The Man in the Hyperbaric Chamber

Posted on Sun Oct 9th, 2016 @ 12:15am by Captain Brady Dering M.D., PhD & Commander Zoe Eckhardt M.D.
Edited on on Wed Sep 12th, 2018 @ 5:26pm

Mission: My Place In This Universe
Location: Starbase Zulu's Main Sickbay
Timeline: 2388/07/01 0522 (July 1, 2388 0522)

Brady leaned with one hand as he looked through the small observation window of the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy tank at the man laying within it's chamber. Although it was the early morning hours towards the end of the station's gamma shift, and there was hardly anyone around this part of Sickbay, he was deep in thought, so he didn't register someone walking up to stand beside him.

"Commander?" Zoe asked as she approached Brady and the tank, "I was told to come here asap." she stated, "Though I'm not sure of the story as yet." she prompted.

He looked over at her, "My apologies..", and then breathing in deeply and then out, he gestured to the window, to the man that laid there, his hands now covering his face, "Meet Doctor Connor McKinney, a patient of mine. He came to me an hour ago, very agitated and demanding to be placed in here. I think.." he looked back to her, "..it's time I fill you in."

"I think that that might be a very good idea." Zoe shifted to peer into the chamber.

His eyes remaining on her, Brady pulled away from the tank. "How about somewhere private, like your office?"

"Of course." Zoe nodded and added "Follow me." before heading back towards her office, wondering why all the secrecy.

Once they were inside the office, Zoe gestured for Brady to take a seat before asking "Would you like anything to drink before we start?"

"Lemon water would be nice, thank you." His eyes followed her as she ordered it from the replicator, and continued as she handed it to him before taking her own seat. "I think it's best I start at the beginning," he said.

"Always a good place to begin." Zoe smiled at him encouragingly as she took a seat opposite him.

Brady gave her a knowing smile. Then he sat there for a moment looking thoughtful before speaking, immediately revealing the need for the secrecy, "Connor was born with genetic obsessive compulsive disorder. Through ongoing counseling and hard work, he learned to manage it, had it mostly under control. Then a little over a year ago he was in a shuttle crash, suffered severe head trauma, which was aggravated by the fact that he performed emergency field surgery on another passenger. It's a wonder he hadn't died at the scene of the crash and would of enroute to a nearby starbase had it not been for an unconventional technique used by a Betazoid officer to stimulate his mind, keeping his neural pathways from collapsing."

"Go on." Zoe prompted, already intrigued by the story.

"Backing up a bit," Brady gestured with a hand, "his internship years were served as a field medic in the war...he developed Post-traumatic Stress Disorder as a result. As you know," he gestured again, "like fingerprints, every traumatic head injury is unique, even now in the 24th century with our modern techniques in repairing neural pathways, the brain has to do much of its healing on its own, can take up to a year in some cases. In Connor's case, it's been a long road to recovery, with existing conditions exasperated. His OCD intensified, his PTSD returned for a time." He paused, taking a drink.

"Doesn't sound like he's had it easy." Zoe noted, "Though it doesn't explain why he's in my sickbay in a hyperbaric chamber." she looked pointedly at Brady.

"No, it doesn't," Brady agreed, "but I think it's important you understand him a bit, get his history."

"Very well." Zoe nodded, realising that Brady clearly needed to tell this in his own way and given that the man who was to be her patient wasn't in any immediate danger, they had the luxury of time on their side.

"Connor's a driven man. He still managed to work his way up to the CMO of Starbase 900, did an exemplary job." Brady angled his head as he continued, his unhappiness at what he was to say next in his eyes, "He began a relationship with the other passenger that had been in the shuttle accident with him. His counselor's definition of the relationship from what he revealed was that it was emotionally abusive from both ends. While Connor began to improve in some areas, he also became depressed in the process..." Feeling the need, Brady paused as he could almost relate personally.

"It's almost hard to imagine the combination..." he added quietly, making sure to keep his focus on Connor. "He resigned his commission and went on what he referred to as a walkabout, traveled down into what they call the Cherry Pit, the seedy area of the station. He was apparently mugged, received repeated blows to the head, and was reported to have died in surgery..."

"Reported to have died?" Zoe queried, looking confused because the man in that chamber clearly wasn't dead.

