"You people with hearts," he said once, "have something to guide you, and need never do wrong; but I have no heart, and so I must be very careful."

Posted on Wed Dec 1st, 2021 @ 2:06am by Commander Sthilg

Mission: Season 5: Episode 3: CAPETOWN
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD?? 0700
2389 words - 4.8 OF Standard Post Measure

ON:

Responsibility could be a weight at times. It was the only aspect of Starfleet employment that regularly hounded Rael, and provided him with empathy for his more reluctant clients. They said that doctors made the worst patients, and Vulcan doctors were particularly stubborn, but that wasn't-quite the issue.

Sthilg had been around the block, and it was highly unlikely he would exit this appointment without uncovering topics of discomfort. Rael did not relish it, but he would endure-and he was accustomed to the routine, dedicated to ensuring that these appointments went as smoothly and clinically as they could go. When he appeared through the sliding doors, he took a seat in the waiting area, clutching a small translucent touchPADD on his lap containing his information.

The heavy footsteps of Sthilg echoed through sickbay as the Gorn went around his duties. Noting the stranger sitting at the reception area the lizard walked over giving him the warmest smile that he could manage. "Hello there. I'm Doctor Sthilg chief MD can I help you?"

The Vulcan rose, coming to just a little above Sthilg's head, though his stature was poised and non-threatening. "I have an appointment to obtain my medical clearances," he explained. "I am Dr. Rael, I have just arrived on board." He tapped his PADD against his opposing hand, an idle movement, before placing it in his pocket and gesturing to the internal sickbay offices.

"Ah nice to meet you Dr. Rael." the Gorn said giving him a firm handshake. "Well let'sss get you ssseen to." Sthilg said leading the way to his office. "Any injuriesss or illnessssss not on your record sssince your lassst checkup?" he inquired.

In a peculiar turn of events, the Vulcan took his hand and gave it a brief shake, his grip gentle. "Negative," he answered the question, but remained otherwise elusive until they reached the examination room. Rael didn't need to be told to sit on the biobed, which he did proactively, without complaint, withdrawing his PADD once more.

"My medical records," he held it out. There was no denying the prior scans revealing a tapestry of past, poorly-healed fractures and injuries, and rehabilitative surgeries. The medications on it-requiring renewal-were easily recognized: an anxiolytic, painkiller, beta-blocker and a suppressive anti-viral-this one was perhaps the most unusual, at least within Federation territory, but Rael's service dossier did indicate he'd worked in a prison for a lengthy period of time.

Rael eyed him calmly, watching him read down the list with his hands folded in front of him, dignified.

The Gorn took a seat on his stool as he began reading through the file. "You certainly have an interesssting medical history. How wasss Longview Penal Colony?" the reptile inquired.

"Quite illuminating," the counselor offered a brief smile, eyes crinkled at the corners. "I appreciated my time there, and I believe I learned a great deal."

The Gorn nodded as he started up the bio beds scanner. "Have you had a chance to meet the chief counssselor?" he inquired as the machine got under way.

"I have," Rael answered easily. One could identify traces of wryness in his expression, where most Vulcans might be impenetrable. The scanner didn't reveal any new information, it merely highlighted the reality of the words written on the PADD.

"Ssshe'sss my daughter. You couldn't asssk for a better counsselor or boss," the reptile replied beaming as he did.

It caused the Vulcan's lips to purse, warm. "You're very proud of her. I found her to be a pleasant and competent individual. I am looking forward to working with her and the greater medical department aboard the Elysium."

"I am ssshe'sss one of the bessst essspecially what we've been through and I'm sssure you'll enjoy working with thisss unsssual family," the Gorn said as he stood up to look out the window of his office.

"I certainly expect so," Rael agreed mildly, a willing optimism. He watched the doctor maneuver from the stool to the window, but did not seek to interrupt him. "This crew appears quite close-knit."

"We are. We've been through a lot. It painsss me that we've lossst sssome of our people. Sssorry 'm being unprofessssssional. I've not been thisss clossse to home in nearly two hundred years," the lizard responded as he shook his head and walked back to the scanner.

