From: Christine Fontaine 
Date: Tue, 11 Mar 1997 21:26:22 -0500
Subject: USS CHESAPEAKE: Sickbay: ENS Keyrin's Physical

SD 90311.2123
MD 02.1520
Scene: Sickbay: CMO's Office
Lieutenant Commander Catherine Ledoux was back at her desk, going over more 
files.  Once again, the French Canadian vet was discovering that she really 
missed Anna's assistance - the REGENT's anticipatory computer system had 
been a great help when it came to cataloguing and organizing data.  Now, 
Catherine had to perform all of those tasks herself.
Then there was the status report that she had to prepare for Commander 
Brennan.  Releasing a sigh, Catherine knew that the report would have to 
wait until after the medical staff meeting.  Until then, she really wouldn't 
have a good grasp of her sickbay and her staff.
Tucking a loose curl behind one ear, Catherine rose from her desk, making 
her way to the replicator that was conveniently located in her office.  
Ordering a cool glass of orange juice, Catherine had just taken her first 
sip when her door chime rang.
Crossing back to her desk, Doctor Ledoux set her juice glass down then 
reseated herself before announcing, "come."
Nurse Carol Moore entered her office, looking worried, even anxious.  All 
traces of the Ensign's usual good humour were gone.
"Nurse Moore, is something wrong?" Catherine asked, her voice filled with 
concern.
"Ensign Keyrin, the Chief Security Officer, is here for her physical," Carol 
announced, her voice flat.
A look of surprise flashed across the vet's face.  This was the second 
officer who had reported in voluntarily for a physical examination that day! 
 Shaking her head in wonder, Doctor Ledoux could hardly believe it.  Then, 
she recalled the troubled look gracing the nurse's countenance.
Reaching out for her glass of orange juice, Catherine took a small sip 
before rising from her seat.  Walking over to Carol, the vet touched the 
nurse lightly on the arm.  "What's wrong?" Catherine asked, her voice soft 
and full of compassion.
"Its Ensign Keyrin," Nurse Moore replied, her tone devoid of all expression. 
 "The scars..." she paused, shaking her head, "I've never seen such scars..."
Swallowing, Catherine put on her best 'Chief Medical Officer's' face.  "I'll 
take care of it, Nurse Moore," she said, displaying a confidence that she 
certainly didn't feel.  "Why don't you take a short break," Catherine added, 
her voice soft but kind.
"Thank you Doctor Ledoux, I think I'll do that."
As Nurse Moore left the office, Catherine returned to her desk and called up 
Ensign Keyrin's medical file.  After carefully perusing it, she found no 
mention of any scarring, severe or otherwise.  Although, judging by Ensign 
Moore's reaction, the scarring had to be severe.
After quickly downloading the file to a PADD, Catherine prepared herself to 
face the worst.  Throughout her career both as a vet and as a Starfleet 
Officer, Doctor Ledoux had seen many disturbing and disgusting sights.  Many 
people found it hard to believe that such a shy, sensitive and emotional 
person could deal with such ugliness, yet Catherine possessed an inner 
strength, like a rod of steel passing through her core, that allowed her to 
endure.  At such times, she encased herself in armour, a hard, outer shell 
that allowed nothing to penetrate.
Right now, Catherine donned her armour, assuming a role of quiet, calm 
professionalism.  Thus equipped, she headed out into the main sickbay, the 
PADD containg the Security Chief's medical file grasped in one hand.
Approaching the examination room where Ensign Keyrin waited, Doctor Ledoux 
took in a few deep breaths to calm and centre her mind.  If Nurse Moore's 
reaction was any indication, the scars she was about to see would not be a 
pleasant sight.
And they weren't.
Clad in only her uniform pants and a light tank top, the scars covering 
Aelyria's torso were clearly visible.  Long, thick scars, too numerous to 
count at first glance, cris-crossed the Ensign's upper body.  Pulling her 
gaze away from the scars, Catherine forced herself to look at Aelyria's face.
Maintaining her composure, Doctor Ledoux greeted Aelyria.  "Thank you for 
reporting in so promptly for your medical exam, Ensign Keyrin," Catherine 
stated, her voice quiet but calm.
"You're welcome,"  she said brusquely.  "There's nothing wrong, doctor.  I'm
not sure why the nurse was so upset.  Apparently my incident back home
didn't make the medical files..."  
"Nurse Moore informed me of your injuries," Doctor Ledoux replied, her 
voice still soft.  "I've reviewed your medical files and I can't find any 
mention of them there."  Her voice now filled with compassion, she asked, 
"could you possibly tell me how you were injured?"  Cheeks flushed a pale 
pink she added quietly, "but only if you want to."
Keyrin sighed and leaned back a bit, gathering her strength for another
reliving of an unpleasant experience.   "I was fifteen, almost a year after
my father died, and walking home from a friend's house one day.  It was
getting late.  I knew it would be dark by the time I made it home so I
called ahead to let my parents know I was starting out.  
"I was about five miles from home when I came upon a gang of young,
rough-looking guys.  There were about twelve of them, hanging out in the
street.  About half of them looked stoned out of their mind.  I didn't want
to go through them, so I crossed to the other side of the street... but I'd
already attracted their attention and they began to follow me.  
"It wasn't long before they caught up and surrounded me.  They tried to put
their arms around me, tried to pick me up.  They promised me all sorts of
drug highs if I'd come along with them and let them have a good time.  
"I knew I was in a bad situation and I tried to walk faster, get away.  I'd
have gone into a shop but they were already all closed for the day.  When
they saw I wouldn't have any of their tricks, they began to rough me up, and
before I knew it, they were dragging me into a back alley... "  
