"More Eyes on the Issue" :: Amberlyn & Jorik
Posted on 22 Feb 2026 @ 1:54pm by Lieutenant Commander Riah Amberlyn XMD & Lieutenant Jorik
2,141 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Silent Inheritance
Location: Deck 7 Sickbay :: Amberlyn's Office
// Dr Jorik's Office :: Sickbay //
Jorik finalized the entry on his PADD with a single, deliberate tap.
The report on Lieutenant Caldwell’s second visit was complete: third-degree plasma burns to the dorsal surface of the right hand, 4.7 cm laceration from the unit’s edge during reflexive withdrawal, full tissue regeneration achieved in 32 minutes via dermal regenerator and targeted analgesic. Attached were the initial tricorder scans, post-treatment vitals, and a brief notation on the recurring cause: unshielded EPS coupler interaction with tricorder emissions.
This marked the seventh engineering-related injury in the past three days—plasma burns, electrical arcs, minor concussions from conduit feedback—all traced to maintenance on the tactical array.
The statistical trend was unmistakable and inefficient. Protocol required notification of the Chief Medical Officer; Commander Amberlyn would likely coordinate with the Chief Engineer to implement shielding retrofits or revised diagnostic procedures. Failure to address the pattern risked escalation to more severe trauma.
The lattice of his mind registered the data without strain—yet the underlying flex persisted. Meditation remained suboptimal; intrusive variables continued to orbit the grid’s edges, unlabelled, unresolved. He filed the observation as pending correction and rose from the workstation in the main surgical suite.
Jorik glanced once more at the PADD, confirming all fields were accurate, then tucked it under his arm. The corridor outside sickbay was quiet—shore leave winding down, most crew returning to stations. He proceeded to the CMO’s office, boots silent on the deck plating, and pressed the entry chime.
// Dr Amberlyn's Office :: Sickbay //
"Come in," said Riah with a sigh. This was the third interruption in 15 minutes. That's why she'd shut the door.
The doors slid open with a soft pneumatic hiss.
Commander Amberlyn smiled as she looked up from her console. Jorik stepped inside, posture erect.
“I just finished repairing another plasma burn on an engineer,” he stated without preamble. “Lieutenant Caldwell again. We’re up to seven incidents involving the engineering department.”
"Good morning, Doctor. Is this an emergency?" Riah asked without a hint of miff or impatience.
“Statistically speaking, it is not. However protocol dictates I inform you of the increase of injuries.” Jorik stated without preamble.
"Then would you like to sit? May I offer you tea?" she added warmly. She would not offer a technician or a nurse such a conversation, but where her doctors were concerned, their thoughts and discussions usually warranted more consideration and time. A break was also welcome in her own composition of a return message to Starfleet Medical's database librarian on Earth regarding the Novaryn-C virus.
“No thank you.” Jorik replied as he sat down.
“Now tell me, what has you in such a bother?” She asked calmly.
Jorik gave a quick analytical dissertation of the statistics from the last couple of days highlighting the injury types and the treatment details.
"I had heard there were four. So now it's up to seven. What's Cmdr Harlan doing down there?" It was a question not one intended to challenge Harlan. But she instantly realized her mistake, and knew Jorik would probably take it very seriously, so she hurried on before he could speak. "I'm sorry. that was a rhetorical question. I don't think it is related specifically to Cmdr Harlan. But I can see that it concerns you. Do they seem related more closely than just the Department they come from?"
Jorik remained seated for a moment longer, spine erect, hands folded precisely in his lap as he considered Doctor Amberlyn’s summary. One eyebrow lifted a fraction—barely perceptible, yet unmistakable in its implication of measured agreement.
“They appear to be directly correlated with the ongoing maintenance of the tactical systems,” he stated, voice level and uninflected. “The recurring incidents suggest a deviation from established safety protocols—likely an oversight in shielding or diagnostic sequencing rather than deliberate negligence.”
He paused, gaze steady on hers, the faint tightening at the corners of his mouth betraying nothing more than controlled restraint.
