."  Had she had time to send the requisition?  Digital information could pass through quickly, but perhaps even that was pushing it.  At least she was clothed.  That was something. 

"And when will I be able to go on duty?"  That was another question, and that was far more important. If Vinata had been truthful - and why would Kizra doubt him? - then she needed to be working with the others.  What could she do?  She didn't know, but she refused to simply lie down and remain useless.  She took another breath, once again she let it out slowly.  "I will feel better when I'm able to get to work."

And the reason?  Was it just so that she could seek out the answers?  And if the truth was what she'd been told, was it simply to find a way to fight against what had happened?  To find a way to reclaim what had been lost?  She knew it wasn't. Those were consequences of it, certainly, but working...working was far better than doing nothing, lingering in the millions of thoughts and losing ones self in the nightmarish reality combined with the even darker 'what if's. 

Re: Topic: Day 06 [0824hrs] Morning Has Broken

Reply #11 –
[ Ens. Vinata Vojona | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Elyria
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Vinata had been observing how the Trill Doctor, the former Chief Medical Officer of the Harbinger, behaved towards the new patient, as if searching for cues as to how different she had become after she was joined. He was fascinated by the species and the abilities of both the host and the symbiont to co-exist and become more than they were alone, but as an outside observer - even knowing Amelya Duv from before - it was difficult t ascertain what had become of his old superior officer, and whom this new person was. As far as he knew, she wasn't supposed to be the same, as all the Federation database entries on the topic suggested that after joining, the Trill became an amalgamation of the new host, and that of all previous hosts that had carried the symbiont before. It made him wonder how much of Amelya Duv was still there? A shadow of her?

Strange, since when observing her... she didn't seem that different. Aside from the new colour she has added to those filaments of keratin that grows from the follicle roots of her scalp, he thought, running a four-fingered hand over his own scalp. Hair, yes, that's what it is called in Federation Standard...

Pulled out of his thoughts by Rez' voice, Vinata blinked and moved to do as instructed. "Yes, Doctor."

While he was preparing the two syrettes a couple of steps away, Vinata was still listening to the conversation taking place between the two Trill, and caught on to the question directed to him from the patient. He realised that he had yet to do what he promised and chuckled in a chirping way, for how could he? He hadn't even left the patient's side yet. "My apologies, I have yet to send the message to the Quartermaster, but once I do, and I get a reply, I will make sure to tell you where your new quarters are at as soon as possible. I cannot promise that Operations have managed to pull your personal belongings out of storage and delivered them to you by then, but at least you will have somewhere to go and recover."

Having finished the task given to him by Doctor Rez, he returned to the side of the biobed with a metal tray, upon which the two skrattes were placed. "The Hydrocortiline mix is the one closest to you, Doctor, and the Melorazine is the other one," he trilled, and instead of leaving, he remained in case Amelya needed ought else.

Tos had asked when she may returned to active duty, and Vinata had no answer for her, since that was up to Rez to decide. He gave the seated Trill an empathic look, knowing that after he had been hurt when Captain Vasser took over command of the Theurgy, he had wished to return to duty as quickly as possible as well. Same thing after he returned from the Versant. There was comfort in normalcy and the ability to preoccupy the mind with tasks you were familiar with.

Re: Day 06 [0824 hrs.] Morning Has Broken

Reply #12 –
[ Lieutenant Amelya Rez | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan @Elyria
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Vibrant eyes found themselves studying behind curtains of noir lashes. Amelya had the data on her patient, but it was her goal to always treat the patient, not the numbers. While whatever chemical imbalance she may have found would be easily corrected, the realization of how much time had passed and what horrors had played out while Kizra had been ‘asleep’, was difficult for Amelya to wrap her brain around.

“You’ll likely feel strange for a little while. Medicine is amazing, in that we can put you into stasis for so long but it isn’t perfect. Your body has to catch up to being awake, as does your mind.” She offered her a soft look, and even reached out to give her a quick squeeze on the shoulder, meaning to cement her in the present and away from the spiraling anxiety she understood could well be developing within her patient's psyche.

