Quarantine

Posted on 30 Sep 2016 @ 6:16pm by Commander Jayla Kij & Lieutenant Commander Camila Di Pasquale & Vorian Sulvai
Edited on on 30 Sep 2016 @ 6:52pm

3,559 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Click Three Times
Location: Sick Bay Quarantine
Timeline: MD 8 : 1800

Ultimately, Jayla had opted to enter quarantine with Vorian. She felt a bit responsible since it had been her orders that had led to the overload of stimuli that had knocked him out. Besides which, the quarantine monitors were still not working right and she had been unable to get a good reading on him from outside.

Besides which, she didn't like to leave someone alone in quarantine if they weren't actually ill.

So now, she sat reading Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban while she waited for him to wake up.

Vorian was slowly coming to his senses. For once he understood how an overloaded computer was feeling, as well as the sensation of being forced to do a hard reset. Last thing that came to mind was him trying to make that V'tosh ka'tur stop causing such a humiliating scandal.

It was quiet now, that was the first thing to come to mind. Well not quiet, but more like having a pair of noise dampeners on his ears. He could still feel the people aboard the ship, but they were distant, easy to ignore. He opened his eyes and let out a low grunt as he tried to get up. It took him a second to realize he was laying on a bed. The room looked rather spartan as well, was he in the brig?

His eyes had not yet gotten used to the light in the room, especially since near the table there was a lamp with burning light on. He blinked a few times to realize that the light was not an effect he was seeing, but he was feeling it. Getting his breathing under control and taking a moment to match his sight with his mind he finally saw Jayla sitting at the table reading a book. A weak smile came to his lips as he enjoyed the warm and radiant presence he felt wash over him.

"How did you end up in the brig with me my dear smiling doctor?" he asked on a weakened tone.

Jayla looked up and smiled. "We're not in the brig," she told him. "We're in quarantine. It's purely voluntary, so you can leave if you want, but I thought it would be best, under the circumstances."

He lowered his head into his hands as a surge of residual pain washed over him. He rode it out as he focused on getting the rest of his body and mind under control. As he stood like that he continued to talk. "Yes, the brig would have been an illogical conclusion after all. It feels a bit more quiet here, everyone seems to be at a far distance from me, just as you said."

Vorian lowered his head until his forehead touched his knees while his hands went to the back of his head. "It never is easy waking up after such an event. Please do not take offense, but why are you here doctor? It doesn't seem logical for the Chief Medical Officer to wait for a knocked out patient to wake up, if that was what you were doing. I am just a lowly lieutenant and not an officer of rank or importance on the ship." he asked as his mind was working in his dazed state to figure out why the good doctor was here in quarantine with him. It simply made no sense.

"It was too hard getting a good reading on you from outside," she answered, putting her book down, taking out her tricorder and moving to crouch in front of him. "And also because I hoped maybe my 'calming presence' you're always referring to would help. And I sorta felt guilty. I should have foreseen something like this." She began scanning him. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

Slowly and carefully raising his head he smiled weakly at her. "I am slowly getting better, especially due to your presence. Doctor... may call you Jay or Jayla? It feels strange to always have to refer to you are doctor. Social naming conventions are tedious to keep track off." he asked shyly almost.

"You can call me whatever you would like," she replied, closing her tricorder. "I think, in a couple more hours we'll be ready to start testing one of the medications we identified yesterday. Hopefully, it'll keep anything like this from happening again."

"For a second I thought you were here because you couldn't get enough of radiant personality." he spoke on a more relaxed tone as he finally raised his head to look at her. "Oh wait, that was the other way around." he smiled weakly and winked at her, trying to brighten the mood a little bit. "Any idea what happened to the V'tosh ka'tur? I hope he did not get in trouble because of me."

"I think they're waiting to see if you want to press charges," she told him, taking a seat next to him. "But, it doesn't sound like you want to do that."

"It wasn't his fault we met at the wrong time. The whole situation has been nothing but one surprising chain of events that lead me here, with no intent or fault on his part. He is not to blame for being a V'tosh ka'tur or for having such an intense effect on my person."

"That's good to hear," she said. "Security wants to talk to you. Do you feel up to it yet, or do you need a few minutes?"

