LtCmdr Sky Blake, "The Rangers." (Part 5)

[Deliera Jay]

((Isolation—Sick Bay))

She'd spent a little under four days in isolation here in Sick Bay. They had pumped the temperature of her medical cell block up to something suitable for her naturally high body temperature. There was no need for her to wander around her new 4 x 4 quarters rugged up—that defeated the purpose of trying to keep her comfortable. Now that her cold and flu symptoms were being attributed to something other than cold and flu, she'd been placed on the appropriate treatments. She could breathe through her nose again, and aside from a slight neck ache just below her skull, she felt fine.

But the isolation room was meant to do exactly that: keep her isolated. The containment field Teller and MacKenzie consistently walked through with its automatic sterilisation effects was not possible for others to pass through unless the medical staff made it so. She imagined it was for the possibility of patients with manic episodes—the last thing any doctor needed was someone with a contagious disease racing out of their containment field without warning. Patient rights had some limitations.

The field could be nontransparent, to give her an air of privacy, but she saw very little point in that. She liked the contact with other people—not that she got a lot of that here. As much as she liked Teller and MacKenzie, and appreciated their work, she hadn't intended on spending shore leave with them talking about her potential death. 

Blake had come back to the Veritas to regroup with her crew. Her family. For reasons beyond her own understanding, however, she was now being concealed from them. "A judgement call". 

Caide: Largew sent a letter of thanks. The saboteur is "being dealt with". 

Seated on her bed cross-legged and feet bare, Blake sat up a little straighter when Caide had arrived. He was out of uniform, his long dark hair down to flood around his shoulders—and he was clean-shaven. A travesty, really, but it just meant that his dimples were all the more apparent and distracting.

He'd pulled up a chair on the other side of the containment field and had talked, no formalities needed, about his workday—and then lobbed multiple case reports and potential sightings about na-Soldim to her PADD. She didn't believe he expected her to plough right into work, but he'd left the ability to do so there, should she want something to take her mind off her medically imposed isolation.

Blake: I imagine she's having more thorough meetings regarding Kidman's placement.

Caide: They can hardly up and leave. I believe she's given her people the option of moving on if they so wish.

Blake: I'm not sure why they didn't do that to begin with. It's not as if they're a penal colony. The settlers should have free will to do as they please.

Caide: Often people are more comfortable to relocate in groups. Striking out alone takes great confidence.

Evidently, Caide was getting a lot out of his sociology degree.

Blake: I hardly think sabotaging the settlement water supply was a valid way of getting Largew's attention.

Caide: Perhaps she wasn't listening to their concerns?

oO Entirely possible. Oo

Blake: There are still better ways.

The Trill smiled and nodded, crossing a leg over his opposite knee. 

Caide: How are you faring?

Emerald eyes looked up to meet kind, liquid brown ones. She shuffled awkwardly on the bed, before finally getting up to pace. Her voice was uncertain.

Blake: I-uh... I'm okay.

He rose a thick eyebrow. Blake turned away from him, tightly crossing her arms over herself. She took a deep breath.

Caide: Blake.

When she glanced back at the Trill, he motioned for her to step towards the field. She'd placed a chair there yesterday, having had long conversations with some nurses about their own day-to-day activities and gossip. Some of it hadn't been interesting—discussing "relationship drama" with others felt like she was watching paint dry. There was no purpose behind the discussion, and it was all moot point, anyway.

She dropped into the seat across from Caide, tugging the thin wrap around her. He spoke more sincerely, accented voice pushing the point a little more than he had before.

Caide: How are you faring?

Silence.

Her eyes darted away from him.

Blake: I'm... I'm not great.

Caide remained still.

Blake: I don't know what's happening to me. I mean- I-I do. But I don't understand it.

Caide: Has someone explained it to you in more detail?

Blake: A few people have. There's a lot of medical jargon and-and scientific chemical particle plestba. I can't wrap my head around it. Something happened to me in the period of time I'm missing, and now I'm facing the repercussions for it.

She shuddered, rubbing her hands together as if the containment cell had gotten a little colder. 

Blake: No one knows how long I'm gonna be here. I don't even know if I'll be allowed to leave. Or what the next step in my treatment is. I'm not even sure my doctor knows. ::she sighed:: But I'm the superior officer, right? I have to- remain steadfast, or whatever it was academy examiners told their cadets.

He leant forward in his chair. The back of his fingers pressed into the containment field—not enough to rebuff him, but enough that he was making an obvious push against it.

Caide: Blake.

She looked back up to the warm eyes.

Caide: It's going to be alright.

Her chest tightened. Her shoulders shivered as she took in a deep breath. 

Caide: You're going to be alright.

Her nose crinkled. She pressed the palms of her hands to her eyebrows as her throat constricted.

Caide: You're going to see your children again.

That did it.

The dam broke.

She sucked in a sharp breath, her lips tightening as she fought against her watering eyes—and failed. A sob wracked her shoulders as a tear trailed down her cheek. 

Weakly, she pressed the back of her fingers to his. The containment field, though designed to keep her from escaping out to the rest of the ship, still conveyed the cold chill of Trill fingers. 

Blake sniffed, unceremoniously clearing her nose.

Blake: I'm just scared. 

Caide: It's alright to be scared.

Her eyebrow rose and fell quickly as she huffed a single laugh. She pulled her hand away from the containment field.

Blake: I'll be okay. As soon as we work out how we're treating this thing, I'll be okay. Then I'll bring Ayden and Faith home.

Caide: You will. 

Blake:::nodding:: I will.

There was another moment of silence between them as Caide resettled himself in his chair.

Blake: How long are you staying on Veritas?

Caide: Until you move on. Unfortunately, my work planetside isn't done. 

She nodded.

Blake: Sightings in the region?

Caide: Possibly. I'd like you to sort through them, if possible. I'm not sure which seem legitimate.

Blake: I'll go through it tonight.

Caide: I appreciate that.

Blake nodded again. She stood up from her chair—a quiet notion to Caide that she was no longer up for talking. As the Brekkazoid returned to sit on her bed, Caide called to her once more.

Caide: Commander.

Blake: Yes, sir?

Caide: I expect you to get back into the saddle when you're able. Don't fear the job because you've been burned.

Blake smiled at him. 

Blake: With all due respect, sir, I'm not sure my current job landed me in here. And I at least didn't damage my shoulders.

He chuckled at that. As her attention turned to her PADD, Caide left the Sick Bay.



Tbc . . . 

LtCmdr Sky Blake

Second Officer

USS Veritas

C238803SB0