She's Come Undone

Posted on Fri Oct 7th, 2011 @ 5:53am by Captain Li Hawke & https://starbase900.info/index.php/personnel/character/23 & Lieutenant Norval Tigan

Mission: In Our Time of Need
Location: Thomas Linacre Medical Station, Deck 115

According to the computer, Connor was in the Thomas Linacre station, so it was a bit of a walk. Li hurried along the corridor with Norval, not caring that she was dressed only in shorts and tank top, her feet bare. Neither she nor Norval looked as if they'd been awake more than a few minutes, but at least he was a bit more dressed. She was oblivious to the looks they received as they passed. All she wanted was to get to Connor, get Norval straightened out, and perhaps find some way to avoid sleep for the next little while.

The rapid pace had only managed to intensify the pounding in Norval's head, something that left him blissfully unaware of the lingering stares as they made their way through the starbase. He would have been thankful for that, were he conscious of it, if only because he knew how fast rumors flew even on a station of this size.

"We'll get him to do something for your head. I know it's killing you," she said softly. "If it makes you feel better, I'm betting Jackson's in as bad a shape as you are. You do have a nice singing voice though." She smiled briefly and let it go at that. What lingered in Norval's mind was more than obvious to Li, but she chose not to address it. Now wasn't the time. "We should eat after we leave here, it will help us both." They'd entered the corridor that held the med station finally.

"Thank you," Norval managed a weak smile, accepting the compliment. He imagined Jackson Banning was in quite similar shape, but Connor might be too. Although, if he were working, he'd probably already found a way to deal with hangover, and that hopefully meant a rapid cure for the Trill.

Inside the station, the staff were busy with an emergency, and Connor was disturbed. There had been an EPS rupture on Deck 87; three engineers brought in, two serious with third degree burns and internal trauma. It was those two that had caused Connor to momentarily curse inside as they should have continued on down to Piper Medical. Triage protocols would be reevaluated and dealt with later, right now his focus was on the engineer before him. Although his mate had been stabilized, and then brought down to the main medbay for surgery, a battle continued to stabilize him..his surgery would have to be performed right there.

Surgery never came with guarantees no matter the technology, no matter the skill. No physician's knowledge or skill was perfect. Connor knew this. For a man so insecure with his personal life, who battled the need for constant reassurances, when it came to trying to save a life, it was the one part of his life he didn't hesitate at...

"Doctor McKinney, Doctor Bren has arrived and is prepping." Connor barely nodded, hearing the nurse, yet was engrossed at the task at hand. Handed a cardiac regulator, a long needle like device, Connor quickly inserted it in one smooth motion through the engineer's torso, pushing it as it traveled through fatty tissue, and then dense muscle, feeling the change in resistance as it pierced it's target, the wall of the thoracic artery. He keyed in the devices main switch, causing it to thread itself forward into the heart.

"Pulse and blood pressure are stabilizing.." Doctor Natalia Bren had appeared next to him. "You wanted me to take over. Are you alright?" the Trill Surgeon asked, not hesitating to take his place as he moved aside. A vein needed repairing, and that was the priority. "No", he said quietly, barely heard. Pulling down his mask, and for the first time in his career, he walked away from a surgery he began.

The doors slid open to admit Li and Norval amid the frantic activity. The emotional atmosphere was highly charged as well and she frowned as Connor stepped out of the operating room. There was more radiating from Connor, much more personal, and Li pulled back her senses immediately.

Connor tossed his gloves and mask into a wall chute, glancing over at her and Norval as he did, his eyes sweeping over them as he took in both of their appearances. Walking over to them, his eyebrows came together questioningly, "Li...Norval... something I can do for you?", he asked.

Norval nodded to Connor as he approached, something he almost immediately regretted as he winced and placed a hand on his temple. Keeping his head still was proving to be the best course of action.

"Doc," he said. "Why don't you, uh, take care of Li first?" he managed, trying to lower himself into one of the chairs in the waiting area.

