Ensign Herrick: More 'poking and prodding'
Mark P
((Sickbay, Deck 7, USS Oumuamua))
Josh looked around at both doctors, and Kovacs, he was outnumbered three to one. It seemed like the gang wouldn’t simply chalk this up to a bad day on the job, electing instead to figuratively poke and prod him with the bio-bed’s sensors.
The respect he had for the doctor, particularly following the events at the Esh-o colony, kept his protests muted. Now that they’d been on a mission together, there was something more than just a chain of command between them. Instead, he begrudgingly hopped up on the bed, wearing a look that he meant to imply that they were wasting their time.
Kel: ::looking at the biobed monitor and tricorder:: You have high levels of adrenaline and glucose in your bloodstream. Blood pressure is higher than normal and oxygen levels lower. Fortunately these levels seem to be falling on their own.
T’Larn: Do you or your family have a history of respiratory or cardiovascular difficulties?
Herrick: My family history, and mine, are clean. ::he looked up at the ceiling:: My dad had some hearing issues when he was younger, but I’d guess that isn’t related to why we’re here today.
Josh shot a look towards Eli at the end of that statement, it was his fault that they were wasting these doctors’ time to begin with.
Kovacs/Kel/T’Larn/Any: Response
Kel: Ensign Herrick what were you doing prior to Ensign Kovacs finding you.
Herrick: Well Doctor, I was just performing some rather routine maintenance up in the Sensor Pod. We’d pushed them beyond the recommended limits when the ship went deeper into the nebula, so it pushed up in the schedule. Why? Is something showing up?
Josh’s resolve was starting to fade as the doctor hadn’t elected to dismiss the visit based on the first glance of the scans.
Kovacs /Any: Response
Kel: I see. I'm not familiar with every part of the ship, where were you relative to sensors, power systems and so on.
Kovacs/Any: Response
T’Larn: I am unfamiliar with Luna class vessels however I am aware that some sensors can produce radiation, Dr Kel.
Kel: I'd like to check you for cellular signs of radiation exposure. We've had nothing from the science team, but given the unique events in this system recently I'd rather be safe than sorry.
T’Larn: I shall endeavour to correct that and liaise with the rest of the science team
Kel/Kovacs/Any: Response
As Dr. Kel began his examination, T'Larn focused her attention on the screen near the biobed. She let out a "hmmm" as she took in the information provided.
Herrick: Hmmm? ::he said it in almost the same way as T’Larn had, hoping to prompt for more information.
T’Larn: Dr Kel, when the Oumuamua encountered the ::Picking her words carefully:: Faux Nautilus, were there reports of Subnucleonic radiation?
Josh, who’s anxiety was growing even further, decided to chime in before the Doctor even had a chance to respond.
Herrick: We weren’t on that Nautilus… er… the fake Nautilus. Just the real one, where the holoprojectors were causing some havoc but I didn’t think they were causing any harm… I didn’t feel anything after being on board. I just stumbled getting out of the Jefferies tube; I was just clumsy.
Kel/Kovacs/Any: Response
T’Larn: I recommend a sweep of the ship, we appear to be lucky Ensign?
Herrick: So… what is the hmmm all about then?
Kel/Kovacs /Any: Response
She Rotated the screen so that all could see. The screen shows 9.015 Krads
Herrick: And, 9 Krads is bad because…?
T’Larn: Because if you had been exposed to more then 10 killorads of radiation, you would be dead.
Josh’s face completely changed, T’Larn’s stellar bedside manner had left him in shock. How could he have gotten irradiated? He’d had a typical routine since returning; the only thing out of the ordinary was his visit to the sensor pod; maybe he missed something?
He played back the duty shift in his mind; he had thought he’d taken all the necessary precautions when shunting the EPS flows, disengaging the sensor lines, and getting the maintenance done. He double checked his work before, and now triple checking it in his memory. Everything seemed to be correct, in his mind at least.
Herrick: Well, thank the gods for small miracles and that they don’t round upwards. What’s the treatment for this?
Kel/Kovacs/Any: Response
T’Larn: Yes Dr Kel, that is correct. Radiation therapy is typically between four to eight killorads, however that dosage is typically very concentrated and the duration is incredibly short. ::Turning to Herrick:: Mr Herrick here has been exposed for, best estimates, at least 8 hours, and Mr Kovas, you are, as humans sometimes say, not too far behind.
Kel/Kovacs/Any: Response
Herrick: oO How the heck was Eli also irradiated as well? Oo Am I… radioactive?
Josh looked to the other ensign, his anger had softened slightly — a good Samaritan who’s life may have been put in danger, but… that’s Starfleet life.
Kel/Kovacs/T’Larn/Any: Response
He didn’t like the thought of being in an enclosed space, even if it was just for a few moments for more detailed space. But, he had become more of a man of mystery. If Eli hadn’t caught this, and if they didn’t figure out exactly how he got this way, he or others could die.
Herrick: (beat) All right… do it.
Kel/Kovacs/T’Larn/Any: Response
As the bio-bed’s enhanced sensor array slid up like two arms interlocking above him, keeping him hostage, he began to feel the same way he did in the turbolift. Whether it was people or places, Josh wanted to have enough breathing room to maneuver himself.
Herrick: oO It’ll be over soon, it’ll be over soon, it’ll be over soon.
Kel/Kovacs/T’Larn/Any: Response
He looked up and back at the readings displayed above him; it was difficult to make out upside down at first, but it seemed like his heart rate was increasing, as was the radiation level.
Kel/Kovacs/T’Larn/Any: Response
There was that word again, claustrophobia. The word made him wince; it had haunted him several years ago; at least the Doctor had only brought it up once since he came aboard. He couldn't deny the fact that he'd been different since that explosion in the Jefferies tube, but he kept putting off meeting with the ship's counselor. Excuses, he thought to himself.
Kel/Kovacs/T’Larn/Any: Response
Tags/TBC