STF

Side sim: The Follow-Up

Posted Jan. 24, 2023, 10:46 a.m. by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) (Lucas Foxley)

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: The Follow-Up

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: The Follow-Up

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: The Follow-Up
Posted by… suppressed (25) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Roman went back to the lab and conducted his spot inspection. That took nearly the rest of his shift. Then he started working on some other stuff in the lab, letting himself lose track of time so he didn’t have to think about it.

~ Roman

Rand found him in the lab. She brought his pill just incase. She walked over to him and looked at what he was doing. “Anything interesting?” If he wanted to skip food she had no problem with that. But he would still need to take the tranquilizer before hand. They could go eat in the Galley or go back to their quarters. She’d just save the tray that was upstairs for tomorrow.

Rand

“Careful, don’t touch.” Roman was using a microscope, with a petri dish under the lense. “There’s an Aldarian bacteria, not dangerous so long as you don’t ingest it.” He looked up at her and smiled, “Finished your work early?”

~ Roman

“I won’t.” Rand was standing a good two feet away with her hands clasped behind her back. She never got too close or risked accidently bumping anything when microscopes and test tubes and whatnot were out. “It was a slow evening and Roger’s seemed eager to be done as well. Ready to go eat? Or do you need to finish up here?”

Rand

Roman shook his head. “I can finish up later.” Then he looked at her. “It’s time to eat? Is it that late already?” He asked, starting to clean up. He secured and stores the sample first. His hands were shaking. Then he put away the microscope. “Let’s… Let’s go up and eat.” Anything to delay the appointment.

~ Roman

Rand waited for him to put everything away, and then walked with him to a lift in the opposite direction of sickbay. Once they were in the lift, she took both his hands in hers, squeezing them in a steady rhythm. “Ròmanach, tha thu air chrith.”

Roman went with her, and when they stepped into the lift he sighed and went to lean on the wall. Then she was squeezing his hands and he looked down at her. “Tha mi ceart gu leòr.” He said, choosing to respond in her langage. It was a lie, of course, he was not okay or fine. He was shaking, he felt sick, he looked like he was having trouble breathing regularly again.

Once in their quarters she led him to the table. She sat beside him, facing him and still holding his hands. Dinner was light: soup and sandwiches. Roman didn’t look so good. “Roman, I think you should go ahead and take your meds. It will help stop the anxiety attack.”

Rand

Roman squeezed her hands gently, looking up at her. “What if it’s too early and they wear off too quickly? What if they aren’t strong enough?” He shook his head. “I don’t want to go. I can’t do this.”

~ Roman

Rand took a slow breath. “I know you don’t want to go.” She squeezed his hands again. She didn’t tell him he could do it because she knew those words felt like having choices and control taken away, and that made the situation worse. “I know and you do also, Randy wouldn’t give you something that doesn’t work. I can call him, and we can ask. If you don’t take it though it can’t help you.” Rand knew he was on his way to a full blown attack. She’d been there many times herself. “You are not doing this alone.”

Rand

Roman nodded and squeezed her hands. He trusted her. “Okay.” His hands were still shaky and sweaty. He looked like he had earlier in his office but worse. His stomach hurt, a lot, and though the food looked good he wasn’t sure he could eat. Instead, he took the meds Randy had left for him using the drink on the table for dinner, then reached for Rand’s hand again.

~ Roman

Rand got him his meds along with the tranquilizer. She knew the pill would take longer to get into his system than a hypo. She sat and held his hand helping him to breathe. When he finished his drink she gave him hers as well. It gave him something else to focus on and it put at least a little something on his stomach.

Roman had the overwhelming urge to pace. He stayed sitting so he could keep holding her hand. He finished her drink too while they were waiting for his meds to take effect. He tried to breathe along with her as she squeezed his hand.

She started telling stories again, funny ones about her as a child. She waited a few minutes after she was sure he was fully relaxed and then got him up and walking with her. She kept talking and squeezing his hand all the way to sickbay where Randy was waiting.

Rand

His breathing started to slow and slowly he started looking a little sleepy as the meds finally hit his system. At first he’d been focusing on her really intently, like he used to when she told him storied to help him sleep. As time went on he was less intently focused, the meds making him relax. Then she started trying to make him get up and walk and he didn’t want to. It didn’t take her too long to get him moving and lead him down. When they reached sickbay though he stopped at the door. “No, nope, I’m not going in there. Nuh-uh.”

