Medically Approved Fun

Posted on Mon Jun 27th, 2022 @ 5:04am by Captain Calypso Skyie & Lieutenant F'Arra MD

Mission: Pirates! (Or Yo Ho Ho And A Bottle Of Yum)
Location: USS Chimera | Holodeck

ON

'Ka-bonk!'

The Racquetball bounced off a target on the side wall of the court with an odd metallic echo. F'Arra's eyes tracked the ball's trajectory. She swept her racque in a tight arc, connecting with the ball, and sending it off to the front wall. The ball hit dead centre in the target, adding one point to the digital score display set atop the main front wall

It had taken a couple of weeks to get back into her groove, but at least this way she could keep an eye on Cally, while assessing the woman's ease of movement. Fortunately, the current mission had allowed for plenty of downtime, as very little occurred in Sickbay, without some insane situation for the crew to go poking around in, and get themselves in trouble.

The target moved on the wall, but stayed on that particular aspect as Calypso judged the new path of the ball and got herself in position. These motions would put some particular stress on her healing left arm, which was the point of F’Arra’s inviting job, she knew. A swipe with the racquet just so sent the ball towards that upper left corner, but came with a grimace as muscles that were still not used to the motion again made their complaint known. The ball hit just off-center, but the scoreboard still gave her the point as she moved out of the Caitian’s possible path.

The target had moved, to the right side wall. F'Arra stepped across the ball's flight path, a back-hand swing altering the ball at a near perpendicular angle. The ball sailed to the target, and missed it by an inch. A ominous noise of failure sounded, and F'Arra let out a very feline hiss. She hadn't played since the Academy, and was still trying to play catch-up with her old self, it seemed. The ball was on a rebound path, and the Doctor stepped aside, watching the Captain with interest. She was still a little stiff in the movement, but the form was otherwise fine.

Cally set herself up, but the ball took a slightly different bounce than she'd anticipated and she had to slide her bad leg another few inches to get it back in line and she swung. The ball missed the target by several feet as her leg gave out on her and she fell sharply on her good knee with a hiss of pain, but was back on her feet before the ball came back around.

F'Arra's attention was caught by the fall, her eyes following the Captain as she went down. For the space of a heart-beat, her eyes were off the ball. A heart-beat though, was all it took. As the Caitian was already running her eyes over the older woman for any injuries, her vision turned white, and a sharp pain exploded in the back of her head.

F'Arra stumbled, as the ball bounced on the floor, and the game simulation ended. F'Arra put a hand on the wall, steadying herself as the throb in her head made its presence known. "Fuck." The rasping growl came out slowly. "Forgot how much that hurt."

“It’s definitely not a water balloon.” Calypso agreed as she tested the leg carefully, twisting on it incrementally, “But that’s why we keep our eyes on the ball, Doc. Are you okay?” She took the two steps over to the Caitian, limping slightly.

F'Arra's head felt like a midium migraine. She blinked a couple of times trying to make her vision clear, and even narrowed her eyes a little against the sharp light. "I'll live." The Doctor answered, and took a step away from the wall to intercept the captain. She managed two paces, before her balance wavered, and the Caitian nearly collapsed to the floor.

Cally was by her side in a moment, pushing her head under the Caitian's arm and holding her up, "All right, Doc, I may not be an authorized medical provider, but even I can tell when someone has a concussion." She gritted her teeth as she forced her leg to carry both sets of weight and began to move them towards the door, "Let's get you to sickbay and you can guide me through what I need to do to help you, all right?"

F'Arra put an arm around the Captain's shoulders, for the moment, disregarding any injury or pain the other woman had, and just letting Cally help her up. "I think I'm gonna be sick." The Caitian uttered, as she raised her other hand, trying to cut the glare from the lights.

Cally glanced down as they made their way out the door, "Please don't... Computer, lights down, twenty meter radius my location constant moving." She gave a glance to the doctor, then tapped her commbadge, "Medic to Deck 2, turbolift Alpha." She tapped it again, then kept them moving, "If you throw up on me, it's going to go down my shirt and I won't like that."

The pair moved slowly, F'Arra trying to hold back the general sensation of just not feeling right. The lowered lights helped, but her Caitian sight still made it painful. The throb in her head was pounding in time with her rapid heart rate, and the doctor saw the Turbolift doors open before they even got there.

Chief Petty Officer O'Dwyer stepped out, medkit slung over her shoulder, and saw the pair of woman. Her eyes almost bugged out as she ran to the Assistant Chief Medical Officer. A tricorder was in her hand, and already giving the medic data. "Doctor Loen, please report to Sickbay." She said, tapping her commbadge. "Doctor Loen, please report to Sickbay."

