A Delirium Duo and a Weirdo Walk Into a Bar

Posted on 30 Sep 2023 @ 7:08pm by Petty Officer 2nd Class Alizabeth Omari & Lieutenant Callisi Veera & Ensign Unknown 'Weirdo'

2,688 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Miranda
Location: Sickbay

The dark skinned Yeoman lay on her mat, one hand was tucked under it at the top and the other lay in front of her, one finger tapping the edge in a rhythmic pattern. Her gold eyes scanned the room from where she was, not particularly looking for anyone, just generally taking in what was before her. No horses, no members of her family, and thank goodness no furry marionettes. Some of the people she recognized, and others she felt she should know from their files, but she was interrupted from that perusal when pink and blue flowers on the far wall began dancing together and a shimmering effect haloed her vision. “Great…”

Another pair of figures entered the emergency overflow. One, a somewhat vibrant and colorful being and the other that he assisted was the Head of Ops, the rabbitess from the Delta, Callisi. Standing not so tall but still just as proud, with an icepack over one of her eyes, with an eyepatch over the other. Yet she navigated flawlessly. Uneasy, but flawless. She was lead to one of the spare mats by the rest, eased down onto it gently.

“Hello Lou, are you actually here?” Belatedly she realized that was an odd question and furrowed her brow. She was ignoring the flowers still, hard as that was. “What is going on? Why are there so many peopl…” the question cut off as Callisi entered and walked over towards them. That furrow of her brow deepened and she squinted her eyes watching the rabbit walk towards them. “You are,” she began, confusion clear in her voice, then her face relaxed a bit more with actual recognition, “Lieutenant Veera?”

The rabbitess gave a slow hand gesture, perhaps a cultural equivalent to a nod in a situation where a nod was rough. After, though, she gave a slow nod. Perhaps realizing that Ts'usugi naval training might not have reached here.

"I am." She managed, throat raspy and dry. A weak voice, befitting her dilapidated state. Beneath the eyepatch there was a dim dot of blue. A prosthetic? But why hide it? It focuses somewhere near her new conversing partner.

“I missed you,” Alizabeth said, “I was trying to meet everyone.” Her own eyes closed and she took a breath through her nose while she began to shiver again. “I met Lou, and his hat.”

"Well, you have me now." Callisi offered, perhaps an attempt at humor. "And his hat? Is it something of a.." a minor coughing fit, "...spectacle?"

After bringing Callisi to sickbay the man of many names had returned to the observation lounge and cleaned up there, pulled a sandwich from the replicator as he worked, and ate it on the way back. Now he stood in front of the door to sickbay, taking a deep breath. Even from this side of the door he could feel the chaos on the other side. He ran a hand through his damp curls, took a deep breath and entered.

If anything, sickbay had become even more crowded now. There weren't enough beds to put them in. There weren't enough emergency beds to put them in. People were placed on stretchers, on mats, and he moved among them, doing his best to keep fevers down, restrain people when they woke up, confused and delirious, and soothed them.

He glanced at the place where he had persuaded the lieutenant to lie down and gave her a reassuring smile, though he doubted she'd be able to register it.

Lying close to her was another one he recognised, the young yeoman he had met only a few days ago. It would seem, he thought somewhat wearily, their holodeck adventure would have to wait.

He picked up a tray which contained various items: some damp towels, a few dry cloths, sippy cups filled with water or lemonade and a few other things, and walked over to both of them.

“I like the hat,” the yeoman assured and smiled at Lou, then closing her eyes before she oriented back upon Callisti. “So far it is far more normal that anything I have experienced since I started to feel bad.” Manners had been part of her youth, schooled and honed by her mother and her trade. It was this that drew her next words, “I am Yeoman Omari, though likely you knew that from the transfer files.”

It was all she managed to say before the walls around them seemed to turn gelatinous and wavered at the edges of her vision. It not only made her need to close her golden eyes once more, but to swallow down what threatened to escape with the wave of nausea the effect caused.

"The mercy of this moment is there's nowhere to go but up." Callisi offered. "To meet in adversity. As for the hat, I have yet to experience it. I also haven't had the... the chance to check the transfer papers diligently. Which means you're not in Ops." she pointed out. "Welcome aboard. I hope this is the worst of your troubles aboard."

