A Spoon Full of Sugar
Posted on Tue Aug 19, 2025 @ 10:51pm by Commander Tayanita 'Tay' Lio'ven & Civilian David Scarlet
1,214 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
Time After Time
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD017 - 0801 hours
David Scarlet glared at the sign about the door as if it'd personally insulted his honour. In a way it had, he'd been through enough with doctors and had survived worst without their interference. Right now all he wanted was to get past all of this and begin rebuilding his life.
Unfortunately one of the engineering crews had found unusually high levels of tetrihydrochloride in his ship's atmosphere and demanded he see a doctor for possible treatment. It was all foolishness as he felt fine.
He grumbled as he took the first few steps into sickbay. There was a buzz of activity around him and he tightened his grip on the medical requisition he held. Looking around once more and seeing an opportunity to just quietly leave again, he began to turn around to walk back out.
Tayanita clocked him the moment he stepped in — that half-turn toward the door wasn’t hesitation, it was an exit plan. She eased out from behind a console, not blocking his way, just… being there.
“Feels wrong being in here, doesn’t it?” she said, voice easy, almost like she was talking about the weather. “Like if you keep moving, you don’t have to think about it.”
Her gaze flicked to the requisition in his hand before coming back to him. “Thing is, with tetrihydrochloride… feeling fine doesn’t mean much. It’s the quiet kind of trouble.”
She gave a slight shrug, a faint glint of knowing in her eyes. “And I’m guessing you’ve had your share of quiet trouble before. This time, staying put might actually be the quicker way out.”
The corner of her mouth lifted just a little. “One quick scan, you walk out knowing for sure. No fuss. I’ll even pretend you didn’t look ready to bolt.”
Scarlet grumbled as he eyed the doctor. Even as a civilian the blue jackets still bothered him. Slowly he brought his hand up and handed her the requisition. "The ship I came here in, there were elevated levels of tetrihydrochloride. Engineering is working on fixing the scrubbers now, but I had prolonged exposure."
"How quick is quick?" He asked as he looked around quickly, sizing up the area and looking now for an empty biobed that would signify he could be done in a few minutes.
Tayanita took the requisition with a smooth motion, not even glancing at it right away—her attention stayed on him, steady but not invasive.
“Quick’s a relative term,” she said lightly, turning just enough to gesture toward an open biobed tucked along the outer curve of Sickbay. “But I’d say… under ten minutes if you sit still, under five if you don’t argue.”
There was a flicker of dry humour in her tone—measured, not mocking. Just enough to match the edge in his voice.
She stepped aside to give him a clear path forward, not herding, just inviting.
“Tetrihydrochloride can settle in the soft tissues,” she explained as she moved toward the console beside the bed, activating the scan field with a few practiced taps. “Lungs, liver, sometimes the optic nerve. None of it’s dramatic, not at first. But if you wait until it feels serious, it usually already is.”
A pause. Her voice softened just a little, without losing its clarity.
“You’ve got the look of someone who’s had enough of dramatic.”
She glanced back at him then, her expression neutral but open. “So—your call. Sit, scan, done. Or we can stare each other down for a few more minutes and make the engineers feel justified.”
Another faint pull at the corner of her mouth. “I promise not to keep you longer than the toxin does.”
Scarlet was too tired to even bristle, let alone argue. "Five minutes it is."
He sat on the edge of the biobed and did his best impression of a stone statue. Blue jackets had always liked to poke and prod him, some were better than others, and some had made him want to go live off-grid as a hermit. This one at least was up front about everything and right now, he could respect that.
Tay adjusted the scan field, eyes flicking over the results. “You’ve got residual traces—low enough that your body’s handling most of it, but worth clearing now before it builds.”
She loaded a hypospray with a clear, practiced motion. “Chelation compound. Flushes the toxin before it can bind to your tissues. You might feel a little light-headed or warm for a few minutes while it’s working.”
A soft hiss marked the injection against his arm. She set the device aside, entering a quick note into the console.
“That’s it. No restrictions, just drink more water than usual today. Come back in a week for a follow-up scan—sooner if you notice blurred vision, shortness of breath, or dizziness that doesn’t pass.”
Her eyes met his, a faint wry smile tugging at her lips. “And there’s your five minutes.”
She stepped back, giving him space to leave, but added in a quieter tone, “In my people’s way, when you take something harmful out of the body, you replace it with something good. Doesn’t have to be much—a walk, a good meal, a moment you actually enjoy. Keeps the spirit from feeling the loss.”
It wasn’t a prescription, not really. But there was a calm certainty in the way she said it, like it was the sort of advice that had lasted centuries.
Scarlet stood from the biobed and took in a steadying breath as he felt the dizziness at the edge of his vision. "With how the Tetrihydrochloride got into my system, I think even getting hyposprayed can be considered something good."
"That's not an invitation for more." He quickly added. He was about to turn and leave without another word, but this doctor had been direct and up front with him. A relief and change from what he'd been used to previously. He looked back at Tay and gave her a quick nod. "Thank you, I'll follow doctors orders and find that good moment."
Tayanita’s nod was slow, deliberate. “Then we’re agreed. Let the medicine do its work before you go testing the edges again.”
Her gaze held his for a moment, calm but unyielding. “Among my people, we say even the strongest hunter rests after walking through poisoned ground. Doesn’t make him weaker—just wise enough to walk farther the next day.”
She stepped back then, giving him the space to leave on his own terms.
Scarlet took her words and nodded. "Let's hope I have that wisdom." His mind wandered back to all of the close calls he'd had over the years and how little time he'd given himself to reset before diving back in.
With half a grin he turned and began to walk out of sickbay. He still had a few more things to do before he could really rest and relax, but nothing that should cause him to be back here quick enough that would get him in hot water with the doctor.
Commander Tayanita Lio'ven
Chief Medical Officer
Deep Space 5
David Scarlet
Civilian
DS5
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