Healing Process

Posted on Fri Apr 25th, 2025 @ 11:05am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Lieutenant JG Kate Kono & Lieutenant JG Benjamin "Ben" Dalton & Lieutenant JG Eislyn Jortho & Lieutenant JG Viviana Del Rio

1,870 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Genetic Purity
Location: USS Washington

Dr. Viviana del Rio was making the rounds in sickbay. It had been an eventful few days. Her superiors had taken it in stride, showing no hesitation when the casualties had arrived. Viviana had treated patients, fixed a few of them up with relative ease. She had received a note of praise for her work even by the CMO, but she was quietly in her own time trying to deal with all she had seen. This hadn't been a simulated session on a holodeck or some sort of test she had been put through as a cadet, it had been real. Her first view of true combat injuries.

Both of her patients had been released to quarters. Dr Howard had informed her that the one she referred to simply as Callie was remaining for a special treatment. That was something that would come when the CMO deemed it so. Viviana knew not to get in the way of a superior officer, especially not a doctor. Her orders were to give a final once over of the other patient, Lt Kono, and once that was complete, should she find her in satisfactory condition, release her to her quarters on medical leave pending her psych exam. Pretty standard really. Standard at least from the CMO's point of view, but then she had seen the horrors of war, having served during the Dominion War. Viviana liked the ship, and she had already taken note when she had been here during her final cadet training rotation how tight a knit group most were, especially the senior officers. Few ships were lucky enough to have senior officers that had served so long together.

Viviana saw a male junior officer at Kono's side. "You have a visitor I see. Hope he won't mind letting me give you a once over. I figure you'll be more cooperative if I tell you that once I finish, should everything be in order, I'll be able to release you to quarters."

Kate looked up at Ben and smiled. She sat up and stepped out of the bed. She wasn't in any pain anymore. She leaned against Ben and sighed with relief without really saying anything. She just thought another vacation might do the trick. Secretly, she was worried about everyone else. She didn't want to hear that Inara or someone else didn't make it. She figured that if someone died, the doctor wouldn't tell her until she was on her feet again.

She wanted to ask but she was too afraid of the answer. So, she said nothing at all.

When Ben had heard that Kate had been transported back to the ship but had been injured everything stopped. His only concern was Kate. He loved her completely, totally. He had rushed to Sickbay to see and be with her but had been stopped by medical personnel as Kate was in surgery. Only when the surgery had been completed and Kate was no longer in danger had he been allowed in to see her and he had stayed at her side ever since.

He wanted to hold and comfort her but that wasn't possible right now but when they got back to their quarters he would. Kate would want for nothing; he would be there for her. he had managed to buy her a surprise while they were on vacation, but he would hold off on giving it to her right now. he didn't want to overwhelm her. When she stood, he helped to support her, smiling lovingly at her as she leaned on him. "I love you, Kate." He whispered softly as the doctor waited to exam her.

Viviana made her checks, starting with a thorough scan and then taking a look at everything with a visual check. "Alright, looks like you are healing nicely. I think you are doing well enough to be dismissed to your quarters. I am going to give you some dermaline gel to apply once in the morning and again at night before bed on your abdomen area. It will aid in the continued healing. Dr. Howard did a great job fixing you up, but you aren't 100% just yet. I will notify counselor Jortho so you can talk with her. You are off duty until she clears you."

"Hey! That's great! You hear that sweetheart? Let's get you home. Where you can relax properly." Ben replied, excited by the news could go to their cabin but he knew she had a long recovery ahead of her and he would be by her side supporting, loving her every step of the way.

"Is everyone else okay?" Kate finally had to ask. She figured if anyone died, it was best to get it over with and take the bad news now before she got to her quarters. She reached out and held Ben's hand tightly. Despite being all fixed up, there was still a deep, underying discomfort inside of her -- perhaps it was just her body getting used to the missing parts. She didn't understand why that doctor did that to her. It made no sense to her. Maybe there was no sense to it at all -- just a person at their worst, doing the most terrible things they can just because they could.

With one hand Ben tightly held Kate's as if he could will his strength into hers. With his other he looped lightly around her slender waist to support her. When she asked her question about the other members of the away team, he looked at Viviana. he knew about the injuries the others had incurred but felt it was the doctor's place to reply.

