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Sickbay - Cadet Starr boarding exam

Posted Aug. 28, 2018, 2:23 a.m. by Cadet Alex Winters (Doctor) (Alexander Roth)

Posted by Cadet Simon Starr (Security Officer) in Sickbay - Cadet Starr boarding exam

Posted by Cadet Alex Winters (Doctor) in Sickbay - Cadet Starr boarding exam

Alex nodded. “The incident you describe doesn’t sound like something that would have permanently damaged any blood vessels in your wrist, unless there was more to it than you’re saying. Was your wrist swollen or discolored for any appreciable amount of time afterwards? Did you or do you ever notice any decrease in mobility or sensation in that arm?”

“Not that I remember” Simon said, thinking back to the incident. “I mean, I was young, so I can’t say how long it lasted, as everything seems to feel like forever at that age” he said. “But it may have been trapped there for a few minutes before someone was able to come and help”.

Alex nodded. “And it’s since that incident that you’ve been having this symptom from time to time?”

She moved the tricorder probe over the offending wrist once more, and frowned almost imperceptibly. “I’m not seeing anything obvious, except a few blood vessels that seem a bit narrower than they probably should be. It doesn’t strike me as anything particularly worrisome at this point. But if you like, we can do detailed magnetic resonance imaging. That will allow me to construct a holographic model of your wrist, which would give me better visibility. Perhaps I’ll see something then that isn’t obvious now.”

Cadet Winters, Doctor

“If you think that will help, I’m up for that.” Simon shrugged. “To be honest, it doesn’t happen too often, so if you think it needs to be checked, I’ll follow the doctors recommendation” he smiled.

Cadet Simon Starr

Alex shrugged. “To be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure that the cure won’t be worse than the ailment, if this is really as minor and as occasional of an inconvenience as you say it is. However, going only by what I’ve seen so far and what you’ve told me about the supposed origins of this, I don’t think it’s really being caused by an obstruction in blood flow.”

She looked down at her tricorder and checked the monitor at the head of the biobed again for good measure, then nodded and looked back up at Cadet Starr.

“I mean yes, certain blood vessels in your wrist appear to be a bit narrower than I would expect them to be, for a man of your age and general constitution. But your LDL levels are on the low end of normal, and you have exactly zero other risk factors for arterial occlusion. So I don’t think that’s really anything to worry about. And I also don’t think narrow blood vessels are the real culprit, here. I’m more concerned that what you’re experiencing may be the result of some low-level neurological damage. And if I’m right, that will repair itself in time even without my intervention, but it could easily take another ten years or so before it stops bothering you altogether. Nerves are slow that way.”

She put the tricorder away, crossed her arms and looked at that Cadet. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re healthy as can be, and I will note so in your records. If you feel able to do your job despite the occasional tingle in your left hand and wrist, there is no reason for me to try to stop you from doing that. But if you will let me perform a more detailed scan, so I can check for nerve conduction in that arm, there may be something I can do to help you get rid of that particular annoyance.

She gestured towards a different biobed, which had a built-in scanner that could encapsulate the person lying on it. “There’s really no risk involved. I can do the test, and after that, you’re still free to accept or reject treatment as you see fit. If this is what I think it is, it’ll take about a half hour to fix, and your arm will be numb for maybe another three after that. Plus you’ll have a specialised nanite embedded in your arm for an unspecified amount of time, until it detects it isn’t needed anymore. Probably a few years.”

Alex walked towards the biobed with the embedded scanner, activated it, and then turned back to Starr. “My recommendation would be to take the test, and the we’ll see where we go from there. But really, it’s completely up to you.”

Cadet Alex Winters, Doctor


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