Physical Side Effects

Posted on Mon 4th Dec, 2017 @ 8:54pm by Colonel Horatio Drake

847 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: A Phaser as Deadly as a Candlestick
Location: Deck 83: Main Sickbay
Timeline: MD:01 - 0600 Hours

Drake had been officially discharged from Sickbay by Vanguard's Chief Medical Officer some weeks ago and allowed to return to active duty only two weeks ago. However since that time he had been experiencing troubling imagery and scenes, which seemed to take over virtually ever waking moment, making concentration something of a struggle for him. Having already booked another session with Graves, he wanted to ensure his issue wasn't physical before opening himself up to other things.

Upon walking into the huge infirmary, as if fated, he immediately spotted Dr. Addams.

"Doctor" Drake approached, her smiling. "How goes Sickbay?" A poorer opening line had never been spoken before and he knew the Doctor was quick to anger, appreciating directness above all else.

"Colonel," Addams said, turning away from the test results she'd been examining on a wall monitor. "Sickbay is as you see... people bring me lovely gifts of injured bodies, but then they want them back as soon as I've repaired them." Her dark eyes looked over Drake as if planning where to begin the incisions. "Speaking of which, how are you? Still seeing ghosts?"

Drake cleared his throat, the degree of directness had caught him off guard. "Well, actually, yes. I seem to be envisioning events that transpired on the Bretagne, the original events. I'm sure these aren't real and something that my mind has created as some sort of defence or interpretation. However, I wanted to check with you that the physical side effects of what happened are past?"

"Don't be certain," Addams countered. She gestured at the door to an exam room. "No one ever discovered something new and fascinating by being certain that it was not there."

He followed her direction into the small exam room and perched on the biobed. "I don't see how what I'm seeing could be real, how could memories have passed down to me?"

"My colleagues in the science department claim that medicine isn't an actual science," Addams observed, going to wave her hands in the sterilizing field. Her Zeta Reticulan spider, Thing, pulled a tricorder from the rack, and pushed it across the counter toward her. "Thank you, dear," she said to the hand, then turned her attention back to the Colonel. "Which leaves me free to speculate wildly. There could be some sort of chronometric activity, which is leading to insubstantial, though visible and audible connection to past events. There could be biological or technological agents causing memories to be transcribed to your neurons. There could be spirits who have passed through the veil, attempting to communicate some event, some truth, to you. Shall we look for evidence of any of these, or just do a routine physical?"

Once again Drake was caught off guard... spirits passing through the veil? He wasn't quite sure what evidence the Doctor expected to find of these. "Whatever you think the most prudent course of action, Doctor. These, visions can be quite distressing. I've seen much more severe levels of horror in the past, but for some reason these visions are incredibly vivid and cause me some degree of distress, on occasion." His brow was raised, as if describing the symptoms of a common cold. It was hard for him to admit that these were affecting him. He believed they would pass and he could deal with them, but neither of those two things had happened yet.

"Lie down, please," the Doctor directed. "Have you noticed anything which seems to trigger the experience? Something which might bring one on while we have the scanners running?"

He complied. "Not really". He wanted to give a more detailed answer but the truth was the thoughts and feeling seemed to come on randomly.

"Alright," Addams said, picking up the tricorder and flipping it open. "Computer, full body scan. Display neurological system." The computer beeped acquiescence, and a hologram appeared in the air above the Colonel. "Compare with baseline scan," Addams instructed, and, "highlight divergency." several sections of the hologram turned gold and blinked.

Drake stayed perfectly still. He hoped this was going to present him with the answer he was looking for. A medical reason for his disturbing thoughts was going to be a lot simpler than something psychological.

Addams regarded the blinking areas thoughtfully. "These are areas concerned primarily with memory and experience," she said at last. "And I don't see anything pathological there. There doesn't seem to be any abnormal activity in your temporal lobe, or in your visual cortex. I don't see any decay products indicative of exposure to chronometric disturbance." She sighed, dismissed the holo with a wave of her hand. "Unless you find a way to bring the visions on at will, Colonel, I am afraid I have no answers for you."

He inhaled deeply and audibly. "Understood, Doctor. Thank you." He pulled himself up from the biobed and tugged on his tunic. This was, it would appear, going to be something for Paul to resolve. It appeared their second session would be taking place sooner than he would have preferred.

 

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