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+--- Thread: AT/D08 - Medical Complex (/showthread.php?tid=405)
AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Tyra Crawford - 07-17-2024
== The primary sickbay for the USS Artemis is designed to treat large numbers of injured or ill crew members. It consists of three primary wards: Triage/Main Treatment, Pre-Op/Trauma, and Intensive/Primary Surgery. Doors lead to labs (two located within the complex itself), restrooms, offices for the Chief Medical Officer and Head Counselor, a doctor's lounge, and a morgue.
Each ward has nurse stations, with that of the Head Nurse (or primary shift nurse) being located in Pre-Op/Trauma. These stations consist of a desk and computer terminal, with storage drawers and cabinets located above and to the sides. Larger storage lockers are located throughout the complex, as well as lockers for medication. Biobeds line the walls with sensor clusters above, allowing for the diagnosis and treatment of several injured simultaneously. Each ward has its own dedicated replicator used to produce materials as needed.
The main entrance to the Medical Complex leads to Reception, where a triage nurse is stationed at all times. New patients are assigned beds and appropriate medical personnel are notified. In Triage patients are diagnosed, treated, or transferred to Trauma or Surgery as needed.
In addition to its normal biobeds the Trauma Ward has four Isolation Bays where patients who are contaminated can be treated. These can be sealed with force fields set to various levels to screen out toxins, radiation, or disease. Dangerous individuals can also receive treatment in these bays with a minimum of risk for other patients and staff.
The Main Diagnostic Biobed (MDB) is located in the center of Intensive Care/Primary Surgery. It has a suite of powerful sensors and other tools to allow doctors to diagnose especially difficult cases. Eight intensive care biobeds surround the MDB, and two Surgical Bays are available as needed.
The Artemis Medical Complex is equipped with an Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) to assist in times of emergency. Emitters are located throughout the Sickbay.
The Doctor's Lounge has numerous comfortable chairs, and a main table in the center. A replicator is available for food and drink, along with a notoriously old and cranky coffee machine. There are several ferns located in the corners, a viewscreen, and an on-call room available for doctors to rest.
Recovery rooms, storage, and break rooms for nursing staff and orderlies are located nearby. There are two smaller sickbays located elsewhere in the ship, mostly used for treatment of minor injuries and non-critical medical procedures.
All areas have the ability to use forcefields and holoprojectors for both containment, restful scenery, or even provide the assistance of an Emergency Medi
cal Hologram. ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 07-19-2024
== Reposting ==
== After the Party ==
Robin had found plenty to grumble about lately, but her decision to go to Earth for a couple weeks had improved her mood. She had a few things to take care of before shore leave began, and this was one of the more pleasant of them. She sat in her office after doing rounds. Her new Sickbay crew seemed to be settling in aside from a few of the usual ego-driven conflicts. Doctors were doctors, after all. She'd had to put Ensign Shallioth in his place yesterday over his showing up late to his shifts, and the Saurian hadn't taken it well. She'd probably been heard through the bulkheads.
Who knew I could yell like that?
It was late in the day and her shift was almost over, and the shuttle left early tomorrow, so she wanted to get back to her quarters and get some serious shut eye. The CMO sat back in her seat and tapped her combadge.
"Mayfair to Sydesh. Doctor, would you please report to my office?"
Beka and Robin had a bit of a code. Whenever they were engaged in official Sickbay business they used titles and ranks, despite being best friends. Robin had to be careful to not show favoritism. Beka had enough to deal with without other doctors thinking she was getting preferential treatment.
It wasn't that; Beka was one of the last of the 'old guard' (if such a term could be used for someone so young), the last doctor remaining besides Sonaalk from the earlier missions of the Artemis. But she'd earned the promotion she was about to get, and the official title she was about to receive as well. Robin had, of course, approached Lieutenant Sonaalk and made the offer, but more out a sense of obligation than with any expectation he would take the job. Truth was the Vulcan cardiologist could have taken Robin's job as CMO any time he wanted, but he had no interest at all. He was content just be a doctor and wanted no further responsibilities.
== Tag Beka ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Beka Sydesh - 07-20-2024
== Afterparty Timeline ==
Beka was huddled in the corner of the doctor’s lounge, cradling a coffee. The demands of running Sickbay whilst Robin was away had been intense and the redhead had struggled at times. The CMO was an accomplished diplomat and fantastic at soothing damaged egos. Sydesh… wasn’t. She was a highly skilled surgeon with a well-earned reputation for what she could do with a laser scalpel in her hand. She was also notoriously fiery and strong-willed, and neither of those qualities were a great look in a leader.
There hadn’t been any major incidents and publicly at least, things seemed to have gone to plan. But it had all taken a real toll, especially given how much pain Beka had been in the entire time thanks to her spinal injury.
I’m just so glad Robin’s back. I don’t have to spend my entire day burying my personality any more. I don’t know how she does it, keep people in line so effortlessly. Everyone wanted to pick a fight with me and all I wanted to do was pick one back. But I couldn’t. I had to repay that faith she showed in me by not being a massive bitch. No matter how much some people deserved it.
The restorative surgery had given Beka a new lease of life, and she’d already been back in the gym gleefully exhausting herself in the name of getting her fitness back. She was also enjoying time out of the spotlight.
[Mayfair to Sydesh. Doctor, would you please report to my office?]
Ah. Business time.
Beka knew the code and dragged herself to her feet. It wasn’t often that Robin was formal but when she was, that meant something. Even though the two medics were extremely close friends, the redhead was still slightly nervous about this meeting. She half suspected it was to go over the things the CMO had found out about in her absence.
I don’t remember doing anything too bad. A memory surfaced and she winced. OK, except where I told that Tactical guy that the only reason I wasn’t going to call him a c*** was because he lacked the depth and the warmth. But that was the only one!
Still clutching her extra strength raktajino, Sydesh picked her way through the Medical Complex and knocked on the CMO’s office door. Taking a quick look around to make sure there was no-one around, she leant in.
“You rang?” she intoned, her voice deadpan, before she cracked a smile.
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 07-20-2024
Robin sat at her desk as the bell rang. Beka was prompt. For moments the nurse had considered making a play of it and pretending to be stern, but had dismissed the idea immediately. Her best friend would have seen though it immediately, and the Augment was no actor. "Come in," she called to the door, which slid open immediately.
“You rang?” she intoned, her voice deadpan, before she cracked a smile.
Suppressing most (but not all) of her smile, Robin motioned to the chair in front of her desk. "I did indeed. Have a seat, Doctor Sydesh." She waited a moment for her friend to sit, and then continued. "So I've been looking over the Sickbay records. Everything ran smoothly." She laughed. "And you didn't even airlock anyone. That's good. We're short-handed, after all."
She paused. "I can't say I was worried, because I wasn't, but we've got a Sickbay full of untested and mostly green medics. You kept things running smoothly. There's a complaint from Security Ensign Steyn saying that he was extremely displeased with your attitude, which I'm given to dismiss because he's a major pain. Last time I treated him he started hitting on me. That's pretty much it. Soooo, without further ado..."
