Camp pt4
Posted on Tue Dec 13th, 2022 @ 10:37am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Lieutenant Sarah Wilson & Lieutenant JG Blake Leone & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Commodore S'thenosis Gorgox & Remal Kajun
Mission:
Planet of the Dinosaurs
Location: Crew Camp
Timeline: Morning - Afternoon Day 2
A few moments later Kaylen stood outside the Commodores tent a took a breath, having no idea what she was walking into.
"Commodore, May I come in?"
S'thenosis attempted to compose herself as the last person she wanted to speak with was now asking to come in. She straightened herself up to her full height. "Come in Captain, by all means." Her voice was strained but inviting.
Rhenora pushed open the flap of the tent, revealing the woman within. She had never seen the Commodore like this, ever. Despite the number of years they had know each other.
"Dr Wilson is swamped at the moment, she asked if I could take some readings" Rhenora explained calmly, hoping that S'Thenosis would respond.
"Oh, I understand." She looked down at the floor of the tent where a number of bugs were crawling. She paused heavily and then proceeded to continue. "How well do you know the physiology of a Draconian, in particular a Veelus, Captain?"
Rhenora blushed, S'Thenosis had her there. "Ahhh not in detail to be honest, but Dr Wilson asked me to run a specific series of scans that she believed would give her the best data to work with" She stammered, feeling like a school girl caught for doing something wrong. "And I thought I could help in some way"
S'thenosis adjusted her position to stand upright, her elbows down and her arms turned palm up. "By all means Captain, conduct your scans, however though I am not a doctor myself, only two things in a woman's life can cause me to feel the way I do today. And as I am far too young for Dragopause, much too young," the woman with white sprouts in her red hair marveled. "The only other reason would be far more disconcerting."
" What's the other reason?" Rhenora asked carefully, sensitive to how S'Thenosis was feeling at the present. She started her scans in the hope that Sarah would be able to help whatever it was.
"Draconian reproductive habits are not everyday conversation pieces. For many of us, we are born into the books of law. My first bedtime tale was Bartholomew's Fifth Arraignment." She paused to collect her words and a deep breath. "Not long after adolescence we are required biologically to enter at least one birthing phase which benefits our society as well as our perspective on the practice of child rearing. Call it a lesson, if you will."
"First our bodies grow hot. There are a number of chemical, emotional and psychological changes. Then our bodies expand and change to accommodate a brood of eggs. I, myself, delivered eight in my first and only brood. I was literally as big as this tent. Not something I wish to experience again in this lifetime." Her expression changed to show care as she recognized Rhenora as a future mother. "That is not to say the act is not for everyone. Many Draconians choose to endure more than one brood but as a Veelus, my path was clear as was my choice."
"So you're basically saying that you may be... in heat?" Rhenora kept her tone completely professional "Or at the end of your reproductive years. From what you have said the symptoms are similar" She made some notes in the tricorder for Sarah's benefits. "Are you aware of anything we can do to... ease this transition for you?"
"Yes Captain, to put my affliction in a layman's terms, I am, as you say, in heat. The bigger concern, from my perspective, is not how to correct the situation, though that is of importance, but how could something like this come to pass?" She noticed Rhenora had finished or stopped scanning and so lowered her arms. "To my knowledge I am no longer a 'spring chicken' and not experiencing any other semblance of a pre-coitus nature and yet my chest has been on fire since at least yesterday."
" We are on an unusual planet, it could be causing some effects on your physiology that no-one could have predicted" Rhenora mused as she lowered her tricorder- scans now completed. " We've had a couple of people come forward saying they feel odd since we crashed here, various species - it could be related" The Captain tried to comfort the Commodore with the feeling that she wasn't alone.
"Hmm, your words have not fallen on deaf ears Captain. I understand that I am but one of the many issues you now face and I thank you for your time. Should I begin to experience any further onset of my condition, I shall 'do my best' with the information. Until then, thank you for your time, your counsel and your strict confidence in this matter." She stepped forward and touched Rhenoras hand, then stepped back again and gave one of her curt bows, signaling she was done. "I shall wait for any results the good doctor may find."
