The Path to Reparation [Archangel/Thelos]

Thelos th'Zhela wrote:

Thelos glanced over at the biobed over his shoulder after his antenna had detected movement behind him. He was just finishing sterilizing and sorting his tools, his red surgical garb removed and recycled back into the replicator.

"Ah, welcome back, Archangel. How do you feel?"

It was good to see the Andorian back in his uniform and not in the red surgical clothing that they made surgeons wear. It had started to become an insult to the eyes before she had been put under. Red did not go with blue.

Dragging her head back into the present rather than let it wander off into far-off thoughts, she focused on the question Thelos had just asked her. "Groggy," she answered honestly. "A little sore."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

It was good to see the Andorian back in his uniform and not in the red surgical clothing that they made surgeons wear.  It had started to become an insult to the eyes before she had been put under.  Red did not go with blue.

Dragging her head back into the present rather than let it wander off into far-off thoughts, she focused on the question Thelos had just asked her.  "Groggy," she answered honestly.  "A little sore."

Three light little clicks indicating the sounds of chrome against metal filled the four-second silence from Thelos. The last of his hypos and scalpels were put back where they belonged, and the used disposable equipment had been dealt with. The Andorian rubbed his hands together lightly before reaching for a tricorder.

"Well, that's to be expected. I have you on painkillers as before... but I can ncrease the dosage if the discomfort becomes too severe," the doctor said as he ran the opened tricorder over Archangel. "Everything went smoothly. The joint was replaced without too much trouble... and I reiterate the importance of you remaining off your leg for three days, and then taking it relatively easy for seven after that." Please, for the love of the elements I hear you speak of, work with me on this.

The Romulan on the biobed propped herself up on her elbows as she looked at Thelos.  It was good to hear that the surgery had gone according to plan, that her knee was now whole once more and would be more resistant than it had been since her struggles against Jarris had caused the original injury.

Her concern, however, came at the reminder about how long she was to stay off her leg.  She looked at the replaced joint, lifting the limb from the biobed and flexing it.  Some part of her mind still expected to feel the shooting agony and grinding bone that had been her lot for the past few days.  Satisfied that there was nothing more than a tolerable amount of pain, she sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Thelos, but thank you for the concern."

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

The Romulan on the biobed propped herself up on her elbows as she looked at Thelos.  It was good to hear that the surgery had gone according to plan, that her knee was now whole once more and would be more resistant than it had been since her struggles against Jarris had caused the original injury.

Her concern, however, came at the reminder about how long she was to stay off her leg.  She looked at the replaced joint, lifting the limb from the biobed and flexing it.  Some part of her mind still expected to feel the shooting agony and grinding bone that had been her lot for the past few days.  Satisfied that there was nothing more than a tolerable amount of pain, she sat up, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

"I don't think that'll be necessary, Thelos, but thank you for the concern."

The tricorder was placed back down as the doctor observed Archangel testing out her knee. It didn't seem to be causing her too much pain... although, with a Romulan you could rarely be sure. Them and Vulcans... always hiding their pain. Thelos knew it wasn't hereditary, really... but... it sure did feel that way. Things were merrily going until Archangel decided she didn't want to heed his warnings.

Thelos's antenna twitched and his face lit up with concern. Immediately, the Andorian shuffled himself in front of Archangel's biobed, effectively halting her. Like hell if he was going to let her immediately wreck all the hard work he'd just done. "Captain," he stressed, "My 'suggestion' of rest isn't really a suggestion. It's an effective order. You must stay off your leg or you'll bust it again... and be back here again for another surgery and an even longer recovery time. The reason you don't think it's necessary is because you're on a load of painkillers, and because I did a good job putting you back together."

Thelos th'Zhela wrote:

The tricorder was placed back down as the doctor observed Archangel testing out her knee. It didn't seem to be causing her too much pain... although, with a Romulan you could rarely be sure. Them and Vulcans... always hiding their pain. Thelos knew it wasn't hereditary, really... but... it sure did feel that way. Things were merrily going until Archangel decided she didn't want to heed his warnings.

Thelos's antenna twitched and his face lit up with concern. Immediately, the Andorian shuffled himself in front of Archangel's biobed, effectively halting her. Like hell if he was going to let her immediately wreck all the hard work he'd just done. "Captain," he stressed, "My 'suggestion' of rest isn't really a suggestion. It's an effective order. You must stay off your leg or you'll bust it again... and be back here again for another surgery and an even longer recovery time. The reason you don't think it's necessary is because you're on a load of painkillers, and because I did a good job putting you back together."

It came as a surprise to Archangel to find her path suddenly blocked by the Andorian, keeping her stuck sitting on the biobed unless she wanted to shoulder him out of the way, which she didn’t. Instead, she folded her arms, glowering at him. A part of her wanted to tell him that, since she was the captain, he couldn't order her around. The other part of her, however, told her that he could, since she was effectively on medical leave since returning from S31 and that medical officers could order around superior officers in medical matters.

