Two Doctors and a Baby

Posted on Thu Dec 3rd, 2020 @ 8:18pm by Lieutenant Kiam Aax & Ensign Bryden Guidry

Mission: 28 Days
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Mission Day 5 at 0900

"Get Guidry in here."

The doors of Sickbay had opened only a moment ago: Yeoman Curtis looked up at the intrusion to see a woman wincing in pain and heavily pregnant being limped into Sickbay, her arm thrown around Doctor Kiam Aax's shoulders. The words came from the Chief Medical Officer and Curtis sprang to attention, weaving his skinny body through the doorway. He didn't quite pick up the cooed and calm words that Kiam offered the crew-woman about everything being okay.

"Doctor," the sprightly Yeoman said, ducking around the corner and through a door to the offices. Curtis spoke, poking his head into Guidry's cubicle, "Doctor Aax is here with Yeoman Tally." The youth jutted his thumb back toward where he'd come and swished back through the door. Through the parting, Kiam and Tally had made it gingerly as far as the surgical biobed before the cellular regenerator chamber.

"Hypospray, 5ccs Duacedrizine, please, Simon," Aax said, craning her neck after the boy who was headed toward the Nursing Station. He nodded in a hurry.

Bryden had followed Curtis out immediately, having put the PADD with a report down and stood as the young man was speaking. As Bryden entered the main sickbay area, he was fastening his tunic closed again. He grabbed a pair of gloves as he took long-legged strides to stand on the other side of the biobed from Kiam.

Aax looked up at the large broad man in white, "She fell off one of the catwalks on the warp coil mezzanine. Possibly two cracked ribs but I'm worried about the baby," Aax reported. She finished helping lay Tally out on the surgical bed, then pushed the console headboard into position. It sprung to life.

Bryden looked into Tally's face with a warm look in his eyes, though a wry smile on his face. He didn't let the sickening fear Kiam's words had planted in his stomach show on his face.

"Tally, we talked about you taking it easier in engineering." His voice was warm honey. He reached back, grabbing the block case of a medical tricorder. He looped the strap over his head and across his chest, then his hands opened it and found the scanner. He turned it on and began to sweep it over the woman's abdomen. "I think you'd agree, ropeless rappeling in a warp nacelle doesn't count as taking it easy, eh?" A bit of the worry leeched from Tally's face, her shoulders relaxed slightly, though she was obviously still in pain.

Bryden kept his eyes on hers for a moment more before turning to the tricorder readout.

"I see vasoconstriction in the chorion membrane on her right side." He moved the scanning tool in practiced sweeps up the side of her belly. "Contusions in the uterine wall...the umbilical cord looks fine." Bryden moved the scanner again, his other hand manipulating the focus on the tricorder. "Small contusion on the fetal left thigh, I still see nutrient flow."

Bryden looked up at Kiam a moment as the tricorder beeped when he moved the scanner down the front of the abdomen. It took a moment for him to swallow the spike of bile in his throat.

"Large contusion in the uterine wall starting here and moving towards her left side." He did his best to keep his voice at an even timbre.

Kiam's head bobbed acknowledgment, the final click of the surgical suite's monitoring station in place. It sprung to life, an illuminated panel of blues, flickering yellows of concern, and the reds of danger. The screen was collating data from the overhead sensory suites which bathed Tally in cones of scanning light, forming an image of her on the console. "Computer, erect a level one containment field, sterilization protocols," Kiam stated. The Sickbay computer clicked. While Guidry shifted, Kiam took the hypospray from Simon Curtis and gently plied it to Tally's neck. "This'll help." She too cooed like honey, petting the woman's hair off her face.

"Right, let's see those ribs." Bryden stepped up her body, moving the scanner over her lower chest and sides. "Yeah, we have a cracked rib on this side, lower floating. Looks like she cracked the number ten rib on that side, and I see bruising around both floating ribs over there." In his mind he pictured her stumbling into the mezzanine railing, hitting it low on her right abdomen and tumbling over, and either landing on her left side or striking something on that side as she fell.

