The Aftermath of Wolf 359

Chapter 8

"Jean-Luc, what's wrong?" Crusher asked as she came in, in response to Gianan's call. She could tell he was still lying in exactly the same position he'd been in hours ago.

"Look at his hand." Ginnan replied.

He took a sharp breath as Crusher gently picked up his hand, noticing one was red and swollen. "That hurts?" She asked.

"Yes." He paused, "I tried to fight them. I tried not to let them move me, but I wasn't strong enough." Crusher got out her tricorder and started scanning his hand, and the rest of his body.

"A number of your joints seem to have been twisted with mechanical manipulation. They repaired it, but you seem to be allergic to what they repaired it with." Crusher replied. She put his hand down genially after scanning it, and scanned his neck, "You broke your neck?"

"I couldn't watch, I tried to turn my head away, when my neck snapped. Then I couldn't try to move the rest of my body or even feel it afterwards." He said gagging. He leaned forward to avoid vomiting on himself, even though the pain from doing so was immense. He couldn't help the tears running down his face from the pain.

Crusher held a bowl in front of him while supporting him, and wiping the tears from his face. He was shaking and his skin was damp and hot from fever. Once he stopped vomiting, she helped him lie down again, and gave him a hypospray for the pain.

"It seems the Borg repaired your joints, but they left traces of chemicals and altered tissue you seem to be allergic to."

"Seem to be?" He asked his voice to be much lighter, as he was half conscious from pain killers.

"Yes, I can't tell if you're allergic or if it's inflammatory for most humans. They likely would have kept your immune system suppressed enough it wouldn't have mattered." She said loading a hypospray. "I need you back in surgery."

"Now?"

"Yes."

"Why is this so much worse today?"

"Most of their drugs have finally been flushed from your system, including the immunosuppressants, and your immune system seems to be fully functional again. If anything it's hyperactive, which is what's making you feel so awful." She said as she went to give him the hypospray she'd been preparing.

"I don't want more immunosuppressants."

"I don't want you going into anaphylactic shock, and you aren't mentally competent to refuse medical care." He didn't resist as she gave it to him, and some of the swelling visibly reduced quickly afterwards. "Does it still hurt to move?"

"I can't feel much of anything." He replied. "There's a bit of a dull ache when I move, beyond that I can't feel anything now."

"Good." Crusher replied, "Do you think you can make it to sickbay with me?"

"I think so." He replied.

***

"Commander Miller, I'm Counselor Troi from the Enterprise. I was told I should contact you to discuss Starfleet intelligence's request to debriefing Picard."

"Nice to speak to you, Counselor. We would like a chance to do so sometime within the next week."

Troi nodded. "That won't be possible. He's in no condition. His physical injuries are extensive, his psychological state is unstable at best."

"I presumed as much. I have a lot of experience with cases like this, I am trained as a psychologist, and joined Starfleet intelligence as an expert in alternative methods of debriefing trauma victims. This is far from the first time a situation like this has come up. Can you tell me what his current condition is?"