The Captain knew when she was being dismissed and easily read the cue. "Please let us know if your symptoms become worse, and I'll relay the tricorder data back to Sarah for you know. I'm sure she will see you when she has a moment" Rhenora backed out of the tent then headed back to the med tent.
Blake was looking at the sky from right outside her tent. It was still dark and the sky was nothing like the one of Earth. Turning her attention to the camp, she found that people were either as busy as a colony of ants, or sleeping, worn out by the past days' events. Deciding that she wanted to be of use, she went to find Dr. Wilson, in the hopes that the woman had something for her to do.
"Hey, can I help you?" Sarah asked as Blake entered the med tent, already dispensing what drugs she had to those with bug bites and headaches.
"Hello Dr. Wilson. I was hoping you have something for me to do. I don't like idling around", Blake told the Doc. She sincerely hoped that the other woman was in need of help.
"I could sure use a hand, here, can you scan people as they join the queue?" Sarah asked as the tossed a spare medical tricorders towards Blake.
"I can do that", Blake said with a nod. She accepted the tricorder and looked around. There were 3 people waiting for Dr. Wilson to tend to them. She approached the one closest to her, introduced herself and what she she was tasked with, and, with the permission of the patient, went to work.
Sarah paused in between patients, the data coming in from Blake was most beneficial and gave her a chance to prepare on who and what was coming in next. The heat was oppressive and most of the crew were either foraging for food and water, digging the trench, or trying to rest and stay cool. Sweat beaded down her forehead and she swiped at it with the sleeve of her turtleneck. No matter how hot it got everyone had to stay covered. It was either than or the bugs would have a field day. "Thanks Blake, keep up the good work. Perhaps some water for those waiting would be good if you could russel some up"
Aurora was feeling a little better now her headache was under control, seeing Rhenora crossing the camp she made her way across to her Sidak resting on her hip. “Cap...Rhenora, I’m sorry I’ve not been much use since we got here.”
"You've not been well, please don't push yourself, plus you have your child to care for" Rhenora reminded gently, giving Aurora a reassuring smile.
Aurora nodded. “I know, I just don’t like to watch everyone else do the work.” She offered a warm smile before noting Savar taking a look in her direction. “Let me know if I’m needed.”
Breakfast service in the books, lunchtime an hour away if it even happened, Remal took a minute to head for the med test as Rhenora had suggested. When he arrived his purpose for going suddenly changed. The line itself was long and growing longer. He didn't want to burden poor Sarah, instead he cut the line, entered the makeshift building, rolled up his sleeves and prepped to continue working. This time was to heal instead of feed.
" Remal?" Sarah looked up, having already deputized Blake with running scans and feeding her the results. She could use an extra hand or two already. " Things seem to be getting worse, perhaps this planet isn't 'good' for humanoids if you know what I mean" she commented as she kept dispensing hypos.
"You're not kidding. Are all of these people sick, or are they experiencing headaches as well?" He asked while touching his head to show where his was hurting. "And what can I do to help out?" He offered.
"It's mostly headaches and bugbites at the moment, although the symptoms seem to be growing progressively worse as the day continues." Sarah looked along the line. "We need to find a natural solution to whatever it is that's causing it" she looked a little nervous. " Can you get the tricorders to analyse the all the readings taken this morning and see if there's a common denominator?"
"Yeah, sure, I can do that." He walked over to a table where a handful of medical tricorder sat looking well used, opened one up and set it to compile data then began working on the rest. Without the ships computer this process would take some doing, but if this was what the doc needed he would certainly help where help was needed.
"Thanks, hopefully we can work out what's causing everyone to feel unwell and then come up with a natural remedy that this planet can offer" Sarah knew it was pie in the sky, but hey, a woman could hope.
TBC
