Hand in Hand

Posted on Thu Feb 27th, 2020 @ 1:02pm by Commander Nalla Furban & Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan

Mission: Mission 19: Taking out the Garbage
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1200Hrs - December 24th, 2390

They had been waiting near a half hour while Doctor Furban looked thoroughly over the scans of Wukari. Phoenix had come to be with her new wing CO as moral support. But also because she felt it in her bones that Desert Fox would likely not have full use of her hands again.

"Furban is notorious for not wantin' ta give guesses for things like this," Phoenix tried to fill the silence with Wukari. "Your physical therapy doin' all right?"

Wukari nodded, "Yeah its getting better, my right hand is becoming usable again. My left is still nearly useless though. At least I don't have to ask Hakaya or someone else to brush my fur anymore though."

"I could brush ya if ya like," Phoenix offered.

Wukari shrugged, "Nah, I can do it myself now." Wukari looked off the side, Her tail twitched nervously. "At least I can do certain other tasks by myself now, like clean my own rear end." Her voice trailed off before adding, "I think anyway, haven't tried yet."

Phoenix felt obligated to offer assistance. That, or be an asshole for telling Wukari just sit on the floor and risk carpet burn for a good ass wipe.

"Well if ya need help, I'm 'round," Phoenix added and stopped once Furban came out of her lab.

"It would appear your left hand suffered a sixty-percent muscle-strength loss from your attack, Command." Furban spoke very Vulcan-like as she stood stiff. "Current projections point to twenty-percent restoration with therapy, over the next six months. The right hand, however, will be able to regain ninety-point-oh-three-six percent of its muscle strength over a six-month period."

That was bad news, Phoenix understood. However, it was not her place to respond just yet. If Desert Fox wanted options, Phoenix would not immediately suggest the prosthetic.

Wukari looked at Nalla asking, "So, any other options to go with."

"I would suggest reconstruction of your hands. The bones were crushed so densely against your nerve-endings, that they fail to fire off the signals from your motor cortex correctly," Nalla noted while she looked at more of Wukari's scans. "It is a three-month recovery, with four to five surgeries spread out."

Wukari shrugged, "Well I guess I don't have much choice in the matter then."

"What would be the fastest method to allow her to fly?" Phoenix asked, for she did not want Wukari to give up her dream.

"Prosthesis would allow full function but in most species, it is a three-month physical therapy," Nalla answered simply. "But there would be psychological effects with such a change."

Wukari looked at the ground, saying, "Either way its a long wait."

"Do you wanna fly soon though?" Phoenix asked gently.

Wukari looked at Phoenix curiously, "Do you have another suggestion."

"A neural interface chip would allow you to be able to fly anythin' in less than a month," Phoenix pointed out rather candidly.

"New technology is not always the best best option," Nalla interjected.

"Its better than chopping my hand off and replacing them with cold metal," Wukari added, "how does the neural interface work."

"The chip essentially processes thought commands and transfers them to the interface your chip is linked to," Nalla began rather reluctantly. "But the interface also has to be powered up in order for the chip to work. However, that still does not fix the loss of use in your left hand."

Wukari shrugged, "Well that sounds like it would actually improve my response time while in a fighter. In a dogfight, the ability to react quickly is extremely important. I'd think I would prefer the chip."

"Why not do both?" Nalla suggested lightly. "At least, for your left hand. Even if the chip grants you the ability to fly again, basic tasks such as gripping and holding are going to be a constant struggle with the injuries your hand has sustained."

Wukari sighed, looking at the floor, "Because I am not very big on the idea of getting a fake hand, that I probably wont ever get used to." She tried to hide her nervousness about the issue, but Wukari couldn't help but be extremely apprehensive on the matter.

"I never had a choice in the matter," Phoenix told Wukari very soberly. "But without my prosthetic, I could not shoot a phaser rifle." Phoenix gave a shrug. It was, after all, not her place to press the issue, but rather be the voice of someone that lives with the issue.

Wukari looked at Phoenix, saying, "Well, my hands are still attached to my arms, which means there is still a chance that they may become usable again. I'd rather not rush on the issue."

"All that is left to decide, is when you want the surgery done," Nalla spoke as she went back to her files.

Wukari gave the matter a bit of thought, when she then said, "Well, I'd like to get the chip as soon as is convenient, Same with the reconstruction."

"I would suggest we do the neural interface chip first. That would allow you to fly, if that is your main objective," Nalla suggested in her typical Vulcan-like posture. "We can start as early as oh-nine-hundred tomorrow morning. But the reconstruction of your nerves in your right hand will take several surgeries over time."

Wukari sighed and said," Well lets go with that then."