"Encouragements Are An Essential Part Of Life"
[Previous post: "Executive Support", written by the astute Serena Switt]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Sickbay
Stardate: 60327.1610
Hypothermia or prolonged exposure to extreme cold can easily be fatal. Likewise, the lack of air can prove to be as deadly for the majority of humanoids, if not more. Strangely enough though the combination of the two might have been what had saved David.
Lea kept looking over the information obtained from her medical scans. David's skin showed a depletion of oxygen as did his lungs. Under normal circumstances this would have meant certain death. Thanks to the extreme cold though, the cellular degradation had been reduced to almost none. This had placed David's body in a deep state of near-death hibernation. The problem for Lea was to find a way to get him out of this frozen sleep without killing him.
Over the centuries a great deal of research had been done on Cryogenics. This work had lead to the successful freezing and thawing of small reptilians and mammals. The problem was that the human body had proven to be more complex and difficult to bring back to life. David's condition had not been as bad since his body still showed signs of activity. His heart was beating and his lungs were trading carbon-dioxide for oxygen. The rate at which they were doing so though had been a source of concern for Lea. Unless she could find a way to get his system back to par, David would go into shock.
For a moment Lea wondered if Richard had still been in there, somewhere. Lea could only hope that Susan had been correct when the Cns had said that there had been no traces of him. Brainwave scans were far from being 100% accurate, but it did offer a glimpse of hope to Lea. The CMO dreamt of putting this entire nightmare behind them so that they could return to their normal lives. Well as normal as the lives of people on an Intel ship which did not exist could be.
"Blood pressure is steadily rising, blood oxygenation shows a 12% increase," a nurse said. As good as the news was Lea could not rejoice. There was still a great deal of work to be accomplished and as much as Lea hated to admit it, the success was not in her hands. Lea could only do so much to help David, but the real work had to be done by him. As long as the large CEO held on to the will to live, his odds of surviving this would improve.
While everyone was busy debating the cause of David's vanishing act, Lea continued her work. The CMO didn't care who had done this to him or why, all that Lea cared about was to see the CEO get back to his feet. Worrying about the obstacles yet to come would only make her job that much more difficult. If Lea gave the upcoming court-martial and the possible future David faced any thought, the CMO might make a mistake. Her only responsibility was to David. To see him get better and be able to face the life that was ahead of him, regardless of how bad it may have appeared to be.
"Don't give up David," Lea whispered in David's ear. The act of reaching over his head had not been an excused, but since she had been there Lea figured that a little encouragement could not hurt. "I am not working this hard for you to slip away. So think warm thoughts and keep up the good fight. I'll have you back on your feet in no time."
Lea took a step back and looked at the purplish coloured man, almost hoping that he would react to her words. His body was in no shape to respond and his mind was in even worse shape. Yet Lea could not stop hoping to see a sign that David had been in there somewhere. That he was trapped inside that frozen body wanting for nothing more than to get out.
"Don't worry, he'll make it," Susan said, placing her hand on the shoulder of the CMO. The Cns had noticed the expression of concern on her friend's face. It had not required a diploma in advanced quantum mechanics to figure out what Lea had been thinking. And being the kind of friend she was Susan had offered her support based on her knowledge and intuition.
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Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Ensign Lea Summers 2005 post #462
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
