Post 366: Someday You Will Find Me

Stardate:70809.0300
Title: Someday You Will Find Me, Part Three
Author: Zanh Liis
Scene: Arboretum
Time: Following Part Two
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He watched her for a long moment before continuing. Then he figured, *what the hell,* and stuck a toe gingerly into another potential mine field, wanting to see what would happen next. "You've worked hard here. Vedek Jariel will be pleased." He could once again feel her emotions shift at hearing the Vedek's name.

She looked up at him as she finished her food and set her fork down. "I had help. But I hope he will."

"You've known Jariel a long time, haven't you?"

"Forever, and I mean that as literally as one possibly can. But that, doctor, is another meal entirely."

"I suppose so." Dave could see she was tired, and decided that he should try to convince her she'd worked hard enough for one day. "About time to turn in, isn't it?"

"Yes, Mom. You know, you and Jariel are going to get along just fine. He's always trying to get me to slow down."

"Sounds like a wise man. I look forward to getting to know him better." The pair gathered up the picnic dishes and put them back into the basket.

As Dave stood and turned he heard the distinct, gasping sound of a person in considerable pain. He turned back to see that she was somewhat frozen down on one knee, halfway between sitting and standing.

"You all right, Cappy?"

"Oh, yeah. Never better. Except I can't move."

He dropped the basket and hurried to assist her, helping her to her feet.

"Ow, ow, ow," her voice rose in pitch.

"You've probably slipped one of those implants out of alignment. Here." He tapped his combadge, then took it off and attached it to the strap of her coveralls.

"McKenna to transporter room one, medical emergency. Lock onto my badge signal and beam directly to Sickbay."

[Acknowledged. Energizing.]

"The ONE time I leave my frigging badge at home," Liis grumbled.

"Hang on, I'll meet you there."

==/\==Sickbay==/\==

In no time at all Zanh was lying face down on a biobed.

McKenna began by giving her a hypo for pain, and then ran his medical tricorder up and down over the length of her spine. He grimaced. The readings indicated severe muscle spasms along with the fact that she'd slipped her third lumbar vertebra, implant though it was, out of alignment. "Looks like a few loose screws. Fortunately, I can tighten them in this location without having to make an incision."

"Loose screws? We are still talking about my back, right?" she gripped the edges of the sheet that was draped over her, tightly, trying to distract herself until the hypo kicked in.

"Of course we are."

"Then get your power tools and let's get this over with. I've got an early morning shift."

McKenna procured a small, powerful magnetic device and then he folded the edge of the sheet back once. Twice. Three times.

"Hey, whoa, now. How low is that thing going to have to go?" Zanh tugged back. Bad enough she'd thrown her back out on the new doctor's first day, now here she was naked as a jay bird and covered only by a rapidly disappearing sheet- completely at his mercy.

"Only so far as absolutely necessary, Zanh Liis. I assure you. I am a professional."

"I certainly...hope so." she frowned, and her words slowed as the mild sedative he'd added to the hypo took effect. "I guess this would be a bad time for me to confide in you my true feelings about doctors in general?" She gritted her teeth as he turned on the magnetic device and held it against her skin. It was cold, on top of everything else. She cringed as she felt the implant slide back into its proper place. He then began to tighten the screws which had let it slip.

"At some point in the future we really should get in there, clean things up, add a little more support. The techniques for spinal stabilization surgery have come light-years in the past decade."

"I'll put that on my 'to do' list."

"No you won't. Not until your spine falls to the ground and you trip over it."

"Damn straight."

He shook his head. He was definitely going to have to keep his eye on this one.

A short time later he was finished, and he nodded as he scanned her again.

"There, that ought to do wonders. You should feel a lot better in a day or so."

"Glad to hear it. Can I go home now?"

"If you can walk there, you can go there."

"Oh. I hadn't thought about actually getting there."

"Perhaps you should sleep where you are, Zanh Liis. I promise to wake you in the morning with plenty of time for a shower and breakfast before your shift starts."

She knew that she was in no condition to argue at the moment. "Very well then." He brought her a couple warm blankets, and then prepared to return to quarters, himself.

"I've told the night shift to wake me at a moment's notice if you need anything. So don't hesitate to call. Sweet dreams."

"I'll be fine, doc. Thanks again for dinner."

"It was my pleasure."

"Though, you should know something. . ."

*What now?* McKenna thought helplessly.

"Usually," she teased, loopy from her medication and joking about the fact that the gardening had done her in, "it takes a hell of a lot more than some flowers and one alfresco dinner to get me to spend the night in a strange man's sickbay."

Dave laughed out loud. "Goodnight, Captain. I'll see you first thing."

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Zanh Liis
Acting CO
USS Independence NCC-90791