Calm in the Eye of a Storm

[T'Prise 0]

Considering all the factors and variables involved, the injuries might have been much worse, thought T'Prise, as she scrutinized herself in the mirror. A gash running approximately two inches down her hairline, from forehead to temple was the only visible indication of trauma. Reaching up mechanically, she removed the pins that held her hair in place and freed it, feeling the length brush against her shoulders and back. Wetting a towel in the basin, she began to bathe away the blood that seeped from her wound and crusted in her hair, being careful to only prod gently. Although it stung, the abrasion needed cleansing. A healing trance, invoked subconsciously sometime after the Manticore collided with the Sovereign Class, had repaired the internal problems. Her head still ached duly, but the pain was tolerable. A perceptible soreness also lingered throughout her body, no doubt caused by being thrown on impact.

 

However, all of these trivialities were insignificant right now. Her primary objective was to restore her equilibrium so that she could return to duty and aid in repairing the ship. After her injudicious attempt to use a turbolift upon release from sickbay, she had realized the ship's systems were all offline, with only minimal power available. Their status was much more critical than her initial assessment indicated and although she could be of help in bringing systems back online, there was currently no easy way to reach the command center, or contact anyone aboard ship. Returning to sickbay, which had its own power source and still seemed to be functioning adequately, seemed the only logical option. She had briefly considered rerouting power from sickbay to restore the comm systems, but realized any attempt to do so would be futile, as sickbay's systems where all isolated from the rest of the ship in order to allow the module to function independently.

 

Disposing of the towel, now stained green, in the laundry receptacle, she deftly twisted her hair back into place, smoothing the sections behind her pointed ears before securing it. One last glance in the mirror indicated that her injury was now clean. She would have one of the doctors perform a dermal regeneration to prevent scarring at a later time. Right now they were busy with the more serious injuries. With so many crew members incapacitated at the moment, tending to them was a more appropriate use of the medical staff's time.

 

The persistent throb in her head, as she exited the lavatory, heading back out into the main section of sickbay, functioned as a reminder of her own injuries. Dr. Chalice was attending to Lieutenant Commander Mizu, while another physician, the one who had seen to her injuries earlier, Dr. Silviu, she believed, stood over Dr. Mele. On another biobed, Lieutenant T thrashed around, undoubtedly causing himself further injury. Other medical staff converged upon him.

 

Glancing around, T'Prise found a quiet corner in another section of sickbay and knelt down, beginning the appropriate breathing exercises. Several minutes of meditation would restore her equanimity and stop the headaches; thus enabling her to more judiciously assess the situation and determine a rational course of action. She closed her eyes, seeking that calm, quiet place.

 

Briefly she became aware of strange images and thoughts, all pertaining to memories of a memorial services for a colleague some months earlier. Before she could examine them, they disappeared, like streams of plasma, venting out into open space, slipping just to the edge of perception. Utilizing her carefully cultivated mental discipline she shifted focus, concentrating on the situation at hand. Now was not the time to pursue wayward thoughts, especially those most likely created by the trauma to her head. She began to compartmentalize, pushing everything away for later study and analysis. Her respiratory systems slowed as she probed further into her mind, seeking the serenity found within.

 

When she opened her eyes several moments later, all of the pain within her body had disappeared. Her breathing and heartbeat were now normal and her head was clear. Standing she made her way over to Dr. Chalice. If the medical staff did not require her assistance, she would attempt to access the bridge using the Jeffries Tubes and service crawlways.

Edited December 4, 2008 by T'Prise