She reached into her desk and took out a small black box. "Second Lieutenant Beka Sydesh, it's my privilege to promote you to the rank of full Lieutenant." She handed Beka the item that contained her second well-earned gold pip. "And not only that. It's high time you officially became the official Chief Doctor on this ship. You've shown real leadership qualities, and I need someone who I can trust making decisions on the floor... especially in a crisis. I've seen you do it plenty of times. I can't be everywhere at once when things are blowing up." The nurse considered for a moment. "But I also need someone who can bust heads as well. I try to be as friendly and supportive as I can to keep everyone's egos from being bruised, but there's a time and place for that. One thing I admire you for is that you don't care what anyone thinks about you."
The CMO paused. "But that's up to you. I know you've mostly recovered, but mostly doesn't mean all. And I know you well enough to be able to tell when you're stressed. You don't have to take the title if you don't want to. The pip is yours regardless. I'll still be CMO so I can take a lot of the weight off you, because ultimately the buck stops with me. But there's no one I'd trust more to have my back."
== Tag Beka ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Beka Sydesh - 07-27-2024
Taking the offered seat, Beka took in Robin’s mood and was relieved to see that she wasn’t in any trouble. She laughed along with the jokes, and took the praise with a nod and appreciative smile.
I guess it all went better than I thought it did!
But when the small black box appeared, the redhead was suddenly quiet.
"Second Lieutenant Beka Sydesh, it's my privilege to promote you to the rank of full Lieutenant."
Beka took the box and held it in her hands for a moment, and then as Robin carried on speaking she flipped it open.
OK. Did not see that coming… And Chief Doctor? Did the Cardassians hit her over the head or something?
“You don't have to take the title if you don't want to. The pip is yours regardless. I'll still be CMO so I can take a lot of the weight off you, because ultimately the buck stops with me. But there's no one I'd trust more to have my back," the CMO finished.
“Thank you, truly. And I mean, good job you don’t want this back, because it’s definitely mine now and I don’t want you taking the chance to change your mind.” Sydesh grinned as she switched the pips at her collar, the black box disappearing into a pocket.
She was silent for a moment.
“But I do want you to be very sure about the offer you’re making,” Beka said eventually. “Because I’m going to take it. I’m just… I’m not convinced I should? I know I’m good under pressure. It’s probably an emergency specialist thing. The more pressure I’m under, the busier Sickbay is, the higher the stress levels, the more alive I feel. Like, I wasn’t worried about whether or not I could cover for you, because even pressure I put on myself counts.”
There was a smile on her lips.
“But it’s when all that’s off that I’m a problem. It feels like half the crew is still whistling at me. I made Ghost Rider synonymous with being publicly dumped. Shall we go through the long list of senior officers that think I’m a liability? Even the one who dragged me off a hostile space station had some choice names.”
She shrugged.
“None of that is going to slow me down. I am who I am, and there’s not a lot I can do about it now. They’ve been holding that stupid bomber jacket over my head for so long it’s just funny at this point. But I don’t want it reflecting badly on you. I will try to be better, I really will. Holding high office is a pressure all of its own. I’m just worried I won’t be able to wear it anywhere near as well as you do.”
Beka’s concern was genuine. She had nothing but respect for how easy Robin had made the transition to CMO look, and she really didn’t want to be the cause of any problems.
“Hopefully I get a little leeway for being your handy attack dog,” the redhead joked. “Because yeah, people do occasionally need a good hard kick where it hurts. But I will screw up sometimes. We both know that, and I’ve been so grateful that you’ve had my back. I just… I know this sounds bad, but I just need to know you’ve thought about what happens when I’m Beka Sydesh at the wrong time.”
She lapsed into silence, hoping silently that she hadn’t just talked her way out of the promotion that she would be grabbing with both hands if given the chance.
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 07-27-2024
As Beka took the pip and attached it to her collar she expressed her concerns about screwing up; not as a medic, but as an officer. About offending someone, about shooting her mouth off at the wrong time, and even about embarrassing her department head. Robin was sympathetic and wasn't a bit surprised at her worries.
"All I ask is that you try, Beka," the nurse giving her friend a soft smile. "I'm not particularly worried about it. I expect you'll offend some people, but that's their problem... and if it becomes my problem then I'll handle it. As Chief Medical Officer that's my job. You have a tendency towards social faux pas, yeah, but that's at most a minor issue. Remember, I've been there for a few of those." She laughed lightly.
"And to be a bit mercenary about it, that 'under pressure' Beka is exactly what I need. Because that's the job. That's what Sickbay is on this ship." She paused. "Almost no one on the Artemis at the doctor or nurse level has combat experience. You, me, Östberg, Sonaalk, Ito, Nalar, a few others. The rest are as green as an Irish summer. I've seen you run a surgical team like you were a symphony conductor and save lives in the process. And I've seen you put higher-ranking officers in their places when they weren't doing their jobs. You could be the most offensive jerk in the history of Starfleet and I'd still have offered you the position."
An unpleasant memory flashed bright green through the Augment's mind, vivid and sharp and perfectly detailed. Sickbay holed by a Borg plasma blast, doctors and nurses and patients instantly incinerated. It had been Robin's first battle, her cadet cruise, and she'd found herself the only officer in the area. The CMO was cut off, there was panic, and she'd done her job and even kept things running despite being hurt by flying equipment. Her hand involuntarily went to the small scar on her forehead, something she purposefully hadn't had regenerated after the battle.
"Everyone screws up, Beka. Everyone says things they regret, or lashes out under pressure. I mean, I got my head bitten off by Tyra Crawford back on the Callisto because I gave her exactly what she'd said she wanted and sedated prisoners." Robin felt no need to tell Beka why she'd done so, though... because executing the Cardassians had been put on the table by Calleja, and there had been no way in hell Robin was going to accede to that. "The Captain had been under unbelievable pressure and was snapping at people left and right, and I chalked it up to that." Not that Robin thought Tyra regretted it; she had a reputation for it. But it was understandable, at least.
She gave another slight laugh. "I'm CMO. It's my job to keep this circus running and to keep a bunch of highly-educated, egotistical monkeys performing. But I can't do it alone, and I need a second-in-command I can trust. I've got exactly three doctors that I can count on in a crisis, that I know won't crack under pressure. Sonaalk, Östberg, and you. Sonaalk doesn't want the job, Östberg hasn't earned it... but you have. And I stand by my decision. The position is yours, Lieutenant."
== Tag ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Beka Sydesh - 08-02-2024
There was definitely a faint touch of crimson around Beka’s stubbornly pale features as Robin spoke. The CMO really had thought a lot about this, and she clearly thought a lot of the redhead.
I’m so glad I haven’t managed to burn this bridge yet. Not that I ever want to! But to still have Robin in my corner, even given all the cleaning up after me… Yeah. That’s a big relief.