"As long as you stick around, then I will take my chances and talk to them now. Better to get it over with so I can learn what is that book that keeps you so drawn to it." he nodded towards her book. "The title seems interesting."

"I'll stick around," Jayla promised. She went to the com panel and told nurse Lane to tell security that the patient was awake and ready to talk. "I'll make sure they stay on the other side of the glass. As for the book, it's about a boy wizard from Earth. This is the third in the series and they are really interesting."

"Thank you Jayla. I know I've been a big bother for you since I've came aboard, but I do appreciate your care." he confessed solemnly. "As for the book, what are wizards and why does Earth have them? I don't think I've ever met one on any of the Starfleet vessels I served on."

"Wizards aren't real," she explained. "They're make believe. They can do magic. You know, like wave a wand and turn this bed into a tortoise. Of something. And you're not a bother! As I said before, this is my job. And besides, I quite like you."

"Why would someone turn a bed into a tortoise it is illogical. Unless the room was flooded and you needed an amphibian. But even then if you factored in the amount of water why not turn the bed into a aquatic breathing apparatus? I think I might have missed the point." he gave a innocent smiled as he realized he was over thinking something simple, especially as she told him she liked him. "I enjoy your company greatly Jayla and I like you as well. Though I believe my estimates about our interactions have placed me somewhere above 'quite'. I believe my calculations may have placed me at 'greatly' or at the very least a 'very'." his smiled widened at her, hoping to make her laugh or even smile a bit more.

He was not disappointed. Jayla's smile widened and she even laughed lightly. "Is that so?" she asked. "Well, I'm glad I rank so highly with you."

"So, now that we have established that you 'quite' like me, may I inquire about your favorite moment in time?" He asked moving to the side of his bed and inviting her to come sit down near him on the more comfortable bed. "I have always been curious about what others consider a perfect moment in time."

She moved to sit next to him. "I don't know," she said. "I'm not sure if I can pinpoint it. I mean, right now is pretty nice. Just talking."

He smiled weakly. "Yes, it right now is pretty nice. How could it not be when you have my presence to enjoy. Not many have that honor." He winked at her. "I am starting to enjoy being a bit more Betazoid around you."

She grinned. "Well, I am flattered to be so honored, then," she teased. "If not many are graced with your presence, that must make me pretty special."

At that point, the Security officer from the Investigations Office came into the area with a PADD in his hand and a tricorder at his hip. He cleared his throat. "Commander Kij, may I have a moment with your patient?"

"Absolutely," replied Jayla. She turned to Vorian. "You can talk to him from here," she told him. "You don't have to go outside."

"Lieutenant Sulvai," the officer began. "I'm Petty Officer Volchak from Security Investigations. Can you tell me in your own words what happened in Talons? I will be monitoring your signs and recording everything for the purpose of the investigation." He activated the PADD and pulled the tricorder to activate it and scanned the half Vulcan before he set it on the table. "What is your name, rank and position?"

Vorian straightened his back before he spoke. "My name is Vorian of Vulcan, Betazoid family Sulvai. Starfleet ranks Lieutenant and currently Assistant Chief Engineer aboard the USS Black Hawk." he spoke calmly on a perfectly neutral Vulcan tone, completely different than the way he was speaking previously with Jayla.

"I suffer from a known condition that a number of Betazoid that are born with better than average psychic ability suffer from. Under recommendations from Lieutenant Commander Doctor Jayla Kij, Chief Medical Officer, in order to attempt a series of treatments for my condition I abstained from my usual methods of dealing with the pain that comes with it. The purification was intended to last twenty four solar hours. I had managed to reach hour twenty three when the pressure and information my brain was receiving had became too much to handle."

Taking a breath and a small pause, he continued. "I headed to Talons to drink a glass of vodka in hopes that it would aid with my suffering. I was contemplating the glass in my hand considering to drink it when a V'tosh ka'tur came and sat on my table, where the only free seat in the room was located. For me a V'tosh ka'tur is like a burning iron forced upon a third degree burn, it overloaded my senses. I urged him to reconsider his seating arrangement, but he miss understood my intention, taking it for Vulcan discrimination against his own condition. He reacted defensively at which point I got up and tried to approach him in order to ask him to stop. I blacked out soon after." he concluded his tale and waited for Volchak to respond.

