[Sickbay]: Round Three scans and vaccines

[ten_fwd_npcs]

New guests have arrived on the Enterprise, and that means Lieutenant Worf and his security detail are busy once again bringing them to see Dr. Crusher. Sickbay is fairly typical for a hospital. There are no terrifying devices or humming machines you could see in a sci-fi thriller. The biobeds along the walls are equipped with biofunction monitors, but look fairly standard. Instead of silver trays filled with metal tools and sawblades, there are an array of small devices that look as harmless as cell phones.

As for the staff, they're all well-groomed and friendly. As a matter of fact, all personnel look harmless. Well, perhaps excluding the sun avatar, but Trance Gemini is as skilled as the Starfleet officers.

"All right, come in," one of them calls out as you enter. "Don't be shy. It's just a scan and a hypospray, nothing to worry about."

Probably.


[ooc: Same rules as before: this is an open log for everybody. Tagging isn't mandatory, but going to sickbay is. So if you'd prefer to skip threading with one of our doctors, you can handwave that your character got a clean bill of health and a shot and were sent on their merry way. For those who are tagging, we have Julian Bashir, Trance Gemini, and Rory Williams on deck, so please specify in the subject line of your tag who you would like. Beverly Crusher can be available if needed, but the player may not always be available. If you would like more details about sickbay, here's the wiki page. If you haven't made your intro yet, you can assume the doctors will want to see your character shortly after they arrive.]

Comments

[rorypond]

"I'm Rory," he replies, polite and friendly, as is his usual demeanor. "Rory Williams.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr Hewley.

"I suppose before we start, are there any sort of medical issues we ought to know about? Anything different about you?"

[wear_tear_rust]

He shudders inwardly and dreaded that he would have to respond to it. He lowered his chin just enough in his thoughts with a heavy sigh.

"Efficient, I'll grant you that. How familiar are you with genetic experimentation, Mister Williams?" His voice remained calm through his otherwise apprehensive thoughts.

[rorypond]

Rory raises an eyebrow, but he shrugs, still interested.

"Nothing beyond the basic topics of things like cloning, GMOs and genetic therapy, I'll admit," he says, inviting Angeal to continue explaining.

Most of his knowledge, of course, is theoretical. He doesn't exactly have many chances for first-hand experience in his field and that's never bothered him.

[wear_tear_rust]

The expression and Rory's explanation was all Angeal needed to know. He sat with a slight lean forward to keep his large from appearing imposing and to give Rory the impression that Angeal wasn't going to present any problem or threat. In doing so, he also allowed his wings to show. While both were on the right side of his body, two white wings appeared.

Instead of talking about what he was, he pressed his fingertips together with an expression of disgust. He was expecting the worst. Capture, tazing, anything, and he wasn't going to fight it.

"There are some things that are not worth asking." Angeal said quietly. While he wasn't under the threat of ShinRa or an enacted death sentence, he knew that telling the story was only going to be depressing. He looked to Rory with sadness in his eyes. "I'm not human, that much is certain."

[rorypond]

Well, there certainly isn't going to be any capturing, tazing, or any sort of anything but a solemn sort of inspection of those wings of his.

He's essentially an angel. Or something angel-like. A man called Angeal with only half of his wings, like the others had been plucked right off. It was ... it was a bit tragic, really, especially looking from those wings to the way the man responded to them. Like they were an abomination.

"Well, no one's going to judge you for what you are or what's happened to you in the past," Rory says. "Least of all me."

For the sake of the report, Rory has to be honest and puts down things such as 'wings' and 'not human' and 'genetic modification'.

"Does it hurt? To keep them pressed up against you like that."

[wear_tear_rust]

He scoffed dismissively. Abomination was pretty much how Angeal had seen himself. He looked up with mild surprise at the way Rory responded to seeing them. Honesty and objectivity was part of how medical documents were handled. There was more he needed to tell to keep from other tragic mistakes from happening even by accident. He decided to explain those after the question.

