STF

Side sim: Guilty Pleasures

Posted March 19, 2023, 7:05 p.m. by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) (Lucas Foxley)

Posted by Lieutenant V’alura Belmont (Scientist on Medical Leave) in Side sim: Guilty Pleasures

Posted by Lieutenant Solal Segal (Oncology and Immunology) in Side sim: Guilty Pleasures

Posted by Lieutenant V’alura Belmont (Scientist on Medical Leave) in Side sim: Guilty Pleasures
Posted by… suppressed (27) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
After finishing her scan Alexis closed the tricorder and prepared a hypo of antibiotics and administered it. “Your kidney function is noticeably lower. You probably have protein building in your system and we are going to have to filter that out.”

Bonner

“Do I need to go back to sickbay?” He knew at least to get the filtering treatment he would. Effectively the same thing as dialysis, he’d need a machine to filter his blood for him. Then there were the blood tests and kidney tests that needed to be rerun. And then the new infection… He sighed.

~ Solal

“We have two options right now. We can give you diuretics to help force your body to flush the toxins out, but you are dehydrated so that would require extreme fluid intake on your part. We would have to start by getting your hydration levels up with a fluid infusion. The other option is to start you on a modified dialysis regimen. We can add the fluids you need as the machine filters your blood. Either way you need fluids faster than your body is taking them in. There is also a medication called Farxiga, it’s old, but it helps support and heal the kidneys from CKD. The problem is until we figure out why you aren’t responding 100% to the immunotherapy, it’s still just a stop gap.”

Bonner, AMO

Solal considered it and then nodded. “The first idea wouldn’t work. My kidneys are unable to filter things, all that would do is run water through my body. You’d have to hyperhydrate me to death before that did what we need it to. I think we should start the modified dialysis. As for the med…” He shrugged. “I can’t seem to recall much about it. That one is up to you.” He coughed again, turning away from Alexis. “I don’t like what the consequences will be if we can’t figure this out. Those symptoms already indicate permanent kidney damage.”

~ Solal

Alexis nodded. She was glad to see that Solal was still thinking clearly. “You will need to come to sickbay for that. We will monitor how fast the enzymes and protein are accumulating and set a schedule.” She sighed with a nod. “It doesn’t look good, Solal. On the bright side I can give you a white pill that will regrow your kidney. The bad news is if we can’t figure out what is causing your body to attack itself, your new kidney will fail as well.”

“The other bad news is, there are no white pills for brains.” Apparently he was more worried about the AIE than he let on. “And regrowing a kidney isn’t instant either. If it comes to that, it may buy us time, it may not. I would hope it can wait until we figure out how to make the body stop attacking the kidneys.”

“No it is not, but there are also artificial kidneys as well. We’re going to get you a solid diagnosis, Solal.” Alexis just hoped it was before it did any permanent damage to his brain.

Solal nodded, but sighed, and brought up a hand to his head. His headache was getting worse. “I hope so.”

Alexis noticed the movement, of course, “Is your head hurting? I will give you something for it. There is no need to make your body work under extra strain if we can relieves the discomfort.”

He nodded again, a slight movement to avoid further agitating the pain in his head. “I wasn’t going to mention it, but it’s getting worse.”

Alexis gave him a long look. “We have exhausted environmental, pathogen, and biological causes. We can continue to let this progress and hope new symptoms occur that help, or you can let me do a genetic study. I know you have been against it, and it may prove fruitless, but we are at the point where we must exhaust all avenues of diagnostics.”

Bonner, AMO

And there they were again. Back at the question of a genetic study. It was information Solal didn’t want to know and really didn’t want to exist, not in his file, not confidentially, not anywhere. As illogical as it was, it would even bother him if V’alura consented to the study. She already knew who her mother was but their shared father was where this illness must have come from. He wondered if she was as adverse to knowing anything about the man as Solal was.

It was however, the thought of V’alura that changed his mind. She had been sick longer, and not on autoimmune treatment. He knew that meant whatever the disease had decided to attack in her, was likely in worse shape than anything of his. If she died because he said no… He sighed. It was almost a huff, really. “For diagnostic purposes only.”

