Adaptions In Life

Posted on Friday 21 May 2021 @ 11:43 by Lieutenant Nir’anyar

Mission: A Cry from the Darkness
1374 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

The last few days had been something of a whirlwind and Anya had more than realised that in her field she was well equipped but thrown into combat or situations outside of her current remit she was floundering. On top of that a friend of hers had left and another had betrayed the ship and crew to save the life of the Captain. Things did not look so rosey at the moment but life went on. Or a better question would be would Commander Goddings adaption to life be a smooth one. Life altering injuries and now no Counsellor to help ease her back to a fit mental state... This wasn't going to be easy under any stretch of the term.

"Commander" she greeted as she entered the private recovery room. "How are you feeling today?"

Hayley looked up when she heard the voice enter her room and recognising the voice of the Chief Medical Officer. It had been a rough few days for the doctor, she knew, thrown into a situation far beyond what her training and experience had prepared her for. But she'd done admirably well considering, at least from what she'd been told.

"Morning Doc." Hayley said, struggling back to a sitting position using just her one arm. She'd discarded the annoying temporary one the day before, since the pain of the chaffing wasn't worth the convenience of the arm. She had to ignore and override after-all. "Well, like usual, I feel as if something is missing, but I can't quite place my finger on it..." She gave the Benzite a disarming smile.

Anya regarded the Security Officer with a highly analytical look, trying to weigh up the use of humour and if it was genuine or a form of coping mechanism. She did offer a smile in return even if the the mirth failed to reach her eyes.
"I see you are returning to your usual self... You worried a number of people with your desperate attempt to be the centre of attention!"

The Doctor moved to stand by the side of the biobed, casting her eyes over the readouts above the bed and noting the readings down on her PADD.
"Your readings seem to be returning to a more balanced state".

"Well, that's positive I guess." Hayley said. "Probably the most rest I've gotten in a long time, since I can't do much beyond sleeping at this point."

"If you are feeling up to it I have some options to discuss with you".
The Benzite pulled the nearest stool over to the side of the bed and perched herself so she could talk to Godding properly. The next few minutes could mean a drastic alteration to the life of the Security Chief.

Hayley shuffled up, wincing a bit as she did. "I figured we'd be having this conversation at some point." She said. "Lay it out for me. I'm a big girl, I can take the truth."

"OK, lets go from the beginning" Anya shifted in her seat, trying to make herself more comfortable. "We can fit you with a synthetic arm, that isn't a problem but it would likely only return up to sixty, maybe seventy percent of the functionality you are accustomed to because of the damage caused by the cauterization to your... wound!"

She wasn't one known for her delicacy or tact but in this instance she forced herself to employ at least a modicum to try and soften the blow. This would change her world entirely.
"The other option is a little more challenging, with more risk but would offer a significantly larger pay out... I can install neural shunts to your brain stem and across the neurons to the point of the wound. I can then graft a bio-synthetic arm that would simulate your lost arm in every aspect and it would be almost seventeen percent stronger than your original arm... However, it would mean retraining your brain and learning how to use your new arm from the ground up!"

Godding accepted the information with a calm expression, although internally she was screaming at the fates. "If they hadn't cauterized the wound the way they had, I would've probably bled out in the corridor." She said. "I have to accept what was done to keep me alive."

She swallowed. "The second option; what are the risk factors involved here? We talking brain damage? Death?"

"Brain damage is a possibility, loss of motor neuron control or simply they shunts won't function as predicted... I couldn't give you a solid estimate on those chances though... Not at this stage."
She offered the PADD to Godding, having called up the ships current data on the proposed procedure. "I thought you may want to have a read of this before making any firm decisions!"

Accepting the PADD, Hayley looked at Anyar carefully. "Before I read this and talk to my partner about it, I need to know two important things. First; are you able to perform this procedure yourself - or do I need to transfer to a medical facility?"

"Yes, I can perform the procedures here, it should be about three of them, not counting installing the prosthetic and then calibrating it which could take days or weeks!"
Remaining matter of fact and to the point. Something she thought Godding would appreciate more than being coddled.

"Then my second question is this; do you feel confident in your chances of success?" Hayley asked.

"I am very confident in the success of the procedures... The real work comes later. Can your system adapt to the new functions, will it reject the shunts or the arm, resilience in the face of the unknown plays a massive part in this as well".
She shifted slightly and placed her hand on Goddings remaining arm and squeezed it gently. "I would also like to add that as we don't have a Counsellor now then I will make myself available for you, should you need someone to talk to!"

"Will I get a new eye too?" Hayley asked, looking at Anya. "What do you mean we have no counsellor? What happened to Commander Miller?"

"I am already preparing a replacement eye for you however we don't have a match for your natural eye colour in stock... Until we can resupply I'm afraid you will be stuck with one blue eye and one green eye!"
She tackled the medical part first, as for the second part she wasn't sure where to start. Caroline had been her only real friend on Merlin, someone she had wanted to speak to professionally to start coping with the trauma of her incarceration in the Romulan mines.
"Commander Miller is fine... She has however left Merlin. I'm not privy to the specifics yet".

Considering everything that had happened on this mission thus far, it was easy for Hayley's mind to default to the worst case scenario. To hear that Miller was actually fine but had left the ship freely was a relief, but a concern none the less. "I hope everything is okay for her..." She sighed. "Thanks Doc. I need to talk to my partner about the surgery and let you know, okay?"

"No worries" Anya stood and moved the stool back to its usual place and then started for the door. She stopped as she reached it, just shy of the sensors picking her up and opening. "Someone will be in later to prep you for the surgery so we can install the eye... Is there anything else you need before I go?"

"Will my new eye shoot phaser beams out of it?" Hayley asked, smirking. She had a philosophy in life that you could either laugh or cry about things. She chose the former in this case.

Anya laughed, finally appreciating the levity Commander Godding was bringing to her dire situation. "I will see what I can do for you Commander, I make no promises though!"
And with that Anya left, her next port of call was Mathias.

OFF

○●● Lieutenant Commander Hayley Godding
Chief Security/Tactical Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Nir’anyar
Chief Medical Officer
USS Merlin