Doctor to Doctor
Posted on Wednesday November 16th, 2022 @ 11:56am by Lieutenant Commander Niali Deval Dr & Lieutenant Commander Alaina Trywhitt-Duffy & Lieutenant Steven Edgeware
Edited on on Sunday November 27th, 2022 @ 9:14pm
Mission:
Shore Leave
Location: Sickbay USS Oberon
Timeline: After Shore Leave
[ON]
-Sickbay-
“Doctor Trywhitt-Duffy, pleased to meet you,” Naili held out her hand in the usual human greeting. “It is good to once again have a CMO.”
The new Chief Medical Officer smiled and indicated Niali should sit down. “Please call me Alaina, my last name is a tongue twister and sometimes I think by the time my name has been rolled off the tongue by some that a supernova could have slipped in.”
Niali laughed, in fact she had had to roll it around on her tongue for a few seconds prior to the greeting. “And, please call me Niali, I am Captain Trensu’s Executive Officer by way of medicine and surgery.” She leaned in so no one else in sickbay could hear them. “Doctor, …..Alaina I have a problem. I am a joined Trill with just one symbiont.
Alaina wondered why this would be a problem for the Trill but she kept her counsel. “Please Niali come into the office and sit down, we can talk privately there.”
Niali nodded and followed her.
“Would you like drink?” Alaina asked.
Niali nodded, “yes please just a coffee with cream please.”
Sitting down with their drinks there was silence for a minute as they sipped. “Now what can I do for you?” She reached for a PaDD with Niali’s medical history.
Firstly I did not want to be joined but my family insisted I go through the process which I passed but still I was not sure. I was on a transport ship, I took I’ll. When I awoke from my unconscious state the Korial symbiont had been implanted inside me. Apparently the previous host had been taken ill. Poisoned I was told. We were too far from Trill so as I was available I became the host.” Naili sipped her drink. “ I didn’t mind at first and then his memories began to overshadow me. Grim memories of torture and incarceration. I believed, and still do that he is trying to be reborn as a person to subsume me and take over my body and mind. I researched and found out that he had been an interrogator who used mind games, torture and, sometimes death. Steven, Dr Edgeware, the last CMO who is now in Science helped me overcome Korial with a simple mind blocker, which he implanted behind my ear. For a while it worked well and he stayed buried. Lately the dreams are back and….”
Alaina put her hand up and smiled. “Yes I can see Dr Edgeware notes. He recommended eventual removal of the symbiont?”
Niali nodded. “Yes, trouble is we are nowhere near Trill and I have not long been promoted to First Officer. My duties are new and quite arduous at the moment so, I cannot take time out to go to Trill. To be honest I have not even been in touch with the symbiosis commission.” She tapped her ear. “I am sure the implant is no longer working. If, he manages to take me over then I will be letting a very dangerous man back out to do what he does best. Please, help me Doctor?”
Alaina produced a medical tricorder, opened it and began to scan Niali. Her eyes widened. “Your brainwaves should be your own with Korial’s only an imprint but, my scan show his brain pattern is a,most consistent with yours. This should not be. Your isoboromine levels are also sky hi, but I can help you with that. Wait a minute.” She left the office and returned with a hypo. Injecting Niali she said “this should help bring your levels down and you should be more comfortable. The symbiont is most definitely not compatible with you. I will contact the Symbiosis commission, in fact I have a friend on the Commission. Niali I wan to see you back here when your shift finishes. In the meantime take this hypo, give yourself a shot every two hours. Any problems return immediately. If this worsens I may have to remove you from duty for a time.”
Niali sighed, she was already feeling a little better. She nodded. “Understood Doc, maybe you should ask to speak to Admiral Issa Vidor at the Commission, she is my maternal aunt.” she said. “It’s good to have you here.” Niali pocketed the hypo and left. Alaina sighed, ~there always seem to be a problem with joined Trills ~ she thought as she touched her communicator. =/\= Doctor Trywhitt-Duffy to Doctor Edgeware =/\=
Steven had just gotten used to not being called doctor. So it took him a few moments to realise he was being called.
=/\= Edgeware here. How may I help you? =/\= he said
=/\= Lieutenant I am sorry to bother you. I have taken over from you as CMO in sickbay and I have just had a visit from Niali our XO with a little problem with her symbiont. I wanted to pick your brains and I wondered if you could spare some time in your day to do so face to face?=/\=
=/\= Yes I will come and see you now. I am just round the corner. See you in a mo.=/\=Steven said.
Steven moved a bit quicker. He began typing things on his padd. Soon he was in sickbay. He moved towards the new Chief Medical Officer.
“ Hello Doctor Trywhitt-Duffy. I believe you wanted to know about Korial Niali’s symbiont.” Steven said.
“Alaina please, I hate my surname and it’s even worse to try saying when one has had a drink or two of the best whiskey.” She smiled. “I know you were hoping not to see sickbay again but first I want to commend you on what a good job you did here, there is hardly anything to change and the staff appear competent and caring. I’m sorry where are my manners, would you like a drink?” she asked.
“ A nice cold drink would be fine.” Steven said
I had a visit from an ex patient of yours Our XO Niali Korial. She is having some trouble with her symbiont and is asking for my help in having it removed, apparently her nightmares have returned and she has determined Korial wants to be reborn in her body. It also appears her implant is no longer working, or if it is he has become strong enough to overcome it. Can you lend any insight into this case?” She supped her tea.
“ Oh dear sounds like the inhibitor is starting to weaken. I was hoping she would be stronger by now. Korial is one difficult little chap and no mistake. We had some trouble with him before. Same thing I am afraid we where able to put in an implant to weaken his link with her. As you know a joined Trill draws strength with their symbiont. Even if it’s personality is suppressed. So we had to be careful with how powerful the inhibitor was. It was hoped she could in time control him.” Steven said
Alaina nodded, “well her labs are all over the place and I am not sure why. I do know that if this continues the outcome for our XO will not be good. Did you contact the Trill symbiosis comission at all, I didn’t see anything in your notes?”
