Madness In Sickbay

Posted on 03 May 2016 @ 7:22am by Senior Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin & Ensign Aidan Crehan

2,827 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD 8 1700 Hours

Mila lay in sickbay and thoughts began to fill her head; what Aidan had said on New Risa about doing anything for her. It was the same thing that he had said before he killed a crewman for her - an innocent man - and then accused her of being the reason the man was dead. She hadn't asked him to kill anyone for her, but that was his final denial before he put a phaser to his head and vaporized himself despite her screaming and pleading.

Now she had Aidan and he was saying the same thing. Her thoughts churned and she knew that he would be back to see her soon and she felt the need to protect herself. She looked around and saw a small tray with a laser scalpel on it and as soon as the nurses and medics were too busy to notice, she grabbed it and shoved it under her. If he came, she would be the one defending herself and no one would be able to accuse her of doing otherwise.

Aidan took a deep breath as he stood outside the doors to Sickbay. Mila hadn’t been feeling well yesterday and things didn’t seem to be looking up. At least she would be pleased to hear that Chow was doing well, and still missed her. He walked in and saw the med tech that he had met that first day.

The young man looked up as the doors opened. He saw who it was and grinned. “Biobed ten as always,” he said.

Aidan smiled and nodded, “Thank you.” He noticed that Sickbay seemed to have gotten busier just since yesterday. He dodged trays and stepped aside for nurses as he slowly made his way over to Mila, his Printsessa.

Mila tensed when she saw him but forced herself to relax when she felt the uncomfortable laser scalpel under her. "Thank you for coming to see me, Aidan," she said with a weak smile. She looked him over with tired, bloodshot eyes and wondered if he had any concealed weapons on him.

Aidan pulled the chair up and sat down. He noticed how tired and weak she looked. The virus was taking it’s toll on her and, as far as he knew, no progress had been made towards a cure. “No thanks are necessary. I said that I would come back every day until you were better. So how do you feel?”

"I am so tired," she said. You only wish to see me die! she mentally muttered. "Did you get Chow?" she asked him and wondered if she should try to get someone else to protect her companion and get him away from the potential psychopath beside of her.

“Oh yes,” he replied. “Chow is doing well and he misses you terribly. And he is not the only one.” He smiled. “Chow seems to be having a good time staying in my quarters, though.” He gently put his hand on her arm and rubbed it. “I am sorry that you are still tired, Printsessa. I take it that the Doctor still has yet to find anything that will help with that?”

"Nyet," Mila said a bit bitterly. "I am thinking she is dedicating much of her time to one patient in particular." She remembered how the Captain had started to call the Chief Medical Officer by her first name when she gave him Ambassador Falow's invitation to New Risa. Then she eyed Aidan again. "What does it matter, though? If I am going to die, I am going to die."

Aidan breathed deeply. He was unsure what Mila meant, brushed it aside as simply the exhaustion talking. “I am sorry to hear that,” he said. “But there is no need to speak of death. At least not yet, you still have your whole life ahead of you. And it does matter if she can find something. It matters to me, you matter to me, Mila.” He paused and gently squeezed her hand. “As I said the other day, I am getting deep feelings for you. And I look forward to exploring those with you.”

"Are you looking forward to doing everything for me, too, Aidan?" she asked as her thoughts went back to a time when a man she loved tried to kill her. "How do I even know that Chow is okay? You have not brought picture of him so that I could be comforted. What kind of a man are you?"

Aidan sat up a little straighter. Something wasn’t right. “Uh, I will do whatever you need me to do, Mila. As for Chow, you have my word that he okay.” He stopped rubbing her arm, but left his hand there. “Mila, are you feeling alright? I understand that you are tired, but is there something else wrong? Is there something I can do for you now?” The words were coming out of her mouth, but they didn’t sound right to him; especially her last question.

Mila twisted and pulled out the stolen laser scalpel and activated it. "You act so innocent, Darius, but I know it's you hiding under that disguise. You may have found a way to come back, but by the time I get through with you, you will regret saying you will do anything for me!" With that, she forced herself unsteadily out of bed opposite him. "Help! He's trying to kill me!" She shrieked.

From across Sick Bay, Hurley looked up. "Shit," he said under his breath. "Lane. Get a hypo spray ready. I'll try to distract her." He hurried over to the bio bed while Nurse Lane readied the sedative that would leave Mila awake, but unable to move. Meanwhile, he had to play along and see if he could get the scalpel away from her peacefully. "What's going on here?" he said, voice burly. "Are you trying to hurt this girl?" he asked Aidan with a slight wink, hoping he'd get the message to play along.

