Karma

Posted on Tue Feb 8th, 2022 @ 8:25pm by Lianej Derani & Lieutenant Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen [Taylor]

Mission: Tales from the other side of the Mirror
Location: The Serpent's Tooth, MU
Timeline: After 'Catalogue of Horrors'
1358 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Once they were taken out of the Airlock, Savar and Heather were taken to seperate cells in the Serpent's Tooth. They were more like sparse rooms than proper cells. The Serpent's Tooth wasn't in the business of taking captives or slaves.

Two hours later, there was a knock on Savar's door, "I'm Hesmil, the ship's surgeon? Would you be willing to let me examine you?" The door stayed close, the doctor obviously waiting for his consent to enter.

Savar had been lying on the cot, thinking of Heather. Despite what some of the rebels thought, he did love her a great deal and she him. He would have preferred that they had been placed in the room but he was sure the rebels had their reasons for separating them. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door and a request from the ship's surgeon to examine him. Sitting up and swinging his legs over the cot, he replied. "Come in Doctor, you may examine me

The door was unlocked, and revealed a Ktarian woman, thick brown hair bound back neatly. Two large orions flanked her, but showed no interest in coming inside. She shut the door, blocking them out, and set her doctors bag down on the basin and removed a medical tricorder, holding up the scanner between two fingers. "I don't have to touch you, but I will need to get closer to scan you. Can I do that?"

Savar cast his brown eyes upon her and the medical tricorder she held. He gave a short nod, "Proceed Doctor." He said calmly. He then asked a question, "Have you seen Heather?"

The Ktarian stepped closer, but not so close that she was standing in his personal space, and her eyes stayed on the tricorder as she made steady sweeps across his body. "A little while ago. I won't go into details, but the prognosis isn't good. The modifications left some very very serious complications behind. I'm sorry."

"Doctor. I must be with her. She is my wife and I am wor.....concerned about her. I will make no trouble for you. I have been taking care of her since we left the Empire's military and began looking for the rebels excuse me you and your fellow fighters.''

Hesmil tucked the scanner back into the tricorder, and placed it back into her bag, and then drew out another, with a much more romulan design and began scanning again, tracking around Savar's occiptal lobe. "I'll speak to the captain, under the circumstances, some time together before the operation would be compassionate. I'm not going to promise it will be a permanent arrangement."

Savar's concern for Heather grew as Hesmil mentioned operation but he stayed silent. "I would appreciate that Doctor." Savar replied as Hesmil finished her scan as he waited her her to tell him what she found if anything he continued. "Doctor, I have given my word. I will cause you no trouble. I only wish to be with my wife as we head to trial, surely I am not asking too much."

"Its not my decision." She told him gently. "And I'll give you the same warning I gave the inquisitor. Your asking for something many of us here can't have, because of people like you. Sympathy will not be forthcoming." She closed the tricorder. "You would have carried out a lot of mind melds as part of your duties, yes?"

"Doctor, I am not asking for sympathy or compassion. I am asking that Heather and I be reunited as we were when we were captured. it was your fellow rebels who separated us. I only wish for the original arrangement to be put back." Savar replied calmly. "I would have yes." He answered simply. "What is your point Doctor?" He inquired with an arched eyebrow.

"And those mind-melds would have been on prisoners? Spies? people who would have resisted?"

"Yes Doctor. People the Empire viewed as threats to the Empire. Much like you and your fellow crew members have done with Heather and myself. We are viewed as threats to your cause when all we want to do is join and help you. we are looked at with suspicion and doubt. I will also point out, I never shredded or destroyed a person's mind. You can accept it or not." Savar replied firmly.

The Ktarian women had an impressive poker face, and then she gestured with the Romulan tricorder. "You're showing markers for new variant Pa'nar syndrome. You're asymptomatic right now. But it will need to be treated within the next couple of years. I've got no-one on board who'd be able to do it now.
Until then, no more mind melds, even with those you're close to. You're contagious."

"Pa'nar syndrome? I confess I am not familiar with that virus. I will refrain from any more melds not that I am in a position to preform any." He looked at her, "Doctor if left untreated what are the end results? In addition would I pass the syndrome on to others and if so what would happen to them?"

"Its not a virus. Its damage to the psychic centers of the vulcan brain caused by badly done mind melds. The improperly trained, the rushed. The forced. The synaptic paths degrade, leading to malfunctioning of the endocrine system, which leads to a shut down of the immune system. The more bad melds, the worse it gets, and then that leads to any mind meld turning bad, and spreading the damage from contact to contact. So, no mind melds, no telepathy, giving or receiving, and you'll not make it worse, or spread it. You'll need a specialist to treat it, which we don't have, but once treated you make a full recovery. Untreated, I'd say five years before immune system collapses. "

Hesmil put her tricorder away. "Once you start showing symptoms we can treat it, until we find someone to execute a cure. We'll treat it for as long as we need to."

Savar was silent as Hesmil gave him the news about what he could expect from the syndrome if left untreated. He accepted the news stoically. "I see. I thank you doctor for your forthrightness. I do appreciate it despite what you may think of me. I am confused however you said the more melds I did would worsen the damage but then you said I would not make it worse or spread it." he finished and looked at her, his brown eyes on hers, looking at her body language to see if there was any sign of deceit or if her voice betrayed her.

"I said no more mind melds, and you won't make it worse. No more telepathy. Not even with your wife. Not until its treated."

Savar detected no deception in Hesmil. Not in her body language or her voice inflection. He nodded, "I understand Doctor. Thank you for the clarification. I will do no more melds not even with Heather."

"You'll get some dinner soon. You're mildly malnourished and dehydrated, so there will be a vitamin supplement with it, take it. And drink as much water as you can. In the meantime, I'll talk to Captain Derani. Is there anything else, before I go?"

"i do not believe so Doctor. I will follow your instructions. I thank you for the conversation and diagnosis. As well as your concern even if from a medical perspective. I appreciate you talking to the captain about Heather and I being together. As I stated to you earlier, I will make no trouble for you."

The ship's surgeon gave him a tight nod, and stepped out of the tiny room. It was locked behind her, and he was left alone with his thoughts.

As the doctor left leaving him all alone, Savar lay back on the cot. His thoughts weren't on himself or what the doctor had told him but rather on Heather. He was concerned for her and her wellbeing which judging what the doctor had said wasn't good and only wished to comfort and be with her in her time of need.