"Getting Physical" by Ensign Mehdi Idrys and Junior Lieutenant K'etrall Sickbay was the usual dull routine, thought Ensign Mehdi Idrys as he went through inventory for the umpteenth time in how many weeks he could not even remember. Still, he had something to do, and he wasn't in the uncomfortable position of having to treat a deluge of patients as a result of a fierce engagement. Famous last words ... A triage team burst into sickbay bearing a patient on a stretcher supported with anti-gravs. Here's someone I haven't seen before, Idrys thought. "Who is she?" "Junior Lieutenant K'etrall, Assistant Engineer, Sir," replied Ensign S'Taan, one of the nurses, handing him a PADD. "She'd been working on fixing the relay systems near the reactor core when there was an overload. Second degree burns, cuts and contusions over 60% of her body. She's already lost a lot of blood and we're getting her transfusions stat. It may be a rather difficult case, Sir." "Oh? And why's that?" "She ... well, Sir, she has a very rare type of Klingon blood and we don't have all that much in our supply. It's type C negative." "Really? Well ... you simply go through this ship and find people who might be able to be suitable donors," replied Idrys, holding up a hand just as S'Taan started opening his mouth to object. "That will be all, Ensign ... you are dismissed and I expect you to find some donors, here on the ship or nearby, and I mean soon. I have a life to save." He turned to his assistant, Ensign Moira Pearse. "Scalpel." "Scalpel," replied Pearse, placing the instrument in his hand. And so the operation began. Hang in there, Lieutenant K'etrall. I'll pull you through or my name isn't Mehdi Idrys. ... Junior Lieutenant K'etrall had been down in Main Engineering working on the relay systems by the reactor core when for some unknown reason they exploded. That was the last thing she remembered until she woke up sometime later in sickbay. Or was it. K'etrall was one of the Assistant Engineers who had been working on the relay systems per orders of her chief, Lieutenant Thomas. It had been some time since she had seen him, since he had been missing on that block of ice they called a planet. But that was another story. All she knew was she had received the orders to work on the relay system and she was doing so, even though she was overly tired for some ungodly reason. One would think she was completely human and not part Klingon. It felt awful being so weak. Everything was going fine or so she thought. She was progressing along at a steady pace and was even planning ahead for what she hoped to do that evening, which would probably consist of working out in a holodeck program, since she really hadn't made many friends yet. She noticed a tendency for people to shy away from Klingons, especially females. Yet she was getting used to it. Besides, who needed them, when she had a holodeck full of fighting warriors. It must've been when she was daydreaming that her whole world went up in one giant explosion. The last thing she remembered was putting in a new relay and connecting the next one and then there was a giant fireball surrounding her. After that she lost consciousness and still didn't know what in the hell was going on.............. How was it that Einstein explained relativity? Oh, yes ... "When you sit on a sofa with a pretty girl for an hour, time flies by as though it were just a minute; but if you sit on a hot stove by yourself for a minute, time drags by as though it were an hour." Yes, well it feels like a hot stove here all right. Damn, but this is harder than I thought. Idrys looked up and conferred with Pearse. He set back to work on the operation. Damned lucky she didn't break any bones or she'd be out of commission for a long, long time. And it's lucky one of the staff here is Klingon with matching blood type or she would've been dead long ago. "All right ... close for me here and then we're done." He peeled off his cap and mopped at his brow, glistening with sweat and collapsed against the wall for a moment before heading to the replicator and ordering a strong drink of chai with cream. The whole experience had been enervating in the extreme and he needed the lift at least for a while. He looked at the chrono. Four hours? Well, Einstein must've been right after all. It was no fun. Now I just hope this Officer, K'etrall, pulls through. I'd at least like to know she's recovered and can return to work. "Doctor ..." He turned around. "Yes?" "Your nurse ... just told me ... you saved my life. Is this true?" He nodded. "Yes, I did operate on you and, had it not been for the operation, and the blood transfusion we managed to get, you wouldn't be alive. Now, what in the name of Trill were you doing that got you almost killed?" She shrugged. "Replacing a relay. That's the last thing I remember. That, and a fireball. Just ... the flames. No noise. And now ... I am here." "A relay did that? Well, I'm going to have to write this up as best I can and have it investigated. Lieutenant ... you're not to be released until you're recovered, which will be when I say so, and we're going to have to certify that the area you were working in is safe. Is that understood?" Somehow, she knew it was better than to argue with a doctor, even though she could tell she outranked him. After nearly being killed, it was too great a risk to protest at this point. "All right, Doctor ... ?" "Idrys. Doctor Mehdi Idrys at your service, Lieutenant K'etrall." She smiled. "Very well, Doctor Idrys. I suppose I could use the rest. But I want to get back as soon as I can." "Of course. As soon as you're recovered and out of here. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to continue on my rounds." He nodded and walked off. Isn't that unusual, thought K'etrall. I think I've made a friend already ... someone who isn't repulsed by me ... and, of all things, he's a doctor. Well, I suppose stranger things have happened. She turned over and gradually fell asleep. Ensign Mehdi Idrys Assistant Medical Officer, USS Avalon NCC-27926-B & Junior Lieutenant K'etrall Assistant Engineering Officer, USS Avalon NCC-27926-B Captain Keith Ketchum, Commanding Officer Celestial Prime Alliance Sim group Admiral Gem Rhee, Founder / Commander-in-Chief