The Passing Of The Storm

Posted on Mon Dec 15th, 2014 @ 6:43pm by Lieutenant Jensen Foster & Lieutenant JG Heather Quinn & Commander Rylie Cattmor

2,343 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: What Dreams May Come
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: About an hour after "Mind The Gaps"

ON:

Sinking down into the chair, Quinn breathed a sigh of slight frustration. Roughly an hour had passed since she and her medical team had found Lieutenant Commander Cattmor and Lieutenant Foster. She'd patched Cattmor's wounds up and gotten her vitals back within normal parameters. Only thing was, the woman was still unconscious. Every effort taken by her or her medical team had yielded nothing, but at least the XO's brain activity was better than the state it had been in.

And then there was Lieutenant Foster. While he'd had only minor burns and abrasions, he had been in the same boat as Cattmor - brain activity had been virtually non-existent and he'd been unresponsive. He was better now, his brain giving the same read-out as Cattmor's; they both seemed to be in some kind of self-induced coma. Of which she had no answers on how to get them to come around.

But now she sat at the desk in the office, letting the junior officers handle the busy work. She did, however, pull up the results from the lab work she and the team had conducted in the labs, she wanted to read it over before handing it off to Foster for his analysis. She also knew that she'd have to notify the captain, if she hadn't been notified already.

Cattmor's eyes fluttered and slowly opened to let in images that were blurry and oscillating around the outside like ripples in a pond from a stone. She blinked and closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again and things were little better. She looked around and took in what she could of her surroundings, which wasn't easy, her head and neck stiff and painful to move, but she did get the feeling she was inside sickbay, though she had no idea what happened, or how she got there. Corfirming her thoughts on location, Rylie caught a glimpse of Jensen just across the way on the main diagnostic bed in the alcove, which sparked a brief memory of them on the holodeck; it couldn't have ended well. She tried to reach up to her head, but her arm was too sore to move, though the attempt did seem to get the nurse's attention--

"Lieutenant Quinn, the XO's awake."

Turning her eyes from the data padd in her hand, she looked towards the biobed where the XO was resting. Putting the padd down, Quinn got up and walked over, taking a tricorder with her. Now that the Lieutenant Commander was awake, she wanted to do a quick diagnostic - just to make sure everything was as it should be.

"What happened?" Rylie asked quietly, her throat scratchy and dry.

Beginning her scan, Quinn asked, "Well, as far as I can tell, you and Lieutenant Foster must have attempted something to do with your mental abilities down on Holodeck Two. The result was... rather alarming truth be told."

Trying to glance in Jensen's direction again, she asked another question, "How's Foster?"

Glancing at her colleague, Quinn responded, "While he didn't suffer any lasting physical trauma, he has yet to come around." Completing her scan, Quinn's brow furrowed with worry. "As for you, Commander, I'm still worried about the injuries you sustained from the... accident."

"Don't worry yourself about me, doctor, fix him," she said with a more forceful tone than she had intended. She felt frustrated more than anything else. She hurt, and was kicking herself for not being able to stop things sooner, before many more people were hurt, or worse. She should have had the better sense to know that things wouldn't work.

Turning away from the XO, Quinn gazed at Foster, his body still and looking almost peacefully asleep. Turning back to Cattmor, she said, "Based off of his medical file and some preliminary scans I was able to conduct, his condition is a normal reaction to what transpired. I've also learned from Foster himself that when his abilities get out of hand, and become too much for him to handle, his mind shuts down. Effectually causing a self-induced coma. Only thing we can do, is wait for him to awaken."

Rylie felt her pulse quicken marginally, replaying in her mind what was already said, and everything worried her. What was going to go through Jensen's head when he did wake up, and why wasn't he awake now? What injuries were so devastating that it worried the doctor so. She tried to sit up before failing and falling back to the bed, new or forgotten impulses being sent to her brain informing it about her leg, arm, and neck. The injuries themselves had been healed and a little discoloration remained which would fade over the coming days, but the tissue remained tender to the touch; which she found reaching across to her arm, wincing slightly as she touched the area the burns were. Cattmor closed her eyes momentarily before focusing on the ceiling, "Wake me when he wakes, doctor," she said before shuffling onto her side, her back turned to everyone else. She didn't know if she'd get any rest, but her body needed it, and since she obviously couldn't leave, she did feel the necessity to be alone, or as alone as she could be.

"I shall, Lieutenant Commander," Quinn said, turning away and heading back to the office to continue her report, hoping that Lieutenant Foster would awaken before the night was over.

// Half an hour later...

Feeling as if he'd been hit by a hurricane, Jensen woke to find himself laying in the main biobed alcove of sickbay. How he'd gotten there or what had caused him to get there, he wasn't sure, but he was thankful to be there anyway. He focused on the ceiling above him for a few seconds, feeling a touch off-balance, but unsure as to the cause. His body ached, as did his head, but the imbalance had nothing to do with the pain. A few seconds later it dawned on him as to why he felt off, he couldn't sense a single soul on board. Alarm took over for half-a-second and he attempted to sit upright. He failed and fell back, the motion alerting the nurse milling about sickbay.

"Doctor Quinn, Doctor Foster is awake now," the nurse said, coming to stand near the main biobed, his gaze offering comfort while a closer inspection revealed relief.

Within moments, Quinn's delicate face came into view, a relieved smile gracing her face. "Had me worried for a while. How are you feeling?"

Staring up at his colleague, Jensen responded, "A little sore and bit off-balance. I can't seem to sense anyone, yourself included."

He was watching Quinn as she scanned him, when her next question caught him a bit off guard. "Do you remember anything from before you awoke?"

