The Truths We Carry

Posted on Mon Oct 21st, 2024 @ 8:49am by Lieutenant Katherine "Kit" Vulpes & Lieutenant Commander Michael Ki

1,330 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: In Between
Location: Medical

Kit gave a smile--albeit a forced one--to the nurse as she was escorted back to one of the medical suites. She slipped off her shoes, tucking them out of the way as she sat on the edge of the biobed. Her heartbeat roared in her ears, and while she wasn't focused at all on what the nurse was saying, she nodded as if she was.

She'd started undergoing the neural scans two years ago. Kit had been the same age her mother was when her symptoms arose. Her mother, and her grandmother, and many of the women in her family line all started to show signs of early dementia or mental illness in their thirties. Medical care on her colony world was nothing like what Starfleet could provide, and she'd been insistent at her last posting of starting the tests early in her life. Whatever it was that plagued her family's medical history, she was determined to catch it early. If she was lucky, maybe Starfleet could provide some answers.

She was brought back to the present conversation with a gentle touch on her arm from the nurse. "I'm sorry," Kit said, forcing another smile. "I was thinking about the upgrades I'm hoping to implement down in Engineering."

Michael strolled into the examination suite with a PADD that contained the complete medical file of the Chief Engineer. He smiled as he began to speak the warmth of his last glass of sake giving him comfort. "Lieutenant Vulpes it is a rare treat to see you. Although, I wish it was not here. An empty Sick Bay is the best Sick Bay. Now, what seems to be the problem?"

Kit could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears. She gripped the edge of the biobed with both hands, took a deep breath, and once again forced a smile. "Nothing is a problem--yet," she clarified. "I'm due up for my next neural scan. It's been six months since my last one." Six months to the day. She set her calendar with half a dozen reminders to ensure she didn't miss it--though she likely wouldn't admit that the reminders were unnecessary.

Kit gestured with her head to the PADD in his hand. "My file should show that I started these scans on my 30th birthday."

Just as she said it Michael noticed the notation that she spoke of. "Yes I can see here that your scan six months ago was clear and perfect. If you would like I can do the scan now to alleviate the anxiety that you seem to be experiencing." He attempted to sooth her and make her relaxed. He knew that the scan was merely a formality. Michael was confident that they would not find anything this time either.

Kit let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. It was hard not to be tense sitting in medbay. She gave a nod, sliding her body back so her legs were extended on the biobed. "I appreciate it, Doc. I'd prefer to catch it early."

"Agreed..." Michael said as he began the scan. Truth was he would rather catch it early as well, that is if there is anything to catch. As of this moment Michael made it his mission to make sure nothing would happen to her. He was after all a diagnostician and curing the incurable is his way. He looked at the data read out. "So far your're as healthy as an ox. Tell me have you experienced any symptoms?" Having watched her family with the disease Michael figured that she would know best what to look for.

Kit gave a wry, nervous chuckle. "When I start showing symptoms, you'll know." Her fingers fiddled with the seam of her pants as she stared up at the Medbay ceiling. "Talking at length with supposed apparitions that nobody else can see, carving strange symbols into the furniture and the walls--" She swallowed hard against the lump in her throat. "Eventually being driven so wild by your own madness that you're locked away or seated into a stupor. It's--" Kit gave a quiet sigh. "It's always the women."

Michael took note of everything that she had said. All of this would be important if he were to look into this ailment. There were many records of things only affecting one gender or another. "So, am I correct that you are stating this only affected your female relatives? That it was hallucinations that drove them to the brink." He looked at the scanner and everything still seemed normal. "Tell me... Are there any medical records available from your relatives that I could look at?"

"Unfortunately, the residents of Caldos pride themselves on simplicity of living. Aside from the planet's environmental control systems, modern technology is non-existent. No replicators, wood stoves for heating and cooking..." Her fingertips tapped out a rhythm on the biobed as she continued staring up at the ceiling. "There was no hope for me on my homeworld, other than to wait for the inevitable. I got passage off-planet at sixteen. When I left, I was the only living female relative. I have three older brothers who are married, but...I haven't kept in contact with since I left. If I have any nieces at this stage, I'm not sure they'd be open to any kind of medical research."

"Well then we will have to work with what we have. I will contact Caldos and see if there are any hardcopy records. Even people who shun technology keep some sort of records. I am also going to take a bio sample from you to run tests on. That is of course if it is okay." Michael looked at his patient. This seemed like a puzzling medical issue. However, he had heard of a number of illness that could only affect men or just women. So, there was a place to start with a differential diagnosis.

Kit seemed deep in thought for a while. "If there was someone in the family that might help, it would be Malcolm--he's the youngest of my older brothers. I left home fifteen years ago, and he was the one to buy my passage off-world. There's never been a letter exchanged between us, but he still sends a crate to the Starbase I first landed at once a year." She finally turned her head to look at the Doc. "Maybe he could find any family records--if there are any to be had."

Michael smiled sympathetically. "Well then he will be where my hunt will begin. Do I have your permission to contact him and take a bio sample from you?" Michael Ki had a diagnostic theory that almost always proved true. That theory was that patients, all patients, lie. At the moment he wondered what Katherine was not telling him. No matter what it was he always found the truth and had no doubt that he would do the same in this case.

Kit let out a quiet sigh and nodded. She'd never told her family that she'd gone to the Academy, joined Starfleet, and certainly hadn't relayed her ship postings to anyone back home. But now she had her own life and career, and couldn't be beholden to anyone in her family. She'd already secured her end-of-career plan should she need an early retirement for medical reasons. "Yes, you have my permission--for both."

Michael nodded and picked up a hypospray. In a swift and deft movement he had withdrawn a number of ccs of blood. He also had the bio scanner make a comprehensive deep scan of her entire body. "I will review the findings and make contact with Malcolm. In the meantime I would think nothing of it if I was you. Of course I will let you know of my findings."

Think nothing of it? Kit gave another forced smile as the exam completed, knowing that she would do nothing BUT think about it over the next few days.

 

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