The Dragon's Healing Hand...

Posted on Fri Aug 13th, 2021 @ 6:42am by Lieutenant Samaire MacBride-Reece [Lalor] & Cadet Junior Grade Triston Montgomery [Lalor] & Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Lieutenant JG Ryan Kade III & Master Sergeant Kieran Fredericks & Lieutenant Scott Gregory [Taylor] & Captain George Charles [Reece] & Lieutenant JG T'Kek [Naxea] & Ensign BF 345078 (john Snow.) [Sthilg] & Staff Sergeant Leilani Charles {Kelea-Salik}

Mission: Season 5: Episode 2: Operation Save Humanity
Location: USS Elysium, Sickbay
Timeline: MD 6 / 1105 hours
4599 words - 9.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Sthilg had seen many things in his life, but the state of some of the patients that had been brought from the planet broke his heart. Half of these problems could be dealt with by a first-year medical student yet these people had been suffering for decades.

Still they were here now and he could do what he did best. That was if half of them were terrified by his apperance at first sight.

With Heather off her feet resting and Emily being kept busy as well, Leilani was lending a hand in main Sickbay. She smiled as she walked over to Sthilg “You look worried Doctor?”

" Off courssse i am my dear i'm going to have to work on people from a closed off-planet that have never ssseen a giant reptile before. It could caussse them quite a nasssty ssshock." he replied honestly.

Leilani nodded. “Of course, with the exception of yourself and anyone else whose needed in Sickbay, I suggest we keep to Human looking crew so as not alarm our visitors. I’ll do what I can to reassure people.”

" Good point though that will be hard to do." He said flicking the padd over to one of the patients a young boy the marines were bringing in. " I can have an artificial eye and ear inssstalled in two hoursss sssurgery. It'sss going to hurt not being able to tell him that." He said disheartened slightly.

“You will be able to tell him, I’ll see to that” Leilani smiled as she placed her hand on the Gorn’s arm.

The gorn gave her a reassuring thank you smile before patting her shoulder. " Thank you my freind. Now ssshall we get Jaden and her mother ssseen to?" He said leading the way towards the quarantine room.

When George entered Sickbay, he saw his beautiful wife. It warmed his heart, especially after what he had just experienced. He started to move towards her, but saw Sthilg and her head into the quarantine area. So, he moved over to an empty biobed and gently sat Hendor down upon it.

"Don't leave!!" The little boy pleaded.

"Shhh," George cooed softly. "It's okay, I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not going to leave your side until we get you back to you brothers and sisters. I promise."

Hendor kept a little boy death grip on George's hand as the older man leaned against the biobed, while they waited for someone in medical.

As soon as she was finished helping Sthilg, Leilani returned to main sickbay. She smiled the biggest smile ever as she saw George leaning against a biobed with the young boy Sthilg had mentioned firmly attached to his hand. “George!” She was soon at his side.

Hearing her sweet voice, George immediately perked up. Standing, he whispered down to Hendor, who nodded, releasi g George's hand, so he could hug his wife. He breathed in her sweet perfume as they embraced. Even though it had only been a few hours since they last saw each other, after what happened below, it felt much longer.

He loosened his hold just enough so he could kiss Leilani tenderly. Then, after they came up for air, he said, Leila, I have someone very special that I want you to meet." As he spoke, he transmitted everything that he experienced down on the planet, including the boy's reluctance to reveal his deformed face.

Turning back to Hendor, George spoke softly, to keep their dialoge intimate. "Hendor, this is Leilani. She's my wife and the best combat nurse on the ship. You will always be safe with her. Sweetheart, this is my new good friend, Hendor."

Leilani looked at Hendor as she bent down to be more at his height. “You are the young man that Doctor Sthilg was telling me about” She smiled warmly. “It’s okay you don’t need to be afraid, while you’re here you can stay with us.” She looked at George. “If you’re happy with that Imzadi?”

George smiled. "If he's okay with it. Hendor? Would you like to stay with Leilani and me, in our private cabin, while you are here with us?"

"Are there bugs where you sleep?" He asked shyly as he started to absent-mindedly scratch a few old bites.

“Absolutely none!” Leilani grinned. “How’s about we get you something to stop those bites itching, then Doctor Sthilg can take a look at you.” She looked at George then back at Hendor. “Now Doctor Sthilg may look a little scary when you first see him, but I promise he’s a big softy and he loves children!”

George nodded. "Leilani is right, Hendor. Doctor Sthilg is not human. He comes from the species known as Gorn. They are a bipedal reptilian species. Do you understand what that means?"

