Building Trust

Posted on Thu Jan 28th, 2016 @ 4:16pm by Captain Christina Curtis & Doctor Maya & Lieutenant Tal Sek 'Thaan

Mission: Begin with a Bang
Location: E-Deck, Sickbay, Discovery NX-04, Deep Space
Timeline: May 15th, 2155 - 0900 hours

-ON-

[Discovery Sickbay]

Tal cooperated with the medics after the explosion; the journey was swift only a few decks, then the restraints kicked in. An automatic function to prevent him from falling off the narrow bed, he nonetheless bent the bars back to free his legs and began to fight, his deafness and injuries with on-setting shock creating a panic in unfamiliar surroundings.

Doctor Maya restrained him by pressing two fingers under his collarbone, causing the Andorian to grow limp and lie back down. It was obvious from his face that he was still conscious and when the little Vulcan removed her hand he could move again. The little Vulcan’s other hand held some sort of medical instrument.

Tal was only now discovering his impediment and was snapping his fingers next to his ear for sound.

"What happened?" Curtis asked as she strode into the room, the sickbay doors just barely opening quick enough for her to get through without having to sidestep through the opening.

“He has sustained injury to his ears,” the little Vulcan replied. “I was repairing his eardrums when he regained consciousness and started struggling. I need him to hold still if I am to complete the procedure."

"What about Anziano?" the captain asked, looking around at the other beds trying to identify her chief engineer through the other people moving about the room. She was pleased that their new colleague wasn't seriously injured, but she needed to know the status of the second member of her senior staff to get caught up in one of these small explosions before she could start to relax and deal with the situation.

"Lieutenant Anziano was very fortunate," the little Vulcan replied without looking up from her work. "He sustained a concussion but I was able to treat it with thy-pless'kom therapy," she continued, using a medical term in her native tongue that apparently didn't translate into Terran easily. "I was able to reverse the damage to his retinas as well. The damage wasn't as severe was we first supposed. His vision should return to normal in an hour or two."

"That's good," Christina said, letting out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding. At least there were no more serious injuries as a result of their resident saboteur, even if it did take her chief engineer out of commission for a couple of valuable hours. She looked back over to Tal Sek, who she assumed would be quite confused and worried about what was going on around him without anyone being able to talk to him. She walked over and placed her hand on his chest, pushing him down against the medical bed. She held her other hand up in the universal symbol for 'wait', instructing him to stay still for the doctor to complete her work. "Try doing what you need to do now, Doctor."

The greenblooded physician responded with a single nod before staring into the wounded Andorian's eyes. She placed the tips of the long spidery fingers of her left hand on the lieutenant's face and murmured. "Relax. You're quite safe here," in a volume almost too soft for Christina to hear.

It wasn't the deafness or the ringing in the ears that alarmed half as much as going under the knife of a strange Vulcan. However it was a necessity as he also wanted to have his hearing restored. He had to put his faith in the Humans, not this Vulcan. but if it had to be any Andorian Tal was the most friendly to Humans so he decided to let the faith he had been granted be returned and take him for a ride. Destiny awaited those who could weather the rising waters and still make their course. He nodded and closed his eyes, a stoic trance he began to calm himself and pass time without awareness.

"He should be still now," the little Vulcan announced as she turned his head and applied her medical device to the Andorian's ear. "After I finish both ears, he should be fit for duty in a few hours, but I don't recommend exposing him to loud noises for the next few days."

"Right." Christina looked around for something that she could use to relay this information to the deafened Andorian, before spying a padd lying on the worktop. "Crewman, hand me that," she instructed, reaching for the device. As it was handed to her, she tapped out a quick message and turned it around to show the tactical officer.

Stay still. When the Doctor is done, you will be fit for duty in a few hours

Tal felt her gentle nudge of the padd device on his arm and opened his eyes. The message was a pleasant confirmation as the local anesthetics took hold and other relief allowed him to relax. A gentle nod wasnt painful and he managed it in respect to her attempts to soothe him.

"As soon as you're done with his procedure, I need him to tell me what they found out before the device exploded," Curtis said to Maya. "We can use the padd to talk to him until his hearing returns."

Maya's large hazel eyes locked on the PADD. "Of course Captain," she murmured in her mezzosoprano voice, "I'll inform you when the procedure is completed."

Tal had no desire to befriend the Vulcan, and trusted her to her duties. He handed the padd with a typed message back to Curtis.

I believe we can isolate the frequency and find any other devices on board. Following this is a breakdown of the covarian pulse which will create resonance in the oscilator switch. We should be able to detect a return signal in the form of Sonic disruptions. Advise Caution, we do not know the insurgent yet.

Christina took the padd back and quickly skimmed the message, before typing a response.

Good work. Send the frequency to Chloe on the bridge through the padd and I'll have her start isolating it.

Handing the padd back again, he turned to the Doctor. "Let me know as soon as there is an improvement on either of them."

With that, the captain nodded and left the doctor to her work.

Tal stared at the Vulcan, fighting his lethargy from the anesthetic. He wouldn't allow his guard to drop. Not to a Vulcan. He kept this level gaze for the next half hour as she worked on the delicate inner ear. His antennae also suffered cellular damage but he didn't need to tell her. It would heal on its own and that was one area of his body he preferred to keep to himself.

