Leech fish and brainwaves

Posted on Mon Jun 20th, 2022 @ 6:05pm by Senior Chief Petty Officer Emily Charles {Kelea-Salik} & Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant Etrara Khalten

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Sickbay
1740 words - 3.5 OF Standard Post Measure

Sthilg feet pattered along the ward floor as he walked among the wounded. Everyone was out of the danger zone thankfully and it was now waiting till he could send them home.

Stepping into the closed-off quarantine bay he approached Etrara still laying in her bed. Stuck on her head was one of the leech fish used for stabilizing brainwaves. Picking up the little creature he plopped it back into the tank.

Etrara was battling inside herself. The Klingon brain could not integrate with Emily’s memories but elements of her trauma slipped inside Etrara’s mind. She knew she was not Emily but also, she was. At the back of her mind she was Tactical and Security Chief, a new position for her so it was not yet anchored in her psyche. Her eyes opened wide and she grabbed Sthilg’s coat, “help me please, take these out of me, where is Emily and my brother George he can help me?”

Sthilg jumped at her being awake as he let out a slight shriek. " Calm down my dear." He said regaining his composure as he reached into the tank and pulled out another one of the fish. " Let'sss jussst put thisss on your head."

She put her hand up to grab his wrist. “What is this slop you are putting on me?” She asked gripping his wrist tightly. “It looks like food,” she laughed took the fish and swallowed it.

Sthilg let out another yelp. Fortunately, Etrara started to gag before, with a loud cough the fish jumped out of her throat dropping to the floor shivering in it's now stone shell. " Pleassse don't do that they’re trying to help you." he said retrieving the little creature and returning him to the tank as he handed Etrara a cup of water.

She took the cup from him and threw it down. “Stone Age medicine” she growled looking for her knife. “Release me, NOW, I will find my own cure. WHERE IS MY BROTHER? She screamed.

" There Ssstearo fish and have been used by the nativesss of their world sssince the ssstoneage for a reassson. " Sthilg replied camly as he reached for a mirror. " Do you reconisssse the woman in thisss picture."

She stopped as she looked in the mirror, she slowly passed her fingers over the ridges on her forehead and down her broad nose. “I…I am, not me.” She whispered. I recognize my face but…not who I am.” She looked at Sthilg. “Please help me? She said.

" It'sss okay I am helping you little one. I need you to lay back, relax and let me put one of the fissssh on your head." the lizard replied in his best grandfatherly tone.

Etrara did as she was told and lay back quietly waiting for the fish.

Sthilg calmly pulled another from the tank and carefully attached it to her head with it's leech-like mouth. " Bringing up his computer he smiled as he brain waves slowly began to return to normal. " Now lay back my dear. I'll have Emily ssstop by and get thisss all sorted out."

A few minutes later Emily stepped into Sickbay, she was due on shift anyway so the call from Sthilg had come just at the right time. She smiled as she walked across to Sthilg and Etrara. “You called Doctor?”

" Ah Emily nice that you could make it. Etrara head isss ssstill clogged up with your memoriesss and we'll need your help to fix everything." Sthilg explained.

Emily offered Etrara an apologetic glance. “I’m so sorry Etrara.” She looked back at Sthilg. “What would you like me to do?”

" What i need you to do is link with her again and straighten the memories out. Make sssure ssshre realissse there yoursss not hersss." Sthilg explained.

“Go into her mind!” Emily looked wide eyed as she looked towards Etrara, then back at Sthilg. “I... I’m not skilled...I mean I...” She paused. “I don’t have the skill that George has with his abilities, what if I mess up something else?”

Etrara woke from a peaceful sleep and saw herself looking at her. She grabbed Emily’s arm and pulled her towards her. “Help me? you are inside me I know you, I am you and I cannot separate our memories! Her voice grew louder and her Klingon demeanor began to rise. She swore and cursed in Klingon keeping hold of Emily.

Emily sighed. “I guess I don’t have any other choice...” she closed her eyes and focussed hard, when she opened them again she was inside Etrara’s mind. Bubbles of memories, all a big jumble were floating around her, now all she had to do was figure out how to put things right...

