The Back And Forth Of Stress

Posted on Wed Aug 28th, 2024 @ 9:44am by Captain Bethsabée Leroux & Lieutenant Avira zh'Kenarh M.D.

Mission: Remnant
Location: Hydroponics Bay
Timeline: Day 400 20:00
1936 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Beth had considered many ways she could go about telling her chief medical officer about the fuel issues but she decided that maybe doing something different might be a good way to approach it and Beth could do with a walk around the ship before going to bed. The corridors were quiet at that hour, the soft hum of the ship’s engines a constant backdrop to her thoughts so it was fitting.

When she saw Avira approaching, Beth pushed off from the wall, offering a tentative smile. "I know you hate when I just turn up in sickbay, so I thought I would wait outside and we could go for a walk?" she suggested, trying to keep her tone light. She was trying to change her MO and just turning up in sickbay with bad news or issues but the woman still needed to know about the issues as Sickbay would need to consider how to power save and conserve where they could.

"Commander." Avira gave a courteous nod and fell in step with the Captain. "Where would this walk take us?" She wasn't sure why Beth needed her, but it clearly wasn't anything of a medical nature because the hallways, even though they were mostly abandoned throughout the day, weren't exactly a private room.

"How about the hydroponics bay?" Beth suggested leading the way with a gentle smile as the doctor joined her. They walked in silence for a few moments, the rhythmic sound of their footsteps echoing in the empty halls until they stepped inside the empty hydroponics bay. Beth took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "I wanted to talk to you about the fuel issues we're facing," she began, glancing over at Avira to gauge her reaction. "Engineering has come to me today to tell me."

Avira followed in the direction of the hydroponics bay without saying much. It was nice to stretch the legs a bit and the plantlife in the bay always made it feel much more alive than other parts of the ship. "Alright." The expression on the Andorian remained stoic, but her antennae curled slightly at the implications of less fuel. At some point, there was a cut-off for the medical devices keeping a handful of crew alive but comatose. That was definitely not a conversation for the hydroponics bay, though.

Alright? That was not normally a comment from Avira of all people. Normally there was something more involved in speaking to the woman. "Alright? Are you okay doctor?" Beth wondered trailing a hand to the woman before stopping as she took her in more.

"Yes, Commander," Avira regarded the other woman for a moment. "Sleep is not coming easily of late," she confessed after a moment's pause. "Nothing I cannot manage, though." She put her hands behind her back and clasped them so that were they to jitter it wouldn't be visible to the Captain. "You were saying about supplies."

"Alright?" Beth echoed, surprise evident in her tone. Avira was not one for such brief comments. Interactions with her were typically more involved, detailed, and precise. Beth studied the doctor's face, noting the subtle signs of fatigue etched around her eyes. "Are you okay, Doctor?" she asked, her concern deepening. She reached out, but stopped short, hesitating as she observed Avira more closely. Everything else could wait for a moment because if he Doctor was not right then no one would be.

"Speaking on what ails me won't help alleviate the symptoms nor the associated stress. In light of that it feels more prudent to focus on our current predicament regarding the supplies." Avira didn't mean to be terse with her commanding officer, she wanted to remain professional and focused on the greater picture. She wondered how else to convey this to prevent Beth from prying further. Because if truth be told she just wanted to curl up in a dug-out snow pit and wither away.

Beth narrowed her eyes but nodded once. It might not help alleviate the symptoms nor the associated stress for Avira but it would for Beth knowing that the woman was okay. "As you wish Lieutenant," Beth said with the same terse tone. It was not her usual tone but she got the message. "We have a 100 days of fuel." Beth decided to reveal what Engineering had come to her to tell her.

100 days, it sounded like it would be plenty of time, but the nature of the universe was that you could go months between solar systems, or viable planets. "I take it we're looking for sources of fuel." That wasn't something the medical department could particularly help with. "Is there a need to go into power saving mode?" When fuel was aplenty there wasn't much concern for running different consoles at the same time, and rechecking certain details about medical processes. The lights around all the different areas of sickbay could also be used more efficiently. All in all it wouldn't amount to much more than a day extra, perhaps, on the 100 day estimate. But if every department could do that they'd get much further.

The Andorian had always been quick on the ball and why the human liked her and was relieved that she had made the best choice a year ago to make Leah bring onboard other species when they were discussing the exchange program. "Yes, I need you to tell me how medical can save power," Beth said simply. Avira would tell her how they could do it and implement it but there was no way Beth as Captain could decide what was needed and what was not.