"Sorry, I didn't bring a hat with me. Have one in my quarters though," he said, handing each of them a cup. "Here, drink something."

Alizabeth opened one eye at Lou’s (Weirdo’s) offer making sure she could manage the visual discrepancies of the space around her, hey at least it was not little horses, right? “True, in more ways than one as we are on the floor. I am also Aliza, if you wish to be on a first name basis while people step over us to,” she lifted her head slightly, “tend to…. How many people are sick?”

Taking the drink she half directed the question to Lou since it seemed he wasn’t, and since he was helping, “A quarter of the personnel? More?”

"I don't know, I've been a it too busy to count," he replied. "Lots, though."

"In the Navy back home, rank accompanied name. I wouldn't just be Lieutenant, I'd be Lieutenant Veera. In a dangerous situation, calling out a name gets you results. Calling out a rank gets you an audience. All that mattered was you respected the one you spoke to, and offered them their due." she offered, accepting the cup and leaning up slightly. "Crawled a quarter of a click prone through a swamp to get to a drop. Having people step over you, step on you, it's nothing I haven't experienced. I do NOT recommend it, though." she shook her head gently, before she took a sip. Better. Much better. After hearing how many of the crew were sick, she shook her head again, gently. This time out of shock. "Too many. I should be back at my post. Too much to do."

She didn't see her appointed second in here. Just meant he was either in another overflow, or had dodged this and was at work. She gave a glance upward towards... Lou. "Can I make a request?"

"Of course. That's what I'm here for." There wasn't much else he could do, other than stay here and help out a little.

Callisi took a long breath, "Wrap my ears in cold cloth. When I was sick as a kid, mother would have me lay back and dunk my ears in cold water." Though not much was known about Ts'usugi biology, her ears did seem to be the warmest part of her fever. Thermal regulators, perhaps? She didn't sweat like most of the crew, so made enough sense biologically.

He nodded and set the tray down. "I can do that. Give me a moment." He walked off, towards the replicator.

With a nod to the the request for rank and knowing hers was not on her workout clothes, "Petty Officer Omari then, Sir." There was a light in her amber eyes that seemed tame, but not completely dead, even in this situation, "I will do my best to not get stepped on, if I can tell which people are actually real and not wraiths of my mind." Taking the drink with a nod and a wink to Lou, "Thank you."

"Be at ease." the rabbitess offered, "To the ill, the only rank that matters is Doctor." she turned to face Omari. "So, please just Callisi. We can discuss the finer points of rank once we're more in control of our health." Trying to discern the real from the imagined was something that Callisi had to contend with. As long as she wasn't looking at paperwork she was fine. She wiped her hands on her uniform, leaving behind thin dampness as she did. "Close your eyes, it helps keep the visions out."

"It helps, as long as you *can*." she complained, inwardly.

"You're welcome," he said as he came back with the requested cloths. He knelt down besides Callisi and gently, deftly, wrapped them around the long ears. "Anything else you'd like?" he asked, looking from the one to the other.

The rabbitess' relief looked almost instant. Comfort, and perhaps a fond memory from home. "I'd like to be cleared for duty." she muttered, but there was no malice in it. Simply a fact that she was here, rather than where she felt she belonged.

"Callisi, for now then. I am aware of importance of rank, I assure you," Aliza said with a smile, then she closed her eyes again, walls moving were harder to deal with than the images that felt her question her sanity, but these triggered a bodily response, "just find myself not feeling very militaristic in the moment." Her tone held not a hint of the sourness her stomach felt, just that normal ease with others she had.

Not lifting her head again she answered Lou, "Can you get me a PADD so I can see how many are sick? And what I can possibly help with from in here?"

"Wish I could, but that's not my call," he said to Callisi, the usual smile on his face fading. "Just try to get some rest, that's the best I can think of for now. As for the PADD," he turned to Aliza, "I can try to get that information. And the best thing you can do is to do the same thing, try to get some rest. And call me when you need help, don't try to get up and do anything yourself-"

With the impeccable timing of irony, another crewmember who was lying on a nearby biobed appeared to be doing that very thing: swinging her legs down and trying to stand. He was up in a flash and reached her just in time to catch her when she sagged through her legs and collapsed.

