Medical Emergencies

Posted on Thu 16th Mar, 2017 @ 8:44pm by Lieutenant Commander Lanis Dhuro MD
Edited on on Thu 16th Mar, 2017 @ 9:09pm

901 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night
Location: Primary Sickbay
Timeline: MD 2, 1740

Although she had great footage of the fighting between Cardassian and Bajoran supporters in Tivoli Garden - and who didn't see THAT coming? - Caroline wanted a complete report, which meant following up on the injured who had been beamed to Sickbay. Anyway, a chance to chat with Dr. Addams was always a treat, one way or another.

"HH, you're with me. The rest of you get back to the office and get some footage of this morning ready to beam to the home office." As she and her favorite cameraman took the turbolift to Deck 83, Main Sickbay, Caroline reflected on the vagaries of language. How many decades ... centuries ... had it been since there was actual footage involved in news photography? Or actual photographs, for that matter. Even the definition of camera was somewhat different in the current news world. Shaking her head, she stepped off the lift, dutifully followed by the usually taciturn HH. Handsome Harry he might be, but talkative he wasn't.

Caroline entered Sickbay to find utter chaos. There were both Cardassians and Bajorans sitting on beds and chairs, and a few lying down. Some looked like they didn't need much besides a little skin regeneration over a scrape, but a few looked as if bones were involved, and that was a little more work for the doctors. As she looked around, she focused on doctors and nurses, sorting out Addams and even the surgeon, Dhuro. Interestingly, Dhuro was currently working on the face of a Cardassian and speaking to his patient in that language.

Addams was right behind him, also dealing with injuries to a Cardassian. Were their injuries more significant? She went directly to the small space between the two doctors to find out, deftly avoiding the nurses and corpsmen between her and her goal. She trusted Harry to do the same.

"Dr. Addams, Dr. Dhuro, I see you are both working on Cardassians from the recent scuffle in Tivoli Gardens. Are there more Cardassian injuries than Bajoran?" She never asked permission in a situation like this; she just barged in with what she wanted to know.

Lanis flicked a momentary glance at Caroline. "Are you bleeding?" he asked and then pointed. "If you aren't, go over there." Then he said something to his patient in Cardassian. Caroline's translator interpreted it as, "I've reduced your fracture; now I'm going to knit your bone back together. You shouldn't feel any pain, but you might notice a faint vibration." He selected an osteoregenerator from a tray and began applying it to the Cardassian male's face.

One thing a reporter had to develop to do the job was thick skin. Miss Post left the area of the doctor's peripheral vision, but she had no intention of being sidelined "over there", so she moved closer to HH and quietly instructed, "Take a scan of Sickbay. Even if I have to figure the answer out from watching the holos over and over, I'm going to get it." She did move far enough to come up to a bed with an unattended patient.

"Hello, there. Caroline Post, FNS. Can you tell me how you got embroiled in the fighting along the River Walk?"

The short Mengenite woman on the bed frowned slightly, exaggerating the wrinkles on her forehead. "Stupidity?" she asked. "I was standing on the sidelines when I was suddenly attacked by one of the Bajorans. I don't care anything about the politics involved. I went to see the show."

Caroline nodded, "I know exactly what you mean. How serious are your injuries?"

The woman shrugged. "I feel fine. A nurse told me to lie still here, so I'm lying still here."

There didn't seem to be much of a story here, so the reporter patted the woman's hand. "I'm sure they know best. I wish you a speedy recovery." She looked around for another unguarded patient, and moved back closer to Doctors Addams and Dhuro.

Someone tapped Caroline on the arm, and she turned to find an older Cardassian man looking at her. "You were asking about injuries?" he inquired in a cultured voice. "You were asking about Cardassian injuries, as compared to Bajoran? More Cardassians were injured, clearly; you just can't tell because they've already treated the majority of us, probably just to get us out of here."

Miss Post looked around Sickbay, noting there were Cardassians mixed in among the Bajorans and a few other races, but not many. She turned to the gentleman who had spoken to her, noting that his voice and demeanor seemed educated and refined. Maybe it was time for the other side of the story.

"Would you be willing to give me the Cardassian point of view about the protest and the political situation? I seem to have found a lot of Bajorans willing to speak with me, but I'd like to have a fair and balanced look at the situation. Do you know what started the violence? It seemed to erupt suddenly in several places, but I saw no ... no triggering incident. What did you observe?"

Before an answer was forthcoming, there was an emergency transport, beaming two Vulcans into Sickbay. Instantly, the entire Sickbay atmosphere changed, as medical personal shifted positions, and one of the Vulcans was surrounded by the emergency bed life support systems. The man looked quite dead, but Caroline hoped looks were deceiving in this instance.

 

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