Brady nodded, leaning forward, "A few weeks later, during an intelligence operation, he was found on a vessel about several weeks travel from the Starbase. Obviously he had survived surgery, and then had been placed in a medically induced coma. I can't tell you anything more in regards to how he had been found except at that point he had been placed in my care."

"And that was how long ago?" Zoe asked with interest, eager to hear the rest because given the presence of the chamber, more had obviously happened between then and now.

"About six weeks ago." he answered. "He was brought out of the coma, was very confused, no memory of what happened, who he was. He woke up a few days later with most of his memories intact, with the exception of the attack on the Starbase, and a few memories he had never been able to get back from the shuttle accident."

Brady shifted in his seat, "Apparently, while he was on his walkabout he had an epiphany, and wanted his commission back."

"Okay." Zoe nodded, "And has he got that back yet?" she queried, "Or did something happen?" she prompted.

"No, nothing happened. Starfleet was more than happy to have him back," Brady said quietly, with a twinge of guilt he wasn't used to feeling, for what Connor was dealing with now. He looked thoughtful again before continuing, "Connor and I have spent alot of time together the past six weeks. His recovery, for what he has had to deal with, has been nothing short of remarkable. He has shown more positive changes in his coping and greater improvement in his emotional state. Regardless, I convinced the powers that be it would be more in their interest and his if he wasn't assigned to a Starbase or a Starship at this time."

"But why?" Zoe frowned, "Surely if he'd made progress...and if he's as good an officer as I think you're saying he is...." her voice trailed off as she waited for the psychiatrist to continue.

"That's a good question," Brady gave a slight smile back at her, "I think at this time a change would be best," and closed his hand up into a fist as he explained, "Most people with OCD tend to rigidly hold on to the things they know. Those who hold on tightly to the ideas of how they want things to be have difficulty letting go so things can be different. The fact Connor's open to making changes in himself tells me he'll benefit most in a new environment, a highly dynamic environment. I believe it will give him the chance to let go of the old compulsions, to restructure himself."

"So what 'environment' did you recommend for him?" Zoe asked, feeling already that she knew the man in the tank a little better.

Brady smiled, "As of yesterday, he's the new Dean of Magellan Campus."

"Well that certainly isn't a Starship or a Starbase." Zoe commented, thinking that personally she couldn't think of anything worse.

Amused, Brady smiled at her reaction, and then just as quickly, his smile left. "Now to the reason he's in a hyperbaric chamber. He's been expecting his girlfriend to join him. He received a message last night to the contrary. She's moved on, wants nothing to do with him. He was afraid this was going to set him back."

"I don't understand." Zoe frowned, still not seeing the connection to the hyperbaric chamber.

He showed up at my door feeling as if he couldn't cope. He's used the chamber before in his PTSD treatments. He claims it helps clear his mind when it comes to his OCD." Brady's brows furrowed, "My concern is that it can easily become another compulsion."

"He's using it as a crutch?" Zoe began to understand, "You mean that there's no physical reason for him using the chamber?"

"Well, there's physical benefits. But at the same time, there's the danger of dependency. I'm going to have to place restrictions on it's usage..." Brady's look became a bit more intent, "There's been something weighing heavily on my mind since I first was handed Connor's case. Something I think you can do to help, Doctor."

"Of course I'll help if I can." Zoe nodded, genuinely keen to help.

He leaned forward a bit, "I've heard great things about your research department here. There's been research into a cure for this on and off for years, each time reaching a dead-end. Would you consider the challenge?"

"Never could resist that." Zoe smiled, "I'll pull out what data we have and start from there....though I must admit, it's not research that I've had any hand in thus far."

"Ahh, but you're the one in charge, " he smiled in return, and tilted his head down, "Thank you.."

=^=Doctor Dering, Doctor McKinney is finished with his treatment.=^=

Keeping his eyes on Zoe, Brady tapped on his badge, "Have him join us in Doctor Eckhardt's office."

=^=Yes Doctor=^=

Brady shifted, "According to his previous counselor..," he said, lifting himself up slightly, angling his chair slightly towards the empty one that sat facing Zoe along with his, "..right after a treatment, his mind seems to wander for about an hour." And then relaxing back into his seat.

"I'll keep that in mind." Zoe nodded just as the door to her office opened and she looked toward it expectantly.




Lieutenant Cmdr Brady Dering
Psychiatrist
Zulu Fleet

Lieutenant Commander Zoe Eckhardt
Chief Medical Officer
Starbase Zulu