Cranial Surgery :: LtCmdr Harlan
Posted on 27 Mar 2026 @ 2:14pm by Lieutenant Commander Riah Amberlyn XMD
Edited on on 27 Mar 2026 @ 2:21pm
947 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Arawyn’s Itchy Trigger Finger
Location: Sickbay -- Arawyn
// Sickbay :: Arawyn //
The ship was recovering its breath, and so was the Medical Department. Patching the damage, healing and releasing people who could continue to active-duty stations. Some were in the Ward; some were released to their quarters. For three of the crew, their service was over. And for two of the ship’s department heads, the Science Chief remained in the stasis chamber, and the Chief Engineer was on the operating table.
LtCmdr Elias Harlan had been stabilized during the crisis of the moment and now, when the ship was no longer under active attack, though they were still in hiding, Dr Amberlyn and a surgical assistant stood over his still figure in the surgical suite.
• Bleeding under control
• High-resolution isolinear cranial scan mapping. Exact margins of the affected area found and recorded. Wound is not as deeply intrusive of the pre-frontal cortex as first appeared, limiting affects to personality and motor functions.
• Neuro-stabilizers, Inaprovaline, along with Anesthizine were administered by hypospray, mitigating chance of seizures and providing extended anesthetic effect for duration of procedure.
• Restoring the neural and synaptic pathways.
Riah studied the 3-D holo-model generated by the neural mapping scan. The overlay showed current neural configuration as compared to the individual template of Cmdr Harlan’s brain in his medical files. The neuro-regenerator would do the work of reconnections, like a tiny transporter- replicator.
The surgeon’s task was the manual operation of the regenerator, directing the unit’s beam to a particular location in a pre-determined sequence. It was a straightforward process, and Riah knew, in this moment, she was reconstructing brain cells that would control motor functions and personality traits.
However, the enormity of that responsibility was pushed to the side as she simply did her job, a job she was well trained to do. Such training did not allow the luxury of hesitation for personal self-doubt. To do so would be to betray her patient, who deserved her full undivided attention.
As she had used with LtCmdr Sorvak’s spinal surgery, the handheld neural-regenerator device was her primary instrument.
• Low-intensity delta-wave field initiated for stimulation of brain’s cells to repair physical scaffold for the damaged area.
• Vasocyline (a viscous nano-regenerative, bio-compatible liqui-gel) applied for support of brain cell regeneration Neural and vascular pathways stable after 8 minutes.
• Hypospray of cordrazine to increase the permeability of the neural membranes.
• Synaptic inducer used to restore and stimulate neurological activity.
• Neurological activity steady. Closure indicated.
The dermal regenerator, calibrated for internal membranes, resealed the dura mater and other layers of tissue protecting the brain. Cranial bone reconstruction was achieved with a biocompatible mesh to replace any missing bone. The osteo-regenerator and dermal repair left only a slight red line where the open gash had been when he arrived in Sickbay. Even that evidence would disappear within 24 hours.
The monitor showed full capacity brain function. Now, it remained to be seen if it resulted in any lingering deficiencies in personality or motor control. That would be studied over the next few weeks with specialized testing during medical and psychological counseling, and Harlan’s own objective awareness.
The Commander was moved to Recovery/ICU, with constant observance by the biobed. Any changes would be instantly reported to the attending nurse.
Next Riah tapped her comm badge. “Dr Jorik.” She paused for the connection to verify. Jorik was helping other patients. “The patient you brought in with the cranial injury, Cmdr Harlan, is going to make it. He’s doing well in recovery.”
“Acknowledged,” came the reply.
Riah discarded the surgical garb and gloves, washed her hands thoroughly and moved to the small coffee room to eat an apple with peanut butter and drink a large glass of lukewarm lemon water, which included some additives to replace electrolytes and minerals.
Now was the time she felt the pressure and breathing -- her first conscious breath since that one beginning the surgical demands -- felt so good. Three more and she began to feel the tiredness. She had allowed 2 hours for the procedure. She had finished in 1 hour 43 minutes. She sat, held the glass of water in her hands and closed her eyes. “Oh for a 2-hour nap,” she said softly, stretching her back; instead of standing again to visit patients in the wards doing follow ups on the treatment of less critical traumas and injuries.
Her watch chimed, signaling the end of her “coffee break.” The doctor rose and stretched, drank the rest of the lemon water, discarded what remained of her energy bar and walked out into the active sickbay, headed to the recovery ward.
Passing Surgical Recovery she stopped to check Cmdr Harlan’s stats. Steady. Promising.
// The Ward //
“What’s happened?” was a common question. “Can I return to duty?” was another. Riah didn’t know exactly what had happened beyond the doors of Sickbay. She did know what happened after people arrived, their names and their injuries, their pain. Strangely, at a certain point, the pain moved from a personal concern to an inconvenience, something to be mitigated so they could return to the fray and do what they could to help.
Only a few were actually focused on their own condition. “Will I die if I go back to my post?” they seemed to be asking. “Can you just give me something for the pain …the stiffness …the inconvenience, so I can do my job.” Sometimes, yes. Other times a definite no. Where physical interference with the job was bad, cognitive function had to take priority. Decisions, some minor, some immediate and with lasting consequence, had to be considered.
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LtCmdr Riah Amberlyn, XMD
Chief Medical Officer
USS Arawyn
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