Glimmer of hope

Posted on Sun Sep 28th, 2025 @ 12:59pm by Captain Rylan Gray

1,214 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: A Silence of Friends
Location: Sickbay

“… vital signs on all of our patients have now stabilised as we continue with a hybrid treatment protocol.   As the infection itself clears, our next challenge will be treating the damage the fungal spores caused. For some this will require relatively minor treatment, for others there may be more intensive rehabilitation ahead.

Decontamination of the wider ship is also underway, allowing us to take back our ship, as Dr Vasquez put it.  Once we have confirmed the spores have been neutralised, containment measures can be lifted.

While everyone, myself included, is exhausted the mood in sickbay has changed.  Hope and optimism in place of uncertainty and the fear that we would fail a cure in time.  What has remained is a stead fast determination since this crisis began. Dr Ryan's staff have been a credit to him, even when the situation seemed dire. I will be recommending commendations for the medical and science departments, particularly Lieutenant Knight and Dr Vasquez.”

Ayryn Trynn paused, her gaze happening to fall on the fellow physician. Half an hour before, she had ordered Vasquez to take a break, get some sleep, some food - anything but be in the middle of the storm for a short time to have a chance to disconnect and breathe. Yet she could see the woman still diligently tending to Dr Ryan and was not in any way surprised.

What was that saying …. Two cats in a pod? No… peas… two peas in a pod.  Humans had some odd turns of phrase. Regardless, it seemed Vasquez had quite the attachment to the ship's Chief Medical Officer and had been a steadfast presence at his side throughout his treatment. Which did make Ayryn curious. Vasquez would have been a natural person for Ryan to turn to when the crisis began to unfold.  So why hadn't he? 

Certainly Commander Knox felt it odd.  Although perhaps he could have refrained from voicing his doubts out loud quite so often. Ayryn felt a momentary flash of irritation as she recalled the few conversations they had since his unexpected return but she closed her eyes, exhaled and reminded herself that many would consider someone in the role of ship's counsellor to be unable to step in and help in. That she had opted for psychiatry as a specialism disguised for many the years of intensive training, sacrifices and experiences to be standing here now.

“For now there is more work to do.   Computer end recording.”

The computer chirped in affirmation as Trynn took a deep breath and abandoned her own five minutes of self imposed exile from the fray. From a distance, a shift in the captain's biosigns had captured her attention and that interested her far more than recording a log nobody was likely to listen to unless this all went very very wrong. Her eyes tracked the spikes and dips, the scans already identifying where the infection had been irradicated, leaving behind damaged cells which could threaten to compromise vital organs.

Loading a hypo to stabilise the readings and make their commanding officer more comfortable, she saw a flickering of his eyelids as he began to wake. Yet it was clear he was having difficulty focusing and she tapped a control to slightly dim the lights to avoid blinding him. She debated on a mild sedative but opted to hold off, it was unlikely he would stay conscious for long and where possibly, the first rule was to always let the body try to heal naturally unless it posed a risk to the patient. She was willing to let this play out and it would be a good way to assess any potential cognitive impairment.

"Captain, you are in sickbay and safe. Can you hear me?" Ayryn said softly, keeping her voice calm and assured.

He swam upward, or so it seemed, struggling upward toward a melodic voice while lethargy, pulled at his weighted limbs, drawing him back and downward. His eyes moved beneath his closed lids as though searching the impenetrable darkness in which he had been ... trapped. His eyes popped open, an act of will, and tried to close again. He moved his head and limbs, slowly, in cautious experimentation before opening his eyes once more. "Sickbay," he repeated, his voice whisper-soft.

“Yes, sickbay,” Ayryn confirmed, placing a hand on his arm to gently discourage too much activity. Yet it was encouraging to see movement. “You were infected with fungal spores, along with Dr Ryan and other members of the crew. But we have a treatment which is clearly working well. However, you need to rest and be patient while we get you better. As much as that goes against the grain for most starship captains.”

She nodded for the nurses hovering nearby to disperse. Not wishing to overwhelm him with too many people. And once the fog cleared she expected he would have questions.

"Status ...," Rylan said. He felt as though he were bobbing in a black ocean with an undertow or maybe it was vines, thick and unseen, wrapping around his body trying to pull him back. "Ship ..."

It felt like she had been in a bubble, flitting between here and the medical lab, for so long she genuinely did not have much to share. And now was not the time to break the news about Commander D’Sai. Or even Commander Knox.

“Don’t worry,” she assured him as she administered a hypospray to ease signs of increased heart rate and respiration. Anxiety, she surmised. Worry for his ship and crew. “The ship is safe and your seat on the Bridge will be waiting for you when you are back on your feet. The crew is doing you proud. For now I need you to focus on one thing - and that is you. Doctor’s orders.”

Rylan nodded, succumbing, despite his best efforts , to the lethargy pulling him under, his eyes closing as he fell back into the endless depths once more.

Remaining by his side until his readings were stable, Ayryn glanced up as one of the medical technicians approached, loitering nearby and clearly trying not to interrupt. “No need, he is asleep and likely will be for a while,” she explained as she moved to join the Petty Officer. “What can I help you with?”

Holding a PaDD out towards her, Petty Officer Blake watched as she took it and began scanning the data. “Every sample we’ve gathered has same result,” he advised as he he rolled an aching shoulder. “Along with the science teams we’ve sampled every deck, crawled into some truly awful places … first time I’ve ever been grateful for the hazard suit.”

“Excellent work, all of you,” Ayryn said with a warm smile. “I’ll pass along the good news. Now go get that shoulder seen to.”

With two developments to share, she headed for Dr Ryan’s office once more. Opening a channel she smothered a yawn before contacting Commander Knox, curious to know if they had been able to make any progress with Striel. And at some point, somewhere, even she would have to find time to sleep.

OFF

Lt. Ayryn Trynn M.D.
Counsellor
USS Thunderbird

&

Captain Rylan Gray
Commanding Officer
USS Thunderbird

 

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