The dark skinned woman shifted to her back and sighed with a small exasperated tone, she arched her neck while keeping her eyes closed. "Alright, I will stay here. Just I could he..." The word cut off as he moved to the other crewman needed him and her words grew softer, "I could help."

Without looking at her, Aliza spoke to Callisi, "Don't suppose we could make a break for it?"

To the one she just learned the name of, she gave a slight now, "I appreciate the effort. Thank you." she offered, before that tiny blue dot underneath that eyepatch slid over to Aliza. "As much as I want to get back to duty, I fear we both know... here is where we must be." she offered, a defeated tone to her. As though this were her fault. "We'll make it through this."

Aliza opened her eyes for a moment, nothing moved... yet. Then what Callisti said brought a thought to her mind. "Lou, when you are done I have a question." A small shake of her head back and forth left her with a cold sweat breaking out on her features when her fever broke again.

"I'll be with you in a bit," he replied with a brief glance over his shoulder. He helped the woman back to her bed and now gave her one of the sippy cups to drink from. "And remember to just call for help or press this button if you need anything," he said to the woman, who nodded. Chances were she never registered what he had said. He sighed and walked back to Callisi and Aliza.

Relaxing as she counted through meditative breaths, in through her nose for an eight count, pause for two, exhale for eight, pause, repeat, her body looking like she might be falling asleep, but she was waiting. Listening for Lou's return and watching for a sign directly overhead when her vision fogged to the sides. With his approach she gestured for him to lean in closer. "How many have been lost?"

"That's not an answer you want." Callisi said, grim and serious, though hushed.

Omari sighed out softly, "I just want to know how much the ship will be affected." Turning to look at Lou, "Maybe she is right though, I will save the hard questions for when I can help do something about it. I should not have asked."

For the first time that spark of vibrant life within him, already diminished through hours of working here, seemed to fade completely. He… shut down, was perhaps the best description. "I can't tell you. Honestly, I can't." But even if he could, he wouldn't have given that answer. More than one, he knew that. How many more? Did he even want to know? Would it help anyone here to know the exact number?

For the first time, too, that weariness was audible in his voice." You'd have to ask the doctor."

A hand came up to rest on Lou's shoulder. "Rest." Callisi said, her one good eye still closed. "You've earned it. No point in passing out."

The man shook his head and a smile, albeit a wan one, returned. "I don't pass out that easily. And there'll be plenty of time to rest later." 'Later' was a nice, nebulous concept.

Aliza saw him fade and was struck by the reaction to her question and it showed in sorrow that came to her eyes. “Thank you Lou, you are doing so much for all of us, and I am not helping, I am sorry.”

"No need to be. If the roles were reversed, you'd be in here, helping too." He collected himself, visibly forcing the bleak mood away. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" he asked, looking at them both.

"I have all that I need. You did an excellent job with my ears." Callisi offered a rare, but deserved, compliment. "I appreciate, and am satisfied with my care."

A small wrinkling of her nose signaled another wave of stomach rolling work through the human’s body. “There is an old remedy, Could you get the replicator to make some candied ginger for me?”

That was certainly easier than answering awkward questions. "Of course," he said, and he hopped to his feet again, quickly moved to the replicator. A few moments later he returned with a tray which bore a bowl of candied ginger, some more cups with liquid and a few damp towels which they could use as needed. "I'll come by to check on you later," he said with a soft smile and placed the tray between them.

“Thank you, Lou.” Aliza said with more warmth in her smile. Looking to Callisi, “if your stomach does not feel well that will help. My Aunt used to bring some when she would watch over me as a child when I was ill.”

The cyclopean rabbitess looked over to the bowl, and gave a slight nod. "Thank you. If things turn sour I'll give it a try." that blue dot under the eyepatch wandered for a moment. "Seems today is the day for ancient remedies."

"You're welcome," he said with a small bow to the both of them. He walked away, to a nearby bed where someone else was calling out weakly. And so the work continued. So much to do, so few people to do it.

 

RSS Feed