Part I: First Incision
Posted on 01 Feb 2026 @ 1:50am by Lieutenant Commander Claire Dunross MD & Lieutenant Commander Riah Amberlyn XMD
1,337 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
Lathira Shoreleave
Location: Sickbay on Arawyn
Timeline: After Shore Leave
Sickbay opened into the reception area, the layout resolving itself in her mind almost immediately as she crossed the threshold. Surgery lay to port, exam rooms to starboard, with more specialized spaces contained deeper within the generous spiral of the department. Claire did not slow as she crossed the threshold, already angling Reyes toward the corridor that led deeper into the department.
She passed the reception desk without breaking stride. “Commander Dunross,” she said calmly, voice carrying just enough to be heard. “I’ve got a hand injury that needs surgical repair. We’re heading straight to the suite. If you could have the CMO meet us there, that would be appreciated.”
"Yes, Ma'am. I'll have help available immediately as well," said Yeoman Lucy Engerman. She wasn't going to stop a strange Commander from entering with a clearly injured individual, but planned to notify Security of the incident as soon as she notified Amberlyn, who was in Exam 1 at the moment. She tapped the comm. "Dr Amberlyn to Surgery immediately,"
Riah frowned at Lucy's brief announcement and her chatty patient's long explanation of her shore leave adventures. "I'm sorry. Apparently there is an emergency. Ensign Carter will get those tablets for you. Twice a day for three days. Don't miss a dose. Let me know if there are any complications," she said as she backed out of the room.
She fairly ran through Sickbay to the surgical suite and found a uniformed officer already prepping for a procedure. Full body sterilization completed and pulling on gloves, Riah moved further into the suite. She stepped up to the patient with a reassuring smile and spoke to the newcomer. "What have we got?" she asked, more concerned for the patient than who the individual who clearly knew her way around a surgical suite. She was issuing calm orders to the Bajoran surgical nurse, Lt Avann, who also recognized the authority of the Commander.
“Dr. Amberlyn,” Claire said evenly, “this is not quite how I pictured our first meeting. Claire Dunross.”
She stepped aside just enough to give Riah a clear view of the patient.
“This is Ensign Marco Reyes. He’s left-hand dominant. He sustained a deep palmar laceration with suspected flexor tendon involvement affecting thumb function. Bleeding was controlled en route. Initial contact with the wound occurred under suboptimal sterile conditions, so I’m concerned about contamination. He needs surgical repair.”
Fully sterilized now, Claire moved closer to the table, her tone easing as she acknowledged the Bajoran nurse with a small nod.
“Lieutenant Avann’s kept him steady and comfortable,” she added. “Marco’s been a champ through all of this. We’ll have him back on his feet soon enough, though I’ve advised him that wrestling stubborn levers is a losing battle.”
Her mouth curved faintly, the brogue slipping through just a touch as she glanced back at the patient.
“Aye, next time we’ll let engineering win that fight.”
“Apologies for the abrupt arrival, Doctor. I believe the circumstances speak for themselves.”
"No apologies necessary. You did the right thing, came to the right place, and I stand ready to watch you finish what engineering equipment started, unless you'd prefer I do it," replied Riah.
The anesthesiologist, Dr Kim in this case, arrived and with practiced ease, attached the nerve block unit to the back of Ensign Reyes' neck at C-8 of the spine, very effectively blocking pain in the arm and hand. When Dr Kim activated the device, Reyes relaxed noticeably.
"Better?" asked Kim.
"Wow. Yeah. I'm mean yes, Sir," replied Reyes.
"Just relax," Kim assured him.
Then Lt Avann, a surgeon's assistant, helped Ensign Reyes to lay back on the surgical table, and arranged the arm board extension under his arm and hand. "We're ready Doctors," she said,
Claire stepped into position at the table, her attention narrowing to the surgical field as the biobed completed its final adjustments. The overhead array dimmed the room slightly, isolating the injured hand as diagnostic layers resolved above it.
She activated the dermal scanner and studied the damage in silence. Skin, fascia, tendon. Her gaze lingered a moment longer than necessary, precise and assessing.
“Partial tear of the flexor pollicis longus,” she said quietly. “No complete rupture.”
She initiated irrigation, antimicrobial solution followed by sterile saline, flushing the wound thoroughly. The initial exposure had not been clean and she treated it accordingly, taking her time as she removed compromised tissue with careful, deliberate movements.
When she began the tendon repair, she did it by hand. Microfilament sutures aligned the torn fibers with meticulous care, restoring continuity before she allowed herself to move on. The room settled into a focused quiet, the only sound the steady rhythm of equipment and Reyes’ breathing.
Once the repair was complete, Claire paused and initiated a controlled neural impulse, watching the readout closely.
“Proximal conduction is good,” she murmured. “Distal response is delayed.”
A minor adjustment, then another check. This time the signal passed cleanly across the repair.
“There we are,” she said softly.
She engaged the dermal regenerator, reinforcing the repair and encouraging cellular integration, then performed a final rinse to ensure nothing remained that might compromise healing. When the incision sealed, she reviewed the scans one last time, confirming circulation, nerve response, and tendon integrity.
“That should preserve full function,” Claire said. “With rehabilitation.”
She stepped back, removing her gloves and flexing her fingers once. Her eyes flicked briefly to the chronometer.
“Aye,” she added quietly, almost to herself. “Hell of a first day aboard.”
Then she looked up, meeting Riah’s gaze with calm certainty.
“But that’s why I’m here.”
Claire let the moment breathe before turning her attention back to Reyes.
“We’ll give it a day before we start rehabilitation,” she said, her tone measured. “I want the repair to settle before we stress it.”
Her gaze stayed on him, attentive rather than reassuring.
“How does it feel right now,” she asked. “Any pain, tingling, or loss of sensation.”
Reyes took a moment before answering. “Mostly numb. Heavy. I can feel pressure, though.”
Claire nodded once. “That’s expected.”
She adjusted the monitor angle slightly, confirming his report against the readouts, then let her hands rest loosely at her sides.
“Rest it,” she continued. “Don’t test it. If something changes, you let us know. Otherwise, we’ll start structured movement tomorrow.”
The intensity in the room eased as the procedure clearly ended and the work shifted into its next phase. Claire glanced once more at the displays, then stepped back from the table, leaving space beside it rather than claiming it.
It was no longer just her moment.
She remained there, composed and observant, ready to listen as much as to speak.
Nurse Amy Carter entered the suite with a hover-chair.
Riah thanked her. "Ensign Reyes, we'd like to let you recover for a couple hours in the ward. Take a nap if you like. Just a little transition from here to the world beyond sickbay. You are released from duty until tomorrow and we'll reassess after your rehab session."
"I don't think I need that," Reyes assured her. Amy helped him sit up and he swung his legs over the edge of the table. Amy and the doctors saw the signs immediately. Dizzy, a loss of that bold confidence. Amy steadied his shoulder and healthy arm. "Well, maybe a little help," he said with an embarrassed chuckle. He slipped off the table and stood carefully before seating himself in the hover-chair.
"Well, look after him, Doctor," Amy assured the surgeon and nurse and patient exited the suite.
"Well, need a little rest in my office before you call it a day, or do you have another surgery lined up?" asked Riah with a wink and a smile.
“I was hoping for at least an hour between surgeries.” Claire exhaled lightly. “Office first.”
LtCmdr Riah Amberlyn, XMD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Arawyn
LtCmdr Claire Dunross, MD
Asst Chief Medical Officer
USS Arawyn
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