"It's uncomfortable to keep them hidden, yes. I don't think halls were made to accommodate my kind. Before I forget to mention, I have an ability that allows me to pass on genetic traits on to others by touch. It's better that you don't touch my hands if my gloves are off. You might want to note that down." Trust was hard to come by and Angeal felt comfortable enough to explain to Rory. His expression softened a bit to a more natural expression.

"I appreciate you not passing on judgement. You're a good man, Mister Williams. You can call me Angeal, or Geal for short." He offered with a smile.

[rorypond]

Rory looks a little sheepish for a moment.

Well, he does try to be a good man, if he can. He's had more opportunities as of late to show that side of him, ever since he started travelling around the cosmos with his wife and the Doctor. It's a good feeling, one of the best really, to do something worthy for someone. To be good.

The adventure never hurts either.

"Thank you for telling me," he says, and he means it. Again, for the sake of the report, Rory adds a special note for the crew of the Enterprise regarding Angeal's most unique (and potentially dangerous) ability. "I'm sorry you've had a rough go of it, Angeal. Geal. D'you think you'll be all right with a quick scan? It's completely painless, I assure you, and is used just to record your data for the sake of the log in case we need to help you in future."

[wear_tear_rust]

Angeal sat up, his wings remained out so that Rory could get a scan of his wings as well. He was feeling better not only about himself but also his decision to talk to someone about what he was than holding it in. His family history wasn't in admission. He knew that eventually he would need to see someone to help him cope with the issues that surrounded him and his family.

Trying, in his book, was far better than giving up or giving in. If Rory could see just how much his presence had rubbed off on Angeal in his mind, he was certainly a lot more personable than the scientists and doctors that he was with in SOLDIER.

"You don't have to apologize, but I appreciate it. If I may be permitted to say so, would it be asking too much if I came to you should something happen on a medical standpoint?" Having one person know the story was better than having the possibility of rumors spread from misinterpretation.

He sat quietly and still while he waited patiently for the scan. He was equally curious about the device that Rory was using, which was a whole lot better than blood screenings though he questioned the accuracy. "How accurate is the scan? What does it read?"

[rorypond]

"No, no - of course not," Rory says. "You can come to me for anything if you need. Just ask for me if I'm not here."

A nurse-patient relationship like this one isn't out of the ordinary for him. Back home, he's got a few patients who prefer to see him over any other nurse, just because there's a sort of trust between them. Rory is relieved, if anything, to know that outer-space nursing is no different than what it is on Earth. This is familiar, something he enjoys when he isn't (or can't) travelling with the Doctor. This, he can do.

"The scan," he starts as he turns the tricorder on and begins the process, "is really only as accurate as the information database behind it. M'not entirely sure how it works in detail but it'll read your heart rate, as well as find any unusual bacteria or diseases that will need treating, things of that nature."

He's not entirely sure how it'll read anything particularly alien, considering just how different everyone on this ship seems to be but he trusts Dr Crusher and her methods, and if this is the procedure, he isn't going to argue too much.

"After this scan, I'll be giving you a hypospray, which will provide you with immunity to anything foreign on this ship, and I suppose, beyond it." Once they land somewhere.

[wear_tear_rust]

"I won't need it." Angeal added though he knew that potentially he had to just in case he became a carrier without knowing. "But if it's procedure, I can't argue the reasons."

Angeal's immune system was above normal, which explained how he was able to act as a two-way genetic conduit. His eyes studied the tricorder and then moved to the hypospray dispenser. "You may want to evaluate me for five minutes to ensure the inoculation holds. I'm curious myself to see if it does."

It genuinely concerned Angeal if he couldn't be immunized properly which meant no missions or helping others out. It was nearly depressing to think that his aid would become quite limited, but all the same it was necessary for the safety of others.

"Has it happened in the past where someone had to be quarantined?" It was a legitimate concern.

[rorypond]

"To one of us? No, not that I know of," Rory says, as he finishes up with the scan. The wing, too, gets a tricorder passing over it, which gives him a moment to inspect it too.

"In general ... I'm afraid you'd have to ask Dr Crusher that. I'm not from here; been ripped from time and space and brought here too, just like you. My wife and I were separated from a good friend of ours. I'm surprised he hasn't found us yet."

Scan finished, the data taking only seconds to process and load into the main system, Rory reaches for the hypospray and begins to prepare it.

