Chakwas: Surgery
DISCLAIMER: Bioware owns Mass Effect. I take no credit or part in such except for this story. Inspiration of this story goes to theorangeguy's 'Saren's Effect'. Jennifer Hale is a real life person. Same goes for Mark Meer. These are merely fictional representations, and do not reflect the actual opinions and personalities of said persons.
Chapter 27: Chakwas, MASCAL
SSV Normandy, Utopia System, Exodus Cluster, April 2, 2183 1402 Constant Time Zone
Commander Karin Chakwas (M.D.) adjusted the pressure dressing on Corporal Hans Grubbs' arm, making sure that the Medigel she injected on-site covered the entirety of the wound before placing the pressure dressing to keep it sterile and free of contamination before placing an Omnigel sheath as a seal, placing a VI-monitoring chip that was linked to the SSV Normandys' Med Bay monitoring devices to keep tabs on infection rates, blood volume, tissue necrosis, and white blood cell count. With that done, Colonel Chakwas slowly removed the tourniquet that was purposefully cutting the circulation from Grubbs' right arm, placed above his bicep, just a couple of inches above the gunshot wound. She kept a critical eye on both the wound and the nearby monitoring screen about Grubbs' chair, seeing if his dressing held. The Marine Corporal nodded to her as he popped out of the chair when she gave him the okay, and was replaced by Private First Class Samantha McLyman, who was clutching at her side, a gunshot wound just above her left hip.
"Commander Chakwas? Captain Anderson." The Med Bay's intercom spoke up, causing her to look over to the speaker. "We're a mike from approaching the dock... and we just got word that Colonel Hale has been hit by an explosion." The Surgeon felt her heart stop at the declaration as McLyman looked at her with widened eyes. "We need you in the cargo bay for emergency trauma recovery. It sounds bad... vital signs are dropping rapidly."
"On my way." The Surgeon replied, looking over to Corpsman, Second Class Lynda Basheer. "Corpsman? Continue treatment on Private McLyman while I am gone, and make sure that the trauma bed is prepped and ready." To that, the Corpsman nodded as Colonel Chakwas grabbed her mobile KitBag, the ten kilo bag meant for the Corpsmen who deployed with the Marines, but working just as well for anything for incidences that couldn't be made back to the Med Bay, or when there wasn't time to make the trip. She forwent the trip to the Normandy's elevator, the contraption too slow as she went to the service ladder next to the elevator, slinging the KitBag on her back as she mounted herself on the ladder, using the inside of her Alliance-issued boots and her hands to slide down to the lower deck as a much faster pace then climbing down the ladder or using the rediculously slow elevator. She found herself on the Cargo Bay deck within seconds as she turned towards the ramp as it dropped open, exposing the Cargo Bay to the environment of Eden Prime. Despite being what she liked to call 'a young lady with years of wisdom added', the Surgeon kept in shape along with the Marines, so had no issues sprinting down the Cargo Bay and onto the dock of the Constant Spaceport of Eden Prime where she could see two Turian Counsel Observers and a Colonial Army Soldier she had never seen before kneeling beside the body of a helmetless Marine lying on the ground, shaking and spasming.
"Move!" The Doctor shouted, scattering the Turians and the Soldier as she set the KitBag down while getting on her knees beside Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Hale, seeing just how pale the Marine was, still spasming and twitching. Karin opened up the medical sustainment bag and pulled out from one of the pouches an auto-injector preloaded with .3ml of synthesized Adrenal Epinephrine, taking the hypodemic needle gun and placing the base of it into the jugular vein of the N7. As soon as the auto-injector's micro-VI acknowledged that the auto-injector was being used for medicinal purposes and not an accidental stick, 10 cc's of saline and .3ml of adrenaline were shot into Colonel Hale's bloodstream in less than a second. The reaction took a good three seconds for take effect, but the results were satisfactory; color began returning to the Marines' face as the convulsions reduced significantly, turning into the more normal reaction of minute tremors in the lower extremities of the fingers and feet from a dose of Epinephrine. Keying her Medical Diagnostic Tool on her left arm, Commander Chakwas began scanning the Colonel's life signs and brain activities, as well as searching for any other injuries besides the obvious gunshot wound that she had in her right side. Blood pressure was returning to normal, heart rate was half again faster than normal, but that was to be expected. Blood volume was a bit on the low side; Hale had lost a pint, but that wasn't bad in itself. What did have her pursing her lips was the fact that the N7 had been shot very close by her kidney, having slightly ruptured the organ. Blood toxicity was on the rise, which probably accounted for the blood pressure, the heart rate, loss of color, and convulsions, all indicative of Acute Kidney Injury. The brain activity was interesting though. Despite that the Marine was unconscious, her alpha brain wave patterns were twice the intensity of a normal humans... which occurred during Grand Mal Seizures. Hale wasn't epileptic... but a Grand Mal Seizure could cause brain tissue damage and send a patient into a vegetative state; comatose. There was nothing she could do... on the ground.
