Ghosts In Engineering

[DrDMatthews 0]

By Debbie Matthews and Travis Kroells.....

 

      Debbie caught sight of the commotion out of the corner of her eye. A couple of her staff members were picking someone up off the floor and carting him over to the nearest bio bed. The CMO wasn't overly concerned until she noticed the blood.

 

      Dr. Matthews quickly made her way over to their newest patient. Even from a distance, she knew who it was.

      "What happened?" she asked of no one in particular.

      "He hit his head on the floor."

      "Where?"

      The assistant nodded toward the door. "Right over there. He walked in and fell out."

 

      Travis Kroells had been carefully placed on the bio bed and the sensors activated. Debbie gingerly lifted a tuft of the Lieutenant's hair and took a close look at his forehead. His confrontation with the floor had opened it in two separate places. As with all facial wounds, he was bleeding like there was no tomorrow.

 

      "He did a nice job," quipped Rocco Studly as he started cleaning up the wound. "I hope he didn't damage the floor."

      Debbie studied the sensor data and shook her head. "There doesn't seem to be any serious damage to his head. But I still want to know why he collapsed."

      "Good question."

      "So let's wake him up and ask him."

      Rocco looked at her pleadingly. "Please give me a minute to fix his forehead. It's so much easier when they're out cold."

      Debbie grinned and nodded. "I know what you mean. Just hurry up."

 

      A couple of minutes later, Studly stepped back and admired his handiwork. "In a week, no one will ever know he kissed the floor."

      Debbie quickly inspected the repair job. "Very nice, Rocco. I'm sure Mr. Kroells will appreciate your expertise. Now, wake him up."

 

      Rocco cracked the small capsule and waved it under Travis's nose. It was an old fashioned technique and it worked perfectly. Kroells snorted and coughed and immediately opened his eyes. Studly kept one strong arm on the patient's shoulder to insure he didn't bolt off the bed.

 

      "Travis," called Debbie softly. "You're in Sickbay. Do you remember coming in here?"  

      Kroells looked a bit confused at first but finally nodded his head.

      Debbie smiled. "That's good. I'll bet you don't remember falling in the floor but that's okay Can you tell me why you came down here in the first place?"

 

      Travis winced again and let out a low groan, trying to get his bearings straight. It   took him a few seconds before he could even register the question Debbie had

thrown at him. “Hmm…Lt. Sivuk suggested that I come down here, he said I looked...Fatigued.” Kroells chuckled slightly, “I guess this proves that I was a little, tired."

 

       Debbie sighed, she couldn’t help it. The crew of the Reaent had been pushed to the limit and back again numerous times in the last few weeks. Many of the crew

we’re deprived of sleep to say the least, the fact that Kroells’s case wasn’t more common was more of a surprise then his injury was.

 

      Debbie looked down at Kroells’s who was preoccupied with keeping Studly

from his head, who claimed he could make it look better. “So, I take it you’ve working your self too hard, like so many of the crew?”  

 

      Kroells sighed, “Yes, work has been just about the only thing that could distract me from it…”

 

       Debbie looked at him curiously. “It?”

 

      Kroells looked down with a solemn voice. “The Cairo.  Every time I close my eyes, I can see the bodies…all over engineering…I can’t sleep, even if I wanted to…”

 

      Debbie and Rocco exchanged quick glances before the CMO returned her attention to Travis.

 

      "Let Gracie help clean you up and then she'll escort you to my office," said Debbie quietly while downloading the scan results into a PADD.  "I'll be there in a minute."

 

      With that, Drs. Matthews and Studly walked across the room to the meds cabinet. "How do you want to handle this?" asked Rocco.

 

      Debbie leaned against the counter. She chewed on her lip as she studied the information on the PADD. "Let's start him off with Edexxer. Load a hypospray....a 50mg dose. We'll send him home with 35mg tablets...give him a seven day supply then we'll bring him back in for a followup."

 

      Rocco nodded and started ordering the medication. Debbie glanced over to the biobed where Kroells was now sitting, his long dangling over the side. She watched silently as he gingerly slid off the bed and slowly made his way to the CMO's office, with Gracie right beside him.

 

      "Please bring that to my office when it's ready," she asked as started toward the small room on the other side of the main ward.

      "Will do," replied Studly without looking up.

 

      A moment later, Debbie settled into the chair behind her desk. Travis Kroells sat across from her. He was leaning forward in the chair, his hands clasped between his knees. He was still a bit pale and the blood stains on his uniform didn't help any. Above all, the young science officer looked extremely fatigued.

 

      "Well, Lieutenant," began Debbie slowly. "It seems you're suffering from the Cairo syndrome. There's been a lot of it going around lately. What happened to that ship was difficult to swallow."

 

      She shook her head sadly as she recalled the personal loss one of their own had suffered. But it was clear Commander Ridire wasn't the only one hurting. Travis and countless others were having trouble coming to grips with the awful tragedy that had befallen the Cairo.

 

      "What you really need," continued Debbie, "is a good night's sleep." She hesitated a moment. "Exactly what do you see when you close your eyes?"

 

 

 

         Kroells sighed, “Yes, work has been just about the only thing that could distract me from it...."

 

       Debbie looked at him curiously. “It?”

