Bedside Engineering

Posted on 2025, Sat Aug 23rd, @ 12:29am by Captain Joral Taran

417 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Episode 2 "Demons of the Past, Friends of the Future" - USS Halo
Location: Starbase 113 Sickbay
Timeline: Present

Joral waited until the footsteps faded from the ward before easing upright again. Renn was gone. The nurse — what was her name? — seemed occupied at the console. If he moved carefully, slowly, maybe—

“Captain Taran,” came a singsong voice. “If you put one more centimeter of weight on that leg, I’ll personally strap you down. And I don’t mean with medical restraints. I mean duct tape. Bright orange. Engineering-grade.”

He froze, caught mid-motion. The nurse swiveled toward him with a grin. Auburn hair loose around her shoulders, eyes full of amusement.

“Nurse Lyra Denholt,” she introduced herself, as if reading his thoughts. “And before you try the old ‘I outrank you’ routine, I’ll remind you this is Sickbay. My turf.”

Joral sank back with a sigh, wincing as his ribs protested. “I don’t suppose you know what it’s like to leave a ship in the dock, half-gutted, while you’re stuck here counting heartbeats?”

Lyra raised a brow and leaned against the console. “Redundant ODN relays, tertiary EPS grids, armored isolators holding at ninety-two percent during a manifold rupture? Yeah, I skimmed the repair logs before my shift. I’d say your girl’s faring better than you are.”

That made him blink. “You read the logs?”

“Of course.” She flashed him a mischievous smile. “I like to know what my patients are going to whine about before they start. Helps me prepare counterarguments.”

Despite himself, Joral chuckled — a low, rough sound that tugged at his side. “So what’s your counterargument, Nurse Denholt?”

“That nacelle you keep fretting about? Structurally intact, damage mostly superficial. Hull plating? Already being swapped in sections. Core-C? Containment never dropped below threshold. She’ll fly again, Captain. But only after you do.”

For a moment, he just stared at her, faintly impressed. “You know your systems.”

She gave a mock bow. “Two brothers in Starfleet Engineering. Dinner conversations were basically warp core trivia night. You’re not the only one who can speak EPS conduits fluently.”

Joral let out a slow breath and finally allowed his head to rest back against the biobed. “You’re dangerous.”

“Dangerously right,” Lyra corrected, tugging the blanket back over him with infuriating cheer. “Now be a good patient and let your ship wait her turn. She’s tougher than you are.”

He smirked faintly as his eyes drifted shut. “That’s debatable.”

Lyra only grinned. “Then I guess we’ll just see which of you gets cleared for duty first.”

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