“I do not believe Commander Harlan would authorize such a lapse intentionally,” he continued, tone remaining even, though the faintest emphasis on Harlan’s name carried the weight of prior acquaintance. “I have served with him previously. He is a competent engineer and demonstrates effective leadership in crisis scenarios. It is possible he remains unaware of the full statistical trend.”
Jorik inclined his head slightly, the gesture economical and deliberate.
“Bringing the aggregated data to his attention would be the logical next step.”
"I agree. Do that. You are the one who knows the most about it. Let me know what he says and we'll take whatever action is warranted on the part of Medical." Amberlyn studied the Commander a moment. "You have considerable expertise in neurological issues. Done work on recovery from neurological scarring resulting from Borg technology. What do you know about human children, say under age 10?"
Jorik regarded Commander Amberlyn steadily, noting the shift in her tone from procedural reassurance to targeted inquiry. The question was specific, probing his specialized knowledge in a direction that diverged from normal ship medical operations. He processed the pivot without outward reaction, though internally he catalogued the potential implications: a pediatric case, possibly neurological in nature, requiring cross-species expertise.
“Human children under the age of ten present distinct physiological and neurological profiles compared to adults,” he replied, voice calm and precise.
“Their neural plasticity is significantly higher; synaptic pruning and myelination are still actively occurring, particularly in the prefrontal cortex and limbic structures. This confers greater potential for recovery from trauma, including neurological scarring, but also introduces vulnerabilities: incomplete blood-brain barrier maturation until approximately age eight, heightened susceptibility to excitotoxicity, and a developing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that can result in prolonged stress responses if injury or other trauma is involved.”
He paused, hands remaining interlaced in his lap, posture unchanged. The lattice of his mind flexed faintly under the persistent strain of unresolved personal variables, but the professional query anchored his focus.
“To provide an accurate assessment or recommendation, I require clarification on the nature of the case, Commander. Does your query involve a suspected Borg-related neurological injury in a child under ten, or does it involve a different etiology—such as congenital defect, trauma, or xenobiological complication?" Jorik asked as he met her gaze directly. "Or was that a query to ascertain my general knowledge in the area?"
"How are you at handling human children, mostly - under the age of 10? Rhetorical again," Riah clarified. "We have a situation developed on Lathira IV..."
Jorik’s eyebrow rose a precise fraction—higher than usual, though still restrained—as Commander Amberlyn clarified the rhetorical nature of her question and pivoted to the planetside situation.
He remained motionless for 1.4 seconds, processing the redirection. The lattice flexed again, a subtle ripple beneath the surface: the strain from unresolved personal variables persisted, yet the shift to an active crisis on Lathira IV provided an immediate anchor. A medical emergency involving human children under ten, planetside, with no mention of specific trauma etiology. The query on his ability to “handle” them implied behavioral, emotional, or interactional challenges rather than purely neurological ones.
“Handling human children under the age of ten requires a different application of expertise than treating them,” he stated, voice level and measured, the faintest dry edge threading through the words. “I am fully capable of providing medical care to pediatric patients of any species, including human children in that age range. My experience includes neurological stabilization, trauma surgery, and xenobiological diagnostics in pediatric cases.”
He paused, hands still interlaced, posture unchanged.
“However, if your question pertains to non-clinical interaction—emotional reassurance, behavioral management, or communication in a manner that mitigates distress in immature human subjects—I must note that Vulcans do not typically engage in such dynamics. Human children often respond positively to physical comfort, verbal affirmation, and simplified explanations, elements that fall outside standard Vulcan interpersonal protocols. I can adapt to those requirements if necessary, though I would defer to any human or counseling-trained personnel for primary emotional support.”
Jorik met her gaze directly once more, expression impassive but attentive. “Doctor, if there is a developing situation on Lathira IV involving human children under ten, I am prepared to assist. Time is a critical variable in pediatric cases.”
The lattice steadied fractionally under the weight of impending duty. Whatever instability lingered in his own mind could be addressed later; the children on Lathira IV could not.