"I need a hoverstretcher." The Commander announced, looking to the SPECTREs that hovered over her. "NOW!" Saren Arterius, much to her surprise, didn't even bother, scooping up the human Marine in his talons as if she weren't a sixty-eight kilogram woman wearing twenty kilograms of armor and armed with what looked to be twenty-five kilograms worth of weaponry. The Turian turn and bolted straight up the Normandy's deployment ramp at a speed that astonished the Surgeon as she grabbed the KitBag and struggled to keep up, and she was by no means a slow woman. "Right side of the elevator is a service ladder! Don't bother with that slow infernal contraption!" Her cockney accent flaired as the medical Commander raced through the Frigate's Cargo Bay, chasing Saren as the Turian began climbing the ladder with Hale over his shoulder, surprising Chakwas with his ability to scale the ladder at a speed not possible for a human being. The Surgeon did her best to be right on the Observers' spurs as she climbed as well, seeing that the Turian was already in the Med Bay before she reached the Gun Deck of the Normandy.
"That bed!" Karin pointed out one of four trauma beds available to the Normandy to the Palavenian, the one she indicated being the stasis bed; it was reserved for the worst of conditions. Saren complied, laying Hale gently on the bed as the Commander immediately closed the lid of the bed over the Lieutenant Commander, activating the stasis field that would almost halt all biological processes, buying patient and Doctor time. "Saren, sit there until you can be seen." Karin didn't even look to see if the Turian complied with her order as she focused on Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Hale, the stasis bed providing a holographic display of the Marine's body by system; circulatory, skeletal, musculature, endocrine, nervous... seperating them horizontally as the Surgeon checked each for any other additional injuries that she might not have noticed in the first place. She had seen Colonel Hale's medical record, but hadn't done a baseline check-up on the Normandy's XO; that was a mistake best left blaming herself for at another time. The sight of old injuries, breaks, heals, gunshot wounds, and several corrective splints, screws, and one replaced pancreas had the Surgeon sighing, seeing a body tortured by war. Putting on a pair of anti-stasis gloves, she activated the stasis bed's anti-gravity program, lifting Colonel Hale's body a foot and a half in the air as she slipped her hands into the stasis field of the bed, her eyes looking at the various systems of her patient.
"Basheer? Treat Counsel Observer Arterius and any other casualties that come in as I work on the XO." The Corpsman's face twitched as she looked over to the Turian Counsel Observer, undoubtedly not happy with the thought of working on an alien. Karin glared at the Corpsman, Second Class until the Sailor got the hint and moved over to the Observer... not that anyone was fooled by the 'cover'. SPECTREs... they had two of them on the Normandy for a few weeks now, and the Surgeon didn't need a Navigator to tell her that particular course direction. The way Saren Arterius and Nihlus Kryik hung about Colonel Hale, her recent promotion as well as being a Marine while as an XO on a state-of-the-art stealth Frigate... Karin knew that she was working upon the woman who would undoubtedly be Humanity's First SPECTRE. She knew Jennifer Hale by reputation only, a fierce and impressive reputation that scared the shit out of Batarians and slavers. Chakwas quite approved; it might have been her job to heal, but she wouldn't shed one tear if some scumbag found himself on the wrong side of the gun of the Butcher of Torfan. Her anti-stasis gloves began peeling off pieces of Onyx Armor off of Hale's body, and a pair of medical laser sissors cut though the Marine's CATsuit in a matter of seconds, exposing the Lieutenant Colonel's body as she peeled off the black ballistic cloth. The sight of so many old wounds, some from battle, others sadly not, had the older woman sighing in resignation. What a price you pay for our sakes, Colonel. Chakwas thought to herself as she looked at the body of the woman that floated in front of her. Were we ever so devoted as you, those of us who swore to be humanity's sword and shield? Could you be the epitome of what we sought to do so many years ago? If so or not, you deserve more, deserve better, Jennifer Hale. At the very least, I shall remember my Oath as a Doctor before I ever consider my other Oath from so long ago on Shanxi.
