For their thoughts

Posted on Sat Dec 31, 2022 @ 11:25am by Lieutenant Commander Zachary Addams & Commander Cullen Walker

781 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: We Will Take Care of You
Location: Sickbay

Zach left Halvor resting on a biobed and rubbed his eyes. The device that had been implanted in and on Halvor was perfectly tailored to his anatomy. Ironically, it looked like the design that his predecessor had been working on. He'd gone over the notes she'd left when he took over Sickbay, and had always wanted to bring up the idea to Lt. Halvor, but hadn't gotten around to it yet in his short time aboard. Now, it seemed, someone had stolen the design, fabricated a functioning prototype, and expertly installed it in a matter of minutes. He wasn't sure how that could be possible, but clearly it would require superhuman abilities.

He'd made notations in the schematic notes and sent a report to the Captain. Now, he had to do something he dreaded: check in on their other critical patient.

He cleared his throat at the two security men guarding the recovery room door and nodded for them to follow him. He keyed in his override and the doors opened to reveal the room's only occupant lying in bed. His arms and legs were in restraints, as well as his torso. He wasn't moving for the time being. He'd been cleaned up and had most of the drugs pumped out of his system, but they'd kept him asleep to help him fully recover. Zach glanced at the biobed's monitor and was satisfied with what he saw. He nodded to the security men to keep their weapons drawn and ready, grabbed a hypospray and programmed it with a mild stimulant. He pressed it to Walker's neck and stepped back, folding his arms.

Walker slowly opened his eyes, he was still tired. He looked at the security officers. "Oh. It's that kind of party. Doc, I don't feel good."

"Yeah, no shit," Zach said, dryly, watching the readouts. "Your body's been put through the wringer. Going to take a few days to recover."

His breathing was suppressed. He was far from one hundred percent, but he wasn't 'High on Penelope'. "How much did I drink?" According to his Starfleet Records, he only drank as part of cultural functions.

"I think this was a 'quality over quantity' issue," Zach said. "You were drugged."

"Drugged? I don't normally have extreme reactions out of the standard when drugged." Walker looked confused.

"Well this was an extreme amount of sedative in your system," Zachary said, shaking his head. "We're checking your replicator and items in your quarters for traces of the drug." He folded his arms. "What's the last thing you remember?"

Thinking about it, Walker said, "Penny came over. We had a meal, a drink, discussed our future, and had activities, then I passed out."

Zach felt his jaw twitch in anger at the term "activities" but he tamped it down and made a mental note to see what had been replicated.

"I had the weirdest dream," Walker continued. "It must have been my brain telling me I hurt myself too much. I dreamed about going to sickbay. I dreamed about getting into a fight. Then I dreamed I had sex with Penny again. Then I passed out. Did I have sex twice?"

"We haven't checked, but you were found naked in bed, so..." Zach trailed off, folding his arms and preparing to leave.

Walker looked around. "Where is my rune bag?" He always wore it unless he was sleeping. "I have to get it off my bedside table."

"As I said, you had nothing on you when you were found, so presumably it's still there," Zach said. "I'll make sure security checks for it."

Taking a deep breath, assessing himself, "I've been tranquilized and I'm in 6 point restraints. Did I actually fight someone when I was drugged?" Walkers were all about Self Control. He didn't like not being in control. He swallowed, "Did I hurt someone?" His heart rate and pulse spike briefly. His breathing altered. The idea of hurting someone scared him.

Zach's eyes flicked to the biobed's readouts. "Try to remain calm," he said. "You're being restrained for both your safety and mine. Once we're sure all the drugs are out of your system, we'll see about removing the restraints. For now, relax, rest, recuperate. If you need anything, Doctor P'k'ala will attend to it."

Walker looked at him, "I'm sorry I hurt you, Doc. Can you ask Doctor P'k'ala to send someone for my rune bag? I use it to increase my calmness."

"I'll see what I can do," Zach said, not acknowledging the rest. "Get some sleep. I'll have someone update you when I know more." He turned and left the room, closing the door behind him without looking back.

 

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