Normal tension

Posted on Friday July 13th, 2018 @ 12:45am by Lieutenant JG Niklas Blom M.D. Ph.D & Lieutenant Neera Pine

1,922 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Season 2: Mission 1: Day after Day
Location: Medical
Timeline: Oct 12, 4566. Noon

Niklas was tidying up from the last patient. The usual triage of holodeck injuries, Marine exuberance, and with this crew, sexual manifestations that he was sure he could do his doctoral thesis on when the time came. It would be quite the paper to write. He had finished and wiped. the nearby console being used to record the last notes he needed to make the report complete for the daily log as well as the update to the files for the patient.
 
 
Neera walks into the medbay, a hand to her forehead. The skirt of her uniform russels as she does announcing her presence. "Hey doc, You got anything for this headache? Feels like I took a boot to the face."
 
Niklas turned not recognizing the voice. It took him a few nanoseconds to take in the view. It wouldn't be noticeable to most species luckily. His compassion and medical training kicked in. Holding out a hand, he offered it to the young woman. "Right this way. Headaches aren't very normal anymore. I'd like to run a few scan. I don't take chances with things like this." A nearby bio-bed came into view and he guided her to sit on there. "I just need to grab a tricorder. Tell me how long you've had this? Where in your head is it located, and describe the kind of headache it is."
 
Neera shook the offered hand before taking a seat, making sure to keep the hem of her skirt down."it's like right in the front of my skull, and as said before, feels like a boot to the face. It's been around 8 hours since its started."
 
After retrieving the Medical scanner, he scolded her. "Next time don't wait so long." Waving the device in practiced manner he made a few passes while he asked. "Now tell me about your latest eating habits and sleep cycles. Any abnormalities?"
 
"Usual fruits, grains, veggies, and meat. Sleep has been a little off lately with how busy we've been," Neera said wanting to rub her forehead again, but didn't. Her canine ears drooped from the pain, her tail doing much the same.
 
"Stress?" He asked and he went behind her and tapped a few of her neck and back muscles.
 
"Stress is an understatement. Woah little warning before the touchy please.", She said stiffening at the sudden touch.
 
"I'm a doctor, touching is my job, but you're right. My apologies. You are incredibly tense. If you lie down on your stomach, I can aleviate some of the tension. You are tired. I confess your scans reveal some heavily modified DNA. From the initial results, I would say, some of the interactions are causing a bit more strain on your systems than anticipated."(edited)

Neera reluctantly laid on her stomach, "Well I mean I was a wolf before I was a humanoid. Kinda a gift from who became my first boyfriend. He was a doctor a lot like you," She said trying to prevent things from being awkward.
 
"In what way?" He asked. He used his hands at high speed, recreating a soft vibrating rhythm as he kneaded a few of the knots out. "Tell me if this is too much." ( being an android has it's advantages. He doesn't need a machine for that)(edited)
 
"Oh damn that feels good.", She said with a soft breath, her fluffy tail starting to wag slightly unconsciously, "He was the head of Section 6's medical department, he actually founded the department too. He was a doctor, he treated people. He even made this body."
 
"As medical professional, I'd have to say he did an exemplary job." He moved up to her neck and moved her head around as he continued to work the muscles. You have far more tension in your muscles than I'd like to see. For now, I can give you a short course of muscle relaxers and a mild analgesic. Long term, more stretching perhaps some heat and holo-massage. I doubt you'd like a hot tub, though I could be wrong." In a few minutes he stopped. "Don't move yet. I need to retrieve a medication." Returning shortly, he pressed two hypos into her neck, one after the other, and lightly rubbed the area. "Sit up....slowly." Niklas said, holding out his hand for support.
 
Neera felt the pinch of hypos, which brought her out of her relaxed daze. She had bit back a tiny yelp, before slowly getting up. "Hot tubs are nice, but ouch messages and poking with needles is quite the segway. You must get all the ladies with that routine," She said smartly.
 
"My love life hasn't been quite the same since the last woman , if you can call her that, vaporized my human body, before putting me in an artificial chassis. I am an Android now. And you can stop pretending that hurt in the least bit. It's forced through the skin with energy not a metal tube." He retorted.
"More importantly.....how is your headache?" He asked, scanning her again.
 
 "Better.....I'm Sorry..If my comment made you uncomfortable.", She said lowering her gaze, feeling bad for bringing up those memories.
 