The boy looked down, seemingly thinking about what he had just heard. Then, looking back up, he replied shyly. "He...he's a dragon?"

“Errr well... kind of...” Leilani grinned as she looked up at George. She was in awe of the young man sitting in front of her.

The gorn gave the pair a warm smile as he stepped into the quarantine area. Jaden and her mother were clean so they could now be moved to the main area. " Hello, my dears." He said as the little girl's face lit up at the sight of him. If you'll follow me we'll get you ssseen to." He said warmly.

" Katherine spoke. "Hello Doctor. How are you today?"

" Very well my dear. We have more patientsss coming in from the planet. Looksss like you aren't the only one who wantsss to leave. " the gorn replied.

The world was bright, so white, it all seemed to glow. Jaden scrunched her nose and rubbed her eyes. She was still adjusting to the sterile and well-lit environment. Then, suddenly, something came into focus. Something tall and... scaly! Her worries were gone as her fascination with the doctor overrode everything else.

"Mr. Sthilg!" She called, running up to him. There was no hesitation as she stuck to his leg, again. This time, however, she immediately rapped her knuckles on it. Her eyes went wide at the feel and sound of the artificial replacement. "Wow!" She breathed deeply, realizing it was definitely not flesh, "does it hurt!?"

" No my dear. " The gorn said giving his leg a reassuring tap. " Though the artificial nerve endingsss in it do allow me the sssensation of touch."

T'Kek entered sickbay, escorting the woman that his team had brought back. "This is our Sickbay, where we treat the sick and injured," he assured the woman.

The woman with the flower dress looked around, noting how staff were rapidly treating people she knew were from her home world. Equally, and without repulsion or disgust. And where the person in charge clearly wasn't human. "Its so...different. So..." She stopped, not having the words to describe a system without fear of being classified as unclean. "Free," she finished.

Nodding as he escorted her. "Starfleet doctors are taught and trained to treat everyone equally, no matter their species. All life deserves a chance."

"That's not a sentiment many people share where I come from," The woman sad sadly. "If its not perfect, it has to go, regardless of how fixable anything is."

Having left Jaden and her mother in Snow's capable digits. The gorn made his way over to the next patient. Looking over to the opening door he gave a nod to T'Kek. " Get her ssseated and i'll be along ssshortly." He called to the ensign. Walking over to another biobed giving a polite smile and a nod to Leilani and George. " How is the young gentlemen Seargent? " he asked looking down at the small human. By the all mother how could any living creature let anyone look like this he thought to himself.

Leilani smiled. “This is Hendor, I was about to get him something for his bites.” She smiled at Hendor. “Hendor this is Doctor Sthilg, he’s a Gorn. Nothing to be scared of, and the best doctor anyone could ever wish for!”

The young boy looked up, and up, from under the hood that covered the left side of his face. A look of awe filled his tiny features. Without hesitation, he smiled and exclaimed, "You ARE a dragon!! Can you fly? Do you breath fire? Have you ever fought a knight of the round table?!"

A haughty laugh left the gorns lips at those words. " Afraid not young man. My species hasn't been able to fly for many millionsss of yearsss. I am an honorary member of the knights of malta though " He said as his artificial arm turned into it's scanning mode as his palm glowed blue. " Now i jussst need to take a look at you. I promise you won't feel a thing."

Seeing the mechanical hand, Hendor cowered away in fear. "No machines! George please! They hunt us with machines!!"

George instantly dropped to his knees so he could comfort the boy. "It's okay, shhhh. That's not a machine, it's just Doctor Sthilg's artificial hand. He uses the tools in it to help anyone who's hurt. I promise, you are safe here, with us. I won't let anything bad happen to you."

Leilani looked at Sthilg.

The gorn instantly switched off his scanner. " It'sss okay ssson. I'm not going to hurt you." he said with concern in his voice.

“Hey I’ll tell you what...” Leilani looked at Hendor. “I’ll show you.” She turned to Sthilg. “Doctor Sthilg can scan me, like he was going to you.”

The gorn nodded as switched his scanner back on running it along Leilani's body." You sssee little one there is nothing to fear." He said reassuringly.

Hendor looked back, still frightened. But, seeing that Leilani wasn't hurt, and feeling nothing but concern from the three adults, he swallowed and nodded. "O-okay." He then turned back to face Doctor Sthilg. "I'm ready, Doctor Sthilg." He then closed his eye and held his breath.

The gorn gave him a reassuring smile." It won't take long." He said running his hand down the boys body as his computer collected the data. It took less than a minute before he gave a reassuring " All done. You've been a very brave boy."