On the surgical monitor, the pulsing sensors began to ping, turning imagery toward an ultrasound scan. Kiam shook her head, "No. OK. The vasoconstriction- I'm detecting chorionic hematoma, Doctor. If we can't get it under control, she could miscarry." In Kiam's mind, she was thankful that the nutrient feed of the embryonic sac and umbilical were intact. But a contused fetus was always a cause for concern. Kiam's mind flowed, unable to completely blot out the calm professionalism of her comrade, and the spikes of panic and worry coming from her patient. Kiam issued a quick, long breath and tapped at her mastoid.

Her fingers went into motion and from the floor, an arc of controls moved upwards, forming a ring-like shell over Tally's abdomen. She spun, "Curtis. Axonol. 20ccs." She nodded silently at Guidry: they would need to go in and fix the damage. It was best if Tally wasn't awake for it. Behind her, the stick insect-like youth loped toward his station again, the sound of keypresses faint to Kiam's ear.

"Tally, we're going to sedate you. Everything will be fine," she promised, her black eyes hovering over the nervous woman. "Bryden and I just need to do some touch-ups. OK?" She smiled her broad smile as the woman nodded, quick and choppy.

As Curtis came over to hand off the second hypospray, Bryden met him at the edge of the sterilization field and grabbed it.

"Thank you," Bryden said, his voice still smooth though his eyes were focused elsewhere.

Bryden returned and pressed the hypospray to Tally's neck. As her eyes closed he pressed a warm hand to the woman's shoulder and offered a squeeze of comfort. He turned his head as her eyelids met and confirmed that her respiration and heart rate had slowed.

"She's under. Stable." Bryden said, his voice turning slightly mechanical as he pushed his feelings aside with a nearly visible effort. He noted on the biobed scan that the hematoma localized between two arteries. He tried to refocus, but there was too much blood to see the damage to the arteries clearly. "I think we have two impacted arteries over here, can't see the damage. We have heightened platelet activity and it is too dense for a clear image."

Kiam absorbed it with her own mechanical nod, "I understand. We'll begin with a Uterocentesis, we need to clear the edema so we can go in." Her eyes flicked to the surgical console, "The fetus is still stable. She's under. Alpha waves are optimal." Kiam moved quickly to the ring-like clamshell. Again, she tapped her mastoid. "Let's hook her up."

"Right, I'll get her started on fluids. She's A negative, human from Mars. No history of genetic abnormalities or alterations. I am prepping some units in case we need them." Bryden's fingers moved to the controls on his side of the biobed. He called up a standard human hydration solution, just saline, and then also prepped the units of blood in case they needed them. The biobed had utilities to get either to the patient, so he didn't need to set any intravenous lines.

Doctor Aax's finger pressed and flowed across the command interface of the clamshell, her eyes calm and focused on the data. Repeatedly she checked Tally's vitals. "Alright, let's go in. Uterocentesis and then we need to stabilize the chorion artery. Uterine lining next. I'm slowing circulatory function to the chorion now." She looked at the boy hovering at the edge of the field, "Timer, three minutes." He nodded.

Kiam moved tapped at the clamshell, "Here we go. "Computer... zoom and enhance grid B6," Kiam said. With a free hand, she pinched and flicked the information up onto the surgical monitor. The pink inside of Yeoman Tally was in full view, filled with pockets of blood. Kiam waited for Guidry to complete the Uterocentesis, her coffee black eyes studying the artery feeding the edema.

Bryden's hands and fingers seemed to take a life of their own. He knew precisely what to do for this procedure, and the hours of surgical training let his hands make the opening moves smoothly. His trepidation at what could happen was being pressed down as firmly as he could, while the rest of his mind focused on the task at hand.

As he moved more into the procedure Bryden spoke out loud with each step he was taking. The computer was automatically recording the event, and this was the way Starfleet surgeons were trained to make sure any future viewing of the event, whether for training, patient review, litigation, or any other reason, far easier to follow for non-medical professionals.

As he opened the side of the Yeoman, as he had taken to thinking of her once she was sedated, the biofield was taking care of the blood, keeping most of it in while he worked.

"I have a large clot here, it seems to be covering the artery. I am going to remove the clot and apply a tissue regenerator to try to repair the damage to it." Bryden took a deep breath to steady himself, then deftly peeled the padding of platelets away from the artery. He pulled it free with his left hand, then stuck the nozzle of the tissue regenerator into her side with his right hand. He steadied the tissue with his left hand once he'd dropped the clot. After a moment under regeneration, the visual of the artery began to appear healthy again. "That one is clear." He used the fingers of his left hand to manipulate the image to focus on a second artery a little deeper in.

