*** Sickbay * USS Chimera *** Rangi drifted up into conciousness, becoming aware of voices talking...footsteps.....the sounds of sickbay. She opened her eyes and tried to focus. {Ohhhh...my head} She propped herself up on one elbow and pressed her free hand to her forehead and waited for the pain to subside.There were headaches or there were REAL headaches..and this was one of the larger kind. After a moment or two, she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and sat up properly. "Urgh" She frowned at the bitter taste in her mouth and realised she was thirsty. {Nothing to drink...I'll get something..} She slipped off the bed and stood looking around. All the beds were occupied,though it was quieter than when,she had last been able to take any real notice. With a slightly unsteady step, she moved away from the bed, looking for Scott or one of the other AMO.s Mercedes stepped out of the turbolift and headed down the corridor to Sickbay. The triage setup in Cargo Bay 2 was completed and most of the non-critical cases had been sent there. She'd instructed the ODA medics on what to do and was now heading back to Sickbay to check up on things. As she walked down the corridor she noticed the eery quiet, and hoped that soon this whole mess would be sorted out so that things could go back to normal. A ship shouldn't be this quiet. {At least its calmed down} Rangi thought as she made her way slowly towards her office.{I wonder how long I've been out of it?} She noticed Steve working with a nurses help in bay 4. Rangi didnt stop, the appeal of fresh water in the replicator drew her like a magnet towards the CMO s small office. Walking into Sickbay, Mercedes saw that things had calmed down considerably. Though most of the beds were still occupied, at least there was no one sitting on the floor or standing around anymore. The chaos and confusion had settled at last. At first glance she didn't see Scott and headed to Rangi's office. "Oh Rangi!" Mercedes exclaimed, almost running over the CMO. "I'm sorry I didn't see you in here. How are you feeling?" Water sloshed over the side of her glass as Rangi turned quickly, taken by surprise at the sudden arrival of the AMO. She looked down at the wet patch on her overall and gave Mercedes a weak smile. "Much better thankyou." She took a sip of water and crossed the room towards her desk. "Will you do me a favour? I have THE most cracking headache..can you get me an analgiesic please?" She sat down on the nearest chair,setting the glass on the edge of her desk "Whats been happening in here?" she asked, looking at the untidy state of the usually ordered room. "Of course," Mercedes said, and went over to the nearest medicine cabinet. Taking out a hypo with an analgesic in it, she returned to the office. "It's been crazy. This place has been so busy we've barely had time to touch ground. Has Scott filled you in on what's been going on?" Rangi shook her head and immediately regretted it.The movement caused her to suck in a gasp of air between her teeth. "No...I havent seen him." she replied quietly." Have you got something?" she added, looking up at Mercedes hopefully. Mercedes held up the hypo and injected Rangi as she tilted her neck. "How much do you know about a flower named the Wildwood Rose from Dornia II?" Rangi didnt reply but waited for the blissful moment of the painkiller kicking in and the headache dulling down. "Never heard of it" she answered a few seconds later, turning her head left and right in an effort to ease the tension in her neck. She stopped and turned a considering look on her companion. "Thats not the flower is it?" she asked "Scott told me it was a flower...I had one in my hair" "That's the one," Mercedes replied. "We had it analysed by Science. Its pollen contains high psychotropic compounds, and the longer the exposure to the pollen, the more intense the side-effects. As far as we can tell, people came in contact with it on Kinsi. The Simpson's Science Officer brought it aboard her ship and it infected almost the whole Science Department. It was also the cause of an incident involving a shuttle...the occupants were both Vulcans and they lost their ability to control emotions. The shuttle decompressed and they were killed. The report is in the database if you'd like to read it. We also determined it affects Vulcans the worst." "Right...yes I'll read it.." Rangi replied. She stood up. "How's Ensign Oriana? She was really a worrying case last time I saw her." She