Unusual Circumstances [Job Thread]

[Dr. Ender Kent]

This is a job thread, which is a thread that your characters can join and complete the listed objectives.  For now, it's just something fun to give your character something kind of professional to do.  For this one, Ender will stick around and help your character(s) work through it, but your character will primarily be in charge of meeting the objectives.

Open to Medical Staff Only.

Up until that point, Alpha shift had been fairly uneventful with only a few patients throughout the entire day and they had all been routine or had just minor concerns and issues.  Ender had allowed his staff to have the run of things for most of the day, only taking one patient himself and spending the rest of the day working on other things that he had to take care of.  despite that, his favorite thing was working with his patients and when he spent days doing all of the other aspects of the job it made him itchy and even more irritable than usual.

For that reason, at the end of the day he emerged from his office only to find a Vulcan who did not look well at all sitting on one of the biobeds and talking to one of the medical assistants. Ender moved over to stand next to the medic and listen to the conversation that was taking place.

Ender overheard the man's answers to the basic questions. He had been feeling ill for several days now and had been struggling far more than usual to control his intense emotions.  He was feeling a sense of unease and tension that meditation would not relieve and that he was unable to locate the source of.

The CMO stood back, not jumping in and directing the member of his staff about what he would do. He preferred to see what they would do and what steps they intended to take, especially as the situation was not exactly an emergency.

OBJECTIVES

• Take the proper steps to determine the illness
• Diagnose the illness
• Heal or prescribe treatment for the illness

Note: From time to time I will post short responses from the patient that will help you diagnose him such as answers to your questions or responses to physical things you try.

[Ens. Joan McCormick]

Joan was starting to get bored. A couple of beings had shuttled through with fairly mild things that needed to be treated. It wasn't as if she was looking for an adventure, but lately things seemed to be settling into a routine. She liked routines for the most part even lived on one, but she was hoping for a little more when it came to work.

Joan was about to give up hope when a Vulcan came in sitting down on one of the biobeds. She thought this interesting, and moved closer to talk to this man. She had no idea she would be getting a shadow on this.

"Salutations, is there something I can assist you with?" Joan started thinking perhaps this was a good way to start. It helped if she knew what was wrong with the patient before she just started in willy nilly.

Joan got the gist of it from the Vulcan. He was ill for several days and having problems with his emotions. She got a tricorder and did a basic scan. She noted the fever.

"Have you noted any other symptoms? Weakness? Fatigue?" She asked thinking of only two things this could actually be. She was worried she had missed something, but she could think of none other than Pon Farr or Bendii Syndrome.

"How many days has it been since you first started noticing your illness?" Joan asked knowing several days was not a good indication. She had done her research, and even though there was limited knowledge if it had been more than eight days she could rule out Pon Farr.

[Dr. Ender Kent]

Ender held back and just listened as the medical assistant adeptly began to ask the patient questions that needed to be asked and he noticed that she was quickly narrowing down the possibilities for what could be wrong with the man. 

"No, strength.  Not weakness.  It has been happening for three days."

The man's words were sharp, rushed, and he clearly seemed unable to focus.  Ender watched the readings from the biobed, but still remained quiet, even as he willed the medic to notice the readings of the brain scans.

[Ens. Joan McCormick]

Joan was aware of her shadow, but hadn't turn to look at whoever it was. It was someone either wanting to learn or wanting to watch her heal this Vulcan. She wasn't sure which and weighed what was said. She also noted the scan and what it held for her. She was a little sheepish and not sure how to go about this.

Joan had done very little research into Vulcan cultures. She had read something and wondered if maybe that was a problem in this as well. The scan and what he was telling her seemed to follow only one thing.

"When was the last time you meditated?" She asked knowing Vulcans did so. She thought she remembered somewhere that they meditated at least once a day. She didn't like that it had only been three days. She did a scan of their database on the padd she had taken out looking to see if there were any reports of fights. Nothing popped up to suggest the illness she thought it might be.

[LtJG. Ahbath]

Ahbath was just getting off his lunch break as he entered Sick Bay to find Ensign McCormick treating a Vulcan crewmember. It was so rare to actually get a real patient in this ship. Back when Ahbath was serving on Klingon ships, he tended to get patients swarming in and out of sick bay, with the crew sustaining combat against enemies and fellow crewmembers alike.

Although it was a relief serving on a ship where the crew wasn’t actively trying to get themselves killed, Ahbath did feel as though he could use a bit of excitement. This Vulcan might be the closest thing to a challenge that he’d seen since coming aboard the Infinity

“Would you like any assistance, Ensign?” Ahbath asked, strolling up to Joan and the Vulcan.

