How are You Holding Up?
Posted on 06 Dec 2023 @ 8:50pm by Lieutenant Amelia Warner & Lieutenant Commander Harva Taliborn
938 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Miranda
Location: Planet-side, Campsite #1
Most of the preparation work was done. The shelter built, food stores prepared, bathrooms established - biological beings having biological needs and all that - and all sundry other things settled and taken care of. Lieutenant Commander Harva took a well-deserved break. Petrova's orders. He'd prepared himself a big meal - to fit his big form and big appetite - and sat down near the edge of camp to eat.
As a doctor, Amelia always made rounds...but it took a bit more effort now that they were planet-side. Sickbay was small, but a cluster of campsites for four Federation starships was decided not small. One on her list was not where she'd expected, until someone directed her to the edge of camp where he was on break. "Commander Taliborn?" she said as she approached, a small stack of PADDs over her arm as she did so.
"That's me, but call me Harva," the large engineer rumbled, glancing over and offering a tired smile. He still didn't quite look well, that would be going to take a while. "I feel old enough as is," he added.
"Rank has little to do with age, all told," the doctor said with a friendly smile. "Do you mind if I visit for a moment? I wanted to check in and see how you're doing." Of course, she could tell how he looked like he was doing, but she knew better than to rely on such things alone.
"You won't find many admirals at twenty or ensigns at seventy though," he mused, tilting his head a bit. "Yeah, sure, it's a free planet. I've - been better. Though, of late, also much worse."
Amelia nodded and tapped a few notes into the PADD at the top of her stack. "How are the symptoms since treatments began?"
"Eased up, for the most part," he rolled his shoulders, wincing as he did. "Muscles still hurt like hell, but that might be because I just put together one of those shelters without giving them enough rest," he rumbled, his voice still sounding a bit rough. "Just - a minor residual headache, nose still a bit stuffy."
"It was a very insidious infection," the doctor said with genuine sympathy. "There was a basis to it that was incurable on Earth up until the twenty-first century, even, but fortunately, there was a treatment discovered and we were able to modify it for the crew. Some symptoms will still linger for a few days, unfortunately. Do try to not push yourself too hard, however, because it will make the lingering take longer. Also hydrate well. This is a dry planet and not quite the atmosphere we're all used to."
"I've heard said that it was - created?" Harva flicked an ear. Does that mean that we were targeted? Was it a conscious attack? If so, by whom and why? Though, I don't expect you to know the whos and whys, I suppose. I'll - go eat and drink something."
Amelia smiled again, the expression somewhere in a Venn diagram of sympathy and ruefulness. "We are fairly convinced that it was a designed infection, but we can't yet know anything about who or why it was created. All we know is that we weren't the only ship." She gestured vaguely in the direction of the other similar campsites being set up by the other ship crews.
"Hm," Harva flicked an ear. "Any trace of that trader? We think he brought it aboard, right?"
"As far as I am aware, that is the current theory," she agreed. "However, as to whether we've tracked him down or not, they don't keep me in that loop. My area is the effects of it, administer treatments and see how everyone is doing." She glanced at the PADD on top of her stack. "At this point in treatments, by-symptom medications should start being effective again, if you need anything for the remaining effects."
"I'm sure I'm fine. Feeling much better than I have. Just need to take it easy and grant myself some rest to recover," he smiled, tiredly. "Speaking of, have you been getting your rest? I'm sure the entire medical department has been working overtime."
"I've been doing fine," she said affably. "Medical certainly has had its work cut out for us, but I managed to not get sick and that helps in not being as tired now since my body hasn't needed all that energy to recover from illness. It's easier now that folks are generally on the mend. We just want to make sure we stay on top of things. With an illness like this, we have to track that it doesn't mutate and resist treatment."
"Well, for what it's worth, I for one really appreciate the effort you and the rest of medical have put in. I was saddened to hear of the deaths, but I know that a lot of people owe you their lives. Without your team's efforts, the casualties would've been much worse," he smiled, tiredly.
Amelia inclined her head slightly. "Well, thank you for that," she said. But they were, she thought, also just doing their jobs. It was their calling, what they had signed up for. Still, she wasn't going to argue with the appreciation. "Is there anything I can get for you or arrange before I move on?"
"Nah. I'm good, thank you," Harva waved dismissively. "I'ma go find something to eat and drink, and then just rest. I feel I've done enough heavy lifting for the day," he admitted.
"That's a good idea," Amelia said with a smile. "Consider it doctor's orders."