 
 "Good. I have to admit your physical hasn't been updated in a while. So it's a good thing you came in when you did. I'd like you to sit here for a minute. I want to be sure your headache is completely disappear before I release you. I can't say I've seen you around....wait a minute. You were in the lounge when the argument happened with Colonel Thornton."
 
"Yes I was there with my father and Kessler Ryzka who was having the argument with Aidan. I'm a Lieutenant with SABER of Section 6."
 
"I didn't see anyone there old enough to be your father....though looks can be deceiving." He was trying to not let his eyes wander, so he grabbed and padd and started to update her file.
 
"My father is the Lieutenant Commander, my last name is Pine. I'm adopted if that helps, though we do share DNA. It's a long story, and it gets kinda weird.", Neera said already afraid she was about to make things awkward.
 
"Weird is in the eye of the beholder. Too many people talk about having to be normal. Normal is a lie people tell themselves to feel better." Niklas offered. "Sweating that kind of small stuff leads to more tension. Your nemesis."
 
"I was made by a genetics company that made custom order animal companions, Jack ordered me because he was lonely. Why he was deals with his past personal issues so I'm not going into that. But anyways, I could still talk then and as I am now, was quite the smartass. Well one day he volunteers himself for trial of a new neural implant that the lab boys had been working on. Well Beaumont went through with the surgery smoothly, it wasn't until the enhancements started that things got ugly."
 
"Ugly?" Niklas asked.

"The Geist directs nanoes to basically deconstruct then reconstruct neural pathways from the implant to the brain, eyes, and CNS.....it...it..was an agonizing process. I was in the observation suite as he screamed in pain....I..was just the wolf back then."(edited)
 
"You'd think they would do that under sedation. Sounds barbaric....sorry." Niklas offered.
 
"He was sedated......the effect of the process made the drugs useless however. I felt so helpless watching as he writhed on the bed.....The policy for implantation was mandatory that it be done to a pre-STed body. ST stands for soul transfer, a technology that allows for one to swap their soul between bodies in the case of body swaps,...or death. The process has been refined further to where that is no longer necessary. Your scan should have revealed the Geist in my neck."
July 13, 2018
 
"The neural implant you mean? Yes. " Niklas offered. "So why did someone make you fully sentient?"
 
"What do you mean, I've always been aware," Neera asked with a canine characteristically tilt of the head.(edited)
 
"Well, when I picture a wolf, I don't picture something this.....attractive? Not the right word, but I think you get my point." Niklas said, with a slight blush. 
 
"Thank you. I wasn't always walking on two legs. During the incident, despite being fully intelligent and able to speak, I was the sort of usual four legged canine. But after the incident, I went to Beaumont, and asked for a new body. One I could actually help in. So he made this body, and I was STed into it. Because I was New to being a humanoid, and what it meant to wear clothes and such. I had to by law have a guardian. Jack adopted me into his family, No longer as the faithful companion, but as a daughter."
 
"Ah. The weird part." NIklas shrugged. "From your activity level and you speech, I'd say you're headache is gone. Not that I'm pushing you out. Just an observation Miss Pine."
 
"Yeah my family as a whole is far from normal. I have 5 siblings. A brother who can shapeshift into a dog, a brother and sister who are hybrids of butterfly, cat, and something else. Then the infant twin plebians who are his natural children. Normal takes a backseat where I'm from."
 
"No more weird than the former human turned android with a winged android dragon for a pet."
 
"Hey I dated a full conversion cyborg and an android. Anything goes in this universe," She said with a small giggle.
 
"I will keep that information stored for when you are no longer my patient Miss Pine. Assuming you have no objections." Niklas said.(edited)
 
"Not at all. Your cute if you don't mind me saying." Neera said before hoping off the bed to stand, straightening her skirt out afterwards.
 
"I am serious about keeping me informed. Don't let this go 8 hours when you have medical staff on call." NIklas said.
"And of course, thank you. This used to be what I looked it. Many years ago." he added
 
"I'm stubborn I can't help it. But yes I'll keep you in the know, maybe we can talk again sometime. Hopefully not at a time when I feel like I have a axe buried in my skull," She replied with a smile.
 
Niklas nodded. "Or when the boys are getting close to fisticuffs either" He said with his own smile, a reference to the recent near bar fight.
 
Neera walks towards the door with a slight swish to her hips, and a sway of her tail, "That too."
 
Niklas shamelessly watched the show put on for his benefit. It was a rare treat when he felt like he didn't have to hold back.

 

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