Lt. Commander Foster - Good Choices
Jamie LeBlanc
((Main Sickbay, USS Constitution-B))
Foster: and what, if anything – do you like the best about the prosthetics you currently have. That’s really anything besides “I’m used to them.”
Cade watched as Elias’ jaw opened to give him probably the exact answer Cade had just forbidden and then closed it again. Cade leaned forward intertwining his fingers in a settled, restful manner. He could and would wait.
Kincaid: Honestly? Not a damned thing. Mah leg aches most of tha time and I been wearin’ tha thing like a penance for all those Romulans I couldn’t save. Been carryin’ that fer a long time. And it’s tha only prosthetic I got. ::he gestured to the pinned sleeve on his left shoulder:: I suppose I should look to mah own comfort now. So, whatcha got?
The doctor offered a slow now, and a faintly pinched expression. He knew, all too well, the feeling of an ache in a prosthetic. Once upon a time in his younger days he believed he deserved that pain. He was wiser now, and had done everything possible to live in comfort and improve everything about his life so he could be a better person for others.
He wanted the same thing for Elias.
Foster: So. :He stretched his hands and started to pull up some schematics:: Let’s talk leg first just because legs are bigger and therefore there’s fewer leg options. Basically there’s fully synthetic, which is what you have now – though you can upgrade what you have for greater functionality, there’s biosynthetic, which is what I personally have and recommend because it’s a nice mixture of feeling like real flesh, but operating in a way you are used to. And there’s fully biological, cloned from your own genetic materials.
Cade worked fast. Possible because he had already done most of the research and pulling it up was just referencing the work already done.
Because he liked research and always wanted to be ready to answer questions.
Kincaid: Clonin’? Ain’t that old science?
He nodded, and leaned back, steepling his fingers.
Foster: Cloning is not exactly new, but it started with cloning specific organs. And I’ll be quite honest with you, once cloning technology moved into limb replacement, the vast amount of time and effort that went into limbs went into hands and arms. Probably because that’s what many species rely on for so much of their lives.
The science went into what was popular and profitable. Legs presented their own difficulties, which wasn’t something that Cade felt was entirely worked out by this point. So he wanted to guide Elias into directions where he was sure that they would have an excellent success rate.
Kincaid: So, what does that mean fer me? Spell it out fer me.
Foster: I guess what I’m saying is at this point in time for legs Biosynthetic and regular synthetic are more reliable. For arms – go wild, go with your heart.
There was a pause and Cade decided to sample some of the delicious vittles Elas brought while giving the man a chance to look over the options both in his mind and on the screen which displayed all options and comparisons.
Kincaid: I can see tha benefits ta not necessarily havin’ a cloned limb. One of mah cooks, Gr’yk, has a hand similar ta Lystra’s. Makes it easier fer him ta handle hot pots, pans and dishes without complaint. Unless he forgets ta turn off tha sensitivity settings. That feller’s gotta scream that’d make a goat blush.
Cade snorted into his mug of sweet tea.
Foster: That I gotta hear sometime. Though having more of a biological aspect will give you more sensory feedback.
Juliette cooed as if to emphasize that she was warm and soft and vibrating slightly in her purr. She was everything a hand wanted to experience.
Kincaid: Ya know. I might sound a bit silly fer sayin’ this but I reckon I’ll forgo tha clonin’. I kept mahself like this fer so long outta regret, and now I think I’d like ta update mahself out of solidarity fer mah new family.
Nodding, Cade gave no objections. He did have a cloned replacement – his heart – which seemed to feel even better after the time twist. He had been, at first, worried that his heart wouldn’t respond the same as the rest of his body. But it had been created from his very own cells and his heart went back in time like the rest of his body, which his biosynthetic leg did not. And when he re-aged, well… he hadn’t done a deep scan yet, but all of his initial scans indicated that his heart was not only functioning fine, it was working as well if not better than before.
Maybe he had reconnected with the organ in a way he had never considered possible? Either way, he had struggled with a synthetic heart for a decade and it always left an aching hole in his chest. Getting it replaced by a fully biological clone was the best decision he had ever made.
On the flip side he had not only grown comfortable but saw the benefits of his biosynthetic leg. After he had the first iteration replaced the successive model integrated well, served him solidly through years of Starfleet service and kept him active. It didn’t ache, it didn’t hurt, and any damage was easily repairable. He couldn’t knock synthetics.
Foster: It’s still a solid upgrade, and you have to pick what works for you. Cloned isn’t for everyone and that’s OK.
Kincaid: Biosynthetic fer mah leg, since ya done sung its praises. And fer mah arm, cybernetic. Between Lystra, Gr’yk, Jalana, and a surprisin’ number of tha crew that have prosthesis I feel like I’ll be in good company.
Cade nodded in agreement.
Foster: You will be in good company! It’s a solid plan.
Kincaid: Alright. I reckon we’ll have ta do one at a time so I can acclimate?
Holding up one finger, he pointed it at Elias.
Foster: You took the words out of my mouth. I suggest picking the one that aches the most to replace first
Kincaid: ?
The door opened and the bright blue eyes and curly mop of hair that was Mark Foster popped in.
Mark: Hey, Mr. Kincaid! Grandfather said stop by! How is your memory doing?
Kincaid: ?
Cade took the opportunity to use Mark’s chattiness to eat some more of the delicious food that was provided.
Mark: Yeah, I checked on pretty much everyone so far and they’re doing well. No major complication for anyone, but some people are getting memories back a bit faster than others. Not sure if that’s brain differences between species or just life experiences but I’m confident everyone will regain their memories.
Kincaid: ?
Mark: How is it going for you? How’s the saloon and your daughter doing?
Kincaid: ?
Mark settled, his eyes lighting up.
Mark: Really? That’s awesome!
Kincaid: ?
~*~
tags/tbc
~*~
Lt. Commander Cade Foster
(and Mark Foster)
Chief Medical Officer
~Julian Beck
E239010ST0