Aidan stood up so fast that he knocked the chair over. He quickly backed away as Mila came out of bed. “Darius,” he said quietly to himself. “Did anything for her and found a way to come back?” Then his widened as he understood. She must think I’m him! Aidan held his hands up as the man approached. “I did not touch her…uh, well, I did put my hand on her arm, but that’s all. I swear!”

Mila turned up the wavelength on the laser scalpel. "Did not try to touch me! Oh, you are so innocent!" She spat the word out as she backed against a wall and looked at the burly nurse and others. "Come near me and I will give you your hand back in pieces!"

"Okay, it's okay," said Hurley. "I'll get someone to- security!" he exclaimed, seeing a man in a gold jacket walk past. "Arrest that man!"

"I'm an engineer," said the man, blinking in surprise.

"Play along," Hurley said, voice low. "I'm trying to gain her trust so she'll put the scalpel down. Now," he added, voice louder. "Arrest him on charges of attacking an innocent girl!"

"Oh, right," said the man, still looking confused. "You are under arrest!" he added, turning to the Cadet. "Come quietly or I'll be forced to... use force!"

"Do you think I am stupid?" Mila said with a sneer. "I am not deaf, either!" She kept the biobed beside of her and the wall behind her. "He said he was an engineer! How did you graduate Academy, filthy pig? You are not fit to operate on lunch!"

Aidan looked at the man he knew from the Science labs and then back to Mila. He had stared into those hazel eyes many times over the last few days. Now as he gazed into them, he saw anger. No, it was hatred…or maybe it was both. But it was obviously directed at Darius and not him. He understood that, but it still hurt; not having her say those things to him, but having her sick like this.

A few tears began to creep down his cheeks. “Mila,” he said between hard swallows, “Printsessa, if you can hear me, understand that I will not hurt you in any way whatsoever. I am not Darius. He is dead. I am your Sir Knight. Please, Mila.” Aidan looked at the nurses and the scientist. He then held his arms out, palms up. “I will not fight you, Mila. But I will keep you safe.”

Hurley motioned for the engineer to go. "Thanks anyway," he said, turning back to Mila. "Mila, nobody here is going to hurt you. Please, come over here and I can prove it to you. You can keep the scalpel for now, if it makes you feel safer. Come on, just over here," he added, motioning towards some random display near the middle of the room.

"You have no right to call me that!" she snarled at the nurse before she looked at Darius. "And you...claiming to be dead. You may not wish to fight me and it will make your death easier. Computer, seal Medical, authorization Rasputin Delta Nine Tango Bravo One One Four." With that, the doors to medical slammed shut and sealed themselves. "Revoke access to all but Beta One and above!" She took a step forward towards Hurley, waving the laser scalpel menacingly. "You wish me to come to you, da?"

"Ah, maybe not," said Hurley, backing up a few steps. He was well aware of where Nurse Lane was and he very carefully did not look at her. Instead, he kept his eyes on Mila. "Just calm down, okay? Let's put the scalpel down." Just a few more steps...

With her back now to him, Aidan began to slowly move closer. He was unsure how close to Mila he could get, but he had to try something. She had just locked down Sickbay and was wielding a very dangerous weapon. All her attention seemed to be focused on Hurley at the moment, who was backing up. He hoped that would keep her going towards him.

Mila laughed, then coughed and nearly staggered before she put a free hand on the biobed beside of her. "You are aiding and abetting a fugitive from justice," she accused Hurley while she jabbed the laser scalpel in Aidan's direction. "He murdered a man, then faked his own death three years ago. Are you an accomplice now?"

"Oh, uh, ya know... I didn't realize he was a fugitive," said Hurley, thinking fast. "Maybe- maybe I should just let you at him, then..." Really, he was at a loss. He needed her to come away from the wall to allow Nurse Lane- who was just around the corner- and opening to get in and give her the sedative that would incapacitate her.

Aidan seemed to go unnoticed by Mila, at least so far. His only option, if he were to try and subdue her, was to dive over the biobed. And that could result in him being injured. It would be worth it for Mila. But if he missed, he laid out on the biobed ready for filleting. No, that wouldn’t work. Not at all.

