Sleepless Night

Posted on Thu Jan 23rd, 2020 @ 11:33pm by Emergency Medical Hologram (Adam Power) Mk X & Kodria Mizu & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant JG V'lera
Edited on on Fri Jan 24th, 2020 @ 12:06am

Mission: Neutral Zone Neutrality
Location: Sickay, USS Hera
Timeline: 2397

V'lera's first day had been packed. A meeting with the XO and then the CO. She'd attempted to unpack but didn't get far, a couple of soon to be patients jumped at the chance to meet the counselor, which was new. Then there was her first afternoon getting her hair curled. She liked it. It looked good but it was still draining. She'd tried sleeping and tossed and turned, and had even tried to sleep on the floor. It had not worked. She'd fallen asleep but was fast awake as shadows from the past plagued her. It was around the 0200 mark that her head had began to pound as if a demon wished to burst forth from it.

She'd dressed in a pair of black tights and an oversized off white sweater with arms extended slightly longer than her fingertips. It was a way to keep her hands hidden. She had headed to sickbay praying that there weren't too many medical staff.

When she arrived all was quiet and the sickbay seemed empty.

Thankfully, it only seemed that way as the British modeled EMH, Doctor Adam Power, was just out of sight and came into view to see who had entered. "I suppose I should recite the standard line of 'Please state the nature of the medical emergency?'"

With a smile and an offer of a handshake, he introduced himself further. "Good morning, I'm Doctor Power, the EMH. I believe I just reviewed your record, if I'm not mistaken. You're our new counselor, Lieutenant V'lera, right? What may I help you with?"

She gave a nod at his guess. She wouldn't admit it out loud but she was glad that it was the EMH who was here. Less hassle...or so she thought. This one indicated a bit of a personality. Even though her headache she was intrigued. "I need your assistance with a few things actually."

"I'm here to help as efficiently as possible," Doc Power replied. "What can I do for you?"

"The first pressing issue is this headache. It has...been an issue for a few days. It goes and then at night returns each time stronger."

"Well, I can certainly prescribe something for pain, but if you'd prefer we find the cause of it instead..."Doc Power readied his tricorder and motioned towards a biobed with a friendly smile and raised eyebrows. "Perhaps it's stress from the assignment change, but it could be any number of internal or even external influences. It may even be that the grav plating in your quarters are misaligned. I saw a case of that not long after I was activated."

She raised her eyebrow delicately. "Proceed." She walked over to the biobed and hopped on. She doubted it was the grav plating but best to make sure. "I do not think it to be the grav plating. It is accompanied by insomnia, hence the second issue I was having."

As Doc Power ran his tricorder scanner over Lt V'lera, he nodded sympathetically. "So far it just looks like mild dehydration, stress, and insomnia induced. All common symptoms of a change of assignments. I can prescribe you something to help you sleep, if you like. I'm also here to talk, if you want to take that approach."

"I believe I will go through the sedative." She tilted her head to the side. "You have a personality subroutine?"

The holographic doctor paused to chuckle sadly a moment before closing his tricorder slowly and setting it aside as he went to ready a nightly prescription. "I've been talking to you normally, right? I have a name, I have feelings, I've been doing my best to improve my bedside manner... Including what I hope is witty jokes, though I'll admit that I rarely get people to laugh. I even have a hobby, you know."

"I still pride myself on efficient medical care, but I'd like to think that I've exceeded my original parameters by at least a little bit." As he spoke, he filled a hypo with a mild relaxant and sedative the team often used for stress-related insomnia and set it to a low dose, locking the controls before returning to the Lieutenant's side, handing the hypo to her. "This has one of our local cocktails we use. It's a mild muscle relaxant and sedative mix that we find helps most people with insomnia. The effects wear off after a few hours, but it's usually enough to get people through the night with a side effect of far fewer bad dreams."

"As for your migraines themselves, they're tension related - I'm assuming from stress and anxiety. For that I recommend you either see a counselor... Or you could visit the ship's masseuse and see if that helps."

"Hm..." She said. She tilted her head. Once again she defaulted to her usual ways that included counseling. "What is your hobby?"

