Attack Aftermath: Von

Posted on Sat Apr 29th, 2017 @ 10:04pm by Lieutenant Commander Marit Lantry M.D., Ph.D. & Captain Liarra Von

Mission: Shadows and Whispers
Location: Main infirmary, Starbase 332

In many cases, the medical staff of the Starbase's infirmaries had little warning about the patients that were about to come through the doors. Given the transient nature of the Starbase's population and the regrettable but thriving criminal elements aboard, they had to be prepared for anything at any time with zero notice, whether it was a common illness, an accidental injury caused by carelessness or sheer stupidity, or in a good too many cases, violence. So far, Marit had seen a little bit of everything since she'd been here from this routine to the horrific. Even though she was only helping on a semi-regular basis as her Chief Counselor duties allowed, service here reminded her of her time in med school and residency, where she constantly had to remain alert and stay on her toes.

Still, the news of the Captain's and Colonel's vicious attack while on station shocked even members of the medical staff who'd been around longer than Marit had. Of course, they would have anticipated such an event if the two had been off station, as in the case of the shuttle crash not too long ago, but this? Two senior officers had every reason to expect they would be safe on their own turf, so to speak.

She watched as personnel scramble to prepare for the incoming injuries based on what had been relayed to them by the medical team on scene. Marit's eyes met the duty physician and she offered a simple nod, indicating she would be taking the lead on providing medical care for the two when they arrived. Under the circumstances, Lantry had the medical training to not only heal their wounds, but to document them forensically for the purposes of criminal investigation. In addition, Marit possessed the therapeutic skills to offer emotional support to both incoming crime survivors. Von and the Colonel may have been veteran Starfleet officers not unused to being injured by hostile individuals, but they were still survivors of a horrific crime, who were bound to be confused and in psychological shock on top of being wounded.

By the time Marit had found Liarra, she was already being looked at by the nurses. Her injuries did not appear to be life threatening, though she had reported to the infirmary holding her side in obvious pain. Adrenaline had been keeping her together so far, but the reality was starting to set in once she was separated from the intensity of the attack. The pain in her side was growing as time passed, and she began to grow more concerned not just for her own life, but for Von's as well.

Approaching Von's bio bed, Marit offered, "Captain, I'm sorry for your no good very bad day, but we are going to take care of you. I know you're in a lot of pain, but anything specific you can tell us about the attack will help us know what to look for. Will you tell us what happened? For example, do you remember if you lost consciousness?"

Liarra shook her head. "No, I never lost consciousness, at least not that I can remember. I took some shots, but gave as well as I got at first. He got a lucky punch in here." She gestured towards her lower abdomen. "He must have got me pretty good. I was stunned, stumbled a bit, and he took me to the ground. His boot found its mark a few more times before Colonel S'er'in'e made it back and caught him by surprise."

Marit nodded. From the sound of things, she would need to look for internal injuries as quickly as possible. Given the number of blows Von had taken, there was a high probability she was experiencing some internal bleeding and that was serious enough without having to worry about the symbiont. "We'll give you something to take the edge off the pain, but unfortunately, it can't be strong right now because your ability to respond to pain will help us clarify any hidden injuries. "What can you tell me about your connection to the symbiont? Does anything feel unusual or even absent? We'll do exploratory scans, but you know your body better than any of us."

In the meantime, Lantry ordered, "Nurse, please set up for a full abdominal series." With a nod, the nurse pressed a panel and each half of the scanner emerged from both sides of the bio bed until they met with a slight clicking sound to form an arch over Liarra's entire body. In the meantime, Marit administered the low dose painkiller as she promised.

"I don't feel anything out of place with the symbiont, which I suppose is probably good. My mental connection is still there, though things are a bit fuzzy." Von wanted to place her hand on her temple, but the scanner was already in place. "It feels like a big headache more than anything else. Most of the pain is on my side."

In truth, her last statement was what concerned the doctor. Even though it appeared the symbiont was doing OK in the moment based on the captain's report of her mental connection, the fact the captain had sustained blows to her side and her abdomen meant the symbiont could still be at risk. Sometimes the initial shock masked the full extent of an injury or even what was to come. Still, she couldn't afford to simply focus on one area and took the other woman's statement about her headache seriously as well. "The fuzziness is partly from the pain medication, I'm sure, but will also do a neural Siri's to rule out a concussion. If you start to feel nauseated, let us know and we will turn you on your side."

In the meantime, the abdominal series revealed good news. "It appears you were extremely lucky, captain. Scans show although you sustained extensive abdominal bruising, there doesn't appear to be life-threatening internal injuries or life-threatening damage to the symbiont. I expect it's primarily stunned right now, and I'd like to keep you here for observation overnight just to make sure, but so far, I'd say you were quite fortunate under the circumstances. Of course, even after I release you, you're going to feel sore, so you'll need to take it easy for at least another day or two."

While Lantry had focused on the abdominal scan, a nurse had already initiated the neural check. Exhaling, the doctor offered, "It also appears you have quite the hard head. I can definitely see you got your bell rung, so to speak, but I see no immediate evidence of a concussion."

"That's good news, at least," Liarra replied with a sigh. Her life was tied to that of the symbiont, so as long as they were both safe, they could survive. "I do have to admit, Doctor, as good as the treatment is here, I'm getting a little tired of seeing the inside of the infirmary. I'll try to lay off the attempted assassinations for a while. Speaking of which, how are Colonel S'er'in'e and Crewman Vernon?"

Marit offered a wane smile. "None of this is your fault, ma'am, but I agree, you've spent more than your fair share of time in the infirmary of late. Last I heard, the nurses were checking over the Colonel, but I'll have to check on Crewman Vernon." She pushed a couple of buttons and the scanners retracted leaving room for the Captain to sit up, but before she did, Marit placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know this is the last thing you want here, but I'd like to keep you here at least overnight for observation. The symbiont isn't in any distress right now, but I want to make sure it stays that way. Besides, just because you don't have any broken bones or require surgery doesn't mean you're not going to be sore and moving slowly because of some serious bruising. Given your other injuries not so long ago, I just want to give your body rest and attention to make sure you've come out of shock." Lantry didn't add she was referring to emotional shock as much as physical, but she knew the Captain was experienced and smart enough to surmise that.

Liarra groaned as she started to sit back up. "I suppose I'm not in any position to really argue with you, am I, Doctor?" She adjusted the back of the biobed and eased into a reclining position as best as she could. "I can manage another overnight visit. But do keep me posted on the status of our other patients. Make sure you do everything that you can for Vernon. He may have tried to kill us, but I'd prefer that he stay alive. I'm sure we're all going to have some very difficult questions for him."

Seeing Von struggle to sit up properly Lantry helped to ease her into a more comfortable position. She smiled wryly and offered, "You can try and argue with me, but it's been a really long time since I've lost this particular fight." More seriously, she said, "I will keep you posted as much as I can, and as always, the medical staff here will do whatever they can for Vernon. They may have an axe to grind with him now, but they are professionals, and they will give him the best care possible just as they would for any other patient."

Von nodded her head. "I learned a while ago that arguing with you was not an argument that I was going to win. Just keep me posted on his status, and let me know when he is stable enough to talk to us. We'll need some answers."

"I will, ma'am," Marit replied. "If you'd like, I'd even be happy to sit in and help you get those answers. In the meantime, try to get some rest. You've been through quite a trauma and your body needs time to calm itself and heal." Offering the Captain one last reassuring smile, Doctor Lantry took her leave.

***

Captain Liarra Von
Commanding Officer
Starbase 332

Lieutenant Commander Marit Lantry, M.D., Ph.D.
Chief Counselor
Starbase 332