Fastest Cardioversion in the West!

Posted on Sat May 21st, 2022 @ 2:02pm by Aarix Teral & Executive Officer Jake Ford & Chief Helmsman Kalahaeia t'Leiya & Beya & Jeassaho Kea (*) & Oliver Lucas
Edited on on Sun May 22nd, 2022 @ 7:42am

Mission: Mission 15: Adrift
Location: Cargo Hold
Timeline: MD01 - 2145
Tags: Monthly challenge #1 -Aarix
2116 words - 4.2 OF Standard Post Measure

The doors to the cargo hold parted for a group of people that could quickly be recognized as the two new doctors, two medics, and a male nurse, and the five were helping a group of clearly injured into the room. Two of the injured looked like they could walk but were clearly roughed up, one was hobbling on one leg, and another was fully unconscious.

Aarix, who was a little roughed up himself, was bearing some of the weight of the unconscious crewmate, and he looked around for the temporary medbay that the people who went ahead should have helped set up. Spotting some familiar faces on the left side of the room, he started to make his way over, moving cautiously so he didn't jostle his patient too much. Despite his efforts to mask it, there were subtle signs of exhaustion starting to creep onto his face. He was tired from the long shift he just finished not even an hour ago, but he knew his limits and he still had some energy in him, and he at least wanted to see the person he was supporting in a more stable condition first. The medical tricorder in his free hand was making its usual scanning noise; he kept it open so he could keep tabs on his patient while they moved.

Following the rest of the medical team into the cargo hold, her medical bag slung over her shoulder, Renee carried a collapsable cot from sickbay, a folded blanket tucked under her arm. Looking around, she could see the best spots were taken. Sighing, she plopped the cot and blanket onto the floor near the door. Three members of the crew were watching.

"You touch my stuff and the next time you're in sickbay, I'll make sure you get enemas and prostate exams the old-fashioned way. Got it?" Renee glared daggers at them. "Good."

After getting her charge settled into a pew, Beya slung the duffel bag of equipment and medicines - nearly everything not nailed down that she could grab and stuff into it - and began setting up cots for the patients. "Chaz, give the doc a hand getting that one onto a bed," she called to the nurse, and flashed a teasing grin. "Unless you want us to think you don't know how to get someone into bed."

The nurse rolled his eyes - answering baiting that obvious was a losing game, especially in the tight quarters they'd all be sharing the next few days - and simply picked the patient up and placed him on the cot. It wasn't the best practice gurney to bed transfer, but all things considered, but then they didn't have a gurney, so... "I'll get the next one. You set up the monitor - if you can find it in that giant bag."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "You obviously know nothing about women and bags."

Kali, nearby leaning against a stack of supply crates sipping what was indeed fairly awful coffee, privately thought that the bag wasn't that large; the one she'd brought down here was larger.

Aarix was relieved when the nurse helped him out, and the two carefully positioned the unconscious man on the cot. Catching the banter, Aarix gave a slight smile, "trust me, Chaz, she'll find it before you do." A blip on his tricorder caught his attention, and his smile faded as he went back into work mode, pulling the transport kit's strap off his shoulder as he set the tricorder to the side. "It's time for another dose of Rhythmol." In the rush to get out of the medbay, Aarix accepted the transport kit of medication to allow the nurse to grab other supplies. Setting the kit on the edge of the cot, he opened it and got another dose of the medication loaded into a hypospray.

"Found it in 2," Beya called, waving the monitor triumphantly before grabbing cable beginning to set it up. "The insulated case in there is meds. We should probably put that somewhere secure," she told the doctor.

Jeassaho did not need medical assistance but she could see that the crew had been through it all as she came into the cargo bay to loop in Jake to what was going on else where. She glanced at Leiddem who was switching between medical and security like he usually did trying to be the best of both worlds. One day she would have to have a talk with him about sticking to one and being the best of him. “Can I help at all?” She offered.

Aarix turned his head at the voice, recognizing the woman he talked to in the library once. "I think we got it pretty covered, thanks. Maybe check in with Beya, see if she needs help setting up anything?"

“Gotcha.” Jeassaho moved through the chaos. “Beya need anything?” She wondered knowing she looked a mess but she was there wanting to help her if it was needed.

"Check the set up?" Beya replied. "I know how to do it, but if you can figure a way to connect this all so the batteries last longer that would be great."

Jeassaho nodded and set about to work. It would be easy enough but it would be easier in a place less vast so people did not accidentally trip over or the wires get pulled out.

As the monitors came online, Beya ran some basic diagnostics to be sure they were operating correctly - with a set up like this, things not working seemed a more likely outcome. One of the readings worried her, especially after it persisted despite two resets. "Doctor, can you double check the cardio patient? I know you just administered meds, but I'm not seeing improvement on this."

Aarix had turned his attention elsewhere, but redirected it when he heard Beya. "It takes about fifteen seconds to take effect," he assured. His assurance did nothing to ease his rising concern for this patient. Beya was right, this person should be improving and they weren't, but this was the only serious injury the patient had... unless the tricorder missed something? The only other injury was a concussion, but that was a relatively easy fix.