She had to stop for a moment.  The memories were coming thick and fast and
her body was reliving the entire fight-or-flight adrenaline response of
those minutes.  She struggled hard to get her breathing back under control.
After a long moment, she was able to continue, grounding herself in the
doctor's bright blue eyes, using the sight of them as a contact with the
here-and-now.  
"I started to really fight back, and I think it surprised them that I was a
skilled fighter.  My ninjitsu helped, and I was able to ward them off for
the first few attacks, but they were armed and I wasn't, and I was far
outnumbered.  They started ripping my clothes off me and slashing at me with
every instrument they had --"  she stopped, swallowed hard.  
"I kept fighting but eventually I lost so much blood that I blacked out.  I
woke up in severe pain, alone, bleeding to death with my clothes lying in
shreds around me.   By that time it was very late, and cold.  I didn't have
the strength to move so I laid there and hoped I would die soon ... but
about an hour later the cops found me and took me to the emergency room."
All through Aelyria's recitation Catherine keep her features guarded, not 
showing the horror that she felt as she listened to the young woman's tale, 
yet letting her sympathy and compassion shine in her sapphire eyes.  Ensign 
Keyrin's account disturbed her, disturbed her a great deal, and Catherine 
could not even begin to imagine the agony that the Security Officer had 
endured.  Not only physically, but psychologically as well.  
"I'm so sorry..." the words were inadequate, but they were all that the 
doctor could find.  "Thank you for your honesty," Catherine stated softly, 
compassionately.  
Brushing a loose curl off her forehead, Catherine looked into Aelyria's 
glistening eyes.  "You never received proper treatment for your wounds."  
It was part question, part statement.  Surely, if the lacerations had been 
tended to they would not have left the deep scars that Ensign Keyrin now bore.
Tears were slowly dripping from Aelyria's eyes as she concluded the grisly 
tale.  Catherine wasn't sure if the CSO had even heard her almost-whispered 
words. 
"Once at the medical facilities," Aelyria stated, "they gave me emergency 
contraception and stitched up what they could -- but the knives the boys 
used were coated with an epithelial toxin that fought skin regeneration 
and it took weeks to heal.  When the nurse found out, she told me..."  
Aelyria wanted to gag from the bitter taste.  "She told me I was lucky 
they hadn't slashed my beautiful face, that I should be grateful I still 
have my looks if I didn't have my chastity."
Catherine closed her eyes, unable to imagine all that the young woman had 
been through.  Filled with sympathy for all that Aelyria had endured, there 
was nothing that she could say.  Not many people could have survived such 
brutal treatment, but Aelyria had.  Admiring the young Ensign's strength and 
endurance, Doctor Ledoux looked back at the Security Chief.
The patient ran her hands through her hair, shaking some of the tenseness
from her muscles.  "Real nice planet, huh?  Sad thing was I'm just another
statistic.. happens in some form or another to almost every girl at some
point.  The doctors and girls both expect it.  My mother and I didn't.  I
suppose maybe I should have.
"So you can enter that in your medical files if you want;  I really don't
care anymore.  Just one more reason I joined Starfleet, I suppose..."  
Wearily, more upset than she dared let show through her professional 
demeanour, Catherine glanced down at the PADD that was clutched in one 
white-knuckled hand.  Making a few discrete notations in Aelyria's file, she 
gently asked, "did you receive any counselling?"  
Keyrin gave her characteristic snort of derision.  "Between that rape and my
father's death, doctor, I received more *counseling* than I could stomach.
Or maybe I should refer to it as merely sessions to determine that I still
needed to be on tranquilizers."
Catherine nodded sympathetically.  It seemed that the officers serving 
aboard the CHESAPEAKE had had more than their share of unpleasant 
experiences with counsellors, Doctor Ledoux herself among them.  *This is 
certainly a day for confessions* she thought to herself, wishing that she 
had more training in counselling.  Since Catherine's primary training was in 
veterinary medicine, Doctor Ledoux felt ill-equipped to deal with 
psychological scars.
Laying down the PADD, Catherine spoke once again, her voice soft.  "Thank 
you for your honesty, Aelyria."  Glancing up at the young officer, she 
gently added, "reliving those memories couldn't have been easy."  Catherine 
was speaking from experience, for she was plagued with ghosts of her own.
Having decided that continuing with Ensign Keyrin's medical examination 
would not be worthwhile, considering her physical response while recounting 
her experiences, Catherine endeavoured to come up with a tactful way of 
postponing the exam.  Not only that, but the vet could already see some of 
the tell-tale signs that the Chief of Security was overworking herself.
"Now, since it appears that your body has been under some stress," Catherine 
finally said, "why don't you try to take care of yourself and report back in 
for a physical within the week."
Brusquely, Keyrin assented, and, after donning her uniform shirt, hopped off 
of the biobed and headed out of sickbay.
Catherine, watching the young Ensign leave, wondered what other surprises 
could be dropped in her lap that day.

Respectfully submitted,
Chris Fontaie                           Lynnaea AelCaymarth
LCDR Catherine Ledoux, DVM              ENS Aelyria Keyrin
Chief Medical Officer                   Chief Security Officer
USS CHESAPEAKE                          USS CHESAPEAKE
<< NRPG >>
Yep, another joint post! :)  This one brought to you by the combined efforts
of Lynn and Chris. :)

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