"We're close to finding a reliable way to take the people affected by Smith out of their coma's. Courtesy of the medical data we tracked in Kipling." Avira looked around the plants and herbs in the arboretum. "Depending on the severity of the situation, we're keeping several remains in the morgue. The stasis chambers require quite a bit of power." She left that hanging in between them for a bit as she considered what she was about to say, "If there's an acceptable way to lay the remains to rest, that would allow us to shut that section down." The units had filled up with the idea that they would be returning home and they could be returned to next of kin.

“I will look through their personal files and look at their religious or culture history.” Beth said taking that decision onto her as that was her face as their leader. “Once we find somewhere appropriate I will arrange for it.” It was a morbid turn but it was what they needed to do to conserve fuel where they could. “But it sounds positive that we are finally getting the last of Smith’s stain off our ship.”

Avira nodded, "That it is. Also bolsters our active crew numbers. Though that does include one more addition from the alternate Atlantis that I think you should know about." She wished she had brought the information PADD now for the Vulcan vegetable in her sickbay. Hughes and Benjamin had gathered what information they could regarding the woman. "We don't know how Vulcan physiology will react to the longer time being unconscious, nor to the procedure to wake her."

“Lieutenant Darru has been assisting?” Beth wondered knowing he would be the best person to engage in it all as their resident Vulcan. It was positive that the five people would be able to come back to them it would just take a little bit to get them caught up on last couple of months.

"As much as he's able, but it's undiscovered territory, and his specialisation is in genetics, not the neuro-sciences." Avira had looped Darru in at every point where it had made sense, but when it came to these types of things sometimes it was better to take a more human approach. Otherwise they'd still be debating the merits of one method over the other as they gasped for the depleting oxygen in 100 days time.

“Indeed it is but you know best.” Beth assured. She was without a doubt sure that Avira was doing everything in her power to make the right choices for anyone under her care. Beth looked around the hydroponics bay and took in a deep breath.

"How have you been, Commander? Has the morning sickness dissipated?" Avira was glad for the small pause offered by the Captain taking in her surroundings and jumped on the opportunity to talk about something other than her personal medical issues or their collective inevitable demise.

"Not overly but I am having better mornings." The woman said leaning over to take a sniff of the mint for a second before she stood up and shrugged. "But I am okay I guess despite all the stress of all of this but pregnant and being Captain is most likely why Earth Starfleet do not allow pregnancy on Earth Starfleet vessels." Beth sighed just a little.

There were about a dozen good reasons to not allow for pregnant Captains, not least of all the danger one put the unborn child in. "I know it's counterproductive to say, but stress may not be the best for the baby. What have you tried to alleviate your stress levels?"

"Not much to be honest. It feels counterproductive to alleviate it when everyone else is stressed." Beth looked at the woman and offered a smile. "I know but am unsure what I can do to alleviate it. Do you have any suggestions?" She wondered thinking that she was not sure she actually knew how not to be stressed after the last 18 months of preparing for the mission and then everything that had happened since Leah Morgan had died.

It was a question Avira should have anticipated, still it was one that she hadn't fully considered to the point where she could give a confident answer. "Perhaps Doctor Hughes is better equipped to answer that particular question. Though you're still allowed physical exercise, and I know it's been shown to alleviate stress in Humans. If you need me, I can join you for a training regiment that takes your particular condition in mind."

Beth turned a little to look at the woman and opened her mouth a couple of times as she realised what the woman was offering. It was strange that she had seen plenty of people exercise together onboard but she had never had anyone offer that and it nearly made her cry that another woman was reaching out. "I will take you up on that doctor." She said sounding a little choked up before she coughed. "And I will speak to Doctor Hughes." She added.

Avira's antennae twitched a bit at that, seemingly pleased with that outcome. "Let me know what timing works best for you." She ran her hand over one of the fresh plants that seemed to be thriving in the small arboretum. Almost absentmindedly she added, "is there anything else I might be able to be of service with, Commander?"

"I will but anything after 16 hundred is normally good for me. No, you are free to escape and do whatever you do with your evening," Beth said thinking she might hang around the hydroponics bay a bit longer. It was a nice reminder of the times her and Michael had hung around but also it was a compartment that smelt nice.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, Commander" With that the doctor gave a small bow and exited the hydroponics bay, leaving the Captain behind to 'smell the flowers' as it were.