~ Solal

Alexis gave him a thoroughly perplexed look, “What other purpose could a genetic study possibly serve?”

Solal looked up at her and blinked, as if surprised. “To… See where I’m from? Genetic relations? Like ancestry? That’s what most people think I should want.” He looked pale and sickly, even in the dimmed lights of his quarters.

Alexis pursed her lips, “Well if you are interested in that, there are companies that specialize in such things. It is beyond my purview or interest to investigate your ancestry. I remember you mentioned once your fathers are doctors. If you were interested in such things, you have had ample opportunity to discover them. It is not my business.” He looked rather ill. “Do you feel up to walking or would you like me get a chair?” Movement was good, it kept the systems flowing, but too much could tire him out, overwork his system, or if he was dizzy or faint he could fall and get hurt.

“I am not, and I would appreciate it never brought up again.” His tone was firm and forceful. He shook his head to the chair, coughing harder this time. “I can still walk. Just not too far.”

She wasted no time taking an extra blood sample for the genetic study. “Let’s go ahead and get you to sickbay. I can set up a private room so it will be quieter and less exposure. You can finish your movie while the machine does its work.” She thought to ask if he would like to have V’alura join him. The procedure could take awhile, but if he wanted her to sit with him he would say so. She assumed.

Bonner, AMO

Solal begrudgingly let her take the sample. He nodded, grabbed his PaDD, tossed the empty water bottles in the trash, partly made his bed (he was tired and felt lazy), and then followed her to sickbay, turning the lights off on the way out. On the way he seemed distracted for several moments and then, quietly, “Let V’alura know?”

~ Solal

Alexis walked along at his pace, not wanting to rush him and exhaust him. She nodded, “Of course. I will have to come up with something so you both can spend time together but not keep reinfecting each other.” Once they reached sickbay, Bonner led Solal to one of the private treatment rooms. Nurse Kilak helped her set the machine up and calibrated to add the fluid infusion back into his blood stream while it removed the toxins. Alexis pulled a swing arm over with a computer console for him, and draped a blanket over him. The body often got cold during such procedures. She started the cycle and then turned to him. “It will take a couple of hours. I will inform V’alura for you.”

She left the room and grinned to herself as Frigga appeared, slipping into the room when Alexis opened the door. =/\=Bonner to V’alura. Could you come to my office please?=/\=

Bonner, AMO

It wasn’t too slow of a walk, but by the end of it Solal was winded and glad to be there. A specialized IV was used to take the blood and send it to the machine, as well as return the filtered blood, so Solal had to be careful not to move that arm too much. “Thank you.” He reached for the computer console as she left, until he heard the click of the dog’s claws. Then he left the console where it was, instead leaving his lap open.

~ Solal

Frigga padded her way over and looked up. Seeing an open lap she hopped up onto the foot of the bed. She sniffed toward his arm and then very carefully crawled her way onto his lap on the opposite side of the IV connections. She laid her head on her paws and looked up at him.

Frigga

His right arm had the IV connections. With another couple of hard coughs, Solal set his left hand on the dog and began scratching by her collar. It would be easy for the dog to tell by his scent that she was helping. He told himself he wanted her there because she kept him warm better than the blanket Alexis had put over him.

Alone and ensconced in the comfort of her dark room, V’alura was dramatic. Her favorite movies played on repeat from a screen nestled into the wall. She laid across her bed at an angle in her most comfortable lounge clothes with one arm draped devastatingly across her eyes. She foolishly told herself that if she stayed perfectly still then her terrible disease wouldn’t cause her any pain, discomfort and would blissfully fade into the back of her mind. It kind of worked, but she still needed to breathe and every breath felt like rubbing sandpaper across her lungs.

She suffered in silence because part of her couldn’t bare to get up, another part of her berated her for being weak and scared. The simple motions of getting out of bed, changing clothes, putting on make-up now felt like insurmountable challenges. Finding the energy and will to do as little as brush her teeth had to be carefully planned, excruciatingly executed and bared until she could collapse unto the nearest comfortable surface and recover. Pathetic. Thankfully, what little mental energy V’alura possessed directed towards worrying about Solal. Though her time with him in-person was precious little, she knew he was off-kilter.

