Improvement

Aidan had made great progress in her own eyes, over the last two weeks.  While there were still some mental demons to deal with she hoped both Nathan saw the same thing. There were still sessions with the Counsellor and they would continue.  For now her concern turned solely to her physical improvement.

"Good day, Doctor."

Nathan entered and smiled, and said, "Hey, how are you feeling?"

"Better," Aidan replied "I know that I still have a ways to go but I'm feeling better than I have in a very long time."

"That's good.  Jayme said to say 'Hello'.  She's currently in session with Karissa."

He had a blue wrapped sterile tray in his hands which he set down on a bedside table and visually checked the entrance points where the brace broke the skin, then pulling his tricorder ran an in-depth scan of the bones and connective tissues and smiled, very satisfied with the healing process this time.  "It's healed.  After I remove the brace it maybe weak for a while but then you can begin rehab to strengthen it tomorrow.  Are you ready?"

She smiled, "Yeah I'm ready.  Does this mean I'm going to be able to go home soon?"

"As far as medically--I can discharge you to base and see you there in the infirmary. However it will be up to Karissa if you can leave Paladin.  Our new rehab specialist has arrived and would be a great person for you to work with.  Jayme is pretty much being kept in our quarters wrapped in cotton--and no, she isn't happy about that."

She watched while he loaded a hypospray and adjusted the setting and then moved in next to each steel screw and injected the area and moved on to the other seven.  She winced, grabbed a hand full of blankets and bit her lip to keep from crying out.  "Almost done he said shooting the last two spots.  Done."

He sat down and waited for the medication to really take effect and for her to relax back down. "How have you been sleeping?"

"My sleeping had improved.  Things aren't perfect but I didn't expect the answers to come in one session or a day.  I'm worried that I'll have a relapse of that panic attack but more than anything I just want to get back to familiar surroundings,"  Aidan commented.

"That part of your treatment is up to Karissa."  He stood and prepped the tray and then with cold swabs cleaned around each screw and then with a manual driver backed out each on and applied a dressing to it.  When he was finished and had the brace off he wrapped the leg from the groin to ankle with a pressure dressing.  "That dressing can come off tomorrow morning.  I'd like you to stay off of it for an hour and then when you get up use the crutches until you figure out how much weakness or balance problems you are going to have."

He cleaned up the tray and a nurse arrived and picked up the tray to recycle it and handed Aidan two pain meds, which she took with some juice.  He sat back down and waited until she was comfortable and then asked, "how are the other medications helping--the SSRI's and the sleepers?"

Aidan shrugged, "I know a lot of this is up to Karissa now.  Really I'd like to be able to see her as she requires but not be confined here.  The SSRI's and sleepers are really helping.  It's allowing me to come to terms with what happened and get some much needed rest without reliving the crash in my nightmares.  In a way I can understand what Jayme is feeling like being treated like she's so fragile.  Yes it's different for me and I worry about her.  But when it comes to me I can't do what I need to do and take those next steps to healing if I stay here.  I don't know if it would help for you two to converse about my case or not at this point."

"I've talked to her briefly before Jayme met with her and she wants me to double your medication. She wants three more days of in-depth sessions and then she said she'd be willing to see you on an out patient basis.  As for Jayme--she's going to have to get over feeling this way because she has several more months of this treatment."  He stood and started for the door, then turned before heading out to say, "Jayme will probably come see you after her session."  He left as his commbadge beeped indicating he had an emergency patient to see.

"Thank you Doctor."  She'd find some way to deal with three more days of Paladin then hopefully back to base.  At her next session she looked forward to finding out why Karissa felt it necessary to double her meds. Maybe it had to do with the panic attack or a way to prevent another one, she didn't know. In the meantime any visitors would be welcome.

Two hours later Jayme knocked on the Major's door and then entered, and took the chair beside the bed.  "Hi, I see my husband has been here."  She said noting that the brace was gone from the leg. "How's it feeling?"  Jayme looked around the room and noted that the second bed was still there and made. "Hope you don't mind some company...they don't want me going to base alone and Nathan and I've sold the condo here in the city...so they want me to stay put here until he's off duty.

"Well I'm glad to have that contraption off but the leg is a bit sore as a result of having something screwed into my healing bone.  Anyway I should be able to start strengthening it as of tomorrow."  Aidan paused. "I don't mind company at all.  In fact I'm getting bored here.  You've sold the condo in the city?"

"He did, I didn't learn about that until he took me home to base and found my quarters totally refurbished and set up for a family occupation."

