" What's Eating You"

Posted on Thu Sep 4th, 2025 @ 4:42pm by Lieutenant JG Nic Covenant & Lieutenant Commander Ramvek Williams M.D. & Lieutenant JG Heidi Stone & Blaine Rich

Mission: The Inner Flame
Location: Starbase M-69
Timeline: Concurrent

On



A herd of people filled the lobby of Sickbay complaining of the same thing. The away team had brought back something bad.

The Receptionist walked into Main Sick Bay being rather frazzled was she approached Williams "Doctor the waiting area is almost full of Crew and they're all complaining of having the same symptoms."

Wondering what exactly was causing this situation "Give me a minute to get this place ready then they can enter Sick Bay" Ramvek stated. Giving a nod she returned to her desk. Tapping his Comm "Dr. Daniels, Lieutenant JG Stone, and other Doctors, Medics, and Nurses report to Sick Bay at once."

Daniels and Stone walked in wondering what was going on "Doctor your request sounded urgent" Heidi commented with some concern in her voice.

"We have a waiting area filled with Crew all complaining of having the same symptoms. Let get a Triage ready and see if we can not figure out what is making these people sick" Williams ordered.

"On it Doctor" Stone replied and quickly had her Staff ready to go.

"Tapping his Comm once again "Ok Ensign you can let the Patients in now" as he stood seeing about twenty of the Crew entering Sick Bay "OK you and you over here....you two over there" as so on until everyone was either sitting on a Bio-bed or in an examine chair.

Hogus , an old aboriginal male from New Zealand was the first.
" Something is eating me alive. Look!" Hogus pointed to his feet and legs. Red marks all over as if he had been stung.

Seeing all the red marks Williams took out his scanning device and went over both legs and feet. Watching the monitor he didn't like what he was seeing "Hmm; looks like you some sort of infection that is causing all these red marks" then Ramvek paused thinking for a few moments "I can administer biocaridine which is a broad spectrum analgesic; that should heal you and stop the infection from spreading" he explained.

" What about the painnn." Hogus yelped

Seeing Hogus scratching his lower leg "I can give you a hypo for the pain but you have to stop scratching or you will only make things worse. The analgesic should start working soon" Williams explained.

A few minutes later Lieutenant Commander Croesus and Lt Nic Covenant joined in along with a new face of what looked to be a civilian.

" Doctor we need some help here." Croesus urged as he scratched the back of his neck. Covenant doing the same and also the new guy.

Walking over to the newest arrivals "Commander, Lieutenant what did you guys get yourselves into" Willaims asked was he scanned the back of their necks.

" You tell us. We docked and the next thing I know my neck is itching like...heck." Croesus replied.

Thinking for a few minutes "I doubt it is 'air bourn'......it is more of a touch induced skin irritant. I will give you the same medication as Hogus and I would highly suggest you disinfect your hands often. The last thing we need is for this to become a Station wide incident" Doctor Williams instructed thinking his Staff needed to take the same precautions.

" Me too Doctor Williams." Lt Nic Covenant showed him. His wound was on his left should a large whelp that was oozing

" Doctor my feet are burning off." cried Hogus

Hearing Hogus "Nurse Stone a word please" Ramvek ordered as Heidi came walking over.

"Yes Doctor" she replied.

In a low voice "Give Hogus 10 cc's of neurozine that will ease the burning in his feet" he ordered before turning his attention to Nic "Ok let me see what is going on with your shoulder. Scanning the area "Looks like whatever the irritant is has entered a wound; the oozing is your bodies way of fighting the infection" Williams explained. Then grabbing a hypo "I am going to administer biocaridine, 25 cc's, which may make you feel drowsy for awhile as well as 15 cc's of neurozine for pain. Also, as with the Commander, disinfect your hands often to stop any further spread."

" What is this?" Croesus asked.

"It's a touch sensitive infection that you must have come in contact with while on the planet" then William paused "Think of it as poison ivy on steroids or what the people of ancient Earth called 'the creeping crud.'" Williams replied with a grin.

The comms system then sounded ironically as a voice no one had ever heard hailed Lieutenant Commander Croesus.

[ Lieutenant Commander Croesus concerning the level one diagnostic. The foreign contaminant has been contained aboard the USS Wallace. A static shield has been placed around it.] the voice reported.

" It's the Wacamaws computer. I left the ship and it was still scanning for anything unusual. It must have found something." Croesus explained aloud.

"I would be interested seeing the contaminant first hand just in case I need to make any adjustments in your treatment" Williams stated being quite curious at the moment.

The image showed a large mosquito inside a sealed atmosphere as Croesus brought up the image.

" Megaculix Succinus and it can camoflage itself. In another life I was an aspiring science officer." Croesus said

Doctor Williams was a little surprised by Croesus' statement "By your apparent knowledge I am sure you would have been a very good Science Officer" he stated while looking at the image "That is one nasty looking mosquito but I am confident the treatments will take care of the problem you are having."

" It's contained for now so I will get with Captain Kingston and get that thing off of his ship. I believe holding it in the pattern buffer is the safest place for now . We could then return it to Crestacia. What do you think Doctor ?" Croesus replied.

Thinking for a few moments "That would seem like a logical place to contain it for now" Ramvek replied then paused "I would, however, highly suggest using a security code to protect the pattern buffer from someone accidentally setting that free. That is the last thing we need for it to be let loose on the Station."

" Agreed. I will have Lt Foxx meet me on the Wacamaw. Thanks Doc I feel better already." Croesus replied still scratching his neck.

"Anytime Commander; just glad I could help" Ramvek replied with a smile "Soon the itching should stop as the drugs really kick in."

Lt Nic Covenant and Hogus also received the hypo and exited sickbay but Blaine Rich stuck around.

" Excuse me Doctor, the good saw bones on the ship John I think his name is. Did he report in? I haven't seen him since we got back and he was also aboard the ship with us."

"Now that you mention it, no he hasn't" Williams replied then tapped his comm "Lieutenant Johnson please report to Medical." Then turning to Nic "Lieutenant I am sure he will be along shortly but thank you for the heads up."

Blaine exited too with a worry of his own for the man who helped save their lives.

Tbc