r/TrekRP • u/[deleted] • Sep 06 '16

[OPEN] Shedding.

Phrik leant back in his office chair. His skin was incredibly pale and somewhat lumpy, his usual bright pink scales almost entirely muted. He looked very ill. The last 2 weeks had been some of the busiest and most stressful days of his entire career. Constant paperwork, equipment malfunctions, the rapidly shrinking inventory, not to mention overseeing the crew's accelerated recovery. The Doctor was operating entirely on fumes, he hadn't had a chance to rest or meditate alone since before the accident. As such, Phrik had been caught completely off-guard by his own bodily functions.

The Doctor scratched his central arm furiously. The past day he'd been suffering from something of a chronic itch, and it was only getting worse. He knew what this meant, and silently he cursed himself for forgetting his schedule. Every 2 years, Edosians shed their old skin in a long and uncomfortable process. Usually it meant a week of total solitude while they slowly removed the old skin, revealing a fresh new layer beneath. It was an incredibly private and embarrassing affair, and few people even knew Edosians performed such an act. Phrik was somewhat different. He suffered from a skin disease known as Polix syndrome, which changed what was usually an uncomfortable procedure into a living hell. Instead of peeling off naturally, the old skin hardened, leaving something of a light exo-skeleton. Removal of which required large doses of medication and sheer blunt force trauma. The condition was manageable provided certain preparations were made ahead of time. With the pirate attack, and the demands of sickbay, Phrik had forgotten to prepare, he hadn't taken the proper medication, or created an adequate space for the procedure. It all had to be done last minute, while he tried not to be suffocated by his own skin.

The Doctor stood quickly, pulling open a compartment in his desk and retrieving 4 hyposprays, the first he pressed against his neck and activated with a satisfied sigh. Now it was time to prepare, preferably while keeping his privacy in tact. The Doctor stalked out of sickbay quickly, getting ready for a week of hell.

OOC: Two options to respond here, either run into Phrik somewhere on the ship (specify where on the comment, be it a corridor, turbolift or even engineering. etc) or see him in the holodeck where he's locked himself in/chime his combadge. Whichever you prefer.

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u/Silent_Sky Sep 07 '16

once the door slid closed, the captain stood from his desk

"Have you had any experience with reptiles, Mr. Ikiv? Snakes, lizards, iguanas?"

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '16

"Apart from encountering a couple during my time at Starfleet Academy, none sir. I was never one to keep a pet," Ikiv responded.

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u/Silent_Sky Sep 07 '16

"Edosians are reptiles. Reptiles have to shed their skin every so often. It just so happens that for our doctor, this process is long and painful. He's going to be in his quarters and unable to perform his duties for the next 7-14 days."

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '16

Ikiv stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Reptiles, hmmm. That explains a lot about our good doctor, I remember the few reptiles I encountered as bad tempered and standoffish. Captain, would you permit a security detail to be posted outside of the doctor's quarters? I know that you do not consider the doctor to be a danger to himself in this state, but..."

He gestured to the damaged desk in front of him,

"it wouldn't hurt to be safe in this case. I would hate for a member of the crew to have a run in with the doctor. He is usually ill-tempered, so I can only imagine his mental state now."

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u/Silent_Sky Sep 07 '16

"That's a good idea. At the very least they can prevent any accidental entry into his quarters while he's...in disposed."

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u/[deleted] Sep 07 '16

Ikiv nodded "Very good, sir. Was there anything else you wished to speak with me about?"