~ Roman

“Ròmanach, seall orm, dìreach mise. Gluais còmhla rium, mar a tha sinn a ‘dannsa. Chan eil ann ach seòmar.” She stood really close to him, her eyes locked on him. Slowly she led him in to the bay. It was empty, no one else around. Finally they made it near the closest biobed. She didn’t try to make him sit, instead she hugged him, tightly and breathed slow and deep. Letting the rhythm and meds relax him again. Until he was tired enough he needed to sit.

Rand

Roman was looking at her as she spoke. He had to focus to understand as she used Gaelic. Then she was slowly leading him into sickbay, staying close to him. It was slow going as multiple times he tried to stop and go back but she kept his attention on her, moving them slowly forward. Finally she stopped and hugged him tightly, and he could feel her deep, even breaths. His breaths followed hers, slow and even, as he hugged her back, his head leaned against her. He slowly relaxed against her and sleepiness started to creep in. Eventually he was leaning on her and he had to sit. He wanted to sleep. He sat and then lay back on the biobed behind him, keeping hold of her hand.

~ Roman

Rand had to squeeze against the wall by the head of the bed. As soon as he was laid back Randy started the scans on the biobed, and Elbbirt appeared out of nowhere, Temple helping him bring the imager in. Rand kept telling him stories, encouraging him to close his eyes and just listen. She knew it would be a pain to get him and moving again if he fell asleep, but better than him panicking.

Roman seemed relaxed listening to Rand with his eyes closed, his breaths even, his heart rate slowing. Until he heard Elbbirt and Temple. The meds made him tired and slow and he hadn’t noticed until the imager was already over him. His heart rate went back up and he started to struggle a little, tiredly, “Randy… Rand, no… Let me go.”

Rand hugged him for a moment until he calmed. She understood and she hated making him do this.

All told everything took about 15 minutes. And they were even able to get some scans of his heart under stress because even with the meds he hadn’t wanted to follow Rand and it had taken a couple of minutes for his heart rate to calm once he was on the bed. Elbbirt did not keep them for the results. Instead he helped Randy get Roman to his feet and walking. He looked at Rand, “I’ll look over everything and just find him in the morning. No need to keep him here while I look.”

When Elbbirt had a moment to look over the scans, the results were not unexpected. His heart had healed well, his heart’s rhythm had remained steady and normal even when he had started to stress. But the permanent damage that had been noted when it happened six months ago, was still there, along the heart’s left ventricle. The remaining functional muscle compensated for the damaged portion. He would need to keep the rescue hypo, and keep paying attention to how he felt to avoid causing a problem, though he should be okay for duty and his martial arts. However he would be more prone to heart problems and he should have it checked regularly - during his yearly physicals world be fine.

There was also the possibility that compensating for the damaged part would cause the functional part to fail - in which case he would need a replacement heart. It was a worry for sometime in the future, if symptoms of such a thing began to show themselves. If he had any heart symptoms in the future, they needed to be reported to Sickbay or his doctor, right away. For now, he shouldn’t have any issues continuing to serve nor should there be restrictions on his duties or positions. That could always be re-evaluated should his condition change, which if Roman looked after himself and paid attention to his body, he could lessen the odds of that happening.

Rand thanked him and hurried to catch up to Roman and Randy. Roman could walk on his own, he was just tired and slow.

Rand

Rand had managed to calm him and for the last scans he was calm, his heart rate slowed again. After so much stress all day, he was tired and he looked to be nearly asleep. Then he heard Randy, trying to get him up. He was so tired… But he was still in sickbay. He didn’t want to be here. Sluggishly, he pulled himself up off the biobeds, results forgotten for the time, and followed Randy toward the door, clinging to him. When Rand caught up with them, he clinged to her instead.

~ Roman

Rand walked back with him. She asked Randy to ask Gorshin to keep the ice-cream for later. Rand had him sit on the bed and then helped him get his boots off. Then she reached for his shirt. He would not be comfortable sleeping in his uniform. “Come on, Roman, off with your shirt and then you can go to sleep.”

Rand

Roman sat on the bed when she led him there, letting her help take his boots off… Really all he did was straighten his feet so they were easier to pull the boots off. Then he grinned playfully, “I can do that.” He sounded tired though and his movements were still sluggish and a little clumsy as he peeled off the shirt and sent it saying across the room. He patted the bed next to him, “Not without you?”

~ Roman

Rand blushed softly at his playfulness. She moved over to the table to put the food away. She couldn’t fathom wasting fresh food on a starship. “Do you want any soup?” She sat to pull off her boots. Then he patted the bed. “Let me change,” and then reached for her pajamas.

