Another Reece checkup...

Posted on Mon Oct 31st, 2022 @ 7:47am by Lieutenant Nicholas Reece [Reece] & Commander Sthilg & Senior Chief Petty Officer Emily Charles {Kelea-Salik}

Mission: Season 5: Time Warp
Location: USS Elysium, Main Sickbay
1555 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

After he spike to the Commodore and ship's Executive Officer, Nicholas made his way to sickbay, to have his initial medical checkup performed.

Entering sickbay, he looked around, grinning slightly. Not much had changed since he was last here.

Emily was on shift in Sickbay, looking towards the door she could have sworn she saw Kyle Reece. “Captain, that’s a different look for you.” She smiled warmly.

Hearing someone call out to his brother, Nicholas grinned slightly as he turned towards the feminine voice. "Actually, I'm the good Captain's twin brother, Lieutenant Nicholas Reece. He stepped forward and offered his hand politely. "And you are?"

The gorns footsteps echoed as he approached the reception area. " Hello there, Lieutenant. Here for a checkup?" He inquired.

Nicholas had heard about the CMO being Gorn. Still, being upclose to him was still an interesting feeling. Giving Sthilg a polite grin, he nodded. "Yes Sir, I am. Where would you like me to sit?

" Jussst take a ssseat on one of the biobedsss. You look very similar to your brother if you don't mind me ssaying so." the doctor replied as he walked with the lieutenant

Nicholas grinned. "We're identical twins, though he is older, as he was born ten minutes before I was." He then removed his uniform jacket before laying down atop the biobed.

Emily smiled and nodded as she listened, it wasn’t every day that you had identical twins onboard ship.

" Any injuriesss or ilnessss not on your file sssince your lassst ssscan?" The gorn inquired.

Nicholas frowned slightly. "There are, Sir. Unfortunately, due to security clearances, I am unable to tell you how, where or by whom I recieved said injuries. You will find several bone fractures, which never healed correctly, plus evidence of prolonged cellular damage, also not properly or fully healed." He hated not being able to give the full story of his injuries to the CMO. However, until he recieved word from Starfleet Intelligence that the specifics of the previous mission and fallout were declassified, he had no choice.

Emily’s smile faded a little as she listened, as a victim of violence when she was younger she recognised the description of injuries caused by other people’s violence. “Don’t worry, we understand classified around here!” She offered a warm smile as she tapped the PADD she was now holding.

Nicholas gave her a relieved grin. "I promise to look into at least getting the medical part of my file declassified for you, though, I can't promise that HQ will accept request.

Sthilg tolled his eyes at the classified part. Not that anyone could tell. Starfleet security was making his life difficult again. Why he had no idea he could look at his patient and guess what had happened. Which he was currently doing with the skill only one who had been fixing bodies for over two hundred years.

He didn't even need half those years to tell this man had been the victim of torture. A look of pain spread over his face at the state of this young man. " You've certainly been through a lot young man. " The lizard said in his grandfatherly tone. " Are any of these injurriesss giving you any trouble?" He inquired.

Nicholas was quiet for a few beats, then replied. "Sometimes, my scars get itchy." He took off his uniform jacket. Underneath, he wore a long sleeve undershirt. Even through the fabric, it was obvious that most of his upper body was scarred in some way. With a steadying breath, he carefully untucked and removed his shirt, revealing just how heavily the scarring went.

It was obvious that he had been tortured at some point. There was evidence of crude, biting restraints on his chest and arms, cut marks that were not done for any surgical procedure, burn marks from what must have been white hot metal knife tips, chemical burns, and whip lacerations.

After he removed his shirt, he got quiet as he turned, to allow them to see that the damage covered his back as well.

“Heavens” Emily gave Nicholas an understanding glance. “I certainly hope whoever did this to you got what they deserved.” She offered a comforting smile.

Nicholas didn't say anything, as that information was classified. He simply gave Emily a tight lipped nod of thanks, then sat down on the biobed.

“I’ll give you some privacy.” Emily smiled warmly as she activated the biobed privacy screens, it saved being seen by anyone else coming and going.

