His Very Favorite Muscle

Posted on Fri Jul 1st, 2022 @ 9:56pm by Lieutenant Kennedy Ryan Walsh & Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai & Ensign Noah Balsam

Mission: Echoes and Effigies
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Mission Day 1 at 1930

[Sickbay]
[Day One]
[1630 hours]

The doors to Sickbay whispered open. And held. And held longer. The pause was long and pregnant, coming only with another hissing sound. This one wasn't pneumatic, but Human. Leaning into the doorframe, a skinny body in white pants and an open Gi began to limp inside. He was sweaty on his face and chest and pained eyes searched the main entry of Sickbay. "Computer, request the LMH." He stated, hoping to bring the holographic doctor into physical being.

Noah was clutching his groin and slid his feet without raising his knees toward the nearest holo-bed. A soft ow uttered his lips and then, with the next, he ghosted the same through his lips, but soundless. He braced on the bed and a rolling cart nearby with treatment gear and a few vials of medicine.

The near-Romulan figure of the LMH phased into existence a few feet from Noah, "Please state..." he began before pausing and frowning. "Oh..." He added, concern on his features. "Let me help you." With quick economical movements he came up next to Noah and threaded one holographic arm underneath the midshipman's arm. Between the two of them Noah was escorted to a bio bed and, with a bit of effort, finagled onto the surface of the thing. A medical tricorder seemed to appear from nowhere in the LMH's hand and he passed it quickly over the midshipman from head to foot while asking, "Can you state the nature of your... concern?"

Noah winced, biting his bottom lip. "I pulled my really favorite muscle or something," Noah wheezed out as he was escorted under only half his own power atop the biobed. He flopped his head back and grunted. "Ow. Ffff....fffudge what'd I do?" One knee he kept up- because it made it feel a little better. Still, he felt a little nauseous. He was breathing shallow and high in his lungs.

[ Chief Medical Officer's Office ]
[ Concurrently ]

Kennedy overheard a familiar voice coming from Sickbay with the LMH, "Computer, deactivate privacy seal."

The shroud that highlighted the three window-walled office lit open and he was able to have a better view of Sickbay. Midshipman Balsam. His friend was being attended to presently by the LMH. He quickly threw himself from behind his desk and in a single swoosh managed to slide on his doctor coat in a Clark Kent/Supermanesqe way... only a little less cool and, well, messy. He managed to make his way to Noah. He had already had his medical tricorder out of his pocket with the tool as he started to begin a full medical workup as the LMH guided him and helped him towards one of the far bio-bed. Kennedy interjected and guided with his head to gesture to the first bed available, "Bio-Bed 1."

He waited for Noah to get situated. He was extremely worried for his friend as his eyes shifted from his tricorder to his friend's face, "What happened?"

"Oh," it was between an oh and an ow as Noah renewed cupping his private area. "A-after we tried to track down the duplicate Lieutenant, I went back to the Holodeck to try and practice with a holographic partner." His dark eyes searched the two looming Doctors. "I went to do a... a kick I saw once in a movie." His brows popped and he re-settled his head. "Which was really... really... really dumb." His eyes closed in a quaking squint. "The hologram moved or something. That's parts a-a blur. I remember planting my-my foot and the hologram shifted. I think I stepped and twisted. And I felt something twang." His lips stumbled. "Maybe pop."

His bleary eyes settled on the LMH for a moment. "You- you come a fierce and fudging fast race of warriors." He nodded. Noah turned eyes on Kennedy. He had a knit of worry- or pain- at his nose bridge. "Sorry to interrupt your evening."

The LMH seemed to take the comment and pause for a moment as if unsure if it was a compliment or a criticism. "Thank you," he finally nodded, stepping out of Dr. Ryan Walsh's way. "Doctor, how would you like me to assist?"

"You're not interrupting anything, Noah." Kennedy's hands returned his equipment, "Now if you could please take your hands away from them?"

Kennedy offered the LMH a head nod in agreement for him to assist, "Could you get a pack of frozen peas?"

"Peas?" Noah's brows jumped up in surprise. "Wha-" His confused eyes turned on Kennedy. "Them, what them?" He eyed his hands. "You mean?" He lifted his hands up like he was being held by gunpoint- except on his back. "What're the peas for?"

"To ease down the swelling," Kennedy held himself from giggling due to Noah's reaction. "I can give you something for the pain but otherwise you should be fine."

The LMH's expression had also echoed Noah's reaction though he had gone to replicated the requested item and came back carrying the aforementioned peas. "I cannot find peas anywhere in my medical procedure files for pectineus or aductor longus treatment," he said neutrally to Kennedy as he handed them over. "Is this a... new treatment method?" The whole statement and question was delivered in a sort of childlike curiosity. He wasn't questioning the CMO so much as expressing his own lack of knowledge on the treatment.

Noah eyed the peas. "Uh. Can-can I have a treatment that's not from the nineteenth century?" He asked the two Doctors while he darted attention between the two of them. The weirdness of the day- encountering two doppelgangers which were just off momentarily spiked a sense of paranoia. He studied Kennedy. "You're joking right. Wi-with the peas?"