Rael held up his hand, jerking his chin to the left once in the Vulcan negatory. "You needn't apologize to me. It sounds like being here is bringing up a lot of things for you." His brows arched, rueful. "If you should ever wish to speak of it, I am always available," he touched his own chest. "As a counselor, or a friend."

"Thank you for the offer my friend." The Gorn said as he looked at the results coming in from the scan. "You are right this place doesss mean a lot to me."

The scanner chirped, loud and clear as a ringing bell. Rael's fingers tightened very slightly into the biobed and looked up, spotting the vistat monitor to deduce the problem for himself. Predictable: elevated LFTs were a common side effect of the medicine he took, but it had tipped over into moderately concerning since his last scan. "Of course," he said, focusing the discussion back onto the doctor. "I hope that there are some positive attributes to returning home?" he asked, the question light.

The lizard let out a hum as he looked over the results. "You have very high LFTsss. Very clossse to the dangerousss levelsss," the Gorn said clicking his tongue side to side against his teeth as he thought.

Rael's lips press together, but he otherwise has no outward reaction, blinking a nod toward the physician. "How do you propose we proceed?" he said, his tone even. Tasarivirus-endemic to Kolar and Botchok presented an unusual treatment challenge, a bloodborne pathogen that was exceptionally pharmaceutically resistant, and encoded itself into a person's DNA, contraindicating typical total cellular replacement therapy. "I've been on cevarevir for approximately twelve years. I would prefer not to change my regimen."

"Hum," the Gorn said clicking his tongue together. "How did you contract this pathogen?" he inquired.

Fortunately Rael was prepared for this and his answer came, well-rehearsed. "I am unable to pinpoint the exact date of transmission but I acquired it during my time in the Orion Syndicate." The level nature of his words precluded any further questions, but it wasn't hostile.

"What were you doing with the Orion Sssyndicate?" the Gorn replied feeling confused. His bio made no mention of any undercover work.

"I was raised aboard the OSS Khadri," Rael explained succinctly, tapping the back of his neck where a raised circular brand rested. There were similar smaller seals burned into the skin of his arms, along with two tattoos indicating Estate-level training.

"Ah that can't have been easssy," the Gorn said his voice showing concern in his voice. "And you have no idea what time you contracted it. That doesssn't help."

"It was formative," Rael settled on, offering a slight smile. The facts of his history tended to distress others more than himself, so he kept things brief. "The incubation period for tasarivirus-induced immunodeficiency can be very lengthy." Years, sometimes decades. "Can the liver damage be repaired independently?" he asked, directing the conversation to a less sensitive topic.

"We could try a cloned liver transssplant, but that won't sssolve the problem in the long run," the Gorn said as he scratched his chin. "Maybe a sssynthetic one?"

"A synthetic liver," the other man repeated with a blink. His eyes unfocused a little, and he inhaled slowly through his nose. "What are my options medication-wise?" He was, evidently, the kind of patient that wanted all of the information before making a decision. The options weren't particularly satisfactory. Some had a less severe side-effect profile, but it was entirely individual, and required experimentation.

The lizard tapped his head as he sat on his chair. "Let'sss take a look. We need to find sssomething that won't interfere with your other medicationsss."

Rael nodded. "If you have any suggestions I am open to hearing them. I would rather avoid a synthetic transplant." It's dry.

The Gorn's eyes looked through the medicine the computer had found. "Let'sss try Navelsssol. I'll need to monitor it, but it may be able to ssstop the damage to your liver."

"That would be very much appreciated," Rael returned gratefully. "I regret this appointment appears to have turned into somewhat of a larger concern, but your professionalism means a great deal to me." He met Sthilg's gaze with his own, eyes unusually light for a Vulcan indicating a more coastal heritage.

"I'd do the sssame to any patient I had to deal with," the Gorn replied as he stood up and walked to the medical replicator. Entering a code he returned with a hypospray and the necessary medical vial. "Jussst hold ssstill," he said calmly.

Rael was a super good patient and didn't move a muscle! He bared his neck and allowed the doctor to depress the jet injector against his skin with a signatory hiss. "Do you have any plans to go down to the surface?" he asked.

"Of the planet?" the Gorn inquired "Of courssse it'sss my home."