began to unbutton the top of her grubby overalls. "How long was I out of it?" she asked Mercedes and pulled her self free of the overall top. A monet later she stepped out of the crumpled garment, adjusted her uniform T shirt and with a smile said "Thats better" "Her condition has stabilised, and she seems to be improving very slowly. We'll still have to keep a close eye on her though. The Simpson reports their Chief of Science is in the same condition. All we can do now is wait and see what happens." Mercedes took up the tricorder that hung from her belt and began to scan Rangi. "Sorry," she smiled, realising it must feel strange to the CMO. "Just want to make sure everything's all right. Been seeing any chests running around the Sickay?" "Chests?...ohh.." Rangi smiled, a little selfconciously." No...No I havent!" she said, sounding pleasantly surprised and glanced towards the door."That thing was following me around for hours. Was I asleep long?" she asked,endeavouring to read the tricorder results upside down. Mercedes laughed out loud. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. You seem fine to me. Looks like the medication worked and the pollen is mostly out of your system. Here," she said, handing the tricorder to Rangi so she could read for herself. "You were asleep for a few hours. I've set up a triage in Cargo Bay 2 to help deal with the influx of crew we've had to take care of." Rangi smiled, accepting the tricorder and, as she read the results, asked: "So what about the others...Acheson and Alshain." She offered the tricorder back."...and Gaalen Idrani? how are they? ..are they here or in the Cargo bay?" She paused and asked the question uppermost in her mind. "And Commander Guzman...is he here?.....and Blackburn?" "Acheson and Alshain are in the Cargo Bay; I just treated them myself. They are going to fine. Acheson was a little out of it... kept shouting something about the Borg. Alshain didn't appear to be very much affected; I doubt she was exposed to the pollen for very long. Unfortunately I haven't seen Command Guzman or Lieutenant Blackburn. I'm afraid they might still be on the base." Rangi did her best to hide the disappoinment, but failed.She walked to the other side of her desk and sat down in her chair. "Acheson was hallucinating too." she said without looking up at Mercedes." He saw Borg Drones on the base...and Idrani? Hows he?..as an Andorian...are the effects any better or worse for him?" She looked up at the AMO, determined not to mention the missing crew again. "Andorian physiology is mildly resistant to the pollen, as it turns out. The symptoms are less pronounced," Mercedes sighed and perched on the edge of Rangi's desk. "I just hope we can find the missing crew soon. Who knows what's going on on Kinsi? The whole base could be affected and we have no way of knowing how serious it is. The pollen itself doesn't appear to be fatal, except if left untreated in Vulcans. But the violent behaviour has made a lot of people acting out with psychotic tendencies, and who knows if someone's been killed already." Rangi looked down at her desk answering nothing.She pulled a padd towards her but didnt activate it.Looking up at Mercedes,she repiled "...Yes..." and looked away."Some people on the base were becoming violent...but...well.." She remet Mercedes gaze."I'm glad you've taken charge of setting a second sickbay.Well done for that. I need to contact the Colonel..tell him he has a 2XO back at least." The smile she gave wasnt convincing. "I'm very glad to have you back," Mercedes smiled genuinely. "Things were beginning to get out of control here very fast. I nearly had a nervous breakdown. If it weren't for Scott I probably would have gone insane already. Anyway, I'm almost done with the crew on the ship. I think we should check the stock to make sure how much we have. I'm not sure if it'll be enough to treat the whole base." "Possibly not." Rangi replied, latching on to the new potential problem. "Though we did a restock recently didnt we. It should be ok." She stood up."I'm going to contact the Colonel and check everything here. If you return to sickbay 2..I'll meet you there later." Mercedes nodded. "I gave the Colonel a short briefing when he was here earlier. I'll see you down in the Cargo Bay then." Rangi smiled agreement. "Ok. I'll be there in an hour..possibly less.Thankyou Mercedes." *** End Log *** Ens Mercedes Carpenter AMO USS Chimera & LtCmdr Rangi Summers CMO/2XO USS Chimera