Test this?

Posted on Wed Jan 23rd, 2019 @ 6:01am by Commander Sthilg

Mission: Season 2: Episode 3: Determination is not always a good thing
Location: Field Hospital
Timeline: Before Liorga's abduction (took a while to complete)
1660 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

"Hertz to Sthilg", Estelle said as she looked at the reports she'd just seen. "We've got another problem down here. Disease outbreak, flu symptoms, high fevers." Not a big deal ordinarily, but many of these people needed medical care to make it through the disease, and with supplies limited and the impossible logistics of trying to reach everybody in the current state of affairs, Estelle was worried.

"I'm on my way down with more sssuppliesss. Sssee you in a sssecond." The Gorn doctor said as he picked up one of the big medical crates and held it on his shoulder. "Energissse."

As he beamed down, Estelle handed him the PADD with all the information she had already gathered or been provided with on the issue. "And it's a good thing, too. This is fast exceeding our capacity to care for everyone affected."

"Then we need to find a way to beat it and fassst. Have we had any luck finding the cause of the disease?" The Gorn said as he already started walking to the storage area still holding one of the crates in his other hand.

"No", Estelle said. "I met an old friend down here, one I hadn't heard of since my time at the Academy. She's gone through a rough patch but it looks like she's recovered her mojo, so... she's looking into that right now. She's out of touch with current medical research but she knows enough to go round the places and gather the data we need. I called you the moment I knew something was wrong." She held up a test tube with a sample in it. "Test this?"

The Gorn nodded as he took the tube and inserted it into the computer on his wrist. "Hum it looksss like it'sss sssome kind of mutation of Hygraena Sssenimatio. Don't know how it got on the planet. Have there been any ssshipsss from New Callisssto that docked with the planet." The Gorn inquired.

Estelle shrugged. "I don't know. What I have found is that it has only affected humans so far, and not hybrids with other species either. That part is the good news. The bad news, most of the people here are humans." Estelle was amazed that he was carrying a portable lab, and she decided she'd inquire into the details later. Now was not the time. "I'm not an expert in the field", she hedged her next statement, "but it looks to me like this outbreak is related to the breakdown of hygiene standards, possibly a biofilter malfunction in the transporters?" Known disease agents were routinely removed, after all.

"But that wouldn't explain why it's only affecting humans and not hybridsss." The big Gorn said, tapping his arm as a way to think. "Do we have a lissst of all hybrids who live here? If they have sssome natural resssissstance it may give us a place to start with a cure."

Estelle shook her head. "We've barely got a list of everyone here who needs our help. But we could start with Anje Brett. She's definitely been exposed. I've been exposed, too, and more than most. But so far I feel all right. Beyond the usual exhaustion after only sleeping for six out of the past 48 hours, I'm fine. So it doesn't even get all humans."

"Very good let'sss get ssssome blood sssamplesss from her, you and any of the ssstaff who've been here. If we can find any immunity we may be able to prevent thisss from getting any worssse." The lizard said calmly as he reached for a canteen at his side which he handed to the human. "Made from my own personal grown coffee beansss. Pour yourself a glasssss. I think we'll need it."

"Oh, much appreciated, thank you." Estelle grabbed her mug from a nearby stand. This one was uncharacteristically plain, no joke or funny picture on it. It was one of the standard mugs she got out of the replicator here at the colony. She filled her mug with the fresh coffee and took a long draught. "Ah, that hits the spot. Too little sleep down here. I've mostly treated traumatic injuries, from collapsed buildings." That last sentence seemed a bit unrelated but she figured he'd want to know anyway.

"And you've been doing a marvelousss job. Now we need to nip this dissseassse before it beginsss to ssspread." The Gorn said as he reconnected his canteen to his belt.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that", Estelle said. "That's why I didn't order a quarantine right away. It's already made the rounds. By the time we noticed the first people with symptoms, some had gone up to the ship, too. We're stuck with it."

"Well, we bessst get on and fix thisss. We'll need multiple blood sssamplesss from as many patientsss as possssible and get them sssent up to the ssshipsss labsss. Let'sss alssso get asss many sssamplesss from hybridsss that have been around the infected" The Gorn responded, his reptilian brain becoming focused on the task at hand.