"I'm well aware of the amount of painkillers I'm on," she replied coolly. "None of them seem to be agreeing with me right now." She paused for a moment, her mind working to come up with any way to get out of sickbay. "Can I at least go back to my quarters?" Out of sight and mind, right? What he can't see he can't correct.

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

It came as a surprise to Archangel to find her path suddenly blocked by the Andorian, keeping her stuck sitting on the biobed unless she wanted to shoulder him out of the way, which she didn’t.  Instead, she folded her arms, glowering at him.  A part of her wanted to tell him that, since she was the captain, he couldn't order her around.  The other part of her, however, told her that he could, since she was effectively on medical leave since returning from S31 and that medical officers could order around superior officers in medical matters.

"I'm well aware of the amount of painkillers I'm on," she replied coolly.  "None of them seem to be agreeing with me right now."  She paused for a moment, her mind working to come up with any way to get out of sickbay.  "Can I at least go back to my quarters?"  Out of sight and mind, right?  What he can't see he can't correct.

[Sickbay]

Thelos's face remained rather stoic, but his antenna were pinned back a bit. He was a nervous- and he figured anyone would be when being stared down by a less-than-pleased Romulan. He didn't want her to start yelling at him again, or for her to physically attempt to remove herself away from him. The latter would be harder to stop. While his strength could match that of vulcanoids easily, the captain had nearly a foot on him in height. He chased away the mental image of the Romulan dragging him along as he clung to her heel.

The Andorian frowned at her request. Normally, that would not have been a problem, but... "...Your track record does not make me inclined to let you do that, captain. Every time you've been let back to your quarters, you're on your feet with little to no rest time. You can't afford that now."

Thelos th'Zhela wrote:

Thelos's face remained rather stoic, but his antenna were pinned back a bit. He was a nervous- and he figured anyone would be when being stared down by a less-than-pleased Romulan. He didn't want her to start yelling at him again, or for her to physically attempt to remove herself away from him. The latter would be harder to stop. While his strength could match that of vulcanoids easily, the captain had nearly a foot on him in height. He chased away the mental image of the Romulan dragging him along as he clung to her heel.

The Andorian frowned at her request. Normally, that would not have been a problem, but... "...Your track record does not make me inclined to let you do that, captain. Every time you've been let back to your quarters, you're on your feet with little to no rest time. You can't afford that now."

It was difficult to keep the irritation from her face as Thelos denied her request, but Archangel knew that he was probably right anyway. It was just annoying that her reputation for avoiding and disobeying medical orders was so well known. On the other hand, it was wall deserved.

"So... you're really going to try to keep me here, lying on this biobed, for three days?" she asked to clarify. Good luck with that, she added to herself.

Archangel T'Koris wrote:

It was difficult to keep the irritation from her face as Thelos denied her request, but Archangel knew that he was probably right anyway.  It was just annoying that her reputation for avoiding and disobeying medical orders was so well known.  On the other hand, it was wall deserved.

"So... you're really going to try to keep me here, lying on this biobed, for three days?" she asked to clarify.  Good luck with that, she added to herself.

Thelos nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Archangel's dark eyes had a way of making you feel like your soul was being stared at or judged. At the very least, he felt very nervous and inclined to choose his words carefully.

While he knew the answer he had to give was effectively 'yes', he wanted to find a way to word it in a way that would hopefully keep the Romulan from trying to shove him off.

"I'm afraid... that I have no choice, captain. You can move about in a chair if you like, and so long as you're supervised by me you can leave sickbay in the chair for brief periods of time. It's only three days. A hundred years ago and you would have been off it for a month."

Archangel paused, scrutinising the Andorian with a careful eye. One always had to tread with caution when it came to all medical personnel. Those who knew her well had developed a habit of sticking her with a sedative or threatening extended convalescence whenever she became difficult or belligerent. There was only to far she could push a doctor, and she was getting the distinct impression that she was starting to reach the edge of where she could push Thelos.

Her eyes narrowed slightly into a sniper's squint. "Will you at least give me access to a computer terminal and have my work brought down here? I do have a lot of paperwork to keep up with."

Ok, now Thelos was uncomfortable. In face, he could practically feel his skin crawling under Archangel's glares, and there was not one damn thing he liked about it, either. This is what I've subjected myself to dealing with for the next three days. Aren't I smart? he thought sarcastically to himself.

He did feel at least a bit relieved when he realized there was at least something he could do for Archangel to make her stay in sickbay at least a little less tedious. Accessing computers wasn't anything unreasonable.

"I'd be more than happy to have that arranged for you, captain," the Andorian said with a hint of relief in his tone.

Archangel gave a curt nod in response to Thelos' words, picking up on what seemed to be almost relief in the Andorian's voice. Of course, she had no intentions of taking this enforced rest lying down, but this was at least a step in the right direction into getting her out of there.

"Excellent," she replied, grimacing as she shifted her legs back onto the biobed and moved herself into a sitting position.