Wrong side of the biobed

Posted on Thu Dec 12th, 2019 @ 5:35am by Lieutenant Commander S'hib & Ensign Lunara Hol

Mission: Casperia Prime - A lesson in relaxation
Location: Sickbay/Mess hall
Timeline: MD1 Shortly after “QUINN”
1124 words - 2.2 OF Standard Post Measure

A subtle flicker of consciousness ebbed and flowed from one eyelid to the next, his thoughts whereas slow as his movements, slow and sluggish. Reality had turned into a thick soup, colours seemingly fading in and out of existence like some bizarre kaleidoscope.

Maybe this is what dying feels like, S’hib thought as he lifted his head off its side, the motion blurring his vision with strange after images.

Sitting up, or at least trying to do so felt like a herculean feat, his muscles protesting as the anesthetic lingered.

“Computer... Lights on.” S’hib mumbled, licking his lips and stretching his jaw as the lights flicked on, blinding him in an instant with a fed up groan. “Lower the light level to fifty percent.” He added, sitting there looking around at the empty medical facility, wondering what time it was and what had happened.

His thoughts were soon interrupted by an unusual sensation, a cold chill flowing over his now bald hip. “A bit excessive...” He grumbled, running his fingertips over the exposed skin. The smoothness bothered him greatly, the cold prickling his skin even more.

He sat there for a few moments, morbidly curious about his exposed skin and the nonexistent scars, soon however the groans of his stomach eclipsed his thoughts.

"You know what..." S'hib said loudly to himself, throwing the thin blanket off his legs and standing up. "I don't care, I'm getting food." He added sternly, needing the encouragement of his own words as he unofficially discharged himself from sickbay.

==Messhall==

The glass doors to the mess hall, one of only a few pairs S'hib didn't need to duck under, had barely finished opening before he was at the replicators ordering what seemed to be everything he could think of.

The rather disheveled Sequus waited impatiently as his food began materializing, adjusting the medical blanket that was loosely wrapped around his thighs like a glorified bath towel.

Lunara looked up from the other side of the room, puzzlement crossing her face. Did... people typically go around the ship dressed like this? She coughed and buried her face in her PADD, before looking up to see if he was all right.

S'hib watched as the bizarre assortment of fruit and vegetables appeared, the simple grey bowl overflowing with colour. Alongside this sat a small pastel pink mineral rock, the crystallized salt rolling gently onto its side as he picked up the tray.

After a moment of staring at his food, as if contemplating if it was indeed what he wanted, S'hib turned and headed for what seemed to be a table to sit.

Lunara smiled at him and waved, as if to invite him to the table.

However, S'hib just kept walking, not wanting to bother anyone as he approached the large exterior windows. The view was as always terrifyingly beautiful, the infinite expanse of stars calming him as he sat down on the floor.

Lunara blinked as he walked past craning her head back to watch him go. Was he ignoring her, or was she completely out of it? She got up and slowly made her way over to him. "S'hib? Are you feeling all right?"

S’hib lifted his head up and to the side, looking for whoever spoke his name as his mane fell over his face. “Oh, Luna... Sorry, I must have walked right past you.” He said softly, falling quiet for a moment as he processed how he got to the mess hall. “What's going on, what happened to the Jem’Hadar?” He added abruptly, suddenly remembering the ship had been under attack before his surgery.

Lunara sat down next to him, worry crossing her face. "The Jem'Hadar? They've been gone for quite a while now... What happened to you? What's the last thing you remember?" She looked him over to see if anything was physically wrong with him. She wasn't a trained medic, but they all got basic training at OCS, and she remembered some things from her past lives.

"I'd been shot, then there was a flash of light... I didn't know what was going on..." He replied, trailing off as he stared out of the window, a beautiful planet and her rings catching his eye. "Where are we?" He added, feeling more disorientated than when he woke up.

Lunara looked out the window at the planet below. "Some planet called Casperia, we were transported here not too long ago." She shook her head. "That's not important right now, though. How long have you been out? Should you really be up? Here, follow my finger." She raised her index finger, slowly raising it up and moving it back and forth.

S’hibs eyes tracked her finger, blinking somewhat as tried to focus. “I’m not sure, I guess the EMH finished my surgery some time ago... I woke up and came here.” He said, looking back at the planet.

Lunara frowned slightly and lowered her hand. "Didn't even have time to get dressed, it seems. Aren't they supposed to give you a set of clothes when they discharge you?"

"Well, I may have discharged myself..." S'hib replied with a shy smile. "Besides I don't usually wear much when not in uniform, so this is fine..." S'hib added, looking down at the blanket wrapped around his waist.

Lunara smirked, looking down at the blanket. "You certainly don't. I'm honestly not sure if that counts as public indecency or not." She shook her head. "Just promise me you'll get a checkup after you're done here, hm?"

S’hib frowned and started eating a long slice of carrot, he'd never understood the whole concept behind clothing and indecency, something Starfleet diplomats soon learnt all to well about his people. “No offence Luna, but it would probably be best if you didn't visit Sequella...” He replied, smiling as he crunched the carrot stick in half.

Lunara chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not easily embarrassed. I can't say the same about the entire crew, though."

S’hib smile grew wider as he looked back out of the window “Well, you best hope the Elysium never gets a visit from a royal envoy...” He replied, curling his lip in amusement at the thought of the command staff trying to cope with the stubborn customs of his people.

Lunara raised an eyebrow. "Now that sounds embarrassing. Your people and the Betazoids..."

S’hib simply laughed in response, looking back over at Lunara. “I always found it funny, all the wonders and horrors that surround us... clothing... or the lack of is the most alien to you all.” He replied, laughing quietly to himself again as he took in the view of the new planet they orbited.