Something's Amiss

Posted on Wed Apr 28th, 2021 @ 8:19pm by Commander Peter Horn & Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro

1,373 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 3 - Fear Is Fear Itself
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Prior to speaking with True

ON:

A moan escaped the injured Vulcan, when he finally found his way back to awareness. He felt disoriented, and very weak, as if every fibre in his body had been set on fire. And worst of all, he had no idea how or when something had happened. Yet he knew that something had in fact happened, because he was surrounded by bright lights, and bleeping equipment. "What happened?" he asked, as he tried -and failed- to push himself up into a sitting position.

"Easy," Mel said jumping up from the chair she had been sitting in next to him waiting for him to awake. "Don't try sit up Peter, I'll adjust the bed. Just follow my voice, keep on it. Your coming round. We had to perform emergency surgery. What can you remember?"

His vision was swimming as the bed was adjusted to put him in a semi-sitting position. "Surgery?" he asked groggily, blinking a few times in the hope his vision would focus. "Remember.. The shuttle crashed, we walked..." He frowned as he searched his failing memory, trying to will away a pounding headache. "A cave? What happened. What surgery." Why was he in so much pain, when he'd been so careful not to get hurt?

"Peter you ended up connected somehow with a T'Kon terminal. The Captain experienced something similar and you also ... there's no easy way to say this. You ended up getting stunned and you ended up your hand being torn up by going through an alien enclosure. I'm so sorry. I couldn't save your hand," she said trying to keep the emotion out of her voice but failing as she found her voice cracking.

The emotion in her voice registered, but the delivery of her words was somehow disconnected from what he registered. His left hand went to his chest, where the burning pain originated. He then lifted the same hand as if to examine it. How was it gone, when he was looking at it? He then lifted his right only to find it not there and is expression turned to one of horror, breath coming in short gasps. "How..." He didn't remember slamming anything. "No, no.. this is not real... I am dreaming, this is not real!"

“I’m sorry Peter. It’s very real,” the auburn haired doctor said feeling just awful. “You might still feel like it’s there. You have nerve receptors for different parts of your body that would of been involved in the sensations when you moved your hand and they are still transmitting to your brain right now. It’s called phantom limb syndrome.”

Peter just stared at the stump, before hiding it under the blanket as he was no longer able to look at it. He looked back at his old friend, somehow expecting her to have a solution or perhaps by sheer miracle tell him he was dreaming after all.

“We need to go over your options, but when your ready,” Mel said. “This is a lot to process.

Do you feel any pain? Need anything for the shock? Would you like me to fetch Harley?”

"I think, medication might be wise," the Vulcan whispered, "and no I do not want Harley to see me like this. I need to know how this happened, I do not remember what happened." He brought his left hand up to his temple. "I have a very bad headache, and the last I remember is entering a cave."

Mel nodded and placed a hypo spray to his neck. “This is a mild stimulant. To be honest Peter perhaps it might be wise you not remember. There was anger and evil in that cave. The whole base. But I know you likely won’t stop until you know. Perhaps your memory will return? If not Minka was the only person who was with you completely through the whole experience. I can ask her to come talk to you but not now. You need to .. you need to accept this situation and see your family first. You can’t push Harley away right now.”

"I need her but...I cannot face her, not yet. Maybe tomorrow..." he gave her a stricken look. "The boys might be really scared, especially Ilyas. He is so sensitive, he is like me at that age. When he finds out, he may go do something... untoward." Peter leaned back against the pillows, wincing as he shifted. "How bad were the other injuries? I feel like I am on fire. Like something is very wrong."

Mel swallowed. “Your nanos were acting crazy. Something affected them. We had to get engineering to do an epm to try a hard reset. You also are recovering from pneumonia. And erm ... Minka kicked you in the crotch. I don’t know why.”

Peter gave a careful nod, closing his eyes as the move made his vision swim. "Yes that would do the trick on making me feel like this. Will they return to normal? I must have done something, for her to respond like that, though I do not remember what." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I will see Harley and the boys tomorrow. Right now, it is too much."

"I understand. I will go speak with Harley again," Mel said. "Its going to be okay Peter. Like I said you have options. We can discuss them when you're ready of course."

"When I am ready," Peter answered slowly, "right now all I really want is to sleep, and not feel as bad as I do. I feel unbalanced, unhinged and nauseated."

"I know. I'm sorry my friend. Its going to take time. Both to heal and to sink in. And it will start to feel better I promise," Mel said trying to be as reassuring as she could.

He could sense and appreciate the offer of reassurance. He could even understand how she could promise it'd get better, after all wasn't losing a mate just as bad as losing a limb? "How did you cope?" He asked in a bare whisper.

It took Mel a little while for her head to catch on to what he meant. In fact it took Leiko of all people to nudge her and say "Ian" in her head. She swallowed,

"It hurt. I won't lie. And I was in a dark place for awhile but I had to pull myself out of that funk. For Paddy, for Charlie, for Tay even - he might be grown up but he still needs his sister. And it got easier. Time heals Peter .... eventually .. it just does if you let it. And then one day you can reconcile it all. I knew Ian would want me to find someone and love again. I didn't quite believe it for a long time or perhaps want too but I knew it in here," she tapped her heart, "and then I recently as you know I took that leap. Your confidence comes back. Your belief in yourself.

You can have another hand. Its just how we do it and it might take a little time and rehabilitation," she said softly. "I know it will always be not the same but you will function properly again. I promise."

Peter nodded. He had still been very young when his own father disappeared, only to briefly appear and then go missing again. The truth was even after decades he still wasn't sure if the man was still alive. His mother never spoke of it, to the point of refusal if she was asked about it. "I trust you," he finally said, and how could he not after decades of friendship.

Mel nodded and gently squeezed his shoulder before heading to the door. "Try sleep Peter. If you need anything Russ is about and he can fetch me if you need me. Any time," she emphasised. She too felt exhausted but if he needed her she would be back in a shot.

Peter gave a silent nod, leaning back in the pillows and closing his eyes. He would try to sleep, but whether sleep would grace him was another matter entirely.

Dr Mel D'BrooNi
Chief Medical officer

Commander Peter Horn
Chief Counselor
USS Copernicus

 

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