Truth be told, Beka still had the utmost confidence in her own abilities as a doctor. Since she’d arrived on Artemis, nobody had logged more surgical hours than she had, and there was a wide gap between her and second place. Not everything had been as crucial and life-saving as some of her interventions on the Talaxian asteroid but she had proven she had the skills with a laser scalpel. The rest was still a work in progress, although her time covering for Robin had at least shown she could command the public respect of enough of Sickbay to keep things going.
“The position is yours, Lieutenant."
“And it is gratefully accepted, Lieutenant Commander.” Sydesh nodded her head, and grinned. “Congrats on the promotion, by the way. About damn time!”
The grin widened a second.
“So how is your transformation into Crawford going?” Beka asked with a grin. “You already had the accent down pat. And now you’re definitely starting to talk like her. Circus and monkeys? Is your next trick to break out the whiskey and start scaring Midshipmen with surprise kids?”
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 08-03-2024
“And it is gratefully accepted, Lieutenant Commander. Congrats on the promotion, by the way. About damn time!”
"Thanks. Things grind pretty slowly in Starfleet sometimes."
Beka's grin widened.
“So how is your transformation into Crawford going? You already had the accent down pat. And now you’re definitely starting to talk like her. Circus and monkeys? Is your next trick to break out the whiskey and start scaring Midshipmen with surprise kids?”
Robin laughed. "God forbid. Truth is I only applied for the promotion to have something other than a title to hang over the heads of any doctors who start gettin' too big for their britches. Department heads on a ship like this don't get respect unless they have the rank to back it up. And I'm pretty sure I can't do the whole 'intimidation' thing like Tyra Crawford. Ever."
She took a sip from the water bottle on her desk. "But y'know what? I think I'm starting to see where she was coming from. Dealing with it does start to make you cynical, and that's not even getting into the missions we've had recently."
== Tag ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Beka Sydesh - 08-11-2024
"But y'know what? I think I'm starting to see where she was coming from. Dealing with it does start to make you cynical, and that's not even getting into the missions we've had recently.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Beka replied, settling into the chair. “I remember when I came here, I was so hell-bent on trying to make a run at CMO. But the longer I’ve been here, the more I understand why the job has burned out so many people. There’s so much going on under the surface. It’s taken a mind like yours to get it all under control. I’m just happy to do my bit keeping you going. And maybe that involves a few of the conversations in dark corners that you can’t be seen to have, so that you don’t have to let that cynicism show just yet.”
There was a good-natured smile on Sydesh’s lips. She and Robin had a good thing going. They were very different people but their strengths complemented each other, and Beka was genuinely happy to see her friend doing so well and climbing the ladder.
“So what do you make of all this noise about our last mission?” the redhead asked. “I know it doesn’t really affect us down here too much. But there’s so much talk of JAG inquiries, and there’s a captain going round asking questions like they’re doing some kind of investigation. I’ve seen her a few times with members of the crew. I’m not as close with Crawford as some of you but I’d hate to see anything happen to her. Or anyone else just because they were senior at the time.”
Beka hadn’t been a part of the last away mission so all she knew was hearsay. But she did know that the consequences had been very real, and so were her concerns for those in senior positions on the crew.
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 08-25-2024
Beka was definitely much more relaxed. “I remember when I came here, I was so hell-bent on trying to make a run at CMO. But the longer I’ve been here, the more I understand why the job has burned out so many people. There’s so much going on under the surface. It’s taken a mind like yours to get it all under control. I’m just happy to do my bit keeping you going. And maybe that involves a few of the conversations in dark corners that you can’t be seen to have, so that you don’t have to let that cynicism show just yet.”
"Thanks," Robin replied. "And yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking too. If you need to have those conversations, then what I don't know won't hurt me." Robin grinned. The two had been friends long enough for Beka to understand anything left unstated. Truth was there was almost nothing going on in the Artemis Sickbays that the CMO didn't know about. She just chose to pretend she didn't know. As long as her staff showed up, did their jobs professionally, and didn't screw up or break the law then it was best to let people be. Besides, knowing about them meant she could rein in anything that might become a problem. And for those occasions, well, Beka had the force of will and (now) full authority to step in as well.
“So what do you make of all this noise about our last mission?” the redhead asked. “I know it doesn’t really affect us down here too much. But there’s so much talk of JAG inquiries, and there’s a captain going round asking questions like they’re doing some kind of investigation. I’ve seen her a few times with members of the crew. I’m not as close with Crawford as some of you but I’d hate to see anything happen to her. Or anyone else just because they were senior at the time.”
"Nobody's talked to me. Yet. Which is kinda odd. the whole thing ticks me off. Starfleet gives us an impossible mission, off the books, as part of a major push to drive out the Cardassians... then hangs us out to dry. Elias and Crawford especially. I'm not a paranoid person but I've come to the conclusion that someone in the brass wants Tyra Crawford's scalp, at the very least. They're cutting away pieces of the crew, one by one. Bloody politics."
She shook her head. "Yeah, I'm worried. For her, for me, for all of us. If not for Crawford I'd probably be scrubbing bedpans as an Ensign on Deep Space 12. I haven't seen any sign that my head's on the chopping block, but I know there are eyes on me... and if I screw up then my days will be numbered. I doubt that they'd let an Augment stay on as CMO, especially a nurse."
The nurse sighed. "It is what it is. Whatever happens we'll manage. We always do." Robin hoped her voice sounded more confident than she felt. She doubted it.
== Tag ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 09-07-2024
== Launch Day ==
The Chief Medical Officer set her coffee down on her desk and contemplated getting another one. This one was cold anyway. After a few moments she decided against it. It was a crutch, and while the caffeine was helpful too much would give her the jitters. A terminal beeped.
07:00. Time to address the troops.
Robin got up and headed out. She felt OK after getting some sleep after last night's bizarre briefing, which surprised the nurse quite a bit. She'd worried she was just going to toss and turn, but she'd been out as soon as her purple-haired head hit the pillow. Exhaustion really was the best sleep aid in existence. Too many long shifts began to wear at a person, but she felt like she had to make sure everyone in her staff was doing their jobs well.
It was time for her to put on her best brave "I'm a leader" face, whether she felt it or not. When she'd sat down at her desk there had already been three messages from her staff about Coleman's arrest. News traveled fast on this ship. It was likely that several crew members had seen Coleman being led away as the security team had headed off the ship. And they'd told someone, who had told someone else, and so on.
The nurse headed out of Sickbay to the Deck 7 recreation room that she'd appropriated for the meeting. Medical was one of the largest departments on the ship and was scattered across three sickbays, one large main and two smaller ones. There was just nowhere in the Medical Complex to accommodate everyone. Besides a couple of medics remaining behind in case any of the crew needed help, everyone from all shifts was here or was entering. The recreation room was packed, but at least it wasn't standing room only. A few doctors and nurses greeted her as she entered and walked to the small stage at the front of the room.
Showtime. I feel like I should open with a joke, or sing something.
Instead she just held up a hand and waited a moment for the noise to die down, which it did. Eventually.