Aidan decided to try another route. “Okay, you nailed it, kid,” he said to Mila. “Darius is back and I’ll still do anything for you. Anything.” He was probably signing his own death warrant, but if he could infuriate her enough, maybe she would come out of her fort.

The boiling thoughts going through Mila's head overflowed into an emotional tsunami when the man admitted to being Darius and his words triggered a hatred she didn't know she had. She jumped on the biobed and started to lunge towards him, but her left foot got caught on a diagnostic tool mounted to the side of it and she fell. As she landed with the hand holding the laser scalpel under her, a cry of pain escaped her and she began to thrash on the floor.

"Lane!" snapped Hurley, but he needn't have. She was already there, pressing the hypospray to Mila's neck. "Get Dr. Road and have Doctor Kij release the lock-out, in that order! Cadet, help me get her onto the bio bed."

Aidan’s stomach turned and he couldn’t believe what had just happened. It was his fault. His fault that Mila was thrashing on the floor. His fault that he was bleeding. His fault. And he would do everything he could for her afterwards.

Aidan put his hands out over Mila’s body and started waving them. “I am not sure that would be such a good idea, sir. I may not be a doctor or nurse, but if I remember my basic medical courses correctly, we should leaver her here until the Doctor can fully check her out. Moving her may complicate the situation, sir.” He may have been overstepping his bounds as a Cadet, but he would accept any resulting consequences. He did not want to see anything worse happen to Mila.

"Not a bad idea," he said, pulling out a tricorder and doing a quick scan. "It looks like she didn't hit anything vital, but the surgeon's definitely got her work cut out for her." He glanced around to see Nurse Lane hurrying from the surgeon's office, followed closely by Dr. Road. Lane continued passed them, but Road stopped and knelt next to the prone figure. "What happened?" she asked.

"She went crazy," answered Hurley, automatically handing her his tricorder, which had the advantage of already having the readings on it. "Grabbed a laser scalpel and was threatening us with it. She lunged at Crehan here and fell on it."

Dr. Road cursed. "All right, I think it's safe to get her onto the bio bed," she said. "But watch out for anything... that should be inside but isn't. Flip her over. Carefully."

Only the fact of the wound was caused by a laser scalpel prevented more damage from being done. It had cauterized the wound as quickly as it had caused it, but there was an eight inch gash across her abdomen. While nothing critical had been cut, the bulge of her intestines against the wound was clearly visible and only kept in place by the cauterization and one nasty bump would cause them to spill out. Unable to move courtesy of the drug, Mila's eyes screamed in fear, outrage and other mixed emotions.

Aidan helped the other medical personnel carefully roll Mila over. He saw the bulge and the cauterized gash and gasped. He held that breath for what seemed like ten minutes. She was injured, but he didn’t know how badly. He ran his hand through her hair, knowing that if she could, she would have torn at his flesh. More tears streaked his face as he whispered, “Printsessa, what have I done?” Then he looked up at the doctor, “Can she be moved?”

"Yes, just give me a moment," answered Abbey, carefully placing a stasis field over the wound. "We still have to be incredibly careful because if that falls off, we're S.O.L. Well, I'm S.O.L. You two can go about your business. Nurse Rigby, get the surgery tray please. And you two," she said, carefully sliding her arms under the hallow of Mila's back. "Get her shoulders and legs."

Aidan, already at her shoulders, came around to the side. He carefully slid his arms under her shoulders and looked back to the others. “I am ready whenever you are.” He looked down to Mila, sorrow on his face. “They will care for you," he whispered. "Then I will."

"Okay, on three," said Abbey as Hurley positioned himself to help lift. "But, slowly. One, two, three." Very carefully and as slowly as she dared, Abbey began to lift, keeping an eye on the stasis field generator to make sure it did not budge.

Hurley lifted as well, placing one arm right next to Dr. Road's so she didn't have to lift so much on her own. Together, with Aidan's help, they got the patient onto the bio bed just as Rigby returned with the tray of surgery equipment.

"Good," said Abbey. "Thank you, so much, Cadet. You can wait right over there if you like and we'll get her put back together."

Aidan dipped his head. “Thank you, ma’am, I will do that.” He walked to the area that the doctor had pointed to and sat down. He watched the entire thing, thinking of what he could do for her. But how could he talk to her or even be near her without scaring her? He took a deep breath. Be there, just be there for her and do not let her down.

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