"Time to go to work." Karin whispered to herself a she picked up a portable ionizer, meant to disinfect wounds as she started to perform her job on the woman who may just indeed restore balance for humanity.
Surgery had taken three hours.
Commander Karin Chakwas sat in her rolling chair, feeling spent and drained as she ate a quick meal of military rations that one of the Marines had gotten for her after finishing work on Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer Hale. The surviving Marines, to include Master Sergeant Paula Maldonaldo and Eden Prime Colonial Army Staff Sergeant Ashely Williams, had been waiting in the mess deck for word on the N7. Captain David Anderson had announced to the entire ship that their XO's surgery had been a success, and that she was expected to make a full recovery, to the cheers of the crew of the Normandy. The Ohio-Class Frigate had left the Utopia System only an hour before, Second Fleet having arrived in the Utopia system sometime around 1400 Zulu. The Normandy hadn't flew off FTL while Chakwas was performing surgery, FTL not always being the smoothest of rides, and the surgery a delicate thing.
Lieutenant Colonel Hale was still unconscious.
The door to the Med Bay opened, and Commander Chakwas turned to see Captain Anderson coming into the room, scanning to see that there were only three people in the room; himself, Karin, and the unconscious form of Colonel Hale. He closed the door behind him, sliding it with a hiss as he punched a quick code that locked it from anyone wishing to unobtrusively walk in. Anderson took a spare seat as he took a glance at Hale, who was now occupying one of the recovery tables, monitors displaying her vitals as she slept.
"How is she?" Anderson asked, his elbows on his knees, looking ten years older, Karin noted as she spooned more Beef Stew. "Honestly?"
"Honestly, she's damn lucky, David." The Surgeon replied, swallowing her stew first. "She had been shot in the kidney, and whatever that Beacon did brought her body into both shock and seizures. Touch-and-go for a minute there, but I repaired the damage with stem cells, Artificial Phlesh, and quite a good deal of sutures. She should be on her feet in two days time, and combat-ready in five."
"Good." Anderson smile, a smile of tired relief. "I promised Jannie that I would look out after Jen. Almost losing her like this... breaks an old man's heart." Karin hmm'ed at the memory of Lieutenant Commander Jane Shepard, whom she had served with back on the Cruiser-Class SSV Tokyo approximately six years ago. Then-Lieutenant Commander Jane Shepard had been the XO for the Tokyo, with Captain Anderson commanding, the Lion of Elysium's star rising fast and bright. She had liked Jane; most who had ever met the the woman born on the SSV Everest did. She knew of Anderson's relationship with the Lion, which made her unknown whereabouts all the much harder on the Black Fox. "Eden Prime... that was a hell of a thing. Geth. Exploding Beacons... Nihlus Kryik told me that Jannie was spotted by Saren on Eden Prime... shot him."
"Commander Shepard was on Eden Prime?" Karin was more than a little surprised; the Lion had been missing for four years. Being spotted in the middle of a Geth Invasion... that didn't sound good. Especially if a SPECTRE claimed to have been shot by her. "You hadn't heard anything? Not one message?"
"Nothing. Nor did Jen." Anderson sighed, rubbing at the short hair on his head, clearly troubled. "Saren and Nihlus are reporting to the Counsel as we speak about event that occurred on Eden Prime. They... are leaving out the part about Jane until they can investigate it further. They don't wish to possibly destroy her reputation on the off-chance that it was some look-alike or something different."
"That's good. We certainly haven't heard word of her through our connections." The Surgeon replied, David nodding slowly. "She disappeared on all of us, David. If she had somehow resurfaced, I would have thought she would at least contact you, if not the Minister."
"Nothing." Anderson repeated, slowly shaking his head. "I've... been skipping out on Church." His eyes went to the woman on the recovery table, who laid there peacefully. "Karin... that woman right there is going to be Humanity's First SPECTRE. Probably in the next week, whenever we reach the Citadel. You know what that means? For humanity? For us?"