"Thanks for coming, everyone. I'll keep this brief so those of you on other shifts can get out of here. I've prepared a mission briefing in your mail file that will go over where the Artemis is headed and why. No need for me to repeat it, other than to say it's a fairly routine monitoring mission. We will be near Cardassian space, so be aware that we could see battle. I'm not saying it's likely, but this is the Artemis. So expect the unexpected, as the old cliche goes. Those of you who haven't completed your safety drill updates get with Lieutenant Ramier and make sure you get them done in the next two days. No excuses, OK? We're not busy right now."
She paused.
"Shift changes have been made and will go into effect next week. I've tried to accommodate everyone as best I can, but that's not always possible. We're short-handed and it's just the way it is. If you absolutely can't deal with a change then get with either me or Doctor Sydesh. But this is a Starfleet vessel, and not everyone gets to work Alpha shift, so try your best to deal with it. Graveyard shifts are just part of life. I'm going to rotate people every few months so everyone gets the fun experience of being on duty at 0300."
That got a few polite laughs along with some grumbling. Robin didn't have any pity for those who didn't want to work late. She'd done so numerous times, taken countless graveyard shifts. Not only was it part of the deal with serving on a ship, she needed her largely green staff to be ready for sustained emergency treatment. In short, they needed to be toughened up so that when a crisis hit they weren't exhausted. After the Borg Megasphere battle the young Augment spent over a week with barely any sleep, and her genetic enhancements didn't include any ability to go without it. If anything she needed slightly more sleep than an unenhanced human to give her brain time to organize and rest.
"OK, addressing that giant elephant over there... yes, our First Officer, Commander Coleman, has been arrested. The rumors are correct. While I can say that the charges are serious I can't go into detail. So don't ask. I really don't have much more information than anyone else, and what I do know I can't say. The Captain will address us all soon enough, I expect. And I can confirm the other rumor. Captain Crawford has returned and will be commanding the Artemis."
Robin sighed as the medical staff mumbled before raising her hand again. She really did want that cup of coffee. It wasn't a lack of sleep, it wasn't her team, it was just that she was getting so tired of chaos. Captains being swapped, the First Officer and the Chief Engineer under arrest. Someone above was playing a chess game, and Robin couldn't see the board. She resented that even as she worried that someone was going to take her out next. If she screwed up there were those who would love nothing more than to kick the upstart Augment back down to her 'place,' a low-ranking nurse.
"Look, I know many of you are fresh out of the Academy or not much removed from it. This must seem chaotic to you, and it is. It'll get sorted out. Whatever happens we have a job to do. The crew needs us to provide care for them regardless of who is sitting in the big chair on Deck 1. You all know your jobs. Do them, and do them well. If you have a problem then don't hesitate to ask for help. Are there any questions?"
There were. Quite a few, but thankfully only a few probing for more information about the situation with the Crawford, Coleman, and Elias. Robin brushed them off and, after the third one, repeated that she couldn't and wouldn't say more. Her tone of voice ended that line of questions.
"All right. Make sure you're keeping up with your internal messages. It's time for this ship to finally get back out there and do what it was built to do. Dismissed."
The medical staff began wandering out, those who were on-duty for the morning back to their sickbays. Doctor Sonaalk, the Vulcan cardiologist, approached Robin. He was the most senior medical officer aboard, with more experience than anyone else on her staff... and more time in Starfleet than almost anyone on the ship.
"Commander Mayfair? A word?" Robin nodded. "Are you well? In recent days you have been showing signs of stress and fatigue."
"I... guess?" She knew how that sounded. "I do know I've been pushing myself. My vacation helped, but I'm right back into the meatgrinder again." The Vulcan probably found that term distasteful, but Robin was raised on a ranch. When she'd had a burger on her home colony it hadn't come from a replicator.
"There is no need, Commander. You have staff for this, and while most are inexperienced they are perfectly capable of operating without someone hovering over them. Delegate. It will give them experience in the organizational and management part of the job. Your enhancements may make you efficient at such tasks, but you are still human."
Robin blinked. He was absolutely right, and she hadn't seen it. In a way she realized she was behaving exactly like her green staff. She was as inexperienced at command as her staff was at being doctors and nurses. The Augment had been falling into the trap of micromanaging, merely because she could do so.
"You're right, Doctor. Absolutely right. I can't believe I didn't see it."
"Give yourself more time off. Let your staff breathe. Sydesh and Östberg have both shown leadership abilities, even if they have rather... forceful personalities. And when you are on duty spend more time as a nurse. Treat injuries and provide care. I believe you are someone who finds the most fulfillment in life caring for others. Am I correct?"
"You are, Doctor. You're a very wise man."
He shrugged, a rather human gesture. "It is simply logical."
And it was.
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 09-25-2024
Robin took the PADD from Dr. Wittell and pressed her thumb to the screen, authorizing the procedure. Elective surgeries always required the approval of the CMO or Head Doctor, and this one was pretty much the definition of 'elective.' A nose job on Midshipman Martanis. She had mixed feelings about the procedure, feeling that the young officer was fine the way she was, but after consulting with the ship's Chief Counselor she'd decided to authorize it. Martanis had apparently always been self-conscious about her rather large nose, and the purple-haired Augment at least understood.
Besides, it would at least give Dr. Wittell something to do. He'd been complaining that he was getting tired of routine treatments. Things had been quiet lately, though the nurse couldn't shake the feeling that it was going to get exciting soon. Wittell gave a too polite "Thanks, Sir," and headed off. The young doctor still had the entitled air of a recent top graduate who resented being at the bottom of the pile now. He hadn't given Robin any reason to bit his head off, but there was still the attitude there just below the surface. he liked giving order; he hated taking them.
With that the nurse had one more duty to perform. She prided herself on making sure her department was running efficiently and didn't intend to wait for the Bridge to request their status. She tapped her combadge.
"Sickbay to Bridge. This is the Chief Medical Officer. Reporting ready for departure."
Let's get back out there.
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 11-06-2024
== Arrival Timeline ==
"You're sure?" PO3 Honoka Itari looked shocked. The young crewman stared at the clear results on the biobed monitor. "But it was just once, and he said..." She trailed off, realizing how naive her words made her sound. Itari sat on the biobed, her legs dangling off.
"The tests don't lie. Six weeks along," Robin replied sympathetically. "The pregnancy is going well so far, though I'd recommend a series of genetic tests. Despite what he told you, Orion and human DNA is perfectly compatible, but there can be some complications with several set of chromosomes. Nothing we can't fix if there's a problem."
The CMO was sympathetic. Itari was an engineering crew member, and by all accounts one of the more brilliant in the department, but she was socially awkward and had zero experience with men. Robin wasn't exactly experienced herself, but her outsider status at the Academy hadn't left a lot of options, and since joining the Artemis crew she'd been largely focused on her work. Itari had simply believed the suave Orion when he'd said there was no need for birth control.
The young Japanese woman hung her head. "My parents are going to kill me. And it's not like I'm going to be able to track him down and get him to commit to anything."
