Awakening

Posted on 07 Jul 2020 @ 3:45pm by Lieutenant Commander Amelia Warner & Lieutenant Callisi Veera

1,284 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Ab Intra
Location: Primary Medical

Haze. Darkness. A ringing. Fog. Pain. Discomfort. A world of light and sound through a dark filter.

That last part she hated most of all. Her living eye slowly opened, reluctant, to a world of bright lights. Her eye narrowed, to try to filter out the assault on her last remaining eye. Her dignity. Her shame. Her long ears twitched at the sound around her, even the background din of a starship at this point sounded too loud. Thousands of pinpricks wearing combat boots marching formation against her ear drums. That only reminded her of the pain. The discomfort. Her body felt heavy, not restrained but just slow, almost hesitant to even respond. She took a breath, which seemed to work well.

"Hello?"

Her voice was raspy, as though she hadn't used it in her entire life, and that this was her initial calling to the world around her. It almost didn't sound like her own voice.

"Hello, please?"

The lusterless eye opened the rest of the way, reluctant but this was something she'd have to conquer. She looked around with what mobility she had, realizing that she was in a Federation sickbay, so for this moment she presumed she was safe. No implements of autopsy, so she didn't wake up in the morgue, nor were there any implements of surgery. Exploratory or otherwise, being cut open was something she never enjoyed.

It had been a good season for consciousness, lately.

Doctor Warner had been in the CMO's office--manning this desk while her chief was down on the planet--and she was reading up on some reports when she heard the voice. It took her a moment to register the sound in the middle of an otherwise fairly quiet sickbay, and then she hurried out of the office and into the long-term care section. Another patient was waking!

"I'm here," she said with a soft but still audible, soothing voice as she moved to the patient's bedside. "I'm here," she repeatedly kindly.

A friendly face. Friendly. "Thank you." the rabbitess said softly. "I'm... I'm on the Odin." she started to recollect her thoughts, "I'm in sickbay. I..." she paused for a moment, her glance sliding over to Doctor Warner. One eye, perfect and pristine, lusterless, deeper than an ocean. The other concealed behind shame and a patch, with a single blue dot of a glow dampened by the cloth. Hidden. Mysterious. Painful.

"I don't know who you are. I don't think it's memory loss. We've just never met." she admitted. "May I have some water?"

"Of course," Amelia said warmly. She stepped away for a moment and then returned with a small cup of water with a straw--making sure that the initial sips were small. "Would you like to sit up? You may experience a little disorientation or lightheadedness at first."

Callisi seemed in no hurry to finish the water, but one would be surprised at how good water could taste when you haven't had it in however long. "Thank you." she said, her voice sounding much, much better after. At the question, she gave a weak nod, "Yes, please." and started to try to sit up on her own. Which didn't really work out at first. The second time, though, she got an arm under her and made it to a seated posture. A few deep breaths were the first sign of a little wooziness. Breath in, breath out. Breath in, breath out. Her chest rose and fell with each breath. Measured and calm. "I.. I'm okay. Just, like you said, a little disoriented."

Amelia finished adjusting the bed so her patient could lean back against it while remaining upright and she smiled again, nodding her understanding. "That's to be expected," she said kindly. "Can you tell me the last thing you recall?"

Callisi turned to notice that the bed was raised to help her, but for the moment she seemed content to remain upright by her own power. She closed her eye, and then put a hand up over her eyepatch. "I... it's pieces. Repairs. So many repairs, just about everything was broken or damaged. We were over a planet. Blue with white swirls. Green land. One moon. Everyone was happy to see it, but there was something wrong with it. It wasn't the right planet. Wasn't the right world. Science, Ops, Engineering, massive project, calculations for... for a trip. No, not a trip, a shot. A slingshot."

"Then nothing." she opened her eye, and took her hand away from her eyepatch. "I assume the trip was a success. Either that, or someone was right about where we'd end up." a pause, "Please don't let it be me. Ts'usu has thirty versions of Hell."

"I suppose that's a matter of perspective," Amelia said wryly. "The slingshot back to our own year was a success, yes. We had been in orbit of Earth during a period known as World War 3, hundreds of years before our own time. We were able to return to 2419, but...everything was different."

The doctor went on to explain how it was now 2020--a couple of months having passed since their return--and that Starfleet was gone. That the Vulcans were now enemies, apparently, though they hadn't met any... The Alliance of Worlds. The Terran Union. The Odin just getting by while they tried to figure it all out. "You've been in a coma since the trip back to our year," she concluded. "And you're waking from that now."

She listened, lengthy ears perked at the notion of conversation. Her attention was firmly on the doctor, in posture and pose. "Which effectively leaves us all stranded." she commented, a slight shake to her head. "That's ... I won't lie, that's a lot. The first question I have is am I certain I'm awake." she offered with a ghost of a smile. "Thank you. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help more." said the person who just woke up from months in a comatose state.

"You certainly have nothing to apologize for," Amelia said easily. "For now, all you need to do is focusing on feeling better. You'll need to remain here in sickbay for twenty-four hours for observation to make sure everything is alright with you but then you'll be able to return to your quarters and duty."

Callisi gave a slow nod. "There's an ache, behind my eye. My only eye." she clarified, "I hate to ask, but could I have something for it, before it becomes a bigger problem?"

Amelia frowned slightly and pulled out her tricorder. "Let me take a look," she said, unsnapping the medical probe and running it over the other's head and around the eye. "A little inflammation, but nothing too concerning." She put the tricorder and probe away. "I'll give you a mild anti-inflammatory and painkiller, which should help." She moved to the table and snapped a hypo, turning to press it to Callisi's furred neck.

Callisi gave a nod at the recommendation, and remained still during the administration of the hypo. "Thank you. I hate to ask." she commented. Nothing too concerning. That put the rabbitess at ease.

"Don't worry about it," the doctor said kindly. "It is why I'm here, after all." She put the hypo away. "Is there anything else I can get you?"

A new eye. A new life. A better flight plan several years ago.

"A pillow." She felt so silly ask for something so trivial. "If you wouldn't mind, please."

"Not problem at all," Amelia said easily. "I'll get that for you and you get some rest. Hopefully, you'll be able to get out of here tomorrow."

=/\= End Log =/\=

Junior Lieutenant Callisi Veera & Doctor Amelia Warner (NPC by Bella)

 

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