Medical Mystery

Posted on Sat Sep 30th, 2023 @ 3:07am by Cadet Senior Grade Toareth Darqa & Cadet Senior Grade Leyha Vaas

1,870 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: **ARCHIVED** 1 - Cruising through the galaxy
Location: Sickbay, USS Stardancer
Timeline: Current

Leyha couldn't work out why the cadets ahead of her looked so nervous. Some of them were sweating. One or two had their eyes closed in prayer. Another individual had his fingers crossed. It was a comical sight, really, to see a bunch of grown adults, all of them, losing it over a medical checkup - and they'd only just made it into the waiting room. Did these people really have so much to hide when it came to her health? Leyha certainly didn't. She struck up a converstion with the cute redheaded human next to her, which served to entertain them both until she too had to go. The Trill sent her off with a coy smile and a whispered promise to continue their conversation later - and soon it was her turn.

"Cadet Leyha Vaas," announced an enlisted trainee.

She got to her feet and stretched as she approached the examination table. Beside which stood the doctor in training, already tapping away at a PADD and readying a medical tricorder.

"Well, hello there." Her tone was silky as she settled down on the biobed in front of the CMO - well, the training CMO, at least. She'd done some reading on her, having perused the ship's personnel files the previous day, and admittedly could not reconcile her age with the pretty young face she was now looking at. "You look so much better in person. The picture I've seen looks like it was taken by a Malthavian, and you probably know how they are with pictures, hm? All those weirdly shaped fingers..."

"It is their eyes really," Toareth said. "They lack the visual definition to take a good picture. Their hunting abilities are exemplary though." She finally looked away from her PADD and at the new patient. "Trill, obviously," she gave a slight smile. "Olive skin. That means you are from the...oh what the is the name of largest continent...well you are from the western coast I take it." Toareth was eyeing Leyha intensely. Not making eye contact but looking her face and head over. "Unjoined as well. The darkened spots give that away to the trained eye." Toareth went back to her PADD and made a note. "Makes my job easier." She put the PADD down and brought her hands up, gently placing them on Leyha's neck, lightly fingering under her ears and under her lower jaw. "State your name and rank please."

"Cadet senior grade Leyha Vaas." The Trill tilted her head obediently as the CMO examined her. Her complexion was soft and perfectly smooth - she'd taken a lot of effort to get it looking and feeling that way. "For someone who's almost two centuries old, you look simply gorgeous."

"Thank you," Toareth said. She would sometimes get the talkative and flirtatious patients. This was certainly one of them.

Layha continued. "You really must tell me your secret. Perhaps over a hot cup of chocolate and marshmallows?" Leyha smiled, hazel eyes gleaming with mischief.

"Once we are underway and settled into a schedule, we'll see," Toareth said. She saw the yellow uniform and already knew this cadet was security. Security was a department Toareth generally avoided, but to be able to study a Trill in depth... "Let's have a look at you." Toareth placed one hand at the top of Leyha's back, another gently on her chest to help her lie back on the biobed. She placed Leyha's hands by her side, her feet straight, got her hips right, treated her and positioned her like a work of art.

"Speaking of secrets, you must tell me yours." And, as soon as the woman was about to speak, "...later." Toareth closed the arcs of the biobed around Leyha and then moved to the head of the bed. "My secret is no secret at all. Just being El-Aurian."

As she worked the controls of the biobed, a scanning want emerged from the biobed arcs and slowly ventured to a stopped position directly above Leyha's head. "This will not hurt at all. Nor do you need to remain perfectly still, just don't get up or roll over. This," she tapped the scanning wand, "will give us a look inside you."

Leyha seemed thoroughly amused by the El-Aurian's choice of words. A coy smile remained on her lips throughout. "Last I recall, I didn't need to lie straight like this when I last had to be scanned by a biobed." She purred, meeting the doctor's eyes mischievously. "You just trying to have a feel for me, doctor? You could've just asked, you know. Oh, and the thing about secrets?" She smirked at the woman. "You'll find that I don't let go of mine that easily. You might have to work a little harder for them, just so you know."

Toareth nearly laughed a time or two at the Trill's playfullness; unsure how much of it was real or a nervous way of dealing with being seen by a doctor. Still, "I will keep that in mind. And, no, not trying to have a feel. But you do need to lie relatively still. Modern biobeds allow you to move around a lot more but they are incompatible with the Excelsior Class ships. Something to do with power input/output, port connections, I don't know. We have to deal with yesteryear's models. I'm not an engineer. I am...oh...my manners. I am Cadet Toareth Darqa, the Cadet CMO during this cruise." As she readied the biobed for operation, "I must say, your skin is immaculate. I am, admittedly impressed. Now..."