Etrara lay down still, she could feel Emily in her mind trying to sort the jumble of her memories. Emily’s memories of trauma were foremost in Etrara’s memory protected by the Klingon, causing pain and regret. The traumatic memories of Etrara’s rape lay side by side and she could not separate either set of them. Etrara began to cry as Emily probed her mind, a strange sight for anyone who has met a Klingon.

Emily knew what she had to do, the memories that were hers needed placing in a separate area of Etrara’s brain. Separating them from Etrara herself, making them mere memories of Emily, without interfering with Etrara’s own personality. “Hold on Etrara...this is going to feel strange.”

Sthilg wiped Emily forehead before placing one of the leache like fish on her forehead. " Your doing great Emily."

It took a while, and by the time she’d finished Emily was struggling to remain awake. Withdrawing from Etrara’s mind she offered Sthilg a brief smile. “I...think I did it...” with that she lapsed into unconsciousness.

Etrara was in a deep dreamless sleep, something she had not been able to do for a long time As she slowly came back a state of wakefulness she found, for the first time since Emily melded with her a sense of her own identity. No longer did she see her life through Emily’s eyes but her own. Yes if she wanted she could still recall those memories and she knew she wanted to keep them. She opened her eyes and saw Emily lying on the bio bed next to her and she was alarmed. “Doctor is she…is Emily all right?” She asked.

" Tired, but ssstable. Like you ssshe needsss a nice long ressst." He said handing her a plate of sandwiches and a hot drink.

Etrara took the proffered food and drink and wolfed them down. “Thank you Doctor, I apologize for the way I acted. I hope I did not kill any crew members.”

" An old lizard wasss out of breath chasssing after you, but that'sss about it." The gorn said with a warm smile on his face.

She smiled, “less of the old I think Doctor and, please thank your fish for me by the way.” She laughed at her own joke and snorted her tea. “I would like to stay with her until she wakes Doctor. We have some talking to do I think. I do not know how she lived through what she did?”

The gorn let out a sigh " Neither do i my dear and i'm far older. At leassst the animalsss who did it are in the jawsss of the dark one or rotting in a cell till they join their massster."

~ A while later ~

Emily had lay unconscious for a while until she finally started to stir. She let out a little groan as she raised her hand to her head, and started massaging her temples. Opening her eyes she offered a small smile. “Am I....talking to Etrara?”

Etrara smiled, “yes, you did it I am Etrara,” her smile left her “but I still retain all your memories Emily……how do you live with all that? I thought my past history was bad, but you…and your brother.” She paused, “Emily do you think we could be friends? I know no one here and a friend would be wonderful.”

Emily nodded. “I’d like that. As for how I live with it...I didn’t for a long time, you've seen for yourself, I was catatonic for a long time. It was George that brought me out of it.”

“Perhaps you and George would like to have a drink, or a meal one evening and, perhaps you have someone special a man or a woman you would like to bring along?”

Emily offered a warm smile. “I’m sure George would like that, I don’t...have anyone special yet. I’ve never trusted anyone enough...” she shrugged her shoulders.

The door to the ward opened as Sthilg stepped through his arm already in it's scanner mode. " Any complaintsss my dearsss? " he inquired.

“Just a headache” Emily offered a warm smile. “Not that I’m surprised after using my abilities like that. I’ve never done anything like that before!”

“I feel fine now Doctor apart from holding someone else’s memories. When can I be discharged?”

Sthilg pulled out a neck monitoring device. " If you wear thisss i can dissscharge you now."

She swung her legs over the bed feeling a little dizzy but she pushed the feeling away. “Yes, thank you Doctor, how long do I wear it for?”

" One week jussst to be sssafe." Sthilg said as he applied it.

“One week Doctor, thank you for the rescue and the treatment.” She looked over at Emily. “Come see me when you are feeling better. We need to talk.” Nodding again at Sthilg she left.

Emily massaged her temples, she had to wonder what George would think about her using her abilities to help Etrara. She hoped he’d be proud of her. “I don’t suppose you’ve got any miracle cures for telepathically induced headaches do you Doctor?”

" I could let you have one of the fisssh and some assspirin." Sthilg replied with a reassuring shoulder squeeze.

Emily nodded and smiled. “That’ll do nicely” she lay back on the bed.

Sthilg plucked another one of the fish from the tank and attached him to her head. " Now lay back and breath in and out." he said shuffling off to get her a drink.

{OFF}

 

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