“So brave that I think you’ve earned a treat” Lani grinned. “Do you like ice cream? Ohh and there’s one more thing...” Lani motioned that she’d be right back, when she returned she did so with a teddy in her hands. “This is Pudsey, he’s an Earth Bear, as you can see he has a poorly eye too.” She handed the bear to Hendor. “He’s a wonderful bear and if you’d like him he’s all yours.”

Hendor slowly reached out to the teddy bear, his little fingers slowly moving over the missing left eye. As he did so, his chin started to quiver slightly and his right eye filling with tears. Gently, he pulled the bear to him. He had never had a toy in his life, except a small serpant head rattle when he was a baby. Looking down at the bear in his small arms, he then looked back up at Leilani. Without hesitation, he hopped off the bed and wrapped jis arms around her right leg, holding tightly. "Thank you!!" He started to cry happy tears as he clung to her.

“It’s my pleasure Hendor” Leilani offered the young boy a hug as she bent down slightly.

The gorn doctor had turned as he looked at the boy's scans results. Even the most run-down federation colony world could have fixed all this when the boy was very young. Still, he could fix it now. " Hendor i may not be a dragon or knight but i do have some good new for you. I can give you your left eye and ear back." the gorn said reassuringly as he knelt down to be on a better eye level with the boy.

Turning to look at the friendly dragon, Hendor absentmindedly reached up to touch the left side of his face. "But....I was born this way. How...?" His small mind couldn't fully comprehend the ramifications of what Sthilg had just told him.

The gorn had his artificial arm move into defense mode forming into the energy sheild he'd used on the planet. " I wasn't born with thisss little one. I lossst it in the line of duty ssso sssome friendsss built me a new one." He said switching it back to its normal mode. " I can build you a new ear and we can grow a new eye for you. Would you like to sssee how?"

Hendor's eyes grew wide in wonder. "You're a dragon knight!!" He squeaked slightly in excitement, then grew quiet. "Can..can George and Leilani come too?"

" Off courssse. I will need to take a blood sssample firssst. Will you be a brave boy and let me take it?" The gorn said as he drew a hypospray from his belt. " You won't feel a thing as George and Leilani can assssssure you."

Looking up at both Leilani's and George's smiling faces, Hendor was starting to feel brave. He looked back at the nice dragon doctor. "Yes, Sir. What do I need to do?"

" Jussst hold ssstill. " He said as he placed the hypospray agist the boys neck and pressed the control button. " There we go all done." He said as he fished around in his pockets before drawing a strawberry lollypop. " Here you go young sssquiare."

Hendor took the small stick with a red rounded end. Looking up at tge dragon with a confused look on his face, he asked, "What is it?"

" A lollypop young man. You remove the plassstic and carefully lick it. " The gorn explained feeling disheartened that green's people had robbed the young boy of such a small thing.

Hendor looked back at the thing called a lollypop, what a silly name gor, well, it was just silly. Doing as instructed, he carefully peeled the plastic off. As soon as he did, he could smell the sweetness. His eye opened a bit more. He then stuck out his tongue and carefully licked it. His eye nearly bugged out of his skull. He started licking the treat like he was starving and it was the best tasting morsel of food ever. Pausing long enough to look back up, he said, "Thank you, Sir! I've never had anything like this ever!" He then went back to enjoying the candy.

" Enjoy it you've been a very brave boy." the doctor said warmly.

Hendor nodded and continued. He then paused, remembering somethong that was said earlier. "Leilani....what's ice cream?"

Leilani grinned. “It’s... complete heaven! A cold dessert made from milk that comes in a lot of flavours. I’ll show you when we get home.” She smiled at George this was all good practice for when they had a child of their own running around.

George knelt down in front of Hendor and smiled. "I think you will definitely like ice cream. It's sweet, like that lollypop is, only better and colder!"

Hendor looked between George and Leilani. "Better than this?" He asked in amazement, indicating the lollypop that he was still licking.

“Ohh so much better!” Leilani grinned. “Just wait and see.”


Scott walked and looked at the scene in front of him. "Hiya Doc, everything okay here?" He asked pleasantly.

" I have a blood sssample i need you to check. " he said holding up the hypospray. Need to sssee if the boy can take sssome cybernetic implantsss."

"Sure thing Doc. Anything in particular we are looking for or not looking for?" Scott asked.

" Sssee if he'sss allergic to any of the drug'sss we use and make sssure his body can take and sssee if their any anomoliesss in the blood. I have an idea what could be causssing the planet'sss birth defectsss. " The gorn said calmly.

"You got it." Scott replied pleasantly as he looked at the child. "Alight bud, just going to run some tests on you but they won't hurt."

