Lieutenant Commander Lael Rosek: Just A Bruise

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Lael Rosek

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Sep 20, 2020, 9:03:34 PM9/20/20
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((Sickbay Complex, Deck 5, USS Atlantis, In orbit of Earth))

{{Time Index: Day 25 of Shoreleave, Morning}}

 

It hadn’t been quite two days since the sparring match with Toryn that had ended with broken bones. Normally, she’d have waited another day before a follow-up visit, but she was scheduled on the next rotation down to Earth and she wanted to be cleared by medical to resume regular duty. The last thing she wanted was to be walking up the beach and have her ribs start hurting.

 

She entered Sickbay, surprised to find it quiet. She supposed most of the first rotation was planetside by now, leaving them down to barebones. She’d made the choice to let her junior staff members enjoy their time before her. There had still been a couple of projects for her to finish up before she could truly enjoy her time.

 

Rosek: Hello?

 

Snow: ::she smiled coming around the corner:: Commander Rosek. What can I do for you?

 

Rosek: Dr. Snow. ::smiles:: Just a follow-up before I go planetside.

 

Snow: I can do that. Come on over. 

 

She nodded and strode toward the nearby biobed, then lifted herself up onto it. A momentary ache flared up in her side, causing her to wince.

 

Snow: Still tender huh?

 

Rosek: ::smiles sheepishly:: Still a bit sore, yeah. I guess that teaches me to spar with a full-blooded Al-Leyan. ::smirks:: But I did beat him on the salmon ladder. If only because he was so heavy, he broke it.

 

Snow: ::laughs:: Serves him right. 

 

She chuckled, certain she wouldn’t ever forget the look on Toryn’s face. It hadn’t exactly been a fair competition given that she’d specifically designed the one she’d been using to accommodate her mass. The other had been standard-issue straight from the generic blueprint. She was honestly surprised that it had lasted as long as it had under the strain.

 

Snow: You two are quite the competitive pair. ::smiles:: Lift your shirt up a bit and we'll see what we've got.

 

Rosek: ::lifts her shirt:: There’s a bit of a long story behind it. We’ve known each other a year or two now, so we’re pretty comfortable with one another. ::smirks:: Like siblings, I guess. If I’d been raised on Leya-I, I imagine we would have been in the same Haemachuo.

 

Snow: Sorry, Commander. I've seemed to have misplaced my tricorder. I'll be right back. 

 

Nodding, she sat on the biobed, allowing her mind to wander until the doctor’s return. That had been a strange thought. Since she’d learned about her homeworld, she’d been adverse to the idea of separating biological families for that long. That was likely because she couldn’t imagine growing up without her younger twin by her side. The bond she had with Kellan was special At a point in her life where she hadn’t trusted anyone else, he’d frequently been her confidente. He’d been there to wipe the tears away on the days when the bullying and harassment had been too much to handle. 

 

She paused. From what she’d read, Haemachuo siblings were close. While a Haemachuo group wasn’t her idea of a traditional family unit, she supposed for children who didn’t know any differently, they wouldn’t see it that way. 

 

Perhaps it had been selfish of her to be so insistent that she raise her child. A grimace twisted her lips and she wondered if her reasons hadn’t been more about her own insecurities and inadequacies. If she didn’t love children so much, perhaps it would have been easier to concede to Toryn’s wishes that any child they would have had together be raised in the Al-Leyan traditions.

 

The doctor re-entering the room snapped her from her daydreaming.

 

Snow: Now where were we. 

 

She lifted her shirt up just enough for Snow to scan the area.

 

Rosek: So how bad is it?

 

Snow: Well you have one nasty bruise. 

 

Rosek: ::scowls and shakes her head:: I owe that man a sound @$$-kicking. It was pure luck that he landed how he did. Put all of his weight into it like I stood a chance in hell of knocking him off.

 

Snow: I'm no relationship expert, but it kind of sounds like you two have a thing for each other.. No? ::Smiles::

 

She paused a moment, thinking back on the last few weeks. What had started out as unresolved tension between the two of them had lessened to the point that they could at least joke with one another. She had to admit it was a good bit easier than the angst of trying to make a romantic relationship work. There was no pressure for either of them to alter their beliefs. They could be who they were. Ultimately, it was for the best.

 

Rosek: ::smirks:: First off, I’m pretty sure his girlfriend would kill me. ::sombers:: Second, we come from two different worlds and are both too set in our ways to change our expectations of a romantic relationship.

 

The beep of the tricorder interrupted their conversation and Doctor Snow stepped away briefly.

 

Snow: Well a girlfriend does change things. So I guess there is no chance trying. ::walking back over:: 

Rosek: ::shrugs:: We did try. But it crashed and burned. Toryn and I are honestly better off as friends.

 

Her gaze flickered to the bruised area as Snow began to run the dermal regenerator over it. The wonders of modern technology. Dassa was more of a traditionalist and had regaled Lael with tales of how medicine was done before things like tricorders and dermal regenerators had been invented. At one point in Earth’s very early history, blood-letting had been used to cure illnesses. 

 

It seemed an outlandish process that could lead to other medical issues if a person lost too much blood. In the end, it seemed like it did more harm than good.

 

Rosek: oO The strange things Humans did trying to cure illnesses. Oo

 

Snow: Well maybe it's for the best. A tornado and a volcano don't really mix well, but at least you both can remain friends. Are you feeling any discomfort?

 

She paused, focusing her attention on the place where the bruise had been. She dared to shift slightly from side to side, pleased to find that there only a very dull ache and perhaps a minute tingling sensation. Likely the remnants from the healing device working it’s magic.

 

Rosek: ::shakes her head:: Not really. A bit of a dull ache and a bit of tingling. Nothing I can’t handle.

 

Snow: Alright. Let me know if it becomes too much, but as I recall from the last visit, you have a pretty high tolerance for pain. ::Smiles::

 

She lowered her shirt and laid her hands on the table with a grin.

 

Rosek: Comes with the job. I was pretty much on my own as a kid. Had to learn to toughen up quick.

 

Snow: I have seen you out and about with a little girl. Is she your daughter?

 

It was a question she’d gotten more than a few times since coming aboard and though the answer surprised some, everyone seemed warm and friendly about it. Adoption had been a part of society for too long for many to so much as bat an eyelash at it.

 

Rosek: ::smiles and nods:: My partner and I adopted her recently. She turned nine years old this month.

 

Snow: Response

 

Rosek: ::grins:: She really has been a blessing. I was designated her guardian a few years ago when her mother and grandmother both passed. Chythar and I fell in love with her from the moment we met her. 

 

Snow: Response

 

Her thoughts went back to their early days together when she’d still been serving aboard the Gorkon. They’d been through so much together. The responsibility of caring for Maddy had only brought her and Chythar closer. He’d accepted his place as a male role model in their daughter’s life with impeccable grace and she couldn’t have asked for a better one for Maddy.

 

Rosek: It’s been a bit rough. He serves aboard the Veritas out in the Shoals. We get the occasional video call or two when the tetryon interference permits it and, of course, letters. But he’s an amazing father. Maddy just adores him.

 

Snow: Response
 
 
----

Chief Engineer
USS Chin'toka, NCC-97187
I238110RH0
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