Chapter 31
February 16, 1926
Rachel was trying to eat and not taste the bland, runny oatmeal from her breakfast tray. She was hungry all the time it seemed, but her doctor was monitoring her diet to gauge her liver and kidney function. Oatmeal wasn't among her favorite foods to eat, and it didn't look any better than the runny eggs on the tray. Even Hipper was looking at the tray dubiously. It wasn't easy to handle a spoon with her left hand, and a bit of the oatmeal dribbled down her chin. Matt chuckled and leaned over to wipe her chin.
"When can I use my arm again?" she mumbled.
As Matt opened his mouth to answer, the door opened and her doctor strolled in. "Good morning."
He saw the spots of dropped oatmeal on the tray and blanket. "It's good that you're up and eating… or trying. I reckon you'd like to try and start using that arm again?"
She nodded. He pressed buttons on his tablet and made some notes on the tablet attached to her bed.
"I'll get some scans of the shoulder, and we'll go from there, all right?"
"Yes sir."
"How do you feel otherwise?" he asked and reviewed the vitals and monitoring notes from the night.
"Hungry… bored… oh, I had a headache when I woke."
"That could be from any number of things, but I'll have a dose of analgesic brought in. Is the temperature all right in here? Being chilled or too warm might cause a headache."
"Yes sir, it feels fine."
"There might be a nutritional deficiency or some dehydration causing the headache. I know this food seems barely palatable, but it's necessary. After you finish breakfast, I'll order blood and urine tests to check your liver and kidney functions."
He made more notes on his and the bedside tablet.
"Assuming your test results are good to go, how do you feel about leaving this room for a bit?"
#
After she finished off her lunchtime mashed potatoes and broth, Commander Mills and Matt helped her off the bed and into a hoverchair.
"You had major abdominal surgery four days ago, quick heal is a marvel. The fact that you can get out of bed and into this chair is very encouraging," the doctor said.
"I feel sore, like I've done hundreds of sit-ups. Would it be alright to visit Ensign Cordell?" she asked.
"I don't see why not," the doctor replied and looked sternly at both of them. "A half hour, then come back. If you start feeling ill, of course come back right away."
"Aye sir."
She ran her hands over her untidy hair and tried to make her hospital gown and blanket look presentable. He knelt in front of her and kissed her hands.
"Keep in mind you almost died six days ago, you look fine," Matt assured her. "Although I need to learn how to do that ponytail thing better."
"There aren't any female personnel in this hospital?" she mumbled and Hipper hopped on her lap.
"I'll ask around," he returned and the doctor opened the door for them with a smile, pleased at her progress.
Matt pushed the hover-chair out of the room and turned to go to the room next to hers. He stopped and knocked on the door, and an SBA opened the door.
"Is he okay to have a visitor?" Rachel asked.
"Yes, please come in," Cordell stated.
The SBA opened the door for the chair to come in.
"Whoa, up and around already," Cordell said when she stopped bedside. "It's a good thing your furry friend wasn't on the shuttle with us."
She took note of the braces on his right arm, back, hips, and right upper leg. A bubbled bandage with protective gel covered the stump of leg at the knee. His bed wasn't inclined, but he was able to turn his head to see them.
She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. "How's it going, Johnny?"
"I've been better. The food here needs work."
She chuckled and Hipper chirped in agreement. "Don't I know it."
He glanced at Matt and back at her.
"He's here everyday," she said.
Cordell nodded. "That's good. My folks were here when I got out of surgery, but they live all the way across the planet. Our section got some money together to put them up in a hotel for a few days. I was still out when they left, but at least I was alive."
She looked at Matt and patted Cordell's hand. "They can stay at our home. Matt comes here every day, and then they can too."
"That's very kind of you, but they wouldn't want to burden anyone."
"They won't be a burden, and I won't mind the company…. no offense," he said to Dave and Nate.
"I'll ask them, thank you. So, what are you recovering from?" Cordell asked.
"Broken shoulder, slipped discs, cracked ribs, lacerated liver, and right kidney replacement."
"You don't regen?"
Rachel shook her head. "Quick heal is working on all the injuries, and the doc did what he called a quick fuse on my shoulder. You?"
Matt shook his head in exasperation at how casual they were about injuries that had almost killed them.
"It's all on my right side. They fused the broken arm, four broken ribs, two broken vertebrae, detached sternum, broken hip and femur… and there's that," he said, gesturing to the stump. "They want me to lie down to make sure my sternum and back bones aren't stressed. I'm scheduled to start regen for my leg on the 15th."
A knock was heard on the door and Cordell nodded for Matt to answer. He opened the door, where Commander Kimbrell and Lt. Commander Purcell stood.
"We ran into your doctor, he said you might be up for visitors," the commander said.
Rachel extended her hand to shake theirs. Nate brought in a chair from the corridor, and Dave came in with a chair from Rachel's room.
"For the gentlemen," Nate said.