"Please elaborate on who the V'tosh ka'tur is," Volchak stated as he checked the tricorder and saw that the signs were all pointing to the truth of the Lieutenant's words.

He took a short pause as he looked at Jayla for a second, then turned his head back towards the Volchak. "A V'tosh ka'tur is a private matter between Vulcans. For outsiders a V'tosh ka'tur is a Vulcan without logic. Think of it as two electrical current systems. A Vulcan is supposed to be a well defined and organized system, while a V'tosh ka'tur is what could basically be surmised as a Tesla Coil with no dampeners around it, shooting electricity randomly. For me personally it feels as if I am standing within hand distance from one."

Volchak shook his head. "No. I mean the name and rank of the person, Lieutenant."

"My apologies, I misunderstood the request. I have no knowledge of his rank and/or name. So I cannot provide any information about his person except about his nature."

The Investigation officer picked up the PADD and brought up the personnel file on Ensign Dzhossen and turned it so Vorian could see the screen. "Is this the person who refer to as the V'tosh ka'tur?"

Vorian nodded. "Yes, that is he. I do not wish to press any charges against him. The incident was not his fault, it was a poor gathering of events."

"Thank you, Lieutenant. That will be all for now." Volchak turned to Commander Kij. "Commander Kij, can you please state your full rank, name and position aboard the USS Black Hawk for the record?" He recalibrated the tricorder and pointed it at the Chief Medical Officer and added another note to the PADD.

"Lieutenant Commander Jayla Kij, Chief Medical Officer," Jayla answered, standing and approaching the glass wall that separated quarantine from the rest of Sick Bay.

"What is the exact diagnosis of Lieutenant Sulvai, Commander Kij?" Volchak asked her.

"Shock caused by over stimulation of the telepathic and empathic receptors in the brain," she replied. "I can't help but feel responsible. I should have foreseen it. I suppose with everything that's been going on lately, I just let it slip through the cracks." She shot an apologetic look at Vorian.

Volchak checked the tricorder and made another note on the PADD. "Is there anything else you'd like to add on behalf of Lieutenant Sulvai?"

Jayla chewed her lip for a moment. "Just that everything that occurred was on account of my orders," she said. "And I will accept full responsibility."

The Security officer looked back at Sulvai "As for you, I'd stay away from Ensign Dzhossen," he said before he looked back at Jayla. "And I'm not Medical, but make sure this problem is resolved. As Lieutenant Sulvai does not wish to press charges, I think I have everything I need."

"I sure will," Jayla promised as she watched the security officer turn and leave. She turned back to Vorian. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

He nodded weakly. "I have no intent of being in proximity of Ensign Dzhossen any time soon. If you talk to him, please convey my apologies for the inconvenience caused. It was my poor choice of wanting to drink that lead to this whole affair. Ensign Dzhossen and Lt. Commander Jayla Kij have been inconvenienced by me because of my decisions. I also apologize for consuming your time as well Officer Volchak."

Looking at Jayla. "Other than regretful, I am feeling within my normal parameters. As the Humans tend to say it, I am the gift that keeps on giving."

"I have never understood that," Jayla replied, sitting back down. "Humans have a lot of random sayings that really don't make any sense when you think about them. Like 'that's the way the cookie crumbles.' What does that even mean?"

Raising a finger upwards as if he had a revelation he replied. "I actually have analyzed this saying and the cookie one extensively. I believe the interpretation of 'the gift that keeps on giving' is a referral to a situation, object or person that causes repeated problems. Like I have to you recently." he said lowering his eye apologetically before continuing. "While 'the way the cookie crumbles' I believe refers to a situation with a fixed outcome when the person receiving the saying was not aware of that commonly occurring outcome. Such as if all humans that go into a bar end up starting fights, then if officer Volchak were to ask why a certain human at a certain moment started a theoretical fight, someone could reply to him 'that's the way the cookie crumbles'."

