Katianna awoke with a start, her breathing shallow and rapid. There was a sheen of perspiration on her forehead and around her body. Immediately she used her telepathic and empathic abilities to reach out to her children. She found them sound asleep, and she took a deep breath. Though she knew she's only had a nightmare, they were coming more frequently - nightmares of Kalimar and the Kosst Amojen coming to kill her children in front of her, especially her son Daniel. This dream haunted and plagued her and there seemed to be no way to rid herself of it. Kalimar simply had the corner market on her mind and what he could do.
"Computer, time," she said wearily rubbing her face with her hands and then allowing them to thread through her hair.
<The time is 04:45> the computer replied.
She sighed as she contemplated the different possibilities of what she could do. One thing was certain. She had to go to her office today. There were things she had to take care of. Reports to check and file. But what her mind and soul were telling her to do right now was run to the Holo Suites. She could do it before her shift, but she knew with as agitated she was that she would need more than a couple of hours. She'd go after she took care of her paperwork. Once that was completed, anything else could be handled out of her office.
But what was she going to do now? Sleep was going to be impossible . . . She dropped the nightgown to the floor and shifted into her uniform. Having way too much time, she decided to fix her hair herself this morning. After taking care of that, she left her quarters after kissing her children in their sleep and replicating some cookies for them for when Laurissa got back from school. Kara would take care of the rest. She then left.
She headed out to Harry's, trying not to think about the nightmare, but it was difficult. She ordered a Raktajino and then some breakfast, though the thought of eating really didn't sit well with her. But she knew she'd skipped too many meals lately it. It was beginning to show, so she decided that today she was going to force herself to eat and something with a lot of protein. She opted for a veggie omelet with cheese and a side of ham and home fries. She didn't eat all of it, but she tried to eat as much as she could. She ended up pushing the rest around her plate.
She burned off more time by simply walking around the Promenade. It was quiet. Some shops were open, some were just opening . . . But there wasn't a lot of business just yet. Finally unwilling to wait any longer, she went to her office. She was early for her shift, but that was fine. She began going through the reports on her desk, making notations and either forwarding them or filing them. She also had a report or two to write herself. That seemed to reoccupy her for the majority of three hours. Once those were done and forwarded, she was done with her office work for the day. She walked out finally made her way to where she had wanted to go all day, since she had awoken from the nightmare - Holo Pursuits.
She was ready for a good fight as she went through her different programs. She half stopped at her new King Arthur program knowing that Paul had changed it back to the original format and a good sword fight would work off a lot of the emotions she was feeling, but she decided King Arthur wasn't what she wanted and flipped by it. She continued to look and then stopped on her newest program - Joan of Arc. That would work, she thought. Bloody sword battles . . . It took a lot of focus and determination while in one of the battles not to get struck and to come out unscathed. Yes, she thought. She'd pick Joan of Arc. Selecting her program, she then selected the battle. She replicated the sword she wanted and then went inside the holosuite, shifting into Joan of Arc's costume as she went.
The battle was frozen in time and she carefully placed herself within the battle before she called for the program to begin. As soon as it did, she was lost in a blur of activity. She had, as always of late, shut off the safeties and therefore was honestly fighting for her life. She didn't that adrenaline rush to keep her on her guard to make her movements swift and accurate.
She found herself in the middle of several English soldiers, and each one she took out expertly. She always did love handling a sword, she thought. There was something brutal, but beautiful about it too. But she didn't have much time for reflection as she was challenged again by another soldier. This time, the sword missed her midsection, but she had misplaced her arm and if cut into her. Her arm began to bleed. She looked at the red blood dripping from her for a moment and then dispatched her current opponent before being challenged by two others. She pushed the pain away. As she took on these new assailants, she didn't sense the one coming from behind until it was almost too late. She swung around just as his sword thrust toward her back. It had cut into her before she turned and took off his head in one expert move. She could feel more blood running down from her. The armor wasn't really that strong, she thought. She then had to turn and face the two she had turned her back on. Then, as was she wounded again in her shoulder. She refused to stop fighting. She kept it up killing her two opponents and going on to kill at least another ten.
But just as another was about to confront her, she stumbled and she could feel the weakness throughout her body. She was even getting dizzy. As she looked down at her body. There was blood all over it, but was it from her opponents that she had killed or was it her own? She didn't know anymore. The lightheadedness continued.
