Post Bajor Checkup

Posted on Wed Jan 20th, 2021 @ 10:05pm by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Lieutenant Anna S. Thesia M.D. & Chief Petty Officer Remal Kajun

Mission: Healing of Minds
Location: USS Liberty - Medbay

Captain Kaylen Rhenora followed the Liberty's CMO down the corridor towards sickbay, her stomach still grumbling despite the coffee she now cradled in her hands. She knew this was to be expected - a protocol that she insisted on implementing regarding post planetary excursions.

"So how did it go?" Anna asked. "Did you find what you were looking for? You must have been to some strange places to look, by the smell of things."

"It was...interesting" The Captain admitted, still trying to put into words what they had actually experienced. "We spent time with the Brotherhood - who, let's just say, had different views on how to 'teach' newcomers of their so-called values in life." She replied, allowing her feet to take a comfortable pace towards sickbay. She was bone tired. "Nothing a good meal and a decent sleep in a comfortable bed won't fix."

Sitting onto the biobed, Remal mused about their time on the surface. "It wasn't exactly a vacation worth repeating, that is for sure. However, my arms did get a good workout." He flexed his tired arms, even as his stomach rumbled loudly. "Where's that Ronson fellow, I wanted to have a word or two with him?"

Rhenora raised an eyebrow at him but paged the ever-faithful Yeoman, wondering just how the young man had fared under Savar's leadership. She had a feeling it included a crash course in tea making, among other things.

A few minutes later Ronson appeared as requested and looked towards the Captain who in turn nodded towards her husband - he waited patiently until Remal addressed him.

He waved Ronson closer, then leaned in and whispered into his ear. "That coffee was good. Now I want to surprise the Captain with some of her favorite foods. Think you can help me out with that?"

" Yes Sir very good Sir" Ronson looked eager to assist but yet a little bewildered as to the scope of the request. " Ahhh... any assistance?"

"Good. In the kitchenette in my quarters, there is a data padd with recipes of all of her favorite foods. Just pick a few and do your best. Maybe you can enlist the help of the chef on board if this is beyond you." He leaned back and winked. "Our little secret, okay?"

" Very much so Sir. I'll be back shortly" Ronson nodded and scarpered, heading towards the Captain's quarters and eager to assist.

"Well, let me just quickly get some brain scans and compare them with what we took before you left", Anna said. "I don't want to keep you from your rest any longer than necessary." She just wanted to make sure that there were no physical changes that were done to their brains. Whatever it was those orbs could otherwise do, and what changes in personalities and attitudes had occurred, she could not figure out by brain scans. Besides, not all changes were bad, and it wasn't her place to judge.

"Yep sure, what do you need me to do?" Rhenora asked, hoping that Ronson was going to disappear and reappear soon with a steaming bowl of something tasty and filling. Man, she could use some food right about now.

"Just both sit-down and let me take readings", Anna said. "It won't take long. I'd offer you tea but I don't want to be chased out of my own sickbay."

"Yeah I've had enough tea over the last week - and it tasted worse than yours. Remals dirty sock water. Eww," Rhenora wrinkled her nose and sat upon the biobed, letting Anna take whatever readings she needed to.

"I heard that," Remal called from his biobed. "Again with my socks. They can't smell that bad, can they?"

Rhenora snorted, wrinkling her nose at the thought. "When was the last time you smelt your socks?" She quipped

"I don't make a habit out of it, if that's what you're meaning." In fact, he could not recall a time he would ever have taken off his socks and then smell them. Just knowing they had been on his feet all day was enough for him to know they were not going to be pleasant. "How often do you go around sniffing socks?" He quipped back.

"Only enough to be reminded that they smell like bad tea." Rhenora laughed from the biobed, careful not to move too much lest she disrupt Anna's scans. There was one other thing she wanted Anna to look into whilst they were there.

"While you're there Doc, could you please run a genetic scan to show if the Fragile X gene is still present? It was in the last scan, but our recent experience with the Prophets may mean there are other options" She continued. If the gene was present there was little chance she could fail pregnancy naturally - less so with her advancing age taken into account.

"I shall do that", Anna said. "I must also let you know, however, that I would never serve bad tea in this sickbay. Tea that tastes or smells like worn socks would never pass muster. I take only a few things seriously, but good food and drink are on that short list." She took a sample of the skipper's blood, to run the genetic test later.

Remal, side-eye watched with intense curiosity as he waited for his turn to be scanned thoroughly.

"So, what did you two do down there?" Anna asked. "You look like you've had a good time that I wouldn't mind experiencing myself, but there's this drawback you mentioned. Brotherhood, was it? What happened?"

