Meeting of the [female] Minds

[Pher 0]

Pher stepped into sickbay, such as it was, and looked about. “Soora? Got a few minutes?”

 

Soora looked up from her desk. She was busy sorting out the files and papers that were scattered randomly through the desks and file cabinets. She saw the green Security officer, the Orion, and she stood up, her face blank, the green gone from her cheeks. Chris was sleeping on one of the biobeds still, and Soora had his chart constantly updating on her consule. She glanced at it every few minutes, and does so now. The line of fluids seemed to be helping. "Its Soora, actually. I do, just keep your voice down, please. What do you need?"

 

“As I said at the bar, I’ve got a few minor medical skills, but in most cases I’ve no training to speak with and will let you pros handle it. I used to be a lifeguard. I’m pretty good at reviving drowning victims and other forms of mouth to mouth. Basic first aid, I can do. That’s mostly it…

 

“Except I’ve had all too much experience with pheromone addiction. I came to this world as a lab rat. Big shot latinum pusher got himself addicted. Decided to research getting un-addicted, which meant buying up everything he needed, test tubes, vials, tricorders, computers, an Orion. You know… just the basics. They figured they’d treat it like any other addiction. Slowly decreasing dosages. Drugs to fight the physical symptoms. Isolation from the source of the problem drug.

 

“If you want to try it that way, fine. I can supply you with the honey dust. Thing is, it isn’t just your ordinary addiction. If in the back of Chris’s little mind you become the source of the honey dust, you’ll have to expect to be on the receiving end of a sexual obsession. Don’t know if you want to deal with that. Let’s just assume you don’t want to deal with that.

 

“On New Risa, ending a dust addiction isn’t about medical science. It’s a bedroom art, same as any other. A folk art. A woman’s art. Every case is different. Every addict. Every therapist. In this case, first step is to break his obsession with a Deltan called Redera, and about the only way to do that is to get him more obsessed with me than with her. That’s the easy part. Hard part is pushing him away, to lower the dosages, to get him off the dust entirely, if possible. Most humans? They just can’t sustain high doses indefinitely without some sort of burnout.

 

“There is help you can give from the science side. Anything you can do to cut the pain of withdrawal would be good. Keep him hydrated. Help him sleep. I don’t know what else. Whatever you can do that lets me cut the doses and delay time between doses will be good for him. Got it? Hard part is knowing whether your stuff or mine is more harmful. We’ll have to work that out.

 

“Problems? Questions?”

 

Soora raised an eyebrow. "I know much about Orions, as well as Deltans, and their... addictions. I had the pleasure of treating such a case at the Academy." She reached down and pulled a jar off the desk. "On New Vulcan, we used some herbs in a combination to knock out the addiction... Although its not a cure, it allowed a Vulcan to come back under control of his own feelings. I... used it on a human once, one on a freighter crew that stopped in to the spacedock. Although he didn't fully recover right away, he was recovered and moving on to ... other conquests in a week and a half." Soora opened up the jar, smelling the herbs. "I gave some to Mr. Nickles, and now he sleeps. I am keeping him hydrated." She gestured with her free arm towards Chris. "His chart is improving. I am first working on getting him healthy, then I will focus more on his addiction. I thank you and am grateful for your offer for assistance, and I am sure that I will take you up on it if I find it necessary." She recapped the jar and set it back on the desk with a small thump. She stepped around the desk, standing in front of it. She struggled to keep her face straight. "As for your concern with... my becoming the source of honey dust. I know its a possibility. I am taking responsibility for that. It's my job, after all." She put her hands on the desk behind her, trying to keep her mind from what Chris and the Orion might have done. "Anything else?"

 

“Not much else.” Pher considered. Soora had seen a few pheromone cases, one of the involving a Vulcan, which of course made her an expert. Doctors knew so much more than hookers, after all. On the other hand... “If that herbal stuff is as good as you suggest, we can make a fortune. You do your thing. I’ll do as little of my thing as seems prudent. Let’s see what happens.”

 

Soora raised her eyebrow again, then let it fall. "Ma'am, the herbs just help him to ignore it. I understand that like with any addiction the cravings eventually fade, yes? With some willpower, this can work." She paused, searching for the right words, looking absently over at Chris. Then she returned her gaze to Pher. "I have never dealt with an addiction in which there is an Orion nearby during the recovery. I'm not sure what will happen if he is exposed again to your honey dust at this stage. He might be fine... or he might lose it."

 

Meanwhile, Pher would have to consider what a cure to pheromone addiction would to the the culture of New Risa. The girls would no longer have to be so careful, which meant the resorts could exploit them with more confidence. The girls would no longer be skilled workers, balancing the need to give the tourists a good time while not getting them hooked? If they didn’t have to be skilled workers, for sure they wouldn’t be treated as such.

 

“Thanks for putting up with me,” Pher said. She glanced at Chris. “Take care of him.”