Something for the pain

Posted on Wed Jun 22nd, 2022 @ 1:55am by Ensign Michael Sloan & Lieutenant Avira zh'Kenarh M.D.

Mission: Mission 6 - Memory
Location: Sickbay, Deck E
Timeline: Day 297, 08:30
1037 words - 2.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Avira looked over her own medical scan; there wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Her brain activity was higher than expected during a state of rest but she had quickly disregarded that for the fact that she was trying to figure out what was wrong with her. She wondered if it had to do with her long term condition, but had figured that was impossible since any severe symptoms shouldn't appear for at least another five years. She looked up from the PADD when the doors to sickbay opened, seeing the Chief Engineer enter through the large double doors. She stood and stepped around her desk, "good evening, sir, what can I help you with?"

“Apologies for barging in so late, doctor,” Michael stated, looking like he had lost a little sleep. Giving a brief glance around the room as he rubbed where his forehead ridges should have been, the Chief Engineer requested, “Would you mind running a brain scan on me?”

It was an odd request, even though Sloan's brain activity had been under more scrutiny than other crewmembers. "Eh." Avira hesitated a bit, looking at her own results from the scan. Perhaps it was a good idea to get some additional data. "Is anything wrong? Any symptoms? Something wrong with your memories?"

Shaking his head slightly, Michael replied with a bit of doubt in his voice, "I've been having odd dreams, almost as though I am experiencing memories that I do not remember." Shaking his head slightly, the Engineer admitted, "Though I don't know if those dreams are caused by a lack of sleep or causing it."

"That's always the question, isn't it." Avira gave a slight nod and motioned for him to move towards the bio-bed. "Let's have a look and see if there's anything to find. Though I should pre-empt that by saying that trying to find something on a brain scan that is not currently happening is incredibly difficult. If it persists we might need to do a sleep study."

"Understood," Michael replied as he moved toward the indicated biobed to take a seat. Thinking to himself, Sloan thought about what would have happened if the Atlantis would have never gotten lost. Would he have been found out and become a medical specimen, something that would be cut apart and studied for future security procedures? Shaking the thought from his head, he sat on the medical bed and looked back to the Andorian doctor. "Now that you and I know what I am," he started, debating on if he should finish the question. "Do you know what to look for?" he was not questioning her ability, just worried that some trigger was still waiting to be pulled.

"We're starting with a base level brain activity scan, something to compare to your earlier base line scan." The advantage of having someone like Sloan undergoing the same process was that ever since they found out about his true nature he had been coming back to the medbay for regular check-ups. There was a lot of data to compare it to, in different stages of distress. "Nothing out of the ordinary, if that gives us something we'll dig a little deeper."

“So nothing different from the last time I was here,” Sloan echoed. Shrugging, the engineer commented, “Must be the stress of our situation is finally getting to me. Or is this a widespread problem?”

"I meant the scan, Ensign, the scan won't be anything out of the ordinary." Avira knew that he had undergone a not-insignificant amount of them since they found out he was a planted Romulan spy. "The results will take some time to interpret, the brain is a complex machine even before it's meddled with." It had come out rather bluntly but the truth was that Sloan's particular situation would only make it more difficult to find something.

"Apologies," Sloan replied as he considered what the doctor was telling him. "Am I free to return to regular duty, or are there any restrictions until the results are ready?" he asked both being used to restrictions as his new order and not wanting to rush the doctor.

After having taken an initial glance at the scan results Avira shook her head, "I don't see a reason to restrict your movement or duties, Ensign." Her hands met in front of her, with the PADD held in between them. "Are there any other contextual variables that I should take into account interpreting these results? Stress from work? Social interactions that may have caused distress?"

Shaking his head slightly, Michael replied, "Aside from the situation all of us find ourselves in, nothing extra." Searching for an explanation that he could not find, he added, "The insomnia started about a week ago. Maybe it's just my turn?"

Avira took note of the timeline indicated, something in the back of her mind itched but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. "Alright, thank you." She looked at the man's medical records, "I can prescribe you a mild pain relief if you want. Unfortunately, we don't know enough about your condition for me to confidently prescribe something for the insomnia."

"I can make due with teas and white noise," Michael shook his head. In truth, medicines sort of gave him a bad feeling at the moment. In all likelihood they would be harmless or even help, but with everything he had discovered about himself the last thing he wanted was more injections. "Am I free to go?" he asked, motioning to get up.

"I have the data that I need, I'll get back to you when I know more, Ensign." Avira nodded, stepping back giving him some room to get off the bed, even though she wasn't really in the way.

“I appreciate it doctor,” Michael replied. His mind had been put to ease a bit. Nothing jumped off the screen as being immediately wrong, but he still did not have a great understanding of what had been done to him. As he walked toward the door, he paused for a moment as if he were forgetting something. Quickly thinking it would be odd to ask if she were alright, he smiled and continued through the door.