Eyeing the Caitian wearily, O'Dwyer made a decision. She took the doctor's other arm over her shoulders and tapped her commbadge again. "Transporter Room. Medical Emergency. Three to beam directly to Sickbay."

The Caitian's yowl of pain as the transporter effect took hold could be heard up and down the corridor.

==========

The three of them materialised in Sickbay, with F'Arra almost collapsing between the two women. "I'm sorry, doc." O'Dwyer was sorry. Yet, she had weighed the assault on the doctor's senses versus the time saved. "Captain, help me get her into a biobed."

"You got it." Cally definitely didn't like where this was going and her ankle tried to give out on her again but she gritted her teeth and accepted the pain as she gave an extra heave to lift the Caitian onto the biobed and eased her back into a laid-down position.

A Nurse came over, helping to take Cally's weight when F'Arra was settled. The Captain was helped to her own bed as the doors to Sickbay opened. Dr. Loen stepped in, and stopped as the doors closed. His eyes took in the sight of the Captain sitting on a bed, and the doctor laid down on another. He let out a small sigh and walked over to the Caitian, taking out a tricorder and getting some initial scans. "Caitian eye-sight tends to exacerbate things when the visual cortex is affected." He wasn't talking to anyone in particular, but the atmosphere was thick with concern as people were hovering nearby. "We'll keep her under for observation." He gave an order to O'Dwyer, who filled a hypospray.

Moving to the Captain, he put on a friendly smile. "I take it Racquetball didn't go as planned?"

"Not in the slightest..." Cally admitted with a grimace, "I lost my footing, the Doc got distracted while in the process of kicking my ass in the game, and my exquisitely placed shot sniped her in the head. But that was my devilish plan, wasn't it? Take myself out while setting up my opponent?" She gave a weak smile.

Loen nodded as the woman was explaining. "The doc's been practicing like mad to get back to her Academy days. I guess it paid off, if she was kicking your ass." He took a scan of the woman, and slowly began to focus in on the ankle. "I'm seeing a sprain, and the beginning of some swelling." His nose wrinkled slightly. "The sprain I can fix, but the swelling... that is really more of a time issue. I can prescribe something for the pain."

"A standard Marine combat boot." Calypso interrupted, "Oh, and yes, definitely the pain relief. I know it's counter-intuitive, to contain the swelling, but Marines are always doing stupid things in combat and by not giving the swelling anywhere to go, it does mitigate problems a bit." She shrugged slightly, "I'm a size eight if that helps."

Loen gave te Captain a long, hard look, before shaking his head. "Marines are a dumb bunch." He muttered, but nodded to a Nurse, who went off. Loen himself filled a hypospray and set it against the woman's neck.

A few moments later the Nurse returned, holding the foorwear in her hands, as though presenting the grandest of gifts. "One standard combat boot, Size eight." She said, handing it over.

"No one said we were the most brilliant sorts in the galaxy." Calypso sighed in relief as the pain meds hit, then accepted the boot, glancing at her ankle which was already swelling up significantly. They'd removed the sneaker already and she only hesitated for a moment before sliding her foot into the unlaced boot and beginning the process of lacing it up, cinching it as tightly as she possible could.

Finally, after knotting the lace to finish it off, she slid off the biobed and to the ground, catching herself with her good foot and gradually adding weight to the booted foot. There was a slight pain from it that made it through the painkiller, but the ankle held just as she'd promised and she took a few steps on it before nodding, "Right, that's me all patched up." Though Cally knew she looked silly with a sneaker and a boot.

Loen just gave a shake of his head in amusement at the sight of her. "As long as you feel comfortable leaving, then I'll discharge you. As for the doc, we'll keep her under for 24 hours of observation, keep an eye on the concussion, and bring her around tomorrow. Caitian hearing and sight tends to make head injuries worse, because they send much more information to the brain, which heightens any disruption in that injuries cause."

"That sounds like a plan, I would like an update before you bring her around and if possible, I'd like to be here when you bring her out of it?" Cally asked him, "Moral support, don't worry, I'm not a doctor and I'd never pretend to be in the first place."

"We will keep you posted." Loen agreed with a nod. "I'll be keeping an eye on Sickbay in general over the next twenty-four hours, with the doctor out. Any questions or concerns, feel free to come see me." It would be a long shift, but medical school had taught its students how to function without sleep for twenty-four, or even thirty-six hours.

"That sounds good. If anything changes, if there are any problems, please make me one of the first people you contact when you have a free moment?" Cally smiled slightly, already preparing to take her leave.

“Of course, Captain. You will be among the first I notify of any dramatic change, good or bad."