"Computer, freeze program," she said and the world around her stopped moving.
But the lightheadedness increased. Suddenly, the fringes of her vision began turning gray. Soon, there was nothing, only darkness as she collapsed to the deck unconscious.
Jayme and Dr. Fletcher stood by in the trauma room waiting for the team who responded to the Holo deck to bring in a woman with multiple stab wounds and lacerations. "Jayme, I'm going to stand back and just observe...if you need me just call." Nathan said taking a tall stool and seating himself."
Jayme had ordered pressure dressings, dermal generator, and artificial blood to be held ready."
Suddenly the body of the woman arrived. She recognized her. It was Katianna Nadira and she was covered with blood. It was apparent that she had at least one deep gash in her left shoulder, another cut across her upper right arm . . As she scanned Katianna, she found a deeper wound in her back. None were life threatening by themselves, but she had lost a lot of blood.
"Toren, lets roll her, I want to see that wound in her back..." They as a team rolled her and Jayme immediately cut the uniform from her back...left flank to be precise...Jayme ran a second scan to confirm her diagnosis, " she looked over at Dr. Fletcher--"laceration to left kidney...its encaposlated and stable at the moment."
"I'll be setting up in for surgery." He left the room. Jayme nodded and they set her back down as she came too and started squirming and fighting. "Five cc's Kayolane--Now!" She ordered. She picked up the dermal generator and started working on the left shoulder laceration while toren and the rest of the crew stripped her uniform as she became a limp form on the biobed. She'd finished that one when Nathan called and announced he was ready. "Five minutes, and I'll have these other wounds closed and I'll transfuse two units protoblood and give her a dose of Lagrazine to treat for shock and then transport her to you." Jayme and Toren worked fast to close the other seven wounds.
They both stood back as the transport took place.
Jayme washed up and pulled on surgical gear and went in to observe the repair of the kidney."I had to dose her with Kayolane when she came to, Nate."
Katianna felt like she was drowning, as she fought against the darkness that was swallowing her. For a moment, she had opened her eyes. She had scene a mob of people around her. She remember her holoprogram . . . Was it a mob coming to take her and burn her at the stake? Were they going to hang her? She wanted to squirm and fight, but then the darkness had taken her . . . Kalimar was in the darkness . . . and the darkness scared her . . .
It was a short procedure as Dr. Fletcher repaired the kidney and sealed the wound. Jayme watched while the surgical techs bathed her body and covered her in warmed blankets, and then taken to a ward and placed in bed. Jayme walked over and ran a scan a few moments later. Nathan was still dictating his report and she had yet to do hers. She was still very low on blood and she turned to Toren--"transfuse another unit of protoblood." Jayme was ordering and reading the other womans medical history...
Jayme tapped her combadge, "Physicians Assitant Alcon to Captain Mallory."
[Mallory, here] Kitty replied immediately, with a hint of concern in her voice.
"I have Commander Nadira here with extensive injuries and she will not be on duty today. She's stable but sedated and receiving blood." Jayme said.
[I'm on my there] Captain Mallory replied. [You can explain it to me when I get there. Mallory, Out]
"Recieved." Jayme tapped her combadge again and said, "PA Alcon to Lt. Kassia." She noted the time and knew Kassia would be up and either at the shop or her office.
[Kassia here] she replied. She could sense the tension in Jayme's voice. [What's wrong? What's going on?]
"I need an emergency consult in Sickbay--Commander Nadira." Jayme announced as she waited for the Captain to arrive.
Kassia immediately got an impression from Jayme. [I'll be there in 15 minutes. I'm not too far away.]
"Thank you." Jayme sat at a terminal not far from her patient and started dictating her report for the woman's chart. She'd only met Katianna a few times at functions but never spent any time with the woman. She heard a moan and saw the other woman move her hand. She picked up the hypospray and injected Terakine and the woman relaxed. Jayme finished her report as Captain Mallory arrived. "Report."
Jayme stood and met the other woman's eyes and said, "She was found bloody and unconscious in a suite in Holo Pursuits. We've taken care of the lacerations and Dr. Fletcher surgically fixed the Kidney. This is her third time here in three weeks at least, ma'am, for the same types of injuries, though not as severe as this--I've ordered a psych consult."
