Seventeen
*Jaigin*
My head still hurt. No matter how many needles I was pricked with, their contents never stopped the pulsating stab through my forehead. They were strange needles as well - I wasn't even sure if that was the right word for them in this society. At first I thought it was another weapon, but that conclusion passed as they pressed it against my neck and removed my nausea. Fascinating technology.
The mysterious man known as Picard was introduced to me after my initial treatment. I awoke to find him perched beside the bed, giving a warm but subtle smile. He gave off the powerful presence of a leader, yet that did not distract me from the dark circles under his eyes. For some reason I found myself pondering if he was Wesley's grandfather, but that theory was dismissed in order to focus on his words.
"I believe I owe you a great deal of thanks for assisting my crew," Picard spoke softly. "You are a courageous young man…?"
"Jaigin, sir." My voice was hoarse; I couldn't remember who, but someone had tried to choke me. "..I wish I could've saved him sooner."
Picard sighed. "I have the same regrets, Jaigin. Although without you, my crew may have been taken prisoner or killed alongside Wesley."
My gaze turned downwards as I stared into my lap. Chafed skin ran in circles around my wrists where Dylin's rope had restrained me. Despite the cool salve that had been applied earlier, it still burned. A hole in my trousers exposed the remains of the stab wound.
"How is Wesley?" I asked quietly.
I noticed Picard's hesitation. "He's stable for the moment. From what I understand, his injuries were…extensive."
Nodding guilty, I looked away. "..I've seen how Dylin disposed of those who disobeyed him. I'm glad Wesley did not suffer their fate. We gave animals better burials."
I tried to ignore Picard's sharp inhalation; he had obviously not been expecting a revelation of such horror. I didn't blame him.
"I have had many of my crew affected by…acts, similar to what you described," Picard empathised. "I too suffered at the hands of a torturer. Believe me, it is not an easy burden to carry. But we have a wonderful counsellor onboard this ship, if you'd like to discuss this or anything else you've experienced, in the coming days."
I gave a grateful, albeit small smile and looked down at my hands. The rope burns were becoming more painful by the second; the salve must not have been effective enough. "May I request that someone re-examine my wrists?"
"Of course." Picard rose and made his way into another room. Within seconds, the woman I had learnt was named Ogawa made an appearance. Instantly I felt guilty, for she too looked absolutely exhausted. I shouldn't have troubled her with such a petty request.
Ogawa took my hands in hers. Not only did she have similar dark circles, but her eyes had a red tinge to them. I assumed this was a human physiological response to fatigue, or an emotional response. Her voice startled me out of my musing: "I'll give it another go with the dermal regenerator and apply some more gel-"
"Please," I instantly regretted how pitiful I sounded. "Could I have something stronger for the pain?"
Ogawa looked regretful. "I don't know much about your species. I don't know which of our drugs would be effective…I'm so sorry."
I attempted to conceal my disappointment, though I'm not sure how successful I was. "Of course, Nurse. Thank you for your care."
Not relaxing in the slightest, Ogawa turned away to grab this 'dermal regenerator'. It wasn't until I saw the device in action that I understood what it's function was. As she continued with my treatment, a voice appeared from the skies: "Worf to Captain Picard."
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Picard's hand fly to his chest. "Go ahead."
"We are being hailed by the Tarovian authorities. They would like to speak with you."
Picard sighed. "Understood. Patch to my ready room."
As soon as Picard exited, Ogawa leaned closer. "Jaigin, I was wondering if you would be able to give us a hand with Wesley?"
I was surprised by her request. "I have no medical training-"
"Don't worry, it's nothing of that sort," Ogawa reassured me. She looked around, as if observing for eavesdroppers. "We can't get that gag off him. We've tried using all of our standard equipment and it's not budging, and I'd rather not worry his mother unnecessarily. Do you know what-"
"It was developed by one of our scientists," I confessed, "for treating burns and skin grafts. I don't think it was ever intended for this type of use."
"When you and Wesley are stable," Ogawa said, "I'd like you to assist me in removing it. I'm assuming you'd understand how it works better than we can."
I pondered for a moment. "I'l try. I think I remember how it can be removed."