A myoclonic jerk from his ancestors instinctual fear of falling from the ice caves made hims full body convulse for a split second as he fought sleep. He realized it had been some time since the Vulcan finished her work, he had fallen asleep. The slip in vigilance concerned him greatly, what had the Vulcan dosed him with?

"Hello Lieutenant, we met briefly in the galley but I do not consider us properly introduced," the little Vulcan said in a calm quiet mezzosoprano tone. "My name is Doctor Maya. I believe that we are the only extraterrestrials onboard. Have they informed you of the current situation?"

That he could listen to the soft tones of her voice was a miracle. His deafness was reversed only under the extremely adept touch of this Vulcan. He reserved the animosity for Vulcans he usually wore with pride for this, but his lip curled at her talking to him so level and calm. He had spent too long seeing those pointed ears behind blue plasma rifles. They were terrorists to him, each one capable of heinous actions in the name of their biased logic.

"Doctor. I am Tal Sek Thaan. Unless there have been new developments since my treatment I dont believe I need to be updated." Maintaining the conversation was for the benefit of himself and the ship, but he didnt have to exchange pleasantries. Tal made to sit up but the recent surgery on the ears made balance problematic. He opted for a more relaxed posture, aware he was still under medical effect.

The little Vulcan blinked and tilted her head to the right at she peered at him with the blank expression of a cat. With her large hazel eyes wide open she appeared to be perpetually surprised, but with her people it was hard to tell.

"This ship is on a mission to apprehend the new leader of Terra Prime, an extremist xenophobic terrorist organization dedicated to the expulsion of all non-Terrans from Earth and the Sol system..." she reported in a soft, clipped mezzosoprano voice that had a slight lilting accent. "The organization is known to have infiltrated Earth's Starfleet. So far two explosive devices have been discovered after the Discovery has left Earth making it quite likely that Terra Prime has managed to place an agent onboard...."

Tal said nothing. The intelligence officer inside him awake and gathering details at all times. He wondered what Maya was angling for, idly concerned at her ulterior motives. Vulcans... always worked in secret.

"...So far I have not been able to eliminate a single person as a suspect except one: you," the little Vulcan continued. "Not only were you not onboard but your species lowers the chance of your cooperation with Terra Prime to a near impossibility. As the only non-Terran assigned to this ship, I am likely in personal danger. Tal Sek Thaan, you are the only person aboard I can trust."

To say he was surprised was not needed, however he was sure to let his antennae express how he felt instead of the staid stance he usually imposed. She could certainly trust him, he was honor bound by duty. Question was, what could he trust about her?

"I see. I will take special precautions in my security details to account for this. Captain Curtis will likely have personal candidates you will need to select one for a personal bodyguard for the duration of the mission. As neither of us are bound to Starfleet, I would recommend changing off of this vessel if you find yourself too concerned with danger, I will remain."

He felt a strange compulsion, gratitude. She had given him his hearing back, and offered herself in a vulnerable manner for his protection. If she was angling for something it wasn't apparent.

"You can be assured I will protect you, along with the rest of the crew as per my station, and thank you for your good work. I am hearing you well."

The green blooded physician acknowledged his thanks with a gracious nod. Reaching behind his neck, she placed her fingertips on his cervical spine and closed her eyes. For a brief moment, Tal had the sensation of bending over and could feel his heart beating in the wrong place in his body. Then as quickly as that sensation was experienced, it was gone.

Maya straightened up. "I will give you a stimulant to counter the effects of the anesthetic," she said as she glided away from him to open a drawer and retrieve a small capsule. "There may be some discomfort, but you appear to have sustained no neurological damage and until the saboteur is identified it is best that you are at your full faculties," she continued as she filled what must have been a Terran syringe. Without further comment, she placed it against his wrist and gave him the injection.

The subtle use of psionics was not lost on Tal. He curled his lip at her, aware of how vulnerable he had been. What information had she gleaned from his thoughts?

"Doctor? I would suggest you do not employ further psionic technique on me. I'll not be an unwitting accomplice to Vulcan espionage. I will do as you ask, you will be safe so long as I am in charge of this vessels security."

Tal was grateful to feel the stimulant restore his sobriety but it also made the suture points and recent healed surgical lines swell and feel inflamed. Tal would say nothing to the Vulcan, she had done enough.

The little Vulcan blinked in confusion. “Espionage? The tel-dor-fann, method of diagnosis is different than the…” She abruptly stopped speaking as a glimmer or recognition flickered across her large hazel eyes. “Yes. I understand. I can see where it can appear so.”

She clasped her hands and bowed. “My apologies for being so invasive. The instruments have not been calibrated for Andorian physiology and in the absence of your medical record I did not wish administer any medication without an accurate diagnosis. In the future I shall respect your wishes and ask permission before proceeding. I do not blame you for your mistrust of my government. It is something we have in common.”

Tal admitted to himself that she had done nothing to earn his ire, but the lifetime of rooting out Vulcan operatives had given him instincts which didn't allow for anything else. Adding a mental check to add restraint to his future interactions he forced a retraction past his inhibitions.

"Then perhaps it is best our loyalties are pledged to something between our two worlds. Starfleet may see more Andorians serve in the future, I can only imagine more Vulcans will find their way here as well. So long as we serve Discovery I will trust in your oath as I have taken it."

"Thank you Lieutenant," little Vulcan replied with a polite nod. "I look forward to working with you."