A Broken Heart - Part 1

[DrDMatthews 0]

Debbie stepped back as Brian Smith adjusted the scanner over Lt. Shamor's broad chest. She looked up at the ceiling and shook her head slightly. "You're losing it, girl," she thought to herself. "How could you have forgotten something like that."

 

      The "that" in question was the fact Juntar Shamor was Zemun and as such, his chest contained two hearts. Debbie was furious with herself for failing to recall such vital information. She'd known Juntar for quite a while....had even patched him up a few times. He was a big man, standing over six feet tall and weighing 232 pounds. He had muscles on top of muscles. Debbie had always considered him among the strongest individuals she'd even known. He was definitely the strongest person on Reaent.

 

      He was also critically ill. Debbie had never seen Shamor in such condition and she found it rather disconcerting. He just wasn't a prime candidate for a heart attack but here he was, in the midst of a major coronary.

 

       Juntar's hearts sat side by side in his chest just in front of his oversized lungs. They were separated by a thin membrane. Both hearts usually beat in unison. Listening to them, one would almost think there was only one large heart beating away in Shamor's  chest. Both of them pumped oxygenated blood throughout his massive body.

     

      Dr. Smith was able to locate the second of Juntar's hearts and began the three dimensional scan. The CMO again stepped up to the bio bed and studied the live action picture produced by the scanner. There was evidence of slight blockages in one of the four arteries but nothing serious.

 

      "Let's take another look at the first one," requested Debbie in a muted voice. Brian Smith nodded silently and moved the stylis back to the right side of Shamor's chest.

 

      The picture of the right heart looked the same as it had during the initial scan. Of the four arteries, one was almost completely blocked. There were significant blockages in two others. There was also noticeable damage to the left ventricle causing the heart to beat considerably slower than normal.

 

      Debbie nodded and Dr. Smith disengaged the scan while she prepared to break the news to Shamor that he wasn't leaving Sickbay any time soon.