" Now young man would you like to sssee how we're going to fix you up? " The doctor said looking at his young patient.

As the doc talked, Scott was busy taking and looking at blood samples. He frowned slightly, ran the tests again and his frown deepen. "Doc." He said softly, "Could you come look at these blood samples?"

Katherine spoke up. "Can I see what you've found on these blood samples?"

Scott waved her over, "Sure, come take a look." As he stepped to the side to let her look at what he had found.

Katherine looked at the data and the dropped the pad. "Its the Homophage."

Leilani looked across at Katherine. “What is that?”

"The Homophage is a disease we found on this planet when we first settled this world. But the leadership told us it was a genetic deformity from Earth. My ancestors were from the first scientists who still followed the scientific method, but a cadre of loyalists convinced the leadership that a purge was necessary. So they proposed one of the first purges." Katherine noted. "The Homophage is a nightmare doctor. It attacks humans on the genetic level. It might have been controllable had our genome been more diverse, but now our people have all sorts of immunodeficiencies they don't tell us about." Katherine noted. "Our colony will be dead inside of a year."

Leilani looked at George then back at Katherine “If this is a disease is it contagious? If it his how contagious?” She was starting to worry not just about Hendor but about George and their unborn child given she now had contact with Hendor as well.

"It's spread through Sexual Intercourse." Katherine noted. "Those fools. They've killed us." Katherine noted. "We need a way to restore our genome using genetic data from humans on earth using genetic therapy or alteration." Katherine noted

"And of course your people will survive it. Your genes have not been through the government's genetic purification programs. I and Jaden will be dead in a few months." Katherine looked angry. Her calm voice raised in anger. "Tell President Green, when I am gone l, that I hope he burns in hell."

" You can tell him yourssself. No one is dying on my watch. " The gorn said as he walked over after excusing himself from his young charge. " Now sssomethingsss not right here. The sssample is from the young man and he'sss clearly not had any intercourssse and the viral ssscannersss haven't detected it. Isss it in an active ssstage?" He asked Scott.

"Afraid so Doc." Scott replied. "So it can't be only spread by sexual intercourse. There has to be another reason."

“What about contamination of the soil, air or water?” Leilani looked at Sthilg.

" If it was in the air everyone of usss would have it. Ssso it must be in the water, but that doesn't make sssene Even a basic filter ssshould be able to purify the water and even earth duringthe eugenics war had tech that could do the job." The gorn puzzled.

Katherine listened and spoke. "There is a rumor." She noted. "Some of our people believe that the Homophage might have been artificial. I don't know if it's true or not. No one has ever run an in-depth analysis on Homophage, and has not emerged in a press conference with some kind of slogan about it."

" Well, ssseemsss liek a good time to do an in depth analysssisss of the homophage. I'll bet my third tesssticle it originatesss in a third world war bio lab and that Green'sss persssonel quatersss have their own private water sssupply."

Katherine spoke. "Doctor, May I assist you? This is... I need to get this out of myself and Jaden. And I feel that my grandfather will be able to rest if we present a treatment for this to my people. This will be the last thing I will give them. Before I study Medicine in your Federation." She noted. "Personally, I want Jaden to know this Federation your people are so fond of... I'm tired of looking over my shoulder every day.

" Off courssse my dear. " The gorn said before looking at his team. " I'll need sssomeone to look through the data of any inhabitantsss of the planet we have and sssomeone to ssstart looking through earth'sss bioweaponsss manifessst. We're going to cure thisss thing and ssshove the cure right down green'sss xenophobic...." The gorn began before remembering the children and muttered out a soft "behined."

"The other word is most appropriate for the situation." Katherine noted. "My family has often been ostracized on this planet.. because we dared to question." She noted. "I have long distrusted our scientific community. Including the Medical Community. It was only my grandfather who had a chance to truly study homophage... That was until they killed him, and seized his work. Then those fools from the ministry of science retired many medical professionals from their positions, and replaced them with accomplices that, even during my time practicing at the hospital, were willing to say 'yes' when I would say 'no,' and my diagnosis and proof would always be overridden by someone from either the hospital director to the Ministry of Medicine. Whoever was convenient." Katherine mentioned. "Ladies and Gentlemen. Our government is adept at one thing; Covering it all up and using it for votes for the next election, and they keep everyone at each other's necks for political parties just so they don't solve the real problems facing us."

“Doctor” Leilani looked to Sthilg. “Is it alright if we take Hendor home? Get him a shower, some food and a rest?”

" Off courssse my dear. Keep a clossse eye on him." THe gorn said with a ressuring nod.