Robin nodded. Orions weren't exactly known for that, at least among members of other races. Some of them preyed on young Starfleet personnel at starbases. "Look, will you set up an appointment with the ship's counselor? She can help you sort through the psychological aspects of it. And we have a good obstetrician and pediatrician, Dr. Mwanza. She may be fairly fresh out of the Academy, but she's got a terrific record. Top of the class."
"I'll... this is a lot, you know?" Tears were forming in the young woman's eyes. "It's not that I didn't want kids, it's just that I didn't think it would be... I just didn't think." She sniffed and gave a forced smile. "I was so flattered that he was interested in me, y'know? But he wasn't. Not really." Itari hopped down from the bed. "I'll set up the appointments, Lieutenant Commander. I need to think."
The nurse wanted to offers some sympathetic platitude but just said "Of course." The engineer had some decisions to make. "If you need to talk feel free to call on me anytime."
After Itari left Robin headed to the nure's station. The Hugora Nebula hung lazily outside the Sickbay window, a rather dull-looking example of its kind. The nurse gave it only a passing glance. The Helix Nebula had been visible from her home colony, a much more vibrant and colorful field of gas, the remnant of a dead star. Hugora, by contrast, was muted blues and purples, dark and rather dreary. She sat down and quickly dictated her report, adding in the bioscans. She hoped Itari would be OK. The young woman was new to Starfleet, and Robin thought she would make a fine officer if she came out of her shell a little.
Well, she did. And look what that got her.
Still, the CMO felt a little better herself. Doctor Sonaalk had recommended she start spending more time as a nurse and less as an administrator, and she'd taken the advice. It was working. Robin felt more like her old self rather than the bureaucrat she'd felt herself turning into. She turned to look at the nebula.
"Wonder if there's anything in there," she said to herself.
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 12-12-2024
== Current Timeline ==
"OK, try it now." The gruff but muted voice of the Tellarite engineer Engineer Bharr came out from beneath the biobed.
Robin stood next to the wall, her arm elbow deep in an opened wall panel. She felt for the relay, her brow furrowed in concentration. Where was it?
The biobed's power supply had shorted, but the malfunction had sent a charge through the system and also played havoc with the systems in the wall. Bharr had told the CMO that she had a choice... either he had to pull the whole wall panel (requiring three other biobeds to be taken offline) or she could help out with her 'skinny, pipe-cleaner arms.' She'd chosen the latter, and now was regretting it. This was hopefully the last one, though.
And then the lighting changed, indicating yellow alert.
Robin almost cursed under her breath, then caught herself. She'd gotten into a bad habit of doing so, something she had been raised never to do... despite her cussing being hilariously mild to virtually every one of her staff. Recently the conservative colony-raised nurse had decided that she needed to refocus on herself, to fight against the building cynicism that her job pushed.
Where... are... you...? There!
She felt the relay and flipped a switch next to it. Immediately she was startled by the 'pop' of the system restarting. She pulled her arm out a bit too quickly and was rewarded by a painful scrape, but the bed was working and going through its diagnosis cycle. Bharr pulled his head out from underneath the bed.
"That got it, girlie. Uh, looks like something's up."
"Yeah," the nurse agreed. "Better get to your post. Thanks again." Bharr was already exiting sickbay and responded with a backhanded wave. Robin looked at the status panels she'd had installed to monitor the external situation on the Artemis, a response to the frustration the medical staff felt whenever the ship went to alert or otherwise had trouble. Nobody ever told sickbay what was going on, even when casualties started coming in. The monitors showed the Artemis easing itself into the nebula.
Looks like they found something. Smugglers? Cardassians? Cardassian smugglers?
The CMO pulled herself up to as tall as her tiny 5'1" frame allowed and addressed the staff. "All right, people, for many of you this is your first Yellow Alert, so remember what you've practiced during drills. If you're working on any patients finish up as quickly as you can. A lot of the time these don't amount to anything, but that doesn't mean things can't get bad. If the ship goes to Red Alert remember to activate physical restraints on patients in biobeds. Whatever they may have told you during training do not rely on force fields alone to keep them safe. Laurenz, you and Kethla go ahead and get the medkit carts out and get them checked. If the ship goes to red don't wait to start handing them out."
She paused, wondering if she was overdoing it. No. These mostly green officers needed practice, and few of them had been through any real danger in their time on the Artemis.
"Don't wait to be told what to do. If you don't have orders find someone to help."
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Tyra Crawford - 12-27-2024
[Givens to Sickbay. The Captain is requesting a member of the medical staff to report to the transporter room to support a potential boarding action. Thank you.]
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Louise Liu - 12-28-2024
Louise had been sitting at a computer terminal validating and filing paperwork for the senior counsellors when the ship went to alert status. It was a surreal feeling, the lighting immediately shifted from bright and welcoming to a sombre and sickly yellow in an instant, the silence of the little cubicle she had been working in replaced with the alert siren. Slamming down the terminal screen, both to prevent confidential information being leaked but also to safeguard against power surges that would turn an active terminal into a small bomb, she leapt from her seat and followed the surge of medical staff reporting to their battle stations. At her godmother's urging, she had taken field medicine courses at Starfleet Academy to ensure she was useful during an emergency, and was qualified as a field medic in addition to her therapist duties, so she quickly joined the line of officers retrieving medkits from Commander Mayfair.
"Don't wait to be told what to do. If you don't have orders find someone to help."
The ship shook briefly, a sign that the inertial compensators had not quite fully compensated for either an impact or change in acceleration, and the yellow lighting was instantly replaced with red as the ship went to battlestations. Battlestations meant trouble, and given they were in the middle of a nebula many light years from the closest friendly outpost, the medical teams were going to be needed.
Taking the proferred medkit, Louise stepped off to the side to check the contents; it wasn't that she didn't trust the officers Mayfair had instructed to check them, it was just something that had been drilled into her by her father when she was a child, and her godmother when she was older; never trust a life to something you haven't personally inspected.
Medical Tricorder, check. Hyposprays, check. Dermal regenerator, check. Tourniquet kit and gauze, check.
Satisfied that the kit was in order, Louise now found herself at a loss for what to do next. As the newest member of the medical staff, she'd not been assigned a station for where to go during an alert, which meant she was expected to wait in Sickbay and act as a "reserve" in case more medics were needed but none were available. Unfortunately that meant remaining close to the woman who had literally just said 'don't want for instructions', and hoping the Augment didn't verbally rip her a new one while the unfolding emergency did the same for the Artemis...
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 12-28-2024
It took an unsurprising amount of time for the Yellow Alert to turn into Red. Robin had been aboard the Artemis long enough to expect such things.
[Givens to Sickbay. The Captain is requesting a member of the medical staff to report to the transporter room to support a potential boarding action. Thank you.]
The CMO tapped her combadge. "Confirmed, Bridge. They'll be there shortly."
