The downsides of being dragonian.

Posted on Tue May 27th, 2025 @ 9:50pm by Lieutenant Xalanth & Lieutenant JG Malcolm Beckett M.D. & Ensign Charlotte Dawes

2,110 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Side Plots
Location: Medbay

Xalanth let out a sigh as leaned back against the medbay wall. Trust this to have happened he thought looking at the small bloodstain on his gym clothes, the hastily made bandage from his gym jumper on his upper arm which was stained with his species dried red blood.

Normally he'd just see T'para about it, but his half-Vulcan mate was seeing another patient so here he was currently waiting on someone to see to him and his mess.

Nurse Dawes walked into Sickbay's open triage with a warm smile. "Good afternoon, Mr. Xalanth," Charlotte said warmly. "Let's get you into a room. Are you fine walking, or would you like some assistance?" She asked.

" I can walk." Xalanth said politely putting on the best smile that he could. " lead the way."

"I'm Charlotte, I'll be assisting Dr. Beckett today," Charlotte said as she led Xalanth to a partitioned room off of the main triage center. "I think we were on that hike together, on Barisa Prime. I don't think we really talked much though," she offered.

"If you can take a seat on the biobed, we'll get started with some vitals."

" My apologise i like to get to know everyone I'm working with." The lizard said as he sat on the biobed letting out a slight groan as he moved his bandaged arm. " I swear it's never been this bad." he muttered to himself.

"There's no need..." Charlotte shook her head just as they were interrupted by the doctor arriving.

"Hello, Mr. Xalanth. Pleasure to officially make your acquaintance. I'm Malcolm Beckett, and I'll be treating you today. How are you feeling?" He asked.

" As well as I can be." Xalanth said as he undid the makeshift bandage on his arm. A trail of blood was visible which was had been pouring from between his scales. " My body trying to eject my spermicide implant again. It normally does it once a year but it's rather early since the last time it did it. " He explained with the confidence of someone who had done this had happened before.

"I see. Well if that's all we've got here, then it's nothing to be worried about," Malcolm said as he examined the Dragonian's arm. "You are probably just entering an early molting cycle, but we should do an exam to be sure there's nothing else causing it."

" It doesn't feel like a moult issue." Xalanth said in reply. " I've had bad ones but they've never had blood before. "

"When your implant has been ejected, it's never caused blood before?" the Doctor asked for clarification as he signaled for Charlotte to get a tricorder for him.

" No most of the time it just comes out with my scales when they get replaced. " Xalanth explained.

"Have you experienced any trauma to the area recently? Falls, hits, get pushed into something?" Malcolm asked.

" A few blows to it during my sparing with Fulvia yesterday." Came the red lizards reply.

"Well that could be something," Malcom mentioned as he scanned the area, and then did a full body scan of the Dragonian with his tricorder. "I'm sure you know, you're my first Dragonian patient, but I have been reading up since I learned we'd be serving together. The Federation does have other races with similar regenerative processes. I'm thinking your little sparring session might have caused an internal injury in just the right spot."

"Do you mind laying back for me so we can get some images to be sure?" the Doctor asked?

Xalanth gave a slight nod and leaned back against the bed.

"Nurse Dawes, can you get full images of the left and right arms for comparison, please," Malcolm requested as Xalanth laid back.

"Of course, Doctor," Charlotte replied.

The nurse started on the Dragonian's good side, operating controls to cause a panel to slide out from the biobed near that arm. She then manually manipulated it into a better position. She then smiled warmly at the officer, "Okay, Lieutenant, if you can just rest your arm comfortably on this platform here, we'll get you into position."

Xalanth nodded as he placed his arm down on the platform letting out a slight reptilian groan as he did so.

Charlotte then brought up the imager which rotated slowly around Xalanth's arm in a full 360 degree circle, the images displaying almost immediately on a screen behind the biobed for the doctor.

"Perfect, Lieutenant. Now, we'll do the same thing on the other side." Charlotte helped Xalanth get his arm from the platform before she tucked it away, and then went to repeat the process on the other side, taking extra caution since this was the arm that appeared to be injured.

"Any pain here?" Charlotte asked as she got him into position.

The lizard managed to move his arm though he let out a short reptilian click as he moved it. " Feel like the time some terra prime asshole jammed a penknife in my shoulder. " He muttered.

"Any worse with movement?" Charlotte asked. "Or about the same?" Charlotte brought up the imaging equipment quickly so that they could get through the process and hopefully get Xalanth feeling better soon.

" About the same. " he replied honestly.

Dr. Beckett took a brief moment to look at the images before walking back over to the biobed as Charlotte was putting away the imagine equipment. "Well, Mr. Xalanth your images look good, I'm nae seeing anythin' to be concerned about. It does look like we need to remove this implant, it looks like it was damaged - likely during your sparring session, which is why we're seeing this injury now. Your body is already regenerating, but it will be able to work faster if we take this one out so your arm can focus on healing," Malcom explained.

" Okay doctor. " the lizard replied calmly. " Guess I'll need to book another appointment to have an implant installed as well when my arms healed."

