The Travelers - Chapter 24

*Sanitation gown – A sterile gown worn by doctors and nurses during medical procedures to prevent the passing or growth of airborne bacteria

*Sanitation gloves – Sterile gloves worn by doctors and nurses during medical procedures to prevent the passing or growth of airborne bacteria

*Hygiene mask – A special mask fitted over the mouth and nose to prevent bacteria being contracted.  Usually worn by medical personal, but us available to non-medical people as well

*Scan Cap – A cap for the head or a wrap for parts of the body used to see what is happening inside the body when used with a medical wand.  It allows video and pictures to be taken and is non-invasive.  It can be hard to “see” properly though and requires someone specially trained to use and understand the visuals.

*Medical Wand – A special wand with an x-ray style camera in it.  It allows a doctor to see abnormal activity in the body.

*****

Chapter 24

Seren pulled out his communicator when the device alerted him to a Level 2 message.  He frowned, his eyes narrowing with worry as he read the information.

“Is everything all right, sir?” Pilot Sabik asked as she looked across the table at him.  The two of them had met to discuss the group trek while it was still fresh in their heads, but the communicator alert had interrupted their discussion.

“We have an ill Traveler,” he told her.

“Who?  Are they ill from something on Neveah?” she questioned with concern.

“It’s Charge Amrynn, but the cause is unknown.”  Seren stood with purpose while pocketing his communicator.  “We’ll have to continue this later, Sabik.  I’m going to find out what I can and see if I can be of help to Charge Cayson.  I’ll contact you with what I find out.”

“Yes, sir.  Please let me know if I can be of service.”

Seren nodded even as he was already out the door.  His long stride took him quickly to the medical wing.  A quick glance through the initial rooms showed no sign of Cayson or Amrynn, but Backer Eli noticed his arrival and quickly approached him.

“Sir!  Can I be of assistance?”

Seren nodded once.  “I’m looking for Charge Cayson, Backer Eli.  I was informed Charge Amrynn has taken ill.”

Eli nodded seriously.  “Yes, sir.  Charge Cayson was called away to go to her.  He left me as vice leader and I just received word a few minutes ago that Amrynn’s been transported back to their stateroom.  Charge Cayson has asked for certain supplies to be delivered to them.”

“Why was she not brought to the medical wing?”

“I don’t know, sir.”

Seren frowned.  “What supplies has Charge Cayson requested?”

Eli motioned him to follow and quickly brought Seren to a room where Backers Celeste and Eris were packing two medical bundlers.  Eli picked up a paper and handed it to the Charge Pilot.

“These are the requested items, sir.  We’re about done packing them up.”

Seren skimmed over the list, noting that most of the requested items were for testing, not treating.  “Has Charge Cayson said what is wrong?” he asked, feeling concerned at the lack of information.

Eli shook his head.  “No sir, but Backer Celeste was with Charge Amrynn and was the one to get Charge Cayson.”  The Backer nodded his head toward the young woman.  Seren focused his attention on her.

“What happened, Backer Celeste?”

Celeste told Charge Seren the same information she’d given Cayson, but followed it up with what they were currently doing.  “Charge Cayson implied that Charge Amrynn suffers from recurring head pain, and that was the probable cause of her losing consciousness.  He felt she’d be more comfortable in their own quarters and planned to care for her and run some tests there.”

Seren nodded, his mind filing away the information.  Knowing the background of all his Travelers, Seren was aware from Amrynn’s medical files that she had suffered a head injury as a child and was prone to headaches.  He was disturbed at the seriousness of this one though, and wanted to follow-up personally. 

“If everything is bundled, then Backer Celeste and I will take the supplies to Charge Cayson.  Backer Eli, are you able to remain in charge of the med wing?”

Eli nodded.  “Yes, sir.  We have no other emergencies at this time and Charge Ionna from night shift is available to call should we need assistance.”

“Very good,” Seren approved.  He lifted the bigger of the two bundlers and carefully shouldered it.  “I’ll make sure you’re informed of Charge Amrynn’s status,” he promised.

Eli nodded gratefully and handed the other bundler to Backer Celeste before she and Charge Seren left the wing.

The two walked swiftly and silently to the Trio’s stateroom.  Seren rapped the door sharply when they arrived, and it was quickly opened by Ozias.

“Charge Seren!” he said with surprise.

“Ozias,” Seren acknowledged.  “Backer Celeste and I have the equipment Cayson requested.  I came to offer my help if you think I could be of assistance.”

Oz nodded, quickly ushering both Travelers in.  “Your help is always appreciated, sir.”