In the stories the young nurse had grown up with it was always the command staff beaming into trouble. She dismissed the idea of going herself. Her staff was green and would need an experienced officer to keep things running during this Red Alert. For more than a few in Sickbay this was their first real one. She briefly considered who to send.
Beka would probably enjoy it, but it's likely Mara is running the Security team, and those two get along like fire and more fire. I could send...
The answer entered Sickbay at a run. Doctor Kent Östberg (a large blond man with a short beard who reminded her of cartoonish depictions of the Norse god Thor) was still adjusting his uniform after likely having been awoken. The medic was second-shift and ordinarily wouldn't have been on duty for hours. "What's going on, Chief?" he asked, his voice lightly accented Norwegian with a touch of California surfer-bro. Robin looked up at him, the Ensign having over a foot of height on her.
"Don't know yet, but apparently we're boarding someone. Are you up for an Away Team?"
There was an eagerness in his eyes that didn't surprise the CMO. Östberg had been busted in rank for striking a fellow officer on a precious posting, and he wanted his Lieutenant's pip back. The man was a bit of an alpha. But Robin knew that he also had extensive combat experience. More than she did, actually. "You know it, Ma'am."
"Good deal. Draw a phaser and grab some combat armor on the way." She looked at him, gemstone eyes meeting his intently. "Follow orders. I don't want to get a report from the Security Chief that you were playing soldier. You're there as a medic."
Östberg met her gaze, but didn't make any remarks. The nurse knew he wanted to prove himself, but he wasn't stupid. If he wanted to earn his rank back he knew the best... only... route was to play ball. "Understood, Ma'am."
Robin smiled. "Good luck. See you when you get back." With that he headed out the door, the entire conversation having taken less than a half-minute.
"All right, people. Stations. Prepare for casualties. Just as you've drilled."
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 12-28-2024
== Sorry, we cross-posted ==
The Sickbay crew scrambled as more medics reported in. Red Alert meant 'all hands on deck,' so people would be showing up to their assigned stations in the ship's three Sickbays. Robin's words also applied to herself. She needed something to do that didn't involve hovering over her people and making them nervous. She'd had a recent talk with Doctor Sonaalk about micro-managing. She was CMO, but she was also a nurse. Sickbay had a well-drilled system for triage and assigning medics to wounded... but there were no wounded. So it was a waiting game.
One of the new staff was Ensign Liu, the new counsellor. She looked a little lost, which was fair. Strictly speaking her department was separate from Sickbay and reported to the Head Counsellor, but during Red Alert everyone was expected to help out. Given the recruitment problems Starfleet was having (especially in Medical) every warm body would be needed. After meeting the young woman the other day Robin had looked up her professional record. She was fully qualified as a field medic, but she hadn't had a station assigned and hadn't had the chance to work with the rest of the staff. The nurse remembered her first awkward days on the ship, not knowing anyone and just trying to be useful... of course, that was as the Artemis was gearing up for a near-suicidal battle with the Borg Megasphere.
Robin approached her. "Hey Ensign, since you're new here and haven't been given an assignment why not stick with me? I'm going to be running Triage, and if this actually turns out to be serious I could use someone to assign to mild injuries. It'll clear up people to work on critical patients. I can also run you though basic procedures here while we wait."
Yeah, I'll probably end up making her nervous, but that's part of the deal I guess. Who knew that tiny me could ever be intimidating?
== Tag Louise ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Louise Liu - 01-15-2025
"Hey Ensign, since you're new here and haven't been given an assignment why not stick with me? I'm going to be running Triage, and if this actually turns out to be serious I could use someone to assign to mild injuries. It'll clear up people to work on critical patients. I can also run you though basic procedures here while we wait."
Louise nodded slowly, hoping she hadn't given the impression that she was a lost lamb, helpless and alone while everyone else went about their business and prepared to treat injuries and save lives. While a part of her had known that these situations were going to come up, a tiny part of her brain had insisted that because she was a therapist not a surgeon, she wouldn't be critical staff in a crisis. Whatever she had smoked to get that idea, she didn't know, but nervous or not, it was her job to treat the injured if they started coming in.
I'd be less nervous if I had an assignment. This standing around here helps nobody.
Quickly refamiliarising herself with the layout of Sickbay proper, Louise mapped out the route that patients would have to take when they came in. Through the doors into triage, where they would be assessed and either be treated for minor injuries or moved on to pre-op just around the corner. Not a surgeon or a nurse, Louise knew she had no purpose going beyond the triage area; if she needed to, they were all in a lot of trouble.
Including the consult station we have twelve beds in triage, so that's twelve patients at a time without overflow. Hopefully we don't need them.
"Do you have any idea what's happening? The ship jerked pretty suddenly...did we hit something?"
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 01-17-2025
"Do you have any idea what's happening? The ship jerked pretty suddenly...did we hit something?"
"More likely something hit us. Weapons fire. Not hard, I'm guessing." A few more shakes, more impacts, solid but not worrying. Nothing that alarmed her like some of the fights the Artemis had been in.
Robin pointed to a monitor set into the wall, one of several she'd had installed because she had gotten sick of not knowing what was going on. It showed the current course, speed, and status of the Artemis.
"Since they never let Sickbay know what's going on you can always get at least some basics from those." The CMO paused. She'd been on the ship for several years now, and had grown familiar with the slight vibration through the deck plates when the phasers were being fired. "Feel that? Return fire."
No torpedo launches, though.
== Tag Louise ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 02-14-2025
A voice came through the intercom, the Norwegian accented voice of Kent Östberg.
[Östberg to Sickbay. Medical emergency, prepare to receive Ensign K'Deela. Pierced upper right...] There was a pause. [Ghe'kha lung, upper right human lung, nearly severed right arm.]
Robin tapped her badge. "Sickbay. Acknowledged, Doctor. Awaiting patient." Östberg was the type to want to fix everything in the field, but his description of the damage made it clear that the patient didn't have long at all.
The CMO turned to her staff. "OK, people, you heard the man. Computer, activate primary biobed, activate surgical field." She called over to her best friend, Beka Sydesh. "Doctor Sydesh, you're up. Doctor Star, I want you to assist. Nurse Ito? You as well." She motioned to the ship's Head Nurse, Robin's replacement in that job. Ito was a tall, stately Japanese woman who was almost as unemotional as a Vulcan. "Get a surgical cart in there ready to go. We need blood type A-Ga+, modified, so Hernandez, get to the bank and start delivering it. Don't wait, just keep running more to surgery until Doctor Sydesh tells you to stop. Grab whoever you need to help."
Turning away she addressed the sickbay's systems. "Computer, match blood type Ensign K'Deela from records, begin synthesizing." The system beeped, acknowledging the command.
K'Deela was a human quarter-Klingon hybrid. Robin had done her physical a few months ago and remembered that her blood was highly unusual, a result of the mismatch in DNA between the races. Neither race's blood would work, and in fact would cause cardiac arrest. There was a modified pattern that could be used to synthesize it... but not quickly. Time was what they didn't have. Hernandez would be running the blood in as the bags was created. The first several would at least be at ready by the time Beka was, but if K'Deela needed more there might be a delay. Robin trusted the redhead to keep the patient alive until then, no simple task with an unusual hybrid.