Amelya narrowed her eyes, her brows furling lightly as Kizra spoke but not to her, and not to Vinata. To herself perhaps? Amelya gave Vinata a look that was something seen commonly in the confines of hospitals throughout the galaxy, a look of subtle concern. Her attention quickly shifted back to the Trill woman though, and that same, almost maternal look glazed itself over Amelya’s features.

“I hope so. I myself have found in the past that counseling can be more of a boon than a detriment.” Amelya moved towards Vinata, and gave a quick glance over the ordered medications, “Thank you.” She offered, quietly, but still loud enough to be heard. She had decided long past that she wouldn’t join the ranks of self-centered and ungrateful physicians she’d seen elsewhere. Her nurses were her backbone, without them the whole thing would come tumbling down, particularly on a ship Thea’s size.

Amelya reached down onto the tray, and picked up the first injection, “Shouldn’t hurt.” She assumed that the woman had been given a hypospray before, and the procedure was typically painless, the medication in the vial being what caused any sensation and not the injection itself.

Allowing Vinata to answer about the crew quarters, she instead commented on returning to duty, as she began the injections, unless the woman objected in which case she stopped at once. “Medically, you’re cleared. You may return to duty in the morning. Start light though, don’t work more than nine hours this week, and next week you’re free to do as you please. There’s-” She paused, but continued on, deciding that perhaps some brutal honesty would be best served, “A lot has happened, as I’m sure you’re aware. You’ll want to get back up to speed on everything before you dive in too deep.” Once done with her task, she herself started to clean up the tray, only handing Vinata the empty tray as she deposited the hypos back on their stand to be resterilized for further use.

“Do you have any questions for me?” She quirked a brow and returned to the seat near Kizra, offering her full attention to her.

Re: Day 06 [0824 hrs.] Morning Has Broken

Reply #13 –
[ Ensign Kizra Tos | Main Sickbay | Recovery Ward | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Auctor Lucan  @BipSpoon 

Of course he hadn’t had time to speak to the Quartermaster.  Of course he hadn’t procured quarters for her.  Kizra immediately felt guilty for even asking if anything was ready. In truth, how much time had passed?  Not much, and Vinata had been here for all of it, making sure that his patient was safe, cared for, and as well adjusted as she could be considering the circumstances.  And what circumstances!  Kizra was still reeling, though she understood that she had to be patient.  She would have to wait.  Just a little longer.

But oh she wished she could just retreat to her quarters . Fatigue swept over her, dragging her down and making her wish she could lie in a bed.  Not a bio bed, no, but a real bed, one that was *hers*.  Perhaps she could fall asleep and when she woke up it would all be a bad dream, something her mind had conjured in its slumbering insanity. 

Kizra wondered if that was what Doctor Rez referred to when she said the mind had to catch up and get used to being awake again.  Was that why she just wanted to sleep?  Or was it because she wanted to escape the reality of what had happened and rest from it, perhaps to awaken a bit more refreshed and able to deal with it?

Or was she still clinging to the hope that it wasn’t reality at all? 

Maybe that was why Rez suggested counselling.  After all, she’d been through a traumatic experience, first physically, then mentally.  Did she need counselling?  Perhaps.  Perhaps she would seek it.  Perhaps not.  That was a question she would ask herself maybe when she was a little more settled and the ground a bit more steady beneath her feet.

One injection.  It didn’t hurt, and she hardly felt a thing, and that was possibly due more to imagination than actual sensation.  She suffered nothing, and sat silently through the injections as well as the instructions for her return to her duty.  Nine hours.  Only nine?  Then again, the woman was right, she had a lot to catch up on. 

“Thank you.”  She murmured, still uncertain, still trying to comprehend it all, still wishing she wasn’t so off kilter.  “I appreciate your assistance.”  Those eyes settled on Doctor Rez only for a moment before turning to Vinata, including him in that expression of gratitude before answering the question about questions. 

“No.  Not at this time.”  Would there be?  Possibly.  Maybe.  Probably.  Most likely.  Definitely.  But not then, not right away.  She needed to seek out, to read up, catch up, find out, and figure out for herself. 

-Fin

OOC: I’m assuming that’s what we do to end a scene?  Felt like this was a good place to end.  Let me know if I need to change anything!
 
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