"Yes, Julia is working on that. I'll tell her to take them straight to you", Estelle replied. "Just don't spoil her with too much of your coffee or she'll want to hang around too much." She winked.

"Don't worry, I won't. We have a lot of work to do. I'll collect the sssamples and ssstart running the test on the ssship." The Gorn said already formulating the test plan in his reptilian head.

"You're not staying down here with us?" Estelle wondered. "We could certainly use another pair of han... well, claws, in your case."

"If it helpsss I can ssstay here. I can sssend the sssamples up and have the ssstaff on the ssship run some of the testsss and I can finish off down here." The big lizard added.

"It would help a lot", Estelle smiled. "I've stopped counting after my fiftieth patient inside three hours. Facilities and staff are not prepared for this many wounded, and now sick as well. Captain Anderson, he runs this camp, he's trying to be three places at once and getting more people to come help, they're asking around in the shelters for anyone with medical training. The more the merrier."

"Well then let'sss get ssstarted. Which patiantsss need ssseing to first?" The Gorn said already pulling a pair of gloves from one of the containers on his belt.

"There's a queue formed outside the surgical ward", Estelle said. "I was about to go back in there. We're working with somewhat... simple equipment, and the scanners aren't particularly accurate because of all the interference. But I'm sure you'll adapt better and faster than I have." She had seen his file, he had the experience. He'd probably seen some of these things developed which the colony had inherited third-hand.

"Good thing I bought my manual toolsss." The Gorn said tapping a slim black bag strapped to his leg. "I've been in worssse sssituationsss and I'm sssure you'll do fine."

She had been doing well enough, at least in her own mind. Why was he patronising her? "Under the circumstances, we could be doing worse", she admitted.

"You've handled yoursself perfectly. I'll be mentioning you and the team'sss hard work in the logsss. You're all a credit to the uniform", the Gorn said as he placed his bags and boxes on a table before washing his hands. "Could you do me a favour and give my right arm a good whack around the ssshoulder blade. It feelsss a little lossse."

"Are you sure I shouldn't be calling an engineer for that?" Estelle wondered. "They're much better at percussive maintenance than I am." She couldn't even fix a broken kettle, she'd have to replicate a new one. "Have you never considered cloned implants? I mean, we can do that now." Not that he needed a reminder, but perhaps he needed a nudge?

"I've inquired about them, but the doctorsss have a long lissst of thingsss that could go wrong given my age, age of the wound and how deep into me the damage went. Don't worry I have an appointment to check up on my arm sssheduled next week." The Gorn said giving her a reassuring smile.

"Where exactly do you need what pushed into alignment now?" Estelle asked. She drew a tricorder and took a look. But her mechanical knowledge was limited, she had only ever worked with biological implants. The last time she'd seen those servos was in a museum, about twenty years ago.

The Gorn tapped his arm right on the bulk of the his shoulder. "Right there."

Estelle brought both her hands into position and pushed with all her strength, hoping it would be enough. She didn't dare just hitting him with her fist. She needed all the bones in her hands intact, and wanted no bruises.

The gorn gave a grin as there was a slight wiring from the motors. "There we go." he said as his large bulky digits on his artificial hand began to shrink down to become very thin and needle-like before returning to their original size. "One of the reasssonsss I prefer thisss. My people'sss digitsss aren't exactly built for poking around inssside people." He said the grin still on his face.

Estelle smirked. "I think they are built exactly for that", she disagreed. "Just, it's not pleasant, and usually fatal." There was no denying the predatory origin of the Gorn, and it was only Estelle's conscious mind overriding her primal fears that she did not flinch every time the hulking Gorn opened his mouth or made any kind of movement in her direction.

"Well, I've learned to sssuccesfully deliver children with them ssso I think that'sss a sssuccessss asss a doctor", the Gorn said as he pulled on a lab coat. "Ssstill, ssshall we get to work. I'm sssure a lot of people need help."

Estelle nodded, then showed him the way. "Aye."