Familiar Strangers [Part 2]
Posted on Sun Oct 5th, 2025 @ 9:17pm by Lieutenant Ayumu Tanaka & Lieutenant Urushi Yaotome
1,557 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Below Decks
Location: USS Valkyrie (NCC-92604)- Medical Center, Deck 11
Timeline: Immediately After Part 1
His mind was racing with so many questions that he'd been keeping down for the better part of four years as he tried to move on from Haruk's death. But as much as he was tempted- sorely tempted- to get the answers that he had pondered to himself for many a quiet night, at the same time he had to remind himself that Urushi was, first and foremost, a patient- his patient- and he had to separate his feelings on the matter from his responsibilities as her caregiver.
"Oh, did you?" he replied, attempting to play down the whole thing as casual doctor-patient banter- though truthfully, in his nervousness it came out more as a croak fraught with overthinking than it did a casual, spur-of-the-moment remark.
"Quite positive I did once." Urushi smiled at him now rather relaxed. "Oh, by the way is there any chance of dinner?"
She then began to blush heavily becoming flustered. "Like not in a date way... I mean like 'I'm hungry' and I doubt you'll let me out of this bed... oh no! That sounded even more wrong!"
"No, it's perfectly fine, Lieutenant," Ayumu assured her, though deep down he was relieved to be changing the subject. "Unfortunately, since we're less than 24 hours removed from your surgery, I'll only be able to put you on a clear liquid diet at this time. Probably won't be much, just a clear broth and some Jell-O, possibly even a popsicle if you're feeling up to it, but given what you've been through, it's important that we start things slowly and gradually work you back up to a point where you can eat normally."
"Like... seriously?" Urushi protested. "Give me a cheeseburger! Fries too! Please! I could totally go for that right now!"
Ayumu shook his head. "I'm sorry, Lieutenant, but your body needs time to heal before we can feed you large, solid foods like a cheeseburger."
Urushi pouted. "I'm not a baby you know! Not that I've ever had one! So give me something I know I'll want to eat!" She continued. Her stomach grumbled as if agreeing with her. "See! Tummy wants feeding!"
Ayumu rolled his eyes. Certainly not the first time he'd had to argue with a patient on matters such as these...
"Lieutenant, while I hate to be setting my foot down like this, I'm once again obligated to remind you again that you're just coming out of surgery," he calmly explained. " And while medicine has come quite a long way, it can only get you so far before your body's natural healing process has to be left to do its work. Surgery can put a lot of stress on a person, which may indirectly effect your digestive systems and restrict your ability to process greasy, high-fat meals such as a cheeseburger; attempting to consume one right after surgery has a higher likelihood of causing bloating, indigestion, constipation, or, most likely, you'll just throw it back up anyways. And when you do, the anesthesia that we administered has the potential to suppress your protective reflexes, such as swallowing or gagging, which means that anything you vomit back up has a higher likelihood of entering your airways; and when you do wind up with chunks of regurgitated cheeseburger floating around in your lungs, we'll have to keep you here longer in order to have them removed."
The colour in Urushis face drained. "Did you have to be so... descriptive?" She huffed. "Fine, I get it. Just don't say anything like that again got it?!"
Content that he had made his point, Ayumu reached up and tapped his combadge. =A=Tanaka to Medtech.=A=
=A=This is the Medtech speaking,=A= Came the response. =A=Go ahead, Doc.=A=
=A=Would it be possible to get some food down to PACU for Lieutenant Yaotome, please?=A= Ayumu requested.
=A=On it, Sir,=A= the Medtech replied. =A=Clear Liquid diet?=A=
=A=Yes, that's correct.=A=
=A=Got it; I'll be there in just a moment with Miss Yaotome's food,=A= the medtech confirmed. =A=Medtech out.=A=
Urushi relaxed against the cushions. "You know Ayumu, you're still a very good doctor. But you need to be easier with your patients. Don't come across as so cold at times. I've told you about this before."