She paused as her assigned staff went about their duties. For a moment she remembered how she'd been a diffident middie a few years ago, scared to mess up. Now? She had the entire medical staff under her command, and she had to admit... she was good at this.
"Everyone else? Stay sharp. The team is in combat, so be ready for more casualties. Doctor Sonaalk, would you take the floor? Nalar? You run triage assignments."
== Tags Beka and Emily ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Emily Star - 02-17-2025
"Everyone else? Stay sharp. The team is in combat, so be ready for more casualties. Doctor Sonaalk, would you take the floor? Nalar? You run triage assignments."
Emily’s fingers flew over the console, bringing up K’Deela’s medical records as soon as the call came through. Her gut clenched as she highlighted the severity of the injuries. Pierced lung, severed arm- if they didn’t get her stabilized immediately, she wouldn’t last long enough for reconstruction.
She caught Robin’s glance and nodded. No room for hesitation.
"On it," she said crisply, already queuing up critical stats on the surgical field’s display. The synthesized blood would take time, too much time, but that wasn’t something she could fix. Just control what you can.
“Doctor Sydesh,” she called, moving alongside Beka as the team snapped into motion. “I’ll monitor her vitals and fluid levels. If she crashes before we get the synthesized blood--” she exhaled sharply, “--we’ll have to work with volume expanders and pray we don’t hit rejection.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d had to fight biology itself to keep a patient breathing, but Klingon hybrids were always a wildcard. She tightened the gloves around her hands, focus razor-sharp.
"Let’s get her in. We don’t have time to waste."
==Tags Beka==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - GM-02 - 02-17-2025
The center of the room shimmered and a whine filled the air as K'Deela, the part-Klingon security officer, materialized. The injuries were just as Ostberg had described, and while the armor was still on it showed that someone had tried to remove it, but it was partially embedded in the wound and was going to be difficult to remove.
==Over to you, Doctors!==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 02-20-2025
Robin returned Star's nod. The CMO was pleased to see the young Midshipman step up. There was no hesitation, no waiting to be told what to do. As she prepared K'Deela materialized in the middle of the room.
"Get her on the gurney! Mind the arm!" Robin called out. Within moments two orderlies (one of whom was the nurse's longtime friend Jareip, a hulking Nausicaan) had gently placed the wounded officer on a floating gurney. Robin's tricorder was out as she scanned the wounded Security officer. Pinkish blood flowed off the side of the floating apparatus and onto the floor. This was bad. Beka and Star would have their hands full. Ito was already there, applying a tourniquet to temporarily staunch the external blood flow, but the scan had shown extensive internal bleeding as well. K'Deela's human and Klingon lungs were not just pierced, but were torn by the jagged weapon.
"All right, get her into the surgical bay." Ito followed the orderlies as they moved off. "Star, Sydesh, you're up." She gave the two doctors a grim smile. Beka she knew, and the young nurse had seen her friend work miracles. Star was untested, but she had an impressive Academy record and a background in Xeno-Biology. If there was anyone on the ship who could keep the wounded officer alive it was those two.
== Welcome back Emily! ==
== Tags Star and Sydesh ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Beka Sydesh - 02-22-2025
“OK. Keep looking at the light.”
Beka looked deep into the part-Vulcan officer’s eyes as she watched him try to track the small torch as she tracked it through the air. The visual check confirmed what the tricorder had said.
“Yeah, that’s a concussion. A pretty serious one as well,” the redheaded doctor added. “You did this sparring? Do you guys not use sparring fields?”
“A field was in place. It does not appear to have saved me,” the man replied.
“I feel like I should be impressed that someone managed to hit you so hard in the face that they did this through a sparring field, but I have a horrible feeling I already know who it was,” Sydesh said, and sighed. “Tall woman, kinda feral looking, the worst accent you’ve ever heard, muscles in places I haven’t got?”
“If you are trying to veil your meaning, please desist. I underestimated Chief Calleja. I will not do so again. The fault is mine, not hers.” The Vulcan hybrid braced as a hypospray was put to his neck and activated.
“Yeah yeah. I can imagine the reaction Rob… Commander Mayfair would have if I put one of our team out of action.” Beka watched as the drugs started to take effect and stabilise the patient.
“Entirely different circumstances. You are a medical officer. You would not be making your officers better by sparring with them.”
“This wasn’t sparring, this was a clubbing,” the redhead replied bluntly. “Anyway. My opinion of that nutcase aside. I’m taking you off-duty for 72 hours. You are to rest. Absolutely nothing remotely resembling strenuous physical activity. No gym. No holodecks. Find a good book or several. Meditate if that helps. But I want to check you over again before you return to duty.”
“Yes doctor.” The Security officer was looking straight ahead.
Beka stepped away from the bed and briefed the nurse on the medication that would need to be dispensed. She’d just finished when she caught sight of Robin frantically waving her over.
As the doctor approached she managed to quickly get the gist of what was going on. An injured officer, Ensign K’Deela. Almost certainly combat-related. Beka looked up the incoming woman’s file on the PADD she held, parallel-processing what she read along with Robin’s instructions as the medical team moved to the bed to receive the casualty.
“Doctor Sydesh,” Star called, moving alongside Beka as the team snapped into motion. “I’ll monitor her vitals and fluid levels. If she crashes before we get the synthesized blood--” she exhaled sharply, “--we’ll have to work with volume expanders and pray we don’t hit rejection.”
“Let’s hope we don’t get that far,” Sydesh replied. “Once we get her in, priority is to stop the bleeding and buy Hernandez some time. I may need your help on that.”
The redhead rolled her sleeves up, scrubbed in and braced as the patient appeared.
"Star, Sydesh, you're up."
Robin didn’t need to tell Beka that, but the redhead turned and nodded.
“I got her,” she said confidently. Confidence was something that the emergency specialist was not lacking, and now she had to prove that it wasn’t misplaced.
Beka assessed the patient quickly. The arm was an obvious source of blood loss, but much more serious was the deep chest injury that still had pieces of armour embedded in it.
“OK. Star, get that arm sorted out please,” Sydesh said. “Save it if you can, amputate if you can’t. The arm would be a temporary loss, her life won’t be.” The redhead had already carried out so many limb replacement surgeries that she had a paper half-written on the subject. “The priority has to be stopping the bleeding. I’m going in after the chest wound. I have to get that armour out and the blood vessels closed up. Tell Hernandez I’ll give him a blowjob if he gets that blood in here faster.”
Beka’s irreverence was nothing new - there weren’t many medics left in Sickbay who hadn’t done a double-take at something grossly inappropriate coming out of the redhead’s mouth. Despite it all she seemed eerily calm as she went to work.