The bundlers were quickly set down and Backer Celeste stayed out of the way while Seren and Oz returned to where Cayson had Amrynn lying on their bed.  Seren took silent notice to the oxygen mask over Amrynn’s mouth and nose, but was pleased to see her eyes were open, though pain-filled.  Cayson sat next to her, holding her hand and quietly asking questions. 

“All right, dearling,” Seren heard Cay say softly.  “Oz is going to sit with you and I’m going to give you that pain shot and then run some tests.”  His hand cupped her face a moment and Seren watched Amrynn barely turn her cheek into the caress.

A moment later the two husbands had switched places and Seren moved to Cayson’s side as the man shifted to the room’s icing box and withdrew a small bottle and syringe.  Cayson began explaining things to the Charge Pilot without Seren having to ask.

“I’m fairly certain there’s nothing contagious and that her loss of consciousness was due to the pain and pressure of the headache, so there’s no cause to fear for the other Travelers.”

He was speaking in a clinical voice and Seren recognized it as Cayson’s way of staying on track and not giving in to worry.

“This shot I’m giving her will relieve the pain.  She’ll be out for several hours, and then she’ll sleep on and off for most of a day afterward.  My concern isn’t that she has this head pain—well, at least not just that—but that this attack was more potent and came much quicker than any in the past have.”  Cay tapped the syringe to make sure no air bubbles were inside.  “Oz, Amrynn and I know some triggers, and being extra tired after the trek probably played into this one, but she was actually feeling really good during the hike—better than she usually does, so this took us by surprise.”

There was a pause in Cay’s explanation as he stepped over to his wife, gently slid her waistband down to bare her hip and quickly injected her.  It was done with professional indifference; but after injecting her, Cay stroked Amrynn’s arm for a moment and met her eyes.  They seemed to hold a silent conversation before Cayson leaned down and brushed a kiss across her forehead.  When he stepped away, Oz began murmuring softly to her while Cay resumed his explanation to Seren.

“It will take about ten minutes for the shot to take effect.  I’ll draw some blood once Am’s asleep and run some tests.”

“What are you looking for?” Seren questioned.

“Anything that may have made this attack worse, or even the cause for it.  I want to take a closer look at her blood oxygen levels too.  They were lower than normal according to the monitor I had on her.”

Seren nodded.  “I’m here to help then, Cayson.  You know I have a first ranking in medical research and a second in general medical service.”

“If you can be spared from your other duties for a while, I’ll definitely use you, sir.  I can run two sets of tests at a time with both of us monitoring things, and a fresh set of eyes is always welcome.  I’m so familiar with Am and her medical stats that it’s not unlikely that I could skim over something important.”

“I’ll start setting up the test equipment then while you get some blood vials,” Seren decided.

“What do you need me to do?” Oz asked, his deep voice quiet but serious.

Cayson looked at his two partners.  Amrynn had already fallen under the effects of the meds he’d given her, and Oz still sat at her side holding her hand and every now and then gently touching her cheek.

“You can hook her up to some things while I get the blood vials,” Cay told him.  “I want an oxygen reader on her finger and one at her heart.  When Charge Seren has the vitals monitor set up, you can get her connected to that as well.  Once all that is done, I’ll mostly need you to sit and watch her, Oz.  Seren and I can run a lot of the tests right here, but I can’t watch her at the same time, so I’ll need you to observe her for any changes or the meds wearing off.

The three worked together for the next couple hours.  Tests were started and both Cayson and Seren studied the results as they got them.  Oz did just as Cayson requested and monitored his wife as she slept under the effects of the drugs, his gaze rarely leaving her and his movements limited to only doing tasks that Cay asked of him, and it was Oz who finally noticed a subtle clue.

“Cay.”  Oz’s voice wasn’t loud, but it demanded immediate attention.  Cayson was quickly at the bed where Amrynn continued to lie.

“What is it?  Did something happen?”

“Watch her face,” Oz directed.

Seren joined the two men and all three watched for several minutes.  At first there was nothing to notice, but then Cay saw what Oz had detected.  Amrynn’s face was twitching.  The movements were very minor, but her eyes and mouth were clearly reacting to something going on inside her.

“Is she dreaming?” Seren wondered, having caught on to the movement as well.

Cayson shook his head.  “She shouldn’t be.  The meds I gave her should keep her completely relaxed for at least four to six hours.”

“Unless her pain is increasing,” Oz put in soberly.  “Her body is relaxed, Cay, but if her pain has increased, that can be the cause of the twitches.”

Cayson ran a hand through his hair, his expression distressed.  “If that’s the case, then we’re in a difficult position.  If it’s pain that’s causing it, then I have no idea the extent of it or where it’s coming from while she’s sedated; but if I give her something to bring her out of the sedation, it will also nullify the pain meds currently in her system, which could greatly increase her pain.”

