Handling Old Business

Posted on Friday, 3 July 2020 - 10:00pm by Lieutenant Ryan Rose MD

Mission: Operation: Jabberwocky
Timeline: MD 0-1

Ryan had been one of the first off the Standing Bear. He'd never been one to rush off for shoreleave, always staying on board to handle any last minute items. But this time he knew he needed to get off the ship and decompress. He found himself a room in the civilian section and holed up with a fiction novel. He ordered room service so he wouldn't even have to leave and just relaxed.

He woke up with pain all across his left side. Nothing unusual there, he had good and bad days with his ribs. The unusual bed was most likely the culprit this time. He got up gingerly and was about to just order breakfast and decide what to do with his day when his mind went a different direction. He'd been putting it off for almost 2 decades. They'd be here at least a week. With a proper surgical facility he could have the whole left rib cage replaced and be back on his feet before then. It made a lot more sense than the issue being forced in the future. It'd come damn close just on the last mission. If that rubble had come down a little harder...

He called in to make an appointment, and was told he could get a consult if he could get there in the next 15 minutes, they'd had a cancellation. Well that was a lot faster than he anticipated, but Ryan accepted, then quickly changed and headed to the massive medical facility the starbase had. He was jealous, but also knew that he preferred a smaller setting, where he could treat the whole patient, and actually knew them by name. Not just an endless list of case notes and diagnosis with no real soul being them.

Dr Emily Granier had eagerly asked to do the surgery yes please and right then please. Ryan had to keep from laughing at the eager young surgeon. He was even so crass as to ask about her experience. It was his body she wanted to go playing around in after all. Grainer had of course handed it over. From what she lacked in years, she certainly made up for in portfolio and specialists in bone stuff.

They had a lively discussion about about the scar tissue around his left lung until Emily sighed. "Ok, stop. Doctor Rose." She looked at him, pulled his scans away and then said. "Doctor Rose, I'd like to consult with you about Xavier St Cloud. Here are his scans." Ryan looked confused for just a moment, but then smiled. He got what she was doing now. "Ok, let's discuss Xavier." Once he looked at it as if it was a patient, not him, he could see her point. I'd recommend removing the top 20 mm of the apical posterior segment. That should avoid regrowth of keloid and should have no depreciating affect on the patients breathing."

"knew you'd agree." Emily smiled back. "Doctor Rose, I know this is a major procedure, but it's really not complicated. I have your records from the original trauma, and the only concerns I have are from your vitals immediately after surgery. It's impossible to know if they are from the anesthesia or the coma. So I recommend a different anesthesia, just to play it safe."

Ryan agreed with that, and the rest of the consultation went smoothly. "Ok. I know it's short notice, but I can arrange to do this later this afternoon. I'd rather not give you a chance to overthink it." She smiled. "You're making the right choice, and not to toot my own horn, but I'm great with bones."

"Alright fine."

Several hours later Ryan was riding the high of some very potent pain killers. He'd been moved from recovery into a regular room for observation. He also felt the after affects of a whopping dose of haldol, and knew he must have hared out at some point. He couldn't remember. Geez, he'd made a mistake. He should have gone to Earth, he should have done this in Monterey and let Beverly and Jack dote on him, let Amanda bring Rachel and end up with slobbery sticky toddler kisses. He tried to just let the drugs pull him back under, keep the demons at bay.

OFF