"Sleep deprivation, food deprivation, physical and mental endurance, the odd orb experience, LOTS of writing...and bad tea." Rhenora summed up her week in a sentence, grimacing at the tea component.

"Don't forget the deep cleansing spa treatment and the wood carving class. Oh and the martial arts experience. Always a treat." Remal tiredly joked.

"Oh definitely not forgetting those - how could you forget those. Although I wasn't privy to those ones - shame. I hear your wood carving was quite spectacular" She quipped with a smirk towards her husband. A moment later Ronson appeared with two plates of the most wonderful smelling food she had ever smelt in her life.

"Oh my goodness - what IS that... and where did you get it?" She asked, salivating at the smell of whatever the heck it was under the closh. It was hot, and it smelt amazing.

"As requested Sir" Ronson nodded towards Remal, handing him a plate and taking the other over to the Captain.

"Were your wood carvings any more popular than mine?" Anna asked. "Ten credits was all I needed!" She laughed.

"I'd say they were a cracking good time to make." He gave a chuckle despite his arms still hurting from the splitting and digging he had to do.

"Show me sometime?"

He smiled again, "I'm not sure you would appreciate my style of wood carving, but if you want I think we can arrange something."

Rhenora raised an eyebrow at Anna. "Can I eat? can I can I can I can I?" She sounded like an eager child with their favorite dessert in front of them.

Anna frowned. "I'm not sure. You sound funny. Maybe I should run some additional tests first." It took some effort to keep that frown up.

The look in the Captain's eyes was pleading. It smelt so good she could barely resist keeping the lid on the plate. "Pulllleaseeeee Doc. I swear I'm going to keel over at this rate, I haven't had a decent meal in days!"

"I suggest we make this quick. She tends to get a bit feral when she hasn't had anything real to eat." Remal chimed in. "Also, do you mind having a look at my hands Doc.? They have been a tad sore recently."

Anna took off the lid to have a look at the food. "Are you sure this is what you'll want after not having eaten properly for days?"

"Me? Feral? Surely you exaggerate my dear Husband" Rhenora snorted, unable to take her eyes off the plate. She did feel for Remal though - his experience was more physical than hers, and she had the feeling he would be finding new aches and pains for several days yet.

"Sure, go ahead, have at it", Anna laughed, turning to look at Remal. "Have you done anything that resulted in direct injury?" She started running the scans, but hearing from a patient what they had done was always better than having to look for a needle in a haystack with the sensors.

Rhenora was off the biobed and had the lid off the plate faster than the naked eye could see. The lid was removed to reveal a bowl of simple hasperat, deliciously warm and ready to eat. "This is going to taste so good" she drooled before releasing she had an audience.

"Was this normal behavior before?" Anna quietly asked her husband. She was supposed to look for that sort of thing, wasn't she? Otherwise, she would not have been bothered by it.

"I've only seen her this way once or twice, but it wouldn't hurt to have a look at her just to be sure. Maybe you could prod around inside her brain a bit." He lifted his hands to show them to her, taking a moment to rub them gently. "Mostly the woodcutting and the fighting. Oh and the digging in the dirt, which usually soothes them. Lately, though they are stiff and sore when I do this." He flexed his fingers to show a fist-pumping motion.

"I'm fine, seriously. Just hungry" four mouthfuls in and the animalistic urge was being tempered. Food always soothed the savage beast. "Your scans were fine, were they not?" She asked.

"But my experience with what we've been talking about is limited", Anna said. "Thus, I am not fully confident that I would indeed detect anything in my scans. However, changes are natural for anyone, no matter the influence, so I'm happy to pass you on a clean bill of health."

Anna massages Remal's hands and looked at the scans. "I'd say exertion. You haven't been used to doing this kind of work for a while, and your muscles and sinews weren't accustomed to it. I recommend you rest your hands for a few days, only do normal, every-day things with them. I'm also going to give you a hypo so you won't be developing arthritis. I'm not saying it will happen, but you're getting up there into the age range where it could, and this will help you recover more quickly."

"We're getting old" The Captain lamented, having finished the remainder of her meal and was now contemplating sleep - the body's natural reaction after a fast breaking meal. Rest and digest. She yawned uncharacteristically.

"I think we have an appointment with my bed" She mumbled to Remal as Anna finished up. "May we go Doc?"

Anna smiled. "Go rest. First time I have to recommend rest to anyone who's just returned from shore leave."

" This wasn't the run of the mill shore leave" Rhenora admitted with a sleepy half lidded smile. "It's good to be home though" She rose with Remal and they left for their quarters, more than ready for a good nights sleep.