Meeting A Hero (Part 2)

Posted on Tue Apr 9th, 2024 @ 3:29am by Commander Patricia Cooke & Senior Chief Petty Officer Karen Jinryo & Lieutenant Commander Lahki Bakshi Dr & Lieutenant Akira Kogami & Lieutenant JG Eradaar Ezazzan

1,221 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: I-402
Location: Sickbay, Deck 5
Timeline: Sometime after 'Meeting A Hero (Part 1)'

At last, the good news Patricia was waiting for had come from Sickbay:

Akira was finally awake!

As soon as the update on Lieutenant Kogami had come through on Patricia's PADD, the commander had immediately stopped what she was doing and tapped her combadge.

=A="Cooke to Jinryo: Meet me in sickbay in five minutes."=A= She ordered. Patricia knew that Karen had never met Akira, and that she always wanted to meet the other half of the original Soul Sisters.

=A="Aye, Captain: Jinryo out."=A= Karen responded.

While the walk from the ready room to Sickbay was still the same as it always was, the walk seemed a lot longer. Probably because it was somebody Patricia knew so well.

When Patricia arrived in Sickbay for the second time, her demeanor was quite different than it was for the first:

"Where's Lieutenant Kogami?" Were the words that came out of Patricia's mouth this time.

The CMO stood over Akira's biobed, double checking the younger woman's vitals to ensure she was well enough to BE awake. She was issuing gentle, calming waves with her mind, as well, to keep the woman calm and the environment calm. She raised her head when the Captain entered. "Over here, ma'am," she said, and smiled. "Lt. Kogami is doing ok," she said. "Not as well as I'd like, but nothing a days' rest won't fix, I am sure," she said, confident and serenely. "Just slightly lower blood pressure than I'd prefer but nothing alarming, seeing what she's been through. I am waiting for the Counselor to come by and do a quick assessment," she said, "Though she's well medicated," Lahki explained. She eyeballed Patty to ensure the woman didn't need her own medicating.

"Oh, thank god." Patricia sighed as she made her way over to Akira's biobed. "Akira:" Patricia addressed her Chief of Security by first name. "How are you feeling?"

Right away, Patricia could tell there was something... off with her Chief of Security; the light was all but gone from her eyes, as if all that enthusiasm and charisma had been sucked out of her. Whatever it was that I-400 had done to her, it was clear that it was effecting Akira deeply.

"Like shit," she muttered in a flat, unenthusiastic monotone- which only served to further reinforce Patricia's suspicions; while under circumstances, this would've been her way of brightening a dour mood, here she was simply going through the motions- answering questions when prompted, but emotionally detached from everything going on around her.

"My god, what have they done to you?" Patricia muttered.

For a fleeting moment, Patty could just barely make out the hurt resonating in Akira's eyes, before that was quickly buried under a facade of bitter indifference.

"Oh, this? It's nothing I won't get over in a few days' time," she dismissed in what could only be described as the furthest thing from the truth. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've been out of commission for the past few days, and I really ought to be getting back to my duties on the bridge-!"

From the other side of the room, Lahki clicked her tongue. "Captain, a moment?" She asked. She waited for the woman, and then spoke. "She won't be back on the Bridge anytime soon. She'll need more than just what I can do for her. She's radiating pain. I think...the psychic attacks took much out of her. She'll need some intensive therapy, and I'll speak to Ezzazan. I would prefer she does it here, in the Sickbay, so I can monitor her vitals and such. Too much too fast can have the opposite effect," Lahki said. "That said, Lt. Kogami isn't physically well enough yet to do ANYTHING except maybe just be awake for a few hours," she said. "I put in a call to my friend Nairut Noxi-remember the Bajoran?-she might be able to walk me through the tech on the new biobed settings. It's not the same as having the new prototype but it might be worth it to try," Lahki explained.

"You'll be going no where, Lieutenant," voiced Eradaar, whom had until this point been relatively quiet and unseen despite her size. She lumbered over to Lahki and spoke in a hushed, grating reptilian tone. "Doctor Bakshi, in my duties as Chief Councilor, I do not recommend we release this individual back into service. I am seeing clear evidence of post traumatic stress and I believe she requires - at minimum - a few days of psychological testing to determine the extent of the damage."

"Understood." Patricia nodded. "The manuals for the biobeds should be in your office, doctor. I'd suggest also consulting those. Just... Do what you can. I'll speak with Major Aurelius about pulling double duty while Kogami is out of action, but sooner or later, I'm going to need my Chief of Security back."

Lahki nodded in agreement. "Exactly, Counselor. I will move her to a private room, and you two can chat in there. I can monitor her from the computer," she said.

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant." Patricia addressed Akira. "I hate it for things to be this way, but right now, you're unfit for even light duty."

Akira narrowed her eyes at Akira, but otherwise made no move to object.

The Gorn simply stood, eyeing Akira. If the proposal was to meet in private then she'd comply. Until then, she lingered nearby and observed.

Lahki's eyes shifted between the two women. Quickly, she beamed out some calming energy temporally, and then smiled lightly. "Lt. Ezazzan, perhaps it's best to let Lt. Kogami rest. You can come back later?" She suggested, her "mom voice" obvious in her tone. "Captain, you too," she said.

"Of course." Patricia nodded. "I'll be in my ready room if any of you need me."

"Understood, Ma'am. Ezazzan, you should get some rest before I lock you in a biobed and put the shield on. You're working too hard," she said, lightly, trying to make the Counselor feel better. "I promise to keep everyone posted," she said. "I am confident that we will all be ok," she said, firmly.

The Gorns eyes softened as she felt, subcounciously, the relaxed vibes fromm Lahki. Eradaar then nodded. "I'll do that shortly. My shift will be over in fifteen minutes. And I agree, let the patient rest."

With that, the Chief Counselor strode out of the medical bay, intending to visit a replicator in the Mess before heading to her quarters.

As Patricia exited sickbay, she saw Karen coming from just up the corridor.

"Is everything alright, Captain?" Karen asked, concerned to see the captain leaving sickbay as she was arriving.

"Yes, Chief; it's..." Patricia trailed off, looking over her shoulder as she remembered what she had said to the doctor. "Why don't we head on over to the mess hall, and I'll catch you up there on what's happening."

"Um... Okay?" Karen responded uneasily, but not challenging the captain's decision, instead beginning to follow Patricia back towards the turbolifts.

OFF:

Posting by

Commander Patricia Cooke
Commanding Officer

LCDR Dr. Lahki Bakshi
Chief Medical Officer

Lieutenant Akira Kogami
Chief Security/Tactical Officer

Lieutenant JG Eradaar Ezazzan
Chief Counselor

Senior Chief Petty Officer Karen Jinryo
Quartermaster

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