As a Klingon, Ahbath didn’t exactly have much practical experience with Vulcans, aside from what he’d learned at Star Fleet Academy. But, he had more medical experience than anybody on the ship, including Dr. Kent, and he felt more than equipped to handle this..

Taking a glance at the Vulcan’s brain scans, Ahbath noticed some sort of anomaly. Whatever this was seemed to be Neurological. A few possibilities were running through Ahbath’s head based on the patient’s apparent age, but he would need to know more about the symptoms before he made any sort of theories.

“What sort of symptoms is he suffering?” He asked, examining the brain scan closely.

[Dr. Ender Kent]

Having no intention of stepping in unless he was actually needed, Ender continued to observe from a few beds away, quietly noting the choices that were made and the questions that were asked.  He was not surprised to see someone join the Ensign, but pleased that it was one of the new members of the staff, already eager to jump in and get started.  Ender could appreciate that.

The Vulcan indicated that he had meditated just prior to coming to Sickbay and Ender waited for the Ensign to respond to the Klingon man's questions.

[Joan McCormick]

Joan heard someone else come up and then heard the question. She turned and found a new associate standing there eager to help. She hadn't worked with a Klingon before and wasn't sure what kind of assistance he would be.

"Sure, sir," she said not sure how else to respond. She had little knowledge of how to treat a Klingon except for to walk on eggshells around them if you didn't want something broken.

"Reports being ill for a couple of days, intense emotional control problems, along with unease and tension. Meditation doesn't help and the last time he meditated was before coming to see us," Joan reported to the Klingon. She figured she could get his name later when they weren't busy working on a case.

"Do any of your other symptoms go away when you meditate?" Joan asked turning back to the Vulcan. This was looking more and more like something she wasn't familiar with.

[LtJG. Ahbath]

Ensign McCormick seemed to have no trouble with Ahbath giving her assistance. She listed off the symptoms, all of which seemed to be rather common. She’d asked the Vulcan whether he felt better while meditating

Didn’t she just say that meditation doesn’t work?

Ahbath continued to examine the chart. He couldn’t quite identify the symptoms, but the symptoms had narrowed it down to only a few options. Neurological diseases like this tended to be either obtained through mental degeneration or, in the case of Vulcans, through Mind-Melds.

“Also, when the last time that you performed a mind-meld with another Vulcan?” Ahbath added.

[Dr. Ender Kent]

What had started off as good focus and questions Ender would have asked himself was beginning to seem to fly off in wild directions.  Ender was tempted to step in, he didn't want to make the poor man suffer longer than necessary, but decided to wait.  He thought that at least one of them had the right idea at one point, they just needed to get themselves back on track.

"No, as I informed you, meditation makes no substantial difference in the symptoms," the man informed her, flashing what might have been a cool look, but on a Vulcan every look seemed cool. "It has been twelve... thirteen... over one standard year since my last mind meld.  Please tell me if you are aware of what is wrong with me."

Ender found it curious that the man didn't know what it was himself, but he could ask questions about that later.

[Joan McCormick]

Joan felt herself getting a little nervous. She was doing her best to keep that in check though. She listened to what the Klingon had to say thinking that was a good question. She was only beating around the bush knowing she needed to get back on point. She heard what the Vulcan said.

"I have an idea, yes," she said hoping she wasn't blushing. So far there seemed to be only one thing that fit the case. She was hoping that the Klingon understood this and picked up on it.

"At first I thought it might be Bendii Syndrome as some of the symptoms match. You said though that you weren't feeling weak. So that can't be it. The only other logical one I seem to know of would be... um, perhaps you are in the middle of Pon Farr," she said feeling sheepish. She was a doctor after all. She should be able to just outright say it.

[LtJG. Ahbath]

Ahbath’s personal theory had been Pa’Nar Syndrome, a neurological disease that affected the Vulcan immune disease and was similar to Human HIV. However, it was spread through mindmelds and the symptoms would’ve shown up long before now.

He wanted to know what was wrong with him and honestly, Ahbath didn’t quite have an answer yet. He couldn’t quite think of anything that matched his symptoms. The Ensign had a couple guesses though, first saying that she had suspected Bendii Syndrome and then suggesting that it could be the Vulcan’s Pon Farr. Ahbath had frankly suspected neither of them, primarily because they seemed impossible.

