New Invisible Friend
Posted on Thu Apr 14th, 2016 @ 8:55pm by Lieutenant JG Ricki St. Louis
Edited on on Thu Apr 14th, 2016 @ 9:01pm
Mission:
Brave New World
Location: Starbase Hospital
Timeline: Day shift
[ON]
Dr. St. Louis' schedule cleared completely for three days. Each night, she would be guaranteed restful, undisturbed sleep. One lengthy and complex surgery was in the offing. A deep space shuttle arrived with her patient, and he was immediately put through Pre-Op.
The night before surgery, she sat at the bedside of the young boy. "I wanted to meet you and talk with you!" Somewhat withdrawn, the boy avoided eye contact. His heart rate was fast, betraying fear. "Do you understand why you are here?"
"My body doesn't work right."
Her tone was gentle, even soothing, "It needs help to survive. Right now, you depend on little machines."
"The other kids call me a Borg."
She frowned, "Hmmm, it doesn't sound like they're being very good friends, does it?" She leaned close to whisper, "I know some Borg. They're pretty nice people!"
"Doctor Ricki, I don't like all this!"
"You won't have to deal with it for long. What we're going to do... is introduce you to a brand new friend, someone who needs just as much help living as you do."
"A mirro-..."
"Mirrosian. They are very special people. Have you heard of Trill?"
"Yes."
"They're like Trill. They come to live with you like a special brother or sister. It's hard to live by themselves, so they find others who are willing to share life with them."
"Inside me?"
"Yes, inside you. It might interest you to know, your Mirrosian is young just like you are."
"Is it a boy or a girl?"
"She's a little girl. Is that all right with you?"
He shrugged, "I suppose."
Ricki resettled herself in her seat, "Tolly, she won't take over your mind. She'll be... like a new invisible friend. You'll feel it when she smiles. You'll feel it when she's sad. And she'll feel the same with you. Her special body will help yours work properly, and yours will protect and support hers."
"Can she talk to me?"
Ricki smiled, "If you listen carefully, yes."
He sighed heavily, heart rate calming, "Will it hurt?"
Doctor Ricki chuckled, scratching her fingertips on his tummy, "No, but she might tickle you!"
He giggled for a moment and then calmed. "She needs me to live, too?"
"Yes, she does. Tolly, I don't want you to be afraid. You will have so many people helping you. If it turns out that you two aren't happy with each other, then she can move out someday." Ricky tipped her head with teasing expression, "But I have a feeling that you're going to like her, and you won't want her to go!"
"Where will she live inside of me?"
"How about inside your nose?"
The boy frowned, "No!"
"Top of your head?"
"No!"
"Hmmm... you're a tough customer to satisfy. I know! How about your abdominal cavity below your heart?"
"I guess."
"Tolly, she'll pass into you almost like a ghost. My job is..." She sighed, not finding simple words, "Well, my job is to help your bodies adjust to each other gently. Your immune system has to allow her to be there, and her immune system has to begin protecting you." Ricki leaned close, "She has an awesome immune system!"
"What's her name?"
"I can't pronounce it. Seriously. You're going to have to give her a name." She added, "One that she likes."
The boy's eyes became heavy lidded, "Yeah..."
"You sleep, Tolly. I'll meet with you in the morning." She leaned down to kiss his forehead.
Turning the patient over to nurses, Ricki departed for the conference tech chamber. Dozens of holographic images hung in the air of both host and symbiont. One of the physicians shook his head, "She's going to disrupt his RNA cycles! Complete cellular death."
"No she won't, Eeyore. We're going to dampen her phased energy state to slow down the binding process. That'll allow me to stabilize cellular chemistry as she merges."
"And just how do you intend to dampen her energy?"
"Gentle application of Breen technology."
"Breen energy dampers? That's a weapon!"
Ricki frowned at him, "I'm not going to snuff her energy out with a ship cannon! I'm just going to slow her metabolism down."
He shook his head, "And you're going to stabilize millions upon millions of the boy's cells as she merges?"
She folded her arms and declared through raised brows and half-closed eyes, "As a matter of fact, I am."
"Surgical computers can't even do that! What makes you think you can?"
"The scanner rays and control signals interfere with the binding process. I'm Thorian. My synapses can interact with micros and nanos using the patient's own bio-energy field. That is why you hauled the boy half way across the quadrant, isn't it?"
Conversation effectively ended, Ricki retired to the doctor's lounge to rest and focus. One of the nurses brought her a dinner tray. "Are you apprehensive?"
"Actually, no. It's a ferociously intense and complex procedure, but the simulations went very well. It should go smooth as silk." She noticed the worried eyes. "We're not going to bind her all at once. If there's a problem, we should be able to notice it early on and separate them."
The nurse felt a little better, but not much.
The following night, Ricki once again sat by Tolly's bedside. She smiled at seeing his eyes open, "How do you feel?"
"Did you do the surgery on me?"
Ricki beamed, "Sure did!" She leaned close, "Why don't you say hello to your new sister!" She glanced up at the dual diagnostics monitors.
The boy bit his lip, "Umm... hello?" His eyes widened, "Someone's here!"
"Did she answer?"
"No. Yes. I... I don't know."
Ricki smiled, "You will in time. Have you thought of a name for her? I was thinking that Zitsuitz might be a good one."
"Nooo! That's silly!"
She folded her hands and studied his eyes, "She's being very quiet, isn't she?"
"I think so. I feel different, but..." He felt over his arms and abdomen, "No more Borg stuff?"
"No more cybernetics, Tolly. You're purely biological now... both of you!"
The boy reacted to the spark of excitement within. "Wow!"
Ricki squinted, "I... have a feeling that your shy symbiont probably wants time alone with you!"
"Symbi! That's her name!"
"I like it! It's cute. What does she think?"
His eyes turned aside, and then he smiled, "She likes it because you like it."
"Do you need me to stay here with you?"
"No, I'm okay."
Ricky brushed her fingers over his hair, "Okay. I'll be back in a little bit to check on you."
"Doctor Ricki?"
"Yes?"
"Symbi needs a hug."
"Oh she does, does she? Hey! I've got hugs for everybody!" She leaned down and tenderly embraced the boy.
[OFF]
Dr. Ricki St. Louis
Tolly & Symbi
Starbase 332
Pegasus Fleet
