Not Contagious

[Nicolas Lepage 0]

Sickbay was always a strange place for one with Spader's view of the world. Seen through ocular implants, the clarity of distinction between a healthy skin and a fever sweat was keen, and though she was no doctor, she could not help but see more clearly than most that she was walking into a place where all was not entirely well with the world for the majority of its inhabitants. It was not exactly disquieting, but it was...sobering.

 

It was one of these inhabitants in particular that she was here to see; Ocis, the pale humanoid prisoner who had taken ill in the brig and been moved here for treatment. He was easily distinguishable from the others, not by the bloom of fevered heat from his body or the rapid rise and fall of his chest but by the small gaggle of security guards clustered around him at a tense, uncomfortable attention. She muttered a few words to the young man at the foot of the biobed, relieving him of his shift at the prisoner's side, and looked around, settling into her own half-attentive posture while waiting for the arrival of someone who could give her a report on the situation.

 

Nick entered main sickbay through a set of doors in the back which led to the labs. He had delivered the latest patient's samples personally to make sure the techs understood those samples had priority over anything they were doing. When he returned to Ocis' bedside Nick noticed a familiar pair of eyes on him. "I hope you've come to call back your watch-dogs. All they do is get in the way and this fellow won't be going anywhere, trust me."

 

Spader glanced sideways and saw that Dr. Lepage was addressing her, and she grinned faintly. " 'Fraid not, sir...but I can have them give you a bit more room." Turning her head to the men standing at her sides, she muttered, "Boys, fall out. Position at exits." Crisply, the team withdrew from the bedside and moved to station itself along the walls. Spader looked back at Lepage and raised an eyebrow. "How's he doing, sir?"

 

Nick took a step backward to give the nurse some room. She was busy checking the various medications, the patient’s vitals and making sure the biobed’s sensors were adjusted correctly. He watched her for a few seconds and then turned toward Spader who watched him expectantly.

 

Checking the patient’s readouts, Nick contemplated the question for a moment. Instead of answering he asked, “When and how did you first notice anything was wrong with him? I asked some of those guys,” he jabbed his thumb in the general direction of the security guards, “but they weren’t very helpful.”

 

Spader cocked her head. "I was conducting a routine check in the brig area and realized that he'd thrown up on his floor and was curled up in the corner. I guess he hadn't been looking his strongest when we picked him up but this was the first sign he was actively sick...that was only a few minutes before Dr. Pavilion was called down."

 

While Spader was talking Nick leaned against a nearby biobed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He nodded but his frown deepends as he listened. When Spader had finished he looked at her. “The man is sick. Very much so.” Nick nodded toward his office. “Let’s go and talk in there, if you don’t mind. I’m sure your chief will want a thorough report.”

 

"I'm sure," Spader agreed, only the slightest bit dryly. Dabi was hard to predict; he might get uptight for a less-than-thorough report, or he might get uptight if she presented him with too much to read. It was a tossup, but better to know as much as she could for her own purposes, at least. Falling into step with him, she walked towards the CMO's office, gesturing for the security ensign near the door to take charge of the small team.

 

Once in his office Nick sat down in the chair behind his desk, offering Spader to take a seat as well. “I won’t bore you with the details Lieutenant. This man was probably lucky we caught him. He is malnourished, we found two different kinds of parasites, one in his intestines and one in his blood, he has all kinds of infections and I found many injuries, some fresh, others more or less healed. I find it…troubling that none of this was noticed when he was apprehended.”

 

Spader winced, resisting the urge to shift her weight uncomfortably. "As do I, sir, but all respect...we're not doctors. We did our job and called you as soon as we saw symptoms. If anything had really presented itself earlier, you would have been called." She stated it as solid fact, no trace of wishful thinking, though she couldn't help reflecting to herself that Dabi had almost insisted that the man was merely faking it. That didn't matter now; she'd made a choice and, as it turned out, the right one. "Is he contagious?" she asked, adding on a more practical concern.

 

Wordlessly, Nick tossed the PADD that contained Ocis' medical file over to Spader and waited for her to pick it up and read. He watched her as she read. Once she had finished he replied, "No, he's not contagious. But he's still very sick. I'll draft a report for Commander Chirakis. I'll suggest that everyone who is detained in your facilities will receive at least a basic medical scan. It will be as much in the detainees' interest as yours. I think I could make a reasonably convincing case accusing Dabi of negligence if I wanted to."

 

Spader didn't say anything for a moment. Then she set the PADD down on the desk with a light clunk. "Understood, sir," she said, as crisply as she could manage, her off-kilter gaze turning up to the wall behind him attentively. "I'll inform Centurion Dabi to be prepared for a medical overview of the current brig population." It took some effort not to try to explain away the situation; Lepage would want to see the others’ condition with his own eyes anyway. Besides, whatever he might think, she rested easy with herself that she had done all she could on the subject -- she had reacted as soon as she knew there was a problem and not before, and while it was somewhat galling to hear that there was no credit being given for it, she could at least feel comfortable in her own mind. The rest would have to take care of itself. "Is there anything else you need from security, sir?"

 

Nick shook his head. “No, you have the report,” he pointed at the PADD. “Unless you have any more questions we’re done here.” Nick knew Spader wasn’t to blame for what happened. There was a fault in the system not in the way the security department had reacted to this emergency. However, he was reluctant to admit it, hoping to improve the system and ensuring their prisoners’ safety.

 

"No, sir, no questions," Spader answered, lacing her hands behind her back and nodding at the dismissal, turning to leave the office, swearing to herself under her breath. This'll make for a fun report...