Sick Bay Chitin (Soora and William)

[Kaara Soora 0]

Soora cleared her throat, glancing at William again, before looking back down at her PADD, studying the figures that Chris had put in. She knew that the man had the best intentions, so she decided that, for now, she would follow it. She went to the supply closet again, gathering the necessary supplies, before spreading it all out on a cot. The Sick Bay was silent except for her movements, and she wasn't sure if it could be classified as awkward or not. 'I welcome the company,' she said quietly. 'Its not often that healthy people come in for a visit.'

 

William was oblivious to the glances that Soora was shooting his way. “Glad I could provide the company.” William said leaning against a bed in sickbay. “Not much else for me to do around here after being exposed planet side to whatever it is that has infected Selek. How is he doing by the way?” William started to look around the sickbay at the monitors to see if there was anything he could do to keep himself busy.

 

She set up the IVs with practised hands before bringing them over to Selek's cot, and changing them out. She made a small noise in the back of her throat. 'He has a fever, which is the most pressing concern now that the goo is not oozing from his wounds.' She folded the empty bags carefully up in her hands, walking over to the disposal bins. 'I'm more concerned with where the goo was coming from in the first place. I am wondering if it somehow is being replicated inside one of his organs.' She dumped the trash and went back over to the cot where all the supplies were laid out, getting the IVs for Alex now, her mind less on this task. 'Hopefully his fever will break with these measures that Mr. Nickles suggested, and Troy will have some answers.'

 

She set the IV bag in its hook, and looked at William. 'I doubt that us being in the same room as the stuff infected us, at least not to the extent that it would be deadly.' She gave a little shrug as she peered at Alex's monitor.

William started working on a random monitor that looked like it hadn’t been attended to for many years. “From what I heard the goo was actually moving and reaching for people. Of course I was more concerned with the drones trying to kill us than with the giant puddle of goo behind me.” He looked over his shoulder and saw Soora checking Alex’s monitor. “She going to be ok?” He said, concern apparent in his voice. “I’d hate to see what Big Ugly would do if we were to lose her.” He turned back to the monitor and continued to make adjustments to the mechanisms.

Soora glanced around again from the monitor to where William was busying himself. She quickly returned her eyes to the monitor, pulling out her PADD. 'I saw the goo, but I didn't pay it much mind. I figured that if it really wanted to infect me, it would move faster.'

 

She tapped for a few seconds, updating Alex's chart. 'She'll be alright. I think most of the damage is emotional, not physical.' She walked away then, returning to the empty cot, clearing her throat a little. 'I wouldn't let him down.' She started to reorganise the medicine for easy access later.

 

William finished fiddling with the monitor. “That’s the best I’m going to be able to do with the tools at hand.” He turned and looked at Soora organizing the medicine. “So what’s your story Doc? How does someone like you wind up in the Cluster and on a mercenary ship like ours?”

 

Soora's hands paused, and she felt her cheeks heating up. No one had asked her that... in a long time. 'I grew up on Earth, then went to New Vulcan for school. There was nothing tying me there, however, and so I took to wandering. I saw the Captain's ad, and decided that it would be the best course of action.' She took a few boxes back over to the cabinet, stacking them carefully. 'They needed a doctor, and I am a doctor. Its hard enough for me to gain respect in this galaxy. I didn't have the luxury of being picky.'

 

William moved to another monitor and opened it up. “It’s really hard to believe that a doctor as skilled as you are would find it hard to gain respect.” He started working on the intricate inner workings. “I would’ve thought that some frontier settlement would need someone with healing hands.”

She glanced over at him, eyes searching him for a few seconds, wondering the origin of the compliment. 'Its not my skills. Its the fact that I'm a Vulcan.' She moved her eyes back to her task. 'Even out here, I have found it hard to gain any sort of respect. I had none on Earth, barely any on New Vulcan, and none anywhere else I stopped. Why should I expect any, when I have done so little to make myself respectable?'

She calmed her voice, standing up, and walking over to where he was working on the monitor, fascinated. She leaned against the nearby cot, unsure of what else to say. 'Besides, I have met so many interesting people while being on board. I'm not sure a small colony would suit me.'

 

William continued working on the monitor. “Well, we do have an interesting cast of characters that’s for sure.” He reached for another tool and started making additional tweaks to the monitor.

 

'I am never bored,' she said quietly. 'I couldn't say the same while at the Academy Hospital.' She watched his hands for a minute. 'Do you enjoy it here?'

William paused working for a moment. “I can honestly say that I like it here better than at my old job.” He resumed working. “Of course there I was stuck planet side, though I never was shot at while I was there.”

 

Soora pulled out her PADD, doing a quick check on the monitors, before shutting off the screen again. 'Where were you. What were you doing there?'

 

William closed up the monitor and leaned up against the sickbay bed.. “I was living on Tranquility working as an engineer for the Guardians on the ships when they would come into dock.”

 

Soora looked at the monitor for a few seconds, wondering what he had done. 'That does not sound exciting... but also not entirely boring. Working with the Guardians, even in such a way, must have added some spice.'

 

 

“It was less exciting than one would think. After having been on a spaceship for most of your life to be relegated to planet side duty is a real drag.” William sighed. “Especially when the crews come off the ships going on and on and on about how great it is to be in space and how dangerous it is and how great any battles with raiders were. It honestly got really tiring, so the first real chance I had to get away I took.”

 

 

'Oh,' she said quietly. 'I guess I didn't think about that. Must have been frustrating.' She paused, and there was a small silence. 'Despite how it might seem, I am glad to be around humans again. I respect my culture, of course, but after growing up acting and being around humans and other species that show emotion, I sometimes found being on New Vulcan as tedious. I think that might have been the real reason that I left.' She tapped her fingers on the edge of her PADD. 'I guess we both came here for some of the same reasons.'

“It was pretty frustrating” William replied. “Well the reasons that we left might be similar, but the how is probably very different.”

 

Soora fought back a smile. 'I know the how was. But still...' She trailed off, turning on the PADD again to check. No changes. She clicked it back off. 'Its pleasant to find that out, is what I meant. And even though you're not the only one infected, you're a nice distraction.'

 

"Glad to be of service." William bowed "I'm always willing to provide a distraction if you ever need another."

 

Soora smiled a little, unable to hold it back, before losing it again. 'I sure hope you don't have to be exposed to some deadly toxin again before we find time to talk again.' She distracted herself by going over to check on the IV levels.

 

“I certainly hope so as well.” William walked over to another monitor to see what, if anything, he could do.

Edited January 23, 2012 by Kaara Soora