[wear_tear_rust]

"I see." Angeal remained calm though it seemed clear that his spirits were picking up. He made a mental note to contact Dr. Crusher another time.

Now that the check was over, he retracted his wings back into his body. He thought to ask more about the world where Rory came from. "Ripped might not be the term I would use. To be honest, I'm grateful to be here and to be alive."

It was as Genesis had said, this was a second chance for them but for others it might not be such a lucky fate. "Is your wife here with you?"

Just the thought of marriage was something that Angeal didn't thing was possible for himself but he admired those that valued family and the institution of what a marriage is about. Having a family of his own was a personal dream that wasn't entirely possible for an experiment with a shortened lifespan.

[rorypond]

"Yeah, she is," Rory says, fondness in every word, and in the dopey smile he suddenly gets just thinking about her.

There's no one else in the entire cosmos who could do that to Rory, make him react like that. He's utterly devoted to her.

"Her name's Amy."

Rory approaches Angeal again, this time with a hypospray in hand.

"Now, I'm going to give you this quick injection. M'not sure if you've ever heard of the hypo before but the vaccination is transferred through compressed air rather than a needle piercing the skin. Won't hurt a bit."

[wear_tear_rust]

A warm smile crossed his face and a nod of understanding through the explanation, Angeal was glad to hear that they weren't separated. That alone gave him hope even though it was through another that such happiness could be gained and kept.

"I'm glad to hear it. You and Amy are fortunate." Which added one more thing on his list to protect and keep. That dopey grin just added one more reason to think better of Rory.

He didn't mind the hypospray in the least even though injections through needle wasn't all that bad either, just a bother since not all needles would work properly. "Don't worry, I can handle it." He added with a smirk.

[rorypond]

"It took me a while to find her," Rory says, frowning. "I'd been with our friend, the Doctor, searching as many planets as we could, hoping we'd find her somewhere."

He shrugs, concentrating on the task at hand. Once the preparations are done, he presses the hypospray device against Angeal's neck and presses down. There's a hiss of air as the injection is transferred into his body.

"I could have sworn he was right behind me, but something must have happened."

[wear_tear_rust]

He tilted his head to the side to give Rory a bit of room to administer the spray. It felt cool rather than the customary pricking of hypodermic needles which was a lot better and safer to prevent contamination. Little things like that tend to worry Angeal.

Once the quick task was done, Angeal relaxed and listened, his smile faded in favor of concern. "I see. Maybe he's looking for you too. Don't lose hope. You found your wife, maybe you'll find your friend too."

While the Genesis he met here wasn't the Genesis he grew up with, they were still the same person in his mind. He stood up from the medical bed and offered a friendly smile. "Sometimes, even if we're not sure where those we love are, we just know that they're okay."

[rorypond]

Rory smiles too.

"Yeah. The Doctor's a resourceful bloke. I'm not too worried about him."

With the general routine tasks done, and scans complete, Rory gives Angeal another smile, though this one is laced with ruefulness.

"Really, I'm a bit more worried about my wife worrying over him. And he should have found us by now, really."

[wear_tear_rust]

Angeal stood up once the scans were done and retracted his wing. With one hand at the base of his neck, he lolled his head with a soft pop since it was uncomfortable bringing it back in. In his case, he had two, one larger one and a smaller one just beneath it. His other two have yet to emerge.

He lowered his hand and turned to face Rory. It was nice for Angeal to hear about others caring for one another. There was a short supply of that kind of attention back home. "She worries because she cares."

Angeal had a feeling that this was a lot more complicated and he wasn't about to dole out advice if it wasn't welcomed. He smiled for Rory and placed his hand on his shoulder. "She'll look to you for strength, just as any wife would for her husband. You're a fortunate man."

He released his hand and stepped toward the door. The clinic was often busy around vaccination time and he didn't want to hold Rory up on his duties. He stopped, and turned toward Rory again. "If you need someone to talk to, I'll listen. I'm in room seven-forty-seven. If I'm not there, I'll be either at the hydroponics lab or Ten Forward. I'll be easy to find." He smiled and turned toward the door.