The gorn said nothing as he quietly picked up a stool and placed it down beside the bio bed. Sitting down he looked at the young man eye to eye. " Now I need to know what happened Nicholasss. Sssome of thessse injuriesss ssshould have you back on earth at a recovery center." He said in a calm yet concerned voice.

Nicholas sighed softly. He knew he had to say something. The CMO clearly wasn't an idiot. He seemed twisted by his wanting to speak, but his duty and honor keeping him quiet.

Finally, he realized something. Looking into the old Gorn's kind eyes, he asked, "Everything I tell you would be protected by Doctor/Patient privileges?"

The gorn nooded. " On my word as a doctor, father and grandfather."

Nicholas considered this for a few more beats, then nodded slowly. "Alright, Sir. Though, I will only tell you about how I recieved these injuries. I can't say by whom or where. I'm sorry, Sir. My honor is at stake here."

" Go ahead ssson you have nothing to fear from me." The gorn said shifting his artificial arm in an act of sythompny.

Nicholas's jaw clenched once, then twice. Then he started to speak. "As you can tell by my uniform, I'm in Intelligence. My specialty is Infiltration. I am good at my job." He took a breath, then continued. "Unfortunately, the last mission I went on dod not go according to plan. My team an I were ambushed, and those of us who survived were captured and tortured nearly non-stop for months. You see what they did to me, physically. I was burned with fire and acid, branded with a heated knife tip, whipped, hung from my wrists, strapped down and beaten, cut with scaples, starved, even hung by my neck a few times, all to get me to talk. I never did. I am the only survivor of team, Sir."

Emily shook her head as she stood back behind Sthilg. “Such cruelty, it’s a credit to you, and your strength that you survived. There won’t be any notes made on this.”

" I understand ssson. " the gorn said as he detached his artificial arm. " The dominion cut off my real one to try and make me revile where i'd hidden sssome medicle sssupliessss."

Carefully he reattached the arm he looked at Nicholas with a reassuring look. " Now doctor Sssthilg will take care of you. It may take a while, but I can fix you up. If you'll let me."

Nicholas had a jumble of emotions running through his mind. Finally, he simply nodded wordlessly.

Emily was feeling the jumble of emotions coming from Nicholas, she offered a warm smile to put him at ease.

" Now I need to know if your sssuffering from anything that we'll need to look at first off all. If not i'd like to put sssome regeneratorsss on your wrissstsss to help the musssclesss and nervesss heal." The doctor said calmly.

Nicholas shook his head. "Just pain and discomfort, Sir. And terribly itchy in places, like here and here." He pointed out to areas most damaged by chemical burn.

The gorn nodded as he noted everything down. " We can mange it though it will take a while and sssome sssurgery'sss. " Emily can you get me sssome wrist regeneratorsss? " He asked his assistant.

Nicholas nodded, then after Sthilg spoke with Emily, he looked back at the CMO. "I'm sure you're wondering why I'm not back at Starfleet Medical, being treated, Sir." He took a breath and answered the unasked question in a pained, quiet voice. "I was looked over by the CMO of the ship that finally rescued me, however, it was his opinion that, as my injuries were so old, a couple years at least, I could just recieve any necessary treatment from wherever I ended up."

" Ssstill ssseemsss and odd decision, but I'll do my best to fix you." The old doctor replied.

Emily had popped out to get the wrist regenerators Sthilg had requested. Returning a few moments later she smiled as she handed them to Sthilg. “The wrist regenerators you asked for Doctor.”

Talking the small silver bands the lizard held them out before him. " I'll just need to put these on your wrissst. It will help regenerate the mussscle and tissssue that was damaged. "

Nodding, Nicholas lifted his arms and moved his wrists closer to the CMO. "Do you think I will ever fully recover, Sir?"

" You have the bessst doctor in the federation ssson. You'll make a full recovery." The old lizard said reassuringly.

Emily smiled. “He’s not kidding, Doctor Sthilg is a miracle worker! If anyone can help you, he can.”

Nicholas gave them a soft grin as his treatments began. He just hoped they were right.

~OFF~