Kitty sighed and rolled her head on her shoulders. She felt as if she were between a rock and a hard place. Katianna Nadira was a friend. She also knew what the woman was up against, but she also knew her friend was on the edge and was pushing herself to the brink and was taking risks she couldn't afford. Kitty nodded. "I imagine Lt. Kassia is on her way?" Kitty asked.
"Yes." Jayme offered the Captain her stool. The woman sat and watched Katianna sleep. "Ma'am, there are other issues here medically, she's run her self down and her immune system is on the verge of collapse, she's not been eating, and the injuries speak for themselves. I've placed her on a three day medical hold for further treatment."
Kitty looked at Jayme with surprise in her eyes. "Do you think this is absolutely necessary?" Kitty asked, though looking at Katianna's form, she had to wonder herself if it wasn't for the best.
"Medically its necessary." She looked over and saw that Kassia was there and had heard. "Kassia," Jayme said with a shake of her head, "She's medically stable but has residual issues with her immune system, loss of blood on top of the injuries."
Kassia nodded, "And the issues you have with why she's getting injured, correct?" Kassia's green eyes held their own concern as they went from Jayme to Katianna.
"This is the third report of the same types of injuries and straight transfers from the holodeck. So, yes--I am very concerned about this behavior."
"She's shutting off the holosuite safeties trying to test her limits," Kassia replied. "Only she's losing herself somewhere along the line. Pushing herself too far . . ."
"And what about her not eating?" Kitty asked. "She is very thin . . . If she thinks she's going to save theuniverse, how is she going to do it if she's boney and sick?"
Kassia was silent on the matter.
"I think it's time she's put on probation," Kitty continued, "Kassia, when she wakes up, I want you to inform her that she's on probation with the holosuites. She may still use them, but she's barred from changing the safety settings. There will be heavy consequences if she changes that. We'll review in one month and see if we can change it back to how it was. And I want her in to see you twice a week until our current problems are resolved."
Kassia nodded. "Yes, Ma'am."
Jayme watched the Captain walk out of the bay, and she looked over at Kassia. As soon as the blood's infused we'll start in with the nutrient infusions to help boost her system, and I've ordered her moved to an area where a continuous forcefield can be erected around her to keep her here." Jayme ran another scan of her patient. "She's had some pain medication but is rousable. I'm going to go see a few other patients. I'll be back in about twenty minutes."
Kassia nodded. "Thank you," Kassia replied. "I'll be here."
As she watched Jayme walk off, she brought a chair over to Katianna's bed and sat beside her. She got the impression that Katianna was in a nightmare. Soon enough the woman was moving and crying in her sleep. But a gentle touch from Kassia and she seemed to quiet down. Suddenly, her eyes opened slowly. She looked around and groaned.
"No, it wasn't a dream," Kassia replied. "Captain Mallory was even in to see you."
"Oh no . . ." Katianna moaned out again and tried rolling to her side. "Don't tell me that. I don't want to hear that . . ."
"Because you know what I have to tell you now, don't you?" Kassia asked, sensing Kat knew.
Kat swallowed hard. Her throat was dry and she still felt weak, but this made her weaker still . . . "Has she banned me from the holosuites?"
"Not entirely," Kassia replied. "But you are on probation for a month. You can't change the safety settings or else you're seriously going to be in trouble . . ."
"But how am I suppose to train?" Katianna replied stridently, but then realized it was a mistake as she suddenly felt even more fatigued.
"Katianna . . . what you've been doing isn't training . . . I know what it is and I can tell you, but you have to decide what it is you're doing . . ." Kassia replied taking the woman's hand.
"I am not trying to punish myself!" she replied.
"Well," Kassia replied, "We'll have time to talk about it tomorrow."
"What do you mean?" Katianna asked.
Kassia sighed. "You'll be here for the next 72 hours. You're on a hold . . "
"What?!" Kat explained, finding some renewed strength. "But my kids! I can't stay here! I -"
"Were you thinking about your kids when you allowed this to happen to you in the holosuite?" Kassia asked gently, her green eyes gazing at her friend.
Suddenly it was as if she had been hit with an arrow. Katianna's eyes filled with tears and she looked away . . . She couldn't answer. What had been in her mind? She didn't know.
"Rest now," Kassia said gently. "I'll check in on your kids and we can talk tomorrow."
Katianna only nodded her head as she settled on the bed and wiped at the tears in her eyes. What was she doing, she wondered. She just didn't know. Tenderly Kassia took her friend's hand reassuringly, hoping to transfer some of her strength to Katianna.