"I can only guess." The Surgeon looked to Hale, who was blissfully unconscious, unaware of their conversation. "Has word been sent to the Minister?"
"Yes. Both myself and Captain Shepard." The Black Fox replied, nodding his head. "John knows and understands what I'm trying to do. Hale is going to need people she can count on, who will be there for her... without agenda. She cannot afford to have those such as ourselves dragging her down, not when we're seeing the first signs of success for all that we've wished for and hope for all those years ago, Karin. Laying right there on that bed is our first step towards balance, towards our salvation. John... has given me leave to do what I think is necessary, with his blessing. Can I count on you to walk the same path as I?"
"I... yes." The Commander finally replied, looking at her old friend, giving him a short nod of her head. "We built up so much on the hopes of leveling the playing field, and I fear that all it did was lead to our own demise, dragging humanity into a worse position than what it was before. I can only imagine what the Corporation may be doing. I somehow doubt they will aid her."
"Very unlikely." Anderson snorted, snaking his head. "I'm pretty sure that both Saren and Nihlus believe Meer to be a member of Cerberus." That had Karin chuckle slightly. "He was a SPECTRE candidate as well, but they monitored him and picked up on things that denied him the opportunity. That means Meer is the Corporations' animal. Be careful around that one." That was good advice. "If he's Corporate, and he's on the same vessel as Jen is, you know he will do whatever it takes to ruin her. According to Kryik and Williams, the Soldier we picked up on Eden Prime, he pushed Hale into the Prothean Beacon, causing it to activate and explode. She's very lucky to be alive, as well as in your capable hands."
"Perhaps a little 'accident' can be arrainged for the so-called 'Hero of Akuze'." Chakwas offered, but got an immediate no from the Black Fox for that idea.
"Corporate will know, and I'd rather know who we'll need to look out for as oppose to guessing. Meer's the only one I can be sure is working for the Corporation, but there is undoubtedly several others who are on this very ship, answering to him." Anderson explained, and the thought made the Surgeons' blood run cold. Thinking there might be Corporation members on a ship and knowing there are Corporation members was a very serious distinction. She was thinking about seeing Corpsman, Second Class Lyna Basheer on the Surgeons' personal terminal, seemingly looking through medical files. For what reasons, Karin was almost afraid to find out.
"You are right, David. She is going to need friends. The right kind of friends." The Commander said finally, looking to the figure that slept in the recovery bed, and gave a small smile. "You can count on me to be one of those."
"Good." The Black Fox smiled. "Go with God, Karin."
"And may you walk by His side."
A/N: MASCAL, the title of this chapter, is another military term, meaning 'Mass Casualties'; a nice way of saying there's a shit load of patients.
Doctors in Military Service have a rank, ranging from Physicians' Assistants (generally Ensigns and Lieutenants) all the way to Surgeons (Captains, Majors, Colonels, Lieutenant Commanders, Commanders, and Captains). Yes, we call them 'Doctors', but we call them by their rank as well. In this story, Helen Chakewas is a Naval Surgeon with the Rank of Commander as all medical personnel Marines use are from the Navy, and the Normandy is a Naval Vessel.
I know that in the Mass Effect Universe, that Medigel somehow ended up being the be-all, end-all of medical medicines. This simply can't be possible, so I made it a trauma application, a mixture of part blood-clotter, part antiseptic, part antibiotic, and part temporary adhesive, along with a mild sedative and pain-killer. This is basically several different pieces of medical applications in trauma bags that Army Medics and (I assume) Navy Corpsmen carried into combat, eliminating the need of several different medical components, as well as saving some time using one product instead of four to five. This would also be used for MedPouches, AidBags, and CLS Kits. I might make a MedKit that actually has IV's, tourniquets, and a variety of other components that would be needed for field trauma, as well as the Med Bays. Medigel is simply a field-expediant temporary measure to stop an injury from being worse, a victim bleeding out, and possibly getting a Service Member back on his or her feet. It's better than using tampons (and God bless the person who figured out that trick for a GSW).
Having been trained in Combat Life Saver and actually serving as a Platoon Medic for several months (despite that I was not a Medic, but a Cavalry Scout), I tried to keep the medical part of this chapter as accurate as possible. Epinephrine, Acute Kidney Disease, and Grand Mal Seizures are all real, as were the doses, damages, effects, and treatments.
