As soon as Sel saw that some of the intruders were fighting amongst each other on the Bridge, she lowered her arms.  Again, in Trillese, Sel addressed the ship's computer: "Resume normal temp and humidity on the Bridge, but now remove gravity".  

   Sel grabbed on to her console to anchor herself down.  She hoped that the Captain, Commander, and the rest of the crew would get the message that they had to hold on to something, too.  

   With her free hand, she tapped her commbadge: "Doctor, this is chief medical officer Commander Seladana Zax.  Bring a few tranq hypos to the Bridge.  There are intruders here.  I have told the ship's comp to remove gravity.  If that does not work, we may have to play darts with the intruders and hopefully put them out of action with the sleep drugs in the tranqs".

   Not getting a response to her comm, Sel grabs a medkit and takes the nearest lift to the Bridge.  She enters the Bridge some minutes later.  

   Looking at the CO, XO, and her crewmates Sel says: "My symb is acting kind of funny.  Is there some kind of emergency that requires my attention?"

   Sel tapped her badge off.  She stood at full attention, waiting for a reply, if any.

By this time, CMO Seldana Zax--still at her med post on the Bridge--looked like she wanted to help any way she could.  

(( OOC: Not sure if Sel saw the Captain being beamed off to the Loxian "exile" ship.))

Sel's symb was twisting once again in its pouch, as if it was full of questions.

(( OOC2: Sorry it took so long for me to post.  Lots of RL stuff going on that I've had to deal with.))

   Sel saw the new Captain and the Admiral enter the Captain's "ready room".   As she waited for the both of them to come out, she summoned her courage to ask Captain McKinley to accompany her on Avalon Station's Promenade.  

   She also took the time to change from her uniform to a simple, but attractive dress tailored for Joined Trills like herself.  She changed behind sickbay's privacy curtain, then returned to her console on the Bridge.  She still had her small, light duffle with her.  It now contained her uniform, neatly folded and ready to be donned at a moment's notice.  

   Sel remained sitting at her console, waiting for the Captain and the Admiral to exit the ready room.

  Sel was completely puzzled about the Doctor.  How could a hologram be sick?  Was there even a way to treat him?

  CMO Zax tapped her badge again: "Engineering, please see if you can find out what is wrong with the EMH known as 'The Doctor'.  Please get back to me with an answer--if there is one--ASAP.  Commander Zax out."

  Off went Sel's badge.  She made a few adjustments to the bio-scan.  Her efforts were rewarded with very clear and very specific readings.  

   The readings Sel was getting now made her do a double-take.  There was odd activity in the Captain's brain.  Sel reactivated her badge.
   "Sir", Sel told Burma, "there is inexplicable activity in the Captain's brain.  I have narrowed it down to two possibilities: The Captain is either possessed--unlikely as it may seem--or some renegade Betazoid or other psionically powerful race is controlling him.

  Furthermore, our EMH--the Doctor--has been exhibiting symptoms of being afflicted by some kind of virus or other disease.  I have asked engineering to look into it.

  In the meantime, I will continue treating the Captain, hopefully achieving a desireable result.  Commander Zax out".  

(( OOC: Since Sel was never told that Burma is acting CO, she merely addresses him as "sir" instead of "Captain".))

   Sel, still down in sickbay, was unaware of the distress signal.  She was busy testing the EMH's alternative medicine database.  She wanted to make sure that the holodoc was prepared for quite literally anything, especially in the case of an allergic reaction to standard hypomeds.  

   Her symb was moving inside its pouch in the slowly twisting manner of anxiety.  Sel stopped testing the EMH.  She knew that whenever her symb acted that way, the least she could do is wait for the symb to "flash" its message to her mind.

   The "flash" came soon enough.  A "slide"--like an ancient form of Terran entertainment--showed unidentifiable beings running, screaming, and falling.  There were bloodied bodies--some still moving, some still as death--all over.  

   Sel shuddered.  Her hand shook as she tapped her commbadge: "To anyone on the Bridge, this is CMO Seldana Zax.   Do you need my help up there?"  

   The young, lovely female adult Joined Beta Trill waited anxiously, her commbadge still on, to see if anyone would reply.

   Hearing the orders over her commbadge, Sel replies: "Medical and EMH all in the green, sir.  Awaiting orders".  

(( OFF: Yes!  I'm back!  Bring on the action! http://expansionfleet.sparks.priorweb.be/ikonboard/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':)'>! ))

Sel beamed back to sickbay just in time to see The Doctor searching cabinets.  She smiled.  A smile was in her voice, too.

"You can stop searching now.  All the equip we need is in the tray here attached to the bed that our patient--the Captain (?)--is on".

Sel paused, then continued: "As your chief medical officer, I ask you to please help me finish treating the Captain so that he may return to duty".  

Sel heard her commbadge beeping: "How's the Captain doing?", her fellow crewmember's voice asked.  

"He should be hale and hearty again once the Doctor and I finish treating him", Sel replied.  

Sel tapped her commbadge off and waited for the Doctor to join her.  

Sel stands to the right of her med console on the Bridge, her hands raised.  Meanwhile, her symb "flashes" a few possibly helpful scenarios into her mind.  

One scenario actually "sticks".  

Speaking in Trillese, which Sel *hopes* the intruders don't understand, Sel addresses USS Skytoucher's ship computer: "Computer raise temp and humidity on the Bridge".  Sel hopes the increased heat and humidity *might* cause the intruders to fall asleep.  

Sel took the tricorder from the Doctor.  It was all she could do to control the laughter that was bubbling up in reaction to the Doctor's actions.  Even Sel's symb--held securely in Sel's symb pouch--was shaking in fits and starts as if it, too, was trying to stifle laughter. The bursts of shaking can quite clearly be seen by the Doctor.

"You are correct.  The tricorder's readings definitely confirm your diagnosis.  The Captain will need extensive treatment, so let us begin..."

   (( OOC: I'll be on vacation from 8/24/03 through 8/31/03.  I hope to be back on-line either on the night of 8/31/03 or by no later than 9/1/03.  Thank you.))

   "Cmdr. Seldana Zax, CMO, reporting for duty. All is green where I am down here in USS Skytoucher's sickbay.  EMH is also ready, if needed, sirs", said Sel after tapping her commbadge.

   Sel felt the ship moving.   She had no idea how her med dept. could help in a seemingly diplomatic mission.  She was, however, ready for anything.  

=^= Burma to sickbay=^=
"Any news on Captain McKinley? What is his prognosis?"=^=

=^=CMO Cmdr. Zax to Burma=^=

  "Sir, the captain's condition is quite complex.  The Doctor and I were treating him...that is, until the Doctor just now collapsed at my feet.  A nurse is tending the Doctor right now.  

  As for the captain, I will continue his treatments myself until the Doctor can continue to assist me.  Commander Seldana Zax out,  sir."  

  Sel tapped her commbadge off.  She continued tending to the captain, glancing with concern back to the Doctor every once in a while.

OOC: As of late July/early August, I've been given a captain's role--and my very own Star Trek "live" sim/chat--in another sim group.

Recently, I've been asked by the group's owner to create more complex plots.  This means that--regretfully--I must leave Expansion.  I require a great deal of preparation to create a new plot every week.

So, it's with a heavy heart that I resign as Cmdr./CMO of USS Skytoucher.  I hope my replacement will be a much better RPer than I was.  Live long and prosper!  

(( OOC: Please stop sending USS Skytoucher posts to my e-mail. I'm no longer a member of this sim.  I won't be returning any time in the foreseeable future.  Thank you.))