[Backsim] Lt Alex Storm - Forthwith

[Karen Morris]

(( Primary Sickbay, Deck 7 – USS Artemis-A ))

oO I’m looking at you, Alex.  You’re not broken. Oo

He said it.  The look in his eyes confirmed that he believed it.  And still she asked…

Storm:  Really?

She exhaled through the loosening muscles in her chest.

Storm: Thank you, Roy.  

She shifted on the biobed but held his gaze.

Storm:  It doesn’t change the ache… but it helps.  ::wrinkling her nose:: Just a little. 

It hit just the way she hoped it would.  She caught the stifled laughter in the corners of his eyes and mouth.

Bancroft: ::gravely:: Well, that’s what we strive for here in the Artemis sickbay: helping – but only just a little.

A smile spread across her face, but her eyes playfully narrowed.

Storm: That’s not what I meant.

His eyes flared, and his hands flew into the air.

Bancroft: Hey now, your words, ma’am, not mine! :: a soft chuckle:: Alright. ::a gentler shift, almost imperceptible:: We’ve done what we can for the existential crisis – how about we take a look at the physical side of things next?

Something in his tone eased her -- quietly, completely.   Like when she used to sing to Cassie.

Storm: It’s a deal.  Besides, I’m getting cold.  

She glanced over her shoulder, referencing her still-exposed back, but Roy was already in motion.  He grabbed a hypospray from a tray and inserted a medicine.  He was at her side a moment later, pressing the device into her bicep.

Bancroft: Mostly analgesic. There’s a bit of anti-inflammatory in there, but we don’t want to eliminate the response entirely. Inflammation’s uncomfortable, but it’s also part of how the body repairs itself. If we suppress it too much, you’ll heal more slowly.

Her feet started to swing again.  But as she watched him, her brow creased.

Storm:  That’s it?  We’re done?

oO I had expected…I don’t know what I expected, but clearly not that. Oo

Roy stepped back, and Alex slipped her bare feet to the floor.  Her toes curled in against the cold.

Bancroft: All set, Alex. ::slightly softer:: Thank you – for coming in, and for trusting me with that. I don’t take that lightly.

Alex saw it—the hesitation in the lift of his hand.

Her feet flattened out as she stood studying him.  An empty moment blossomed into a silent understanding - heartfelt and precious.

Storm: Today, you were a doctor for my heart as much as you were for my back.  Thank you for caring for both.

But immediately after, her smile was replaced with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.  

Storm:  But unless you expect me to walk back to my quarters wearing only a partially done-up exam gown, I think you’d better exit these premises forthwith.

~*~

End Scene for Storm

~*~

Lt Alex Storm

Tactical Officer

USS Artemis

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