Medical Plan

Posted on Fri Nov 1st, 2024 @ 8:50pm by Lieutenant JG Zai & Lieutenant Commander Oscar McDonald MD & Lieutenant Chloe O'Connor MD

1,532 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Stars Around the Well
Location: Sickbay | USS Arcadia

ON:

Zai was finally back on ship. They would be locked down soon and ready to depart. Sabastian was by his side again today insisting on coming aboard and sitting in on the medical. It was really an update post station and he wasn't sure if it would be Doc McDonald or Doc O'Connor to see him.

He sat on the biobed and Sabastian leaned against the wall. He walked over and put his hands on Zai's shoulders. "You okay?"

He smiled. "Yeah. I'm not afraid of sickbay you know. I can handle this."

"I know you can but I'm worried. I just want to make sure you're okay."

Zai patted the biobed beside him and Sabastian walked around and hopped up taking Zai's hand. Zai, leaned his head on Sab's shoulder feeling so many emotions. He was usually the strong one but with Sab he could just lean on someone and it felt great. Again he couldn't help but compare it to Fang. If Fang were here Zai would have to be the emotional support.

“Ah, Lieutenant Zai… you realise I see you more than most of my staff?” Dr. McDonald signed as he rounded the corner, reviewing the medical report sent on by his colleagues on Starbase 2. Glancing up he sighed, “is it an engineer code to always arrive in pairs? And we’ll, whoever you are, get down from there. It is a perfectly calibrated top of the line biobed - not a park bench! And after that commotion on the base - be grateful I am not already throwing you off the ship.

Sabastian hopped off. "Sorry doc."

Zai chuckled. "Well it's not a code but Sabastian was worried and after the exam and after he's convinced I'm fine I have a medical admin update for you."

"If you must wait,” it was clear from his tone that such a thing would be the worst possible scenario, “then there is a waiting area. You are free to use it.”

"Actually doc," Zai interjected sensing Sabastian's hesitancy. "With respect to my medical health...I'm alright of Sabastian hears this. In fact I'd like to update my emergency contact information removing Lee Fang and inserting Lieutenant Commander Sabastian Gabriel Walker Chief Engineer Starbase 2. You can list his relationship as...boyfriend."

Sab lowered her head overcome with emotion. "Zai you don't.."

"It's my wish." He turned back to the doctor. "So then. Let's get the exam on the road if you're willing."

“I’m sure there is a riveting backstory to all of this, but frankly, none of my business,” McDonald signed, scribbling a note so he could update the medical file later. “To be clear, I am not on board with this. It’s a sickbay, not the Globe Theatre.

But fine…. Since there is not much to hear. Medical staff on the base actually did a thorough work up and every test, I assume they discussed this with you at the time. I just need to run some baseline vitals to ensure things are back to normal. So make yourself comfortable and let the scanners do what they need to do.”

Zai laid down on the biobed. "Doc on the station said hi by the way. I think she's sweet on you...and is probably the only woman who can out temper you."

“Spoken truly as someone who has never met any of my ex-wives,” he quipped with a shake of his head, keying in a sequence of commands to the biobed monitor, dictating the scans it would run. His attention was caught by a new arrival but he quickly returned back to his work, “this will take a few minutes, hold as still as possible and think of warp fields and dilithium crystals.”

With that he retreated into his office along with Dr O’Connor.

Zai sighed as he closed his eyes. He could sense Sab there and he could sense Sab's support so that had him relaxed. He would wait for the doc to return until then he just embraced a moment of Zen.

Five minutes became ten, almost fifteen. “We will have to give you and the other engineers your own personal wing, Lieutenant,” Doctor O’Connor commented brightly as she approached the bed, “You can sit up again now. Scans are all done.”

Zai sat up. "What happened to Doctor McD?"

Chloe glanced back briefly towards the office, “he had an urgent matter that needed his personal attention. But what is important is you. How are you feeling?”

He smiled. "Good. Better. It was just an anxiety episode...I had one a few days prior too."

Sabastian stepped forward. "Where he passed out for a good forty-five minutes."

Zai smiled. "That was ... different."

"No it wasn't. You were pale, shaking, sweating and I could see that look you get when you get these like you can't see."

"My vision usually gets blurry when I have them." He sighed. "Sab, meet Doctor O'Connor. Doctor O'Connor, meet Sabastian Walker, my boyfriend." He never tired of saying that.

“Hi,” Chloe offered briefly before turning her full attention back to Zai. “The test results indicate you are suffering from severe anxiety attacks, which are manifesting with very physical symptoms. It is not uncommon but as you’ve already discovered the impact can be debilitating.

It is compounded by an old injury,” she called up an image, a three-dimensional detailed rendition of his heart and she zoomed in on one section of muscle on the right ventricle, “this small area of muscle here… it essentially doesn’t work at all. Nothing that is life threatening and again not uncommon. But it makes your heart work a little harder and more susceptible to events that may put strain on your cardiovascular system.

Events like anxiety. The release of hormones, hyperventilation and hypertension… for you this time around it all came together in a perfect - or not so perfect - storm.”

Sabastian was by the bio-bed in a second. "What do we do? How do we treat it? How dangerous is it?"

Zai reached over taking his hand. "Easy."

"No! This has to be fixed."

Zai smiled and shook his head. "Alright Doc. I'm open, what do we do?"

“We have to bring down your stress levels,” she said simply. “My recommendation is a three pronged approach.

First, a course of medical treatment. Daily, to reduce anxiety and stress on your system. We monitor daily and begin walking down the dosage until you don’t need it anymore or are at the lowest dose.

Second, counselling sessions to build techniques to help you deal with anxiety and stressors in a healthier way. You need to be able to process your emotions, in a healthy way, and the counsellor can absolutely support with that.

The third is you. Review your diet, exercise and sleep schedule. Healthy diet, plenty of exercise and adequate sleep every night is essential. We have a nutritionist who can help with making changes to your diet, she will reach out to you later today to arrange an appointment.”

He sighed. "Okay. We have a plan."

Sabastian moved closer to the bio bed being careful not to sit on it lest Doctor McDonald come back. "He's not in danger is he?"

Zai smiled as he hopped off the bed. He stood next to Sabastian taking his hand. "Sab I'm okay." He looked at O'Connor. "No danger right?"

“You wouldn’t be out of that bed if you were,” she assured him as she pressed a hypo spray to his neck. “Back here tomorrow, even if the ship is falling apart or we will send Dr McDonald to hunt you down and drag you in. Any problems, call sickbay immediately. No self treating or waiting it out. Is that understood? And on this particular point I’m talking to you both.”

Her steely gaze and the unspoken threat in her voice was straight out of the McDonald playbook and was so unlike her, it seemed to enhance the importance of the message.

"Don't you worry I'm on ship until tomorrow morning and if anything I'll bring him back right away."

Zai smiled. "Trust me he will. Alright. So we've already had a first appointment with Counselor Alexander. I've got meds and Sabastian is here to keep an eye on me tonight." He grinned. "Now, Sabastian Doctor O'Connor in addition to being a great doctor is a friend." He turned to O'Connor. "I'm hoping that the two of you will be friends too. It's short time now but would love to maybe grab breakfast tomorrow if you are up for it Doc."

“Perhaps on our next stop at the base, when I get off shift in the morning the only place for me will be my bed,” she confided. With a small wave and a smile she stepped back, “go, relax and enjoy the day. It was nice meeting you Sebastian and good luck keeping him out of trouble!”

He smiled. "Nice meeting you too."

Zai looked at her. "Thanks again doc. I'll see you tomorrow." He turned to Sab. "Come on then we have a dinner tonight."

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