Unconscious

Surgery

            “You did exactly what I would have done. You saved his life, Riaan,” Phlox told her, putting a hand on her shoulder. He wasn’t the kind to offer physical contact without an emotion behind it. “In fact the seventy or so hours it’s been allowed the laceration to begin healing, the hematoma to absorb some, and all his vital functions to stabilize so I can actually do the surgery with minimal risk, such as it is, given the kind of surgery, you understand.”

            “It’s not just the brain injury, Phlox,” she reminded him.

            “Yes, we’ll address the internal and skeletal injuries as well.” Lieutenant Tanner came into sick bay.  “Good, Lieutenant, let’s get ready. Riaan, you need to leave. Go to your quarters, play with your children, sleep, and I will come get you when it’s over. Expect several hours.”

            “I have to be here!”

            “No, there are some things a wife shouldn’t see, and this is one of them. Now go.”

            “Phlox-“

            “Riaan, look at me,” Phlox commanded like a father. “Tanner and I will do this. Go.”

            “You’ve never worked with Tanner. You and I have worked together. Tanner and I have worked together.” Phlox shook his head.  She relented, but didn’t leave until she took a last look at Jon; she walked between Tanner and Phlox, touched each one on the shoulder and left the room.

Although early in the day, Branni and Annaa had already been for breakfast and come back to their quarters. They both seemed surprised to see her. Branni looked up from his PADD.

             “Mom, what’s going on? What are you doing here?”

             “Mamma, miss you.”  Ariannaa jumped up and ran headlong into her mother. “Where Papa? Miss Papa.”

             “He’s still on his mission, Pet.” The girl huffed and went back to her PADD activity next to Brannigaan. “Branni?” Riaan called him gently to join her.  They stepped away from the main living area where Ariannaa couldn’t hear.  “He’s going into surgery. Phlox said I had to leave.”

          “Good for Phlox. You need a break. We haven’t seen you for three days.”

            Riaan yawned, gave her son a brief hug, and made her way to an empty bed for a few hours of unconsciousness.

            She awoke early that afternoon with a renewed sense of hope. After a shower and clean clothes, she went to the mess to get a meal before she went to the sick bay. While she watched the stars pass by, she realized they were not headed for Earth anymore, but going in the opposite direction. When the heading changed she didn’t know, but from the mess, the center of the galaxy had been on the starboard – port out, starboard home.

Captain Mitchell entered the mess, saw Riaan and went up to where she sat.

         “You’re slumming, come on,” he told her, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. They went to the Captain’s Mess together; his steward promptly brought cold water and green grapes to the table before they even sat down.

           “How are you holding up?” Mitchell asked. “Have you been to sick bay this afternoon?”

           "No, Phlox threw me out, said he’d call me later.”

           “Good for Phlox. You take a break from being our doctor and be Jonathan’s wife for a while.”

           “We’re not married, Captain, you know that.”

           “It’s just a matter of paperwork, Doc.”

           “Is it? Is that all it is? Because I’m thinking it might be something else.”

            The captain looked sideways at Riaan. He was a rugged human, with a clipped close beard and sharp eyes. She didn’t think of him as good looking, but certainly normal enough. He wasn’t as tall as Jon, or as slim, but he treated her with respect at all times, never shouting even in the worst of situations.

            “What do you mean?” he asked. Riaan felt at ease with her captain. They’d come to know each other enough that she trusted his opinion, experience, and integrity. She sighed.

            “I’m probably just an emotional wreck right now.” The steward brought rolled sandwiches and hot vegetable soup to the table and promptly left. They started on the food and were silent for a minute. Riaan leaned on the table towards Mitchell, partly to be closer, partly to rest. “Do you know of someone at the 602 named Lorelei?”

             The captain covered his mouth with his hand, hoping to deflect her gaze away from his eyes and any other giveaway facial tics. He remained calm in the face of certain disaster as he always did, never giving away his hand. He anted up.

            “Um, yes, there’s a waitress there named Lori, she’s been there many years. Do you know her?”

            “No, but someone told me she came looking for me, then she tried to talk to Jon, and he had a guard placed at HQ? It’s such a dumb story but I know most stories start out with some kind of truth and I’m trying to get to the bottom of it.”

            “That is strange. What bothers you? I mean, did she come to see you as you or as a doctor? Maybe Jonathan left his credentials at the bar one night? I don’t see a problem.”

            “Did she and Jon have a relationship?” The captain recognized a pattern. 

            “Not that I know of,” he said plainly. One night did not a relationship make in Mitchell’s book. He started to get uncomfortable. “I’m sure he knows her just like the other officers do. We all know each other; it’s kind of the gathering place for Starfleet.” He tried to remain above the story as if it was a trivial thing, a passing piece of gossip that he didn’t have time to worry about.