The men were silent for a minute as they faced a difficult decision.  Eventually Cay spoke up, and there was a doctor’s determination in his voice as well as a lover’s. 

“No, I’m not going to cause her more pain if I can prevent it.  What we need to figure out is why her pain has increased, especially since she’s been sedated and on painkillers.  What’s changed or what’s going on that may have caused it.”

Seren immediately went back to the results of the completed tests and started looking for any clues to answer Cay’s question.  Cay began writing out a list of more tests he could run, thinking that now it might be necessary to move his wife to the med unit.  Oz just sat and silently thought through everything.  Something was niggling in his mind, but he couldn’t figure out what it was telling him.  Knowing he’d miss it entirely if he thought too hard, he tried to leave his mind open while running his hands over Amrynn’s body, his motions deftly checking her pulse and body temperature.  From behind him in the room, he heard Seren take a deep breath and then sigh, and the sound clicked his thoughts together.  His eyes met Cayson’s, who had the same look of comprehension on his face.

“The oxygen!” they said together.

Seren’s head whirled to them in surprise.  “What?”

“The oxygen,” Cay explained.  “We took the oxygen mask off her half an hour ago because she’s been breathing fine and her levels came up.  She didn’t start twitching until after it came off.”

“Yes, but she’s still breathing fine,” Seren said with confusion.  “Her levels on the readings are in good range.”

“She’s breathing fine and getting enough in, but the quality of oxygen is different,” Cay stated.  “Within the ship, the air quality is good, but not completely pure.  We operate at about an 85% purity level.  The oxygen Amrynn receives through the mask has a 98% purity level.”

“But how would that be the cause?” Seren asked even as Cayson put the oxygen mask back over Amrynn’s nose and mouth.  “She’s been on the ship for weeks without a problem, right?  Why is it affecting her now?”

“She has had some headaches,” Cay enlightened the Charge Pilot.  “But nothing beyond what we’ve experienced in the past.  The difference might be the time we were on Neveah.  From the tests her purifiers have done, we know the air quality on the planet is exceptional, and we’ve been on the planet for the last week.  She had no problems during the trek; not even a twinge of a headache.”

“But now,” Oz stepped in, “she’s been back in a lower air quality for the first time in a week.  She’s not used to it anymore.  That might be making the difference.”

“How will you be able to know if that’s the cause?”

Cayson finished settling the mask and lightly brushed Amrynn’s hair away from her face.  “First I’m going to see if having the oxygen back on makes a difference.  If it does, then I want to do a brain scan in the med unit.”

Seren still had questions.  “Why a brain scan?  Those don’t do anything to test oxygen levels.”

“I know, but I won’t be looking for oxygen levels,” Cay explained.  “I’ll be looking for unusual brain activity.”

“You’ve not done that before?” Seren asked, surprised that with Amrynn’s history of headaches that a doctor such as Cayson wouldn’t have done that.

Cay turned away from his wife and picked up a pile of papers with notes he’d been making.  He studied them even as he answered Seren’s question.  “I have scanned her before.  Three times actually.  There was never anything to note, but I’m going to do something different this time.”

“What?” both Seren and Oz asked together.

“I want to see if her brain activity changes depending on the purity level of oxygen she receives.  I particularly want to see if the section of her brain that reacts to pain stimuli is affected.  If it is, that might finally give me a direction to go in to cure her headaches.”

Ozias looked hopeful at those words, while Seren was still unsure how such tests and information could help.  Still, he knew that while he had a high ranking and experience in medical research, he was nowhere near the skill level that Cayson had obtained.  He would put his trust in what the Charge Doctor was planning.

An hour later, the twitching had stopped and it was clear that Amrynn, while still unconscious from the sedation, was appearing much more comfortable. 

“All right,” Cayson said with determination.  “I don’t want to wait any longer.  We’ve got little more than an hour before the sedation and pain meds could start to wane.  I want to get the scan done before that happens and avoid giving her any more drugs before I know more of what we’re dealing with.”

On those words, Oz gently picked Amrynn up, knowing it would be faster to carry her to the med wing than to wait for a transport.  Cayson started to gather up the medical supplies he’d had brought, but Seren stopped him with a firm hand on his shoulder. 

“Just take anything you think you’ll need,” he told the doctor.  “I’ll get everything taken care of here.”

Cayson nodded with a look of gratefulness.  “Thank you.”  On that note, he packed only a few things into his med bundler, and he and Oz were soon out the door.