Blinking, he thought backward in his mind to the last thing he remembered. "I remember being down in holodeck two with Cattmor, but after that... nothing. Why? What happened?"

Worry caused Quinn's brow to furrow and she turned away for a moment to speak with the nurse. He heard her say quietly, "Wake the Lieutenant Commander, let her know that Dr. Foster is awake." His responses had her a bit worried, but hopefully it wasn't anything to worry about... just yet.

Rylie had already heard half the conversation and knew that Foster had come back around, not just from their speaking, but Jensen's mind had apparently activated again, albeit a little more weakly than before. She was still sore herself but she managed to sit up this time round and swing her legs off the biobed. Closing her eyes for but a moment, almost fearing the reception she may receive, she composed herself, slid off onto the floor, and approached the others, including Foster on the main central biobed. "How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

Turning his gaze to Cattmor, Jensen could only stare at her for a moment. While he registered the look of concern on her face, he couldn't quite get past the fact that he couldn't sense how she felt in that moment. "I feel as good as I can considering where I am. Everything is just a bit too quiet. Can't seem to sense anyone, yourself included."

That's probably a good thing. Rylie thought to herself. "And what's the actual prognosis, doctor?" Cattmor said, turning to Quinn.

She finished her scan of Lieutenant Foster and looked over the data before responding. Finally, she said, "I'm going have to recommend you both take time off from duty for the next day or two, just to recuperate. You've both been through hell, ma'am. While you're in better condition to leave sickbay, I want you Lieutenant Commander to just take time and relax, let your body and mind heal." Turning her gaze to her colleague for second before returning to Cattmor, she said, "I'm going to keep Doctor Foster here for a while longer. Just to make sure his mental state is back in order. He's suffering minor amnesia and his paracortex has effectively shut down in response to what transpired on the holodeck."

Cattmor attempted to listen with intent, but her mind just wandered - what transpired on the holodeck... apparently only she knew, at least the effects of it, and that was probably a good thing as well. "Would you mind giving us a moment, doctor?" Quinn nodded and obliged, taking the other medical personnel with her, leaving Rylie and Jensen alone, her just solemnly looking down at him on the bed. "Jensen, I'm... I'm so sorry..." she stated before faltering - she knew this could have turned out so much worse.

"I wish I remembered what happened down there, it's all still a blur. But, seeing as how we're both here, I'm assuming we tried to help one another with our abilities. Didn't turn out so well, did it?" Jensen replied, with a slight smirk.

"I guess it could have turned out better." she mused with a half-hearted smile.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry as well, Rylie," he took in the fading burn marks on her skin and singed hair. "It could have gone better, yes, but I hope it hasn't ruined anything between us. I..." Jensen faltered, closing his eyes and reaching a hand up to his temple as an intense rush of emotion cascaded over him. Once he acclimated, he opened his eyes and looked to Cattmor once again. "When I'm finally free and able to go back to my quarters, would you like to have dinner? Nothing too personal, and don't take it as an invitation of a date, just feeling as if there's something I need to tell you. Something important."

Dinner? she almost exclaimed, just about managing to stop her mouth engaging in time. If Jensen hadn't have added on to the end of that, that it was something important, she would have replied with a flat 'No', but as it stood, she considered the importance of Jensen's message, along with the clear image in his mind of exactly what this was regarding. Still, she took a slight breath before responding, "Sure. But perhaps not for a meal, just a drink and company."

Smiling, Jensen quickly took one of Cattmor's hands and squeezed it gently. "And while I still have the chance of not using rank... I'm glad I met you Rylie. You're a wonderful woman and I'm glad to call you friend."

Cattmor glanced down at Jensen's hand encircling hers, conflicting emotions running through the forefront of her mind, one's she didn't feel altogether comfortable with. She also didn't know what to say in return; something needed to be said other than 'Thanks' or 'Ditto'. She gave a somewhat sad smile and lightly squeezed his hand, "I think that after all this, I don't think we could be anything else. Which brings us onto another point," Rylie continued lowering her voice slightly, "Doctor Quinn has already informed the captain about the results of our holodeck trip but obviously no-one knows of any details. T'mpest will no doubt want to have a few words soon... what do you propose we say to her?"

The smile slipping from his face slightly, Jensen let go of Cattmor's hand and mulled over the question for a few moments. Finally, he said, "The truth. I don't want to hide anything from Commander Michaels. If there was anything my last posting taught me, the truth is always the best option with one's captain. And while I don't currently remember much of what happened, I am partially responsible for the events."

In her heart, she knew also that the truth was the best policy, even though looking back on the events and destruction, she was not looking forward to facing up to it. "Well, since I am free for the time," Rylie said, "I'm going to try to get some rest in my quarters and let you get some more. I have a feeling that we may need it."

Relaxing as best as he could, Jensen intoned, "Rest sounds good right about now. Maybe it'll give my paracortex time to heal and maybe my memory will come back, as well." Smiling softly, he finished with, "Sleep well, Rylie. I'll see you soon." Then he closed his eyes, letting his mind wander.

Rylie breathed in half-way between a breath and a sigh as she watched Foster's eyes close. She tried her hardest not to pick up Jensen's wanderings; even though there was no real danger there any longer without the telepathic link, she didn't want to risk a repeat incident with what happened down in the holodeck. She did stand there for a few more seconds though, wondering where this experience was going to take both of them, before glancing up to Quinn in the CMO's office, and quietly exiting sickbay.

OFF:


Lieutenant Commander Rylie Cattmor
Executive Officer
USS Ranger

Lieutenant Jensen Foster
Chief Medical Officer
USS Ranger

Lieutenant JG Heather Quinn
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Ranger

 

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