[Star Trek: Discovery] A Larger Picture (Un Disegno Più Grande-English Version-)

Ep. 4 "An Obol For Charon" (pt. 2)

~Chris~

I stand in front of her door, hesitating for a moment to ring the bell. It's late, we had to see each other at eight, but I haven't seen her. I don't  know what to do, I've been ready for an hour, I think it's better to check if she's okay. Even if I'm a little afraid that she just doesn't want to see me.
"Come on Chris, you're a senior officer, you can't be afraid of a girl..."
A female voice that's not hers answers me and tells me to enter. I go in, and find Grace's roommate sitting in an armchair and Kyd crouching on the bed.
-Lieutenant! Uhm... Sir...- the young woman seems embarrassed and upset. Sometimes I forget I'm a senior officer. -Is it e verything... all right...? Can I... help you  any way?
Grace turns around, her face is swollen with tears. She must have been crying a lot.
-Relax, ensign, don't worry, I'm here in informal clothes. Then we're the same age...
-Oh sure you're right, excuse me, then let me introduce myself, um, I'm Jane Carter.
-Hi Jane!
-I'm sorry if I talk like that but, you know... usually I haven't senior officers in my own quarters... especially if that officer is you, that...
-That...?-, I ask.
-Jane...
Grace interrupts her.
-Oh... sure ... ah... uhm... ex... excuse me...-, the young girl smiles embarrassed. -Well... I'm going to have a coffee... see you Grace... good... goodbye lieutenant!
-Goodbye Jane!-, I reply, laughing.
Jane leaves the room leaving us alone.
-I know... she talks a lot ... but she's a great friend.
-I believe it! Are you... are you okay? We had to meet an hour ago.
-I'm sorry... I completely forgot. It was... an hard day.
I sit on her bed next to her. -Do you want to talk about it?
She sighs. -Today... I had my first death.
-The ensign near the console that exploded in the engine room?
-Yup...
-I'm sorry.
-I knew it had to happen sooner or later. It is the price of my work. And I saw other deaths. But this time... I was the one in charge of it. And to see that what you do is not enough is... it is heartbreaking. I'm wondering from today if I could have done more.
-I'm sure you did everything you can do.
-And how do you know it?
-You dedicate yourself to your work...
-I hope you're right ...
-Listen, we still have an outstanding evening... and I  have a bottle of liquor in my room... let's forget a bit of crap... if you like...
-I have a better idea ...
She head me and opens the zip of my uniform. Yes, her plan is definitely better...