Rand

Roman put his arms around his belly and smiled tiredly, “I’m hungry but I think I’m too tired to eat.... Maybe later.” He lay down in his spot on the bed on his back. “Hurry up or I’ll be asleep before you get here.”

~ Roman

Rand stared at him for a moment with a hint of a grin, and then headed into the bathroom. A few minutes later she came out. She needed to take her hypo, but Roman was far too sleepy and sluggish for her to let him to that. She went into the drawer and took it out. She never felt like she could place it quite right in her own neck, so she reached around and pressed it to her upper arm. She wasn’t sure she could do it. She hated this stuff, that messed with her sleep. Oh she slept great no doubt, but she hated it. She didn’t have much of a choice though. How could she refuse when she’d made Roman deal with that. With her back turned toward him, she took a couple of fortifying breaths to convince herself. She grimaced and flinched a little as she pressed the button. She returned the hypo to the drawer and then slipped beneath the blanket after turning the lights off.

Rand

Roman put his arm around her, pulling her towards him as soon as she lay down. Then he let out a long deep breath, already falling asleep.

As Randy and Roman had agreed, the appointment had been the night before Roman and Rand’s day off. So the next morning, their alarms did not go off and Roman was free to sleep in. An opportunity he involuntarily took advantage of. He slept until eight or nine which for him was late. When he woke up, he was a little groggy and slow to wake as he reached over to see if Rand was still next to him.

~ Roman

Rand did not sleep well at all. Unfortunately for her, when she had flunched, the hypo missed and she didn’t get the full dosage. Frightening dreams disturbed her sleep and woke her once. She had put a little distance between herself and Roman so she didn’t wake him up. She needn’t have worried with the tranquilizer. She was curled on her side hugging a pillow. Her expression was slightly upset, but she was still asleep.

Rand

The tranquilizer kept him in a deep sleep regardless of what she did next to him, till he woke up on his own. When he reached over for her, and felt her a little ways away from him he propped himself up on his elbow and looked at her. She looked upset, hugging a pillow. He shook her gently. “Rand..? Are you okay…?”

~ Roman

Rand didn’t wake as gently as normal. She didn’t cry out or flinch as if having a bad dream. But she curled up a little tighter, squeezing the pillow to her. Her breath caught quietly and she was suddenly awake. It took her a moment to realize she was awake, uncurl herself and turn a bit so she could look at him. “Roman?” She rolled over completely and reached her hand out. She had dark circles under her eyes, her eyes seemed watery but she hadn’t been crying, or if she had not for awhile.

Rand

He looked groggy and tired. He hugged her. “Didn’t you have your meds? Did I forget to give them to you?” He thought back to yesterday… He remembered the day, he remembered being stressed and scared all day, he remembered going to sickbay.... Eugh. He shuddered. That hadn’t been pleasant, even on meds. But after that he’d simply been too tired. He didn’t remember. “I hope I didn’t forget.”

~ Roman

Rand took his hand and squeezed when he shuddered. “I…” her voice sounded a bit strained even on one word. “I did it. You were really tired and mostly asleep when I came to bed.” She moved closer so his arms would be around her. Her face hidden against his chest. “They didn’t work.” She couldn’t remember much of her dreams, only being scared and flashes of burning light. She didn’t want the dreams to start again. But the medicine didn’t work.

Rand

“I will do it for you tonight and it will work.” Roman said, hugging her tighter. “You probably didn’t get all of it. Randy warned us about that once.” He shook his head. “I shouldn’t have been so tired. Should’ve tried to go without the meds.”

~ Roman

Rand shook her head. “No, Roman you needed it. You were having a panic attack even with the tranquilizer. I should have asked Randy for help.”

Rand

Roman hugged her again. “I just wish I could’ve been there to help you.” Then he paused and looked down at her. “I was? No, I wasn’t. I just hate that place.”

~ Roman

Rand snuggled closer as he hugged her. “You help me all the time.” She kissed his chin before tucking her head back down. “Yesterday you needed the help instead.” Rand sighed, “Yes you were. All day long because you hate that place.”

Rand

Roman hugged her tight, wanting to make her feel better. Still, stubbornly and illogically, he shook his head. “It can’t be that.” Because he didn’t get anxiety. It was the same poor thinking he’d had about PTSD. He still refused to call it that. And he definitely didn’t understand that one could have an attack without having it chronically. He understood that Rand had them and the she couldn’t help it. But he was supposed to be able to control himself. It was different.

~ Roman


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