The cure

Posted on Fri Sep 29th, 2023 @ 10:48pm by Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant Sekat MD

1,315 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 6 - Point Of Enlightenment
Location: Sickbay

ON:

Mel and the majority of her staff had been up all night. The bulk fielding triage and herself and Sekat running multiple tests trying to synthesise and power up somewhat Peter Horns antibodies made in conjunction with the nanites in his system.

She chugged back a coffee. Her only one as she was pregnant. But she needed it now. "Sample 87," she said loudly the tiredness in her voice.

She pressed the buttons and allowed the computer to do its thing working out the probability of success. It didn't go red. She ran it again just to make sure.

"Sekat .... Come look ... I think we might have got it."

As fast as his handicap allowed him, the Vulcan made his way over to his boss. "I assume your friend is not yet tired of us using us we guinea pig?" He asked as his eyes first glanced across the pregnant woman, before looking at the screen. "They are attacking the virus," he noted. "With difficulty, it seems but it is a very good start. I still do not understand his immune system but you have served with him a long time. How does this work? How can he...survive when others are close to death or already dead."

"His nanites help give his immune system an edge," Mel said simply. "We don't fully understand the programming. I think its time to test this on Peter. See if this will give him the boost further to manage to crush it. If we leave things much longer we are going to no longer have the room or equipment to keep putting the people suffering the worse in statis."

From inside his suit, the Vulcan nodded. "And if it works, we give it to the others? And ourselves just in case?" He asked as he studied the data. It did look very promising and they really had no time to spare.

Melanie nodded. "First to Peter. And then Lyras. We can work on further refining it alongside but yes speed is of the essence."


A little later .....

"Peter how do you feel?" Mel said standing over her old friend scanning.

"I have been better," Peter answered in an attempt at sounding humorous, "but you know I have also been worse. I am, however, getting a little tired of being a guinea pig. Have you managed to achieve a break-through? Can you save my son?"

"I am hoping so. Your nanites were creating an antibody but it wasn't powerful enough to purge all of the virus in you. You were the breakthrough. We have managed to synthesise it and I have injected you with a large dose to boost your immune system. It looks to be working."

She showed him the monitor where levels of the virus in his blood was slowly being irradicated. "I think you're going to feel better soon. At the rate you're going, hopefully in a couple of hours. I want to test it on Lyras next and once I know its working for someone without your nanites then I will with your permission inject Ilyas."

Peter nodded slowly. "Ilyas should have inherited nanites when he was born, as far as I know he did. I do not understand why they do not work as they are with me." Obviously, since he was no doctor and had no knowledge on medical matters. "Will you require more blood from me?" He extended his arm just in case, even though he was getting really tired of being poked and prodded. "Lyras is a hybrid too, if it works on him it will most definitely work on Ilyas and any other hybrid."

"He's young and his immune system still developing, and he's a hybrid of two biologies. Its a little more complicated. But he's your son and has both yours and Harley's strength," she comforted him.

"Nurse Jennings, stay with Commander Horn and keep monitoring him. Sekat you and I will get Lyras out of stasis and see if this is viable as a cure," Mel said.

The Trill walked with Sekat to the statis chamber. "40cc of Tzeptozen should do it," she said preparing the computer to inject into the statis unit. Then she stepped back and waited for the computer to start showing vitals and for Lyras to regain consciousness.

"Cross everything," she said to Sekat.

"Cross everything, what?" Sekat answered, arching an eyebrow in confusion as he watched the readings. "He is coming back to consciousness, but his readings are dangerously low," he reported as he studied the young man inside. "Do you have the antidote on hand? You should inject it as soon as I lift the lid. He will die, if we do not inject him within seconds."

Mel nodded and pulled an already prepared hypo out of her pocket. Allowing Sekat to lift the lid she immediatly placed it to Lyras neck.

"Its a human figure of speech, you usually cross fingers for luck but cross everything is kinda next level stuff," she explained. "Ian used to say it.

Lyras, Lyras can you hear me?"

"Ah..." Sekat stepped back to allow Lyras some room.

The young man inside the stasis unit stirred and slowly opened his eyes. "Am I dead?" he whispered as he glanced up at the people staring down at him. He lacked the strength to sit up or even move much, his pallor speaking volumes. "I do not feel well."

"You are not in Sha Ka Re or Vorta Vor or whatever version of paradise you adhere too yet," Mel said. "You have been infected by a modified version of Symbalene blood burn but we think we have a treatment now. We just injected you with it," Mel said.

She looked at his vitals and brought up the same they were running for Peter. "Its decreasing," she said, "slowly but starting to decrease, the virus levels." She finally after several days allowed herself to smile.

"A cure?" Lyras made a valiant effort to sit up, but failed. "The bloodburn has no cure, how did you...." His surprise, and his relief, were evident on his sweaty face. "How many died? How long was I...out?"

Sekat touched Melanie's arm with a gloved hand. "I will leave you for a moment. I need to excuse myself, this is..." He shook his head. "Please excuse me." Without further explanation, the older Vulcan walked off.

Mel watched him curiously. That was odd. Turning back to Lyras she said, "Its a modified version designed to attack Vulcanoid biology. Its been like a bad case of flu for other species. I don't know if what we did would work for the original condition. But look, its slowly eradicating it from your system. We have a viable treatment for this variant."

"It is a start," Lyras answered. "If I am going to be well, you should not dwell here doctor. You are in no condition to....remain on your feet too long." Barely saved, and already slipping back into doctor mode. "Surely, there are others that still need saving."

"Ilyas next and then I promise I will delegate and take a rest. My feet are swelling up and its starting to smell in this bio hazard suit," she told him. Not to mention how badly she needed to pee, but she didn't say that outloud. She was pregnant. She always wanted to pee.

"Sit tight. I'll assign a nurse to stay with you," she told him. Taking a 3rd cannister she loaded her hypospray once more and headed to the youngest Horn.

"Right Kiddo," she told him pressing the hypo to his neck. "This is going to make you feel better and then we will get you with your dad and start mass pumping this stuff out to inoculate the whole station. And then I think your due a treat. I think we all are."

OFF:

 

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