STF

Surgery Time

Posted Feb. 18, 2021, 1:17 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Theodore Knox (Chief Medical Officer) (Calé Reilly)

Posted by Lieutenant Casela Synthi-er (Counsellor / RTF) in Surgery Time

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Theodore Knox (Chief Medical Officer) in Surgery Time

(snip)

Casela always convinced herself it was better, or easier, to just closer her eyes and ‘go to sleep’ before they gave her the Anesthizine. Nice deep breath for me. And of course that was the phrase that had triggered her memory. He still said it the same. The phisiological reaction was immediate. It reminded her of that time in the hospital and why she had been there. The need to escape, not the doctors, but Mad Man. Casela did not want a repeat of her last long term visit to sickbay and she breathed, getting the reaction under control with surprising skill and speed, so that if Knox had not been watching the scans he wouldn’t have known it, because the computer would not have alerted for such a short span of time. She took a very deep breath for him, eyes still closed, forcing herself to relax so she would fall asleep faster. Also the scans showed she was still anemic, better, but her readings for having had the hypo that morning should have been higher…but she’d forgotten the hypo that morning, having usually taken it right before she left for breakfast with the captain.
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

“Tut tut tut.” Theo clicked his tongue as he replaced his tricorder in his pocket and accepted the hypo from the nurse. “Someone forgot their medicine this morning.” He berated the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. “No matter, we will monitor during the procedure. I trust however you followed the rest of my instructions carefully?”

Casela nodded, “Yes I did, Doctor. 25 CCs every morning, 30 minute before breakfast, for the last 7 days. That made 0630 every day, so another half hour from now.” She’d gotten there at 0530 but about half an hour had passed since then.

He checked the hypo then pressed it against Cas’s neck. “This is a mild sedative. I’ve given you a low dose which should help you to relax and feel nice and calm. It won’t make you sleepy just relaxed. I will allow my staff to finish preparing you in a moment while I get ready before we anaesthetise you for the procedure. If you have any further questions, now would the a good time.” He smiled

Casela thought, hard as they gave her the sedative, trying to think if she had any other questions about the proceedure but had none. Dr Knox had answered them all. Okay there was one and it sounded so weak minded, but the counselor in her knew it gave a measure of control. “How long will I be out?” She knew how long she’d be off duty, but how long was she going to be unconscious? At least this way maybe she wouldn’t panic as much when she woke up. And hopefully she wouldn’t be restrained, that could end very badly for her this time.

An NE was moving the surgical support frame towards the bed and another carefully carried a glass container of what looked like neon orange jello in which some ribs were unmistakably suspended.

Dr Knox

She closed her eyes, she didn’t want to look at it, she didn’t want to think about it. She just wanted him to get it done. She let the sedative relax her and let her mind attempt to drift. She’d rather already be asleep.
Lt. Synthi-er, CNS

“Oh a while.” Theodore said sounding, to the untrained ear, ever so slightly amused. “It’ll be over before you know it. “ he soothed and then left to finish preparing. The NEs were moving the surgical support frame over the bed now and wandered around getting things organised.

Theo was back decked in surgical wear shortly, another leather apron over the top. He smiled as he approached the bed. “How are we doing? He asked looming over the poor patient. The nurse handed the breathing apparatus with the gas insert ready. He took it and held it in hand waiting.

Casela didn’t bother to answer him. Lying would change the fact she was having surgery, and the truth wouldn’t help either. Physically she was relaxed, the sedative doing it’s job, though the nurses had had to give her more. A consequence of her training and her work. It took more than a normal dose to take her out.

Smiling Theodore brought the mask up to cover Casela’s mouth and nose and activated it. “Now, a nice, deep breath. And relax…” he said.

“Good, nice and relaxed.” He said watching the vitals and then smirked back down at Casela as the readings began to indicate the gas was working.

Yeah yeah she knew, a nice deep breath. Just put her under already. The mask didn’t bother her. Casela had worn enough rebreathers in her time that she didn’t feel suffocated or claustrophobic by them.

“Nighty night.” He said quietly so only she would hear him. Or did she Imagine that part?