/\=Bonner to V’alura. Could you come to my office please?=/\=

Go to Bonner’s office? No. Impossible. But what if it’s about Solal? If V’alura possessed just one more brain cell she would question the logic of such a leap. Bonner was not just Solal’s doctor but hers as well. The good doctor may very well want to talk about V’alura. But it could also be about Solal. Thus, V’alura found the strength to sit up and carefully crawl out of bed. ^=V’alura to Bonner=^ She sounded like a chainsmoking frog. =^Coming.=^ V’alura put one foot in front of the other and somehow made the way to Dr. Bonner’s office. Of course she looked rightful mess. Hair pulled back into a messy bun, her loose fitting clothes wrinkled and not a spot of make-up anywhere. “Solal?” She asked.

V’alura Belmont

Just from the sound of her voice, when V’alura entered Alexis’ office she had a breathing treatment ready to go. “Sit.” She slipped the mask over V’alura’s mouth and nose and clicked the canister to release the medication. It wasn’t an option. V’alura needed it, so she was getting it. Then Bonner sat in another chair, on the same side of the desk. “Solal is in a treatment room. He asked me to tell you. His kidney disease is progressing, and we have to help clean the toxins out of his system. He also has the same respiratory infection you have. So we will need to be cautious to make sure you two don’t keep passing it back and forth.”

“Before we go see him…Solal has agreed to a genetic study, to check for mutations or genetic incompatibility that may be causing his immunodeficiencies. Since your symptoms are so similar, would you consent to a study as well? It may not be genetic, but we have exhausted all other sources for Solal, at the moment. And if you are both suffering from the same root cause, it would be a good idea.”

Bonner, AMO

~ Solal

How easily V’alura submitted to treatment upon entering Dr. Bonner’s office was a testiment to how tired she felt. Still, V’alura breathed deeply, through the pain and tightness constricting her chest, to encourage the medicine to work faster. It coated her throat and worked down and through her lungs. Oh, what sweet bliss, V’alura thought. Her breaths eased into soft sighs of relief. It almost felt like normal breathing again. However, when Dr. Bonner began to speak, she had V’alura’s full attention.

Solal caught her infection? V’alura winced, and felt so incredibly stupid in that moment. She should have been more careful. In her haste to be closer to Solal she sacrificed his health. Then came the bomb shell. A genetic study. V’alura answered in a blink of an eye with zero hesitation, “Yes. To any study. Any test. What must I do?” If this could help Solal then V’alura will do it. It didn’t matter if it was a long-shot or a miniscule chance, if there was any chance it would help Solal then V’alura would do it.

V’alura

“I just need a small blood sample. It will take several days to map out the DNA and then the analysis can take a couple of weeks.” Bonner grabbed a blood draw hypo and when V’alura was ready took the sample and had it sent to the lab.

“Alright let’s go see Solal. The process can make him cold and also tired. He is very dehydrated so we are adding fluids back in as his blood is cleaned, but if he can drink as well that will help.” Bonner led the way to his room as she spoke. “We will run an aseptic sweep in his room every few minutes. Like what you go through to enter sickbay. It will help stop the spread of infection and you two won’t have to wear a breathing mask.”

Entering the room, Alexis grinned. Frigga lifted her head an inch and her tail swished back and forth. Then she laid her head back down. “Page me if you need anything.”

Bonner, AMO

Between Alexis leaving and returning with V’alura, Solal had leaned back and closed his eyes, the blanket tucked closer to him. His left hand still rested on the dog. Under the brighter, white lights of the sickbay room, he looked pale and tired, making him look worse than he had in his quarters.

When Frigga lifted her head, he gently grasped her fur in his hand, uttering a whiny sounding, “Stay.” He did not want her to go. Then he felt the weight of Frigga’s head return and his hand relaxed, giving her more scratch. It wasn’t until Alexis’ voice startled him that he realized why Frigga had moved. His eyes popped open and he saw Alexis and V’alura. “You-” his voice caught in a cough and he had a coughing fit before trying again, “You didn’t have to come. I just thought you’d want to know.”