A few slices of the laser scalpel cleared most of the armour away from K’Deela’s chest, leaving just the embedded pieces. One by one, working with a speed and dexterity that came from constant practice, Sydesh gently pulled those pieces clear and rapidly sealed the wounds, starting with the Ghe’kha lung. She just had to hope she was moving quickly enough.
== Let’s do some doctoring!
GM input please - is Sydesh able to make progress sealing the wounds? Is it helping? ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - GM-02 - 02-28-2025
Using the laser scalpel, the main pieces of the armor were cut away fairly easily. A very fine-beamed scalpel and a dexterity that Beka had in her fingers if not her vocabulary helped to start removing the other pieces. A quick survey of them had shown that there were three main locations where the armor was sticking: the Ghe'kha lung, where the largest part was; her stomach on the other side of the body from the lung; and a small but potentially extremely dangerous piece in her spinal column, having perforated the human lung and gone into the bones there.
The Ghe'kha lung wound being at the top of the chest cavity as the patient lay on the table, it was the best place to start. The Klingon organ might be more resilient than the others, but the armor piece in it was more ragged and, combined with the excess of arteries in it compared to a human lung, was contributing most to the internal bleeding. It wasn't easy, and doing it properly ate up more time than anybody really wanted, but the piece of armor was safely removed and they were able to get the wound repaired.
However, she lost a lot of blood in the time it took. Her BP was dropping steadily, and her breathing was getting more ragged. Blood was still trying to fill up her chest cavity from the other wounds.
==Continue, doctors!==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 03-03-2025
Alarms blared and the sudden rocking of the ship caused Robin to grab a biobed. A supply cart tipped over, scattering its contents of medkits on the flood. A nurse scrambled forward on all fours to gather them up as the shaking continued. The CMO steadied herself against a door jam as her staff held on to whatever was nearby. Against the wall another biobed (the one Robin and Bharr had been working on only a short time ago) popped and fizzed, then shorted out taking two others with it.
Of course, Robin thought as she rolled her gemstone-colored eyes.
"What's going on?" It was Nurse Annie Dower, a quiet and reserved brown-haired Midshipman. There was a note of panic in her voice. A few others in her staff, all young and inexperienced, had a wide-eyed look and were staring at her. The deck shook again, harder. Several of the staff were pitched from their feet, one orderly smacking his head hard on a terminal. Robin kept her feet, mostly thanks to her genetically-enhanced sense of balance.
"I'm not sure. Stay braced for impact, everyone! Laurenz, forget the kits. Computer, silent alarm!" The last thing the Sickbay team of green officers needed was the blare of a Red Alert alarm. That wasn't going to do anything except freak her people out. Thankfully she didn't need to tell anyone to help the orderly. He was leaking blood from a scalp wound but two others were already helping him with one of the scattered medkits.
The purple-haired CMO wasn't exactly a veteran, but she was experienced enough to know that the ship was drifting just by the feel of the artificial gravity and structural integrity fields fighting to reduce the shock. A brief glance at the ship status monitors confirmed that they were out of position. At least her worst fears hadn't been realized, that the Klingon freighter had exploded and taken the away team with it. It was still showing as present.
What the heck hit us?
"Commander Mayfair?" It was Dower, again. She was falling down a rabbit hole, panic rising. Robin didn't have any answers for her. All she could do was give a (hopefully) reassuring half-smile.
"We'll be OK, Midshipman. I've been on this ship when it was hit by way worse. It's a tank. I think we just got taken by surprise." The Middie's eyes were still wide as saucers, but she didn't seem to be getting more panicked. "Remember your training. We're gonna have people coming in here for help." The CMO got a nod in return, which she supposed was something.
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - GM-02 - 03-06-2025
==Just a note to all the medical folks: I didn't forget about you this time. Mayfair's reaction to the ship's damage is good; others may simply follow suit.==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Omdor Jaein - 03-10-2025
The chief engineer's voice came over the overhead comms. [Bridge to medical: four to five more injured on the freighter's bridge. Transporters are available and ready whenever you guys are.]
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Robin Mayfair - 03-11-2025
Four to five?
Robin was suddenly filled with a sense of dread. She hoped Östberg wasn't among them, but knowing him he likely had jumped in to something. Things were going badly on the Klingon freighter. What had they walked into? She tapped her combadge.
"Sickbay to Bridge. Understood, Bridge. Beam them over immediately."
The ship seemed to have stopped rocking, at least for the moment. Nalar stood up, holding his arm but gave the CMO a 'I'm good' nod that Robin returned. The Bolian might be annoyingly chipper, but he was an extremely competent nurse and one of the few members of her staff who had been on the ship since the Megasphere battle. He moved to the center of Triage, ready to begin as soon as the casualties appeared.
The rest of the staff was recovering. Tipped-over carts were picked up, the floor was cleared, and people began to hurry to assigned posts. As part of her reorganization of Sickbay after becoming CMO Robin had assigned teams, one doctor with one primary nurse and an orderly, with others ready to be assigned to cases as needed. And then she'd drilled the hell out of them, making sure that the teams worked together well.
She spoke up over the raised voices. "Dr. Sonaalk, please take the priority case. Others as assigned by Nalar."
Sonaalk (the resident cardiologist and most experienced doctor on the team) responded with a simple "Yes, Sir." He would be up for the job, and she'd assigned a Vulcan nurse (T'Ren) and an orderly (Xellas) to him in order to take full advantage of Vulcan efficiency. In holodeck drills they'd consistently scored as well as Beka no matter what was thrown at them. She wondered if her best friend felt a sense of competitiveness, but Sonaalk had literally sixty years more experience than Robin or Beka. He could have been CMO if he'd wanted, on this ship or a major starbase. For any human to compete was a tall order, and yet the redhead did.
Everyone seemed to be ready. Robin wanted to jump in, start helping the wounded, but that wasn't her job right now. There was every chance that there would be more casualties, and she needed to coordinate. Once the team was all back, once the ship was out of danger, then she could pitch in.
== GM Input: Can we assume the casualties are beamed over safely? ==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - GM-02 - 03-20-2025
==You may. Apologies, I should have told you that sooner; life's been hectic!==
RE: AT/D08 - Medical Complex - Beka Sydesh - 03-21-2025
It was easy to tell when Beka was concentrating hard - the banter dried up as she focused all her attention on what she was doing instead of doling out sharp-tongued one liners. The redhead worked quickly, all too aware that she was on the clock and she had to get as many of these wounds sealed as possible.
There was a steady plink plink plink as the doctor dropped the extracted pieces of armour into a kidney dish. She may have been one of the younger surgeons on the Artemis’ staff but she’d spent a considerable portion of her life removing external objects from bodies. The process was second nature now. Still, hybrid physiology was a law unto itself, and the amount of major blood vessels into and out of the Ghe’ka lung meant it took longer than Sydesh would have liked to seal it all up.
With the Klingon lung steadily inflating and deflating, Beka allowed herself a brief grin of triumph before she moved on.
“Hey Star! How’s that arm coming?” the redhead asked. “Do you need me?”
== Tag Emily! ==