"How are you?"  Aidan asked.

"I'm feeling fine, just tired of being off duty, and their over protectiveness is making me crazy. I have been getting some studying done but they won't let me do my clinical hours.  Karissa suggested I take up knitting... " Jayme blew her bangs off her forehead and slouched in the chair.  "I hate the meds...they make me feel all fuzzy, and I just spent two hours with Karissa and feel like I've been beaten with an assault rifle.  I don't think this is doing any good but I can't seem to convince her of that..."

Aidan simply nodded, "I know Nathan just told me Karissa wants to double my meds and I'm here at her bidding for three more days.  All I want is to get back to base but I don't hold that key and neither does your husband at this point.  He's willing to release me back to the base and follow up with the rest from there.   Wants me to see the new Rehab specialist assigned there."

"I could still do that if you want.  But this is probably just one more case of them protecting me from doing anything. Have you had lunch, want to take a walk down to the cafeteria instead of eating what they bring us?"  Jayme asked rubbing her abdomen and standing.

Aidan located her crutches then very carefully and slowly got out of bed, "Still on these things until I see how balance, strength, etc is in my leg. But I'll take you up on a walk to the cafeteria.  Anything for a change of scenery right now."

Both women slowly made their way out and down the atrium level which housed the cafeteria, once there Jayme filled a tray with stuff they both picked out and while she was checking out Aidan moved off to set down at a table and take the weight off her leg.  Jayme set the tray down and sat across from the Major.  "I probably should have told someone we were coming down here...oh well."  She picked up her sandwich and took a bite.  Both ate in companionable silence for a while but Jayme just couldn't finish her meal and sat back and watched people come and go. Finally both women were finished and walked back up to the room, and Jayme sat on her bed as a nurse came in to pass medications and run tricorder scans on them.

"Where were you two about ten minutes ago?"  The nurse in the Starfleet uniform asked.

Both women looked at each other and started laughing.

"Cafeteria," Aidan finally replied when she managed to get herself under control enough to answer. "After all we had to eat."

Jayme smiled and lay back on the bed and rolled on her side to face Aidan.  Jayme thought about refusing her meds but knew Karissa wasn't going to accept any shit from her.  She took her meds and then said, "Sorry we've already eaten."  Jayme winked at the nurse and relaxed.  "Aidan you have a deck of cards?"

"Should be on the nightstand there," Aidan replied as she accepted her meds then swallowed them with a glass of water.  While she was feeling better that short walk had been enough to let her know her leg had just come out of the brace.

Jayme stood grabbing the cards and moving a bedside table closer to Aidan's bed and sitting in the chair. She caught mean looks from both the nurse and Aidan.  She started dealing out seven cards face down to each of them, and asked, "What?"

"I won't say anything other than I worry about you and the baby.  Jayme I just don't want to see anything bad happen."  Aidan replied gently.

"Fine, I'll go back to bed after this hand.  I promise."  She said when she saw her friend doubted her sincerity

The nurse shook her head and left the room, after thinking of telling the other woman to get into bed, she was bed rest restrictions but knew Jayme from a previous admission and saved her breathe.

Jayme picked up her cards and looked down at her hand and smiled.

Aidan looked at her own hand for a minute then back to Jayme.  "Listen I'll play as long as I can stay awake here. This stuff does a super good job of fogging up my brain."

"I can understand that."  The door opened and Karissa entered and said, "Jayme--you're on bed rest!" She turned to Aidan and said a little more gently, "My office in five minutes for your next session, Major."  She turned and left the room, leaving the two women to follow orders.

Aidan shrugged as she went through the process of retrieving her crutches again.  "Sorry, Jayme, get some rest and I'll be back later.  Assuming I don't fall asleep in her office during the session."

Jayme lay on her bed and pulled a blanket up around her shoulders and said, "Good luck, girlfriend...drink a cup of coffee that will help with the sleepies."  Aidan turned the room lights out as she left and made her way to the office she'd been ordered to report too."

Karissa was at her desk making notations in a file as Aidan entered. As she saw the major enter, she smiled amiably.

"Good to see you," Karissa said having a cup of coffee ready and waiting for her client. "Go ahead, drink some coffee and we'll get started . . . I'll answer any questions you have, too, since I sense you have a few.."

Aidan took a seat,  "Yes I have several questions.  Not much gets past my attention and I was talking to Dr Fletcher earlier.  He indicated you wanted my meds increased  I'm curious as to why. I'm also more than curious as to when you think I'm ready to be released back to the base."