~ Solal

V’alura offered Solal a small wave and smile, “I don’t have to. . . do anything,” She said, her voice as rough as gravel taking a spin in a dryer, but it was better than before. She carefully collapsed onto a chair beside his bed. Fatigue settled deep into her bones. “But I want to. . . so here I am.” V’alura found the strength to nod to Dr. Bonner as the good doc left them for the time being. For a moment V’alura was content with silence. Which was funny because the old, healthy her would be talking a mile a minute now. Ugh, just thinking about that made her feel even more exhausted.

The whirring of the machine on the other side of Solal’s bed filled the silence while V’alura regained enough energy to decide to say more. A green liquid the color of corroded copper filled the IV lines leading from his arm into the machine and from the machine back to his arm. “I have your infection. I could reinfect you.” Apparently he had forgotten about the disinfection system, the aseptic sweeps.

A nurse came back and was pushing a very comfortable looking chair that reclined complete with a pillow and a blanket. She smiled at V’alura, “For you, Lt.”

“Okay,” V’alura finally croaked, and leveled Solal with a stern look, “Be honest. . . how bad do you feel?” She slumped over the side of her chair, “‘cause I feel. . . like an energy vampire. . . -‘s been sucking. . . on my neck all day. And my voice. . . lost ten rounds. . . with a heavy. . . -weight champion.” Were there awards for putting so much effort into talking? Because V’alura at least earned bronze there.

V’alura

Solal shivered and pulled the blanket closer. He knew this process could make him feel cold, but he felt like he still hadn’t been prepared for it. He looked at her as she gave him a stern look that reminded him a little of his parents, but softer. A big sister look, he supposed. She was twenty-one years older than him, he knew, but she did not look that much older. The work of their Vulcan heritage. That look made him want to listen, to be honest.

But no… She was more human than he, at least in nature. She would feel guilty for passing on her illness. “I’m sorry you feel so poorly.” A phrase he used with patients. “I am alright.” He sounded tired. Like Alexis had said he might be. He pet Frigga gently and then looked up at V’alura, “The filtering process-” he had to pause to cough again, and then catch his breath, “tends to make one feel a little tired.”

In truth he felt like he’d been hit by a semi truck, with a million leeches sucking all his energy away. His body ached, his skin itched, he was cold, his head hurt, he was nauseous. His mind felt foggy. His throat hurt from the coughing. He felt miserable. He patted the dog gently again and then rested his hand against her. “Are you liking the ship?” Small talk was not his strong suit.

~ Solal

Frigga lifted her head and whined. Solal smelled like lies. Frigga didn’t like lies. This wasn’t like the man that hurt her mom though. This was like the patients in psychiatry that didn’t want to talk about things. She nudged his hand with her nose and then laid her head on his stomach and stared at him with her huge puppy eyes and whined again.

Frigga

While V’alura didn’t have Frigga’s nose, she knew a lie when she heard one. First things first. V’alura sucked in a deep breath, gave herself a mental pep talk then made about ten false starts before carefully leaning forward to grab hold of the new chair’s armrest. Two more deep breaths, a second pep talk, and five false starts until she could haul herself to her feet, and turn just enough that she call fall into the new chair and heave a sigh of relief. The new chair was far more comfortable. Oh so worth the effort.

For the time being Solal was safe with his lies. V’alura closed her eyes and dozed for a few minutes to let her body rest while her mind worked quietly in the background. Her eyes opened and she shifted so that she could face him. “That’s. . . such a load. . . of bull crap,” She said, her words starting to wheeze at the end. “You’re as right. . . as wings on a hog. Which. . . is to say, not alright. . . as all.” As for his last question, she’ll get around to that eventually.

