The Tail End of Things (Backpost)

Posted on Wed Sep 3rd, 2025 @ 1:00pm by Lieutenant JG Kally Kellerman & Lieutenant JG Rala

Mission: Lower Decks
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Shortly after "Lower Deckers"

Someone who knew Rala well might have noticed that she seemed slightly unsteady as she walked down the corridor toward sickbay—almost as if she were intoxicated.

She wasn’t. But she was rather tired, now that the immediate effects of raktajino and adrenaline were wearing off. And she was instinctively trying to minimize movement of the bruised portion of her tail, which she normally used to help her balance on pure instinct.

She walked into sickbay and immediately headed for an empty biobed, leaning against it and bringing her tail up to rub at the developing bruise again.

Kally yawned as she stepped out of her office, ready to call it a day. She did a double take seeing Rala leaning on a biobed and raised an eyebrow. "Rala? Are you standing like that for medical reasons or just for fun?" She gave the operations officer a cheeky grin and came around to look her in the eye.

“Oh please don’t do tha—” Rala was cut off by her own, much toothier yawn, after which she grumbled something unintelligible before refocusing on Kally. “Two reasons. One, I did a shift, had a rest period, did another shift, and then couldn’t sleep. Was wondering if you had anything that might help.”

Kally frowned. "Yeah, I should be able to help you out." She went to a storage drawer and pulled out a hypospray, programming it. "What's the second thing?" she said.

Rala sighed. “It’s not critical by any stretch, but since I’m here,” she held up her tail, “I was tired and careless enough to leave my tail laying where it shouldn’t have been. Lieutenant Jade stepped on it.”

Kally winced seeing the bruise. "Oh, poor thing," she said, holding her tail tenderly. She stroked it gently trying to be comforting and went to get a dermal regenerator. She came back and held Rala's tail carefully, running the regenerator over the bruise, healing the damaged flesh until the bruise faded and the skin returned to its normal color. "How's that feel?" she said after a moment.

“Mmh, thanks,” Rala said. “It would have been fine in a few days and wouldn’t really have affected my duties, but...” She gave Kally a sincerely grateful, if tired, look. “Thanks. Stupid tail injuries are something every Draakri deals with periodically. Today, it was my turn."

Kally gave her a genuine smile. "Hey, that's what we're here for," she said. "No reason to go walking around with a bruise these days." She picked up the hypospray. "Now, you can't sleep. Are you just overtired, or has this been a problem for a few nights?"

“It’s new,” Rala said. “I didn’t sleep great the night before, but I did sleep, and I’ve pulled doubles on less sleep before. Usually I get a meal and then pass right out afterward. This time? Toss and turn, too warm, too cold; too silent, but noise didn’t help.” She rubbed her face with two hands, leaning back with the other two braced on the biobed. “Wouldn’t be my first case of random insomnia, but it’s uncommon.”

"Well, let's try something gentle to start," Kally said, changing up the medication. She pressed the hypospray to Rala's neck. "There we go. Get to your quarters and to bed immediately, and you should last the night."

A muscle in Rala’s neck twitched as the hypospray was triggered. “Not my normal sleep schedule, but I’ll take it.” Rala nodded. She stood up from the biobed and already felt her eyelids drooping. “Mmmh, yeah, I think that’ll do the trick," she said as she started for the door. She glanced back. “Thanks again, Kally.”

Kally smiled and walked over, giving Rala a hug and a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Any time," she said. She sent her on her way, then updated her notes.

As she did, a notification arrived from Cally. Kally smiled to herself and opened it, then smiled wider. "Full body massage, hm?" she said, her imagination already working. "Aye, aye, Captain." She hummed happily to herself as she replicated some supplies, then set out from Sickbay to her final appointment of the night.