"Did you, now?"
Of course, he knew full well that was another one of Haruk's sticking points; perhaps not as poignant as smiling more, but something he 'd made a point of on more than one occasion. As the proud son of one of Gheryzan's most prestigious neurosurgeons and ever keen to follow in the footsteps of the father he admired, Ayumu did occasionally have a tendency to take his job a bit too seriously. Not that he didn't have the best of intentions, of course, but sometimes he could be a little too focused on his duties, which tended to be off putting for the average patient.
Urushi nodded. "Pretty sure I did. If not, I'm telling you now." She smirked.
"And when was this, if you don't mind my asking?"
Urushi seemed to ponder. "I'm not actually sure... I just know that I said it..." she said simply. "Whats with all the questions anyways?"
Before Ayumu could respond, the medtech arrived furnishing Urushi's meal as Ayumu had requested it. For the ease of delivering food and other necessities into the sickbay without risking contamination, a dual forcefield system had been implemented; the outermost force field was temporarily lowered to allow the medtech to drop off Urushi's meal, before it was raised back up and the innermost force field was in turn lowered to allow Ayumu to access it.
"Here we are, Lieutenant," he announced as he brought the tray over and set it down on Urushi's lap. "Apologies if it's not much at the moment, but provided you make it through the next few days without any major complications, we may be able to upgrade you to a full liquid diet."
Urushi looked down at this 'food'. Clearly she wasn't impressed. She reluctantly picked up one of the provided spoons and began to eat. "Its..." she looked at Ayumu and swallowed. "It'll do I suppose, just no gruesome stories!"
"Only to prove a point, Lieutenant," Ayumu asserted as he raised his hands and stepped back. "And I suppose once you've reached a point in your recovery where you'll be able to eat a cheeseburger again... I could see about making arrangements to feed you one at the first available opportunity?"
"That almost sounds like you're asking me out on a date Ayumu." She said as she turned her attention back to the 'excuse' that Ayumu insisted was food.
"Wasn't exactly my first thought..." Ayumu muttered as he resumed his seat, although the reddish tinge in his cheeks told Urushi pretty much all that she needed to know.
Urushi averted her gaze, her cheeks beginning to redden. "Sooo...."
"It's not a date!" Ayumu insisted. "I promise! I just figured it'd be fair since you put up such a fuss-!"
"Thats a shame..." Urushi sighed as she relaxed back against the cushions. "Because in my relaxed, drugged to high heaven state. I'd have said yes." She then let out a laugh. "But you didn't ask!" Sbe began to laugh out loudly as if Ayumu wasn't even there.
Ayumu could hear the medtech snickering on the other end of the force field and rolled his eyes.
"Lieutenant?"
The medtech could be heard clearing his throat. "Yes, Sir?"
"Get back to work before I write you up?"
"Aye, Sir," the medtech nodded before making himself scarce.
Ayumu sat back and sighed. It was clear that he had a lot of things he was going to have to work out- four years' of pent-up grief that he'd been harboring in silence, now thrust into the forefront with the discovery that one of his own crew-mates was hosting the Leon Symbiont, and with it the memories of his late friend and mentor. Deep down, he longed for a form of closure in this chapter of his life- a way to move on from the gap left behind by Haruk's death. And just as he was beginning to feel that wound was finally starting to heel, it had now been ripped back open, laid bare before the elements as his brain grappled with the newfound reality.
But now was not the time for questions; now was a time for healing, for Lieutenant Yaotome to recover from the grievous injuries she had sustained down on the surface. But perhaps, once all was said and done and Lieutenant Yaotome was back to her normal self... he could finally get the answers he'd been longing for all this time, and maybe- just maybe- he could finally close the book on his late friend, accept that was done was done, and find the strength to move on.
Posting by:
Lieutenant Ayumu Tanaka
Chief Medical Officer
Lieutenant Urushi Yaotome
Chief Science Officer
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