V’alura

Solal pet Frigga, scratching her head and then rubbing her ears. Her nose against his hand had been cold. Her presence was obviously comforting to him. He seemed calm and relaxed with her there despite the discomfort his illness caused. She was giving him a cute, puppy look, followed by V’alura’s assessment of his statement as ‘bull crap’. Her breathing was awful, she could barely get a word out. He pressed the ‘Call’ button on the biobed. Then he coughed again, away from her, and looked at her with a shrug. “Kidney failure doesn’t hurt. Just makes you itchy, tired, and nauseous.” To go with all his other symptoms, of course. But he didn’t want her to worry, so he was trying to downplay. And trying to avoid lying so Frigga wouldn’t whine again.

~ Solal

Alexis was in the main bay, picking up a few physicals while she waited for her shift to end so she could start on the genetic analysis. She heard the call from Solal’s room and was the first to respond. She stepped through the door way and the computer started an aseptic sweep. Her eyes scanned both people. Neither looked good, but not in immediate distress. “Solal?”

Bonner, AMO

Solal nodded toward V’alura. “Not me, her. Her breathing… She’s barely able to speak. Needs more breathing meds.” He was so tired. And so cold. There was a dull pain in his abdomen, not bad enough for him to want to mention it. He was worried for V’alura, and he gave her a meaningful look: Just do it.

~ Solal

She had to dig for it, but from somewhere deep inside she pulled the energy to glare at Solal. “Solal. . . is lying about. . . how bad he feels.” Her last words ended on a long, and painful wheeze that felt like her lungs were full of sharp ice.

V’alura

Alexis crossed her arms over her chest and stared at each of them for a long silent moment. “You’re both lying.” She put her head out the door, “J’ta bring a portable biobed interface. Hook it up to the chair for Lt V’alura.” Alexis pulled the tricorder out of her pocket and ran a scan over V’alura while at the same time reclining the chair to take some of the pressure and strain of her lungs. Then she turned to Solal and scanned him as well. She check the progress of the dialysis cycle as well.

Bonner, AMO

The nurse came in and set up a portable monitor for V’alura, as asked. Her heart rate read low, as compared to a human’s it would be resting in the low 50s. Her O2 saturation was low, in the high 80s. Mucous in her lungs accounted for the wheezing and to some extent the trouble breathing. She was running a fever. The viral flu she had given Solal was advancing in her as well, she was getting sicker.

Solal’s scans weren’t good either, but in different ways. His heart rate was high, his BP was low, his kidneys read the same as before, and his infection was advancing quickly, taking advantage of his weakened immune system. He was running a low fever, which with his immunosuppressant therapy he shouldn’t be running any fever. His breathing was labored but not as badly as V’alura’s. The dialysis cycle was about half finished. He looked a bit dazed, like he wasn’t quite focused.

Solal shook his head at V’alura. “If something were wrong I’d say so… Feeling ‘bad’ is expected.” He closed his eyes a moment and rested. He sighed softly. “My head still hurts. And my cough is getting worse.”

~ Solal

V’alura’s eyelids felt like lead. She was so tired. Without meaning to she closed her eyes, “Liar. . . ” She mumbled. Another wheeze forced itself from her throat, followed by a cough that kept going and going until she felt the mucus coat the inside of her mouth. Gross. She might have lifted her hand and asked for a tissue but she wasn’t sure. Thing was she didn’t feel hot, but she felt drained. And perhaps a bit light headed but that wasn’t so bad on her list of things to worry about. Another wheeze and she opened her eyes and turned her head to see Solal. He isn’t being honest about how he feels but at least he’s doing better than her. I have to be strong for him, she thought. “Expected doesn’t mean. . . tolerate. . . in silence.”

V’alura

A lab tech entered while Alexis was taking her scans, with the results of their latest blood tests. Bonner muttered quietly, with very little sound. The infection was viral. “J’ta bring me two doses of baloxavir marboxil.” Baloxavir marboxil was a strong anti-viral given as a single dosage. It had the side effect of upsetting the stomach and made the symptoms worse, but it wouldn’t affect their kidneys. “Also get me a dose of guaifenesin and dornase alfa with a nebulizer mask, and 500mg acetaminophen for them both.” Alexis turned to V’alura. “They are both expectorants. The guaifenesin will help long term to break up the mucus in your lungs. The dornase alfa is breathed in with steam and will help clear your mouth, sinuses and throat immediately.

