Post by Captain_Quintus on Apr 4, 2016 5:36:51 GMT
Postby Jocelyn Nidari » Tue Sep 22, 2009 11:55 pm
"Hello? Are you Doctor Nidari?"
Jocelyn glanced up from her computer terminal and stared at the flowers on her desk, which appeared to be talking. Carefully, she slid the vase over a few inches, revealing the short, mousy woman standing in the doorway.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
"I'm Mechelle Tibbs. I was told that I you could administer my post-assignment medical exam." She squinted and readjusted her huge oversized glasses, pushing them further up on her nose.
"Oh, of course. I would be happy to." Jocelyn rose from her chair and gestured for the woman to move back into sickbay. "I assumed you and your colleagues would be spending most of your free time in our science facilities."
"I took a look and found them adequate enough, but not in comparison to our outpost lab," she sighed. "I have a feeling that our next assignment will not be as nicely outfitted, either."
"I am sorry to hear that. What were you studying, exactly?"
"A bit of everything, really. My specialty is inter-spatial nanoparticle dynamics." She smiled at Jocelyn's blank look. "Tiny particles floating in space. Remnants of planets, spatial bodies, stars, even organic material. Some forms are extremely useful in engineering and medical applications. You would be surprised at how much information we can get from just one quantum bit."
"That actually sounds very interesting, not like the normal technobabble nonsense that you scientists like to bandy about." Jocelyn smirked as she activated the biobed's monitor and removed her tricorder from her coat pocket. "Have you experienced any illness while stationed on the array?"
"I had a bad bout of some sort of stomach virus a few weeks back, but that cleared up quickly enough. My eyes have been bothering me, but they always do. I might need new lenses."
"Bothering you in what respect?"
"My eyesight is degenerating. I can't see half as well as I could this same time last year."
"Hmmm... do you mind?" Jocelyn gestured to her glasses and then removed them when Mechelle shook her head. She gently opened one of the woman's eyes with her fingers. Using the wand on her tricorder, she took a scan and peered down at the results. "Have you had corrective surgery?"
"I've had twelve different corrective surgeries," Mechelle divulged. "All of them successful... for a short while, anyway. Then it seems that my eyes get worse. I eventually gave up and started wearing lenses."
"Twelve?" the doctor asked incredulously. "There must be some other reason why you are having issues. Would you allow me to do a full resonance scan? It isn't standard procedure for post-mission clearance, but it might reveal something."
"I doubt it, but you can try if you'd like," she shrugged. "I have little to lose."
About an hour later, Jocelyn stood staring at Mechelle's biomonitor, dumbfounded. When the resonance scan showed nothing unusual, she'd researched every manner of cranial scan in her arsenal and tried every single one on the bemused Mechelle. Finally, after attempting a rarely used technique that involved irradiated fluid, electromagnetic fields, and microprobes, she discovered something that even the scientist couldn't believe.
"I have a nanoparticle stuck in my brain?!" Mechelle exclaimed.
"So it seems. And it is too small to show up on typical scans." She touched the screen, enlarging the view. "According to these readings, it seems to be sending out micro energy bursts along your optical nerves. The waves are slowly distorting and warping your corneas. That's why the transplants didn't help. They were perfect for a short while, but slowly degraded like your original eyes due to the bursts."
"Do you think it will kill me?" She asked in a whisper, wide eyes ultra-magnified by her thick glasses as she turned her head.
"I cannot say. You have been having these problems how long?"
"Over fifteen years now. Ever since my first deep-space assignment."
"Having no prior scans for comparison, we have no way of knowing how it will react in the future. It could be growing… or shrinking… or increasing the wave length of its emanations. Because your eyes are steadily getting worse, I would say probably the latter."
"Can it be removed?"
Jocelyn shook her head. "It would take a far more skilled surgeon than I. You need to see a specialist. Perhaps a Vulcan."
"And if it can't be removed or if I just decide to leave it… will I eventually go blind?"
"My best guess would be… yes, unfortunately," Jocelyn said soberly. "I am deeply sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Mechelle demanded.
"For your loss of sight. I know it can be difficult to adapt to such things…"
Mechelle laughed. "Don't be sorry, dear. I couldn't be happier!"
Jocelyn blinked, staring at her as though she'd gone crazy. "Happy?"
"I am a friggin' dark-matter, holier than V'Ger, living, breathing, slap your mother in the mouth, scientific miracle!" she crowed. "Do you have any idea how jealous the others are going to be? I have a nanoparticle in my brain! Even if I do go blind and eventually die, my name is going to be linked to nanoparticles forever! Any one of our scientists would kill for just such an opportunity."
"I… uh… I suppose that is one way of looking at it."
"Thank you, Doctor." She impulsively threw her arms around Jocelyn's neck and hugged her tightly.
Still a bit bewildered, Jocelyn patted her awkwardly on the back. "You're welcome… I think."
"I have to go. So much to do!" Mechelle drew back, hopping in excitement. "Come down to the party. I hear it is going to be hideous." She laughed. "I want everyone to meet you. Oooh, they are going to be soooo jealous!" Wagging her fingers in farewell, she scurried for the door and disappeared.
"Well," Jocelyn said, staring at the door. "I feel another submission to Starfleet Medical Journal in the making. If that doesn't shut my mother up, I don't know what will."