Dr Knox

Daddy? Her father used to say something similar to her when he put her to bed every night as a child. But her father was far away, dying probably, maybe dead. She missed him, and her mother. Was her mother all alone now? Who helped her? Who would take care of her? She had an odd stabbing of intense sadness. She wanted her father, right then, in that moment. Not just his memory, no a dream, she was dreaming. A nice deep breath to push the sadness away. Another deep breath, the gas moving through her system, she was out, far away floating, no idea what was going on around her.
Lt Synthi-er, CNS

Theo watched his patient as she succumbed to the gas and drifted into unconsciousness. He looked around the room. NE Starling was assisting, NE Nurse Mildred and NE Goodguy were also present.

“Good morning, .” He began. “The patient is a 34 year old Betazoid female.” They knew her of course, but as the counsellor not at their patient. It was important for a level of detachment to form…just in case. “The patient underwent an experimental surgery to replace damaged ribs. This has had some unforeseen consequences and we are here to correct that today. This will be a replacement procedure with mid-line entry and excision of the early model unit. Genetically compatible biosynthetic replacements are ready at stations two and three for replacement. I anticipate no complications, as the patient has had positive primary results and exhibits extraordinary physical condition. “ he smiled around at each of the present staff. “ Activate Sterile Field and note the patients vitals and surgical start time.” As this came on and the readings were double checked Theodore watched the Hyper-encephalogram readings.

Interesting.. he purred internally.

Theo considered the thought process to its logical conclusion. certainly, but no way to explore that just this moment. Too many eyes and too far for the surgical site. It would be difficult to account from moving from chest to brain I without due cause. It was true and he did not wish to raise any sorts of suspicion especially with a beloved crew member and him so new. This was a conundrum. Someone kindly put his music on and the sounds of Clair de lune filled the surgical suite.

He smiled and flexed his fingers “Shall we then.” He said with a smirk. Holding a gloved hand out to the assistant at his side. “If you please, Tissue mitigator.” He got to work. Carefully, meticulously moving from one instrument to the next.

It was some twenty minutes later before Theo was carefully removing part of the metal ribs when his internal counterpart had a solution.

A slight chemical imbalance as the surgical site is closed however would give plenty of opportunity for further investigation.

He considered as the rib went off with NE Goodguy and he moved to the next one. chemically induced would require a hypo switch or an alteration to a dosage. he cautioned his internal self.

not if an accidental tissue repair was left undone. The medication would be justified and then the defect corrected.

Theo pondered this as another rib went and his assistant repaired some damaged cell membranes. purposely? Certainly not. I detest shoddy workmanship, shame on you. he found himself frowning.

Some more minutes passed and he was now repairing the last of the site for the new ribs to be placed. His gaze found the readings he had been fixated on at the beginning wondering what had caught his attention, they were slowly climbing. Too slow to be of any note to anyone who wasn’t watching it and of course save for him, who would be. It wasn’t standard, more a precautionary reading some more cautious surgeons activated because of the species of their patient.

Hmm, we may not need to act at all. It appears the good counsellor is doing this work for us. Perhaps from duress… Theodore thought

Perhaps that device Mister Hampton used which caused her injuries has irritated whatever the readings we picked up on were. It would suggest an injury of some kind. Theo hypothesised.

Plausible. What a happy coincidence.

He moved to begin placement of the first rib. if we slow down just a little the alarm will sound for us. We just need a reason…

He turned to NE Goodguy. “ Ensign, if you wouldn’t mind changing this osteoregenerator for another the beam seems slightly weaker than I would like.” He held the device out. “ Ensign Starling, recalibrate the surgical support frame and increase scanning sensitivity by 6%. Nurse, enter the patient’s vitals at this point in the log and Mark the surgery half way to completion. Please also note that a minor mechanical fault in an instrument will add thirty minutes into the surgical time.” He smiled as the man moved to the other side of the suite and the other two acted.

As they did he picked up another hypo fiddled with its dosage and administered it silently before returning the device. NE Starling looked questioningly at him “Please also note 5ccs of triox administered during the recalibration, let’s support the lung function a little more.” He smiled and Starling returned it looking utterly at ease with his explanation. “We can never be too careful.” He chuckled mildly and then returned to work as it the interruption had not taken place.

let’s just help it on it’s way shall we. Theodore thought. After all it would be a pity to miss this opportunity and besides…we can never be too careful.

Dr Knox


Posts on USS Leviathan

In topic

Posted since


© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service

Version 1.15.9