"Fruit carving and arrangements. I'm told that I need work on my creativity, but the composition and flavor choices are all very good. One of my recent endeavors was a seven melon reproduction of the Cathedrals of Bolarus IX. While the recreation was faithful..." Doc Power glanced down at a PaDD he had picked up while speaking, not really looking at the text on it. "It's a composition that many have done before and I didn't really bring anything new to the table."

"I see." She paused to think. "Creativity is something that you can work on." She thought a moment again. "Reproductions like your cathedrals can count is creativity too. How often do you work on it?"

Doc Power nodded solemnly as he busied himself with the sterilization of various medical instruments. "Two to three times per week. I was considering making a seascape with an archaic Trill sailing vessel with berries and some of the various spined fruits we recently picked up. The only reference pictures I was able to find readily available are paintings so I'd be forced to take some... Creative liberties."

"I would like to see it sometime." She had come to sickbay glad the EMH was available. She'd hoped for someone with less of a personality but this EMH fascinated her. She wondered what other fascinations the ship would hold. "Are you able to leave sickbay?" She asked before she could filter.

"Of course. Thanks to the ship-wide holo emitters the only area that isn't safe is really right next to the warp core and engines. If you have a medical emergency and I'm available, I can be there immediately. Sickbay even has a small site to site transporter dedicated to it for emergency use." The curious expression that spread across the holographic doctor's face caused him to pause in the busywork that he had been performing and focus his full attention on V'lera. "I know these aren't common on most ships or even starbases, but with all the Hera's been through... Why do you ask?"

"What might help your creativity is visiting with people who are artists, like yourself and mobility helps. Did you ever consider putting together a show of your work?" An idea started to form and the good doctor may just be the first person...well second for that idea. She could help two people with one art show.

"I normally let the Ten Forward staff handle it," Doc Power mused over the thought of having a bit of a show. "I think they leave it on the counter and let people eat on it throughout the evening."

"Would you be interested in doing a how for yourself or perhaps," she said. "Perhaps a show with other officers?" Talking with him was fascinating. On her previous ship they had had an EMH but he was far less evolved. Their EMH only stuck to what it knew. Medical without chit chat. She'd preferred him to the actual doctor but this EMH, this Doctor Power fascinated her. This ship, from the first moment she'd stepped on it, had been filled with amazing things and people to behold.

The holographic doctor considered it for a moment before replying. "I think I might enjoy that. There are quite a few artists aboard. I'm sure there would be plenty of volunteers. I'm not sure we should turn it into a competition or anything, though."

"Not a competition. Just an exhibit. It might also help with stress reduction. It is proven that when one enjoys something like art they calm down and help with stress relief." She stood up. "Would you like to assist me with putting together the show?"

With a slight bow and a bright smile, Doc Power gave in to the idea fully. "My dear, it would be an honor. I will endeavor to maintain an aesthetically pleasing venue while remaining my normally efficient self. Is there anything else I may help you with?"

She through a moment. "Yes...I was doing research on telepathy specifically touch telepathy. I could use some medical advice."

The holographic doctor nodded and stepped forward with relative confidence. "I have little experience, but I have access to vast stores of knowledge. It's not exactly the same thing, but I can do my best. What do you need advice about?"

"It has been proven that some telepathic species...like Betazoids have a touch telepathy that is rather strong. I know that there are inhibitors to stop the telepathy but are there medications that would dull the telepathy rather then stop it?"

"Of course," the doctor replied cheerfully. "I've administered a number of such medications successfully. Anetrizine, for example, is capable of dulling an array of cognitive senses ranging from implant sensitivity to hearing and sight sensitivity. I believe it would work for dulling telepathic and empathic sensitivity as well with the right markers."

"But would it affect the full telepathy or just the touch segment?" she asked.

"It might take a little experimentation, but I'm confident that I can narrow it down to just the touch sensitivity with few other side effects," Doc Power mused over the query thoughtfully. "Depending on race and neurological structure, of course."

"Any information you could provide would be helpful," she said cryptically.

"Without releasing any personal information..." Doc Power picked up a PaDD and tapped at it for a bit before handing it over. "This is what I can say is reliable at least."

She took the PaDD and gave a nod. "Thank you doctor."

With a slight bow, the EMH smiled pleasantly. "You're very welcome. If there's anything else I may do to help, please don't hesitate to ask."

She gave a nod. "Thank you."