Theory Testing

Posted on 08 Feb 2024 @ 5:24pm by Chief Petty Officer Ibis Xeri & Lieutenant JG Hannah Wagner & Lieutenant Sahar
Edited on on 08 Feb 2024 @ 5:50pm

Mission: M4 - Falling Out
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: TBD
1303 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Hannah's curls were unbound as she walked from one display of notes shared with Dr. Sahar to the other and she smiled softly. They had a working theory from the intensive scans that they could have some effect on Ibis' telepathic ability. It was an elaborate web of ideas, that culminated in several lines of suggestions from them both that could be tested. They were listed in numerical order from 1 to 7, and were annotated with notes in multiple hands, indicating which they believed to be most effective. One, was circled.

She wrote a note to Ibis 'Chief Xeri, I have a few theories about your sensory loss that I would like to test, at your convenience. Just pop by sickbay when you have a free hour.' She meant the time commitment as well as the flexibility of her testing availability and sent the note as non-urgent.

First came the system read receipt. Ibis had seen the message shortly after it had been sent.

Then the morning passed, then the lunch hour.

Then came a short reply from Ibis, pinging through the system, which the Doctor could spy between other patients and tasks, a note one line long, saying she would be able to come in between her lab hours and family dinner.

Ibis made good on the note, leaving the lab a little early and telling Wallace she might be a little late. It left her a couple of hours difference when she hoped she wouldn't be missed anywhere.

The last time she had come into sickbay they had taken more extensive scans. Her mother had insisted on coming with her and had hovered in a waiting room. The technicians had to tell her to stop telepathically questioning them through the walls as they worked. It was too distracting. This time Ibis managed to slip into sickbay without her mother picking up on the plan. It helped that it was impromptu, and she was able to show up at her own convenience, before her mother could find out she had another appointment.

She was in uniform still from the science lab. Ibis continued to wear the decade old skirt variant of the enlisted uniform, dark stockings on her scrawny legs, and paired with tall boots. While on the one hand it made her feel like a relic out of time compared with everyone else, it also gave her the sense that professionally she was sort of picking back up where she had left off, able to return to her duties and begin again. She hadn't even tried on any of the newest variants yet, and no one had so much blinked at her not dressing to the staff's latest code. She wondered if, in a way, it made sense to them too, and helped them to understand she was basically stepping out of a time capsule as they integrated with her in the lab.

Ibis waited patiently outside of Doctor Wagner's office, having been told by a nurse that the doctor was in and she could go ahead and ring the door.

Hannah stepped out and grinned at Ibis. "Glad to see you!". Her eyes flickered around her and her posture relaxed a bit. "Glad to see you're alone as well. I imagine that took some doing."

Ibis folded her hands together, embarrassed for her mother's interference during the other visits. "Yeah, I... I decided it's better if I come alone," she said quietly, although she smiled at the warm reception. "What did you want to see me about?"

"Dr. Sahar and I have a couple of working theories about how we can restore the balance to your mind, and give you back the ability to use some of your telepathy. We're operating on the assumption that your telepathic centers aren't damaged anymore, as you've had enough time to repair the neural relays in that area. They're just so far out of balance they don't know how to restore it, that's where we come in.".

Ibis listened, not sure she understood at first and didn't answer right away as Doctor Wagner was explaining, instead processing this news... It sounded as if they were interpreting the scans in such a way that maybe they hadn't seen extensive damage. Maybe they wanted to try the simplest solutions first. That was smart. It almost sounded easy the way Dr. Wagner was summarizing it. "Oh, I see," she said after a moment. "Dr. Sahar?"

A tall Vulcan entered the area and inclined his head slightly "I am Dr. Sahar, MD PhD in neurology and neurosurgery. Dr Wagner asked me to review your case, and explore my theories regarding the restoration of your function. I am highly interested in this sort of therapy. I believe it is possible as your scan shows damage, but not the type I would expect precisely for the injury you received. It also shows some signs that some healing had started. I have set up the scanner to the altered specifications. "


"Nice... meeting you. Doctor." Ibis, though eye-level with Dr. Wagner, shifted to look up at the taller Vulcan man who entered. Neurology and neurosurgeon. Although trained and working among scientists and doctors much of her career, she'd never really overcome the awe surrounding those credentialed in treating and operating on the brain. Of all of the complex studies, it was one in a handful that would always stand out as seemingly incredible and risky, handling the mysteries of the mechanisms and invisible workings of that particular organ and it's systems. Someone had to be especially gifted for those studies, and in surgery, especially confident. Dr. Sahar was one of those people, she surmised, on whom Dr. Wagner called on for her case.

She put out a hand to shake his, nervous though she couldn't help being, she felt the need to have some kind of contact, to personalize him and to make herself more known than some scans and a treatment plan on file. "I guess that's what I'm here to do then? Have this new scan?"

Sahar was not unfamiliar with the human gesture though he rarely indulged in casual physical touch. However, taking in the other nervous gestures surrounding the woman, he allowed it. Their hands touched momentarily as he shook hers gently, releasing it as soon as protocol had been observed. "This scan will be in conjunction with a very basic beginning treatment. With this treatment based testing I will be able to tell during the scan if there will be any effect on your telepathic ability. It will help us to determine the direction your treatments will need to go. "

Ibis nodded listened carefully. "Adaptive adjustments?"

Wagner spoke next her enthusiastic smile still on her lips. "We're going to start with rebalancing your body's neuro-electrolytes. You will be unable to function without them, regardless of other necessary treatments. You will be getting them in several formats over the course of the scan. "

Ibis trusted that Wagner and Sahar knew their business. "Will I... feel anything? During this process today?"

"It is our hope that you will, actually.". Hannah chuckled and Sahar merely looked contemplative. "This sort of testing hasn't been done before, so we're not sure which side of your telepathy will come back first, receptive or transmissive. It's possible neither will, but we're going to operate under the assumption that they will. When you go into the scanner, I'd like you to focus on something emotionally charged but not something that will leave you feeling poorly after you come out if you focus on it for a long time."

"Like a... memory? Or an event?"

"Whatever would make you broadcast feelings without conscious control."

For a prolonged moment, Ibis looked pensive, and sighed on an exhale. "Okay. I think I can do that."

"Lets get started."