Unexpected news

Posted on Sat Sep 27th, 2025 @ 11:06am by Lieutenant Commander Oscar McDonald MD & Lieutenant Lanna Alexander

1,609 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Vinyl and Void
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: After the briefing

With the thought of having to make arrangements to send her son off ship, Lanna wasn’t surprised she was feeling off. Still it was better to drop by Sickbay and be checked over, just to be sure she wasn’t coming down with something. She could have just mentioned it to Jarin, but she didn’t want to worry him. They’d both have enough worries with having to leave their son for the first time. Walking into Sickbay Lanna was greeted by one of the nurses.

“Hello Counsellor, how can we help?” She offered a kind smile.

Lanna offered a smile. “Actually I was hoping to speak to Doctor McDonald, if he’s available? I’m not feeling myself and I’d like his opinion.”

The young woman nodded. “Take a seat on the biobed, I’ll let him know you’re here.” Heading off to the offices she politely knocked before popping her head around McDonald’s office door. “Excuse me Doctor, Counsellor Alexander is asking to see you.”

Part of a small group assembled around his desk, Doctor McDonald looked almost relieved at the interruption. "I'll be right out," he acknowledged, ignoring the glare his comment earned from his visitor. Holding his hands up in a gesture of peace, he backed away from the desk, "I have many responsibilities to all of the crew. Dr O'Connor is more than capable, she is Jynx's primary physician after all."

"If only he were so concerned about other responsibilities while he was married," came a biting observation, low enough so it did not carry far but definitely reached his ears before he left. Pausing he had to fight the urge to respond in kind, but was saved when Chloe - as usual - spared him. Turning the conversation back to the matter at hand.

Shaking his head, he pushed the distraction aside as he caught sight of the counsellor. "You wanted to see me, Counsellor?" he offered as he approached. Inwardly he was relieved to see the lieutenant was resisting the opportunity to forgo the trip to sickbay and instead rely upon her husband's - admittedly formidable - medical expertise. It was something he had warned them to avoid, although he suspected she was more likely to follow that advice in order to spare her husband from unnecessary worry.

Lanna nodded. “I thought it best to come and see you, I’m not feeling my usual self. I feel off colour, a little nauseous, lightheaded on and off, generally under the weather. I don’t want to be coming down with something now.”

“I’d be inclined to blame a disturbance in the force,” McDonald muttered under his breath with a glance over his shoulder before turning his full attention to the matter at hand. “Please, make yourself comfortable and we will run some scans. “

Lanna nodded lying back on the biobed both for comfort, and to allow McDonald to do his work. “A disturbance in the force huh?” She offered a wry smile.

“By disturbance I mean a psych-“

The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted him and he looked over his shoulder in annoyance as Doctor O’Connor ushered an older woman towards the far side of Sickbay. Oscar sighed, shook his head and turned his attention back to the Counselor. “How long have you had these symptoms?”

“Only recently, the last 24 to 48 hours…I think! I’m not 100% sure really.” Lanna answered in response to McDonald’s question.

“Hmm…” McDonald nodded absently as he worked, observing the scan results before shutting off the equipment. “We can offer some treatments to ease the symptoms; however, a cure is quite impossible. It will have to run its course and you may find the symptoms increase before then…”

As he spoke he picked up a PaDD, working as his words hung in the air.

“So, what is it that’s wrong with me?” Lanna gave McDonald a curious look wondering what the scans showed.

“Nothing that won’t be replaced by sleepless nights and years of stress in a few months,” McDonald commented as he turned the PaDD around, “but traditionally I suppose congratulations are in order. “

Lanna looked at the results on the PaDD in complete and utter shock, all the time she and Jarin had been trying for another baby with no results and now it had finally happened. “I’m….I’m…” she paused taking a breath to calm herself. “I’m sorry, we’ve been trying for a while but we never had any luck, at least until now.” She looked at the details. “So if I’m reading this right, I’m almost 6 weeks?”