"If you're sure, Norval..." She squeezed his arm, then turned back to Connor. "I need some help, Connor. I need either a way to avoid sleeping, or to have my telepathy shut down for a bit." Nothing like just blurting it out. Well some of 'it', not all of 'it'. And hopefully quickly, the emotions pouring off of Connor were getting harder and harder to block.

Connor's eyes stayed on the two of them as a nurse handed him his lab coat. Considering what he was going through with Oralia, he couldn't help but wonder about the pair. Not saying anything, he put his lab coat on, placing a hand in one pocket, and feeling the hypo he used earlier on himself, he indicated with the other down a corridor within the sickbay, "We'll go somewhere more private..." and he lead the way, his suspicions growing in another area as well.

Li nodded and with her hand still on Norval's arm, they walked with Connor, finally entering an empty room. "Thanks Connor, I know this is short notice and you all are slammed at the moment."

As the door closed, both his hands went into his pockets and he faced the two, "What's going on?" he asked, his eyes hard, "Does this have anything to do with the crystal?"

"For him, a hangover." Li hesitated only a moment. "Nightmares, Connor. Of a rather personal nature, that come everytime I go to sleep. I know I can't avoid sleep, and I'm hoping that if I'm not picking up every emotion on the station, the dreams will stop. The only sleep I've had was a few minutes at home and a little at Norval's."

His jaw tensing, Connor picked up a tricorder and quickly scanned Norval, before pulling out his hypo, double checking it's contents, and placing it to the Trill's neck. After releasing it's contents, something to help with Norval's headache, his eyes laid back on Li's, "Norval, I would like to be alone with Li now", he said, glancing back over at him. "You should start to feel better momentarily." Then he moved out of the way, making it clear he wanted Norval to leave.

Norval half sunk into the chair after craning his neck for the hypospray. The relief was almost immediate, and momentarily distracting enough that it took a few seconds before he even registered Connor's comment.

"Oh...," he said, glancing between the two. "Right, I'll just wait outside then?" Standing the Trill made his way between the pair and back out into the hallway, a concerned look back as he did so. Furrowing his brow, he silently hoped Connor would be able to find a way to get Li into a dreamless sleep - not to keep her awake.

"Please." Li gave Norval a quick smile as he stepped out into the corridor. Once the doors closed behind him, she turned to Connor, waiting for the questions.

Connor ran a hand over his mouth, his brows scrunched together as he stared at Li incredulously, scrutinizing her, "You don't really expect me to just give you an inhibitor, 'n' then send you on your way?" his Aussie accent thickened, "Without knowing if you're not having some kind of after effect, or maybe your still connected to it in some way...'n' what were you doing", he jerked his head towards the door, "sleeping in Norval's quarters!?"

"It's been used on me before, during various assignments, when detection of my abilities could be dangerous. I'm getting overloaded and I need sleep Connor. If I were still connected to that crystal, then much more dangerous things than nightmares would be happening to me. Believe me, it happened on the Berkeley." She paused, surprised by Connor's question. It seemed a little personal. "I dozed off on his sofa."

He covered his face at her last remark, leaning back against the wall. "You're telling me.." he said, lowering his hands, "... you know enough about this crystal to be certain...Li, it's not the inhibitor I have a problem with."

Her eyes widened, catching his earlier curiosity about Norval. "Then what is it?"

"I'll order an inhibitor", he said quietly, averting her eyes and her question, pulling himself away from the wall, ''n' we'll place you in a delta wave induced crash...I want you to stay here where I can keep an eye on you."

"If it gets me some sleep, I'm all for it. Thank you. And will you send Norval in?" She gave Connor an exhausted smile before she spoke once more. "And if I can be of any help to you, just say the word."

He took in a deep breath, and looked back to her, There's nothing you can do..., he thought. "I'll send in Norval", and he walked out of the room.


**********
Li Hawke
Chief Intelligence Officer

Connor McKinney
Chief Medical Officer

Norval Tigan
Acting Chief of Operations