“Bendii Syndrome is an extremely rare degenerative disease that only affects the elderly. He’d be way too young to be affected by it. I suppose that there are viruses that cause premature Pon Farrs, but honestly, I would hope that any adult Vulcan would be able to recognize those symptoms without coming to us…” Ahbath replied,

[Dr. Ender Kent]

Despite his obvious discipline, the Vulcan visibly tensed when the nurse mentioned Pon and narrowed his gaze at her, all at once taking on a very proud countenance.  This only intensified when the Klingon very blatantly stated that if it was Pon Farr, he should already have known the symptoms and expected it.  Ender subconsciously leaned forward, very curious to see how this little scene played out from here, but more than ready to step in when and if necessary.

"I will not experience that particular afflication," he stated matter-of-factly. "I am part of a group of Vulcans who underwent surgery and subsequent medicinal treatment as a child in order to avoid it.  There are several Vulcans older than I who have never been forced to experience it."

This definitely got Ender's attention and he was already on his PADD looking more deeply into the man's file to see if he had missed some mention of this in there.  He was tempted to step forward, but decided to continue to allow the nurses to work with the man.  Ender was fairly certain the man was in Pon Farr and now this explained why he wouldn't have realized it.  It was up to the nurses now to concretely diagnose it and make their next steps.

[You guys are able to NPC the patient as well, especially as you now know that he is meant to be exhibiting signs of early Pon Farr. Feel free to write him into your posts.]

[Joan McCormick]

"Well I must have missed that part about elderly Vulcans. As for Pon Farr it is possible for Vulcans not to realize. Especially if it's the very first time," she said to Abath first. Meditation hadn't been working which worried her. She had read that it sometimes helped to cure this. She was worried about the other ways.

Joan heard what the Vulcan said. She used her padd to look up his medical records, which she should have done in the first place. She was mentally kicking herself for not doing this before. She marvelled at this.

"Why would you do such a thing? Pon Farr is a natural element in the Vulcan culture. What medicines did you take to overcome this? It seems something went wrong. There are no other Vulcan afflictions that match your symptoms. Something must have pushed this back into your system or you need another treatment from before," she said not believing her ears. It was like a human having their sexual organs removed. She just couldn't understand why.

(OOC: Sorry I'm not so good at writing Vulcans...)

[LtJG. Ahbath]

Ahbath had not expected the Vulcan’s response that he had never gone through Pon Farr. He’d never heard of any of these treatments, nor had he expect a species as “logical” as the Vulcans to willing neuter themselves for the sake of avoiding a sept-annual mating cycle. Especially considering the fact that the Vulcan population was low enough as it was after that Romulan destroyed their home planet many years ago.

Ugh… Vulcans...

With that, Ahbath found himself agreeing with the Ensign’s diagnosis. Pon Farr was the only thing that Ahbath knew of which fit the symptoms. Had it not been for his assumption that the Vulcan would be intelligent to recognize the most famous disease known to his species, Ahbath likely would’ve suggested it himself.

“Just because you do not know of any Vulcan diseases that match my symptoms does not mean that there aren’t any that exist. So stop trying to diagnose me with something I cannot possibly have and try to identify a disease that I actually can get!!!” The Vulcan snapped, his voice a bit shaky as he addressed the tow with contempt in his voice.

“All the same, I’ll be taking a blood scan now.” Ahbath said calmly, reaching for his medical tricorder “If it is Pon Farr, it will show up on the scan.”

“It is not Pon Farr… Vulcan medical procedures do not backfire and I refuse to believe that…” The Vucaln continued. Ahbath however ignored him and started the scan, waving the tricorder around the Vulcan’s body. Before the Vulcan had even finished speaking, the Tricorder had finished it’s scan.

Ahbath checked out the scan, allowing Joan to read it as well. There was a lot of activity going on in the Vulcan’s bloodstream and Ahbath was able to recognize the hormone that tended to be responsible for Pon Farr. Joan’s diagnosis was certainly correct. However, they still did not know why this Pon Farr had occurred for a man who had taken great measures to prevent it.

[Dr. Ender Kent]

Ender was also very surprised by the man's response, but he actually could understand the desire to get out from behind a period where one was forced to have sex, go through a painful medical process, or die. After all, it wasn't as though it was the only time they could mate.  So, to him, it made sense and he was more surprised that they hadn't been trying to get out from under it a long time earlier, however this was clearly either being done without the Vulcan government's sanction or being kept very tightly under wraps. He didn't like not having the full medical history of anyone on the ship.

The two medics seemed to be handling the situation pretty well, though.  So Ender continued to stay out of the way and tried looking more deeply into this procedure that he'd never heard about before.