The Ultimatum

Posted on Tue Oct 31st, 2023 @ 6:19am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Lieutenant Sarah Wilson

Mission: Repairs and Retribution
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: During the Sunfire's repair at spacedock.

Captain Kaylen Rhenora walked casually into Sickbay, her gait and demeanor concealing the gnawing that was stirring within her gut. The Sunfire's CMO Dr Sarah Wilson had paged her over an hour ago wanting to 'discuss a few things'. Those kind of words accompanied with a 'Could you please meet me in sickbay' were enough to strike terror into the heart of the most stoic and capable Captain.

Dr Wilson was working with another patient, from where she was she could see it was Aurora most likely having her routine prenatal checkups done. Hope fluttered in the Captain's mind, maybe it was just that she'd missed her own checkup and the doctor was going to give her a bit of a stern word. That had to be it. Surely.

"Ahhh Captain, I was wondering when you'd show up." She turned back to her patient. "You're tracking perfectly, see you in two weeks"

"Would you join me in my office?" The doctor pointed towards the glass walled room that afforded an expansive view of sickbay. To Rhenora it always felt as though she were in a dish bowl.

"Of course" the Captain replied in what she hoped was an innocent and casual tone. The very slight quiver was a dead giveaway, but only to those who knew her very very well.

To her credit Sarah set the windows to opaque the instant she entered, and sealed the door behind her so they wouldn't be interrupted or overheard. Not an unusual occurrence in sickbay' when the doctor was dishing out not so pleasant or confidential news.

"You missed your last two appointments" Wilson started, sitting on the corner of her desk with her arms crossed.

Rhenora breathed a sigh of relief. If this was all Sarah was cranky about, then let the good times roll.

"In my defense I was held captive on a Cardassian mining planet" Rhenora retorted, crossing her own arms defensively.

"My point exactly." Sarah replied, her expression deadpan. "And the time before that we'd crashed on the planet infested with dinosaurs and barely escaped with our lives."

"Your point?" Rhenora echoed, her decision to banter her way of our this was not paying the way she thought it would.

"I'm grounding you Captain." The CMO declared simply, as though this should have been expected.

"Grounding…for what..a few days? I can deal with that…" the Bajoran started to reply before she was cut off rather sharply.

"For the rest of your pregnancy. You've lost too much weight, your child is underweight and if it keeps up it won't develop properly due to malnutrition. You're putting your child at risk" Sarah paused to let her words sink in to full effect. "I'm putting you on light duties and reduced hours for at least two weeks. Argue, bend, or break those rules, and I swear I will remove you from duty entirely until this child is born." Sarah was almost shaking with emotion.

Kaylen was dumbfounded, her mouth opening and closing a number of times as her brain tried to process the news into something she could actually comprehend.

Seeing her words have the desired effect, Wilson softened a little. "I can't keep bringing you and now your child back from the brink all the time. It's taking a massive toll on your body, and if we're not careful, we could lose you both." The words hung in the air like a dense fog.

"Was it that close?" Rhenora whispered, the fight having left her entirely. Fear shone within her blue eyes.

Sarah nodded wordlessly before taking a breath and composing herself. "Another day of torture and malnutrition on that mining planet and we would have at the very least be having a premature delivery and a very unwell baby. Your body was so close to rejecting the pregnancy for it's own survival. You can't keep putting yourself in these situations."

"I didn't choose to be kidnapped, or to crash us on the Dino planet. It just…happened" Even in her own ears the words sounded hollow.

"You are not setting foot off this ship unless it's for R & R, with a security escort" Sarah drew the bottom line firmly for all to see. "I've already sent a message to Commander Savar advising him of our discussion, I will schedule a meeting with him later. It's not up for debate. It's done. Argue, challenge or do anything close to toeing the line, and you're off duty. Hear me?"

"Yes Ma'am" the Captain's words were stoic as she tried to harness the emotions coursing through her. "I understand". There was no more fight, no more attitude or posturing trying to gain the upper hand. The hand had been dealt and she was gonna have to like it.

"Good, now go get some rest and eat a decent meal." The words were quieter and more comforting, interjected with a tricorders scan as though to confirm her already made decision. "You need to be up by 2 kilos by the end of the week. Call it a challenge." Sarah smiled, trying to make amends with the gutted woman before her. She stepped over and wrapped her in a hug before murmuring "it's my job to look after you Captain, let me do my job"

The embrace was returned as Rhenora stood, nodding sadly at the doctor who had effectively removed the largest portion of her life for the next few weeks. "Thank you Sarah, I'll try my best". She turned and headed out of sickbay, her head spinning a thousand different ways. Who could command a ship on light duties and reduced hours? How was she going to broach this with the rest of the command team? Thoughts and feelings battled for attention as she headed back to her ready room. She needed time to think, to plan. And she needed food. Pronto.