While Sthilg was busy with the little boy, T'Kek had been busy with getting the woman in the flower dress' vitals. Noticing the cystic fibrosis markers on the DNA scans caused him to shake his head. These people were truly stuck in the dark ages. Looking around at the others made him hope that they didn't receive any backlash or punishment for seeking treatment. Would they need to seek asylum?

"Hello there T'Kek. " Came the voice of Snow as he teleported into the room." How is the patient? " He inquired.

T'Kek looked up at the exocomp. "She is well enough but has developed two pregnancies with Cystic Fibrosis," he explained before catching the woman's shocked and terrified look at seeing Snow. "It's alright, madam. This is Snow, a sentient exocomp that aids the medical staff."

"Its a robot?" she was relieved at T'kek's explanation. "How did it just appear? Camouflage?"

T'Kek grinned and shook his head. "No. Snow has a built in micro transporter that allows him to transport to areas he is needed most."

Snow lit up the two lights on the side of his upper body to show his confirmation. With a slight fizz and a flash, his medical replicator module appeared underneath him as he began replicating the first treatment to inhibit the likelihood of the mutation that caused cystic fibrosis. The small hypospray capsule dropped into a small claw-like arm that he handed to T'Kek. " First treatment ready to go."

"Thank you, Snow," T'Kek said as he took the medicine filled hypospray. "This is medicine that will aid in fighting conditions that cause the Cystic Fibrosis." He held the hypospray up for the woman to look at it.

"Do you require any assistance?" The robot asked T'Kek

T'Kek looked up as he pressed the hypospray to the woman's neck. "I do not believe so, but thank you, Snow." Looking back at the nearby medical table, he grabbed a subdermal regenerator and looked back at the woman. "Please lie back on the bed. This a subdermal regenerator that will repair the damaged cells caused by the cystic fibrosis."

As the woman hesitantly did so, T'Kek activated the device and began to run it over the woman's chest as the device' regeneration fields penetrated the body and began to heal the woman's lungs.

As everything was going on. George looked around, seeing most of the away team present. He knew that most of the Marines had returned to their section of the ship, leaving Kieran and just two others behind. He noticed that Whavi was nowhere to be seen, though he knew that she came back up with them. He had an odd feeling, though, that they had forgotten something. Looking off to Kieran, he motioned the senior NCO to come closer.

"Yes sir? " Kieran asked.

Quietly, George spoke. "Top, do me a favor. While I'm taking care of Hendor here, do a quick headcount of our team. I'm getting a bad feeling that something's wrong."

"Aye sir. I just had a thought. I have a son onboard who's about his age. Think I could bring him here? Might make him feel a bit more comfortable to have another boy around. " said Kieran.

George nodded, as he replied. “That would be a great idea, Top. However, perhaps not here. Why don’t the two of you come over for dinner tonight? The boys would have a quieter space to meet and get to know each other.”

"Yes sir. " said Kieran. He was more than a little surprised at the invitation. It had been his experience that officers normally didn't do such things outside a command function. While many of his friends were officers they still tended to maintain a professional distance. But the surprise was a pleasant one.

" Carefully sssized portionsss for the young arrival. His body hasss sssuffred from long periodsss of malnourissshment. Large mealsss could make him very sssick." the old gorn said walking past.

George nodded as he heard Sthilg. "Understood, Doc. When do you need him back here?"

" Two or three daysss to grow him a new eye and the needed tissssssuesss. I'll have the new cyberneticissst who'sss joining usss ssstop by to look into giving him a cybernetic ear." The old doctor explained stoping slightly to talk.

Hendor moved up to Sthilg and looked up, and up. He then extended his arms up to the Gorn, signaling that he wanted to be picked up.

The gorn did so gently picking up the young human. " We're going to get you fixed you up kid then we'll go and help your freindsss down on the planet." He said reassuringly as he gave him a gentle hug.

Hendor wrapped his small arms around Sthilg's large neck. He then gave him a small kiss on his cheek. "You're my favorite dragon!" He exclaimed as he buairied his face against Sthilg's neck scales. He then leaned up to whisper something into his ear. "I'm sorry, sir...I cant say your name right.... Can I just call you Draco?"

" That'sss fine little one. " The gorn said reassuringly.

Hendor grinned brightly and then hugged Sthilg tightly again. "Thank you, Draco," he whispered, emotion filling his voice.

" It'sss okay little one." The gorn said his mind thinking of what he could do to help all the others on that world and how he had a dragon of his own to slay to do so.

A few moments later, Hendor released his hold on Sthilg, then, Leilani and George took him to their quarters, to give him a bath, fresh clothes and a warm meal.