A rapid beep pulled Aarix out of his thoughts faster than a ship skidding out of warp, and his eyes shot to the tricorder. Something was very wrong. "Blood pressure is plummeting! Beya, get that electrical cardioversion rig set up now!" He quickly removed the patient's shirt for easier access, then his own jacket, and bundled both before putting them under the man's feet. By elevating the man's feet, he hoped to increase blood pressure enough for the procedure to work.

“Move. I’ll hold his legs up better. Clothing squishes.” Jeassaho said quickly as there was not much around to assist other than using herself to assist.

Beya had already grabbed a tricorder and begun stripping open embedded the defib attachment. Thank Goddess her old mentor had put emphasis on knowing how to use what you had! Quickly attaching wired pads, she brought up the function and rapidly recoded the settings. After running a fast check on her work she handed the makeshift cardioversion kit to the Aarix. "Here, Doctor, this should work."

As the medical staff began to move distinctly more urgently, Kali followed the one directive she'd learned in an emergency: If you couldn't help or weren't needed to, stay the hell out of the way; pressing herself tighter to the crates to leave room for people to move.

Aarix accepted the help from Jeassaho with a nod, "when we start the shock therapy, don't touch the patient. We don't need another heart failure tonight." He then blinked when a makeshift cardioversion kit suddenly appeared in his hands. That was... fast. Accepting the kit, Aarix attached the wire pads to the man's chest before entering settings into the tricorder, the tricorder that was previously in his hand angrily beeping on the cot next to the man. "Starting at 75 joules. Syncing..." He watched on the small monitor as the tricorder synced up with the man's pulse, and a moment later the tricorder indicated that it was synced. Telling the system to charge, he then waited for the tricorder to report that the charge was ready. "Clear!" he shouted, lifting his hands.

Stepping back, Beya stayed at the ready in case the patient seized or spasmed in a way that might over turn the cot.

Jeassaho instantly dropped the man’s feet and stepped back out of ranger waiting for the next instruction to either stop or pick the man’s feet up again.

There was a faint tense of muscle in the patient as the tricorder administered a shock, and after a moment the tricorder beeped to indicate that the round was complete and the system needed to charge again. Aarix looked at the tricorder readout, seeing an improvement in pulse but still not a stable one. "Same charge. Syncing... someone get some blood thinner on standby."

"On it." Beya grabbed an ampule from their medical chest, loaded it and handed it to the doctor.

The tricorder indicated that it was synced again, and Aarix charged the device. "Clear!" The man slightly tensed again, then the tricorder beeped again to signal the end of the cycle. Accepting the hypospray from Beya, Aarix pressed the device to the patient's neck before focusing on the tricorder's readout. "Pulse is improving," he reported. "One more should do it. Same charge, and syncing." Turning his head to Jeassaho, Aarix added, "after this next one, go ahead and support his feet."

“Got it.” Kea said watching everything with a worried expression.

Once again, the rigged cardioversion kit beeped when it indicated that it was properly synced. "Third try's the charm," Aarix muttered to himself as he told the device to charge. While the device charged up, he glanced at the deceptively peaceful expression of the unconscious patient. He was young, probably only a couple years older than Aarix, but with a whole life ahead of him. Aarix certainly wasn't going to let him miss anything, not if he could help it. A beep from the tricorder pulled his attention again, seeing that the charge was ready. "Clear!" His thumb pressed the control on the tricorder, and the man's muscles slightly tensed again for a couple seconds before the tricorder beeped, signaling the end of its cycle.

As the cycle ended Jeassaho moved to put the man’s legs up. She was not much support in a medical situation but she could do that at least.

"Please, please..." Beya muttered under her breath in half-prayer. She was sure she'd done the conversion correctly, but if it didn't work...

After the third shock, the angry beeping from Aarix's tricorder stopped. Aarix glanced over at the tricorder on the cot, seeing that the patient's pulse had returned to normal, and visibly relaxed. "Pulse is stabilizing, blood pressure and oxygen are returning to normal levels," he reported, relieved. Looking to Beya, he added, "I think that was the fastest conversion of a tricorder into a cardioversion machine I've seen to date. Good work."

Whew! Beya beamed at the result, and the compliment, and did a little curtsy bow to the doctor. "Thank you."

It took a couple seconds for the adrenaline to start wearing off, and Aarix's exhaustion started taking over. It draped over him like a heavy blanket, and he rested his hands on the edge of the cot. The long hours were catching up to him. "I need to rest. Beya, will you take over here? Highest risk now is that the a-fib returns, but it should be mitigated with scheduled Rhythmol and blood thinner as needed."

"Yes, doctor." It was the only acceptable reply, even though she and Oliver had been at this longer and she still hadn't had a chance to grab any personal items from her quarters. But she had lived and worked in Orion space long enough to know you didn't object to a boss; you let crap roll downhill. She quickly wrote a list and tossed a bag at Chaz. "Hey, if I'm on watch here, I need my UV lamo to stay awake. And some other stuff from my quarters. Go get it for me."

Right. Chaz sighed. The choice was object and get stuck watching the patient and potentially having to wake a cranky doctor if there was a crisis, or go play fetch. at least fetch would let him drop by his own quarters. "Fine. Anyone else need me to get stuff for them?"