*****

A short while later, dressed in sanitation gowns and gloves along with hygiene masks, Cayson, Oz, and Backer Eris had Amrynn prepped and were soon starting the scan.  With the scan cap enveloped around Am’s head, Cayson expertly moved a medical wand inch by inch over Amrynn’s skull.  An oxygen mask still rested over his wife’s mouth and nose, providing the purest oxygen he could give her while on ship.  The wand showed and recorded Amrynn’s brain activity on a data unit monitor, allowing Cay to check for any unusual goings-on.

“Anything?” Oz asked through his hygiene mask after several minutes.

Cayson shook his head.  “Nothing abnormal.”

Several more minutes passed before Cay looked toward Backer Eris.  “Remove the oxygen,” he directed.  “Oz, watch for signs of discomfort.  It will probably be a few minutes.”

Both men nodded and did as ordered.  Cayson returned to running the wand over Amrynn’s head, his gaze intently watching the monitor for any changes.

“She’s twitching,” Oz stated about ten minutes later.

Cayson immediately but gently slid the wand over Amrynn’s head and stopped it over the section of brain that responded to pain stimuli.  He saw right away that the area had increased activity, but while that confirmed that there was pain in her body, it didn’t give any indication of the root cause. 

Cayson had to take a slow breath to calm the frustration he was starting to feel.  Clearly there was a connection between oxygen purity and her headaches, but there wasn’t anything to tell him why it was happening.  He couldn’t fix the problem without the why!  He thought for a minute and then kept one hand on the wand while making some adjustments to the monitor.  Soon a split screen showed up, showing the previous recording done while Amrynn wore the oxygen, as well as the current activity going on. 

Knowing Amrynn was in pain and that he was running out of time with the meds in her system, he once again began moving the wand and watching the now split screen of the monitor.  He’d almost completed another full circle before something caught his eye.  Moving the wand over just a bit to hover on the base of her skull, he stared attentively at the screen.

“There!”

He didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until Oz’s head jerked toward his.  “Where?  What?!” his husband asked worriedly.

Cayson was feeling an intense mixture of excitement at finally seeing the cause that had eluded him for years, and cold fear at what he was seeing.  He tried to keep his words calm to prevent Oz from overreacting. 

“It’s a blood clot; a tiny one at the base of her skull.”

“What?!” Oz said, his normal composure clearly ruffled.  He knew that blood clots could be cause for serious problems.  “Show me,” he demanded as he moved to see the monitor. 

Cayson still had the split screen showing and he pointed out the very subtle difference he was seeing.  “It’s right here.  If I wasn’t comparing the two different oxygen levels side by side, I’d never notice it.  It’s too small.  That’s why I missed it before.  But look.”  His hand moved from one side of the screen to the other.  “It’s subtle, but the reduced purity levels have affected the clot.  It’s gotten bigger and the growth is both pressing down on the brain stem, probably causing the headaches, as well as partially blocking the flow of oxygen into her brain.  It’s not preventing the flow, but it’s making everything work harder, ultimately causing stress not just on her brain, but throughout her body.”

“Why would the lesser purity cause the clot to enlarge,” Backer Eris asked from where he’d been assisting Cay as well as listening.

“Amrynn suffered a head injury several years ago.  The clot probably originated from that.  It’s made that area of her brain more vulnerable is my guess.  It’s not able to adapt to unhealthy changes as well as it once did, which would be why she often got headaches when she was sleep deprived or missed meals.  The oxygen issue probably didn’t factor in until recently.  The purity levels on Arlytia are very close to what we have here on the ship so her body was used to it, but the air is much better on Neveah.  She responded well to the healthier environment; but then, returning to the ship brought an unexpected drop in purity levels after her body had gotten used to the better oxygen.  That’s probably why she was hit so fast and so hard today.”

“Is it curable, Cay?” Oz questioned, his voice strained.

Cay was cautious as he answered.  His mind had already been running through a slew of treatment options.  “Yes, but not through medication.”

“Surgery?” Oz nearly choked on the word.

Cay nodded.  “Yes.  It actually wouldn’t look like much, but I need to drain the clot and then seal it so it is less likely to reform.”

“How risky is that?”

Cay sighed.  “I can’t give a percentage, but it’s risky.  Clots themselves are unpredictable.  That’s part of what makes them dangerous.  This particular one would have me working right on her brain stem, and that’s delicate.  Part of me wonders if I should just let it be, but that’s just as dangerous.  The clot could eventually enlarge too much or move to a spot where it could cause brain damage.”

Oz’s eyes looked moist as they looked toward their wife.  “When?” he asked briefly. 

           “As soon as possible,” Cay replied, “but not until we talk with Amrynn first.  If we keep her on the oxygen mask for now, she should be ok.  Let’s get her back to our quarters and make sure she gets a good night’s sleep.  After that we can talk together and then start making plans.”