 

      Kroells looked down with a solemn voice. “The Cairo.  Every time I close eyes, I

 

can see the bodies…all over engineering…I can’t sleep, even if I wanted to…”

 

 

   Debbie and Rocco exchanged quick glances before the CMO returned her attention to Travis.

 

      "Let Gracie help clean you up and then she'll escort you to my office," said Debbie quietly while downloading the scan results into a PADD.  "I'll be there in a minute."

 

      With that, Drs. Matthews and Studly walked across the room to the meds cabinet. "How do you want to handle this?" asked Rocco.

 

      Debbie leaned against the counter. She chewed on her lip as she studied the information on the PADD. "Let's start him off with Edexxer. Load a hypospray....a 50mg dose. We'll send him home with 35mg tablets...give him a seven day supply then we'll bring him back in for a followup."

 

      Rocco nodded and started ordering the medication. Debbie glanced over to the biobed where Kroells was now sitting, his long dangling over the side. She watched silently as he gingerly slid off the bed and slowly made his way to the CMO's office, with Gracie right beside him.

 

      "Please bring that to my office when it's ready," she asked as started toward the small room on the other side of the main ward.

      "Will do," replied Studly without looking up.

 

      A moment later, Debbie settled into the chair behind her desk. Travis Kroells sat across from her. He was leaning forward in the chair, his hands clasped between his knees. He was still a bit pale and the blood stains on his uniform didn't help any. Above all, the young science officer looked extremely fatigued.

 

      "Well, Lieutenant," began Debbie slowly. "It seems you're suffering from the Cairo syndrome. There's been a lot of it going around lately. What happened to that ship was difficult to swallow."

 

      She shook her head sadly as she recalled the personal loss one of their own had suffered. But it was clear Commander Ridire wasn't the only one hurting. Travis and countless others were having trouble coming to grips with the awful tragedy that had befallen the Cairo.

 

      "What you really need," continued Debbie, "is a good night's sleep." She hesitated a moment. "Exactly what do you see when you close your eyes?"

 

       “Engineering or what was left of it…” Kroells looked away, the images flooding into his head again. “The damage there had been some of the worse on the ship…during the explosions, one of the plasma injectors cracked, and quickly shattered. Any one inside of Main engineering was almost instantly killed, their flesh quickly destroyed by the rush of plasma.” Kroells looked back up to her, his hazel eyes boring into her soul. “Besides the group that was sent to engineering, only you and the other members of the medical staff have gotten a look at those, remains…You must know of what I speak…”

 

           Debbie sighed, she knew all to well what Kroells was talking about. Of all the bodies to identify, the persons that we’re in main engineering were the hardest to identify…mainly because of the fact that nearly all of them had been burned beyond all recognition. She could only imagine what it was like for Travis, and the other members of that away team to walk into engineering and see that.

 

      Kroells by now had stopped talking and had his left arm dug into his leg, using the palm of that head to keep his head up. “I suppose this is one of those, I have to let the dreams and nightmares come deal with it…don’t I?”

 

      Debbie leaned back in her chair. "You have to deal with it, Travis. But not in your dreams."

 

      Kroells looked up at her. "Those poor souls are haunting you," continued the CMO. You're trying to run away from them but they catch up with you while your sleeping. Your response to that has been to avoid sleep."  She paused for a moment. "And we both know that isn't an acceptable solution.

 

      "What can I do?" he asked quietly.

      "Go ahead and grieve for them. Deal with them during your waking hours. Then they'll leave you alone at night."

      Kroells looked at her like she'd just suggested hand to hand combat with ghosts. She leaned forward and rested her elbows on the desk. "You didn't know those people in life. You met them in death" continued Debbie. Thanks to Dr. Smith, we have detailed records of who died where on the Cairo. Spend an hour or so and look up the names of those who were killed in engineering.  Put a face on those mangled bodies. Say their names outloud. Grieve for them and wish them well in their journey through the after life. Then you can move on with yours."

 

      Debbie stood up and came around the desk. She leaned against it almost in front of the Lieutenant. "Stop running from the images. Face them head on. Don't expect to forget....because you never will. What's more, I can almost guarantee those won't be the last dead bodies you step over while you're in Starfleet."

 

      The CMO had just finished her little speech when Studly arrived with the hypo and tablets. He emptied the hypo into Travis's neck and handed him the small bottle.

 

      "That's a mild tranquilizer," said Debbie pointing to the tablets. "Take one every twelve hours for the next week. They should take the edge off and help you sleep. I want you to check back with me in seven days, sooner if you're still unable to get any decent sleep."

 

      Travis Kroells slowly arose from his chair and looked at Debbie. "I'll try to take your advice," he said in a barely audible voice.

 

      "I hope you will," replied Debbie. She took a step closer to Kroells and smiled sadly. "There is nothing wrong with grieving, Travis. It's an absolute necessity for just about every known species in the galaxy. Why? Because death is a part of life. It comes to some sooner than others but it finally catches up with all of us.  And how we handle death is just as important as how we deal with life."

 

      Travis nodded silently and moved toward the door. Debbie wasn't sure the young officer understood what she was trying to tell him. She could only hope he wouldn't continue smothering his grief over Cairo's lost engineers.

 

      "Thanks, Doctor," said Kroells as he walked out the door. He turned back and looked at her once again. "And I'll think about what you said."