"We have a few options there," Malcolm offered. "I'd recommend artifical muscular and dermal regeneration today to speed up the healing process so you don't have to suffer through the slower process. We can move the implant to your other arm, or we could try placement underneath the internal oblique muscle in your abdomen. We'd place it with medical transporter device, so it would be minimal invasive. Submuscular placement has been effective in other self-regenerating species, as the area is protected from the dermal regeneration process."

Xalanth thought through the options before speaking. " Let's try the submuscular placement. Worse that can happen is my body finds a new way of kicking it out." He said with a polite attempt at a joke.

"I think ye will be happy with that, but we'll do a follow up in a week to check on it, since it is a new procedure for you. And you'll come see me before then if you notice any discomfort," Malcolm confirmed.

The lizard nodded as he leaned back against the biobed. He'd been through federation operations before.

"Nurse Dawes, please prepare 5 cc's bicardine and 1 cc asinolyathin for Mr. Xalanth," Malcolm ordered, giving the nurse a warm look. "Just an analgesic and a very small dose of a muscle relaxer. Even though we're doing this by medical transporter, because things will be shifting dramatically, you could feel some significant discomfort if we didn't relax those muscles a bit for the submuscular placement."

" I understand," Xalanth replied as he just leaned back and did his best to relax.

Malcolm nodded to Charlotte who administered the general analgesic first. She then handed the doctor the hypospray for the muscle relaxer because for this particular procedure it was best to do a more localized injection based on where the doctor would be placing the device. Malcolm did that next to give the medicine time to work before they began that step in the process.

"So I hear that most of the family is back together now," Malcolm said as he started to make small talk as he began the removal process for the broken implant.

" Just two left and we'll be whole again." Xalanth replied, smiling. " I've never held Cemet before. I hope she'll get used to having six sisters around. Have you met Dr T'para and Leilani yet?" He added.

"Dr. T'para is on another shift, so we've really only crossed paths so far. I think Counselor Leilani plans to flex her hours for the time being, if I heard her right. She's come 'round a few times," Malcolm responded. The doctor was focused on beaming the broken implant into a small containment unit. "Appreciate that of her. It's good to know who you are referring your patients to."

" That's my Leilani. " Xalanth said with a smile on his face, despite the slight pain as the broken implant left his arm. " Always willing to hear her patients out, no matter the time. I have no idea what I've done to deserve her."

"I say the same about Eirly," Malcolm replied. "Lord knows why any women put up with us."

There was a clinking sound as the broken birth control implant rematerialized into the container that the doctor had prepared. Malcolm picked up the clear container and showed it to the Dragonian before disposing of it. "I'd say you did a number on it."

" The power of the dragonian muscles. " Xalanth chuckled as he looked at the crushed implant.

Charlotte took the container from the doctor and went to a biohazard disposal to recycle it while Malcolm went to replicate the new one and brought it back to the table on a sterile tray. The new one was a bit smaller and more sleek than the older one.

"Alright now, there's a tendency for people to want to tense up, but it's best to relax. Are you ticklish?" Malcolm asked as he transitioned to the next procedure.

" No, I'm not ticklish," came the red lizard reply.

"That's good. This next part shouldn't take too long. The least invasive way to place the implant is with the medical transporter again. It's also less trauma, decreasing the chances of your body trying to reject it," Malcolm explained. As it rematerializes you might feel a vibration, or almost a buzzing feeling in your abdomen for a few seconds. It should subside fairly quickly, but I've been told patients sometimes feel a phantom buzzing afterwards. It's just from the prior stimulation on the nervous system and it shouldn't be pervasive. I've heard it described as a random tickle or itch that comes and goes for the next day or two."

"Do you have any questions for me, Mr. Xalanth?" Malcolm asked.

" No questions, you may proceed," Xalanth replied after a little think. He still wasn't particularly fond of the transporter, but he'd learned to tolerate it.

The procedure took less time than a site to site transport, with the implant being so small and in close proximity to the transporter. The doctor then used a hypospray to activate the implant properly.

"That's it," Malcolm announced. "Pretty simple. You should check back in here in a week or so and just make sure it's staying in place, and if we're not seeing any obvious signs of movement we should assume this location will work for you, at least for a while."

Xalanth blinked a few times as he carefully stood up. He couldn't feel much, just a slight itch where the hypospray had gone through his scales. " Thank you, doctor, I will. If I feel anything wrong with it I'll come straight away or inform Doctor T'para."

"Please do. Thanks for coming in today," Malcolm said with a pleasant nod.

"I can walk you out," Charlotte offered.

" Thank you my dear." Xalanth replied warmly a smile spreading over his face.

"Hopefully this works out for you, though honestly, three years wasn't a bad run," Charlotte said as they made their way to the door. "I know you generally don't require a lot of fluids, but we recommend extra. It helps flush the medication so you aren't as drowsy later."

" Don't worry, I will. I have many a lifeform at home who won't let me skip dringkin plenty of water. " He replied with a grin on his face. " I hope it does work. Me and my mates do want more children, but not till are current girls are older."

"It's the same technology as before. I'm sure you'll be just fine," Charlotte said with a reassuring smile.

" I sure hope so." Xalanth added as he reached medbay door. " Thanks for the help, Charlotte, you take care of yourself."

"Same to you!" Charlotte said warmly.

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