"I'll give you my skincare routine if you want. I brought extra bottles of the shampoo I use, if that strikes your fancy." The Trill replied. "As to the biobeds... what a shame. I suppose I shall have to deal with being poked and prodded into position for the duration of this cruise."

The scanning wand started its trek down Leyha's body. On the screen, Toareth could see everything. She flipped from screen to screen, from Leyha's nude body, to her vascular system, bone structure, nervous system, saw the nerve cluster that a symbiont would attach to, the works. Of course Toareth would comb the information more in depth later. Right now, though, she was interested in getting this scan done and to move on to the others. She did not want any holdups.

"Your isoboramine levels are a bit high. Common in Trill before Joining. Nothing to worry about. Could explain your high energy. Hold up." And Toareth flipped through a few screens, looked at the information as it was pouring in. It took a few seconds, a few second that might have seemed like minutes to Leyha. "Do you have a history of drug use," Toareth asked. "Nothing major. But mind altering, perhaps memory altering drugs, the Good Time Cruise young people like to call it. Anything like that?"

This comment made Leyha's expression fall, just a little bit. "What makes you say that? The nice couple that raised me never let me take drugs - and even before that I was practically kept in a cage. There's simply no way I could've gotten any in me. Did you find something with your scans?"

'Nice couple' and 'kept in a cage' Toareth thought. Two bits of thought she never imagined she would hear being used in the same sentence. Then again, she was not entirely fluent on Trill traditions, upbringing, child rearing and the like. "These biobeds perform all kinds of automatic scans, resistance and reaction simulations based on current statuses, chemical makeup, and other traits based on habitual practices. For example, if I were to consume hot peppers every day for years on end, a scan would show that I have a high resistance of capsaicin. Things like that." Toareth continued to pour over the information. "Your scans indicate a semi-resistance to phalmectin. It is a medicine used for two primary reasons. It helps patients get to sleep...in low doses. It helps trauma victims temporarily forget the event that caused their trauma...in higher doses." In Leyha's case, "I will go with the former. Dosages meant to help you sleep. The 'nice couple' might have administered it to you. But it seems as though you have not been on it for some time now. Does any of that sound familiar."

"I'm sorry- did you say temporarily forget?" Leyha's eyebrows shot up instantly. "I- well. I don't ever recall having sleep problems. I'd go to sleep at night and wake up peacefully the next morning with no problems at all no matter what happened the previous day, to my knowledge. I don't ever recall needing to take medication to sleep." The Trill's eyebrows knitted together as she gave the matter some thought. "That's weird. Really, really weird. No, none of it sounds familiar to me, it's just... confusing. That's all."

That answer was one Toareth had expected. Phalmectin users generally did have no recollection of ever using it. Besides, Leyha's semi-resistance meant she had been off of it for a while. Even then, it was not enough to forbid her service in Starfleet. "I am sure it is nothing worth worrying over. Do ask that nice couple about it if you get the chance. In the meantime, if you do find, or if someone else finds, that you tend to forget things or not remember things shortly after the fact, do come see us. Based on these readings I do not see that being a problem though. I, therefore, declare you perfectly fit for duty."

Toareth worked the controls and the scanning wand started moving back toward it stowed position. "Any questions or other concerns you might have?"

"Only if you're free later." The Trill smiled, her flirtatiousness having seemed to return swiftly following that revelation she could file away neatly for later. "You know, I've always wanted to talk to an El-Aurian... get a little more personal, if you know what I mean. I'd love to hear all the stories you've surely got to tell." She sat up and hopped off the biobed, stretching as she did.

"Not free later today, but soon," she said. Toareth was certainly not a playful as this Trill but also did not want to blow her off. "And you will learn that we El-Aurians are a race of listeners. Anything you have to say, we generally listen." She watched as the Trill stretched, enjoying the movement of her spots. "As for stories of my own," Toareth's eyes got big at the amount of time it would take to tell all those stories, even the ones she did not want anyone else to know. "Let's just say it may take a five year mission for you to hear maybe a quarter of my stories."

"I want to hear as much as you can tell. That's all I ask for." Leyha smiled coyly as she made her way to the exit. "Whatever you want to tell, whenever you want to tell them. Call me, doctor. I'll be waiting." She let that sentiment hang in the air as she disappeared through the door.

 

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