V’alura hummed, “‘s the. . . good stuff. . . then.” The strong stuff always had the worst side-effects though.

Solal gave her another look, this one… Almost annoyed. “I feel tired, dizzy,” he paused to cough, “sick, itchy, cold, I have a headache…” A breath, then more coughing, “my body aches, and Baloxavir marboxil is going to make us both feel sicker.” The downside of being a doctor. He recognized the med when Alexis mentioned it. It was an antiviral that wouldn’t be hard on his already struggling kidneys. “There is no logical reason to tell you this, except perhaps, that you will stop wasting your breath calling me a liar.”

From her comfortable chair V’alura snorted. A sound that both conveyed her amusement at Solal and as a proclamation that she would do no such thing. It didn’t make her feel better to know that she was right about the good stuff having the worst consequences. Was it even possible to feel sicker than she already was?

J’ta returned with the requested items. Alexis quickly gave Solal the baloxavir marboxil and the acetaminophen, and then the same plus the guaifenesin to V’alura. Then she fit the mask over V’alura’s face and there was a click and hiss as the medication was dispensed and a soft hum as the mask mixed it with steam. Alexis adjusted the setting on the mask to give a higher O2 percentage. “V’alura we will leave the mask on after the medication is dispursed. Your O2 levels are very low so until they come up, you will need a higher concentration.”

Then she looked at Frigga, “Up.” Frigga immediately stood and dropped to the floor. Alexis lifted the blanket and motioned Frigga back on the bed underneath. She laid the blanket back over both of them and added a second blanket. “She should help raise your body temperature.” Then she fixed Solal with his own breathing treatment. “J’ta bring them both something hot to drink, non-caffeinated.”

Bonner, AMO

There was no fight from V’alura. Mostly because fight wasn’t even in her dictionary at the moment. The mask did it’s thing and V’alura began to breathe a little easier. She should be concerned about her lungs. Doctors always told her that they should be a little larger than they are. Which always seemed silly to her. They were proper lung size for a human and she was half-human. It always came back to Vulcan’s needing the larger lung size for their dumb Vulcan biology and it used to make her so angry. Maybe it should make her angry again.

Solal worried about V’alura. If she needed continuous oxygen support, her lungs must be in bad shape. He’d have to continue keeping an eye on her. Lucky, he supposed, that he couldn’t sleep anyway. He could lay there comfortable and exhausted, but sleep refused to come. He lifted his hand when Alexis told Frigga to move, assuming she must have other patients to see, but, with a flush of cold air, Alexis allowed the dog to jump back up on him, under the blanket. Then he was covered with two blankets, and a very friendly dog. “She won’t overheat,” he coughed. His throat was getting irritated enough talking made him cough more. “Will she?” Then he had his own mask, the medication making his breathing feel easier, the rush of air helping to relax him. He reached under the blanket to set his hand back against Frigga, keeping his right arm still.

~ Solal

Alexis shook her head, “It’s alright. She trained to for this, so if she does get overheated or needs water, she’ll come out. If you get worried or she’s too much you can order her to get down.” Frigga was very bright and was trained to care for others but also herself and not risk her own well being if it came to that.

“Why do you get the dog?” V’alura pouted, her words muted somewhat by the mask. She wasn’t jealous, but she did have to tease Solal about it. He needed Frigga more than her but he couldn’t admit that. Would be too human of him. “Say, can we watch something? . . . Maybe a movie? I’m not picky.” Any genre was fine by her.

V’alura

“To raise my body temperature.” Solal replied like that was an obvious, perfectly logical answer. The truth was, he just liked her. He liked her weight on his legs, he liked the warmth she was giving, and he liked her company. With the AIE knocking out his emotional control, it was clear the good effect she had on his mood. The mask muted his words, too, as the meds weren’t quite fully dispersed. Even breathing easier, his breathing remained slightly rapid, to go with his fast heart rate.