Jayla grinned. He had spent entirely too much time on this. "One would think a Trill would understand these things first," she said. "After all, we've got our own sayings. Among them, 'you can't change your spots,' and 'a symbiont doesn't lie.' How is it that you've worked this out before I have?"

Vorian looked a bit thoughtful, bringing his hand to his chin before he spoke. "Having given these two expressions some time, seeing how I just heard them, I believe I have an explanation for them as well. The first one, 'you can't change your spots' refers to the belief that one individual cannot change the root of his being and character. It is similar to the human expression of 'once a liar always a liar'. You can replace liar with basically any other character trait. As for 'a symbiont doesn't lie' I believe it is also similar to 'Vulcans do not lie'. It is a simple statement of the truth."

"Not bad," said Jayla. "Although the second is more of a reminder to listen to one's inner voice on matters of right and wrong. It can be applied to unjoined Trill as well."

"I did not consider that path of arguments. I recognize your skill in expression Jayla. I believe I need to spend some more time in the company of a Trill in order to hone and improve my understanding of Trill expressions." Vorian proposed giving her a shy smile.

She returned the smile, surprised to feel a slight giddiness that she hadn't felt since she was 14. "I wouldn't mind helping with that, if you like," she answered.

"I would not wish to presume, but I would be grateful for your help. There is no other I would wish to have at my side on this journey of discovery. It would be my honour and pleasure if you would guide me through it Jayla." he made a polite bow that ended with him offering her cheerful wink, with his blue eye, leaving her to see him with only his full black Betazoid eye for just a second.

This time, she actually giggled. "I would love to," she said. "But, first, we've got some medicines to try. I'd like to start with delmantin, aka Number 7- it's actually a hormone that most telepaths and empaths have naturally, so I'm thinking it'll be most effective. We'll start with a low dose and adjust it as needed. Sound good?"

Straightening his back he nodded at her. "Good. Now that I have used my superior Vulcan negotiation skills to secure your wonderful smile and mind to further my knowledge of Trill social interactions and expressions, it is time to return to the task at hand." Rolling up his sleeve he offered his hand to her. "No better time to start than the present."

Grinning yet again, Jayla took out a hypospray and a small cartridge that she had prepared earlier before coming into quarantine. Quickly, she gave him the injection. "We'll give it a few minutes to worn and then we can step outside and see how you feel."

Vorian got up to his feet and stretched his arms and back before looking down at Jayla. "How I feel? Content, relaxed, happy to be in your presence, feelings that I usually do not have the pleasure of experiencing. Oh? You meant how I feel once I step outside? My deepest apologies for my misunderstanding, couldn't help but attempt a compliment for the one who is fighting to retain my sanity." he winked at her smiled before approaching the door and opening it.

He stood in front of the open door for a few seconds, taking a few deep breaths as if preparing himself to jump into a pool of cold water. Looking back at Jayla he grinned briefly. "Well, as they say: here goes nothing." Stepping out into the corridor he felt as if he had been hit by a brick wall, making him take a step back to prevent himself from falling on his back. The sudden increase in 'noise' had been more than he expected, making him grab his head with his hands as he prepared for the pain that used to follow such overwhelming noise.

But the pain never came. The 'noise' actually was getting gradually quieter. His brain was using the drug that Jayla gave him to work and adapt itself into tuning out what until then had been impossible for him to filter. Taking his hands off his head, he turned back to face the door back into the quarantine and gave Jayla a nod. "It is slowly feeling as if I am back in the room. Not as quiet, but it is progress. It feels maybe as if it is two times louder than inside. Thank you Jayla, I am in your debt."

She grinned. "Good, that means it's doing what it's supposed to do," she said. "If anything seems weird, come see me immediately. Okay? Otherwise, report back tomorrow for your second dose. We'll discuss any adjustments then."

He made a polite bow towards Jayla. "I will report back tomorrow in that case my good doctor. Would you like me to escort you back to the Sickbay or your quarters?" he said offering his hand to her, calling her out of the quarantine room.

Jayla followed, grinning as usual. "I should probably go back to my quarters or nurse Lane will probably bite my head off," she said, taking his arm in hers. "Lead the way, sir Vorian!"

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