Dodgeball - Part II

Posted on Wed Sep 30th, 2015 @ 11:12pm by Lieutenant Commander William Harding M.D. & Lieutenant Commander Solis & Lieutenant Commander Earl Crane & Lieutenant Commander Michael Darwin & Solaana

Mission: Further Challenges
Location: Piper Medical Center

* Piper Medical Center *

Solis was sipping hot chocolate in the lounge when his emergency signal went off. Kiere’s voice came through his comm badge, calling him to the emergency ward, room three. He was off and running in a moment, his hot chocolate forgotten. He took the lift up and when he emerged, took off at a run.

Room three was already a hotbed of activity as he entered. He vaguely registered Darwin was there and a tall redhead, even as the nurses and techs began calling out the details. Harding’s name jumped out at him and reaching the table, he realized it was Will on the table, not Will being called.

The biobed arch was already up and scanning and as Solis watched, he ordered a nurse to call Earl out of Holodeck ten.

“Darwin, what happened?” he demanded. The shirt he was removing from Will’s chest somewhat matched Darwin’s outfit and belatedly, Solis realized they’d been down at the palace. He also realized who the tall redhead was - the Prime Minister. That made Solis really curious but he’d have to ask later why she was here.

"He went for a drink, next thing I know, he's on the ground!" Darwin was dismayed that something had happened to Will practically right in front of him and he hadn't seen a thing. Now he did: "Hey, his pants, there on his thigh, they're ripped." The tight fit and thin material of the pants had caused a hole there to split.

“Ophelia, get them off now!” Solis ordered. as she began to cut away his pants, the biobed arch beeped. “Shit! Get me two cc’s of cordrazine. Leighis, keep your eyes on that monitor. He’s going into cardiac arrest.”

"Do something!", Solaana ordered. She looked at Darwin and demanded, "This man, is he the best you have to treat William? I will have my physician brought here to treat him!"

Wincing at her imperial attitude, Darwin, careful not to touch her, directed her out of the room, saying, "Madame Prime Minister, please let's leave Solis and his team to their task. Solis is one of our best." He saw Earl hurrying along the hall towards them. "And there's another of our best."

"But....," she had to remind herself that the Federation was different: males had just as much education as the women. She let Darwin pull her away to a waiting room.

Earl nodded at the two then hurried into the room where Solis was administering a dose of something. "Will?" He frowned. "Heart attack? Something he ate? What are we looking at here?"

Solis pressed the hypospray containing the cordrazine to Will’s neck. “Not a natural one. Look at the scanner. Someone gave him a dose of Archadian hemlock. We need an antidote prepped.”

“Heart rate stabilizing,” Leighis reported.

“Hemlock? Intentional poisoning. So that’s why Darwin was here. I’ll get that antidote started,” Earl said. He knew some hemlocks had no antidotes; treatment was simply symptom support and hope. He moved over to the computer and pulled up the chemical analysis the computer had already run and started looking for counter-agents.

“This one wasn’t a 900 thing. As you can see by the lovely outfit, he was down at the palace. Who the hell would wanna poison the Doc down there? Leighis, still steady?” When the tech nodded, Solis turned back to Ophelia. “Forty milligrams of lectrazine. That’ll stabilize his cardiac functions while Earl gets the antidote ready.”

Ophelia administered the drug while Solis moved down to look at Will’s leg. “Puncture wound, upper right thigh,” he reported for the computer’s record.

“See if you can pump anything out of the wound before you close it up,” Earl advised from his position by the computer. “If the wound doesn’t hit a vein or artery, some of the poison will still be there.” He watched the information scroll across his screen for a moment then said, “We might need to put him in stasis, like we did with Eli. The antidote isn’t coming together yet.”

“Suction,” Solis ordered. He used a laser scalpel to make a cross cut at the puncture site, then suctioned out the area. “Close this up, then analyze that Chanella.” He moved back to the biobed arch. “He’s holding steady for now so let’s see how far you get. And Earl? Why is the Prime Minister here hovering over Will?”

“Prime rib? Hmm?” Earl played innocent.

Solis rolled his eyes. “Apparently I am behind on station gossip. Woe is me.” He smiled for a moment. “Everything’s still looking decent. How’s it coming?”

“Don’t feel too bad, Sol, it’s planet gossip, not station gossip,” Earl patted Solis’ shoulder and noticed Will was blinking. “Besides, I haven’t any idea why she’s here.” He leaned in a little, “Hey, Will? You awake?”

Confusion clouded Will’s eyes as he realized he was in Piper. “What’s going on?” he whispered. “How’d I get here?”

“Ah... transporter. From Archadia. What were you doing there?” Will probed a bit.

“Days off. We were in the courtyard and there was a man with a cane. Jabbed me and leg went numb,” Will answered. “I called out and then...nothing. Where’s Solaana?”

“She’s here. She’s okay,” Earl assured him. “Darwin’s with her. You’re going to be okay, Will. It’s hemlock poisoning and we’re working on an antidote.”

Will blinked at Earl’s words. “Hemlock? What the hell? Had to be that cane. Get Solaana in here.”

Going to the door, Will called Darwin and asked him to bring Solaana in. He did and Solaana went to Will’s side. “William, are you okay? I’m worried. Should I have my physician come here and tend to you?” She put a hand on his forehead and gently brushed his hair back.

Earl watched her and glanced at Darwin.

