The Sounds of Silence

Posted on Wed Mar 9th, 2022 @ 10:12pm by Commander Samantha Howard

Mission: The Orion Syndicate
Location: Sickbay

Dr Samantha Howard looked around the healing halls of sickbay. Things were calm, even quiet for a change. Not something she had been used to lately. Having been recently urgently recalled to Starfleet Medical from the Washington some a period of time to review and update the wartime medical protocols, she'd then had herself transferred back to her home ship just in time for whatever crisis they were heading into next.

She dimmed the lights of sickbay by 40%, giving those who were there some reprieve from the harsh bridge light given there was no urgent medical work being done at the present. Dr Perim was on hand, and Sam felt the undeniable urge to get some rest. She hadn't slept in days, and it felt like weeks since she'd gotten any decent rest. Medical had driven them hard to update the protocols, to find new and better solutions to the chaos of war time medical care. They'd rewritten dozens of surgical procedures, triage methodology and heavily utilized the Emergency Medical Holograms that were supposed to be standard on all Federation Starships. It was mentally and physically exhausting work, having to holorecord and meticulously document everything they did, every change they made.

" Go home Doctor" Perim placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as she had paused somewhat in a daze.

Nodding silently Howard headed towards the doors of sickbay, at least Jon wouldn't catch her asleep at her desk again this time. And she'd be able to get more than 20 minutes of shut eye.

The walk back to her quarters seemed longer than normal even though the physical distance had not changed. It was the path traversed every day for the last few years without fail, her feet knew where to go even as her mind numbed and tried to shut down on her. The phrase, sleep walking came to mind.

The doors to her quarters were locked, having not made it there yet from the time she had arrived via shuttle a few days back to this moment. A thumbprint and the standard grey doors parted, revealing her previous life. The books were still on the shelf, her workstation along one wall, medical journals open on the desktop. It was as though she never left.

There was a moment of pause, eyes staring yet unseeing as her feet then moved towards the bedroom, not bothering to kick off her boots, nor remove her uniform and medical smock. There were no beeps from medical monitors, no screams of wounded patients. Just silence. The blessed nothingness of silence that meant just for this moment, no-one needed her, no-one was hurt, no-one was dying. For this moment - she could rest.