Subject: Grail: The Great Brightness - Arda

"Pain", SD 47307.30

Lt Arda Kaje

A young nurse quietly walked down the hall. Cpt Terrakian had

requested she pay a visit to Lt Arda in her quarters. He didn't give a

reason, but you can't refuse a request from your Cpt. Especially if he

does it to your face.

She had a medikit with her, complete with medical tricorder and a

few field treatments. She wasn't sure what she was facing, but she had

enough to temporarily treat any ailment until she knew what it was.

'Which would have to do for the moment,' she thought to herself

as she pressed the door chime. She wondered momentarily how this

particular Lt got special treatment. She had spacious civilian living

quarters, the Cpt requesting medical house calls, was she sleeping her

way to the top? What scandal!

There was no immediate answer, but it did come. Quietly. The

doors parted and the nurse entered. She looked for the Lt, but she was

not in the room. She headed over to the bedroom where she found her

laying on the bed, her face hidden in her pillow, her right hand, badly

bruised and swollen, propped next to her. The nurse asked no questions.

She moved in quietly and began pulling out equipment. First came

the tricorder. The hand was indeed broken.

"I'd hate to see what it was you punched," she said quietly.

"Let's just say the wall won," Arda mumbled, her voice muffled in

the pillow. Her voice was rough, as if she'd just been crying.

"You know, there's other ways of relieving your aggression."

"Nothing else helps me forget it better."

"I'm no psychologist, but-"

"Then please stop." The woman's voice cracked again, as if she

were about to cry. The nurse said nothing more until she was done.

"I'm giving you a pain reliever," she said, injecting the hypo.

"The splint is only temporary. I'll be back shortly with the

boneknitter. Try not to move your hand." Arda merely nodded, not even

having looked at the nurse. She packed her kit and left the room.

As she walked back to Sickbay, it wasn't *that* far, she thought

about what the woman had said. If nothing else helped her forget it

better, why was she still upset? She shook her head. It was none of her

business.

She entered Sickbay, informed Dr Ramius of what she was taking

and where she was going again. He nodded and waved her off, completely

engrossed in his work on the virus. The nurse turned on her heel and

left.

Back at Arda's apartment, she set up the knitter, the Lt now

acknowledging the other woman's existance. Arda frowned.

"How long?"

"For about ten minutes." Arda sighed and lay back.

"Fine." She closed her eyes.

"I'll just wait inside, if you don't mind."

"Help yourself to the replicator." The nurse nodded and walked

out of the room.

The machine gave off a soft whirring sound, lulling Arda to

sleep. When its soft beeping indicated that it was done, the nurse put

her empty cup of tea back in the replicator and carefully removed it from

Arda's hand. She ran the tricorder over it again, just to make sure it

healed correctly.

"Lt?" She wasn't *that* far asleep.

"Yes?" she said quietly, nothing moving but her mouth.

"Take it easy on that hand for the next day or so. It'll need

time to strengthen itself up."

"Thank you." The nurse nodded and left.

Once she was gone, Arda headed into the living room. She flexed

her fingers, feeling the slight stiffness and soreness still present in

her knuckles. She got herself a warm cup of cocoa, the warmth soothing

the slight ache still present. Curling up on the couch, she slowly

sipped it, staring out the window and into the stars.