Will smiled a bit at her touch. “No, these two I’d trust my life with.” He laughed at his own joke but it was a silent laugh. He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “It was hemlock. A man at the bar jabbed me with his cane and that’s how it was administered. There’s a problem down there, my darling.”

“My guards would know about any pending plots against me,” Solaana argued, “There have been no reports of revolutionists.”

Darwin spoke up, “But what about someone targeting Will instead of you? Would they watch for that? What if the idea or movement originated in the Palace?”

She looked at him and seemed to reassess him. “Someone within my Court?” She turned her attention back to William. “We’ll find who did this, my dear.”

“Why would they?” He shook his head. “All in due time. Whoever did it is going to feel my wrath. They’ve screwed up my time with you.”

“Yes, they have. And they will pay for that. For now, think of yourself,” she leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Doctors, if there is anything on Archadia that you need to treat William, you must let me know and it will be available to you.”

“Thank you, your Excellency.” Solis flashed her a smile. “The antidote should do it, Luckily, the hemlock that grows down there can be treated. Unfortunately, it’s a common thing and knowledge of its properties is likely well-known, yes? Anyone could have extracted it with a bit of alcohol. Earl? We ready?”

Earl checked the computer’s progress and shook his head. “Not yet. Your Excellency, if your doctors have an antidote for this?”

“I will check. Michael, take me to a console where I can contact my physician,” she ordered him. Darwin nodded and led her out of the room.

Earl grinned. “Harding, you’re doing well for an old guy,” he joked.

“Who’re you calling old?” Will managed a grin. “She comes off rather harsh but that’s her public face. She’s frightened, Earl. I’ve not seen that in her in a long time.”

“Hemlock is known to kill pretty quickly. I understand Darwin moved fast to get you beamed up here; that may have saved your life,” Earl said.

“He did and I think he’s right. This is about me, not her I think.” He looked over to Solis. “Good work, Solis. Now how long are you going to keep me?”

Solis patted Will’s arm. “Till we get the antidote in you and know it was successful. Unless the Prime Minister decides to beam us all down there.” He smiled and now echoed Earl’s earlier remark. “You have got to tell us how you do it.”

“I’m just that good. Truth.” Will closed his eyes, taking a moment to rest.

"Uh-huh. Not that either of us has room to wish for more, do we, Sol? I think Julisa would likely skin you alive if she discovered you were cattin' around with another woman. And Ehl... Hell, she might take me somewhere or when and leave me there. Earth's Middle Ages," he shuddered as if he'd just spied a spider on his arm.

As Will, Ophelia and Solis looked at Earl and likely wondered if he were having a seizure, Solaana strode back into the room, Darwin following close behind. "An antidote recipe is being sent to you as we speak. Your computer should have no trouble replicating it." She went straight to Will's side. "Once it is administered, we will return to the Palace where my doctors will oversee your recovery, William. Michael has been most persuasive in arguing that he must stay with me, to assure that both of us are safe. He will be my Third Consort."

“Good cover while he’s there. It will make it easier to sniff around and see what he can pick up.” Will paused as he looked up at Solaana. “Don’t fear, I’m not leaving you just yet.”

"Of course you aren't." She looked up and around to Earl. "Well? What is taking so long?"

Earl slowly turned to look at the Prime Minister, brows raised. He held a hypospray in one hand. "My dear lady, medicine takes time. I am moving just as quickly as I can." He strode to Solis and handed him the hypospray. "Antidote, dosage for his weight."

Solis pressed the hypospray to Will’s throat, then stepped back to watch the scanner. The room was tense and quiet for several seconds and finally Solis smiled. “It’s working. Vitals are stable, heart is returning to normal. Can you feel your legs now, Will?”

Will wiggled his toes and nodded. “I can. Thank you all. Can someone get me some pants to wear home?”

"On it," Darwin offered and went to the replicator. While he waited for the pants, Earl recommended, "You shouldn't strain yourself for a day or two, possibly three. That includes, Your Excellency, any bedroom activities. This will give the hemlock and antidote time to work out of your system without straining it." Darwin handed Will the pants and turned away slightly.

Solis lowered the biobed arch, then offered Will a hand to help him sit up. “Be careful. Whoever did this may not hesitate to try again, Will. Don’t worry about here. You and Earl are due some time off, we’ll hold down the fort.”

“Thank you all...for everything.” Will took a few minutes to adjust to being upright, then swung his legs over the side. He realized the sudden irony of his situation. He really was the weaker one where Solaana was concerned right now. “How soon are we transporting down?”

Focused solely on Will, Solaana said, "Immediately, dear, unless you need something else? Michael will help with your needs as well." She was used to men doing as she told them; she didn't see the consternation her words caused for Darwin - who'd been just as surprised by her earlier comment.

“Good.” He pulled the pants on over his feet, then with Solis’ help, slipped off the biobed and pulled them up. “Thanks, kiddo. I owe you know.”

“Anytime.” Solis let go but stayed close in case Will wasn’t steady.

“Solaana?” Will held his hand out to her. “Let’s go.”

Solaana took his hand, smiling, then ordered three for transport.

Darwin stood on Will's other side, realizing he had a hell of a report for Oz.

******************
Solaana, Prime Minister
A Fan of Men

Parker
Second Consort

Lt. M. Darwin
Third Consort

Lt. Commander William Harding, M.D.
The Target

Lt. Solis
Impressed

Lt. Commander Earl Crane
Duffer