"This one is a little deeper. Computer, adjust biobed roll twelve degrees upon the patient's right side." Bryden said the bed adjusted slightly, small embrasures coming up to evenly distribute the weight of the patient on the new tilt. "I almost wish I could stand on the ceiling to get at this one..." He began as he slipped his hands back into her side and began the process of regenerating the artery wall. His hands were fully inside of his crewmate, and he did his best to not think of that. "...but that would take too long. Clear on this side, I am closing up over here."

Kiam's face was a visage of stone concentration. Beyond the throbbing ebb of the heart and vitals sensor that filled the room, their voices as testament to their procedures had been all. When Guidry said he was closing, Kiam's glance was briefly to him. Her fingers moved within, and the hum of a tissue regenerator from her immediate space. Another glance monitored Tally's vitals and she let unvoiced concern trickle away about the baby's blood flow. "I've done all I can with-" Curtis's timer went off. Her hands crossed, squeezing at her chest as she pivoted. "Alright that's it... let's re-establish blood flow to the fetus. We'll have to let the cellular regenerator take care of the ribs and contusions."

Kiam sighed and at once moved to dab at her forehead with the unbloodied portion of her hand. "Okay," she huffed breath up to sway her black bangs. "Computer continue surgical procedure log, Chief Medical Officer. Patient Chloe Tally, supplemental conclusion, post-operation. Patient and patient fetus stabilized. We are initiating cellular regeneration. Cc Chief Yeoman Brand, Commander Timo Schaefer: Crewman Tally is on medical leave until examined and released by Sickbay, time to be determined. Light desk work until she comes to term only." She glanced at Guidry, as was his turn for final notes.

Behind Guidry, Curtis had swiveled into the Cell Regeneration station's operating area and began bringing it online. The tunnel at the feet of Tally and the surgical biobed began to hum and glow. Tapping at the console, Kiam released the clamshell ring.

"Significant damage had been done to the uterine wall and the placenta, including two clots that stemmed blood flow to the placenta. Direct intervention was needed to remove the blockages and repair the arteries. Further damage is not presently needing direct intervention. The patient is under observation until sedatives wear off, at which point she will be assessed and either returned to quarters per Chief Medical Officer log or remanded to continuing care in sickbay as deemed necessary by attending physician."

Bryden nodded and removed his gloves. He had a little blood on his uniform, but it wasn't anything the refresher here in sickbay couldn't get out. He had a spare uniform in his cubicle for just such occasions. He eyed the wall over the biobed, reading bio signs and ensuring the verbal log was stopped.

"Well, that was definitely a break in the monotony of standard check-ups." His attempt at humor seemed weak, even for him. He felt drained, as emergencies often left him. He still had a few hours on duty and knew how to best take care of the feeling. He looked at Kiam, not really knowing what was left to say just now. He moved to the edge of the sterilization field and threw the gloves in a recycler.

A gentle droning sound reverberated in the floor and Tally's unconscious form with the surgical bed eased itself inside the soft medical glow of the cellular regenerator. Once instead, Kiam raised her chin, "Computer. Disengage containment field and end log." She too peeled away her gloves and dropped them into the recycler. Her mind had glacially touched on Guidry's exhaustion. She tapped her skull, "Take thirty minutes," she said in a soft-spoken mom tone, "I've got everything here." She pulled off her green lab coat, shouldering it away into her arms. She rolled it up and it too was pushed away into the recycler.

"She'll be fine..." Kiam offered her comrade, certainty of voice raising her brows. She sighed and unzipped her white jacket as well, spotted with blood, down to her navy blue ULY shirt.

"Thanks, boss," Bryden said with a soft smile. "I'll be back in ten, just need a protein bar and a fast shower to be back to right." He removed his uniform top and rolled it so the blood didn't show. No need to scare anyone in the corridor the short distance between here and his quarters.

In silence Kiam watched him go so far as to pass into the lobby. The glass doors opened and closed with their soft swish. Kiam turned to her office, slipping through the doors. She dropped heavily into her desk with a sigh, lolling her head back atop the headrest. She closed her eyes. She swayed her chair back and forth with movements of her foot. Break in the monotony was right.