PLOT STARTER: What a Headache

Posted on 18 Sep 2023 @ 12:22pm by Zenia Pariborn

487 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Miranda

Zenia Pariborn had been enjoying her time on the USS Odin.

She knew she had taken a risk coming to this ship in the hopes of finding the father she'd never met, but she'd thought it worth it then and did not feel disappointed. This wasn't a "family ship," but she was old enough by Federation standards to be making her own way and had been glad to take a position in the ship's lounge. She had experience in it, and she enjoyed being in the casual heart of the Odin.

There was the heart of the ship's duty, but then there was the place where the crew gathered in their downtime. Since she wasn't Starfleet, she did not have access to that first one. And, in truth, she was okay with that. She liked the lounge better.

Today, though... She wasn't feeling very good about anything. She was feeling sick.

The Sirran female had a headache. She knew that's what it was called, but she'd never actually experienced one before. It seemed to slam and pound right behind her eyes, making it hard to see at times, as she made her way down to sickbay. She hoped they'd be able to figure out what was going on quickly and then do something about it, because this was miserable.

It was a hope that didn't last as the woman ducked through the swishing doors.

Sickbay was crowded.

Every biobed that she could see from the door had at least one person on it. Some even had two people, sitting side-by-side. Many of them were clutching their heads like she was, while others were clutching their stomachs. None of them looked like their ailment was minor, and doctors, nurses, and orderlies were practically running from person to person. Some had tricorders and scanners in hand, while others had hyposprays. To see the looks of confusion on their faces was even more disconcerting than the pain in Zenia's head, since these were the people who were supposed to, well, know things.

One stopped in front of the Sirran, and Zenia briefly recognized Doctor Warner. This was the deputy chief of medical who had done her intake exam before Zenia was granted permission to stay aboard. She looked harried.

"Not you too," Warner said, almost pleading.

"Sorry," Zenia actually replied. It just popped out.

"Headache?"

"Yes."

"Nausea?"

"A little."

"Weakness? Delirium?"

"Er, no? Not yet?"

Warner nodded quickly and then gestured around the groan-filled room. "Find...a place to sit and one of us will be with you as soon as we can." She paused for a moment, mumbling mostly to herself, "Two days. So many in two days..."

Zenia's dark eyes swept the room nervously. Those eyes still hurt, but she almost had forgotten about it when faced with the chaos taking place here. "What's going on?" she asked.

Warner sighed. "I wish I knew."

 

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