Amberlyn went on to explain the problem of the failing vaccines among children, adding that Cmdr Sorvak was also investigating possible environmental causes in the failure. "As you know, Novaryn-C results in serious neurological issues in the more advanced stages," she added. "Unfortunately, some of these children, four in particular, seem to be advancing toward that stage more quickly than would be expected. I'd like you to figure out how that can be mitigated until we discover why the vaccine is failing and stop that progression. Any ideas?"
Jorik remained seated, spine erect and hands interlaced in his lap, as Doctor Amberlyn outlined the situation on Lathira IV. The details registered with clinical clarity. The involvement of Commander Sorvak in environmental investigations added a multidisciplinary variable—logical, but requiring coordination.
One eyebrow arched slightly, the query for ideas was direct; he met her gaze evenly, voice calm and measured, with the faint, dry precision that often accompanied his assessments.
“Fascinating,” he stated. “The vaccine failure suggests possible viral mutation, antigenic drift, or host-specific immunosuppression in this age cohort—perhaps exacerbated by an environmental cofactor, as Commander Sorvak is investigating. The accelerated neurological advancement is concerning; it may indicate a variant with enhanced neurotropism, leading to premature excitotoxicity or demyelination in immature neural pathways.”
He paused for 1.2 seconds, unfolding his hands to gesture minimally toward an imaginary scan—palms up, fingers straight, a habit from years of diagnostic briefings.
“To mitigate progression until the root cause is identified, I recommend immediate neuroprotective interventions: administration of synaptic stabilizers such as modified glutamate antagonists or calcium channel modulators, adjusted for pediatric dosing to prevent further motor degradation. My experience with Borg-derived neural scarring suggests targeted nanoprobe like analogs—programmed for viral suppression—could reinforce the blood-brain barrier and halt tremor escalation. If samples or neural scans are available, I can analyze them for hybrid pain pathway involvement, as young human nervous systems often amplify inflammatory responses in such scenarios.”
Jorik inclined his head fractionally, posture unchanged. “Ideas are preliminary without full patient data of course.”
"I don't think it will be necessary for you to interact with the children," Riah said. "Just liaison with the physicians and the Research Center on the surface. Between them and our medical research here in sickbay, any information you need is yours. I'd appreciate you applying your expertise to keeping the neurological issues at bay as long as possible while the rest of the research continues. Our job in Medical is to keep these children alive get them healthy again. However, if you see anything in your research that might help our Science Department or the Research Center on the surface, do not hesitate to connect with them. Time is clearly not on our side here, so yesterday would be preferable to today, if you get me," said Riah.
Jorik inclined his head once, the gesture minimal and precise, acknowledging Commander Amberlyn’s directive without elaboration. One eyebrow remained slightly elevated, the accelerated timeline was noted; urgency aligned with the known progression of Novaryn-C.
“Understood, Commander,” he replied, voice level and uninflected, each word delivered with calm efficiency. “I will commence analysis immediately. I will review all available patient data, laboratory results, and epidemiological reports from the surface physicians and the Research Center. My initial focus will be on identifying potential neuroprotective agents or protocols to delay or halt neurological deterioration in the affected children, while cross-referencing any findings that may assist Science or the planetary team.”
He rose smoothly from the chair, posture erect, hands now clasped behind his back. “I will prioritize this matter and report progress or any actionable insights as soon as they emerge. If additional resources or clearances are required, I will inform you without delay.”
Jorik met her gaze directly for a moment longer, expression impassive but resolute. “Yesterday would indeed be preferable. I will begin now.”
"Thank you," said Riah. She kept her expression friendly, but equally resolute.
With that, he turned toward the door, ready to depart for his workstation unless she offered further instruction.
Riah watched him leave. Curious, she thought and smiled as she caught herself using a phrase often attributed to Vulcan Fed-Standard vernacular. They were an enigma of sorts. But she rather liked this new doctor and felt confident in his skills.
~~~~~
LtCmdr Riah Amberlyn, XMD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Arawyn
&
Lieutenant Jorik, XMD (apb Jeff)
Medical Officer
USS Arawyn
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