Viviana smiled to make it all as easy as possible. "You are in StarFleet and were treated by the best medical people in the universe. And thus far, no casualties." Her face got a little somber, "The only thing we couldn't fix was what they took from you. Sadly, we can't fix that particular issue."

Ben squeezed Kate's hand tighter and kissed her cheek softly. He didn't say anything as words would be so woefully inadequate. He just stood next to her in a show of support.

"Despite their best efforts though, you are still capable of having children in the future should you wish it. But that isn't something you should concern yourself with at the moment. The main thing is to just rest and allow your body to heal" Viviana said.

Kate looked confused at Viviana. "If I can still have kids, what did they take? Exactly?" Kate looked down her shirt. "Yep," Kate looked down her gown. "Still there, nothing added thank god..." She looked back up. "I figured I'd never be able to have kids again. So, if they didn't take my ability to have kids, what did they -- take?"

Kate felt her ears, counted her fingers and toes. Tapped her nose. She was truly perplexed.

"Kate...." Ben said simply still standing beside her, holding her hand.

"They made things more difficult for you in that regard. They removed one of your ovaries. Based on what Ayana reported, we got you out of there just before they went for the other" Viviana answered, speaking in a somewhat hushed tone. "I am very sorry this happened to you."

Kate sighed and shook her head solemnly, "You mean when the day comes and we want to have kids, we're going to need to have like, twice as much sex... Poor us. Hey, just because half of the little guys make a turn down a dead-end street doesn't mean it's the end of the world. It's just like -- a little biological horror movie." Kate nodded more toward herself than anyone else. "Whatever kid we have won't be directionally challenged, they will be born knowing which way to turn!"

Ben squeezed her softly. "I love you so much." He whispered as he kissed her cheek.

Kate smiled and kissed him back on the lips. She turned toward the doctor and pointed downward, "Hey! Am I cleared to open up the road for travel? Or does the 405 freeway need time for the asphalt to solidify?"

Viviana looked at Kate completely confused. "Not sure what you are asking."

Kate blushed a little but still didn't hold back. "What I mean is, is it still safe to drag Ben to my quarters and boink his brains out? Or do I need to wait? And if so, how long?"

Ben looked at Kate, "Did you get hit on the head Kate? Our quarters sweetie."

Viviana was wide-eyed in shock at the brazenness of Kate's language. "You should wait a few days before engaging in intimate acts. And don't forget you need to be checked out with Counselor Jortho as well."

Kate's eyes widened as much as Viviana's at the mention of a Counselor. She shook her head and waved her hand.
"Oh, I'm fine... I mean, not much happened down there worth mentioning. I lost my trusty rifle. That makes me sad... I liked that rifle. Other than that, I was cut open and I bled out to death on a transporter pad with my ovaries getting mixed with my intestines like a sort of messed up Italian spaghetti with meatballs," Kate said nonchalantly while emitting the Chef's Kiss. She nodded with one eye slightly wider than the other. "I can live with it."

She shifted her weight on the biobed that she sat on as if trying on the words a second time. "I... can live with it... It's - okay!"

"You have to Kate. It's for your own good." Ben told her.

"You don't have a choice lieutenant. You are off duty until cleared by Counselor Jortho" Viviana responded. "You are free to go" she said as she walked off.

"Okay.." Kate said while she stepped down from the bed. "Im'a go see the counselor. Want to come with?!" Kate asked Ben with a smile.

"Kate, you have to make an appointment first. You just don't go walking in. Next, I'd love to go with you if the counselor allows it. You better check with her first." Ben replied with a smile.

Kate smiled back at Ben and hugged him.
"Wild to think that this ship is so fracked up that a counselor has to require appointments to fit me in," Kate mused as she just kept her eyes closed while hugging Ben. "... too many crazy people on this ship."

Ben just hugged Kate and held her close. He would support her in every way possible.

Kate squeezed into his chest while keeping one eye closed while looking at the doctor with the other.

"Hey, is Ben going to be okay going without a whole lot of personal time? Or is he going to need to go to rehab until the love-tunnel heals up? Last thing I want is for my boyfriend to die from withdrawals!" Kate giggled mischievously through her teeth as she kept hugging Ben.

"Oh geez Kate!" Ben groaned playfully at Kate's bold statement.

Viviana watched Kate and Ben exit sickbay and shook her head in disbelief. "And I thought Inara needed psychiatric help" she mumbled to herself.

TBC

 

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