_______________________________________

I take Saru in the sickbay with Burnham's help. The bridge is full of patients, Grace and the medical staff run from side to side. -Burns at level 1, patients critical at 2!
Kyd directs the sickbay with an iron fist, a perfect machine that works in unison, despite computer problems.
-Doctor! - I call her. As soon as she sees Saru, she understands that the situation is complicated. -Bring him here!- she tells us. She takes a medical tricorder and analyzes him.
-Accelerated beat, increased adrenaline levels, increased neural activity... an humanoid would lose senses from pain. Saru's ganglias come out, and he screams in pain.
-What are we going to do with those?-, Asks Grace.
-Nothing... they are an effect of my physical situation.-
Pain in the eyes?-, she asks, as she approaches to look at his pupils.
-No, the Kelpians see much more of the light spectrum than humans, but ... I see flashes of ultraviolet light... invisible to you, but not to me.
-That is why the pupils are hypotrophic. I'm not an expert in Kelpian deseases, are they common symptoms in Kelpians?
Saru snaps, he's pretty nervous. -It's completely useless! And the more time we waste, the more the ship is immobilized! There is no reason to believe that the sphere is harmless... now, please...
Grace is sorry. We all are. I try to intervene, to calm the situation. -Commander, Howell wants to help you...
The first officer breathes. -Yes... it's a desease typical of my spiece... and it's terminal...
We remain silent.
-Are... are you sure? -, asks my scientific officer, with tears in her eyes.
-I've never been so sure in my life... this morning when I woke up... I didn't feel well, I was hoping it was just ... just a cold... but now I have to face reality. I cannot understand why, but it seems that the sphere is initializing the biological process known as Vahar'ai... it point out the moment in which a Kelpian is ready to be killed by the Ba'ul, the predators of my home world, Kaminar.
I cannot believe it. -But... there are no Ba'ul here...
-It doesn't matter. .. the Kelpian ganglias are so inflamed only when we are nearing the end... I am... a slave of my biology.
-We won't let you die... there must be something we can do!-, says Burnham.
-Kelpians are either shot down... or pushed mad by the effects of the Vahar'ai. In both cases... death is ... inevitable...
-Doc!
The voice of one of the doctors comes to us, and Grace leaves his friend and first officer with an heavy heart. I hear her from afar.
-He has a brain hemorrhage, I'll take care of him here, go see the trauma on 2.-, she tells the doctor. Grace points at me and Michael with her eyes. -I need a hand here! You have to dab the wound in the abdomen, I'm going to fix the head!
Burnham and I are approaching, and we are blotting the wound. -Saru thinks the ball is... triggering the Vahar'ai.-, says Burnham. -Maybe getting us free from his grip could save him!
-The problem is to free ourselves before it destroys the ship!
-If it wants to destroy us why a slow attack? It's inefficient! Right? It must want something!
-And it's taking it!-, I answer. -Without the computer the primary systems will fail, including the warp core! The EPS network is cutting out entire sections including the engine room!
-The life support is at sixty percent, but who counts the most!- Grace answers.
-It is not logical for a virus to kill its host.
-Michael, are you describing a known medical fact or an unknown entity?Grace stops. I know that when she does this it is because she has an idea.
-Maybe there is a way to slow down the virus...
-What do you think Grace?-, I ask her, looking at her.
-If we could analyze its properties ... we could synthetize artificial antibodies.
-We pick up the control and free the ship.
-Theoretically. It won't be easy, it will be a slow process, like an ant eating a buffalo.
I hear Saru's voice from behind.
-I think so!-, Answers Michael.
Saru stands up. -You will need help...
-Commander Burnham can do it alone, you haven't to risk your health any further!
-I'm ... I'm dying, Captain... but I'm not dead yet.
My bridge officers leave the sick bay. Grace looks into my eyes. -Chris... let him do it. He needs to accept the situation in his own way.
-I know Grace ... I know.
-Are you essential on the bridge?
-I should go, but...
-Well, you're my new nurse. Get ready to do some first aid. We need a hand!
She takes a medical tricorder and passes it to me. -Read me all the data I ask you, I have to operate Thomson urgently  or he will die, but the monitors don't work here. I need a track.
-Wasn't I the captain?
-Ah ah. Witty! Just do it!
I sigh and do as she asked.
-Grace... how can you be so calm during an operation in a state of emergency?
-It's ironic that one of the most important captains in Starfleet asks me that... why?
-I don't know... I see you so confident... you have a self-control that's impressive.
-You know, I was also asking myself about you. I saw you in the same way as soon as you arrived on board.
-Ser...
The boy begins to contract in convulsions.
-Tell me the electric potential, now!
-100 milliVolts!
-No ... it's not a good sign. Pass me the neural stimulator!
I pass her the small device. She attaches it to the base of the young lieutenant's neck, and a shock makes her body stiffen for a moment.
-Potential?
-Always 100.
-I try another shock!
My tricorder makes a worrying sound.
-The beats are off the scale!
-Atrial fibrillation! Give me a defibrillator! Now!
A nurse arrives with the small instrument and takes my tricorder and checks the data himself. I step aside. Another electrical discharge is addressed to the heart this time.
-Nothing!-, the nurse says.
-Again!
The sound of the tricoder is deafening. A quick beep first. Then a continuous sound. Nothing to do. I am armless behind. I can not do anything.
Grace loses all her control and professionalism, starting a cardiac massage.
-Grace it's useless! There is nothing to do! -, the young man in white uniform tells her.
-Kyd!-, I scream from behind. She continues for a few seconds and then stops.
She sighs. -Time of death... 12.40.
Her voice is a whisper. The man goes away, and takes a blanket that he uses to cover the young dead lieutenant. Grace returns to her job, she is off. It could not be otherwise. My day sucked, but her was just to be deleted. A little worried about Saru, a little worried about my ship, I go back to my job.
But I just want to hold you Kyd.

_______________________________________

Author's notes:

Hey!Here is the other part!

It's been a very long time since I've posted, but I passed my entire life studying in the last month. Now the school is finished, I can translate more often.

It took me a long time to write this chapter, it is a subject very dear to me. My dream is to become a doctor, so I imagine myself, sooner or later, to live (unfortunately) the same situation as Grace.

I hope you liked it!
LLAP