"Two hundred years is a long time without seeing home," Rael murmured, sympathetic. "I'm glad you'll have the chance to take it all in once more."

"It'sss been a long long time. I'm jussst sssad my daughter can't come with me. I know ssshe'd love to lay sssome flowersss on the gravesss of our family," the Gorn said with pain in his voice.

"You mean Alicia?" Rael clarified. "Is there a reason she can't come?"

"Yesss a little bundle of joy called N’Vea," the Gorn said showing a holoimage of his granddaughter. "Her birth was a rather traumatic and Alicia isn't ready for an away misssion."

"That is quite unfortunate. If you should like some company, please know I'm here. I recognize it is not the same thing as being with your family, but-grief is challenging, no matter how long it's been-and grief thrives best in isolation."

"I appreciate the offer. I will be leading the away team to my home village. Can't wait to sssee the old place again," the old Gorn replied.

"I'm pleased that you have this opportunity," Rael's smile reached his eyes. "Perhaps you'll be able to make more time to visit in the future. It seems like a worthwhile endeavor to pursue, as it is evidently associated to some positive feedback."

"That would depend on the Hegemony/Federation relationssship and if they can lift the quarantine they have the world under," the Gorn explained.

"For your sake I truly hope that they reconsider. Home is very important, and it stands to reason that your people would be invested in your wellbeing? I expect you're among the few Gorn in Starfleet, if nothing else, I'd want to keep you close."

"Lassst time I checked there are around nine of us in the fleet though i'm the only one in medical." Sthilg replied honestly. "As for the Hegemony, I'll openly admit the lassst contact I had wasss when I got filled out the paperwork for permisssion to leave Hegemony and that was nearly two hundred yearsss ago."

"It might be worthwhile to reach out to your people's government," Rael suggested, soft. "Perhaps they've updated their opinions in the last two hundred years. I'm sure there are many people aboard who would vouch for your character-and you did ask for permission in the first place."

The Gorn chuckled at that. "You have no idea how ssslow the Hegemony is to change. Theresss a reassson they're a dreadnaught following in warp trail," the doctor said leaning back in his chair. "My people are ssslow to change. If sssomething worksss why change it, combined with the average lifessspan of fifty yearsss meansss long time planning is very hard."

"Fifty years," Rael repeated to himself, curious. "And you're over two hundred? Is that a quirk of genetics?"

"A little of that, a little of not being your average Gorn and a little bit of luck," Sthilg replied with a grin. "My people'sss culture and planetsss we choossse to live on don't aid to a long lifessspan."

"Vulcan is similarly harsh," Rael related with a small smile of his own. "Beautiful, but deadly. Kolar was many things, but you rarely had to worry about being electrocuted to death walking out of your front door!" his nose wrinkles up as a huff escaped him-what would be laughter in anyone else.

"I've alwaysss wanted to vissst Vulcan," Sthilg replied fondly. "I'd love to have a ruffle through the sssceince acdamey'sss archive."

"I have a few holoprograms, if you're ever in the mood for a tour," Rael's nose wrinkled up, his own version of a grin. The scanner chirped again, and he swallowed. "How long do I need to take this medication?" he asked, straightening up. "Are there any side effects or dietary restrictions I should be aware of?"

"Take one dossse for the next three weeksss than we'll sssee if there hasss been any improvement," the Gorn replied calmly. "I sssee no need for you to alter your diet."

That was a relief. "Thank you, Dr. Sthilg." He trailed off for a long moment, lost in thought. Realizing he hadn't said anything else, he animated again, smiling. "I'll contact you in a few weeks to reschedule. I assume that in the interim I can continue to perform my duties as expected? At the moment I don't appear to have any symptoms."

The lizard nodded. "I have no reassson to not declare you fit for duty. If anything ssstartsss to feel wrong call me. My door will always be open."

"Very much appreciated, Doctor. Have a wonderful day," Rael said, hopping off the bio-bed and clasping his hands behind his back. He gave the Gorn a brief nod before swiveling on his heels and walking out.

OFF:

Commander Sthilg
Chief Medical Officer
USS Elysium

Lieutenant JG Rael
Counselor
USS Elysium