"Thank you, Captain Tucker," Commander Kimbrell said and both he and Lt. Commander Purcell sat down. Commander Kimbrell removed two shop tablets from his satchel and looked at his hurt officers before he spoke.
"First off, the doctors are encouraged, considering your injuries. If bad food is your biggest complaint, you're well on the way to recovery. I'll be pleased to tell the shop that you're both doing well."
He took a breath before he continued.
"I assume you know about Lt. Hardin?"
They nodded.
"It was kind of your father to attend his service," Lt. Commander Purcell said to Rachel.
"Then he went to the Navy Minister's office, wanting to know what caused the crash," Commander Kimbrell added and his lips twitched when her cheeks blushed. Dad!
He gave the two the tablets. "The propulsion upgrade program has been suspended, and all upgrade software and hardware removed from the remaining shuttles. What you're holding is the flight recorder data recovered from the wreckage, which remains up there in bay two. We'd like to hear from you before the investigators talk to you. Are you up for it?"
"I'm okay for it, sir," she said.
"Me too, sir," Cordell added.
"Take your time," Lt. Commander Purcell advised. "You've survived something, thank the Intercessor, that not many people survive."
Matt took her hand. "Thank the Intercessor," he murmured.
"We do know there was a propulsion malfunction, though it was hard to find from the data," Commander Kimbrell said. "The investigators will look into how the malfunction started and how it got so out of control."
Cordell held the tablet above his face, because he couldn't sit up just yet, thumbing through the data. "The upgrade was tied to the propulsion software… that's where we start."
Rachel paused her perusal of the data. She looked at a photograph of the flight engineer station and saw the broken seat, blood on the chair and deck, and Robert's bloody uniform jacket on the deck. She saw her hand shaking and clenched it into a fist. She felt a hand on her shoulder and woke from her haze.
"Alright?" Matt asked.
The readings on her chair showed elevated blood pressure. She closed her eyes and let out a breath, like she did to center herself during matches. "I'm fine. I want to know what happened too. We owe it to Lt. Hardin."
February 16, 1926 - 0700
She woke slowly as the lights gradually illuminated the room, and Hipper softly chirped a good morning to her. No one just walked in and turned on the lights on a sleeping patient in the ICU. When the door was closed, whomever it was lightly knocked before entering.
She wondered where Matt was, as he was usually there when she woke to help her with breakfast and morning ablutions. Light knocks were heard, and her doctor entered the room with a SB tech rolling her breakfast and med tray.
"Good morning," he said and looked at the readings of her vitals. "How would you like to be moved to a regular room? I see no medical reason for you to remain in the ICU."
Her response was interrupted by more knocks on the door. The SB tech opened the door to leave with trays for other patients, and Natalie poked her head around the door jam.
"Okay for a visit?" she asked.
Rachel smiled brightly and Hipper bleeked his welcome to her. "Of course it is!"
Natalie came in and looked over the vitals monitoring station and her breakfast tray. "Matt wanted me to tell you that he'll be here later this morning. Cordell's mother arrived this morning, she's settling in at your place. He also had to talk with a couple of his professors."
She held up Rachel's backpack. "Your personal belongings were brought back from the station. The overhead cargo bins on the shuttle were miraculously intact. Now, Matt mentioned that you're concerned about your hair?"
#
Matt and Cordell's mother were approaching her room when they heard Rachel, Natalie, and her doctor laughing.
"That's a good sign," Mrs. Cordell said.
They stopped at the door and saw Rachel in a wheelchair, Natalie brushing Rachel's hair, and her doctor on his comm.
"Sweetheart, meet Mrs. Cordell."
Rachel smiled kindly at her. "Good morning, I trust you've settled in at the house?"
"Yes, m'lady, thank you for your hospitality. We've been worried sick for Johnny, and to be able to be with him means the world to us and him."
"You're welcome, ma'am."
"I'll take her next door, be right back," Matt said.
The doctor ended his call. "Your room is ready. You'll have it all to yourself unless another woman is admitted."
Voices and activity was heard from the corridor, and Colonel Rice stepped in the doorway.
"Good morning, m'lady."
"Well, good morning to you too!"
He looked left, nodded, and her father walked into the room. Natalie and the doctor came to attention. Ben waved at them to continue with whatever they were doing.
"You're looking better and better, good morning," he said and kissed her cheek.
"I'm being moved out of the ICU."
"That's wonderful news. Your mothers, Jeanette, and Honor are here to see you too. We'll bring the rest of the kids on Saturday."
Matt returned and shook Ben's hand.
"Ready to go, lieutenant?" the doctor asked.
Matt wheeled her into the hall, where her mothers, her sister, and Aunt Honor all hugged and kissed her cheek. Hipper and Nimitz did their 'cat greetings.
"When did you get back?" Rachel asked Honor.
Honor looked at her chrono. "Two hours ago."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "Well, did you at least drop your luggage off at home?"
Honor chuckled. "I have people for that."
