The Long and Winding Road

Posted on 12 Dec 2024 @ 7:17pm by Lieutenant JG Dylan McConnor & Lieutenant Commander Stovek

1,060 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Stranded
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Immediately following Carefully Controlled Mayhem

The biobeds' power distibution cores had been completely overloaded, and much of the main circuitry was fried - quite literally, as it was giving off a rather distinctive smell. McConnor ran a hand through his already messed up hair and let out a deep sigh. Without power to the replicators, he had no idea how he was going to get the parts to repair the sensitive and critical equipment.

So - first things first. How could he get power to a replicator? And if he did, were the replicators in Sickbay programmed to deliver equipment such as this? They were typically used for patients' meals. Replicating plomeek soup and replicating complex circuitry were two different things altogether.

Then again, thought McConnor, this was Sickbay. They also had to replicate complex medications, as well as specific equipment that was used too rarely to keep on hand. Was there a specialized replicator somewhere?

The pharmacy, he thought.

He walked in to find the place in even more of a mess than the ward. Shelving had collapsed, and everything on those shelves had spilled to the floor. Glassware had shattered, and...

Under the debris, he could see blue blood staining the deck. He walked around the shelving, and saw the body of Kireth th'Shylis, the Andorian nurse he'd come across a couple of times in the mess hall. th'Shylis had also been the one who'd walked him through his last physical. The Andorian's head had been bashed in by a corner of the shelving. His white hair was stained with blue blood, and gray matter.

McConnor ran out of Sickbay and toward the nearest sink, and he emptied the contents of his stomach. Which wasn't much - just a protein bar he'd found in one of the ration packs in Engineering.

He wiped his chin on his sleeve and turned back around. He caught Doctor zh'Ennev's eye, and prayed she hadn't noticed anything. But the look on her face as she looked away and returned her attention to the data PaDDs told him otherwise.

He steeled himself to return to the pharmacy to take a look at the replicator there, in the hope that it could be used to replicate the complex circuitry he would need to repair the biobeds, when a nurse walked through the doors to Sickbay, holding up Lieutenant Commander Stovek.

The world was spinning, in various shades of green and in seemingly random directions. Stovek was vaguely aware that he was in motion; he could see the environment around him changing, but he was unsure if it actually was changing or he was simply delirious. His normally ironclad self-control, compromised by his significant blood loss, was not returning anytime soon. A pneumatic hiss, possible a door opening or closing, served as a point he was able to focus upon. And as that degree of clarity returned to him, Stovek saw the last face he had seen clearly back in the impulse reactor bay.

"McConnor," said Stovek weakly, through lips that felt drier than the sands of Vulcan's P'sarr Desert. "Were...were we...success..ful?"

"Yes, Sir," replied the young lieutenant, extending a hand to help guide the Commander to an empty bed. "We got the impulse engine running, and we were able to restore auxiliary power. We're still alive."

McConnor let the nurse work on the Commander while he walked back to the replicator in the pharmacy, averting his eyes from the body of nurse th'Shylis. He replicated the complex circuitry required for the biobeds, and returned to the ward.

A member of the medical staff came to the biobed and popped the sensor off their medical tricorder. After a long moment of scanning the Vulcan, they left wordlessly and returned with a hypospray. “This is a targeted coagulant,” they said. “It will slow your blood loss while we regenerate the tissues in your hands and forearms. I have also included axinol, which is a painkiller. In a few moments, I will give you triox to treat the smoke inhalation and chemical burns in your lungs.” They applied the medication dispenser to Stovek’s neck and it emptied its contents with an audible hiss. As the pain dissipated, Stovek’s mental clarity began to return slowly.

“Are you able to walk, Commander?” Asked the Medic, a younger Human female.

“I believe so,” said the Vulcan with more conviction than he actually felt.

“Come this way,” she said with a gesture toward the larger tissue regenerator unit. “The burns on your hands and forearms are serious, but can be easily treated in the regen unit. “Sit on the stool please and place your arms palms up in the cradles.”

Stovek did as instructed. Immediately he felt his arms being supported by low power force fields. A pale bluish light enveloped them, making a sweeping motion from left to right as the delicate transporter-based technology began the process of repairing the muscular tissue and skin on his arms.

“Based on the level of damage,” said the Human woman, “you need to spend approximately half an hour in the regeneration cradle. The regenerated tissues will be quite sensitive for a few days.”

Stovek simply nodded. He was watching the tissue being reconstructed, which was a fascinating procedure and a testament to the Federation’s technical skills. He turned his head toward McConnor, who was working on one of the biobeds in the room. “When this is over, I owe you a drink,” he said to the younger engineer.

McConnor, who was lying on his back under the biobed in front of Stovek, let out a sharp yelp as one of the crossed wires sent a jolt through his arm. He twisted the wires and connected them to the new circuitboard he had just replicated, and snapped it into place. As he was closing the panel under the biobed, he peeked out between his raised knees at the Vulcan. "I might just take you up on that," he replied.

He rolled back onto his knees and pushed himself upright, stretching his lower back before tapping the commands to power up the biobed. "I think this one is back on-line," he told the nurse, before moving on to the next bed.



A post by:

Lieutenant Commander Stovek
Chief Operations Officer/2XO
USS Cygnus

And

Lieutenant JG Dylan McConnor
Engineering Officer
USS Cygnus

 

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