“Approximately, yes,” he confirmed.

“I’ll schedule regular checkups for you with my staff. For now, I’ll give you this to help with the nausea,” he added as he administered a hypo. “But if they happen to persist or worsen, stop by.”

Lanna nodded in somewhat of a daydream. “Oh…yes, right.” She offered a smile. “Thank you Doctor McDonald. I appreciate your help.”

“Given your condition, if you wish, I can authorise you to leave the -“

Whatever he was about to propose was cut off when Dr O’Connor appeared, moving to his side to whisper in his ear. Immediately McDonald bristled, his anger bubbling to the surface before he seemed to calm. “Actually, it’s perfect,” he grinned.

Dr O’Connor’s surprised expression also seemed to question his sanity. McDonald held up a hand, urging patience. “We should bring the counsellor up to speed, in private. If you have a few minutes to spare?”

Lanna nodded. “I do” she nodded and smiled.

Leading the way into his office, McDonald called up Jynx’s file.

“As you know, Starfleet is apparently far from impressed that Jynx managed to stow away on the shuttle during the away mission. It is part of the reason our XO seems to have his knickers in a twist, as my granny used to say. But, as is often the case, Jynx stowing away is only part of a bigger picture.

She was afraid, for the ship and for the few people she has been able to form something close to a friendship with aboard. But I do not believe there was much intent beyond that. These are the neurological scans taken on the shuttle and when we got back to the ship. As you can see, activity was off the charts. I’d never seen anything like it. And these, these indicate a heightened fear response.”

“From what we know of her rescue several years ago, she may have been in that area of space - trapped - before. Who knows what they encountered or what it did to children who already had spent their lives fearing capture by the syndicate or god knows what,” O’Connor added.

“I’m sure Walker would have her in the brig if he could but she’s been unconscious since the shuttle,” McDonald sighed. “Which was why we went to the wicked witch.”

“The wicked witch?” Lanna gave McDonald a curious look. “I can’t say I know who that is.”

“His ex wife,” Dr O’Connor explained, holding up a finger, “the first one.”

“One of many,” McDonald concurred. “We did not part ways on the best of terms.”

“Ahh I see” Lanna nodded. “Is your ex wife a medical professional as well?”

McDonald sighed, grudgingly nodding. “A neurologist. Although these days she oversees cases and is more involved in research than actual patient care.”

“It’s the best option for Jynx, no matter what way I look at it,” O’Connor added. “Whatever triggered this… issue… it started in that region of space. Unfortunately being away from it hasn’t helped. The proposal is to take Jynx to a facility on Vulcan. Given her unique physiology.”

“The reality of life on a starship,” McDonald sighed. “sometimes, you run out of options. I just wish we knew why she was so afraid that she risked her life following the away team. If she hadn’t we wouldn’t have an XO with a -“

“Probably best not to finish that sentence,” Chloe warned with a grin.

“Indeed” Lanna gave McDonald a look that said she would most likely disapprove of whatever comment he was going to make about Sabastian. “Anyway, if that’s what you deem is best for Jynx, without getting inside her head I can’t give you any firm answers regarding her condition. It sounds to me like she’s gone into shutdown to protect herself, but from what I can’t say.”

“That is our working theory as well,” Chloe confirmed.

“Can you see any issues, besides me having to be civil to the devil incarnate?” McDonald queried. He would not admit it aloud but - like Baciami - he felt somewhat protective of the girl. She had been through who knew what in her less than stellar start in life and finally seemed to be making a new start aboard.

“Not at the moment, but the longer Jynx resides in this condition the more difficult it will be to bring her back.” Lanna sighed. “If she has retreated into her mind, then she’s intent on hiding there. You know as well as I do what effect that will have on her body in the long run.”

“Sadly yes,” McDonald sighed. “Chloe, get started. I don’t want to risk our guests getting stuck here. Thank you, counsellor.”

Lanna nodded. “Anytime Doctor.” With that she left sickbay hoping Jynx could find the help she needed.


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