Focus

Posted on Sun Aug 16th, 2026 @ 8:49am by Lieutenant Commander Melanie D'BrooNi- Haistro & Senior Chief Petty Officer Sethan MD

1,124 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Short Treks
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Old timeline

Ooc: mel will probably need to return to sickbay at some point?

ON:
Barring the odd beep or blip from running equipment, sickbay was eerily silent. Sethan stood surveying the empty bay as the nursing staff was busy with this it that outside the main area. The silence did nothing to ease his unsettled mind. The captain had suggested he was an anchor and he couldn't afford to fail. But no matter how he wracked his brains over the suggestion, he couldn't figure out how.

Despite the comfort of his husband's proximity during the night, sleep had mostly eluded him and it was starting to show. Especially since he had barely recovered from the mind melds he has performed. Though it had been only three instead of four, they had taken a toll on his psyche, one he didn't know how to give a place. And now he was responsible for the returned away team too, the captain had been very clear, any misstep would be on him. And that too weighed heavily on his conscience.

He felt utterly torn between his loyalties, to his family, his boss and the captain. The safety of the crew had to come first. The Vulcan closed his eyes in an attempt to calm his raging emotions, hands balled into tight fists. He drew in a deep breath in the hope of settling himself but suddenly he found himself flat on the deck. Confusion spread across his features as he tried to push himself up into a sitting position, and failed.

The sound of his fall had drawn a very junior nurse's attention. "Doctor D'BrooNi, report to sickbay," she announced as she tapped her comm badge. "Medical emergency."

Mel was down there within a minute. "What's hap .... Oh no." She and the nurse managed to pick Sethan up between them and get him on a biobed. "Your stress response is spiking. You're tired and I hate to tell you this but if you keep in this state you're likely to start developing an ulcer," Mel told him.

"Get some water and biscuits please," she told the nurse. Once she had disappeared she said softly. "What's stressing you out? Or which thing is stressing you out the most?"

"Everything," the Vulcan answered, "I am made responsible for you, the away team that came back without your own body. I have done all I can to prove you all are you, that your soul is there but it doesn't seem to be enough. I've tried to convince the captain but he's said something that I don't understand. I'm your anchor...and I don't understand how. Zhi feels real to me, what I felt from you and Maran..."

Sethan sighed softly. "I don't know what else to do. I feel so lost. Zhi is doing his best to help, he's so supportive but I can't even sleep at night."

"If you want I can give you something to help sleep," Mel offered. "Some proper sleep will do you the world of good.

Listen," she said softer, "you are not responsible for us not coming back in our own bodies. The Captain is wrong to make you think that. He was wrong to force you to mindmeld with us all without permission but I am glad you did and appreciate everything you have done to try convince command we are still us. Thank you for that.

I don't understand how you can be our anchor either," Mel said confused as she took the small tray with tea and biscuits the nurse returned with and handed it to him.

"Perhaps he knows something more to this than he's letting on or he's just quoting some obscure Deltan poetry or something. One can never tell with Captain Zseeq," she muttered. The man bewildered her with his command style and boy her symbiote had been around long enough to witness many Starfleet command styles.

"I am sure all will be revealed as the universe wishes it to be. Do not beat yourself up with all this Sethan," she told him.

"I suggested the mindmeld as a means to find out," Sethan corrected, "but I hadn't expected to be ordered to do it. It weighs heavy in me, the after effects of them. It was very costly, to me but I know I would do it again to stand up for a patient." Sethan sipped at the tea, the cup unsteady in his trembling hand. "I know you all are real, I'd know if my own husband wasn't himself. As I told the captain because I wouldn't be here speaking with you if Zhi wasn't real."

He took another sip of the tea and sighed softly. "I wish I knew what the captain meant... he's not.. uncaring you know? He did tell me to rest. He even banned me from sickbay shortly after the melds. His response after I forced my findings onto him was surprising." Shame coloured the exhausted Vulcan's expression. "I was desperate." He fell silent, taking a few deep breaths in the hope of calming his raging emotions. "I think I should take your offer," he admitted, "I'm of no use to anyone like this. And I have to keep monitoring the captain too..."

Mel nodded. "I'll give you something now. Take a long nap here. Its not busy and then I will sort a hypo for you to use before bed. Sometimes we all get desperate. Please do not beat yourself up about anything Sethan Like you say you're no use if you're in your head obsessing about what's now the past and punishing yourself."

"I'm not punishing myself," Sethan answered, tilting his head to expose his neck to her, "I'd do exactly the same thing if it were to happen again. I'm a doctor, it's my duty to care. I just need to understand how I'm an anchor... because I have no idea what the captain meant by that. Perhaps he can explain it to you?" He paused, smiling weakly. "Maybe you can ask him, he'll probably expect you back on the bridge. I'll sleep, I'll be fine. If something changes the nurses will call you."

"I doubt I would get any further in understanding than you did trying to speak to him," Mel said simply. "If he doesn't trust his officers because they are suddenly synthetic I doubt he's going to trust the one with multiple hosts and personalities in her being synthetic anymore in the issue do you?"

"You are his chief medical officer," Sethan countered, "maybe he'll tell you what he means." He eased himself back onto the bed. "You should get back to the bridge. I'll be fine for now, I'll sleep."

Mel nodded. "Sweet dreams."

OFF:

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