Preparing For The Worst

Posted on Thu Apr 7th, 2011 @ 6:45am by Lieutenant Kiyraesyn Valdor & Captain Nathan Cowell MD & Ensign Lynnea Wildman

Mission: Renegades
Location: Main Sick Bay
Timeline: Minutes after "A Voice In The Dark"

Valdor heard the Captain's announcement over the comm, her hand hovering over her communicator until it was completed. Upon his final word, she tapped it firmly.

"Valdor to Cowell, I need to know what the situation is and what your medical needs will be, as I have my entire staff studying surgical protocols as we speak." She explained calmly, her tone composed and engaged.

Wildman swallowed hard, wondering why they were leaving spacedock when they had only just arrived. She remained silent and returned to the myriad of PADDs which lay scattered over a biobed in front of her.

There was a short pause, then the comm cracked to life, "I don't know what we are flying into, Ms. Valdor. I just know we are responding to an attack. I would exact heavy casualties if they are even still alive when we get there. Just get ready for the worst..."

"Very good, sir," Kiyraesyn replied, "I'll let my trainees they're about to get some good old-fashioned hands on experience shortly."

"Let's hope there are people there to get that practice on when we get there. Anything else, Doctor?" Nathan asked.

"No, just keep me posted on the situation." The Chief said, looking over a PADD. "Valdor out."

Lynnea watched tensely as her superior combed over the information in haste.

"Lieutenant," she enquired, "I'm nervous."

Kiyraesyn picked up one of the PADDs and handed it to her head nurse with a comforting smile on her lips.

"Here, take this and give your mind something productive to focus on until we get to wherever it is we're going." She offered.

"Good idea." Lynnea breathed in deeply, accepted the PADD and resolved to distract herself from the impending crisis that lay ahead of them somewhere across the vast expanse of deep space. Valdor assisted her in her studies, providing more in-depth explanations for certain core protocols and regulations. Her effort to calm Wildman's nerves appeared successful thus far, so Kiyraesyn decided to get her started on some hands-on applications. She accessed the computer and brought up the EMH program, altered a few subroutines and then activated it.

A woman of medium-tall stature, but petite frame with dark mahogany hair and black eyes flickered to life before them, writhing in agony on a nearby bio-bed. Her face and hands had been burned and it was obvious that she was in excruciating pain as she screamed and cried out for medical assistance.

Doctor Valdor approached her quickly and swiftly scanned her with a medical tricorder to assess the situation. Next, she stabilised her using a cortical nerve suppressor. She beckoned for Wildman to take one of the dermal regenerators and begin working on the superficial wounds, demonstrating exactly how the device should be passed over them. Wildman took over this task, and Kiyraesyn returned to the vitals station to monitor the patient's overall condition. Minutes later, her vitals had levelled out and her body relaxed. Valdor asked the patient what had happened and, between gasps for air, the woman informed her that there had been a warp core breach, and as she attempted to contain it, some one of the coolant tanks ruptured above her.

"Thank you, Doctor..." She said, her heartrate returning to a normal resting rate.

"Don't thank me, thank my Head Nurse, she performed the surgery that saved your life." Kiyraesyn replied. "Computer, end program and reset to previous parameters." With a chirp, the computer executed her command and the hologram flickered once more only to disappear into thin air. Kiyraesyn turned to Wildman and smiled. "Well done."

Lynnea returned the expression, a broad smile playing across her sparkling white teeth.

"The key in this is to remain composed, don't forget to assess immediately before anything else. In this case, the patient only sustained superficial wounds. Those were not life-threatening in and of themselves. It was the stress they posed to the rest of her body. You saw her seize up, which was her body's response to anguish."

Lynn nodded.

"Ready for the next scenario ?"

"Absolutely, let's do it !" Wildman said excitedly.

Kiyraesyn smiled again before accessing the EMH and preparing the next simulation, confident that Lynnea was a quick, efficient and sufficiently motivated individual with more than adequate skills to perform any surgical procedure necessary, no matter the degree of difficulty. Lynnea Wildman, Valdor recognised, would one day become a fine doctor.