Alexis looked up where she was looking at the scans and making notes. “Oh that’s right. I apologize, Solal.” She finished on the console and unlocked the swing arm and positioned it where they could both see it. “There, now you can finish your Batman movie.” She had told him to bring it after all. This procedure was long enough he could watch at least one movie. Then finished with her scans and such she left them to it while she went on to other work.

Bonner

Solal glanced at V’alura, then Bonner, trying to recall his earlier excuse for watching such a movie. “I… I was…” He changed tactics, trying to think was making his head hurt more. “Whatever I was doing with it, it wasn’t important. If V’alura would prefer something else, that is fine.” Then he wouldn’t meet either of their gazes. He kept his eyes on the dog. He had already been nauseous today, but the antiviral med was already starting to make it worse. His stomach was starting to hurt.

~ Solal

A Batman movie? Did Solal like superhero movies? V’alura smiled as she spoke, “Actually, I’ve been wanting to re-watch the Batman movies.” There really wasn’t a genre of movie that V’alura didn’t like. Some were preferred over others but all movies had a purpose and value as entertainment. To hear that Solal liked superhero movies made her stupidly happy. Because it would mean that they shared something important. V’alura was thirteen years old when she saw the movie Legally Blonde. That movie changed her life, sparked her dream to be an actor and ultimately lead V’alura here. If Solal felt even a little inspired by those movies then, to V’alura, it made their sibling connection feel more. . . more real. More natural. That they shared something deeper than blood and that went far beyond a shared father.

V’alura

They had inspired Solal, in more ways than one. They were his parents’ favorite movies, and he had seen many of them many times, since he was very young. He nodded and pulled the disk with the movie from his PaDD and put it into the console instead, starting the movie where they could both see it. Then he lay back and watched. He seemed tired, like he might doze off, but he never did. Every time the movie was louder or the screen was bright he’d open his eyes again. When he coughed, he would take a while to settle back in. When the movie was over, Solal had his face turned away, partly covered. Was he… crying?

~ Solal

V’alura seemed to perk up. She kept her focus on the movie while breathing evenly into her mask. Normally V’alura could be a real chatterbox during movies. Especially during movies she knew really well or was apart of. Which, was kind of a terrible habit to have come to think of it, though V’alura wasn’t concerned about that at the moment. Instead, she directed a small portion of her big Vulcan brains towards cataloguing all the things she wanted to say for later. When V’alura can share all her movie trivia with Solal.

And every now and then she would sneak a glance at Solal, quietly gauging his condition and response to the movie. Especially during the emotional high points. To see what moments spoke to him and which fell flat. That’s how she noticed the tears. V’alura looked away, certain that wasn’t something he wanted to show. She made a half-hearted motion towards the screen. “Next one?”

V’alura

She could tell which parts of the movie moved him only because the AIE was breaking down his emotional control. About three quarters the way through must have been his favorite part because he seemed glued to the screen. Then when that part was over he went back to half-dozing. He’d pulled his mask off. He only needed to wear it long enough to disperse the medicine, and that was done. The masks were not very comfortable.

By the time the movie was over, his dialysis cycle was near over too. There was about twenty minutes left on it. “It’ll autoplay the next one.” His voice was as close to level as he could manage, but tiredness made his words slur together slightly. He rested his hands against Frigga. At least with the extra blanket and the dog there, he wasn’t cold. Being warm was making him sleepier.

~ Solal

She grinned underneath her mask, and resisted the great temptation to remove it. For now the mask stayed in place so it can do its work until a nurse or doctor decided she was well enough to breath on her own. Besides, with the movies to distract her it wasn’t so terrible. “Which one is your favorite?” She asked, curious to know more. As Solal said the next movie played automatically. The old fashioned title screen following a slideshow of obsolete production studios flashed across the screen. Oh, she recognized this one! This one took place in space with high-thrill space battles and fantastic aliens.

V’alura

Solal glanced over at her tiredly and and shrugged. “My parents liked them.” He wasn’t a fan of this one, but he was still attempting to maintain his control, not that it was going well. He could only hope the tears from earlier weren’t visible on his face. He wished he could sleep. He was so tired… “What about your favorite?”