"Nice try but frozen peas didn't exist until the late twentieth century," Kennedy grinned while he offered his friend and former roommate the bag of frozen peas, "Just for now while I get the things I need to regenerate the strain on the boys."

Kennedy gestured with his eyes while he looked down at Noah's crotch and then back to his face. He couldn't keep a straight-face for the life of him.

Noah's studious eye narrowed- and slightly twitched- at Kennedy. And he dropped- gently- the plain white bag of rustling green nuggets down on where it hurt. "The boys want you to hurry, please," Noah pressed. "Now they're cold, and hurt." He twisted his mouth, "And probably a little hungry." He glanced at the LMH and rictused a thin, grimacing smile.

"How-how are your explorations into your new resources going?" He asked. Talking about holograms was a weakness. A siren's call. "K-Kennedy- I mean Doctor Walsh." He shook his hand in apology like he could erase the informality on duty. "I met LMH on Earth. It was my job to um, re-initialize him from the Adelphi for the Sojourner." He beamed pride toward the LMH. "Wait didn't I tell you this story?" Noah frowned. "I'll shut up."

The LMH fixed a kind smile on Noah. "It has been... interesting," he answered. "I have begun with familiarizing myself with the Romulan people to understand better how I might be perceived by those who have not seen me before. The entire history of my biological model is quite interesting."

Noah smiled, pained. "Well-well don't go too deep in execution. I don't think Absolute Candor would be the best bedside manner for a Doctor." He blinked and swallowed around the discomfort. "Have you talked to Doctor t'Nai about it? She's Romulan."

Kennedy moved to the medication dispenser and brought stuff to relieve the pain and picked up the dermal regenerator and placed it into his coat pocket. He pressed the hypospray without warning against Noah's neck and pressed the button, "Something for the pain."

Kennedy placed the hypospray into his doctor coat's pocket and moved between his patient's legs. He looked him in his dark brown eyes. This was the closest he's been to Noah. He was uncomfortable, yes, he was his friend. He was his patient. He made a gesture for the peas and set it aside. He ran the two pieces of the dermal regenerator from his coat and ran it across the muscles that the LMH had indicated were strained.

He finished, "Now Noah, you shouldn't do any more strenuous activities such as martial arts or anything like that for at least forty-eight hours. No sex either, you may re-injure yourself." He grinned at his friend, "And you should bring the frozen peas. You should continue to ice them for 30 minutes when you get back to your quarters."

The feeling of pulled muscles, even sprained tendons, reknitting themselves was strange. Like ants- something smaller than ants- were buzzing or tapping under his skin. Noah flexed and unflexed his hands until he heard the zip of the dermal regenerator say it was deactivated. The feeling was still there and thanks to the pain killers, the throb was less. "That's better," Noah admitted. And he nodded at the restrictions on his physical activities. "OK," was all he said agreeably. The haunting feeling of the pain was enough to stifle any desire of those choices.

Noah's fingers wrapped the peas. He raised them and gave them a slight shake- they rattled. "Dinner's on me." He deadpanned with a smirk.

Kennedy couldn't wipe off the stupid smirk that came across his features. He shook his head, "Those are complimentary Starfleet Medical-issued now-lukewarm frozen peas. Enjoy, but do let me know if you... suffer any more pain. And we'll happily take another look."

Noah turned his planning smirk into a genuine smile at that. He nodded. "I-I will." The skinny one rose and gave the Doctor a side hug with a bump of his hip. 'L-LMH, want to play some chess at Debbie's later?" He asked.

Kennedy grinned and chuckled when Noah's shoulder nudged and hugged against him. He was glad that the two of them were reconnecting as friends, "I will take on the victor."

The LMH had looked on, opting not to answer Noah's question about the Emni t'Nai while treatment was underway. Now that they had completed, though, he offered the midshipman what he believed was an approximation of an appreciative nod. "I would... enjoy... that," he said and then added, "And Dr. t'Nai has been most instructive when she has time."

Noah agreed with a nod. "Well I-I mean, she brought you into the lab so we could debrief you and upgrade you. She's kind of your adopted Mom. At-at this point." Gingerly Noah slid off the bed as his loins still did ache and feel overused. "See you at home," he shook the bag of peas. He didn't elaborate on how- or why- since Kennedy had his own quarters now. He nodded at the LMH. "Will see you for a game at Debbie's."

Noah departed under his own power, still fearful of pain or relapse as he very cautiously walked out. And he fulfilled his promise. When Doctor Walsh finally reached his quarters, there was a bowl of buttered peas and chopped onions in the receptacle. On the replicator's main screen was plain LCARS-interface text that said, OK it's not technically from the same bag.

A Joint Post By:

Midshipman Noah Balsam
Computer Systems Specialist
USS Sojourner

Lieutenant Commander Emni t'Nai (playing as the LMH)
Executive Officer
USS Sojourner

Lieutenant Kennedy Ryan Walsh
Chief Medical Officer
USS Sojourner