A Plague of Sighing
"Quick get a tourniquet on his leg and start a transfusion. I'll see to her." Dr. Crusher ordered as the injured was lifted to diagnostic beds. She frowned. Blood was pouring from Kyree too. She soon found the cause. A tooth-like projectile about an inch around stuck from her chest. Dr. Crusher called for a nurse to set up the sterile field. "I have to get this bleeding stopped."
"Doctor, she's not stable." The nurse warned.
"She won't be stable until I stop this." Dr. Crusher put the Oradican under sedation. "Half-bloods don't have the luxury of easy transfusions so it's best if they keep what they have."
Dr. Crusher worked feverishly to stop the bleeding. She had a vague picture of Kyree's internal organs. All the medical records from the Academy had caught up with them just today.
"Set up a suction field so we can put this back into her." The Doctor frowned as she removed the object from the Oradican's chest. More blood rushed out. Crusher worked frantically to stench the flow.
Picard and Troi arrived in sickbay together. He spotted Dr. Crusher, too occupied to bother greeting anyone. He heard Troi gasp and move closer to him. Picard looked to his first officer. The cause of the councilor's shock was obvious. Though the bleeding had been stopped the impact of seeing Riker's severed limb made him blanch too. Another Doctor tended to Riker. Picard wondered, almost angrily, why Dr. Crusher wasn't working on him. He touched Troi's arm. She looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"At least he's alive." Troi's voice shook. He nodded to her and squeezed her arm.
"He will be fine Deanna. They've gotten to him in time."
Picard assured her. The diagnostic panel showed low, but strong vital signs. She leaned against him in response. They both turned to hurried footsteps behind them. Barclay almost knocked into them as he entered the room. His face went white as his gaze went pass them and saw Dr. Crusher working frantically on Kyree.
"Oh God, NNo." He stepped forward shaking so hard Picard and Troi thought he might pass out. They each took an arm to steady him. In a daze, he glanced at both of them. "SSshe...cccan't die. She just can't" his voice became a pleading whimper.
"Cardiac arrest, Dr.!" The nurse said. "Flat line!" Dr. Crusher kept to her attempt of halting the bleeding. A full minute had passed before she responded.
"Cardiac stimulation now. Setting 10" The Doctor's order caused a strange look from the nurse. The nurse keyed in the setting and gave the charge. The Oradican's body jerked violently.
"Again!" The Dr. ordered after the first attempt failed. Crusher's eyes were glued to the monitor. With great effort the lines slowly began to lift. Dr. Crusher sighed, as the readings grew slightly stronger. "Ten ccs of hyroxin. And start a Genetic match test on all Enterprise personnel. If we have to give her some fluid, the match should be at least fifty percent, since we will have to filter a lot out of it." Crusher told the nurse.
"Yes, Doctor." The nurse responded.
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Picard and Troi supported almost all of Barclay's weight as they pulled him from the medical unit. They took him to a waiting area next to medical. Gently they eased him down on the sofa. The man was still shaking hard. Troi sat down beside him holding onto him. Picard went to the food replicator and returned with some water for him. Troi had to help Barclay take a sip as his trembling hands spilled water from the glass.
Picard went back to the medical unit, knowing Troi could take care of Barclay. It would help her get her mind off Riker. Picard now understood why Beverly had not worked on Riker. The Ensign was in far greater danger than Riker. A severed limb, although physiologically damaging, wasn't life threatening.
Picard stood quietly watching Dr. Crusher punching her bio-scanner. She looked back and forth from it to the panel beside the Oradican's bed. The lines had not risen from Picard's perspective. He waited. He knew Beverly well enough not to interrupt when she was trying to figure something out. His patience paid off. He saw her come to a decision. The Doctor gave her patient a hypo-spray. Picard glanced to the monitor to see the affect. The young woman's life signs rose slightly.
"Damn." The Doctor sighed.
"It rose some." Picard commented to see if Beverly was receptive to visitors.
"Not enough." Crusher said impatiently. "Not near enough."
Picard wasn't sure how to interpret Beverly's mood. It could go either way. He was spared further attempts when Worf and Data entered sickbay.
"How are they, Sir?" Worf asked glancing at the injured but directing his question to Picard.
"Commander Riker will be all right." Picard nodded toward the other side of the medical unit where another medical team still worked on Riker.
"Kyree is barely holding her own." Dr. Crusher answered for him as she came to stand beside them. Worf and Picard looked at her expectantly. "I can't get her to stabilize. For a human she didn't loose that much blood. I don't understand why she hasn't responded to my treatment." The Doctor was thinking out loud, not purposely explaining things to the others. "I hope we can find a close enough match for a transfusion." She added returning to her patient.