~ Solal

So it wasn’t just the movies but the connection with his parents? That’s so sweet. V’alura hummed, “It’s called. . . Legally Blonde. . . You probably would hate it. But. . . it means so much to me.” V’alura could cry. She would never, ever confess this. . . But she used to envision this moment. Literally fantasize about how she would explain the most important movie in the universe to Solal. Later she’ll give him the full conversation. “But if we’re talking. . . favorite superhero movie? To be honest I liked the. . . tv shows better.”

V’alura

Both my parents would call that sacrilege.” Solal commented. “Legally Blonde… I’ve heard of it. And no, I don’t like it.... But if you insist I’ll watch it,” he said, sighing. He remembered his classmates talking about how they had to watch whatever their little siblings liked. V’alura was older, but the idea was the same.

~ Solal

Despite everything V’alura found the strength and breath to chuckle. “Oh. . . I do insist. We’ll watch the remastered version with. . . commentary by a professor of early 21th century media.” Of course she preferred the classic version but the version with commentary was flawless in its analysis of the movie and the context it was made within. Though the Legally Blonde musical production was also fantastic. . . But then there’s the 22nd century remake which adapted the story in a novel way.

She breathed into her mask, and for a moment lost focus of the conversation. The exhaustion of the catching up with her compiled with the softness of her recliner and sounds of the movie playing in the background. She blinked back her grogginess, not realizing she had dozed for a moment, “Hmm? What was I talking about?”

V’alura

Solal nodded along, trying to listen, but not really listening. So when she asked what she was talking about, Solal simply shrugged. “You fell asleep.” The dialysis cycle beeped to indicate it was finished. Solal pressed the call button to let Doctor Bonner know it was done. “What are you going to do once we’re finished here?” It shouldn’t be much longer now before they could go. Unless they got worse they shouldn’t need to stay.

~ Solal

“I did? Oh, shoot.” This stupid disease. She’s never dozed off like that before! Not even after working a quadruple all-nighter. “I was thinking of visiting the lounge to stare out the windows. Something about. . .watching the stars fly by puts me at peace.” She chuckled, “Though, they might just put me to sleep.” Which, wouldn’t be so bad. Between the pain and her stupid lungs falling asleep took the whole night.

V’alura

Solal nodded. That would be nice… He hadn’t been able to fall asleep lately either. “If it relaxes, you, it’s worth doing, but be careful with going to the lounge. I think Doctor Bonner will put you on the same treatment as me, which will weaken your immune system.”

~ Solal

“I’ll take sanitizer with me and ask the lounge staff to thoroughly sanitize the table before I sit.” This was her life now. Taking every extra precaution in the book. “What about you? You look like you could use a nap.”

V’alura

Solal nodded. Those precautions seemed acceptable. “I am tired… But I have been unable to sleep.” He sounded tired. “I think it had to do with the cognitive symptoms of this disease.”

~ Solal

“Maybe you need to do some staring at the stars out a window. It sure beats counting sheep.” Or counting Pi. “Try playing some white noise while you’re trying to sleep or even while you’re trying to meditate. It may help you concentrate and clear out the excess thoughts.”

V’alura

“Do those things help you?” Solal asked. He would try the noise thing when he tried to meditate. He was exhausted and meditating was hard and that was frustrating. Not being able to sleep was also frustrating. “I’ll try that.”

~ Solal

“Sometimes, when my thoughts are really loud. I used white noise a lot when. . . well, when I was going through rehab on Earth.” She couldn’t help but tense at the memories. Rehab was the absolute worst. A period of time she never wanted to visit again, but she couldn’t deny that the techniques she was taught back then weren’t effective. “Back then. . . my head felt like battlefield. I was trapped in a war of attrition against my own intrusive thoughts. When I used the white noise those thoughts weren’t as loud as they were before. Once I realized I could hear me, my real thoughts, I began to sleep easier again.”

V’alura

When she tensed, Solal reached over and set his hand on the edge of her chair, his attempt to comfort her. “You don’t have to talk about that… Not if you don’t want to.” He took a long, tired breath, and then, “If it’ll help me sleep I’ll try anything. Can’t fall asleep anymore.”

~ Solal


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