User avatar
Jocelyn Nidari
Member
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:28 pm
"Hello? Are you Doctor Nidari?"
Jocelyn glanced up from her computer terminal and stared at the flowers on her desk, which appeared to be talking. Carefully, she slid the vase over a few inches, revealing the short, mousy woman standing in the doorway.
"Yes? Can I help you?"
"I'm Mechelle Tibbs. I was told that I you could administer my post-assignment medical exam." She squinted and readjusted her huge oversized glasses, pushing them further up on her nose.
"Oh, of course. I would be happy to." Jocelyn rose from her chair and gestured for the woman to move back into sickbay. "I assumed you and your colleagues would be spending most of your free time in our science facilities."
"I took a look and found them adequate enough, but not in comparison to our outpost lab," she sighed. "I have a feeling that our next assignment will not be as nicely outfitted, either."
"I am sorry to hear that. What were you studying, exactly?"
"A bit of everything, really. My specialty is inter-spatial nanoparticle dynamics." She smiled at Jocelyn's blank look. "Tiny particles floating in space. Remnants of planets, spatial bodies, stars, even organic material. Some forms are extremely useful in engineering and medical applications. You would be surprised at how much information we can get from just one quantum bit."
"That actually sounds very interesting, not like the normal technobabble nonsense that you scientists like to bandy about." Jocelyn smirked as she activated the biobed's monitor and removed her tricorder from her coat pocket. "Have you experienced any illness while stationed on the array?"
"I had a bad bout of some sort of stomach virus a few weeks back, but that cleared up quickly enough. My eyes have been bothering me, but they always do. I might need new lenses."
"Bothering you in what respect?"
"My eyesight is degenerating. I can't see half as well as I could this same time last year."
"Hmmm... do you mind?" Jocelyn gestured to her glasses and then removed them when Mechelle shook her head. She gently opened one of the woman's eyes with her fingers. Using the wand on her tricorder, she took a scan and peered down at the results. "Have you had corrective surgery?"
"I've had twelve different corrective surgeries," Mechelle divulged. "All of them successful... for a short while, anyway. Then it seems that my eyes get worse. I eventually gave up and started wearing lenses."
"Twelve?" the doctor asked incredulously. "There must be some other reason why you are having issues. Would you allow me to do a full resonance scan? It isn't standard procedure for post-mission clearance, but it might reveal something."
"I doubt it, but you can try if you'd like," she shrugged. "I have little to lose."
About an hour later, Jocelyn stood staring at Mechelle's biomonitor, dumbfounded. When the resonance scan showed nothing unusual, she'd researched every manner of cranial scan in her arsenal and tried every single one on the bemused Mechelle. Finally, after attempting a rarely used technique that involved irradiated fluid, electromagnetic fields, and microprobes, she discovered something that even the scientist couldn't believe.
"I have a nanoparticle stuck in my brain?!" Mechelle exclaimed.
"So it seems. And it is too small to show up on typical scans." She touched the screen, enlarging the view. "According to these readings, it seems to be sending out micro energy bursts along your optical nerves. The waves are slowly distorting and warping your corneas. That's why the transplants didn't help. They were perfect for a short while, but slowly degraded like your original eyes due to the bursts."
"Do you think it will kill me?" She asked in a whisper, wide eyes ultra-magnified by her thick glasses as she turned her head.
"I cannot say. You have been having these problems how long?"
"Over fifteen years now. Ever since my first deep-space assignment."
"Having no prior scans for comparison, we have no way of knowing how it will react in the future. It could be growing… or shrinking… or increasing the wave length of its emanations. Because your eyes are steadily getting worse, I would say probably the latter."
"Can it be removed?"
Jocelyn shook her head. "It would take a far more skilled surgeon than I. You need to see a specialist. Perhaps a Vulcan."
"And if it can't be removed or if I just decide to leave it… will I eventually go blind?"
"My best guess would be… yes, unfortunately," Jocelyn said soberly. "I am deeply sorry."
"Sorry for what?" Mechelle demanded.
"For your loss of sight. I know it can be difficult to adapt to such things…"
Mechelle laughed. "Don't be sorry, dear. I couldn't be happier!"
Jocelyn blinked, staring at her as though she'd gone crazy. "Happy?"
"I am a friggin' dark-matter, holier than V'Ger, living, breathing, slap your mother in the mouth, scientific miracle!" she crowed. "Do you have any idea how jealous the others are going to be? I have a nanoparticle in my brain! Even if I do go blind and eventually die, my name is going to be linked to nanoparticles forever! Any one of our scientists would kill for just such an opportunity."
"I… uh… I suppose that is one way of looking at it."
"Thank you, Doctor." She impulsively threw her arms around Jocelyn's neck and hugged her tightly.
Still a bit bewildered, Jocelyn patted her awkwardly on the back. "You're welcome… I think."
"I have to go. So much to do!" Mechelle drew back, hopping in excitement. "Come down to the party. I hear it is going to be hideous." She laughed. "I want everyone to meet you. Oooh, they are going to be soooo jealous!" Wagging her fingers in farewell, she scurried for the door and disappeared.
"Well," Jocelyn said, staring at the door. "I feel another submission to Starfleet Medical Journal in the making. If that doesn't shut my mother up, I don't know what will."
User avatar
Jocelyn Nidari
Member
Posts: 31
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 9:28 pm