"I have to see her!" Reg almost shouted at Deanna.
"You can't see her like this, Reg." Deanna countered. "You have to calm down first. If you walk in there again without control of yourself, Dr. Crusher won't let you see Kyree until she is done treating her.
"I...I...I know." The man slumped in his seat. "I..I love her, so much. I don't know what I'll do if..." Deanna felt the fear build at what Reg left unsaid.
"Reg, whatever happens, you can survive it." Deanna was going to say more but she saw Reg was in his own thoughts. "She loves you too Reg. Kyree may not know it, but I felt it from her." To Deanna's surprise Reg nodded.
"She told me...last night. B..before we made love." Reg sighed. Deanna stared at him. This man has come a long way, she thought. "Please, Deanna, I have to see her." Reg pleaded with her again.
"You have calmed down. Stay that way." Deanna rose still holding his hand. "We'll go see her, together." Reg stood and allowed her to lead him to be led to the medical unit.
Worf stood speaking with the Captain and Data. Troi felt the fear increase in Reg as they saw Dr. Crusher still working on Kyree. Troi looked up at Reg when he pulled his hand loose from her's. Reg looked like he was in a daze. He slipped quietly to the right side of Kyree's bed, with his back to the monitors.
"Oh, Kyree," Reg spoke so softly Troi could barely hear him. "Please wake up." Dr. Crusher looked up in surprise.
"I don't believe it." The other turned to the Doctor for an explanation. She pointed to Reg, who was oblivious to everything but Kyree. "The minute he spoke her vital signs went up." They watched as Reg took one finger and lightly traced her lips. "He did it again!" The Dr. said excitedly. Her fingers flew as she entered data into her bio-scanner. Dr. Crusher looked up from her figuring. "Reg, keep talking to her." The life signs continued to rise as Barclay complied with the Dr.'s request.
"Is she stabilized?" Picard asked. He had drifted over to the foot of the bed.
"No, but she's better off than what she was" Crusher sighed. "We have more breathing room."
"Doctor Crusher, the computer has a match for a transfusion." The nurse interrupted.
"Good. Get them down to medical as soon as possible." Crusher said still involved with the increased vital signs.
"No need, Doctor." The nurse said smiling. "Captain Picard is already here."
Beverly saw her own surprise reflected in Picard's face. He recovered quickly. "What do you need me to do?" Picard said.
"I can't leave here. Marissa will see to it." Beverly said.
Before Picard was ushered away, he spoke. "Data, you have the con."
"Yes, Sir." The Android nodded to him and left to take his post on the bridge.
Dr. Crusher continued to monitor the increases caused by Reg's presence. He held he hand and said her name several times. The Dr. was surprised again. Kyree opened her eyes and looked his way.
"Reg." The young woman's voice was weak.
"Don't talk. I'm here. I'll always be here." Reg assured her.
Dr. Crusher shook her head. "I don't know how this is possible." She mumbled to herself as she stared at the readings.
"What?" Deanna asked.
"She shouldn't be conscious. Not even close...yet she is." Beverly said.
"Is that bad?" The councilor wondered.
"No, not for her. I get to feeling useless when my patients get better without my help." The doctor answered.
Deanna looked over at Riker. The medical team had left him. She drifted over to his right side. His smile was stiff and grim.
"How are you doing?" She asked taking his hand and touching his cheek.
"I'm alright." Riker swallowed hard. "How is Kyree doing?"
"It's not your fault, Will." Deanna told him. The man was silent for a moment.
"If I would have listened to her, Kyree wouldn't be fighting for her life right now." Riker dejected.
"If she wouldn't have joined Star Fleet, the same thing could be said. Will, everybody knows about the risks. I shouldn't have to tell you about them." The counselor reminded him.
'This is different, Deanna. My mistake in judgment caused this. You didn't see the dread in her face when we went out on to that dry bed. She knew something was going to happen. But she went anyway." Riker argued then sighed. "She came to protect me."
"I would say she did a her job very well then. Wouldn't you?" Troi countered. Riker stared blankly not answering. "Will, you know, Worf, Data, me and a lot of others would have risked as much to save you." She stopped him from interrupting. "AS would you for anyone on this ship. " Troi finished and looked across to Kyree. "I don't know why but I don't think she's going to die. I know Beverly doesn't feel as confident but I feel a great will to live in her. More when Reg talks to her." Troi felt Riker's mood change.
"What can I say to her?" He shook his head. "You where right? It sounds so inadequate."
"You'll find the right words to say. You always do." Troi reassured him. The doctor assigned to Riker told Troi to end her visit and let the injured rest. Deanna told him she would be back soon and left him to sleep.
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