The cavalcade gathered attention from hospital staff and patients as they followed the wheelchair to the inpatient rooms on the second floor inpatient complex. At room 203, the doctor entered her patient information to the digital door panel, while a nurse (a female nurse!) entered information on the monitoring panel above the bed. Natalie placed her belongings on a bedside table, and the doctor placed her med tray on the other bedside table.
"Lieutenant, this is where I leave you. You'll be under the care of the inpatient staff, and the ortho surgeon will be by here sometime this afternoon to discuss your shoulder. I'm very encouraged by your recovery, and I wish you all the best for the future."
Rachel held out her left hand. "Thank you, sir, for everything."
"You're welcome, enjoy the rest of the day."
He bowed to Benjamin and left the room.
#
The group talked until lunch, when Rachel's lunch tray was rolled in. She saw noodles, green beans, pudding, and fruit juice. "Real food!"
She picked up the fork and started the awkward process of eating with her left hand. It was easier to stab the noodles and beans, and most of them managed to make the trip to her mouth the first time. Her parents went to lunch in the hospital canteen, while Honor stayed and perused the flight recorder data.
"You still have your security clearance, right?" Rachel asked.
"I wouldn't have asked for this otherwise," Honor replied.
"The accident investigators have been assigned, independent of D&P," Natalie said. "A couple of officers from repair and refit, one from the computer geeks, and an engineer from the academy."
"I suppose you have ideas? You were there after all," Honor asked and put the tablet back on the table with Rachel's other belongings.
Finished with the noodles and beans, Rachel nodded and started on the pudding. "I've had nothing but time to think. When I took off the avionics panel and saw…"
She frowned and tapped her temple with the handle of the fork.
"Take your time," Natalie encouraged.
"… the propulsion control runs, the primary ones, were degraded. Just as I was going to slide the circuit board out to look at the secondary runs…"
She let out a breath and shook her head.
"Johnny and I were talking about it last night, and we think it might be a software interface issue. Then again, that's just one of a dozen things that could have caused the problem. It might have been a FOD for all we know. I reckon the investigators will find out."
#
After lunch, the hospital visitors sat around and chatted.
"… so she and the group of Navy enlistees from her school are finalizing their contracts. The Navy Minister asked if I'd be on hand for it," Ben said.
"Is she still practicing saluting in the mirror?" Rachel asked.
They laughed and then quieted when a GSN Surgeon Commander and Manticoran Navy Surgeon Commodore came into the room. They saw the Protector and his wives and came to attention, and the Commander bowed. He straightened and focused on Rachel.
"Good afternoon, Lt. Goodson. I'm Commander Mercer, the chief of orthopedics here at the hospital. I'm pleased to introduce Commodore Pressley, the chief of orthopedics at Bassingford."
"Pleased to meet you, sir, ma'am."
"The Commodore happened to be in my office when your case was brought before me," Commander Mercer said.
"I don't mean to be intrusive, lieutenant," the Commodore added. "Your case is interesting because there's a new treatment for bone injuries for those who don't regenerate."
"I propose the standard procedure for your shoulder," Commander Mercer said and turned on the HD monitor on the wall. He transferred the information from his tablet to the screen.
"I would normally fuse titanium strips along the breaks for stability and reinforcement," he said, pointing out the procedure along with the image of her spinning clavicle, and she could see the strips being placed over the fused lines on the bone.
"What I propose is this," the Commodore stated, and her procedure images appeared on the screen. "I insert a gel made of titanium, and elements that make up bone, inside the breaks. When that's complete, I'll place a fibercrete sleeve that's stronger than bone around the entire clavicle."
"So why doesn't this work with those who can regenerate?" Rachel asked.
"The titanium would interfere with organic, genetic regeneration," the Commodore replied.
"And the titanium would stay in my shoulder? It won't… um… travel?"
The commodore chuckled. "The gel is hardened before I place the sleeve."
"If the sleeve is stronger than bone, why not use just the sleeve?" Rachel asked.
"She's an engineer alright," the commander commented.
"The breaks have to be completely fused before the sleeve is hardened," the Commodore answered.
"How much heavier will my shoulder be? And what about my collar bone?"
"It's estimated that no more than 30 grams of additional mass for the clavicle. I'll do the same for the collar bone."
"I won't even notice that," Rachel murmured.
"You would be the first Grayson candidate for the new procedure," the commander said. "I don't mean to make you feel like a guinea pig, but we're always looking to advance in medicine. If successful, this can be used for those who can't regenerate."
"We'll leave the procedure specs here for you to review. I have the standard procedure planned the day after tomorrow. If you consent to the new procedure, three days from today. Can you let me know your decision, let's say, by this time tomorrow?" the commodore asked.
The commander spoke. "You can, of course, do nothing. We can't force treatment on anyone, only recommendations. Quick heal has already been applied to your muscles, nerves, and blood vessels. You can let the bones heal naturally, but it'll take a bit longer, and the strength of the bones will always be a question. Because of advances in medicine, I predict that your generation will be the last that experiences bone weakness inherent in Graysons."