“ Because at the time we hoped the situation would balance out. But if things have worsened since then. It really looks that way. Let’s hope that the situation gets better. You never know things might improve. A new treatment might be found. Starfleet medical is always making breakthroughs in new treatments. Plus the Trills are always improving on host health.” Steven said.
I will contact them myself later on. Thank you Steven for you insight, before you go tell me do you see Korial as a threat to the ship?”
“ No. I don’t think Korial is a danger to us. But then again as the Klingon saying goes. A blind man may slit many throats at night.” Steven said.
Alaina smiled, this symbiont had obviously caused trouble at some time. She stood, “well thank you very much for stopping by. It was nice meeting you. I hope you won’t be a stranger. Maybe we can meet for coffee some time?” She extended her hand?
“ Yes. Now I must go. If you need any help again. Let me know.” Steven said
Alaina sat for few minutes then made up her mind. Pulling the screen towards her she tapped in the address of the Trill Symbiosis Commission. It took a few minutes until the screen cleared and a young female Trill appeared. The scenery behind her was one of peaceful sky and the sounds of a waterfall somewhere in the distance.
“Trill Symbiosis Commission what can I do for you?” The young woman smiled. Alaina noted she had perfect teeth and a perfect face Togo with the perfect teeth and hair. Alaina shook herself out of her reverie.
“Yes, my name is Doctor Trywhitt -Duffy. I am the Chief Medical Officer on board the Federation Starship Oberon. I would like to speak to Admiral Issa Vidor, I believe she is on the Symbiosis Commission?”
The woman stopped smiling. “May I ask why?” Was all she said.
Alaina bristled, “no this is a private matter, and it is one of urgency.”
The woman smiled again but Alaina noted this time the smile did not reach her eyes.
“I will put you through to someone who can help you” she said and the screen clicked off leaving the Commissions stamp on the screen. It seemed like another few minutes until a Trill male appeared.
“Doctor I am Zahani Rahll Admiral Vidors secretary. She is busy at the moment Doctor and…”
Alaina interrupted tiring of the game. “Tell the Admiral that when she is not so busy to contact me on board the USS Oberon, tell her it is urgent and that is about her niece Niali Korial.” She was about to end the transmission when the screen switched once again. This time to an elegant older woman wearing the uniform of a Starfleet Admiral.
“I am Admiral Vidor, what can I do for you Doctor?” There was a look of worry and certain hidden depth to the woman thought Alaina.
I would like to speak to you about your Niece Niali Korial?”
Admiral Vidor’s look became guarded. “Yes.” She said.
“I need some information regarding Niali and the Korial symbiont, the circumstances that led to the implantation, Korial’s history…aS much as you can tell me?”
Vidor leaned forward “is there a problem with the symbiont?” She looked concerned.
“Frankly yes Admiral,” Alaina continued. “I am new on board but I have spoken to the last CMO and have looked over Niali’s records. She had had several episodes in which it appeared that the Korial symbiont overtook Niali’s personality altogether and began to use her to further his own agenda. She was given an implant to help her deal with this strong personality but that is now failing once again. To be honest I need help with this.”
Vidor nodded. “I thought this might happen, I advised against the implantation. Niali did not want to be joined in the first place but, when it happened she was in the right place. What I am going to tell you now must not be divulged to anyone let alone Niali.”
Alaina dipped her head. “Yes of course, as her Doctor I am bound by the Hippocratic Oath. So?”
“Very well, the Paneth Korial Symbiont was rejected several times and was scheduled to be executed as a war criminal. He had worked for a secret department in Trill security which has now been discovered and disbanded. What he did was most disturbing, involving torture and execution of individuals with no regard to the usual conventions. I will go no further but the symbiont somehow, through some deal or promise escaped execution and was implanted in two others. I fought against implantation but the Commission thought his information too great too loose. His first host was found dead a couple of days after implantation. He had taken poison. The second host was on the transport with Nialai.” Vidor sighed, “he was badly injured in an explosion we suspect was planned and Nialai agreed to host him. She had fully expected him to be removed but then she changed her mind, I asked her why but she would not say then she left for the Oberon. She has not been in touch since.”
There was silence for a minute, then Alaina spoke. “Admiral I am extremely worried about your niece. She has been promoted to the Executive Officer of the Oberon, second only to the Captain, if Niali wanted to could she have Korial removed?”
Vidor looked serious. “Doctor that is a huge thing to go through, she may never receive another symbiont. She would have to come to Trill and go through the Zhian'tara as a means of dealing with the memories of previous hosts. If that did not work …. I am not sure but if Korial can cause Niali to do things that she would not normally do then….” She thought for a minute. Can you get her to Trill?”
Alaina shrugged, “ I will speak to Niali when she returns to see what she wants.”
Vidor nodded. “When she returns I would like to speak to her? I will be leaving for Earth in three days so you can reach me at my office in San Francisco. Doctor, you my need to inform the Captain of this? I will send you all the information I have.”
Alaina looked at the much less controlled look of the woman she had been speaking to. “Thank you Admiral. We will be in touch.” She disconnected the call and sat for a long time sipping her cold tea deep in thought.
[OFF]
Lieutenant Commander Niali Korial
Executive Officer.
USS Oberon.
&
Lieutenant Commander Alaina Trywhitt-Duffy
Chief Medical Officer
USS Oberon.
&
Lieutenant Steven Edgeware
Second officer/Chief Science Officer
USS Oberon
